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Moving from Boston - How do I get my kid into a decent school? on shor

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  • 31-05-2012 11:59pm
    #1
    teresacooks
    Registered Users Posts: 2 ✭


    HI,
    hoping someone can offer me some advice. I'm moving from Boston in August and have tried contacting a few schools for my children - none have any places. How does one go about getting one's children into a decent school on short notice? All the threads I see on this mention putting them on waiting lists as soon as they are in utero. . .I have a 13 year old boy and a 7 year old boy and am hoping for a mixed non-fee paying school with as little religiosity as possible. . .So far the only school that might have a place is St. Tiernan's Community school for the older boy.
    This must be a situation that people have dealt with in the past? Any suggestions?
    thanks,


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    #2
    delta_bravo
    Registered Users Posts: 4,567 ✭✭✭delta_bravo


    What area of Dublin will you be in? Ballinteer Community School not far from Tiernans generally has smaller than normal classes so you could try contacting them.


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    #3
    teresacooks
    Registered Users Posts: 2 ✭teresacooks


    My husband is leaning towards Leopardstown heights I think, but we're also looking in Sandyford and Dundrum. I've heard mixed reviews about ballinteer community school, but nothing at all about st. tiernan's.


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    #4
    SerialComplaint
    Registered Users Posts: 2,644 ✭✭✭SerialComplaint


    It's not easy to get mixed, non-fee paying, non-religious at secondary level in Ireland. Your only option to meet all of these criteria would be 'community schools', like St Tiernan's or Ballinteer Community School. These wouldn't be managed by religious bodies, but there would probably be some religious activities, like school masses etc. I'm sure there is no difficulty in opting out of these activities, as community schools tend to have a fairly diverse student population, with a fair number of kids from non-Irish families, so you will have some Muslim kids and some oriental kids. If social class is important to you, community schools would generally be seen as attracting working/middle class families.

    If you were prepared to compromise on the 'mixed' thing for the older guy, you could try St Benildus in Kilmacud, though it might be difficult to get in a short notice. If fee-paying is a possibility for him, check out Wesley College.

    For the younger guy, Educate Together schools would tick all your boxes. There is one in Rathfarnham, but you might even find one closer if you contact www.educatetogether.ie.


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    #5
    homer911
    Registered Users Posts: 5,119 ✭✭✭homer911


    If the op is looking for non fee paying, I doubt if Wesley is an option..

    Spare places are usually conditional on the pupil boarding

    How about Newpark? or Cabinteely Community School?


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    #6
    SerialComplaint
    Registered Users Posts: 2,644 ✭✭✭SerialComplaint


    homer911 wrote: »
    If the op is looking for non fee paying, I doubt if Wesley is an option..

    Yes, that would be why I prefixed the point with " If fee-paying is a possibility for him".


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    #7
    delta_bravo
    Registered Users Posts: 4,567 ✭✭✭delta_bravo


    teresacooks wrote: »
    My husband is leaning towards Leopardstown heights I think, but we're also looking in Sandyford and Dundrum. I've heard mixed reviews about ballinteer community school, but nothing at all about st. tiernan's.

    From my knowledge Tiernans would similar to Ballinteer, maybe even a little lower achieving in terms of kids going on to 3rd level.


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    #8
    HavingCrack
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,847 ✭✭✭HavingCrack


    St Tiernans wouldn't have a particularly good academic reputation to be honest.


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    #9
    SerialComplaint
    Registered Users Posts: 2,644 ✭✭✭SerialComplaint


    delta_bravo wrote: »
    maybe even a little lower achieving in terms of kids going on to 3rd level.

    This measure and the high profile 'league tables' tell you very little about the academic achievement of a school. It tells you quite a lot about the ability of parents to pay for 3rd level.


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    #10
    Big Nasty
    Registered Users Posts: 22,080 ✭✭✭✭Big Nasty


    Newpark in Blackrock would be a good choice and is serviced by the 114 Bus so anywhere on that route would be handy. Failing that De La Salle in Churchtown is another good school but would have more of a religious influence. They would be my choice of schools in the area.


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    #11
    square leg
    Registered Users Posts: 28 ✭square leg


    Please don't send your kids to St Tiernans - judging from the lovely students on the lUAS!!!
    St Benildus has turned the corner and is an excellent school - I have heard good things about cabinteely community college as well.

    BTW i am a teacher but in a fee-paying school


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    #12
    Fight_Night
    Registered Users Posts: 720 ✭✭✭Fight_Night


    Yeah I wouldn't recommend Balinteer Community School at all, or St. Tiernans. I know a group of Italians who went to both of those schools and hated it, too large an amount of the wrong kind of people, or so I've heard.

    Newpark, would be recommended. If you could afford Wesley that would be ideal. Remember that fee paying schools in Ireland are nowhere near the cost of fee paying schools in USA.


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