Secondary Schools

AndyeMaria

My wife and I are going to be moving to Ireland in the next 18 months and were wondering about schools. Our son is three years from finishing secondary school here so I guess he would be starting in the transition year? Are there any state schools that you can recommend in Waterford?

deisemum

My family have been very happy with De La Salle.

katydid

AndyeMaria wrote: »

My wife and I are going to be moving to Ireland in the next 18 months and were wondering about schools. Our son is three years from finishing secondary school here so I guess he would be starting in the transition year? Are there any state schools that you can recommend in Waterford?

It depends what you mean by state schools. There are only three "state schools", as in non-religious in Waterford City: St. Pauls Community College, and Abbey Community College (its catchement area is technically outside Waterford City in Co.Kilkenny),which are run by the Education Board (WWETB), and Waterpark school, which is a former Christian Brother's school. These are all co-ed. The only other co-ed school is Newtown, which used to be a private school until recently, and has a Quaker ethos.

All other schools are single sex and religious run. For your son, there would be De La Salle, which is a very big boys' school, or Mount Sion, which is a bit smaller. They are both run by Roman Catholic orders of brothers.

It would depend a lot on what kind of school you want to send your son to, so worth checking all options. It would depend on where you would be living too.

AndyeMaria

katydid wrote: »

It depends what you mean by state schools. There are only three "state schools", as in non-religious in Waterford City: St. Pauls Community College, and Abbey Community College (its catchement area is technically outside Waterford City in Co.Kilkenny),which are run by the Education Board (WWETB), and Waterpark school, which is a former Christian Brother's school. These are all co-ed. The only other co-ed school is Newtown, which used to be a private school until recently, and has a Quaker ethos.

All other schools are single sex and religious run. For your son, there would be De La Salle, which is a very big boys' school, or Mount Sion, which is a bit smaller. They are both run by Roman Catholic orders of brothers.

It would depend a lot on what kind of school you want to send your son to, so worth checking all options. It would depend on where you would be living too.

I meant not a private school but I'm happy with a religious school as we are Catholic - the trouble is I can't afford high fees. Are schools like De La Salle and Mount Sion expensive?

AndyeMaria

deisemum wrote: »

My family have been very happy with De La Salle.

I'd like a Catholic School like De La Salle but I thought they were expensive?

katydid

AndyeMaria wrote: »

I'd like a Catholic School like De La Salle but I thought they were expensive?

All the schools mentioned are free, although parents are asked for a "voluntary" contribution to help with extras.

The confusion is that in Ireland all schools are subsidised by the state. Even private fee paying schools get the teachers' salary paid by the state, and all non fee paying schools, even if the church controls them and theoretically "owns" them, are state schools. The buildings are maintained by the state and all costs are paid by the state.

I know it's not like that in other countries, but that's how it is in Ireland.

If you'd like your son to go to De La Salle, you'd probably need to contact the school fairly soon, as it might be hard to get a place. There are only two all boys schools, so they might be full

katydid

AndyeMaria wrote: »

I meant not a private school but I'm happy with a religious school as we are Catholic - the trouble is I can't afford high fees. Are schools like De La Salle and Mount Sion expensive?

Even the supposedly non-denominational schools have a very Roman Catholic element. They have school masses and prayers and the religion lessons are based on Roman Catholism - to the annoyance of people who'd like an alternative, but that's another story.

None of the schools I mentioned are private.

deisemum

De La Salle had their open night last Monday. Up until a few years ago it was able to take all that applied but it became oversubscribed and the school had to bring in an enrollment policy prioritising pupils from specific schools.

Contact the school as it may be easier to get in if enrolling for TY compared to 1st year. The secretaries are very helpful.

AndyeMaria

Thank you so much to both of you - it really is appreciated. I'm sure I'll be back with more questions nearer the time. I still have to find a nice area to live in Waterford and haven't a clue where to begin.

katydid

AndyeMaria wrote: »

Thank you so much to both of you - it really is appreciated. I'm sure I'll be back with more questions nearer the time. I still have to find a nice area to live in Waterford and haven't a clue where to begin.

Feel free to get back to me. I moved to Waterford 20 years ago, and love the place.

Exiled1

Entry to schools in years other than 1st Year is different. You simply make contact with the school, give them appropriate details, age, education thus far, year the child hopes to enter etc and take it from there. It is always good to personally check out the schools. Sometimes there may be lots of space and a willingness on the part of schools to take in new students above 1st Yr.
I think if your child is about 15/16 Transition year is a wonderful option if the school runs a good TY. Generally UK students have done fewer subjects than Irish students do for Junior Cert and TY gives the child a chance to catch up / gain new subjects etc.
A further complication is subject choice at senior cycle ie. 5th Yr.
Good choices in Waterford city wider area though some years are quite full and it may be difficult to get a place in the best schools. Don't overlook Abbey CC Ferrybank as a possibility (though under Carlow Kilkenny ETB).
Also a good idea is to check if a school has had a Whole School Evaluation, as it may provide some information. A visit to a school website can be helpful too.

AndyeMaria

katydid wrote: »

Feel free to get back to me. I moved to Waterford 20 years ago, and love the place.

Thank you so much.

AndyeMaria

Exiled1 wrote: »

Entry to schools in years other than 1st Year is different. You simply make contact with the school, give them appropriate details, age, education thus far, year the child hopes to enter etc and take it from there. It is always good to personally check out the schools. Sometimes there may be lots of space and a willingness on the part of schools to take in new students above 1st Yr.
I think if your child is about 15/16 Transition year is a wonderful option if the school runs a good TY. Generally UK students have done fewer subjects than Irish students do for Junior Cert and TY gives the child a chance to catch up / gain new subjects etc.
A further complication is subject choice at senior cycle ie. 5th Yr.
Good choices in Waterford city wider area though some years are quite full and it may be difficult to get a place in the best schools. Don't overlook Abbey CC Ferrybank as a possibility (though under Carlow Kilkenny ETB).
Also a good idea is to check if a school has had a Whole School Evaluation, as it may provide some information. A visit to a school website can be helpful too.

Thank you - some great tips.

sunnysoutheast

Both of my nephews currently go to De La Salle as did several of our neighbours' sons and all give excellent reviews.

Waterpark is apparently very good too but is heavily oversubscribed. Newtown is a good school from friends' experiences and seems to have a more "rounded" ethos.

Another option is (fee paying) Yeats' College instead of joining a school in TY.

katydid

sunnysoutheast wrote: »

Both of my nephews currently go to De La Salle as did several of our neighbours' sons and all give excellent reviews.

Waterpark is apparently very good too but is heavily oversubscribed. Newtown is a good school from friends' experiences and seems to have a more "rounded" ethos.

Another option is (fee paying) Yeats' College instead of joining a school in TY.

Another thing to note is that not all schools do TY with every student. In some schools, , you had to apply and only a small number were chosen.

Yeats is fine if you want to get the head down and study, but there isn't much in the line of extra-curricular, as far as I know.

My child went to Newtown and loved it. It's very respectful of individuality and difference.

AndyeMaria

katydid wrote: »

Another thing to note is that not all schools do TY with every student. In some schools, , you had to apply and only a small number were chosen.

Yeats is fine if you want to get the head down and study, but there isn't much in the line of extra-curricular, as far as I know.

My child went to Newtown and loved it. It's very respectful of individuality and difference.

sunnysoutheast wrote: »

Both of my nephews currently go to De La Salle as did several of our neighbours' sons and all give excellent reviews.

Waterpark is apparently very good too but is heavily oversubscribed. Newtown is a good school from friends' experiences and seems to have a more "rounded" ethos.

Another option is (fee paying) Yeats' College instead of joining a school in TY.

Such great posts. Thank you everybody, if all Irish folks are like you guys Ireland has to be the best country on earth!

sunnysoutheast

AndyeMaria wrote: »

Such great posts. Thank you everybody, if all Irish folks are like you guys Ireland has to be the best country on earth!

No worries, happy to help where I can.

Nearer the move time might be worth asking questions on local areas to live etc.

AndyeMaria

sunnysoutheast wrote: »

No worries, happy to help where I can.

Nearer the move time might be worth asking questions on local areas to live etc.

I will definitely do that.