Secondary school choices in Dublin South

Srrrr

Edgware wrote: »

One can be as bad as the other. There will always be sniping and smart comments. I think its better to stay same sex schools but it wont stop bullying if there is not proper controls in place. A lot of kids want to go to the same school as their "friends" from primary school but its no harm to leave that baggage behind.

Thanks Edgware. I kinda feel that have to do a swot analysis even just to make initial scoping of schools.

Any other comments about schools are always welcome

AndrewJRenko

Day Lewin wrote: »

Just to add - Mount Anville is notorious for eating disorders.

Really? Not just in the RO'CK books?

Edgware wrote: »

I think its better to stay same sex schools but it wont stop bullying if there is not proper controls in place.

I don't think bullying is addressed with 'controls'. You can't stop it happening. You can create a culture where it is just unacceptable to everybody, especially the bystanders.

starbaby2003

Srrrr wrote: »

Thanks Edgware. I kinda feel that have to do a swot analysis even just to make initial scoping of schools.

Any other comments about schools are always welcome

I think for free schools and mount Anville you need to make sure your daughter is on the feeder schools list. If not you can essentially scratch those. That might be a good starting point to reduce options.

Srrrr

Srrrr wrote: »

We are living in Dublin South and are looking for secondary schools for our older daughter. We have also read about the secondary school league tables published every year, but still would like to get some insider's views on the fee-paying and non-fee paying schools in Dublin South, i.e. Loreto Dalkey, Lotto Foxrock, Mount Anville, Muckross, Terisian, etc.? So any recommendations and advice will be greatly appreciated!

Just a word on those league tables.

They are carried out by the Irish Times and look at what schools students in Irish universities came from and ranks the schools accordingly. If a student does not go to an Irish university, they are not counted.

My daughter's school for example, has a number of Spanish borders who will go on to university in Spain, they have also had two girls offered places at Cambridge this year and over the last few years, have regularly sent students on to Edinburgh and other highly ranked UK universities. As far as the league tables are concerned, those girls do not go on to tertiary education.

starbaby2003

Aegir wrote: »

Just a word on those league tables.

They are carried out by the Irish Times and look at what schools students in Irish universities came from and ranks the schools accordingly. If a student does not go to an Irish university, they are not counted.

My daughter's school for example, has a number of Spanish borders who will go on to university in Spain, they have also had two girls offered places at Cambridge this year and over the last few years, have regularly sent students on to Edinburgh and other highly ranked UK universities. As far as the league tables are concerned, those girls do not go on to tertiary education.

I have heard this about Sion Hill. That the number of true college students is vastly underestimated. This is why all this data needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. In my opinion finding the best fit school for your child isn’t obvious until they are at least 10/11 and you can see what their interests are. I find it maddening that so many secondary schools take names before the child is even in primary!

mfceiling

Srrrr wrote: »

We are not considering boarding at the moment. She is not sporty, but likes arts and very academic.

My daughter is in The High School in Rathgar. They cater for kids who have a range of interests...My daughter isn't particularly sporty and it's not an issue as there's loads of other activities to focus on.

Srrrr

starbaby2003 wrote: »

I think for free schools and mount Anville you need to make sure your daughter is on the feeder schools list. If not you can essentially scratch those. That might be a good starting point to reduce options.

Thanks a million!

Srrrr

Aegir wrote: »

Just a word on those league tables.

They are carried out by the Irish Times and look at what schools students in Irish universities came from and ranks the schools accordingly. If a student does not go to an Irish university, they are not counted.

My daughter's school for example, has a number of Spanish borders who will go on to university in Spain, they have also had two girls offered places at Cambridge this year and over the last few years, have regularly sent students on to Edinburgh and other highly ranked UK universities. As far as the league tables are concerned, those girls do not go on to tertiary education.

Do you mind if I ask which school, is it MA?

Srrrr

starbaby2003 wrote: »

I have heard this about Sion Hill. That the number of true college students is vastly underestimated. This is why all this data needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. In my opinion finding the best fit school for your child isn’t obvious until they are at least 10/11 and you can see what their interests are. I find it maddening that so many secondary schools take names before the child is even in primary!

Couldn't agree more! Sometimes even after you finish your university you still don't know if you have made the right choice about the major that will have long impact on your future career, not to mention that you have to put the kids name down when born for primary and secondary schools.

starbaby2003

tillybill wrote: »

Thanks Schemingbohemia, I totally agree with you but it doesnt help the situation my daughter is in, she's trying to mix with others but doesnt know the rules as we're not from the area and didnt know the nuances about certain schools which others seem to live by, she's nearly finished so hopefully third level will have a more level playing field than second.

What age is she ? Is she in another local school now ? I’ve never heard of people not mixing because of schools. Certainly in our estate there is a mix of private and public ( both primary and secondary) and I have never observed kids to be excluded based on uniform. Does she play sports ?

Srrrr

Srrrr wrote: »

Do you mind if I ask which school, is it MA?

Rathdown.

Excellent facilities and relatively small classes as well.

Edgware

I would advise that your daughter just stick to her studies for the next few months. When she goes to third level she will leave all this silly schoolgirl bull**** behind her. She will meet students from all over Ireland and outside rather than the narrow minded little ****s from so called better schools in south Dublin. She will have great fun once she gets stuck in to a few sociteties and clubs. I post from experience of my daughter where in her third level group the south Dublin girls who thought they were something quickly realised that they were being isolated by the others who sized them up for the spoilt Mammies girls they were.

Srrrr

Aegir wrote: »

Rathdown.

Excellent facilities and relatively small classes as well.

Thanks, will definitely look into it.

Srrrr

Srrrr wrote: »

Thanks, will definitely look into it.

Do, we have had no regrets about sending our daughter there. They have pretty good arts facilities, fantastic music facilities and an academic record that is up there with the very best.

We were a little concerned at first that she would be mixing with some very wealthy people and she would experience some snobbery, but that hasn't been the case at all. She doesn't really mix that much with kids from non fee paying schools though, other than Newpark, but as Rathdown gives out a lot of scholarships, she does have a diverse mix of friends which is something we encourage.

It is a fully private school, in that despite being nominally Church of Ireland in Ethos, it is owned by a trust and not the church and therefore lives up to its mantra of catering for girls of all faiths and none.

sentosa123

Srrrr wrote: »

We are living in Dublin South and are looking for secondary schools for our older daughter. We have also read about the secondary school league tables published every year, but still would like to get some insider's views on the fee-paying and non-fee paying schools in Dublin South, i.e. Loreto Dalkey, Lotto Foxrock, Mount Anville, Muckross, Terisian, etc.? So any recommendations and advice will be greatly appreciated!

have you checked out St. Columba's in whitechurch? v good school and they have school bus svc from Dalkey dart station.

sentosa123

Srrrr wrote: »

Just had a quick scan of the St. Columbus website (got some oxcam feeling), am I right to understand it is very British or international oriented in terms of the third-level? Don't know if there are any open statistics to show in every secondary school the number of pupils who go to the non-Irish third-level universities and what are these universities?

have you visited the school? If you ask them your questions they will answer. I know that quite numbers of students would go abroad for universities. they don't have international curriculum(i.e. IB, St. Andrews has and the Nord Anglia school has ) but only leaving cert (so it is quite irish). they have few international students but I wouldn't say they are very British. I think the foreign students at the school chose the school because it is quite Irish and the settings are beautiful also.
the only obstacles of chosing the school would be the location(a little far from easy access to public transport) and the fee ( yeh quite expensive).

spurious

It may or not matter to you, but having corrected mocks from almost all the schools mentioned over the years, there is very little to separate them at either end of the scale.. All have very good students, all have children who score very poorly and may have been entered at an inappropriate level for them. In at least one school mentioned there seems to be many children for whom English is not their first language. This is clear in examinations.

Much the same as schools anywhere, to be fair.