Primary Schools in Swords

rs

We've still got a few years to decide which school the little guy will go to, but I interested to know the options and with people think of the various schools in Swords and the area.

We currently have him enrolled in the Educate Together school in Swords. Ideally, I would prefer a non-religious school but I'd prefer the little guy to go to a good school more than anything else. I was educated in catholic primary (Ireland) and non-denominational secondary (North America).

I have heard concerns that some of the non-denominational schools are starting to have large numbers of students who speak English as a second language and a disproportionate amount of time is spent trying to bring up their English skills which impacts the other students. I'm guessing this is just general xenophobia, but I'd like to know for sure.

Nevyn

Firstly educate together schools are not non denominational they are multi denominational, they teach a little bit about all religions to children.

http://www.educatetogether.ie/1_educate_together/charter.html

Multi-denominational i.e. all children having equal rights of access to the school, and children of all social, cultural and religious backgrounds being equally respected,

Co-educational and committed to encouraging all children to explore their full range of abilities and opportunities,

Child centred in their approach to education,

Democratically run with active participation by parents in the daily life of the school, whilst positively affirming professional role of the teachers,

As for children who have English as a second language and needing extra tutelage this is happening in all schools which have a large migrant population in the area. The Dept of education is looking at address this through the early start programs and assigning extra time with a special needs teacher which tends to happen outside of class but with in school hours.

The school in swords has a pretty good website and I am sure they would take the time to answer any queries you have.

http://swordseducatetogether.ie/en/index.php

Love2love

There is a thread in AH at the moment about the schools in Swords, apparently there isn't enough schools to cater for all the local children and the majority of the excluded are black. There was a meeting called and the government are trying to get a non-den school set up in the next few weeks. So when you do decide which school you will be going to, make sure you get the name in before Feb of the year of begining as that is were all the problems have started.

Elessar

I personally went to Holy Family in Rivervalley and it really is an exceptional school for young kids. Mainly catholic but very little around religion was actually done. Their teaching and teachers (many who taught me are still there) I found to be brilliant.

Then I went to the Christian Brothers secondary on the forest road/dublin road. Can't say enough good things about this place. The best secondary you can send your kids to in the area, and that's coming from guys who were initially in one of the other places. Again baring a boring religion class every week, there's hardly anything religious about it at all.

You'd want to get junior's name down now though, most schools are fully booked for years ahead, and Swords has grown far too much over the last few years for them to accomodate.

BIRDCAGE

Love2love wrote:

There is a thread in AH at the moment about the schools in Swords,

Whats AH, I'd like to check it out, our Son just started Junior Infants in St. Cronans and loves it, the Principal is excellent, we've been up to the school 3 times during the summer for different introductory meetings, one for the kids to meet each other and their new teacher and another general meeting with all the new parents,. etc, very impressed with the amount of efford that has been put into making our Sons first school experience an enjoyable one.

As for secondary schools I know that we need to start looking at getting him enrolled pretty soon.

Zzippy

I went to St. Cronans myself and had a great time, very good teachers. Granted thats over 20 years ago now so may have changed in the meantime. One of my old teachers there is now principal of the Educate Together school, he was a brilliant teacher and would say any school he runs will be very good for kids. Heard great things about Holy Family in Rivervalley too.
All schools in Swords now have non-English speaking students and it depends on the teacher how much time is given over to teaching English, but I think most large schools now have dedicated teachers who give intensive tuition to these students away from the others to get them up to speed quicker.

rs

Thanks a million for all the replies.

So far, the educate together school seems to fit the bill.

1. Close to home (can be walked to, one less car on the road)
2. Teaches respect for religion and not exclusion based on religion

We've had him enrolled there since he was born, but so far we have not met anyone on the area around us who sends their kids there which concerns me a little.

Nevyn

Why does this concern you ?

Love2love

BIRDCAGE wrote:

Whats AH, I'd like to check it out.

After Hours in the REC section of Boards but I'll save you the hassle, here is the linky


http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055148316

rs

Thaedydal wrote:

Why does this concern you ?

The educate together school is the closest to our estate and well within walking distance but it's quite new (only built in the last few years). If no-one in your estate shopped at the local butcher, you'd wonder why wouldn't you?

The kids in the estate love my wife and are constantly at our door, so she knows where they all go to school. We don't really know many of the parents very well yet so we don't know why none of them go to the educate together school. It's entirely possible that they want their kids to go to a catholic school. We just don't know. In general I've only heard very positive things about educate together schools. It would be nice to get some first hand opinions of the one in swords.

ArthurDent

rs wrote:

The educate together school is the closest to our estate and well within walking distance but it's quite new (only built in the last few years). If no-one in your estate shopped at the local butcher, you'd wonder why wouldn't you?

The kids in the estate love my wife and are constantly at our door, so she knows where they all go to school. We don't really know many of the parents very well yet so we don't know why none of them go to the educate together school. It's entirely possible that they want their kids to go to a catholic school. We just don't know. In general I've only heard very positive things about educate together schools. It would be nice to get some first hand opinions of the one in swords.

I think asking people about schools can be a bit of a hit and miss so why not see the school first hand. Ring them up and ask for an appointment (Gerard Kelly is the principal). Go in have a chat with him or whoever is available for a meeting, ask about class size, extra curricular activities, plans for permenant buildings, ethos whatever. Try and time it so you'll see the kids on breaks and get an idea of what the yards are like - is there rough play, do the kids look happy. I think if a school won't make time for prospective parents its quite likely that they won't have the time for you when your child is there and you need to talk with them. Best of luck

DinoBot

rs wrote:

The educate together school is the closest to our estate and well within walking distance but it's quite new (only built in the last few years). If no-one in your estate shopped at the local butcher, you'd wonder why wouldn't you?

The kids in the estate love my wife and are constantly at our door, so she knows where they all go to school. We don't really know many of the parents very well yet so we don't know why none of them go to the educate together school. It's entirely possible that they want their kids to go to a catholic school. We just don't know. In general I've only heard very positive things about educate together schools. It would be nice to get some first hand opinions of the one in swords.

My kids have always gone to educate together schools so I cant comment on other types of schools. But they love it. The one in swords is very nice and I know a few parents sending their kids to that one. They have no complaints at all. I will be sending my youngest there. Call in and see.

In my experience people tend to send their kids to catholic schools because they want them to have the same upbringing they had, perfectly natural. Don't be put off because your neighbors don't send their kids to it. You really should compare the schools and then choose. See if it fits you.

Hotblack Desiato

DinoBot wrote:

In my experience people tend to send their kids to catholic schools because they want them to have the same upbringing they had

It's not the same without the violence, though. One of my earliest memories is being hit by a 90-year-old nun swinging a leather around at random walking down the corridor :eek:
Zero chance of that lot ever getting their hands on my kids, no matter how much things have changed.

rs

DinoBot wrote:

In my experience people tend to send their kids to catholic schools because they want them to have the same upbringing they had, perfectly natural. Don't be put off because your neighbors don't send their kids to it.

Funny. I went to catholic primary school (Ireland) and public school Canada. In Canada you cannot teach religion in a public school unless it's a designated religious school (which would be in the minority). It was funny. The year I started school in Canada the teacher said "We used to start the day by reading s story from the bible, but we can't anymore because it's not fair to non-Christians"

The educate together policy of teaching respect and understanding of religion might be an even better approach than not dealing with it at all.

I look forward to the day that the majority of state funded Irish schools adopt a similar no-exclusion policy. Being excluded from a state school which you as a tax payer are funding based on religion does not fly with me.

And call me picky, but I'd prefer not to send my children to a school run by an organization that not only has a significant history of sexual abuse, but has also covered this up and put known child abusers in close contact with children time and time again. It actually still amazes me that so many people would even want their kids to go to a catholic school.

Thanks for all the posts.

Zzippy

rs wrote:

And call me picky, but I'd prefer not to send my children to a school run by an organization that not only has a significant history of sexual abuse, but has also covered this up and put known child abusers in close contact with children time and time again. It actually still amazes me that so many people would even want their kids to go to a catholic school.

I went to a Catholic primary and Christian Brothers secondary. In primary there was a parish priest who came in about 3 times a year to talk to us. I was actually an altar boy for a cpl years and this priest was one of the nicest men I've ever met.
In secondary I came in contact with the 3 remaining Christian Brothers - one was strict, the other 2 were also gentlemen. Never a hint of anything sexual or untoward. Yes, just my experience, but also the experience of many thousands of other students.
How many Catholic schools even have any input from the Church anymore except at board of management level? 99% of the teachers are lay people, and in my experience historically Catholic schools have had better teachers than community or vocational schools - I'd rather put my child's education ahead of my prejudice at a religion.

rs

Galwayguy99 wrote:

. Never a hint of anything sexual or untoward. Yes, just my experience, but also the experience of many thousands of other students.

Indeed my time in a catholic school was the same. However, not everyone who attended catholic school in Ireland can say the same.

And in many cases these abuses were preventable. The individuals responsible were a minority in the church but they were often known to be abusing children and were never stopped.

The church has a long and proven history of placing more importance on itself and its reputation that it has on the safety of children.

wavelength

Hi RS
I too have enrolled my daughter in an educate together, I just moved to swords about 1&1/2 to 2 years ago and don’t know a lot about the schools in the area but like the idea of the educate together school because of their ethos. I was about to put a similar post to yours up, but did a search first and found this.
I have put a post up on askaboutmoney and rollercoaster too on educate together and have got one or two negative statements but mainly good with a few others saying they know people who are sending their children, there or they have or are sending their children there.
I think what dinobot said:
"In my experience people tend to send their kids to catholic schools because they want them to have the same upbringing they had, perfectly natural"

plays a large part, it is the same where I live in Swords, but this does not put me off, well it did concern me a little like you but overall I am confident this is the school I want my daughter to go to.


Overall even with the few bad reports on educate together, the swords school and the principal seem to have got good reports.
http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=64131&highlight=educate
http://www.rollercoaster.ie/boards/mc.asp?ID=96912&G=25&forumdb=5

wavelength

Hi RS
I too have enrolled my daughter in an educate together, I just moved to swords about 1&1/2 to 2 years ago and don’t know a lot about the schools in the area but like the idea of the educate together school because of their ethos. I was about to put a similar post to yours up, but did a search first and found this.
I have put a post up on askaboutmoney and rollercoaster too on educate together and have got one or two negative statements but mainly good with a few others saying they know people who are sending their children, there or they have or are sending their children there.
I think what dinobot said:
"In my experience people tend to send their kids to catholic schools because they want them to have the same upbringing they had, perfectly natural"

plays a large part, it is the same where I live in Swords, but this does not put me off, well it did concern me a little like you but overall I am confident this is the school I want my daughter to go to.


Overall even with the few bad reports on educate together, the swords school and the principal seem to have got good reports.
http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=64131&highlight=educate
http://www.rollercoaster.ie/boards/mc.asp?ID=96912&G=25&forumdb=5

rs

Thanks a million for the reply wavelength.

Indeed the principal of the swords educate together school seems to get nothing but glowing reports.

It is very true, that people are more comfortable with what they know. I've experienced primary school run by the Christian brothers and public secondary school in Canada which would be much closer to the Educate together way of doing things. I obviously preferred the latter.

shoegirl

rs wrote: »

The educate together school is the closest to our estate and well within walking distance but it's quite new (only built in the last few years). If no-one in your estate shopped at the local butcher, you'd wonder why wouldn't you?

The kids in the estate love my wife and are constantly at our door, so she knows where they all go to school. We don't really know many of the parents very well yet so we don't know why none of them go to the educate together school. It's entirely possible that they want their kids to go to a catholic school. We just don't know. In general I've only heard very positive things about educate together schools. It would be nice to get some first hand opinions of the one in swords.

If you are in Swords I would guess that the reason that they don't is that the mainstream Catholic schools (which would cover the majority) are very very good schools. They have a very healthy middle of the road non=streamed methodology that very much benefits average students so there isn't a question of sending to the alternate schools. Plus they are big schools (Brackenstown I think has at least 1200 between the junior/senior schools) so a lot of their friends will be going there too.