No school places available - apparently!

cranks

We're having a dilemma and would appreciate your thoughts: No.1 child is to start school in Sept. 2010. No.2 is on the way and we need to move to a bigger place.

We live in Dublin. None of the schools within our 'catchment area'/ a reasonable travel distance can give us any assurances that our daughter will be guaranteed a place next year (despite her name having been put down 4 months after the she was born, she's 'way down the list' or will have to defer to those kids with siblings already in situ) - which seems to rule out living in the same area.

Schools outside of our catchment area (i.e in areas that we can afford to move to) can give us no assurances either - in fact, such a late approach to any of these school means she'll be 'way down the list' again and on this basis, we've been told, she doesn't stand a realistic chance of securing a place. So, a move to those places we can afford doesn't seem plausible either.

Do we apply to every school in Dublin, see what comes back, then try to move?
Do we go beg locally/more broadly?
Do we need to consider private education? (Please say 'No')
Do we need to consider emigration? (We've discussed this quite seriously during moments of anger and frustration at what appears to be a ****ty set-up here)
Is our situation typical?
Your thoughts appreciated.
Thanks

cosnochta

Whereabouts in Dublin are you?? I know of plenty of schools that have lots of places.

jenzz

Yes - where abouts in Dublin are you & where can you travel to??

face2face

You are entitled to a place in whichever national school is in your parish. Doesn't matter whether you are Catholic or not, but the school will more than likely have a Catholic ethos. This may not be your first choice of school, but it can be your fallback. Go ahead and put your child'd name down where ever you want, even if you are very far down the list, people move around all the time and when it comes time to offer places, you may be further up. Also don't rush out and buy a uniform for the local, you may be offered a place elsewhere up until the last minute. HTH

ArthurDent

face2face wrote: »

You are entitled to a place in whichever national school is in your parish. Doesn't matter whether you are Catholic or not, but the school will more than likely have a Catholic ethos. This may not be your first choice of school, but it can be your fallback. Go ahead and put your child'd name down where ever you want, even if you are very far down the list, people move around all the time and when it comes time to offer places, you may be further up. Also don't rush out and buy a uniform for the local, you may be offered a place elsewhere up until the last minute. HTH

sorry you are just not correct here - you are not entitled to a place in any particular school. In the year your child turns 6 the NEWB must find a place for your child but they are not obliged to find you a place in a particular school. You need to ask any school you are interested in for the enrolment policy and the you should see what category you fall into - most denominational schools offer places first to siblings of existing pupils, followed by those of the denomination inside the catchment area, followed by those of the denomination outside the catchement are, followed followed by those not of that denomination.