Quality of Your School?

Kershaw.D

Hey,
I was just wondering how good is your(or your childs) school
As I have been hearing about students in terrible schools,
But my school is actually a top quality one, with some of the best teachers, and that's in Ballyfermot so the other schools couldn't be that bad

theowen

Kershaw.D wrote: »

Hey,
I was just wondering how good is your(or your childs) school
As I have been hearing about students in terrible schools,
But my school is actually a top quality one, with some of the best teachers, and that's in Ballyfermot so the other schools couldn't be that bad

My current school is pretty amazing, but my last, not so much.

Scrambled egg

A1 on everything

soccymonster

My school is supposed to be top quality from what I hear.
Never really take much notice though of these things. I just get on with the work myself.

implausible

Kershaw.D wrote: »

Hey,
I was just wondering how good is your(or your childs) school
As I have been hearing about students in terrible schools,
But my school is actually a top quality one, with some of the best teachers, and that's in Ballyfermot so the other schools couldn't be that bad

What on earth do you mean by 'top quality'? Could your questions be any more general?:rolleyes:

Do you mean academic results, DES subject inspection reports, frequency of examinations, quality and breadth of extra-curricular activities, quality of special needs programmes, availability of JCSP, LCA, LCVP, access for disadvantaged students, integration of international and other students, the school building and its maintenance, equipment and resources, home-school liaison, finances, sporting success, watertight code of conduct, qualifications and experience of teachers, parental involvement, links with the community, open admissions policy, a favourable pupil-teacher ratio.....?

zoom!

ours is ok... I mean it's a good environment to work in. bad thing is its private, so youve got students who really work hard and take it seriously because their parents worked hard to get them in there, and some ungrateful people who don't work and think they're gonna be ok and end up ruining it for the rest of us. No school is perfect and most are of the same standard, it really depends on the student. I mean i would rather be at home doing my own work than being at school, and I'd be getting on better than I would now. I guess the only thing i get from my school is that the environment keeps me working at a steady pace.. and you make a lot of friends

IHeartChemistry

In the Top 60 in Ireland...:P So not bad...:P

Mine was listed #1 in the country in a recent league table based on the numbers who carry on into third level (uni/IT).

I think the teaching is great, especially in maths & science.

spurious

Deleted User wrote: »

Mine was listed #1 in the country in a recent league table based on the numbers who carry on into third level (uni/IT).

Is that what makes a good school?

What are the special needs provisions there like? What percentage of the intake have special needs?

The biggest influence on the success of a young person in education is and always has been the home. Interested and committed parents make interested and engaged students. Those sort of students could teach themselves in a ditch, so with the help of teachers can do very well indeed.

Some kids have parents that shouldn't be left looking after a plant much less a child and no matter what school they go to the odds are against them from the start.

Lawliet

My school is alright. There's been a lot of improvements over the past few years, it's now wheelchair accessible and has a cafeteria. We were suppose to get a new school building, but with the recession that's out. It's pretty cold but it's decent enough I suppose.
There are some class teachers and then there's some real twits that shouldn't allowed near a classroom.

The main thing that makes my school crap is the actual students. It's out the country and for that reason we get a lot of students that the schools in the town have either refused or expelled. And I suppose parents think their kids are less likely to cause trouble out the country. It's been getting really rough the last few years. If we could only get rid of a delinquent skangers it would be a really nice.

spurious

spurious wrote: »

Is that what makes a good school?

What are the special needs provisions there like? What percentage of the intake have special needs?

The biggest influence on the success of a young person in education is and always has been the home. Interested and committed parents make interested and engaged students. Those sort of students could teach themselves in a ditch, so with the help of teachers can do very well indeed.

Some kids have parents that shouldn't be left looking after a plant much less a child and no matter what school they go to the odds are against them from the start.

No, numbers who carry on to third level doesn't make a good school but it's an indication of the quality of education and careers guidance.

As it happens we've lots of dedicated SNAs, very good careers guidance and like I said, the teaching is great.

Obviously you're right that education does have roots in the home, but at the same time there are better schools than others, and having a good teacher makes a huge difference, speaking from experience.

Ian_K

Absolutely awful... as in probably the worst school building in existance today (throw in the lack of any facilities what-so-ever)... amazingly still one of the highest achieveing schools in the county... open to debate whether that makes it a good or bad school??

irish-anabel

zoom! wrote: »

bad thing is its private, so youve got students who really work hard and take it seriously because their parents worked hard to get them in there, and some ungrateful people who don't work and think they're gonna be ok and end up ruining it for the rest of us.

Bad thing is it's private? Are you serious? Think how the ratio of ungrateful students per grateful goes up when its a public school?

Mine is advocated by the principal to be all sorts of long words but the amount of teachers lacking in any logic is huge. I can learn independantly in some subjects but when it comes to say english it's pretty impossible to avoid the decisions your teacher makes, like what texts to study.

Luckily I can afford grinds for some subjects and to go to the Institute at Xmas.

It's like the health system, people with money get a good education, the rest (in general) have to work much harder.

implausible

irish-anabel wrote: »

Mine is advocated by the principal to be all sorts of long words but the amount of teachers lacking in any logic is huge. I can learn independantly in some subjects but when it comes to say english it's pretty impossible to avoid the decisions your teacher makes, like what texts to study.

Your teacher decides the texts, what's the problem? This happens in every school, that's why s/he is the teacher.

All schools have good, bad and 'lacking in logic' teachers. The idea that some schools only have good teachers is daft. We all (roughly) have the same qualifications and most of us didn't have a huge choice of jobs available to us. The result is that the private school can have a lazy teacher who refuses to use modern methodologies, while the VEC school in the deprived area can have highly motivated, experienced and effective teachers. In most cases, having a brilliant teacher is down to sheer luck.

irish-anabel

deemark wrote: »

Your teacher decides the texts, what's the problem? This happens in every school, that's why s/he is the teacher.

All schools have good, bad and 'lacking in logic' teachers.

The problem is that she chose ones that are hard to work with particularly in the comparative.

I agree that all schools have teachers with varying ability but my school seems to have a huge number of incompetant ones, in my opinion.

And with regard to teachers in private schools/public the teachers do tend to be better or they have a higher proportion of good teachers, otherwise what parent would pay for their child to be eduacted there?

spurious

irish-anabel wrote: »

And with regard to teachers in private schools/public the teachers do tend to be better or they have a higher proportion of good teachers, otherwise what parent would pay for their child to be eduacted there?

Actually, while it doesn't happen so much nowadays, in the past, you didn't have to be qualified in anything (or even have a degree) to teach in a private school, while teachers in VEC schools needed additional Irish language qualifications, regardless of their subject area..

Parents pay because they want their children to do well and many believe a private school is the best way to it. There is no evidence whatsoever to support this, but there is no denying the networking opportunities that private schools give.

Fad

irish-anabel wrote: »

And with regard to teachers in private schools/public the teachers do tend to be better or they have a higher proportion of good teachers, otherwise what parent would pay for their child to be eduacted there?

*foams at mouth*

Delta Kilo

I went to a public school. I had a mixture of good and bad teachers... but 90% of it is down to the student and the effort that he/she is willing to put in, not the teacher.

Jay P

I went to the 3rd best school in the country, according to a survey in the Irish Times just after the results were published. It took into account ethnic backgrounds, numbers going to 3rd level, results, etc. So I'd say my school was very good. It wasn't the tidiest place, or cleanest, or the best behaved. And it also had a lot of people who I didn't like, including quite a few in my year.

All that said, I liked it. I made lots of friends, and generally had a good time. The teachers are mostly very good. The only problem was that I didn't work a whole lot But I'm in college now so it doesn't really matter.

irish-anabel

Where can I find this rating of secondary schools? I'd be interested to see where mine comes!

Yes it is down to the student but it's pretty hard to literally cover the course yourself which is what alot of diligent students with bad teachers have to do, and they will never do as well as the ones with good teachers.

Scrambled egg

Scrambled egg wrote: »

A1 on everything

Deco's isn't that good man....Plus you still have to actually sit the exam so they can give you those 7 A1's

My schools good but I wouldn't say excellent.

implausible

irish-anabel wrote: »

The problem is that she chose ones that are hard to work with particularly in the comparative.

And with regard to teachers in private schools/public the teachers do tend to be better or they have a higher proportion of good teachers, otherwise what parent would pay for their child to be eduacted there?

What nonsense! You don't need 5 H.Dips to get a job in a private school! You do an interview in the same way as you do for any school. Vacancies arise and you apply for them. You get the job based on your qualifications and experience (unless there's pull involved). Same pay, same conditions, same employer (most of the time).

(btw, in the English comparative, you compare and contrast texts, so you should be able to do a comparative on any texts)

Cian92

spurious wrote: »

Actually, while it doesn't happen so much nowadays, in the past, you didn't have to be qualified in anything (or even have a degree) to teach in a private school, while teachers in VEC schools needed additional Irish language qualifications, regardless of their subject area..

Parents pay because they want their children to do well and many believe a private school is the best way to it. There is no evidence whatsoever to support this, but there is no denying the networking opportunities that private schools give.

Are we talking about grind schools or private schools here? As if its grind schools I cna safely say the schools are much better as regards results.

implausible

Cian92 wrote: »

Are we talking about grind schools or private schools here? As if its grind schools I cna safely say the schools are much better as regards results.

Spurious was referring to private schools I presume. The results are obviously better from grind schools, everyone knows that as they focus purely on getting maximum results and don't have the everyday concerns of a regular secondary school.

spurious

You still don't need any qualification whatsoever to teach in a grind 'school'.
It's a business, not a school.

By private schools, I meant fee-paying, though I am aware almost all non-VEC schools are actually private. Most people don't count the local brothers or nuns as a private school, though they technically are.

Dante

My school last year was horribly overcrowded and had a large number of new, semi-retarded teachers. The main building is literally falling apart and this is excluding the use a prefab of 20+ classrooms made of entirely of cardboard. Its a shame really because it used to be in the top 10 schools in Ireland for leaving cert grades. The decline was mainly due to most the good teachers leaving and an influx of pricks such as myself. Nonetheless, I'd say it was and still is one of the best schools for extra curricular activities, trips abroad and various other projects. Can't say I miss it though.

Evan93

My school is a good one, I go in to be taught and thats what happens, Im in a public school, its not the best but its not the worst, there are students who couldnt care about their education, but they are nice people, I just get on with my education. Although,at the end of the day, its up to the student not the school, I know people who went to schools with a "reputation" of bad grades and students,they got on very well. However if a student puts their mind to it they can do whatever they want. You cant buy results, you get them through hard work and no school can teach you hard work. The household has a huge role on students, if too much pressure is put on a student it will be no good, encouragement is the best way to interest a person.

elaine93

Mine is really bad, and its a fee-paying school. There are close to 60 teachers,and about 5 are good. The school spends all its money on hockey and nothing on academics. Everyone is starting to leave. In 2004 our graduating LC class was 90 people, now its down to about 65 because everyone realizes how bad it is. I'm leaving next year. We never have any students with over 550 points. For my JC, I literally had to learn the whole course myself from a revisewise ..Irish, history, geography, cspe, home ec, German. Its really upset me that I only got 3 As, because if I had had some good teachers i could have got like 7 or 8.

Baile an Locha

I've the feeling i'm about to lose the head but here it goes......
I like my school,some of the teachers are good,some are bad. I try my best and whatever happens happens.
But when i was in the gaeltacht this year we were just talking about different schools,private,public,bording etc.
Then one of the teachers asked is anyone in a V.E.C school,"Coiste Gairmoideachais", i put up my hand and when i explained what a VEC school was a few more people put up their hands.
Then the snobbery began....the people who attended private schools likened VECs to "borstels" or other institutions sample quote from a girl who didn't hear my explanation,"oh those schools,yeah they learn to read and write but concentrate on woodworking or basic skills",i couldn't believe how much snobbery there was.
They were unbelievably surprised that number 1 i had fluent irish and number 2 VECs are just normal schools.
This elitism sickens me.
Rant over,

spurious

It amazes me that anyone who has not been to or taught in a VEC school thinks they have any right to express an opinion on what VEC schools are like.

It's old-fashioned ignorant Irish snobbery. You even get it in the Department, where all the 'voluntary secondary' educated people think they know what goes on in 'the techs'. It was 'the techs' who piloted almost every recent innovation in Irish education.

We get supervisors for people on teaching practice who think that because our school is a vocational inner city school, the kids will be swinging out of the lampshades. Nothing could be further than the truth. Their faces are always priceless when they see what the truth is and subsequently realise the prejudice they arrived at our door with.

Funny how 'the tech' that wasn't good enough for people at 12 is suddenly desirable when it's a PLC they want.

Jay P

irish-anabel wrote: »

Where can I find this rating of secondary schools? I'd be interested to see where mine comes!

Yes it is down to the student but it's pretty hard to literally cover the course yourself which is what alot of diligent students with bad teachers have to do, and they will never do as well as the ones with good teachers.

It's here. It's not a definitive list though.

animalcrazy

I think my school is pretty good
It came in 5th in the top 20 schools of Munster so I guess not too bad. The atmosphere is also pretty good and teachers very helpful.

Fad

Jay P wrote: »

It's here. It's not a definitive list though.

Number 9? Jaysus.......I'm impressed, not that that list means anything

irish-anabel

Jay P wrote: »

It's here. It's not a definitive list though.

Why are they all Leinster? I'd love to go to one of those top 10 schools for a day to see what they're like.

Fad

irish-anabel wrote: »

Why are they all Leinster? I'd love to go to one of those top 10 schools for a day to see what they're like.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Clare isnt in Leinster.........

Maybe they're simply more successful at fulfilling what ever criteria this particular survey was looking for.

implausible

irish-anabel wrote: »

Why are they all Leinster? I'd love to go to one of those top 10 schools for a day to see what they're like.

Clare and Limerick are in Leinster?

irish-anabel

deemark wrote: »

Clare and Limerick are in Leinster?

ha they are now!
didn't see them

Aoifums

I don't think I'm in in in a particualy good school.
Academic results aren't too bad. We've had a few 10/11 A's in the Junior and we've good History results. 12 A1's the year before last.

We've nothing in terms of extra curricular activities. I tried to join the football team in second year and coach wouldn't even entertain me. You seem to need to be in first or fourth year to join things...

Nothing is done about bullying. We have a 'anti-bullying week', which is two classes where we talk about how its wrong to bully people. But nothing actually gets done about it. My friend was getting her locker smashed and her books getting ripped to shreds and the school did nothing.

I don't really know how good the learning support it. A girl in my class has learning difficulties and my TY english teacher didn't seem to have been told. My old principal was great to her though. She managed to get a laptop of the Department, which I've been told is almost impossible to do.

Oh and the heating is never bloody turned on

aisers

I wouldn't take these league tables too seriously if i were you - I know for a fact that in one of the most recent ones the company doing it forgot to include the people from our school who went to UL - (which is like almost a third!!). They sent a letter of apology and stuff but our school was way down the list because of it.

I count myself to be very lucky with my school. It is a community school but has a better reputation then the private school in the neighboring town. In fact in the last few years lots of people have transferred from the private schools around because of the good reputation our school has.

Like every school it has good and bad teachers but the management know that, so none of the poorer teachers are given honors leaving cert classes. Last year the teacher who had leaving cert chemistry was a disaster so the school organized extra chemistry classes for the students and she wasn't given a fifth year class this year.

The school also has the best learning support center in the area. Up until the junior cert each year has a class of about 13 students with learning difficulties after that there is the option of LCA. They get loads of one on one time and a laptop each.

Slow Show

I think my school is a good school. It's really good for extra-curricular activities and it's modern and it's never cold or anything. It's clean too and we have canteen facilities and all of that.
As for academics, it all depends on how hard you're willing to work I think. We get streamed in 2nd Year into classes depending on your ability, but you have to work to get into these classes. I did, and now I have the best teachers for me [like for me, ones that move fairly quickly, expect a very high standard and if not you get moved down, but for someone who is struggling they'd get a teacher suited for their abilities, so it all works].
I actually went to another school for a while before I moved...it was high up in the league tables because basically it was such a hole that there was nothing better to do than study...I couldn't handle it really...I wasn't doing well but then I moved and now I'm flying it and I like school. Anyway, the tables only counted who went on to 3rd level and I wouldn't pay much attention to them. After all, anyone can get to 3rd level if they want really, regardless of the school.
Oh yeah, and my school is just a community school and it probably doesn't have the greatest reputation ever because of the usual wasters who don't bother with anything until a month before the Leaving and it hits them...

But yeah, I'm happy out

pfk-0p

i have to hand it to my school they're doing their best in spite of the cutbacks which means increased class sizes meaning it's harder to teach but our teachers are getting on great with it. Maths teacher,Accounting,Business,History, French and Engish teachers are all good, being getting strings of A1s in higher level english essays:D
Irish teacher is an utter fool.incompotent is not the word.although every irish teacher i've ever had has been terrible.they focus more on memorising things of which you have no understanding of to get marks rather than actually learning the language.

Orlaladuck

I'm reviving this thread out of boredom!
I go to a fee-paying school and like Elaine93 up there said about her school spending money on hockey mine does the same on rugby.
In 2nd year, the school started asking for donations and got enough money for 2 new science labs and to build an astro-turf and hockey pitch. Guess which two got built first? The pitches of course! For all the sports people, great but it's an education center, not a sports one. And while everyone went on about how great it was, we struggled with two out of four working labs. Finally last year the labs got built.
As far as teachers go, same as every other school - some are good, some are pricks who you do wonder why they wanted to be teachers in the first place. But as far as working go, it depends on the year. On our first day of 6th years, we arrived in only to be told 'oh yes, 22% of last year got over 500 points'. Like hell we're going to do that well, but they'll obviously be a few who get it - hopefully me included! But our year is lazy and not so ambitious as the other year. I think schools are as good or bad as the students are really. It can only take one or two bad students to ruin a class as well as a teacher.

D.R cowboy

From that irish times list every school or most are private or from south dublin does this not tell you anything?

Orlaladuck

D.R cowboy wrote: »

From that irish times list every school or most are private or from south dublin does this not tell you anything?

What are you getting at.

spurious

D.R cowboy wrote: »

From that irish times list every school or most are private or from south dublin does this not tell you anything?

That they choose not to take kids they don't think will get high marks?

D.R cowboy

No that the posh schools are so much better that private schools the facts are there, i go to private school and people expect to become rich and go on and do better, where in public schools the students don't want to even be there and are just waiting to get home
You can't beat a bit of class at the end of the day and that's what the private schools provide

Orlaladuck

D.R cowboy wrote: »

No that the posh schools are so much better that private schools the facts are there, i go to private school and people expect to become rich and go on and do better, where in public schools the students don't want to even be there and are just waiting to get home
You can't beat a bit of class at the end of the day and that's what the private schools provide

That's a load of nonsense. Loads of people have the same intentions in my school and go on to do nothing astounding, they decide to just live of daddy's trust fund because they're simply lazy.
I know plenty of people in public schools who do just as well as people from private schools, if not better. As well only a certain amount of students don't want to be there. You can hardly tell me that you get up every morning, thank your parents for paying for a private school and then are simply overjoyed to get there.
Also going to a private school doesn't make you classy in ANY way whatsoever. Just means you happen to be better of financially.

D.R cowboy

Well i do thank my parents for sending me to IE, because they know it will set me apart from the rest

Of course it makes you classy as money tends to do that, right where have you been for the last 18 years??

Money talks like it or lump it

Orlaladuck

So do you believe because Paris Hilton is Loaded it makes her classy? It's actions that make you classy, not money! But anyway, this isn't part of the topic.

It's good that you actually appreciate your parents for taking an interest into your education and in the long run it probably will set you above, but don't let it get to your head. A school can only help and encourage so far, at the end of the day it's you sitting the exams really.

Evan93

D.R cowboy wrote: »

where in public schools the students don't want to even be there and are just waiting to get home

How can you make that judgement? You go to a Private school, yeah so, that doesnt give you the right to make ridiculous accusations like that. Since you dont go to a private school you cannot judge a public school.Just beacuse we(public school students) do not pay for our education does not mean we don't get educated

Money talks like it or lump it

So if I am better qualified than you I will not get a certain job?
Wow, never heard of that before.Just because I spent 6 years in a private school I'm automatically better than the student in the public school. Ridiculous.

Plenty of people who attend public schools become more successful than people in private schools.

Sometimes people wonder why people have an ugly perception of some people who attend private schools. Attitudes like yours is why.

Lawliet

Orlaladuck wrote: »

So do you believe because Paris Hilton is Loaded it makes her classy? It's actions that make you classy, not money! But anyway, this isn't part of the topic.

Haha exactly, being rich and being classy don't always go hand in hand, as D.R cowboy is illustrating perfectly. If all private schools do is give students an elitist complex, then I'm quite proud of my salt of the earth public school. And what will set me apart from the rest will not be how much my parents paid for my school, but my own intelligence and hard work.