Primary schools In Carpenterstown

northsider001

Hi
We are moving to Riverwood in Carpenterstown soon and have started to look at primary schools for our daughter for 2014. The options seem to be either St. Patricks/St. Mochtas or Scoil Thomais in Laurel Lodge. Based on the joint enrollment policy of St. Patricks/St. Mochtas it's likely that we would be offered St. Mochtas in Clonsilla which is further away from our house than St. Patricks. Scoil Thomais is pretty close but we are outside the catchment even though the secretary said that kids from Riverwood do get in. Would really appreciate any feedback on any of the 3 schools, good or bad. Which school would you choose if you COULD choose?

daymobrew

northsider001 wrote: »

Which school would you choose if you COULD choose?

I know some kids in Scoil Thomais - 1 in Riverwood and 2 from Woodbrook.

Scoil Choilm Community National School is very close to Riverwood, closer than St Mochta's. It is in a nice new building.

My son is in Castleknock Educate Together but you would need to have pre-enrolled a long time ago to be in the running for a place but it is worth submitting a pre-enrolment form - you might get lucky. I am happy with the school.

Your child's experience in a school is a combination of a number of factors. The ethos of the school is probably the thing parents look at but, in my opinion, the teacher and classmates are probably much more influential and you have no control over them.

Gate Automation

http://www.schooldays.ie/school/scoil-choilm-community-national-school-rollnumber-20241K

beauf

it's there any information at that link?

Gate Automation

click then you see

beauf

I did, that's my question. Other than the address there doesn't seem to be any information?

Gate Automation

yes, you have right, but most important is find any school that have free place for 2014, now it's not easy with this, anyway that school is on second post

beauf

Don't know why you posted it then

Second post?

Gate Automation

i was blind

danairl

Read this before ...some schools are feeder for secondary...if you live in Riverwoods area, the only secondary is Luttrellstown Comunity college...the best primary school , living in Riverwood is Scoil Choilm C.N.S...this is the feeder school for Luttrelstown, and you'll have peace of your mind with secondary...http://www.castleknockcc.ie/images/Downloads/admission_policy14-15/ccc%20admission%20book%202014-15.pdf

annR

That's a good link that Danairl posted and really gets to the heart of things I think. Scoil Choilm and Luttrelstown CC both have brand new buildings beside each other in walking distance of Riverwood. Simplifies things a lot I think in terms of catchment areas and feeder schools - I guess the only factor is school ethos - Scoil Choilm is multi denominational.

beauf

Not sure it does, since the catchment areas of the schools are lopsided geographically from their actual location.

That's been caused by the planners not insisting schools be built in the middle of housing, and also local opposition to the building of schools beside them. End result kids being driven and bused all over, causing traffic in the mornings instead of them all walking and cycling. And some kids will end up not getting a place with the kids from their area.

annR

Beauf

I don't know where all the estates are located but the CCC Admissions policy document seems to be to be an attempt to get people living closer to Luttrellstown CC to go there, and same for Castleknock CC. . . .. I think it does provide more clarity in the sense that the listed primary schools are in a common catchment area and you can go to any of them - it's where you live determines what second level you go to not which primary school you went to . . . well according to that document anyway.

beauf

With respect if you don't know the area, or the estates then you're not really going to understand it.

My reading of it, is if you are in the Castleknock Parish, or say in Castleknock Church of Ireland National School, (which is 3k away) you get much higher priority over kids who are in St Patrick's which is a few hundred meters away or houses only a 1k away. One result is all the traffic in the area.

LCC has just been parachuted in and they want to fill it. There's people suddenly out of the catchment, with extended families and local areas being split between the schools. Its not like you can apply to both either. You get penalized, by being pushed down the list if you choose the school they don't want you to be in. For many if they want to get into CCC, they'd have to move further away from it.

Of course if you have money you can just rent a house in the catchment area you want for a few months.

coconutpie

Carpenterstown Educate Together could be another option. It was due to open this September but didn't but I'd imagine it'll be opening next September.....

Pre-enrolment information is here:
http://www.carpenterstown-et.com/2012/03/minister-sanctions-school-for-2013/

LoonyLovegood

I went to Scoil Thomais and CCC. I'd recommend Scoil Thomais, it was a fantastic school and I loved it. But on the balance between CCC and LCC, I'd go with the latter. I disliked CCC, to the point where I moved schools after Junior Cert. My brother is in LCC, and is happy with it. The teachers are good and the principal seems to be active in the school, not just hiding away in the office.