Good public schools near Loughlinstown ?

Supercell

We have put our son down for the Dalkey School Project and Bray Educate Together and also Newpark for secondary. Does anyone have any other recommendations we could put him down for ? We cannot afford a private school so public schools only.
We would prefer mixed if possible and multi denominational too but anywhere not very religious would suit too.

With the baby boom in the last few year i think there really is going to be competition for places. My brother put his daughter down for fourteen schools in the area he lives!

Thanks

frash

Monkstown Educate Together?

homer911

Cabinteely Community School is the only other school in that area that I can think of that would meet your criteria, but I can't speak for its reputation

Supercell

Thanks very much, didn't realise there was an educate together in Monkstown - just sent of application thank you!
Have heard mixed reports about Cabinteely Community School, maybe will apply anyhow as a backup, its pretty close to here so thats for that.

uch

If you want a Gaelscoil I can recommend http://www.gaelscoilphadraig.org/

My youngest went here and she loved it.

Supercell

Actually I would love my Son to go to a Gaelscoil - his Grandad and Great Grandfathers are/were native speakers. Unfortunately I am not. My wife is Chinese and we are bringing him up speaking Mandarin and English so I think he probably will be good at languages as he grows older.

I always thought the parents had to be Irish speakers so the kids can attend one of these schools?

ricero

i would not go near newpark. poor standard of teaching and not good discipline. cabinteely is a fine school. it had a bad rep in the late 90s and early 00s but its a fine school now with some fantastic facilities

Fratton Fred

ricero wrote: »

i would not go near newpark. poor standard of teaching and not good discipline. cabinteely is a fine school. it had a bad rep in the late 90s and early 00s but its a fine school now with some fantastic facilities

You are the first person I've heard say anything bad about it. I know several parents with kids there and they have nothing but praise for the place.

Selfheal

I've heard that St. Laurence's in Loughlinstown is good - but can't speak from personal experience.

RosieJoe

Selfheal wrote: »

I've heard that St. Laurence's in Loughlinstown is good - but can't speak from personal experience.

I've never heard anything good about here. Google Whole School Evaluatoon for this school to get the Depts view on it.

uch

Supercell wrote: »

Actually I would love my Son to go to a Gaelscoil - his Grandad and Great Grandfathers are/were native speakers. Unfortunately I am not. My wife is Chinese and we are bringing him up speaking Mandarin and English so I think he probably will be good at languages as he grows older.

I always thought the parents had to be Irish speakers so the kids can attend one of these schools?

No you don't need to be an Irish speaker for your Child to attend here, but it helps to know a few words so you can encourage them when they ask questions.

edit:
Should add I never did Irish in school as I was exempt due to dyslexia, but when my daughter attended here I did a night class to try and pick up a few sentences, this developed into a love of it for me and after a 7 year slog I ended up getting a diploma in Irish from UCD. So just because you might not have any Irish now doesn't mean it's impossible to pick it up.

bullvine

Is it Primary or secondary, because Cabinteely and New Park are only Secondary. You will find it hard to find a school that doesn't have a Religious influence. Laurences has a good rep for repeat leaving cert more than actual schooling. Its been in the news a lot recently, have a google and you'll find out why. I was talking to a friend at the weekend who had nothing but praise for Cabinteely. It has improved greatly over the years as far as I know.

Johnstown is a great primary school but if your not in the parish you might find it hard to get into unless you have the name down form an early age. Also, the Harold in Glasthule has a very good name.

New Park and Dalkey Project have a very mixed reputation depending on who you talk too. The two Irish schools in Stillorgan are fantastic as is the one in Monkstown, can't think of its name.

Supercell

Thanks, to be honest we are not really fussed about the religious aspect - he is baptised Catholic but we would rather religious doctrine wasn't a major part of his education. Some great suggestions so far thanks.
I personally went to the DSP and Newpark long ago but neither gives preference to past pupils these days so want to keep my options open.

We are very much leaning towards the Gaelscoil idea right now as we reckon he will be a natural at languages being bought up speaking Mandarin and English already. There seems to me more primary Gaelscoil's than secondary, so how does that work if you want your child to continue in secondary what was started in primary?

RosieJoe

http://www.eoiniosagain.ie

This is a secondary gaelscoil in stillorgan. Have a search here on the forum to get some feedback on it. It might not be mixed though.

uch

Again from experience, my daughter now attends Coláiste Ráithín in Bray, which is only 20 mins by bus, and a lot of kids that attend scoil Phádraigh then go on to Coláiste Ráithín

Selfheal

Actually on reflection, I heard it was good from friends who sent their son there for repeat Leaving so as a previous poster said this may not be indicative of the school as a whole. Another school in the area, which I never knew existed until recently is Clonkeen College in Cabinteely. Just putting it out there as another option for OP, don't know a thing about it.

stehyl15

Clonkeen college is great school with a strict anti bullying policy is undergoing an extensive renovation soon

NoCrackHaving

stehyl15 wrote: »

Clonkeen college is great school with a strict anti bullying policy is undergoing an extensive renovation soon

It was a great school but definately has got worse with some poor leadership at the top going down the chain to the teachers. As for the anti-bullying, I'd also have my doubts unless it has changed significantly in recent years. While there are some fantastic teachers there there's some who should have been got rid of years ago.

ellsie

As a past pupil I wouldn't consider Newpark, not just poor discipline, no discipline. Myself and most of my peers agree we got a poor education.

Fratton Fred

ellsie wrote: »

As a past pupil I wouldn't consider Newpark, not just poor discipline, no discipline. Myself and most of my peers agree we got a poor education.

I have a niece there who just got nine honours in her junior cert, she loves it and her parents think it is a brilliant school.

Like all schools, I think it suits some kids and not others.

josip

I'm not from Dublin so only anecdotal, but a Dublin friend of mine who went there 20 years ago said it was rough then, and from what he's heard it hasn't gotten any better. In comparison he said, Benildus or Cabinteely would be better.

Fratton Fred

josip wrote: »

I'm not from Dublin so only anecdotal, but a Dublin friend of mine who went there 20 years ago said it was rough then, and from what he's heard it hasn't gotten any better. In comparison he said, Benildus or Cabinteely would be better.

Cabinteely better than Newpark?

No, just no.

uch

Fratton Fred wrote: »

Cabinteely better than Newpark?

No, just no.

I'd have to agree with him Fred, my son went to Cabinteely and got a a very good all round education, his best mate went to newpark and claims his was poor, now as said earlier certain schools suit certain individuals. But I'm from the area around newpark and I've heard more bad reviews than good.

Fratton Fred

uch wrote: »

I'd have to agree with him Fred, my son went to Cabinteely and got a a very good all round education, his best mate went to newpark and claims his was poor, now as said earlier certain schools suit certain individuals. But I'm from the area around newpark and I've heard more bad reviews than good.

Interesting. Newpark does seem to be the marmite of schools! It is one we have looked long and hard at but we have opted to send our daughter to Cluny, mainly due to locality, but about a third of her claas are going to Newpark as it seems to be the school to go to at the moment.

My niece who is at newpark lives very close to Cabinteely School and her parents refused to send their kids there, hence my previous comment.