Primary School, Ballinteer 2017 - recommendations?

mrsWhippy

Hi all,

I'm looking for a school place for my (unbaptised) daughter for 2017 in the Ballinteer Area. We are hoping against hope to get a place in the Ballinteer Educate Together but are quite far down the list (210).

Does anyone have any feedback on other schools in the area please? Ideally the school would be in Ballinteer or Dundrum to facilitate walking/cycling.

We most likely do have a place in Stepaside ET which we would accept but the location is not ideal. We also have a son so mixed would be preferable.

We would take a place in a Catholic school if offered but we may not get a place due to lack of religion. Getting very concerned at this stage.

Thanks

tuisginideach

New Gaeilscoil due tio open in Goatstown?

mrsWhippy

tuisginideach wrote: »

New Gaeilscoil due tio open in Goatstown?

Yes, saw that, thanks. Was dissapointed that it wasn't going to be an ET! But yes, have filled out the expression of interest forms but I believe it's going to be a 1 stream school only. Means that our chances of getting a place will be pretty much zero as Irish speakers will get priority.

Bumped to the bottom of the list again!

tuisginideach

Not necessarily - most of the Irish-speaking families locally would already have children in / allegiance to the local Gaelscoileanna so unlikely that they will move them.

Millem

Mrswhippy it will be a two stream school
Have you looked at Taney? It's cofi. I have no experience of any primary schools in ballinteer sorry

mrsWhippy

Millem wrote: »

Mrswhippy it will be a two stream school
Have you looked at Taney? It's cofi. I have no experience of any primary schools in ballinteer sorry

Ah! That's great news, thanks.

I've heard Taney is a brilliant school, we've already put both our kids down on the waiting list but it's very oversubscribed, with COI members getting priority.

Millem

mrsWhippy wrote: »

Ah! That's great news, thanks.

I've heard Taney is a brilliant school, we've already put both our kids down on the waiting list but it's very oversubscribed, with COI members getting priority.

It seems like a lovely school. Past pupils I have taught are always great

There will be 60 in each year in gaelscoil!

Have you looked at any DEIS schools in nearby area? I have no experience of them or don't know any off the top of my head!!!

tuisginideach

Have you tried Holy Cross Dundrum?

mrsWhippy

tuisginideach wrote: »

Have you tried Holy Cross Dundrum?

Yes, we've sent in applications there too but I don't know what the waiting lists are like. Does anyone have any experience of getting kids of no religion in?

What is it like as a school?

I've a feeling we're not actually going to have any choice in this, it'll be a case of wherever we'll get a place.

Does anyone have any personal experience of St. Attractas?

Thanks

tuisginideach

No personal experience of either but have heard lots of excellent reports of both.

Earthhorse

mrsWhippy wrote: »

Yes, we've sent in applications there too but I don't know what the waiting lists are like. Does anyone have any experience of getting kids of no religion in?

What is it like as a school?

I've a feeling we're not actually going to have any choice in this, it'll be a case of wherever we'll get a place.

Does anyone have any personal experience of St. Attractas?

Thanks

I went to St Attractas and had a good experience there. That was the 80s though so a long time ago. Really, I'm not sure any of the primary schools in the area are bad.

Have you considered the one in Nutgrove? I can't remember the name of it right now.

highly1111

Have you tried rathfarnham educate together? Whitechurch national school is also excellent but COI however they are looking to expand. We had our son in stepaside ET for junior infants and then moved him. It's a lot easier to get a place in senior infants or later years so always keep your ear out.

Edited to say, we moved him for location reasons. We found stepaside ET excellent. Anne is simply wonderful.

RebelButtMunch

We've had a good experience in Attractas. Kids well educated and looked after. One thing though, they like a good mass.

mrsWhippy

highly1111 wrote: »

Have you tried rathfarnham educate together? Whitechurch national school is also excellent but COI however they are looking to expand. We had our son in stepaside ET for junior infants and then moved him. It's a lot easier to get a place in senior infants or later years so always keep your ear out.

Edited to say, we moved him for location reasons. We found stepaside ET excellent. Anne is simply wonderful.

Great to know! Thanks. Stepaside ET is kinda our backup, the location is awkward but at least we'll get a place. How did you find traffic up there in the mornings?

Earthhorse wrote: »

I went to St Attractas and had a good experience there. That was the 80s though so a long time ago. Really, I'm not sure any of the primary schools in the area are bad.

Have you considered the one in Nutgrove? I can't remember the name of it right now.

Thanks, though Nutgrove would be completely impossible from a location point of view.

RebelButtMunch wrote: »

We've had a good experience in Attractas. Kids well educated and looked after. One thing though, they like a good mass.

This would likely be our closest school - again, we've applied but there are no guarantees of a place for our 'heathen' kids. I would be opting them out of religious education if we went there so that's another negative we'd have to deal with. Great to get the feedback though, thanks.

highly1111

Traffic was absolutely fine doing to Stepaside. I was coming from Grange Road in Rathfarnham. I'm not too sure if the school has moved yet but at the time, the school was based in Palmerstown DLS rugby club so I can't comment if it's moved down towards Belarmine.

leap

St Attractas policy prioritises children in the catchment. A non baptised child in the catchment area will get in ahead of a catholic child outside the catchment. Check the website but it's basically, Ludford, meadowbrook area, part of broadford and a few other estates. There are 90 places and basically all children within the catchment area are offered a place. If you are outside the catchment area then religion would be an issue. It's a lovely school, gets great reviews from people.

I think the Ballinteer boys and girls schools in Ballinteer would be good schools too though there seems to be less of a waiting list for them.

My own children will be going to scoil Naithi. Lots of people told us not to bother applying as it was so tough to get in but I think the number of new gaelscoileanna in the area might have made it a bit easier. My dd is starting in sept. Though you do need to go to a naionra first. Technically it doesn't need to be naionra Naithi (there is one in the gaa club too) but I think it helps.

leap

http://www.stattractasjns.ie/images/Enrolment_Policy_2016_-_2017.pdf

RainyDay

Ours finished up in Our Ladys Girls in Ballinteer last year. I was generally happy with the school, and they produced confident, assertive and generally good natured kids. They didn't have a huge sporting ethos, probably more interested in music than sport. I'm not sure that they push the girls very hard academically, though perhaps that it is as much down to the parents and the teachers. As someone noted about Attractas, they do like a good mass. The religious ethos is fairly strong, and they aren't great at catering for the minorities who don't take part- but this got a bit better over the years. There wasn't a day that our girl wasn't happy to go into school.

RebelButtMunch

RainyDay wrote: »

Ours finished up in Our Ladys Girls in Ballinteer last year. I was generally happy with the school, and they produced confident, assertive and generally good natured kids. They didn't have a huge sporting ethos, probably more interested in music than sport. I'm not sure that they push the girls very hard academically, though perhaps that it is as much down to the parents and the teachers. As someone noted about Attractas, they do like a good mass. The religious ethos is fairly strong, and they aren't great at catering for the minorities who don't take part- but this got a bit better over the years. There wasn't a day that our girl wasn't happy to go into school.

Good synopsis. I'd like to also mention that this year St.Attracta's junior school got a new Headmaster. My opinion is that the new headmaster will be more modern thinking than the previous holder of the role.

mrsWhippy

We're not in St. Attracta's catchment area either So looks like we'll be on List 3.

Does anyone know if they get down this far in the enrolments?

It would be a tough choice to pick the school around the corner (Catholic, assuming we would be offered a place) versus Stepaside ET, which is within driving distance.

RebelButtMunch

mrsWhippy wrote: »

We're not in St. Attracta's catchment area either So looks like we'll be on List 3.

Does anyone know if they get down this far in the enrolments?

It would be a tough choice to pick the school around the corner (Catholic, assuming we would be offered a place) versus Stepaside ET, which is within driving distance.

I feel your pain. It is indeed a hard thing to balance the pros and cons of your dilemma. I went through it myself and wish you luck with it! I just hope this thread doesnt get derailed into the details of that decision making process.

Firewalkwithme

Scoil Naithi severely damaged in a fire last night:

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/scoil-naith%C3%AD-dublin-school-closed-after-extensive-fire-damage-1.2947557

I wouldn't be surprised is this was the work of a resident of a certain nearby housing estate as happened when local scumbag Brendan Payne caused £1 million of damage to B.C.S. just around the corner.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/teenager-who-set-fire-to-school-gets-6-years-26057797.html