Moving to Roselawn - schools and area

bubbatj

I think I’m posting in the right forum but apologies if not. Myself and family are currently looking at houses in the D15 area. We have 2 kids one in primary and one about to start, a boy and a girl. They’re either in or about to start in the local Educate together and we’ve been really happy with it so far. However, houses in our immediate area are out of our price range so it looks like we’ll need to move. We’ve found a house we both like that would involve moving the kids to school in St Bridgets in Roselawn D15. I was wondering if anyone has/ had kids there and what are their opinions of the school or any other schools nearby (Bridgets would be the closest). To be honest I’d prefer a secular/ non-denominational mixed school where they’d be in the same school. I saw initially that St Bridgets was a mixed school but going out there it seems like its two separate schools, one for boys and one for girls located on the same property. Is there any mixing at all at playtime etc?

It seems like a really nice area in general but interested to hear any opinions of people living in or near Roselawn!

Thanks!

AlanG

Hi,
You will be moving to a great area an St. Bridgets is a fine school. In my opinion Saint Francis Xavier is a slightly better school although the facilities are not as good. SFX is mixed and both principals are really committed people. They also have a very active and well run parents association so there is a lot of parental engagement in the school. I don't think you could go wrong with either school. They do follow the catholic approach but there are lots of kids from other and no denomination and they are well facilitated from what I see.

LorelaiG

In terms of non-Catholic ethos schools you have Castleknock ET or Hansfield ET which would be require a drive (pr if you're close enough to the train station, train to Hansfield) to get to.

Former Former

Correct, Brigid's is a boy's school and a girl's school located beside each other. In 2019 FFS.

Castleknock Educate Together is not that far from the bottom of the Roselawn Road, so depending on where in Roselawn you're buying it might be an option. They are usually over-subscribed so you might need to go on a waiting list.

Roselawn is a lovely area, best of luck with the move.

bubbatj

Thanks for all the help! The house is very close to St Bridgets but SFX seems worth a look too. We’re currently near the Navan Road so I’m kind of familiar with the area and always thought it seemed nice, but good to have other people confirming that!

blanch152

Nice area to live.

Castleknock Educate Together for secular mixed education, or SFX as a better alternative to Bridgets.

Birdie Num Num

Who is Bridget?

Typer Monkey

For another secular option you could also have a look at Scoil Choilm in Porterstown. It's a multidenominational and none school. I have children attending there and am very happy with the school. It's a bit further away granted and I'm unsure if you would be in the catchment in Roselawn but you could check it out as an option.

I have heard good things about St Francis Xaviers too. I think the single sex national school set up in Bridget's is really odd and unnatural

Nijmegen

As folks say, Castleknock Educate Together is your best bet for what you want but there’s also pressure on places in the area so I’m not sure you’d get your pick of the bunch without asking. You should also be mindful of where the catchment area of whatever you buy is in for secondary and which primary generally feeds which one. A lot of kids from roselawn end up in Coolmine, which is a kip (and yes, I know the staff work hard etc, but it’s difficult in a crap building designed for half the students and with classes filled with the population they get from the 360 degree radius around it.) So you may need to consider that now rather than later.

blanch152

Nijmegen wrote: »

As folks say, Castleknock Educate Together is your best bet for what you want but there’s also pressure on places in the area so I’m not sure you’d get your pick of the bunch without asking. You should also be mindful of where the catchment area of whatever you buy is in for secondary and which primary generally feeds which one. A lot of kids from roselawn end up in Coolmine, which is a kip (and yes, I know the staff work hard etc, but it’s difficult in a crap building designed for half the students and with classes filled with the population they get from the 360 degree radius around it.) So you may need to consider that now rather than later.

Yes. Coolmine is an issue.

AlanG

While Coolmine went through a slump a some years ago there are no problems with it now except that the building is a bit old. I have spoken to a lot of people about secondary schools in the area and those with kids in Coolmine are very happy with it. Those who have no experience of Coolmine think poorly of it. A lot of this id driven by the fact that they see groups of people from the school in the center at lunchtime.
I am sure there are exceptions but I have literally spoken to dozens of people with kids in Coolmine and i have heard nothing negative about it from them or their kids.

Nijmegen

AlanG wrote: »

While Coolmine went through a slump a some years ago there are no problems with it now except that the building is a bit old. I have spoken to a lot of people about secondary schools in the area and those with kids in Coolmine are very happy with it. Those who have no experience of Coolmine think poorly of it. A lot of this id driven by the fact that they see groups of people from the school in the center at lunchtime.
I am sure there are exceptions but I have literally spoken to dozens of people with kids in Coolmine and i have heard nothing negative about it from them or their kids.

Goes to show all experiences are subjective I guess - I went to Coolmine, have many relatives there over the years including very recently, and am at the stage where friends who went there have kids in it. It might also be luck of the draw depending on the intake in a particular year. But in general, you have a large catchment area of very different backgrounds of people attending it and classes in a cramped environment where disruption can be rife and many good teachers do their stint and then look to rotate out somewhere more palatable. I would actively avoid sending my kids there based on the current info I have, rather than “well it was bad for me back in the day...”

Pat Dunne

blanch152 wrote: »

Yes. Coolmine is an issue.

Would you care to be a bit more specific? Or is this just a generalised throw away comment?

blanch152

Pat Dunne wrote: »

Would you care to be a bit more specific? Or is this just a generalised throw away comment?

For a start, it was the first community school built in the country. Many others built since have had their buildings replaced or majorly renovated. Coolmine is crumbling.

Secondly, it used to feature above CCC on the Leaving Cert results table ten years ago, now it is well behind.

Those are objective facts that you can check. If you have some objective facts about the school that you could challenge that with, go ahead.

Birdie Num Num

blanch152 wrote: »

For a start, it was the first community school built in the country. Many others built since have had their buildings replaced or majorly renovated. Coolmine is crumbling.

Secondly, it used to feature above CCC on the Leaving Cert results table ten years ago, now it is well behind.

Those are objective facts that you can check. If you have some objective facts about the school that you could challenge that with, go ahead.

I'd have to question all credibility of this post based on that comment. I attended there many years ago and have visited it in recent months. There was no sign of the school crumbling. Maybe you've had a structural examination carried out but it looked fine to me.

Coolmine was a very high achieving school some decades back, academically, through ex curricular activities and in sport. True, it may not be at that level now but there are far too many throw away comments about the school in my opinion.

I do think the discipline of wearing the uniform in recent years has slipped and seeing it around the town centre at lunchtime doesn't help. Also the appearance of the fencing around the school doesn't look great either.

I do know parents of kids who would have graduated from there recently who have nothing but high regard for the school.

On another note, how do so many people on this thread who are supposedly local or appear to have so much local knowledge, about schools or otherwise, get this wrong? - It's St. Brigid not Bridget. St. Brigid as in Scoil Bhride Boys and Scoil Bhride Girls National Schools in Blanchardstown, as in St. Brigid's National School Castleknock, as in St. Brigid's Parish Blanchardstown, St. Brigid's Parish Castleknock, St. Brigid's Church Blanchardstown, St. Brigid's Church Castleknock (both of them), St. Brigid's GAA Blanchardstown & Castleknock, as in St. Brigid one of Ireland's Patron saints.

pnecilcaser

Roselawn is a great area alright, really good for families.

I know someone who lives very near there but is moving ten minutes away to relocate into the catchment area for Castleknock Community College. If I were you I would check the catchment areas and enrolment policies of all the schools in the area as soon as you can just so there are no surprises. I also know of someone who had her child repeat 6th class to get their kid into Castleknock Community College.

Best of luck with the move

blanch152

Birdie Num Num wrote: »

I'd have to question all credibility of this post based on that comment. I attended there many years ago and have visited it in recent months. There was no sign of the school crumbling. Maybe you've had a structural examination carried out but it looked fine to me.

Coolmine was a very high achieving school some decades back, academically, through ex curricular activities and in sport. True, it may not be at that level now but there are far too many throw away comments about the school in my opinion.

I do think the discipline of wearing the uniform in recent years has slipped and seeing it around the town centre at lunchtime doesn't help. Also the appearance of the fencing around the school doesn't look great either.

I do know parents of kids who would have graduated from there recently who have nothing but high regard for the school.

You are entitled to your opinion, but I set out the facts about the building. It is very old for a school, it is past its designed life.

Birdie Num Num wrote: »

On another note, how do so many people on this thread who are supposedly local or appear to have so much local knowledge, about schools or otherwise, get this wrong? - It's St. Brigid not Bridget. St. Brigid as in Scoil Bhride Boys and Scoil Bhride Girls National Schools in Blanchardstown, as in St. Brigid's National School Castleknock, as in St. Brigid's Parish Blanchardstown, St. Brigid's Parish Castleknock, St. Brigid's Church Blanchardstown, St. Brigid's Church Castleknock (both of them), St. Brigid's GAA Blanchardstown & Castleknock, as in St. Brigid one of Ireland's Patron saints.

Not all of us are obsessed about the naming of saints.

Birdie Num Num

blanch152 wrote: »

You are entitled to your opinion, but I set out the facts about the building. It is very old for a school, it is past its designed life.


Not all of us are obsessed about the naming of saints.

But you have to balance that with the fact that is was very advanced when it was first opened in 1972. Most of the new local Community schools pretty much follow the same blueprint.

Anyway back to the OPs queries. Roselawn is a great area and you have two good schools in St. Brigid’s and SFX, both are very conveniently located for a move to Roselawn. I can’t give any opinions on other local primary schools but they would be closest to you.

...No obsession here but you have to admit it’s a fairly significant name regarding the existing names of many local areas, institutions, etc. within the Blanchardstown / Castleknock area.

StoptheClocks

Castleknock educate together is very close to St Brigid’s. You don't have to drive around to it. You can take the footbridge beside the 12 lock.

daymobrew

StoptheClocks wrote: »

Castleknock educate together is very close to St Brigid’s. You don't have to drive around to it. You can take the footbridge beside the 12 lock.

We cycle to CETNS from Carpenterstown (via Laurel Lodge) and that footbridge.