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Secondary school selection - how is it really done ?

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  • 09-11-2019 11:34pm
    #1
    mvl
    Registered Users Posts: 1,229 ✭✭✭


    Just curious how are other parents approaching the selection for secondary schools ?
    Is focus more on:

    - coed or single-sex ?
    - location
    - subjects taught, after school activities

    - school benchmarking (e.g. leaving cert results, percentage of children sent to college)
    Does it matter where his/her friends are going ?

    Apply to one, apply to all ?


    Anything else I am missing ?


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    #2
    beauf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,651 ✭✭✭✭beauf


    Catchment.


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    #3
    mvl
    Registered Users Posts: 1,229 ✭✭✭mvl


    beauf wrote: »
    Catchment.
    does catchment usually refer to feeding primary schools, or is it based on home address ?


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    #4
    beauf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,651 ✭✭✭✭beauf


    You might have 5 secondary schools in an area. Each one night have different catchment and eligibility rules. They are generally on each school's website. Some have feeder schools some don't. Some are based how long on a list some aren't. Some are based on proximity to schools. Some have positive discrimination to encourage diversity.

    You'd have to check all the schools your interested in.


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    #5
    dory
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 4,481 Mod ✭✭✭✭dory


    mvl wrote: »

    - school benchmarking (e.g. leaving cert results, percentage of children sent to college)

    I really wouldn't pay any attention at all to how many go to college. In general, middle class parents make sure their kids go to college, no matter what kind of course it is, and that ups the percentages. Lots of people making a lot of money after doing a trade, but that doesn't show up in the stats so make some schools look "worse".

    For me it would be a mixture of them all. I'd like my kids to be involved in extra curricular, but I know some parents who want it to be really academic and don't care about much else.


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    #6
    tuisginideach
    Registered Users Posts: 2,053 ✭✭✭tuisginideach


    In my opinion, the only things that matter are (i.) is your child (going to be) happy in the school? (ii) do you and does your child respect the school and its staff (iii) does the school and its staff show respect for your child (and for you)?


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    #7
    mvl
    Registered Users Posts: 1,229 ✭✭✭mvl


    dory wrote: »
    I really wouldn't pay any attention at all to how many go to college. In general, middle class parents make sure their kids go to college, no matter what kind of course it is, and that ups the percentages. Lots of people making a lot of money after doing a trade, but that doesn't show up in the stats so make some schools look "worse".


    valid point, especially since there is a college in town.
    from another point of view, from the 4 around, we've only 1 in the top 100, a girls only school (and this is our second favorite atm)


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    #8
    dory
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 4,481 Mod ✭✭✭✭dory


    mvl wrote: »
    valid point, especially since there is a college in town.



    from another point of view, from the 4 around, we've only 1 in the top 100, a girls only school (and this is our second favorite atm)


    Yeah, lots of girls only schools are in the top 100, as they're more likely to do a course rather than a trade. I still wouldn't think twice about that list when selecting a school for my child. I'd see which one my child would be happiest in. I teach in a very academic school, we're always Top 10 or 20 in the country. I wouldn't send my kid here, pressure is unreal. I'd love my kid to be in a kind of school where they celebrate Christmas with singing etc. rather than using that time for extra study ahead of the Christmas exams!


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    #9
    mvl
    Registered Users Posts: 1,229 ✭✭✭mvl


    dory wrote: »
    Yeah, lots of girls only schools are in the top 100, as they're more likely to do a course rather than a trade. I still wouldn't think twice about that list when selecting a school for my child. I'd see which one my child would be happiest in. I teach in a very academic school, we're always Top 10 or 20 in the country. I wouldn't send my kid here, pressure is unreal. I'd love my kid to be in a kind of school where they celebrate Christmas with singing etc. rather than using that time for extra study ahead of the Christmas exams!
    Ignorance is a bliss I guess, at more levels.

    Based in the country side, the schools we're targeting are not in top 20; with that in mind, I'd expect the competition is easier to handle.

    And actually it is not the ... academic competition I would have been worried about; its the bullying I heard does happen in one of the schools.

    Anyway, unfortunately for us, our preferred school (coed) expects there will be a lottery, as last year they've been over-subscribed. So both of us are disappointed today - cause there is nothing we can do after enrollment, but hope we'll get lucky with a place (?!?).
    Think she would be happy to be where her friends are (defo out of our control), and where she could thrive in her current interests: STEM, Arts and ... German.


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    #10
    echo beach
    Registered Users Posts: 1,252 ✭✭✭echo beach


    mvl wrote: »

    And actually it is not the ... academic competition I would have been worried about; its the bullying I heard does happen in one of the schools.

    You are right to be worried about bullying but sadly it can and does happen in any school. If you have heard about it then it might actually be a good sign that it is out in the open and dealt with. I would be suspicious of a school that claims not to have any issues with bullying.


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    #11
    AndrewJRenko
    Registered Users Posts: 28,438 ✭✭✭✭AndrewJRenko


    dory wrote: »
    I really wouldn't pay any attention at all to how many go to college. In general, middle class parents make sure their kids go to college, no matter what kind of course it is, and that ups the percentages. Lots of people making a lot of money after doing a trade, but that doesn't show up in the stats so make some schools look "worse".

    For me it would be a mixture of them all. I'd like my kids to be involved in extra curricular, but I know some parents who want it to be really academic and don't care about much else.
    Fully agree.



    And no school published leaving cert results, so that's out. And even if they did publish, it would be a fairly meaningless comparison, given the number of other factors outside of control of the school involved.


    Location is a big issue. You really don't want to be adding a couple of hours commuting onto a child's life. Start local unless there is a good reason to choose otherwise.


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    #12
    AulWan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,653 ✭✭✭AulWan


    My biggest tip is make sure your child is fully involved in the selection process. I'm not saying you should give them final say, but they should have some say. They will be the ones spending a large part of 5/6 years going there every day. Happy kids, happy parents. ;)


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    #13
    spurious
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,121 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    An active parents' association is generally a good indicator. Interested parents make a huge difference to school discipline, aspirations, attendance rates, atmosphere. It might shock you how little or infrequently some parents engage with the place their children spend a large amount of their time, or whose only engagement is to fight against the school.

    There is bullying in all schools and not just among or between students. The overall school atmosphere and policies will determine how extensive it is.


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    #14
    mvl
    Registered Users Posts: 1,229 ✭✭✭mvl


    AndrewJRenko wrote: »
    Fully agree.
    And no school published leaving cert results, so that's out. And even if they did publish, it would be a fairly meaningless comparison, given the number of other factors outside of control of the school involved.
    Location is a big issue. You really don't want to be adding a couple of hours commuting onto a child's life. Start local unless there is a good reason to choose otherwise.

    On publishing info on leaving cert results (even if this is not what you meant) not sure if this happens only in small town schools, but we did read in the newspaper how many of their students got 7 H1s :)
    Location can be an issue, yes. But I think ppl would also think about school accessibility before they decide to settle somewhere, under normal circumstances (unlike recent years of housing drama).
    - Btw, did anyone think of using boarding school for secondary ?

    PS: delighted we've passed the lottery, now Ms minion will decide this weekend to which of the two schools she really wants to enroll.


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