Luttrellstown Community College and Edmund Rice College

AgentCarter

Hello.

I'm new to the area and looking for some advise on the differences between Edmund Rice College (ERC) and Luttrellstown Community College (LCC).

How do they compare academically (there is no information for ERC in the latest Irish Times League Tables), student behavior, quality of teaching, etc?

Any advise or experiences would be appreciated.

Thank you!

AgentCarter

Anybody able to give any advise on this? Thank you.

Treppen

The catchment area you're in for these schools probably has the most 'middle class' background in the country so transition to third level will be high.

This 'league table' won't tell you the actual results students received.

These type of threads You'll get parents with kids in either school who will say:

it was terrible...

it was great...

I heard the other school had bullying/drugs etc.

I took my son out of there and the principal didn't care etc.

If it matters... Edmund Rice will come under voluntary 'religious' background... Whereas a Community College will be ETB background (if you remember your VEC days).. so maybe not as much religion!

That's a generalisation though, again in that socio economic background there isn't much difference.

What you can be guaranteed is that both will be oversubscribed so you are into a lottery, possible waiting list.

It might be a factor as to where "all their friends are going" too, but you might want a clean break if the friends are a bunch of messers.

Don't look so much at what subjects are on offer at junior cycle, find out what is offered at leaving Cert if your child has a particular leaning towards a subject.

If I had to choose I'd go Edmund Rice, I'd get slated for my own reasons here so I'll leave it at that.

AgentCarter

Thanks you @Treppen

Appreciate your advise.

Speaking to other Parents, there seems to be a slight tendency for Edmund Rice. However I can't see the clear reasons and nobody seems to be able to tell me. Both have similar catchment areas (maybe ERC is more "Castleknock", but there is very little difference between the Catchment Areas socio-economic status.

Flinty997

The catchment is misleading. A lot of kids get into the school through the sibling rules. Schools (in my opinion) played musical chairs with the catchment area in recent years, caused no end of havoc with local families and long term residents. So the current catchment might not entirely reflect the current school population.

I would also choose ERC.

BlazingSaddler

When we were in this position about 6 years ago ERC was just just starting out, at the time I believe LCC was having some discipline issues which put a number of parents off , due to this ERC got very lucky with its intake in its first few years and took in a lot of very strong students from the Clonsilla area amongst others. This has continued to feed down in recent years. How long the siblings from out of the catchment will get automatic preference is any bodies guess, I believe CCC no longer take siblings if outside the catchment. There will certainly be a strong demand now for students within the catchment for ERC. I was very impressed with the Principal of ERC and many people speak very highly. ERC is hard to get a place now from outside of the catchment if no siblings so many parents are left with little choice but to send to LCC however many are happy to do so and many I’ve spoken to recently seem very happy. It would be good to hear views on here from LCC parents.

hardybuck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120422787#Comment_120422787

Now that the Edmund Rice school has been built it'll probably end up taking most of the kids from east of the M50 (i.e. Auburn, Deerpark, Fairhaven et al) while Castleknock Community College will be taking kids from west of the M50 (Carpenterstown, Consilla, Laurel Lodge .

A lot of people in Castleknock village started sending kids to CCC in recent years over the private schools, but I'd see a lot of those people now sending them to Edmund Rice as it's a brand new facility that's landed on their doorstep.

I think you'll have a good school whichever you choose. They all seem to have a solid enough reputation. I'd go with whichever is closest to home.

Flinty997

I think that's partly because for a couple of years the catchment of CCC flavored Castleknock village etc over areas much closer to it.

Be interesting to see how the catchments develop over time. On another thread is was mentioned there were objections from residents to opening up access to Deerpark.

ERC is on the train line in effect. Which is lot handier than getting to it by car considering the traffic.

I've a preference of local kids who can walk or cycle to school getting preference for that school. But the way they are planned. The way they mess around with catchments. completely frustrates that.

There are academic tables for schools. But a school thats new might not have enough students through it yet to get enough data. Also schools that focus entirely on the academic might not give enough attention to non academic kids.

Some have said to me the smaller class size in new a of school is something they preferred.

All these schools generally have an open night which will give you a flavor of the school.