Admission criteria secondary school

Batcheese

My child wants to go to a certain school. We really have a choice of only 2 schools and he really likes this one and his friends are all going there. They have the following admission criteria if oversubscribed which they always are.

1. Siblings of existing pupils

2. Children of staff.

3. Children residing in the local area. By local area we are referring to ... lists a number of towns.

4. Feeder schools.

Typically it's almost filled at criteria 3 with with little spaces left after that.

This is where I'm concerned. Our address is one of the towns in category 3. So eg. Made up.. Grange cross, Mitchelstown, Co. Cork. Is the address. Mitchelstown being one of towns mentioned so I thought all good. But on the form it asks for parish as well. And technically we are not michelstown parish. We are " tramore" parish. But it doesn't mention parish in criteria so am I right in thinking as we have" mitchelstown" address that is mitchelstown area so we are covered in criteria 3. I did ring the school and ask and admin said they were fairly sure they just go by address and not parish but It wasn't totally convincing. I'm going to be worried about this so thought maybe somebody in the know would have an idea how it usually works? It would make the difference between most probably getting in or probably not getting it and is stressing me. We do everything in " mitchelstown" got married here, school here, our lives are totally based here so it would be annoying to miss out over a technicality of barely being in another parish.

Jim_Hodge

Honestly, as already explained to you, you need to talk to the particular schools. There's no rigid norm in these things.

Batcheese

I'm following the advice someone gave to post it here where teachers may see it.

Treppen

Its very nuanced especially when the word 'parish' is involved and the school aren't going by parish but Mitchellstown etc.

Any discrepancy and if your child doesn't get in you have grounds to appeal, no principal wants that so I'm surprised they are so wooly.

Talk to your local TDs , they're usually the first port of call if there aren't enough school places... But be careful, if you demand clarification they might start going by the absolute rule of parish and preclude your child.

Consider if kids are coming in in big groups it's best they mingle with other students in 1st year and not get too clannish, often the first bunch to fall out amongst themselves in 2nd year are the large feeder school groups. Also it's good too have friends outside the school too. Something to consider

rainbowtrout

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122735226#Comment_122735226

But no teacher here is going to be able to know how that school makes a decision when they get to the third option on the criteria list.

lmk123

Townland

Mitchelstown

Co. Cork

Eircode

Leave out the parish. Sometimes it’s better ask for forgiveness than permission.

Batcheese

I did consider that but presumably they will check everyone's parish anyway as part of their checks.

Batcheese

So l submitted forms and after all my worry it wa confirmed it is decided by your home address and parish irrelevant. They only look at address. So a relief there should be a good chance of getting in now.