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Need advice on schools in waterford.

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  • 18-07-2020 4:16pm
    #1
    Momof2boys
    Registered Users Posts: 1 ✭


    Hi, We are moving to Waterford this August. My son is in third grade and has already been offered a place in St Mary's National School in ballygunner. I realised that finding a rental property is very difficult in waterford city.

    We don't have a driving license and I can't expect to have one given the covid situation and all.

    We found an apartment adjacent to Waterpark National School and wondering if it is good idea to enrol him in this school instead of ballygunner as we have no idea about the school bus and restrictions that are going to be implemented.

    My son is not in to sports, so I am looking for more academics. He also has mild asthma, so I am pretty much worried about the social distancing in buses. We have only been here for one year and his Irish isn't great. We are very relaxed about religious education. He gets along with both boys and girls equally, so I am looking at mixed schools which are very few in Waterford.

    There is one more school--Christ Church in the same area. Newtown has no places left. Can anyone here help me making a decision--st Mary's vs Waterpark vs Christ Church. Thank you.

    Kind regards,
    Momof2boys.


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    #2
    Stopitwillya
    Closed Accounts Posts: 531 ✭✭✭Stopitwillya


    Momof2boys wrote: »
    Hi, We are moving to Waterford this August. My son is in third grade and has already been offered a place in St Mary's National School in ballygunner. I realised that finding a rental property is very difficult in waterford city.

    We don't have a driving license and I can't expect to have one given the covid situation and all.

    We found an apartment adjacent to Waterpark National School and wondering if it is good idea to enrol him in this school instead of ballygunner as we have no idea about the school bus and restrictions that are going to be implemented.

    My son is not in to sports, so I am looking for more academics. He also has mild asthma, so I am pretty much worried about the social distancing in buses. We have only been here for one year and his Irish isn't great. We are very relaxed about religious education. He gets along with both boys and girls equally, so I am looking at mixed schools which are very few in Waterford.

    There is one more school--Christ Church in the same area. Newtown has no places left. Can anyone here help me making a decision--st Mary's vs Waterpark vs Christ Church. Thank you.

    Kind regards,
    Momof2boys.

    St Declans primary school for boys is also in that area. It's a 2 min walk on the opposite side of the people's park to waterpark.


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    #3
    hardybuck
    Registered Users Posts: 5,162 ✭✭✭hardybuck


    Don't even consider going to Ballygunner if you're not driving.

    You're extremely fortunate to be surrounded by schools that many of the people in the Ballygunner catchment area end up driving to.

    St Declans is the go to for many. If it's a decision between the two mixed schools (Waterpark and Christ Church), and you don't want St Declans, then the main distinguishing factor is that one is a Catholic ethos and the other is the Protestant Church of Ireland.

    When you say you're relaxed about religion, does that mean you're planning to opt out of religious education?

    Feedback from Protestant schools is often that many of the teachers don't have a decent command of Irish which is also something to consider. You can get that in the Catholic schools too but it's not as common.

    Not sure how long you're planning on staying in Ireland, but it's a compulsory subject in important exams that he'll have to sit as a teenager.


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    #4
    jimbojazz
    Registered Users Posts: 827 ✭✭✭jimbojazz


    hardybuck wrote: »
    Don't even consider going to Ballygunner if you're not driving.

    You're extremely fortunate to be surrounded by schools that many of the people in the Ballygunner catchment area end up driving to.

    St Declans is the go to for many. If it's a decision between the two mixed schools (Waterpark and Christ Church), and you don't want St Declans, then the main distinguishing factor is that one is a Catholic ethos and the other is the Protestant Church of Ireland.

    When you say you're relaxed about religion, does that mean you're planning to opt out of religious education?

    Feedback from Protestant schools is often that many of the teachers don't have a decent command of Irish which is also something to consider. You can get that in the Catholic schools too but it's not as common.

    Not sure how long you're planning on staying in Ireland, but it's a compulsory subject in important exams that he'll have to sit as a teenager.

    Christchurch has an excellent approach to the Irish language, the kids even ask as Gaeilge to go to the toilet!


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    #5
    hardybuck
    Registered Users Posts: 5,162 ✭✭✭hardybuck


    jimbojazz wrote: »
    Christchurch has an excellent approach to the Irish language, the kids even ask as Gaeilge to go to the toilet!

    I should be clear that my feedback on language is not specific to Christ Church so I absolutely do not wish to be unfair to them.

    My feedback is based upon friends working in the teaching profession and friends who've attended/sent their children to Protestant schools.


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