Waterford Schools?

De La Salle posh?! Lol, I've heard it all now! I've just finished 6 years there and belief me posh definitely wouldn't be the correct terminology. Tbh, it's gotten so big now (just over 1100 students) that it doesn't fit into one specific group. There's too much a variety of different classes of students (and teachers)

Sully wrote: »

Waterpark is a protestant school? Sure I know a lot of Catholics that went (and teach!) there!

What about that school on Paddy Browns - St Pauls is it? Or the Mercy for the girls?

Of course he means traditionally, same as Trinity is a protestant college.

Aquos76 wrote: »

I attended Mount Sion primary and secondary school and never found it rough, mind you I did leave there over 15 years ago, so things may have changed since then.

My two young lads both attend the boys school in ferrybank, and so far I am finding it very good. I have them both enrolled into the Abbey for 2013 and 2015, both years have been full for a few years now. The abbey seems to have a very good reputation at the moment. Hopefully this will continue.

Yeah I went to the abbey from 2nd to 6th year, looking back on it I would certainly consider it a good school and that seems to be the general consensus about the place ( don't let my ****e spelling suggest otherwise :P).

Meatwad wrote: »

Newtown is probably the only proper posh school in Waterford, it used to take boarders and probably still does.Waterpark is not a posh school , it only has that notion attached to it because it's a protestant school.De la Salle is a normal school as is Mt Sion , Mt Sion may be a bit rougher but alot of that is really only rumour.Out of the lot of them I'd say De la Salle is the best as it is bigger and has better facilities and the attitude of the staff is good.Thats not saying the others are bad either as they also have their positive sides.(I know people who's kids go to all of them).However I'd say Newtown is probably the worst considering that it's the priciest option, kids from the other schools generally do better in the leaving and are more grounded.Out of the girl school from what I can tell, the Ursuline is the best.

Waterpark was originally a Christian Brothers school. I really didn't enjoy my time there and left early due to problems in there. From a friend of the family who's son is attending there at the moment, things haven't changed unfortunately. It'd be the last place I'd send my son.

Yeats can be a great school if students are willing to put in the work. It's 5th and 6th year there. (While I was there:) In 5th year, you're in until 9 two nights a week, and in for a few hours on a Sat. Teachers there are generally good and interested, but because it's so small, if you piss off one, or one takes a disliking towards you for any reason, you're the biggest bastard known to the education system.

I liked 5th year in there much more than 6th year - 6th year, in until 9 every night, and they ask you to stay until 10. In for most of the day on Sat aswell. It was pretty offputting coming up to the LC when I had no time to myself, but tbh, if it wasn't for one of the teachers in Yeats, I wouldn't be where I am now, so I have a lot to thank it for.

Most of my friends would have went to DLS, and by all means, it's a top notch school. With so many students, they have so much more in the line of facilities, and I guess, with so many people there, it's easier to find groups into the same activities, or at least, that's what I saw growing up. I'd be sending my son there.

fenris wrote: »

St Pauls was not a rough school, it was one of the only real co-ed schools in Waterford, which had a semi civilising effect on us chaps, while giving us the capability to talk to girls without turning into a stammering blushing wreck, unlike many of our peers!

Any of my friends that went to St Pauls always agree on that. Said it was a really good place.

djsupreme wrote: »

There's an awful lot to be said for co-ed schools. I think the social skills you pick up interacting with the opposite sex at a young age is twenty times more important than trigonometry in terms of life skills.

Definitely a hell of a lot to be said for co-ed schools. Even my 2 years in Yeats showed me that (And not in a sleazy way).

deisemum wrote: »

My son has just started at De La Salle as has most of his primary school classmates. The choice of subjects and facilities were the deciding factors that influenced our choice. I think he's settling in ok, I was the nervous wreck. There are some amount of rules to get used to. The new principal had a very good reputation in his previous school.

A few of his friends went to Waterpark but there's no way I'd even consider sending him there as I've heard quite a number of things that put me off and it seems to be getting worse. Also the school may not be there in a few years as numbers have dropped, there are talks of it amalgamating with another school, think it's Mount Sion.

I'd like to point out you made a good decision there, but I'm heavily biased! :pac:

He'll never connect with every teacher, but if he reckons there's some nice ones, he'll do well. As you know yourself, it's much easier to work under someone you like/respect. I'm not sure if she's still there, but there's a very good art teacher in there, was married to my art teacher in 6th year. Both have very good reputations.

If he's into that side of it at all, he'll enjoy those classes!

Ah that stupid scanning in system, all the memories are flooding back now

DLS implemented that about 18 months ago, but its a bit of a joke tbh. The school don't care less in what state your ID card is in, as long as you still scan in every morning and every lunch time, so some of the cards got in some state (one guy had just the barcode, which was stuck together with sellotape, but he still scanned in as usual. Fecking cheapskate didn't want to pay the €10 for a new one XD)

The one thing that really did annoy me bout it though was that the machines don't turn on until 10-15 minutes before lunch ended. Not only did this mean a mad queue every lunchtime(sorry, I mean a stampede, this is an all guy school after all!) , but once you get to start going to places like pitch and putt or bowling for afternoon PE you couldn't make your way out until the machines turned on, so we ended up missing a good bit of PE every week over that. I think the PE department had said though that they'll get that sorted for next year.

I was pretty close to going to the Abbey for secondary school, and while from the sounds of it the Abbey is going really well, I'm still glad I ended up in DLS. Tbh, I don't think the tuition is a good there then say the Ursuline, but the Music Department is absolutely top-notch. All those hours spent with the 2 choirs, learning a new instrument or two or generally messin around in the music room were easily the parts of school I enjoyed most.

Beware though, be prepared for an avalanche of hurling commotion there too, especially when the senior team are getting to the latter stages of the Munster Championships. I'm a huge hurling fan don't get me wrong, but the entire school goes way too over-the-top for the first few months after Christmas if they're still in the competition (which they probably will be, since they'e going for their own 3-in-a-row of All Irelands)

Things like "Wanted" posters with pictures of the school they're playing against next hung on the walls really bugged me. That and their constant success will inevitably lead to a few inflated egos within the team. It got to a stage where there were quite a number of students in the school that actually wanted the team to lose. Word will also get around about just how much money are contributing to the team too. I know they hold quite a lot of fundraisers, but that alone won't pay for weekends away to Dublin or Sunderland for a panel of 40+

That aside, one of the much more pleasing aspects of the school are the Brothers that still live there, one of the soundest groups of people you'll likely to come across. They'll always take an interest in what you're doing, whatever it is. They'll be there for the hurling matches, for the school concerts, for the exams asking how you got on, and they'll still have time to do a lot of maintanence work around the school

They also let any 6th years go into the study there and work away whenever you like, be it a weeknight, weekend or during one of the school holidays. That definitely helped me for the LC last year, and you'll also get chatting to the brothers a lot more there too.

Probably the biggest dissapointment I had there was when they got rid of the 90 minute lunch breaks and replaced it with a measly 40 minutes. My god, that took some getting used to! I don't think it was the school's choice though. Up until then they only taught CSPE within English, Geography and History classes, until the Dept. of Education told them it needed a seperate class time. Then SPHE was introduced as a subject too, so they had to make room on the timetable for both of them. I think part of that decision might have been due to the near constant complaints the school had been getting from shops in town since students had nothing better to do for 90 minutes than to cause hassle. But the senior students got to finish 50 minutes earlier as a result, so that helped a bit I guess. I still think though that many would prefer to go back to the 90 minute lunches.

deisemum wrote: »

A few of his friends went to Waterpark but there's no way I'd even consider sending him there as I've heard quite a number of things that put me off and it seems to be getting worse. Also the school may not be there in a few years as numbers have dropped, there are talks of it amalgamating with another school, think it's Mount Sion.

:eek: That is a shocking thing to say!

I went to waterpark and during my years there Mr Beecher had turned that school around completely.

That is a very snobby post i must say and very gossipy!

Past pupil of Mount Sion myself and can say was in there when the school was perceived as quite rough, believe it has gotten worse since I left but I have no qualms about the place. Yeah it wasn't the May West for facilities, maybe a better choice of subjects but if you wanted to learn in there they encouraged you to. Out of my class and a few previous years there are lads studying and qualifying as solicitors,accountants,lads lecturers out in the colleges,engineers,architects and thats in the last 5-6 years or so but unlike other schools we don't boast about it all the time. Remember no matter where you go to school you cannot buy brains. Weren't we taught in hedge schools years ago lol. This snobbish elitist thing in Waterford is getting into schools now sickens me. Remember half these wans sending there little darlings to so called posh schools because so and so is there is ridiculous and even heard rumours of some parents paying to get children into a certain primary school in town.
Remember the foundations of a great education lies in the home and some parents nowadays have this misconception that the onus is solely on the school for education.
Great support structures are out for children willing to learn and who want it.

Odats wrote: »

This snobbish elitist thing in Waterford is getting into schools now sickens me. Remember half these wans sending there little darlings to so called posh schools because so and so is there is ridiculous and even heard rumours of some parents paying to get children into a certain primary school in town.
Remember the foundations of a great education lies in the home

Not being from Waterford I hadn't heard of any snobbish schools apart from Newtown. Hubby wouldn't be into the snobby things so it wouldn't occur for him to mention it.

I too have heard rumours about an open cheque primary school.

I agree with the home input.

Someone here might be able to give some insight into something I've heard secondary school pupils tell primary school pupils that depending on which primary school a pupil comes from can affect how they're treated or mistreated by pupils in secondary, is it true? Please don't mention names of schools

I would have though the other way would be more common, i.e. a kid who went to a 'good' primary school like ballygunner PS who ends up going to Mount Sion or god forbid the worst of the worst aka Waterpark college they would bully them and call them names. No?

djsupreme wrote: »

Going back to the DLS 90 minute lunch break....in fairness, who ever thought of anything so ridiculous?! I was also bemused by it. What are kids meant to do for 90 mins at lunchtime if they can't go home? Much better to have shorter breaks and earlier finishes.

The school decided years ago to make it 90 mins so that all the sports team, choirs, and other activities could do their weekly training then, rather then after school so the 3rd/5th/6th years who did after school study wouldn't miss out.

It made complete sense, and I know that numbers doing after school study have dropped since the 90 mins lunch was scrapped. It also meant that students wouldn't be as tired during lunch time to do training. Now, with no more 90 mins lunch, we have a situation where students have to sit through 8 or 9 classes with only 40 mins break and then straight into an hour plus of hurling training, basketball training, choir practise etc.

So on the face of it 90 mins does seem completely over the top, but in the context of the amount of extra-curricular activities offered by the school, it worked brilliantly.

I was chatting to my dad last night, and he was telling me that from next year. all the DLS brothers will be gone from the school. I think this is a real shame, but I guess its going that way all over the country.

I noticed a lot of Waterpark bashing here. I haven't been out of the place all that long and can honestly say that it was the ideal experience. As a small school, it was a place where the teachers knew all the students and each student received great individual attention.

Bullying was often quashed before it grew to be too big a problem which isn't something the larger schools can boast about being able to do. I will admit that there were some incidents that did spiral out of control but in the circumstances everything was being done to help.

When I was there, the school had a group of mostly dedicated teachers some of which could be considered to be in the top 10% of their field and managed to get the very best from their students. Of course there were a few teachers there who only seemed to go through the motions, but on the most part they were all willing to take time out and help you.

If any parent would like a more detailed and personal opinion of my relatively fresh experience of the school, feel free to PM me.

brendansmith wrote: »

I would have though the other way would be more common, i.e. a kid who went to a 'good' primary school like ballygunner PS who ends up going to Mount Sion or god forbid the worst of the worst aka Waterpark college they would bully them and call them names. No?

Worst of the worst? Backup please?

I went to Waterpark and I thought it was a very good school. Granted some people get bullied here and there and I was on the receiving end of some of it sometimes but that's just the way things are everywhere. The year I finished, approximately half of the students got over 500 points, which is pretty good given that it isn't one of those factory-style grind schools.

Best parts are small class sizes and great teachers.