ENROLLING FOR SCHOOL

Lori · Member

ENROLLING FOR SCHOOL

Clodagh · Admin

We just enrolled Daniel in the Irish school too. I wouldn't mind having a look into the Educate Together school as I've heard that's good.

Does anybody else know anything about it?

lee · Veteran Member

I've put Sean's name down in Educate Together - my two nieces go there and it seems very good... I've heard loads of good things about it... I was going to put seans name down in St. Peter and Pauls too, just to have another option but haven't got round to it yet. Both schools are quite close to us.

tregan · Veteran Member

hi there,

yes this is something i should do coz as you say the pop is growing and don't want to miss the boat and have a choice where my little girl goes, where is the educate together school? was thinking of the irish school too as no. 1 option but wouldn't hurt to have a back up

thanks

Tina

shea · Veteran Member

Hi Girls, My daughter goes to Educate Together and she loves it and her teacher, which they call by their first name. They have extra classes after school like Art, Computers, Fitness,Science which work out at 2euro a class. Its open enrollment so i would put your childs name down asap if you are thinking about sending them to this school, you can always refuse the place when offered. I would ring the principal and have a chat with him. They are building the new school on the same ground opening 2008 ( i think). You can look up www.educatetogether.ie here you will find out more about the Educate Together Schools. HTH Sinead.

Principal: Fintan Mc Cutcheon- 086-0691895

-- Edited by shea at 00:35, 2007-01-18

mags · Member

Hi All

My son is in his 2nd year at Educate Together and loves it. His teacher is fantastic and all the others also. They have a great relationship with the kids. Fintan the principal is very approachable if want to have al look around the school and the number of people wanting a place is growing so act fast. Cant say enough good things about the school.

-- Edited by mags at 17:42, 2007-01-19

Clodagh · Admin

Thanks Mags & Shea for the information. Definitely think I'll put Daniel's name down too.

tregan · Veteran Member

thanks for that info shea, i'll get onto fintan tomorrow as best to do it now when i'm thinking of it! must have a look at the website you gave also

Dors · Moderator

Thanks a mill shea, will look in to that!

tregan · Veteran Member

hi all,

i've put DD name down a few weeks ago. met fintan and he went through everything so all seems good and like their ethics. there was an article in the fingal independent week before last to say they were taking enrollment for the next few years and places were filling up

Dors · Moderator

Meant to say thanks for this Tina, when I went to put Eoin's name down the principal was so nice and it turned out the list for that year wasn't that long so Eoin's enrolled!!!!

Clodagh · Admin

Have Daniel's name down too!

bigbelly · Veteran Member

Hi girls,
We moved to balbriggan 1 yr ago and couldn't get my daughter into any of the local schools(including Balscadden etc). Managed to enrol her in Naul national school in the end, small school but really good. She will finish primary school there as still cant get her a place in balbriggan. She loves it though and actually a good few kids from Balbriggan go there !

That said, im due no.2 in september and will put the baby down straight away for the local schools, think they all have good names, will also put her down in Naul just incase ! smile

Michelle

Tracy2 · Veteran Member

Hi Girls

New to this forum found out about it on Rollercoaster. I have a 9 yr old in St Molagas but you transfer there form Peter and Pauls and you cannot put the childs name down until the year they are starting they have a week were you can go in and enroll because I worrying about this already as my 18 month old is not guaranteed a place there even though her sister, dad, uncles, aunties and grannies went there.

Clodagh · Admin

Hi Tracy,

Welcome to the board smile

Thanks for the information. I'm surprised your 18 month old mightn't get in because in a lot of schools, siblings get first preferance over other applicants confused

Anyway, hope to hear lots more from you!

Clodagh

Nancy · Veteran Member

Clodagh wrote:

Hi Tracy,

Welcome to the board

Thanks for the information. I'm surprised your 18 month old mightn't get in because in a lot of schools, siblings get first preferance over other applicants

Anyway, hope to hear lots more from you!

Clodagh

You are right siblings do get preference in a lot of schools but as St Peter and Paul's is only for 4 years (Junior infants to 2nd class)as opposed to 8 years for most primary schools,a lot of people's children are no longer attending the school when the next one is ready to start.
At the moment children attending the follow on school, St Molaga's, don't count as siblings. However there is a growing amount of pressure being put on St Peter and Paul's to count the siblings in St Molagas so it could change.
Also last year St Peter and Paul's was oversubscribed by about 150% so the younger children (those with June, July and August birthdays) mightn't get in even with a sibling in the school!

-- Edited by Nancy at 16:29, 2007-08-23

Dors · Moderator

Does anyone know what the update on the school in Castlelands is?

melanie · Member

hi all, just wondering, my little girl is nearly 2, should i be putting her name down now for st. peter & st. pauls?
and also my little boy is 4 months, anyone know a good creche in the area for the 2 of them. (balbriigan)
we only moved up in feb. so im not too sure about these things.
thanks.

Anacou · Veteran Member

Crikey girls, I feel like I've seriously missed the boat on this. DS is 5 mths & I haven't even sorted childcare yet! Plan on returning to work in Feb so want to get something sorted soon & I know BB is seriously under pressure.

As for Primary Schools: haven't got anywhere near it! Do any of you have a list? Didn't realise Balscadden was in the picture. St Peter & Pauls is probably closest but don't know anything about any of them as we're relatively new to the area (well, 4 yrs but working away!)

Anacou

Tracy2 · Veteran Member

You cant put your childs name down for Peter and Pauls until the year they are due to start they have a enrollment week were you go in and put the childs name down. Not sure about Balscadden. I think you can register in St Teresas anytime but not 100% on that. My daughter went to Peters and Pauls she is Molagas now I had no problem with Peters and Pauls thought it was a great school. I live nearer St Teresas but hopefully my youngest daughter will get into Peters and Pauls as well dont really want to saend her anywhere else. We like it there also as my husband, all his family, my mam and his mam went there.

Dors · Moderator

To be eligible for Balscadden NS you need to live on Flemington Lane (I believe)

I can highly recommed The Little People's Academy beside the Post Office, Eoín is there 3 afternoons a week and he adores it. The staff there are very very good and so approchable. My best advice is to start looking in to childcare for Feb asap.

Also just to let you know that the Children who go to Peter and Paul's then switch to Molaga's after their communion. Check out the Educate Together school beside Dunnes or The Gaelscoil at the Sunshine House in the town.

Anacou · Veteran Member

Thanks all for the info. Will get on to the schools

Dors, thanks for the other info too. I know I've left it a bit late with the childcare. Have contacted a few minders but no definites yets. Will start calling creche list tomorrow..! Its maddness though!

Nancy · Veteran Member

I think most schools have an enrolment week now.
Peter and Paul's is very strict in that they won't take enrolments after the week. They usually put a board up in the window, I live by the school so will post the details when it goes up.
Perhaps if you know when a school is enrolling you could do the same?
Different schools have different admission policies as to who gets priority so its always worth asking them for their admission policy in case you need to sign up for another school as insurance.
Despite the equality laws, schools are allowed to take Catholic children over those from other/non religions. Some of the schools in Balbriggan do so, St Peter and Paul's definitely does. So if your child is not baptised a Catholic you might have to look at enrolling in Educate Together even if you enrol elsewhere as well.
St Peter and Paul's enrolment policy in order of priority is
1. children of staff ( no mention of religion or from the Parish)
2. children with siblings in the school (at the moment only siblings in Peter and Paul's count but it might soon include siblings in st Molaga's)
3. Catholic children from the parish
4. Catholic children from outside the parish who do not have a Catholic school where they live
5. Non Catholic children from the parish
6. Non Catholic children from outside the parish
I wrote that from memory so please check and feel free to correct me if I got it wrong.
My children went to St Peter and Paul's and I found it ok. But as said above they go to St Molaga's from 3rd class onwards and I highly recommend it. The principal is very good and approachable and really runs the school with the children's best interests in mind.

Nancy · Veteran Member

Lori wrote:

Hey Girls,

Just wondering if many of you have enrolled your kids for school yet? I've just put aarons name down for the irish school and was going to try two more schools just in case! Because of the large young pop in the briggan we may find it hard to find a place for them which is crazy, i heard the school in balscadden was good too!. Were moving to stamullen in a few weeks but will still be in the catchment area

Lorraine

Isn't there a primary school in Stamullen anyway?

Dors · Moderator

Yeah think it's called St. Patricks's can we enrol there?

Anacou · Veteran Member

Hi all,

Forgive me for being clueless on all this but I never needed to know about schools before (ignorance, I know!).

I called St Peter & Pauls today, & they don't have waiting lists. They only enrol each sept/oct for the following year. Don't know when the registration week is this year though. So, if polices stay as they are, I need to wait until 2010, so god help us then!

Where is St Teresa's? Also, anyone know anything about St Georges on Hampton St or is it still there?

Dors · Moderator

No you're fine. The enrolling is usually in the second week in December for the following September. St. Teresa's is in the estate past Lidl, I don't know anything about the school. St. George's is either a Protestant or Church of Ireland school, not too sure.

I know someone who's child is 4 and she put her name down for Secondary!!!!!!

Tracy2 · Veteran Member

St Teresas is in Pinewood it would be same kind of school as St Peter and Pauls. Both are run by the church. St Georges is a protestant school but there is catholics going there also as they can make their communion with the other schools when they are making theirs unless that has changed since last year but that was how it was until then.

As for secondary school I have my 9 year olds name down since she was 5 for the convent but that does not gurantee a place you go through the process of enrollment in the year they are starting but priorty is give to children of staff, siblings of present or past pupils, then children from the schools within its catchment area. You are best putting there name down to be on the safe side.

Unsure about the community college. Think they have a time during the year you can enroll.

Nancy · Veteran Member

Dors wrote:

Yeah think it's called St. Patricks's can we enrol there?

I imagine they have a catchment area. Stamullen isn't in Balbriggan parish as far as I know so you would have to see what their admissions policy on children outside the parish was.
Probably best to give them a ring and see

Nancy · Veteran Member

There's a sign up in St Peter and Paul's. Enrolments will be from Mon 22nd Oct-Fri 28th Oct between 9.30 and 11.30am.

Places aren't allocated on a first come/ first served basis, all applications are taken and then places are allocated by reference to the school's admission policy.

The last couple of years they wouldn't take any applications after the enrollment week so you need to get it done during this week.

Again in previous years they wanted the child's PPS number and baptism certificate before they would accept the enrollment so I'd bring them along as the queue is usually horrendous and you don't want to have to queue twice!

-- Edited by Nancy at 14:21, 2007-10-04