Any recommendations for a secondary school in South Dublin for a 'tricky' boy?

[GrowlLikeMargeSimpson]

I've name changed because there is likely to be a bit of identifying detail in this.

DS is a fantastic sportsman and athlete, and pretty much rubbish at everything else school related. He's currently in 1st year of my old secondary school. They are generally very helpful with him, but he is disruptive and is probably going to be asked to leave at the end of the summer term (meeting with the head in the next week or two to discuss). He has autism but isn't a usual presentation of it, he's very extrovert, loud, has a low boredom threshold, poor impulse control and is easily distracted. The ways in which is autism presents more typically are being very literal and not getting the gist of what's going on, which means he's quite often out of step or doing the wrong thing because he's misunderstood the instructions.

He did get into Newpark, which I know can be better for less academic kids, but we turned down the place as we felt that it wouldn't have enough structure for him and he would run wild. He needs quite a bit of supervision as his judgement about acceptable behaviour is really bad and (as I said above) he has very little impulse control. I doubt we would get a place in Newpark for next year anyway as they were hugely oversubscribed for first year.

Any thoughts? I don't mind about fee-paying or not, but I would like somewhere that will be offering PE for Leaving Cert (which is current school will be doing) if at all possible.

TIA

Reading your first part I was thinking Newark, but obviously you've thought that through. Clonkeen college would also be good, but the playing field issue may cause a knock on to the sports programmes.

What about somewhere smaller like St Conleth's or St Andrew's (I've no idea about their pe for leaving cert though)?

Thanks for the suggestions.

St Andrew's is a bit awkward to get to from us, but I know a lot of people with DC there and I think it's quite similar to the school he's currently at. Same size, similar ethos and a rugby school too. DS isn't all the keen on rugby, he prefers football, which causes a bit of tension as he's very good at all sport including rugby but if a rugby match clashes with football he'll choose football every time. He's very tall for his age, the fastest in his year and very strong so he wins line outs and if he gets the ball he can run like the wind. His rugby coach keeps giving him lectures about 'letting the school down'.

Clonkeen college is quite close, nearly walkable. I only know one person with a child there, but she rates it highly and her son is a bit tricky too (although not nearly as tricky as mine). It's probably one to shortlist, not least because they play soccer, he'd probably be good at gaelic football too. I don't know if they would have space going into second year, I could ask I suppose. Do you think that they would care that he's not Catholic?

I've just had a look at St Conleths, I hadn't heard of it before (I mostly know the protestant schools). I don't think it would be sporty enough, and the location would be a pain in the neck.

I was also thinking of Sandford, but I don't think that's sporty enough either, plus he'd have to get the LUAS and I don't really trust him to turn up at school under his own steam. Plus I know that they have to wear a blazer at all times, and he just wouldn't (clothing issues to do with the autism).

If you're close enough to Clonkeen, how about going further out to St Gerard's in Bray? It's a few years since I knew anyone there but it certainly was very all round sporty.

Sorry, I pressed post instead of preview.

St Conleth's is good as it's small so your ds is likely to get good support but the sports resources may not be enough. Clonkeen is great for all rounders and a generally nice bunch of boys there - not the Blackrock vibe. I don't know about the religion thing, it is Edmund Rice Trust which I think is more open. St Michael's might be good if you could trust him on the bus. CBC Monkstown would be close to you too.

St Gerard's might be a good one, thanks. Did they have bullying problem recently, or am I thinking of somewhere else?

I had a look at John Scottus' website as they have moved to a much bigger campus in Old Conna, but their policy on transfers sounds ominous and I don't think they would take DS. Plus they are all about mindfulness (according to their website) which is one thing that DS absolutely can't manage.

I don't know CBC Monkstown, but I'm not sure about Christian Brothers schools generally.

I am going to keep my fingers crossed that we can persuade the principal to keep DS and that we won't need to find another school. DD is going to be going there no matter what, she'll love it and I'm not going to be changing my plans for her just because her brother can be a bit of an arsehole.

Two schools that I know from experience that are great with tricky kids are Columba's and Sandford Park. The other fee paying school's are hopeless IME. Newpark is head and shoulders above them all, I'd put him on a waiting list just to give you options as he gets older.

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Have heard good things about Sandford Park.

What about educate together secondary in stepaside.

I had discounted the Stepaside Educate Together because they were tiny and in pre-fabs in a rugby club car park, but I see now that they have moved into a permanent location which is reasonably handy for us so I might give them another look.

I had considered Sandford, as above, but both the commute and the blazer wearing will definitely be an issue. Sometimes when I pick DS up from school he's right on the edge of meltdown, if he had a bad day at Sandford then the Luas trip home would probably tip him over.

Has anyone heard anything about Wicklow Sudbury School? Given that DS is failing or barely scraping his exams at the moment I'm wondering if it might be more useful to him to move away from formal academic education.

I sent you a DM

If Educate Together isnt enough freedom for my son, I like the look of Wicklow Sudbury House. Obviously in a perfect world I'd like my son to stay in school and do the LC and get points etc but failing that, a school that could take a school-refuser and give him/her back confidence in their future and their own curiosities and passions would be amazing. I worry that my son will just announce he is not going to school anymore. Margesimpson, i know what you mean about not wanting to make the school day any more challenging than it is. I must google avila house in kilpeddar, see if it is accessible.

Ps i just heard about wicklow sudbury from you OP.

How about Pres Bray? Maybe a bit focused on academics but also sporty..
Benildus is very sporty (Kilmacud Luas stop) but also sends a lot of students to UCD and TCD.

I would put his name down again for Newpark..

St Kilians Deutsche School in Clonskeagh is inter-denominational and quite international.

Students aged 4-18.

No uniforms!

Knowledge of German not required.

www.kilians.com/about-us/ethos-mission-statement/

Wicklow Sudbury are having an open day on Monday UnaMagdalena, I'm thinking about going along to have a look. I would need to see it without DS as he would DEFINITELY want to go there if he thought it meant no more classroom lessons.

I'm not sure about St Kilian's, I know that they will take them without German knowledge but he would have to do extra lessons to catch up and he's is really not a linguist at all. On the other hand I do speak German, but only well enough to help him at the start, I'm nowhere near fluent.

I think Benildus is pretty similar to the current school (although I suppose any private school with good facilities will be). A colleague of DH's has a son there who is two years older than DS and has been having similar but less severe problems to us. In fact, last summer the other child's mum was saying that she wished she had sent him to DS's school as she felt it would have been better for him.

Location-wise clonskeagh would be good for me but my son hasnt a word of German (or Irish). He'll be off to ET soon and they talked a great talk, Finnish teaching methods and child centred learning so I have optimism or no time to worry about the futire perhaps! but I will keep Sudbury in the back of my mind.

In case there are too many rules at ET! 😣

If you go to the Open day update us Marge!

What about the High School?

It's a great school but very.... conventional in its approach to education and university.

Ballinteer community school - supposed to be fantastic for all types on non-academic kids or does it have to be a rugby school? Could he do the rugby with a club separately.
St conleths is good with the unusual / eccentric child but is very academic focussed on intellectual pursuits with an interest in rugby so might affect your child's morale.
Where is he currently?

Oh apologies I didn't mean what school is he at currently - more what type of school is he at currently? Highly structured/academic /rules based or no?

If you're looking along the N11 Cabinteely could be good or St Laurences College - good transport links, small classesand good Learning Support Dept.

Is he entitled to any help in school already or what help is he getting - given that his behaviour means he is likely to be asked to leave his current school?

You might find you meet similar problems at a new school unless he has the right supports in place.

I went to Newpark (and then a Russell Group Uni btw) and it probably would have been a good option for him, except that it's not a sporting school, if that's where his interest really lies.

Clonkeen won't take him if there's any question of behavioural issues/ASD/dyslexia. They won't flat out say no, but they will gently direct you towards Newpark. Ditto CBC Monkstown and Micheal's, unless he is very good at Rugby. St Andrew's might take him, but do have high expectations in terms of conforming to their (reasonable) standards of behaviour etc. St Conleth's will take children who haven't settled or been expelled elsewhere (they are like the male equivalent of Theresians for that). Balinteer is a decent school, but doesn't sound like what you are looking for.

If lack of sporting excellence isn't a deal beaker I would just call Newpark for a chat - it's no hothouse but it's a pleasant and truly inclusive school and certainly didn't hold me or my siblings or friends back academically.

Just to let you all know that DS has left his school, but he made it all the way to the end of term and sat all of his exams. Well, more or less all the way to the end of term, once they'd finished classes and were doing revision in class time they suggested that he would be better off revising at home, so he had about four days at home then. At the end of term a lot of his teachers sought him out to wish him well, which was nice, but only the rugby coach seemed disappointed that he was leaving.

He has now been registered at Cabinteely CS, and he's very happy about it. All the staff so far have been kind and welcoming (not that the staff at the old school weren't kind). They do soccer and GAA instead of rugby and hockey, which will suit DS much better as he loves soccer and apparently one of the boys plays for Ireland on one of the youth teams (under 14 or under 16, something like that). So I'm hopeful that this will work, if not brilliantly, at least better.

He's also on the waiting list for Wicklow Sudbury, they are full and need to move to a larger venue before they can accept any more pupils. I will give regular school a chance to work first as I know that the low numbers and lack of sports at Sudbury wouldn't suit his extrovert, high-energy personality.

Forgot to say thanks for all your help and suggestions, and for refraining from telling me to just whip him into submission.