Anyone from the Cork area?

[FraterculaArctica]

Hi there! Facing the prospect of relocating to Cork from the UK - been offered a job. If anyone can answer some of the questions I have re schooling (we have 3 DC aged 6, 4 and 1, definitely do not want Catholic schooling) and where to live, that would be wonderful.

One more q re school years. If DS went into 1st class aged 7.5, this would mean he'd finish primary at 13.5, right? But then aren't there 3 years of junior cycle plus transition year plus 3 years of senior cycle? Surely they don't finish school at 20.5?

He'd finish aged 19. Aged 13 for first year of secondary is fairly typical. Not everyone does three years of a senior cycle. Some do it in two, but this can depend on the school too.

Not exactly. He would start secondary school at 13.5 and there are three years of junior cycle, then transition year (which is optional as far as I know, though the vast majority do it). Then there are two years in senior cycle. My DD will be nineteen when she leaves school in three years time.

The year after the junior cycle and before the leaving cert cycle is called transition year. At the local schools where I am it's optional, but I'm not sure if this is the same in all schools. The two year leaving cert cycle starts after transition year.

@MadameMiggeldy

Also good to aware that there is no EYFS /equivalent for JI. There are some play based aspects but there is a lot of sitting and doing by academic work. (No fronted adverbials 😅).

This is not exactly true, the Aistear curriculum framework is used with children aged 0-6. All national schools (ime anyway) will include Aistear time in their schedule for infant classes. But yes in general more sitting down and academic work in younger classes...however the Irish curriculum goes at a gentler pace overall so it's a good trade-off imo.

Sorry, cross posted

7.5 would be on the older end for first class @FraterculaArctica (but there are definitely a few children that age). What month of the year was he born? If June/July/August I would consider starting in first class. If an earlier month I would absolutely consider starting in second. While there can be a big difference between a 4 and 5 year old starting junior infants it’s less of an issue as they get a bit older. The vast majority of my sons’ classmates turned 8 while in second class or shortly before. Unless he is a babyish 7 year old I think he’d be fine.

It depends when his birthday falls all right. The school could help guide you perhaps. I think he'll have settling in to do and a new language to contend with so personally I think I'd go for first class...but yes, it would depend on his birthday too.

Ethos really isn’t a big issue - I’m a local with my child going to a local country Catholic school. Max 160 kids in the school and out of a class of 15 mine is one of 4 who doesn’t partake in the religious aspect of things. No big deal. You’d be limited enough in the aspect of where to live if you’re stuck on a non-denominational or CofI school - if I were in your situation I’d be looking at Blackrock/Douglas/Rochestown area with an au pair who drives. Wraparound care isn’t great - yet - it is getting better, there are breakfast clubs and after schools popping up around the place. Crèche is expensive. I’m paying 550€ a month in a country location for 8.30 to 2pm which includes the free 3 hours of preschool, so I’d imagine it would get more expensive closer to the city. There’s a CofI primary close to Blackrock in Douglas, an ET in Carrigaline along with a CofI Post Primary in the Blackrock area and I think there are plans for an ET Post Primary in Carrigaline also. Logistics may become a pain when the first moves onto Post Primary. You’d spend as much time in traffic going to UCC going from that side of the city as you would from any other side, and quite possibly from the countryside. If ethos wasn’t a huge issue, you could look at Ballincollig, Curraheen, Waterfall, Innishannon areas and even further afield west. All within easy reach for you to UCC but you would still be best off with an au pair who drives because of your little one and school drop offs and pick ups. Really does depend on your expectations - public transport isn’t great, you couldn’t properly rely on public transport for everyone in the family to get where they need to go. I say all this as a lifelong countryside dweller, there may be others who live in the city or closer to that may have a more straightforward view of getting from A to B for everyone.

DS1 is a March birthday. Not very mature for age, but reasonable able. If this wouldn't make him ridiculously young for 2nd class I'd be inclined to go with that, otherwise he could face e.g. moving back from 5th class to year 8 in the UK system (after a summer break) which I presume would be much harder for him than from 6th class to our year 8.

@Montyman yes I'm beginning to think location is more important than school ethos, and had indeed been looking at Waterfall area - looks quite nice. Is park and cycle to UCC a sensible option? Or the shuttle bus? Happy to drive places. We are currently paying nearly £1000/ month for DC3 to go to nursery 3 days a week, so I think creche fees will be lower than currently. Child benefit in Ireland looks more generous too.

He'll certainly be one of the youngest in second class all right, but not ridiculously young. From his schooling in Ireland point of view, I'd choose first class personally - but then I don't really have any idea how difficult that could make things for him later on when you move back to the UK, so maybe that's not much help. Does he have to go into year 8 when you return?
Just to note too that second class is when children prepare for First Communion. In many schools (but not Community schools/Educate together) this will be done within school hours. So basically, there's more of an emphasis on religion in second class (and also later on in fifth or sixth for Confirmation). But there's no problem in opting out either - he might end up spending more time doing extra reading or something like that though.

Waterfall is a nice area. Not sure on the public transport options to/from there.

The problem with driving -> park car somewhere -> cycle to UCC from the west side of Cork is that there is another very large 3rd level college and major university hospital in between. As a result, a lot of the (residential) areas on the west side of the city, as move towards UCC, have time-limited and restricted street parking.

I second what @Onmydoorstep said re parking and cycling. Though I assume you could avail of the UCC car parks where the shuttle buses go from but cycle in instead of relying on the bus. With the added bonus of having the option of the bus on rainy morning.