Anyone's kids at PBC, CBC, Bandon Grammar?

[mishmased]

Trying to plan ahead for next year. Child is in 5th class and our top two preferences are Pres and Christians. Bandon is a backup, a bit far but close to my place of employment.
Just wondering if anyone has kids at any of the schools? I attended both Pres and Christians open evenings and I was very impressed at both especially Christians.
Pres is closer to us distance wise whilst Christians is on the other side of town. Any experience on the schools will be appreciated.

Look at the subject range would be my advice. My three kids all went to a big local community school with a very wide range of both academic subjects and the hands on type. They did lc subjects which they couldn't have studied at private or smaller schools.
Also if you are considering using public transport do a trial run. I have been on the bus from the city mid afternoon and would say it was dangerously overcrowded. Currently bus timetables and actual buses arriving are very different.
Kinsale Community School would be as good a choice as Bandon if that would work?

I'm dying to know where you went now 😂

Hi everyone, thanks for your responses. @eggandonion Kinsale is out of our way.

So offers are in and it is a yes for CSN, and a No for both PBC and CBC.

CSN sent an email last Monday, PBC letter on Wednesday, he's number 19 on the list and PBC on Friday. I wasn't surprised about him not getting an offer from Pres but I was for Christians.
I had the day off from work and sat at the bottom of the stairs crying my heart out. Poor DH was working upstairs and thought someone had died. We should find out what number he is on the Christians waitlist after mid term.

I'm coming to terms with him not getting a place at my preferred school. My son was shocked as he liked Christians but he was more disappointed for me I think. It has ruined my weekend if I'm honest.

So sorry to hear that but I would say 19 on the list for PBC would have a good chance of getting an offer. I know 4 people already who are taking other places and there will be lots who applied to both cbc and pbc. Fingers crossed for you.

Thanks @aplo I called Christian's to ask about the possibility of getting a place while on the waitlist (not sure where we're on yet). The secretary took down my name and number and they will be in touch. I guess it is a waiting game now.

I have felt in the past that the people who keep expressing an interest with CBC and making regular calls etc do seem to get places. I could be wrong and maybe everyone I know has just been lucky in the end but I would say regular polite checking in with them about the place on the waitlist would do no harm.

As much as I want him to get a spot in either school, I don't want this dragging on until May or June of next year. We will accept the CSN space for now and keep our fingers crossed. I cannot say this to friends because of their judgement. Times like this I really miss having a sibling.

Number 19 on the list sounds quite hopeful. You know there's a bunch of lads will have been offered places for both school because their brother went to one and their father to another. Some may even accept both for the moment whilst they are "deciding", leading to a run of offers at a later date.

Can you be honest and explain why you are so disappointed? Is it the potential academic results, smaller class sizes, the sports, mixing with students and parents whose financial circumstances and values may align more closely with yours, the old boys network, something else, a combination of factors? Some of us may be able to address these fears.

State schools in Ireland are mostly excellent, vastly removed from some of the horror stories you read on education threads outside of Craicnet.

I agree. My three kids went to local community school, my dil to a non fee paying girls school, my daughters boyfriends went to community schools elsewhere. All have professional qualifications and masters degrees, and great careers.

I agree that 19th on the waiting list for PBC means there's a decent chance of a place, and possibly CBC too once you know where your son is on the list? Friends I know with sons at CSN seem very happy with it. It was their preferred choice of school, and only arrived at via the waiting list also -- I don't think they were offered a place till around February, if I remember rightly? Their only snag to date is the buses to and from, which are very unreliable. But I have literally heard the same complaint from friends with children who started at Ashton, Douglas Comm and the Educate Together secondary on Wellington Road, who rely on public transport. Bus driver shortage, and all routes, or almost all, seem to be affected.

I get that the waiting list feeling is a bit limbo-ish, but try to breathe a bit about it. Your child has a place at a good school already, and a not unrealistic chance of a place at another.

It would be a deeply controversial opinion on 'main' Mn education threads, but in Ireland, in my experience, education across the board is much of a muchness, across almost all schools.

Thanks so much everyone for your replies. @SageRosemary and @eggandonion you're very kind. Apologies I have been very busy at work and we're currently in the middle of a vomiting bug. I will post a reply to your question when the dust settles here. Thank you for your responses.

CSN is a great school and do very well academically. I would have no fears about that. Plus all his friends are going there so it will be a seamless transition. I remember going through a similar process to you and finding it all encompassing. All I'll say is as soon as he starts you will forget all about this and think back and say how did you let it get to you so much. Plus you're saving yourself 5k a year!

Hi aplo,

I would be grateful if you can advice in case the child is shy, which school is better for him CBC or PBC. I have two boys and got offer for both school but not sure which is fit him. PBC is convinience as close to my work place.
thank you

I don’t think there’s much of a difference between them, @Nonamepublic. I’d go with convenience, personally.

Both pres and Christian’s are excellent but what stands out for pres they said at an opening night while good grades are great they want to teach them good morals. Most kids from Glasheen get into Pres. I would choose Pres over any of the other two.

I think both are very similar, they have far more things in common than they have differences. My direct experience is with PBC and while it didn’t suit my eldest at all they did their best with and for him and when he moved they were very helpful with the transition and any teachers who had him still ask about him in a very caring way with genuine interest. My youngest is not a rugby player but did play in first year and it is a very good fit for him, the transition from an ET primary into an all boys environment wasn’t the easiest but they were very helpful and proactive with any issues and all were easily resolved. I do think they really have great pastoral care for first years in particular. My experience of CBC is through my two brothers which was many years ago now.

Sure, I go with one convinience for me and the kids.

Hello, can anyone recommend between Glasheen Girls School, St. Catherine’s N.S. and Gaelscoil Ui Riada for the best school pre MMC? I know St. Catherine’s has auto entry to MMC, but that aside would you have advice? Thanks

I know a lovely young lady who went to St Catherine's. But as traffic can be dreadful, especially on a wet day, the closest to home would be sensible!

All my kids went to GSUR and it is a really great school and to me the Irish is an added benefit plus it being mixed. I would 100% recommend it, if you can get in!

Hi, Does anyone know are there feeders for either PBC or CBC please?
From Dublin so no idea. I found it odd that none of the primary schools apart from Scoil Mhuire had primarys attached.

PBC had a primary aeons ago, but it shut. I don’t even know what decade.

I don’t think it has ‘feeders’ as such, but a lot of boys from St Joseph’s (almost next door) and St Anthony’s in Ballinlough go on there. My son didn’t go to either of those, though.

CBC has a primary and St Joseph’s is a feeder for PBC - I think you have to be in school there by fourth class to qualify though.

Pbc primary shut in the 1980’s, the last class to go through there ended up moving into the secondary building to finish their primary years out. As far as I remember the last class there would have been born in about 1979. There was also a lot of boys who used to go to St Catherine’s up to the end of first class and then move to either St Joseph’s or PBC primary until 6th class after their first communion. The primary was where the granary theatre is now.

Yes, I knew that’s where it was, but not when it closed. I used to teach in some of those rooms when I worked at UCC. People used to swear one was haunted.

Thank you!