Dublin - private school suggestions?

[MrsAmelia]

Dear All,
We are looking into a move to Dublin for July 2027. We have 3 children (10/8/5 years old, 2 girls & 1 boy) and we will be coming from Rome, Italy (attending a British school). Our children have grown up between London and Rome so we are trying to find a school that offers a lovely feel of community and offers great sports (girls & boys football) and music (vocal programmes).

I am doing as much research as I can online to narrow down the spreadsheet but any insight from locals would be incredibly appreciated. I need to book school visits for this March so trying to create the final list.

I know St Andrew's College professionally, and have heard that Belvedere College is a solid for boys. Any co-ed schools that are top notch academics, but without the "hot house" pressure academically? Really good all-girls?

Thank you very much in advance 🙏

Where will you be living? Castle Park School in Dalkey has a great reputation and a very international feel.

Boys private schools tend to be a bit obsessed by rugby. (More than a bit). Any idea where you will live as traffic is difficult. Are you Catholic?

Thank you for the suggestion. We are considering schools first, then location. If we have to look at two different schools (we have 2 daughters and a son) we would try to find somewhere between the two? I honestly have no clue as we've just been trying to focus on school search first. I like Blackrock a lot. We have 2 big dogs who will be coming with us so we need to be close to big parks for long walks with them. :)

Thank you for your response. All three of our children are football obsessed. They all play for their own age categories in a Series A Club in Rome. We are hoping we can find good clubs for them in Dublin too. We aren't expecting the schools to offer as it seems so many are rugby focused (which makes sense given how strong Ireland as a Nation is in the rugby world). My husband is Catholic while I am Protestant and the children are all baptised Protestant (Church of England). We aren't regularly attending church here in Italy, while in London we did weekly.

Blackrock College? Rathdown?

In Ireland children don’t start secondary school until 12/13 so you would be looking at primary schools.
Very few schools in Dublin have both junior and senior and are coed.
St Andrews on the south side and Sutton Park on the north side are two I can think of.
There is also a new international school Nord Anglia.

How long do you intend to stay in Dublin?

There are fewer private schools in Ireland than in the UK. Would you think of a state funded school, many are really excellent?

You could look at Wesley College (mixed, Methodist, somewhat more diverse as it has boarding too), but to be honest, there are loads of great state schools too so I wouldn't rule that out.

Adding that the demand for private schools massively exceed the supply so absolutely zero guarantee you'll even get a spot.

There are very few primary private schools in Ireland, if you have the money Nord Anglia could be an option? Depends how long you'll be here really. Its a international school so similar to what your kids are used too. And they won't have to learn Irish which is mandatory otherwise.
But if you are here for the duration, a state primary will be fine, expecially in south Dublin. You could look at private for secondary, but again it's really not necessary. Mount Anville is the top girlssecondary school, the private Loretos are all very good too. The High School is a coed option?

Irish schools base preformace off transition to 3rd level education, not exam results. Be careful with a smaller school though. 2 or 3 kids going to the UK for university aren't reflected in the statistics and can make a good school look bad.
Feeder schools table 2022: See how your local Dublin school fared and where everyone went to college - Dublin Live https://share.google/9UEJ2hul3BnL2y4x1

Edit as thats old data, but can't find a free version of this sorry.

Feeder Schools figures: How did your school and county perform? – The Irish Times share.google/oeLsOxV9XCUMs5wkp

I've just read that state schools in Dublin are really excellent. It was only a knee jerk reaction to overlook as state schools in London are so hit and miss and unless in a tight catchment circle of the proper excellent state schools, it's safer going private. Any recommendations on good state schools in the South of Dublin?

Thank you for such a thorough response! Super helpful too.

This is meant to be our last move. We are conscious of our eldest daughter's age and it's getting trickier too (exam prep, social well-being, etc).

I was trying to find info about feeder schools too. This is really helpful. Thank you. I need to subscribe to the Irish Times anyway so this will be useful to look up once I've done it.

I'd read about Mount Anville. I want to stay away from the international schools that are definitely more corporate and less about the real meaning behind international schools (Anglia is part of a bigger consortium, not the real deal). Now that I know Irish state schools, at least at primary level, are so good I need to look up catchments as well. My excel spreadsheet is growing ;)

I did read about the High School. I'll send off an email to them tonight too.

Thank you so much!!! Everyone on here has been so lovely to reply and give pointers and share insightful info and opinions.

I've just been reading about this (excellent state schools in Ireland)! It's a knee jerk reaction to look for independent/private when coming from London. Now I need to begin looking at catchment areas and therefore neighbourhoods to see what and where. Thank you ... I'm really appreciative.

A good friend of mine went to St Columba's as did her siblings. Initially as day pupils but then weekday boarders due to some health related family circumstances. All did very well and seem to love it, the eldest sends his own children there (the others don't have children)

Look at the Church of Ireland schools as your DC are baptised and you are Church going (when you can). They serve a small protestant community, and you'll get priority over all the RC kids which will help with admissions.

Post Primary Schools - The United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough (Church of Ireland) share.google/UMreIex3UmituN0WO

However, as our population is growing, there is a lot of competition for school places, state and private.

Is South Dublin absolutely essential...pressure on school places seems heaviest there. I have friends teaching in that area who seem to teach a lot of children of past pupils and children of rugby players.

Soccer clubs outside school might be the best way forward if your kids are in private schools as they seem heavily into rugby and hockey.
There are a couple of good Irish medium schools too...but that probably depends on your own children's ages starting learning Irish.

For music The High School are very good for instruments/orchestra. I don’t know about their choir/vocal programme.

Kings Hospital - coed, has decent sports.
Founded 1669, a CoI school distinguished by its inclusive ethos.
North side...

Wesley College, also coed.

Those are both secondary though.

St Kilian's German school has a primary wing. It's a German speaking school, but for primary, kids are not expected to have prior knowledge of German.

There isn't the same distinction between state and private schools in Ireland as in the UK. Don't narrow your choices unnecessarily..

Rathmichael school in Shankill is a CoI national school you might be interested in.

Hello,
We moved from London to Blackrock a couple of years ago and our children attended Booterstown National School (protestant school in Blackrock which is a feeder school for St Andrew's). My eldest child is at St Andrew's, my other DC is still in primary. St Andrew's also has a junior school (primary). I know many people with children in both and are really happy. They play football in the school but my DC are also members of Granada FC in Blackrock. My DH volunteers as a coach there which has been good for him to build community.

Alexandra College in Milltown is, or at least used to be, a good combination academic and sporty girls’ school and also has a junior school

Thank you for this but I have three children and for Sept 2027 my eldest daughter will be 12.5 so she should in theory be first year of secondary in the Irish system (UK Yd 8). She was born in Feb 2015. My other two will definitely be in primary (2017/ 2020).

I can't help on schools as not Dublin based but as an FYI you have a year to play with for your eldest - it is now a lot more common for February born children to start school at 5.5 so end up starting secondary at 13.5. I know a few Feb 2015 children who will start secondary in September 28.

Just to echo what @MintLionsaid. Your eldest doesn’t have to start secondary until September after she is 13. Children often turn 13 in sixth class in primary school. My own DD didn’t start primary until she was 5 years 6 months (March baby).