St Andrews College or St Kilian’s for junior school

[Dublinormovinghome]

We have been offered spaces at St Andrews College and St Kilian’s for our two children who are junior school aged. We are English and currently living in a German speaking country so the idea of continuing their education in German is really appealing. However we also love the look of St Andrews and for them to be part of a bigger school community (for us getting to know people too).

Can anyone help?! We would love to hear from anyone who has any experience at all of the schools! I think we’re in a great position because we do really like the look of both schools and feel very lucky that both kids have been offered places at the same schools. It’s just a big move for us and we’ve not got long to make the decision!

Bumping for you. I left Ireland more than 20 years ago so no recent first hand experience of the educational system. From what I’ve observed with nieces and nephews is that they progressed from the junior to senior school - and that’s what many do which means that there can be limited opportunity to join popular independent secondaries from a different primary school. Obviously dependent on how long you’ll be there.

Southside morning traffic is horrific. I'd base the decision as much on how you get there. If you can walk to either, pick that. Really looking into the drive to both schools if you can't walk. Roughly where will you be living?

This. Choose on proximity and/or mode of transport. Friends’ son had a good experience at St K’s but only arrived for secondary, but they chose it mostly because he could cycle there.

Thank you so much. We will choose where we live based on which school we choose hopefully. Totally agree with what you’ve all said about living close to the school. Finding it a hard decision to make!

They are very different. What are your children like? Are they confident, academic and sporty? Then I'd go with Andrew's. More introverted and arty, id probably choose Killians, all the children I know who went there were more on the quirky side. Any quirky children I know that went to Andrews eventually moved to other schools.

Killians is definitely more low key, it's a nice area but not so flashy. Trickier to get to by public transport, not an issue now, but secondary age dc love the independence of getting to/from school themselves.

So much depends on the child. Andrews is bigger, more academic, pushier and more pressurised. It's a big campus with good facilities. Lots of ex Pat families. Very South County Dublin (code for snobby!). Finding somewhere to live in the area will be tricky but it's on the train line so that gives you options, pupils come from either end of the DART (train) line.

Good luck with your move!