The information published in today’s Irish Times feeder school lists is one factor that some parents might consider when choosing a school for their child.
But it is not the most important factor. Whether your local school sends 40 per cent or 100 per cent of its cohort on to third-level is a limited metric.
The schools with top progression rates are not necessarily “better” in any meaningful sense of the word; indeed, they may sometimes be less creative and less inclusive.
A particular peculiarity of these lists is that they tend, by and large, to be much more relevant in urban and suburban areas. In large parts of Ireland, every child goes to the local or nearby school. There’s no conversation or debate about the merits of single-sex or mixed schools because, especially in more rural areas, the local community school is the only game in town.
So, by all means, check out the progression rates for schools in your catchment area, and beyond. But, please, bear in mind that many other metrics are more important. Whether parents/guardians are weighing up school choice or whether that decision is already made, it is worthwhile asking some of the following questions, so that both parents and students go into second-level with their eyes wide open. We’ve put together the main factors to consider and the questions that parents should ask both the school and, where possible, the local grapevine (bearing in mind that newcomer communities may not have access to the same network of local knowledge):
- Extracurricular options: Not all children are particularly academic, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t as intelligent as their peers. Data shows that around one-quarter of young people, irrespective of their socio-economic background, don’t thrive in a school system geared towards maximising CAO points. But extracurricular opportunities make school more enjoyable for most young people, and also help to create more-rounded citizens with the type of skill set that they need to excel in life and their careers.
Questions to ask the school and grapevine: What sports do you have? Are there any charities that your students can volunteer with? What projects (eg Young Social Entrepreneurs, BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, Model United Nations) can they get involved with? Are there other social clubs, such as chess, drama, debating, that they can join?
- School leadership: In the Irish school system, the school principal wields tremendous power. The board of management, except where there is clear incompetence or wrongdoing, will generally support the principal. The principal sets the tone for the whole school so it’s really worth asking on the grapevine: what are they like?
Research from Maynooth University academics Dr Aedín Doris, Dr Olive Sweetman and the late professor Donal O’Neill (all of whom have kindly contributed to various education-focused articles over the years) has shown that, on average, schools with female principles tend to do better. Of course, it’s not a hard and fast rule, and many readers will baulk as they remember their excellent male principal or poor female principal, but it does seem to be one of the most consistent variables
Questions to ask the school and the local grapevine: Who is the principal? What are they like? Do they tend to support their teachers no matter what, or do they put the students first? Are they open and inclusive, or guarded and defensive?
- Pastoral support and inclusion: The recent focus on teen phone use and social media tends to obscure the reality that secondary school has always been a brutal place for many. No child has ever been immune from mental health challenges; we just have better terminology and understanding these days. It might be soaring in The Irish Times league tables, but that’s meaningless if there isn’t strong guidance counselling in place.
A school’s inclusiveness falls under this metric, and many parents/guardians will understand that a rounded education means their child has diversity in their school, whether that means different socio-economic backgrounds, different ethnicities, different abilities, or a culture that supports young LGBT+ people.
One thing that’s worth looking out for is whether the school offers the Leaving Cert Applied programme, which provides great opportunities for young people who may be less academically and more vocationally inclined.
Questions for the school and the local grapevine: What is your anti-bullying policy? Do you have children from different backgrounds here? What active measures do you take to support LGBT+ students, and are any LGBT students “out” in this school? What would you do if my child turns out to be LGBT?
How does the school actively uphold policies and procedures that support young people’s health and wellbeing?
How do you support students with additional needs, including dyslexia, autism, ADHD or an intellectual disability?
If it’s a fee-paying school, do you have a scholarship programme to admit young people from more disadvantaged backgrounds?
Dympna Devine, full professor of education at UCD, suggests: “If my child is struggling to make friends, how will you be minded to bring them on in their social development?”
- Student and parent voice: Teacher knows best is an outdated idea, but it still dominates in many schools. It’s worth looking out for schools that have more than a tokenistic student council and, instead, seek to meaningfully involve students in the day-to-day running of the school, as well as its strategic direction.
Many parents/guardians will decide what school their child heads to, but it would be really remiss not to talk to the young person about what they want from a secondary school, and why. Listen to them.
Parents and guardians, too, should be involved as members of the school community, rather than being treated as mere providers of “voluntary” contributions.
Questions to ask the school and on the local grapevine: How do you meaningfully involve students in school planning? Is there a mechanism to put their ideas and thoughts into policy and action? What about parents: how do you involve us?
- Academics: Teacher shortages have left some schools unable to offer the full range of subjects they would like to, but parents and guardians should talk to their child about what subjects they enjoy in primary school. If they love science, can the school offer all the science subjects? If they enjoy languages, does the school offer a good choice of language subjects?
Look out for the school’s teaching and learning approach. Pay particular attention to see if the school emphasises the word “learning” over the word “teaching” — if so, this is a good sign.
It’s fine to divide students into classes based on higher or ordinary level, but otherwise, streaming children by ability is very bad practice and can lead to serious and long-term self-esteem issues that affect their future.
There are not many schools left who engage in this discredited practice; if they do, their thinking is out of date, and it’s best if you can find another option.
Questions to ask the school and the local grapevine: What subjects do you offer? Do you stream students? What do you expect from your students? How do you promote going to college, apprenticeships, and Post Leaving Cert courses? What is your approach to teaching and learning?
Sources of information:
- Word of mouth: Ireland is small enough that the local grapevine wraps around entire communities. Join the local WhatsApp group (if that sounds hellish, get the information you want and then hit mute);
- Whole School Evaluations: These provide valuable information on the school’s leadership, management, subject provision, teaching and learning, quality of support for students and quality of school planning and self-evaluation. You will find them at Gov.ie/en/school-reports;
- Open Days: These can give you a sense of the school, and it’s good to follow your gut here.
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