Schools
There are two Schools in the parish under Church of Ireland patronage.
We are delighted to have our own Parish School situated across the road from the church. The original school opened in 1823 in what the Parish Hall (Old Schools 1823) is now. It had closed down in the sixties due to dwindling numbers but was reopened in the late seventies when housing development began in the surrounding areas and a need for a primary school returned. The small school quickly outgrew its old building and after a tremendous fundraising drive by the Parish and school community, a beautiful new modern school was built on separate grounds on the opposite side of the road. Initially opening with 4 classrooms and a PE hall, Whitechurch NS has grown to encompass 8 mainstream classrooms, 4 Support Teaching rooms, a PE hall, a Library, offices, and an Outdoor Classroom. The school is fortunate to be situated amongst beautiful natural surroundings and the pupils benefit from wonderful facilities including an astro pitch, spacious playground areas, and a school garden with beds, a pond, and seating areas. The school’s ethos is Church of Ireland and the Patron is the Archbishop of Dublin and Glendalough. The school is coeducational, admitting both boys and girls and although the school allocates priority places for members of the protestant faith traditions, pupils of all religions and none are welcomed. Parents are actively involved in the life of the school with an active PTA Committee who organises fundraisers, social events, and extracurricular activities and supports the work of the school. The school is an inclusive, welcoming, vibrant, and happy place full of learning and fun with a dedicated and enthusiastic staff.
The Parish is proud to maintain a close working relationship with the school and indeed, it is seen as a crucial part of Whitechurch Parish. The rector is the Chairperson of the Board of Management which oversees the work of the school. The rector attends and takes part in weekly school assemblies. He also provides pastoral support and care to school families in times of need. The school and parish are closely linked and benefit greatly from this happy connection. One particular highlight of the Whitechurch Parish and School Calendar is the May Fete which is run jointly between school and parish. Other joint events have also taken place such as table quizzes and other social events.
If you would like to find out more information about Whitechurch National School or to enrol your child, please contact the school office at office@whitechurchns.biz or visit the school website at www.whitechurchns.biz
St. Columba’s College is a co-educational, Church of Ireland boarding school, perched on the edge of the Dublin Hills and overlooking the city of Dublin. We have a great sense of tradition, an enviable academic record and a commitment to a very full and varied extra- curricular programme, set in 140 acres of countryside.
With a total of 350 pupils, and with the majority of our academic staff living on the College site, we are a close-knit community, something which creates an intimate, caring atmosphere, where no pupils fall through the cracks. Our average class size is 15 pupils.
Pupils usually arrive in Form 1 (UK Year 8), but can come the following year. The Irish system means that pupils do the Junior Cycle exams at the end of the Form 3 (Year 10), before entering the Transition Year, an enriching year of academic work, infused with work experience, service projects and a variety of other imaginative additions, designed to broaden the education of our pupils, without the stress of public exams. In the last two years the Irish Leaving Certificate consists of seven subjects and is a much broader academic experience for the pupils than the A Level system. Maths, English and a Modern Language are compulsory, while there is a free choice for the other four subjects (Irish pupils have to study Irish too). Our leavers go in fairly equal numbers to Irish, UK or international universities.
Pupils achieve excellent results in the Leaving Certificate, but the College is at pains not to heap pressure on those taking public exams. We believe very strongly in a holistic education that puts value on all aspects of a child’s development: academic, physical, cultural, social and spiritual. Daily full school chapel is an important part of our tradition and is a wonderful start to the busy day. The Church of Ireland ethos is very broad and inclusive of those from other backgrounds.
The large majority of our pupils are boarders in one of our seven boarding houses and we are committed to full-time boarding. The majority of our boarders choose to remain in over the weekends. We also have two dedicated day pupil houses. Sport takes place for all every day, while we also have Saturday morning school and a busy Saturday evening programme.
Sunday is more relaxed and many pupils make use of our wonderful nine hole golf course. In 2022 we opened our Golf Academy, which is run by a PGA Professional, based in our indoor studio. The opportunity for pupils to develop their golf at St. Columba’s is second to none in Ireland.
If you are looking for an immersive school experience for your child, be it day or boarding, in a very safe and nurturing environment, please come and visit this very special place. We look forward very much to welcoming you.
Old Whitechurch National School 1823
