How to choose a secondary school: a practical checklist
What to compare when choosing a secondary school in Ireland: distance, size, ethos, Irish, subjects, Transition Year, supports, costs, inspection reports, and what league tables really measure.
Updated 16 October 2026
Your child will spend six years at this school, so it's worth a proper look. Start with the facts, then visit, then talk it through with your child. Their view matters more at 12 than it did at 4.
The practical things
- Distance and transport. A long journey adds up over six years. Check bus routes and whether your child qualifies for school transport. See the schools closest to you.
- Your chances of a place. Read the admission policy. If the school is often full, see whether you meet its priority criteria. How admissions work.
- Size. Larger schools can usually offer more subjects and activities. Smaller schools can feel more personal. Ask how many first-year classes there are.
The things that shape the school
- Single-sex or mixed. Most secondary schools are mixed. In 2025/26, 112 schools were for girls and 95 for boys. See girls' schools and boys' schools.
- Type, ethos and patron. Voluntary secondary schools, ETB colleges, community schools and comprehensive schools are run differently. The types of school explained.
- Irish-medium. Gaelcholáistí teach every subject through Irish. What to know about Gaelcholáistí.
- DEIS. DEIS schools get extra supports because of the community they serve. It isn't a measure of quality, good or bad. What DEIS means.
Subjects and levels
Not every school offers the same subjects. If your child loves a particular language, music, art or a practical subject like engineering or construction, check it's on the timetable and available at higher level. Ask how subject choices work in first year and again for the Leaving Cert.
Transition Year
Transition Year (TY) is an optional year between the Junior Cycle and the Leaving Cert. About two in three students take it. Some schools make it compulsory, some let students choose, and some don't offer it. Ask what the school does and what TY costs.
Supports for additional needs
Ask how the school supports students who need extra help with learning, and whether it has a special class. Ask how it helps students settle into first year, and how it handles bullying.
Costs
Most secondary schools are free, but there are still costs: the voluntary contribution, devices, uniforms, trips and exam fees. Fee-paying schools charge fees on top. School costs and supports and fee-paying or free.
Read the inspection reports
The Department's Inspectorate publishes reports on schools, covering teaching, learning, leadership and how students are supported. They're written in plain language. Search school inspection reports on gov.ie.
What league tables do and don't tell you
Each year newspapers publish feeder tables showing how many students from each school go on to college. They're easy to read, but they measure less than they seem to:
- They compare the number of first-year college places taken by a school's past students against the number of students who sat the Leaving Cert that year.
- The college count includes students from earlier years, including repeat students and those who went to college after a PLC course.
- Students who go to college in the UK, Northern Ireland or Europe aren't counted.
- Students who didn't apply to the CAO, including Leaving Cert Applied students, still count in the total.
- The figures mostly reflect students' family and community backgrounds, not what the school added.
A high figure doesn't make a school right for your child, and a lower one can hide a school doing excellent work.
Put your shortlist side by side: compare up to three schools, then check open night dates.
Sources
- National Parents Council: Overview of post-primary education
- Eurydice: Organisation of lower secondary education in Ireland
- gov.ie: School inspection reports
- The Irish Times: Making sense of school progression charts (January 2026)
- gov.ie: Post-primary schools 2025/26 data
Rules and rates change. Check the official source before you rely on a detail, and tell us at [email protected] if something's out of date.