What to ask at a secondary school open night
The questions worth asking at a secondary school open night or open day, grouped by topic: admissions, Transition Year, subjects, supports, costs, phones, homework and activities.
Updated 16 October 2026
Open nights move fast. Pick the questions that matter most to your family, and bring your child: what they notice is often the most useful part.
Admissions
- Were you oversubscribed last year? Which criterion did the last place go on?
- Which primary schools do you treat as feeder schools, and do you have a catchment area?
- When do applications open and close this year?
Transition Year
- Is TY compulsory, optional, or not offered?
- What's in the programme: work experience, trips, mini-company, short courses?
- How much does TY cost?
Subjects and levels
- Which subjects do first years take, and when do they choose?
- Which languages are offered?
- Which Leaving Cert subjects are available, and at higher level?
- Are classes mixed ability or set by level?
Supports
- How do you help first years settle in? Is there a mentor or buddy system?
- What support is there for students with additional needs? Do you have a special class?
- How does guidance counselling work, and from which year?
- How do you deal with bullying?
Costs, devices and the voluntary contribution
- Is there a voluntary contribution, and how much? What does it pay for?
- Do students need their own laptop or tablet? Which model, and is there help with the cost?
- What are the other costs: uniform, lockers, insurance, trips, materials?
Phones
- What's your phone policy during the school day? Every secondary school must have a policy restricting phone use, but each school decides how.
Homework and study
- How much homework should a first year expect each night?
- Is there supervised study after school, and what does it cost?
- How do you report progress to parents?
Extra-curricular
- Which sports, music, drama, debating and clubs are on offer?
- Are activities at lunchtime or after school, and is there a cost?
Open nights during the teachers' work-to-rule
From 12 October 2026, TUI members have been directed not to attend open nights or other events counted as Croke Park hours, until further notice. A one-day strike on 14 October closed most schools; the strike planned for 21 October was deferred. Some open nights may be cancelled, moved or run differently. See strikes and work-to-rule for the latest. Check with each school before you travel.
Missing an open night won't affect your application. Schools can't make attending one a condition of a place.
See open night dates for schools near you, and read how to choose a secondary school.
Sources
- TUI: Industrial action and strike directive, October 2026
- gov.ie: Guidance on mobile phone use in schools
- Education Act 1998, section 62 (as revised): admission policy
- National Parents Council: Overview of post-primary education
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.