Choosing a post-primary school

Children usually start post-primary school when they are 12 or 13 years of age.

Post-primary schools (also called secondary schools) in the Free Education Scheme are funded by the State. These schools are free (do not have fees). Most children in Ireland go to these schools.

Fee-paying schools in Ireland (also called private schools) are independently operated primary or secondary schools that charge fees.

When choosing a school for your child, you need to know:

• Is it a fee-paying school (private) or free?
• Is it single-sex or co-educational?
• What is its religious ethos — religious, multi-denominational, non-denominational, or inter-denominational?
• Is the primary language of instruction English or Irish?
• What extracurricular activities are available, such as sports, music, or the arts?

Religious denominational schools generally focus on one faith, such as Roman Catholic or Protestant.

Multi-denominational schools teach children about different religious views and belief systems equally.

Inter-denominational schools have a combined Catholic and Protestant ethos.

Read more about choosing a post-primary school for your child.

There are 3 types of post-primary or secondary schools:

• Voluntary secondary schools
• Community colleges
• Community schools

Each school type has a different ownership and management. School management boards must include parents and teacher representatives. In the past, the type of school usually determined whether the school focus was on academic or vocational achievements.

Schools must deliver the curriculum set by the Minister for Education and Youth. Every school must have a fair policy for handling admissions and make this information available to parents.

Voluntary secondary schools

Voluntary secondary schools are privately owned and managed post-primary schools, usually under the patronage of a religious community, a charitable trust or a private charitable company.

The national representative body for the boards of management of voluntary secondary schools is the Joint Managerial Body.

Community colleges

Community colleges are established by the local Education and Training Board (ETB). The ETB is the patron of the school.

The national representative body for the ETBs is the Education and Training Boards Ireland.

Community schools

Community schools are established either by one or more private or religious patrons coming together with an ETB patron or as the result of the joining together[MF1] of voluntary secondary and ETB schools.

The representative body for the schools is the Association of Community and Comprehensive Schools.

Gaelcholáiste

Gaelcholáiste are secondary schools that teach through Irish. Gaelcholaiste are state funded. They sometimes have the word Gaelcholáiste in their name.

Non-fee-paying schools

Most post-primary schools in Ireland do not charge fees.

Non-fee-paying voluntary secondary schools, community colleges and community schools are all funded by the Department of Education and Youth. They get grants from the Department to help with their running costs.

The grants are based on the number of pupils attending the school. If the school is rated as disadvantaged, it gets an additional grant per pupil.

Additional school costs

There may still be other costs if your child attends a non-fee-paying school, such as school uniforms and examination fees.

However, since September 2024, schools in the Free Education Scheme provide free schoolbooks and core classroom resources to all Junior Cycle students. From September 2025, this will be extended to cover all Transition Year and Senior Cycle students in schools in the Free Education Scheme.

Find out more about getting financial help with going to school.

Fee-paying schools

Fee-paying schools (sometimes called private schools) do not get any State grants towards their running costs. However, the State pays the salaries of all teachers working in recognised voluntary schools. Fees are set each year by the school.

To find a school in your area you can use the Department of Education and Youth’s Find a School tool . You can search the school list by ethos, gender and language of instruction (English or Irish).

You can find out more about a school from:

• The school website
• School inspection reports
• Visiting the school (it may have an open day or parents' evening)

To apply to a school, contact the post-primary school of your choice.

All schools must have an admissions policy and admissions notice.

The admissions policy describes the rules the school follows for selecting students, how they make their decisions and what happens if the school is over-subscribed.

The admissions notice tells you:

• The date when you can apply
• The deadline for applications
• The date when you get the decision on your application
• The date by which you must accept a place

Schools and discrimination

Schools cannot discriminate if your child has a disability, is of a different race or is a member of the Traveller community. Schools cannot discriminate because of a child’s family status, sexual orientation, marital status, gender or religion.

However, in some circumstances, a school can prioritise a student of a minority religion who wants a school providing religious instruction similar to their religion or belief.

You can read more about admissions policies in schools.

From 1 October 2025 to 22 October 2025, parents in 5 towns across Ireland can apply online for their child’s first-year post-primary school place. This includes applying for a place in a special class.

It is for students starting post-primary school in 2026-2027 only.

How does it differ from the current system?

Parents or guardians complete just one application form to apply to multiple schools, rather than applying to each school individually.

All schools taking part in the pilot:

• Have the same opening and closing dates for applications
• Offer students their school places on the same day
• Can see if a student has already accepted a place in another school

If a student is offered a place by two different schools in Round 1, they must choose their preferred school. The school that isn’t chosen can then offer another student the place during Round 2 offers.

Read more about the Apply to School pilot, including which documents you’ll need to apply on Gov.ie. You can also contact the Department of Education and Youth for help with your application.

Find a school is a map-based application that allows you to find schools in an area and see information about the school(s), including school inspection reports.

You can read about starting post-primary school and the steps to enrol your child in secondary school.