> What St Brendan's, Loughshinny is like day to day: one class for each year, the school day, uniform, extra support and how to visit before you apply. # Thinking of joining us? The questions parents usually ask us, answered in one place, so you have them before you pick up the phone. Open days ## Come and see us at work The best way to know if St Brendan's is right for your child is to walk around it on an ordinary school morning. On a tour we walk you through the school and grounds while classes are going on. You will meet the principal and the infant teachers, along with our special needs assistants, our special education teachers and the school secretary. Bring your child and your questions. Nothing has to be filled in or decided on the day. [Let us know you're coming](mailto:secretary@loughshinnyns.ie?subject=Open%20day%20visit&body=Hello%2C%0A%0AWe%20would%20like%20to%20come%20to%20the%20open%20day%20on%20%5Bdate%5D.%0A%0AMy%20name%3A%20%0AMy%20child%27s%20year%20of%20birth%3A%20%0AMy%20phone%3A%20%0A%0AThank%20you.) [Ring 01 849 0394](tel:+353018490394) Just turning up is fine too. Letting us know helps us have someone free to show you around. ### Next open days {{OPEN_DAYS_CARDS}} Everyone is welcome, whether your child is starting next September or in a few years' time. ## What being small means for your child St Brendan's has one class for each year, from Junior Infants right through to Sixth. Every teacher in the building will know your child by name and nobody gets lost in a big year group. It is often the first thing families notice when they walk in. The beach is three minutes from the gate, so we plan Science Week around low tide. Our choir sings at the Blessing of the Boats and Fifth Class study the folded cliffs that geologists travel from abroad to see. We are a co-educational Catholic primary school under the patronage of the Archbishop of Dublin. While maintaining a Catholic ethos we recognise and welcome children of all cultures, beliefs and languages and we welcome children of differing abilities and needs, accommodating them as resources allow. We are about seven minutes from Skerries and ten from Rush. Plenty of our families drive in from both. A week in the life ## What a week here feels like No two weeks are quite the same, but here is a taste of a typical one at St Brendan’s. Monday ### Boots on From October the junior and senior teams train on Monday afternoons at the local pitch, with Gaelic football coaching from St Maur's GAA. Everyone gets a go. Tuesday ### Lessons outside When the weather is kind, lessons move out to our new outdoor classroom. It might be a story under the sky, maths with things the children can pick up or a visit to the pond. Wednesday ### Down to the shore The shore is one of our favourite places to learn. Rock pools, shells and the cliffs all find their way into lessons. Wednesday is also Welly Walk day, when every Sixth Class pupil heads out with their own Junior or Senior Infant buddy. Thursday ### Making and music Thursday morning starts with choir practice for the next festival or regatta. Later it is Art and Doodle Club with Ms Rooney, which usually means paint and glue everywhere. Friday ### Assembly and friends Every Friday the whole school gathers for assembly, where Sixth Class share the latest episode of Brendan’s Buzz, our school podcast. Then home for the weekend with a story to tell. ### And every day 1. **8.50am** Doors open, with a hello from someone who knows your name. 2. **9.00am** Class begins. 3. **10.50am** First break, out in the air. 4. **12.15pm** Lunch, eaten together and supervised by teachers, then play. 5. **1.30pm** Junior and Senior Infants head home. 6. **2.30pm** First to Sixth Class finish. 7. **6.30pm** From September 2027, after-school care with BrightPath Academy runs until 6.30pm, with food. Room to grow ## The sea is our other classroom Children here have room to run, to dig, to look closely at a beetle or to sit quietly under a tree. With big grounds and the sea at the end of the road, outdoor play is part of how we learn and how we look after each other. ### Our outdoor classroom New this year, with room for a whole class to learn outside. ### The beach Three minutes from the gate, with rock pools and shells for science lessons. ### Space Big grounds for a small school, with room for every child to run about. ### The pond A small wild corner of the grounds. The children love to look in and see who has moved in. ### Our grounds Award-winning gardens, cared for over many years by our late caretaker Packie Markey and still a joy to play in. ### Wellies welcome Muddy knees mean a good day. Pack a spare pair of socks. ### Wellbeing first Fresh air and a run around do wonders for busy minds. ### Learning that sticks A shell in your hand teaches more than a picture on a page. ### Growing together Older children look out for younger ones. Classes pair up for paired reading through the year and every Sixth Class pupil has a Junior or Senior Infant buddy for our Wednesday Welly Walks. [Book a visit and see it for yourself](#open-days) In Maths Week and Science Week, older and younger classes team up so the big ones can show off their experiments and games to the small ones and everyone learns something. ## If your child needs a little more support Every child learns in their own way. In a small school we have the time to find out what suits each one. We have 174 pupils, with four special education teachers and five special needs assistants. They work with children right across the school. With one class in each year, they know every child they support and every class teacher well, so nothing gets lost from one year to the next. We welcome children of differing abilities and needs and we accommodate them as our resources allow. Our support team keeps in close contact with the local secondary schools, so children are well prepared when the time comes to move on. If you would like to know how we would look after your child, come in and meet the people who would be doing it. A cup of tea and a chat is a good place to start. [How we support every child](/inclusion/) [Ring us on 01 849 0394](tel:+353018490394) [Meet our staff](/staff/) ## Questions parents often ask The practical answers, all in one place. ### How big is the school? We have one class in each year from Junior Infants to Sixth Class, with boys and girls together. We are one of the few small rural schools left in North County Dublin. ### What are the hours? Doors open at 8.50am and class begins at 9.00am. Junior and Senior Infants finish at 1.30pm. First to Sixth Class finish at 2.30pm. ### What about lunch? Break is 10.50 to 11.00am and lunch is 12.15 to 12.45pm, supervised by teachers. Hot lunches, with a hot and a cold option, are rolling out in the coming weeks. Until then, children bring their own lunch. ### Is there a uniform? Children can wear either the school uniform or the school tracksuit, whichever suits. Both are available from Philanns (Whizz Kids), 1 Strand Street, Skerries, phone [01 849 1276](tel:+35318491276). ### Where do I park? There is parking in the village. Please observe the no parking lines and please do not park opposite the school gates or in either of the staff car parks. ### How will I hear from the school? We use Aladdin Connect for messages, absences and payments, so it is all in one app on your phone. Parent and teacher meetings are held annually and you can make an appointment with a class teacher at any time. ### What if my child needs extra support? We welcome children of differing abilities and needs and we accommodate them as our resources allow. Our support team also keeps in close contact with the secondary schools for when the time comes to move on. You are very welcome to come in and meet them before you decide anything at all. [Read how we support every child](/inclusion/). ### Where exactly are you? Loughshinny village, Skerries, Co. Dublin, Eircode K34 T853. Signposted off the Skerries road. Our Department of Education roll number is 16844S. ### Is there after-school care? Yes, from September 2027. BrightPath Academy will run after-school care here at the school from 1.30 to 6.30pm, with food, so your child can stay somewhere familiar until the end of the working day. It is run independently of the school and you book directly with BrightPath. [Register your interest](https://brightpathacademy.ie/contact). This year, Ms Sheehan is running a pilot after-school club at the school; email [roisin.sheehan@loughshinnyns.ie](mailto:roisin.sheehan@loughshinnyns.ie) for prices. ### Is there a breakfast club? Yes, from January 2027. Breakfast club starts after Christmas with Mr McAuley, from 8am. Email [ross.mcauley@loughshinnyns.ie](mailto:ross.mcauley@loughshinnyns.ie?subject=Breakfast%20club) to ask about a place. ## Clubs and activities [All clubs and activities](/clubs/) For a school this size there is a great deal going on, most of it run by our own staff and by parents from the village. - Gaelic football - Soccer - Swimming - Run 4 Fun Club - Playball - Athletics - Choir - Rockshinny - Ukulele - Art and Doodle Club - Buddy Club - Gardening Club - Book Club - Brendan’s Buzz podcast - Chess - Yoga Swimming and yoga are subsidised by our Parents' Association. Gaelic coaching comes from St Maur's GAA, while Playball and soccer coaching are on offer from outside companies. ## Getting to know us before you start Most families have been through our door a good few times before their child's first morning in Junior Infants. ### Open days Come and walk around while the school is working, with children in the classrooms and the yard in use. It tells you far more than an empty building on a Saturday ever could. Bring your child and bring your questions. [See the next open day dates](#open-days) at the top of this page. ### School fundraisers Fundraisers run through the year, along with the social events the Parents' Association puts on. They are open to anyone in the village, including families whose children have not started yet. It is an easy way to meet the parents your child will grow up alongside. ### Transition into school and on to secondary We take great care over the big moves. We work with the local preschools so that starting Junior Infants feels like a small step. Plenty of our Junior Infants walk in on the first day already knowing the building, the yard and a few faces. At the other end, our Sixth Class teacher and support team work closely with parents and with the secondary schools nearby, including St Joseph’s in Rush, Skerries Community College and Loreto in Balbriggan. Children move on knowing what to expect. ### A school in the middle of a village Our old school building is now the village Community Centre and our choir sings at the Blessing of the Boats. Coaching from St Maur's GAA and support from Loughshinny United mean the children get to know the clubs they may end up playing for. It is hard to say where the school ends and the village begins. ## Come and see us Twenty minutes walking around will tell you more than anything on this website. You are welcome to visit long before you need to decide anything. Ring the office and we will find a time that suits you. We will show you the classrooms, introduce you to the teachers and walk you round the grounds. Bring your child along so they can see the yard, the outdoor classroom and the pond. A visit does not commit you to anything. [Ring us on 01 849 0394](tel:+353018490394) [Email the office](mailto:secretary@loughshinnyns.ie) The office is open 8.30am to 2.45pm during term. Ask for Kathy Lundy, our Principal. ## When you are ready to apply Applications for Junior Infants are made online through Aladdin and open on Wednesday 6 January 2027. The Annual Admissions Notice and the Admissions Policy are published here in full, so you can read them before you apply. [Apply online through Aladdin](https://www.aladdin.ie/i/4790075022901248) [Enrolment and admissions](/enrolment/) Applications open on Wednesday 6 January 2027. If you would rather fill in a paper form, you can [download the Application Form for Admission (PDF)](/documents/application-form-for-admission-2027.pdf). The Annual Admissions Notice and Admissions Policy are on the Enrolment page. ## Have a look around first