How to choose a primary school: what to look at and what to ask

A practical checklist for choosing a primary school in Ireland: the facts to compare, where to find inspection reports, and the questions worth asking at an open day.

Updated 5 October 2026

Most families end up choosing between two or three schools. Here's how to narrow the list and what to ask once you have it.

Start with the practical things

Distance and the school run. Walking distance matters more in junior infants than it seems. See the schools closest to you.
Whether you're likely to get a place. Read each school's admission policy. If a school is often full, it will say how it decides between children, for example brothers and sisters first.
Size. A big school can offer more classes and activities; a small one may have multi-grade classes, where two or more year groups share a teacher.

Then the things that shape the school

Ethos. Most schools have a Catholic ethos; others are Church of Ireland, multi-denominational or another faith. How ethos affects the school day.
Language. Gaelscoileanna teach everything through Irish, and you don't need Irish at home. How Irish-medium schools work.
Boys, girls or both. Most schools are mixed, but some take only boys or only girls, or change at a certain class.
DEIS. DEIS schools get extra supports. It reflects the community a school serves, not its quality. What DEIS means.

You can compare up to three schools side by side on all of these.

Read the inspection reports

The Department of Education's Inspectorate visits schools and publishes its reports. They cover teaching and learning, how the school is run and how it supports pupils, and they're written in plain language. Reports are published on gov.ie and many schools link to theirs from their own website.

Questions to ask at an open day or visit

How big are the junior infant classes, and are any classes multi-grade?
How do you help children settle in during the first weeks?
What support is there for children who need extra help with learning, or who are ahead?
Is there an after-school or homework club, and what does it cost?
What's the school's approach to homework, screens and phones?
What happens at lunch and break times, and is there a hot meals scheme?
What activities are on offer: sport, music, drama, languages?
How do teachers keep in touch with parents?
Is there a voluntary contribution, and what other costs should we expect?
How active is the parents' association, and how can parents get involved?

Trust what you see

Notice how children and staff speak to each other, how the corridors and yard feel, and what's on the walls. Talk to parents at the school gate if you can. Then check the dates: when your child could start and when each school opens applications.

Sources

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.