Childcare and School

Kilkenny Parent Hub

A number of resources are available to parents who have recently arrived in Ireland.

Kilkenny Parent Hub is an online and interactive information hub for families living in County Kilkenny. It provides information on the services and programmes available in your local area.

Please visit the Kilkenny parent hub website for more information: https://kilkennyparenthub.ie/

Guide for parents who are newly arrived in Ireland

Tusla have recently developed a guide to support parents who are newly arrived to Ireland:

https://www.tusla.ie/uploads/content/Tusla_-_Short_guide_for_parents_who_are_newly_arrived_in_Ireland_1.pdf

Childcare

There are number of childcare available in Kilkenny. The most common providers of childcare are childminders and crèches.

A Childminder, is a self-employed person that takes care of pre-school children often including the childminder’s own children, in the childminder’s home. A childminder can provide for a maximum of 5 children at any one time, including their own children under the age of 6 or not yet in primary school. They offer a flexible service, tailored to each child, thereby helping parents and guardians to balance their work and family commitments. 

Creches are usually larger centres with many employees which provide supervised play along with structured nap and meal times.

Childcare services are not free but you may qualify for a subsidy under the National Childcare Scheme. There are two types of subsidies available under the National Childcare Scheme: Universal Subsidies are available to all families with children between 24 weeks and 15 years of age. This subsidy is not means tested and provides a set amount towards the cost of a registered childcare place for a maximum of 45 hours per week. Income Assessed Subsidies are available to families with children aged between 24 weeks and 15 years. This subsidy is means tested and will be calculated based on your individual circumstances. Your rate will vary depending on your level of family income, your child’s age and educational stage, and the number of children in your family. To find out more about NCS please visit: https://www.ncs.gov.ie/en/

You can search for Childcare Service or Childminder in your area on the Kilkenny Childcare Committee website. You can also check which types of childcare are provided and if a service offers one or more of the government childcare schemes: https://www.kkccc.ie/parents/choosing-childcare/

Pre-school (Early Years Education)

Children can attend free pre-school (known as the ECCE programme) for up to 2 years before starting primary school. The ECCE programme offers 3 hours only per day, 5 days per week and runs from September to June: https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/education/pre-school-education-and-childcare/early-childhood-care-and-education-scheme/ If your child attends for more than 3 hours, you will be charged for the extra time. You may get financial support from the NCS (mentioned above on this page) towards the cost of childcare for the hours spent outside of pre-school (https://www.ncs.gov.ie/en/).

The Irish Government prepared Information for parents of children aged 2-5 years on the early childhood care and education (ECCE) and primary school systems in Ireland: https://www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/285400/3570c5a8-204e-4e40-9d85-25a19165305d.pdf#page=null

To check eligibility you can use the ECCE calculator provided by Kilkenny County Childcare Committee - they can also assist in identifying vacant places - scroll down to the bottom of the page when you click the following link: https://www.kkccc.ie/parents/childcare-funding-programmes-2/

See ' A Parent's Guide to the National Childcare Funding Programmes' here: https://www.kkccc.ie/resources/parents-resources/

Kilkenny County Childcare Committee:

Phone: 056 77 52865

Email: mail@kkccc.ie

Website: https://www.kkccc.ie/

Address: Kilkenny Education Centre Campus, Seville Lodge, Callan Road, Kilkenny, R95 X2T2

Opening Hours: Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm (closed for lunch 1-2 pm)

School

All children between the ages of 6 and 16 must attend school.

A Tusla Education Support Service representative can work with centre management and families, supporting school enrolment for International Protection applicants. To secure a school place contact the EWO if you are an International Protection Applicant (https://www.tusla.ie/get-in-touch/education-and-welfare/#EWO) and Realt Coordinator if you are a BOTP (https://www.etbi.ie/regional-education-and-language-teams-for-ukraine/). You can also approach any local primary or post-primary school and seek information about a place for your child or children. If the school has a place for your child, they will provide you with more information on how to enrol in that school. 

To find a list of primary schools in County Kilkenny see: https://schooldays.ie/all-schools-in-ireland/?ucterms=category:kilkenny.primary.*

To find a list of secondary schools in County Kilkenny see: https://schooldays.ie/all-schools-in-ireland/?ucterms=category:kilkenny.secondary-schools.*

Primary School (Age 4/5 - 11/12)

All children are entitled to free primary education. Your child must be at least 4 years of age at the start of the school year (some schools may insist child must have turned 4 by a certain date in the summer) to enrol in primary school, however most children in Ireland are age 5 when they start school. Primary education lasts for 8 years. The classes are junior infants, senior infants, and first to sixth classes. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment have created many resources around how you can support your child from Junior Infants to Sixth Class in the various subjects: https://ncca.ie/en/primary/resources-for-parents/

Secondary School (Age 12-18)

The Irish Secondary School system is divided into two cycles with an optional Transition Year in the middle:

  • Junior Cycle which lasts for 3 years (for students from age 12). Junior Cycle is not specialised and finishes with a State Examination called the Junior Certificate.
  • Transition Year - After completing Junior Cycle, most students in Ireland choose to do the optional Transition Year (TY) programme. It is a combination of academic, vocational and personal/social development. Transition Year is designed to give students, usually aged 15-16 years the tools necessary to make informed choices about the subjects they will choose to study for Senior Cycle
  • Senior Cycle which lasts for a further 2 years (for students from age 15/16 on) - finishes with State Examinations called the Leaving Certificate. This examination is both, an exit exam from school and a university entrance exam.

A guide for parents on the school system in Ireland can be found here: https://www.pdst.ie/cultural-and-linguistic-supports

Schoolbooks

Free School books are available for all Primary Schools students and Post-Primary students at Junior Cycle. Parents are no longer required to make any contribution towards the cost of schoolbooks, including the cost of any workbooks and copybooks. Schools will communicate with parents in relation to the scope of the scheme in their school and will purchase all the books for pupils.

Uniforms

Children are expected to wear uniforms when attending most schools in Ireland. You should first ask the school about uniforms. You can buy uniforms in the below locations in Kilkenny:

  • Uniform World, Newpark Shopping Centre, Kilkenny
  • Pauls, High Street, Kilkenny

If you need financial help with purchasing uniforms and other school suppliers please read “Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance” in State support section.

School Transport

The School Transport Scheme provides transport to and from school for children who live a certain distance from their nearest school. The scheme is operated by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. Applications for Primary or Post Primary School Transport Schemes must be made online at Bus Eireann's website (https://www.buseireann.ie/apply-pay-for-school-transport). The closing date for applications is the last Friday in April for the forthcoming School Year. Please note that only new pupils need apply, for example pupils starting Primary school or moving to Post Primary School, or those who are changing home address or school.

Ukrainian children attending primary or post-primary schools may apply for school transport. The application process for school transport will vary, depending on the living arrangements of the Ukrainian children. To read more please visit: https://www.etbi.ie/regional-education-and-language-teams-for-ukraine/

Ukrainian Education Online

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science (Ukraine), have prepared a brochure on the organisation of education for children who are temporarily staying with their families abroad and wish to continue their Ukrainian education. Taking into account the fact that in many European countries getting an education at local educational institutions is mandatory, Ukraine offers its citizens various forms of education according to the national program. The educational process can be organised at a convenient time for the student remotely, simultaneously obtaining an education in the host country. The brochure contains information about educational opportunities for Ukrainian students and teachers abroad: https://www.limerick.ie/sites/default/files/media/documents/2023-06/Infographic-on-How-to-get-a-Ukrainian-Education-while-temporarily-abroad.pdf

Parent and Family Supports

In Ireland, families are supported by a network of public community-based organisations, including Family Resource Centres. For more information, see: https://www.familyresource.ie/

Depending on your location in Kilkenny, you may visit one of the following centres for parent and family support:

  • The Mill Family Resource Centre, Urlingford.

Phone: 056 88 38466 

Email: millfrcmc@gmail.com

Website: http://www.millfrcurlingford.com/

Address: Mill Family Resource Centre, Main Street, Urlingford, Kilkenny

 

  • Droichead Family Resource Centre, Callan.

Phone: 056 77 55660

Email: admin@droicheadfrc.ie

Website: https://www.familyresource.ie/details.php?ID=72

AddressL Droichead Family Resource Centre, Mill Street, Callan, Co. Kilkenny, R95 V380

 

  • Fr. McGrath Family Resource Centre, Kilkenny.

Phone: 056 77 51988

Email: info@frmcgrathcentre.ie  

Website: https://frmcgrathcentre.ie/

Address: Fr McGrath Community Centre, St Joseph's Rd, Kilkenny, R95 POKK

 

  • Newpark Family Resource Centre, Kilkenny

Phone: 056 77 23909 

Email: mtone@newparkclosefrc.ie

Website: https://www.familyresource.ie/details.php?ID=74

Address: Newpark Close, Kilkenny, Co Kilkenny, R95 PF63

Tusla

If you have any concerns about the well-being or safety of a child, you should contact Tusla, the Child and Family Agency.

Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm - phone: 061 588688.

https://www.tusla.ie/services/child-protection-welfare/contact-a-social-worker/kilkenny-duty-social-work-team/

If you have any concerns in relation to children outside normal working hours, you can contact the police service (An Garda Síochána) Phone: 112 or 999 or Kilkenny Garda Station 056 77 75000.

Websites with useful information for families

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