Castle Park School vs St. Andrew's College Dublin

	C Castle Park School Dublin, Ireland	S St. Andrew's College Dublin Dublin, Ireland
Snapshot	Snapshot
Fees / year	Fees / year €8,478 - 12,748	Fees / year €11,650 - 16,650
Age range	Age range 2 - 12 years	Age range 4 - 18 years
Type	Type Co-educational	Type Co-educational, Day
Curriculum	Curriculum Bespoke Curriculum	Curriculum IB (DP), Bespoke Curriculum
Pupils	Pupils 400	Pupils —
Typical class size	Typical class size 24	Typical class size —
Instruction language	Instruction language English	Instruction language English
Opened	Opened 1904	Opened 1894
Bus service	Bus service No	Bus service —
Essentials	Essentials
Location	Location Castle Park Road, Dalkey, Co. Dublin, A96 DP48, Ireland. The campus sits on 11 acres of mature grounds with a 25m on-site swimming pool on the Dalkey coastline.	Location —
Stages	Stages Pre-Primary (2-4 years); Primary (4-12 years).	Stages —
School type	School type Independent, co-educational primary school for pupils aged 2–12.	School type —
Pupil nationality mix	Pupil nationality mix —	Pupil nationality mix —
Additional learning support	Additional learning support Learning support and enrichment are provided; English as an Additional Language (EAL) support is available.	Additional learning support —
Country affiliation	Country affiliation Ireland.	Country affiliation —
Religious affiliation	Religious affiliation —	Religious affiliation —
School day structure	School day structure —	School day structure —
Bus service details	Bus service details —	Bus service details —
Fees	Fees
Fee details	Fee details Application & acceptance fees - The school's published Terms & Conditions list an Application Fee and an Acceptance Deposit as part of the fees regime; specific amounts for these two items are not published in the public fee schedule. Tuition fees (annual and per term) - Kindergarten 1 & 2: EUR 8,478 per year — equal term payment EUR 2,826 per term. - Junior & Senior Infants: EUR 10,743 per year — equal term payment EUR 3,581 per term. - Forms I–VI: EUR 12,748 per year — equal term payment EUR 4,249.33 per term (equal term payments are stated to be equal across the three school terms). Sibling discounts - First and second sibling attending: 5% discount on fees (per annum). - Third and subsequent siblings attending: 7% discount on fees (per annum). What the fees include - Annual tuition fees are comprehensive and include textbooks, workbooks, stationery and most learning materials. - Fees include weekly specialist teaching and weekly swimming lessons for the relevant year groups, freshly prepared in‑house hot lunch and staff‑led after‑school hobbies, and most school trips. - Pupil personal accident insurance is included in the annual fees. Day care, optional extras and chargeable activities - Wraparound day care is available during term time (08:00–18:15) and is offered as a chargeable service; one‑to‑one private music lessons, instrument hire and some externally provided activities are chargeable. Residential trips are subsidised to keep parental costs low; a small number of external provider activities are charged to cover their costs. Billing schedule & payment terms - Parents are billed in August for the full year. Payment options are: pay the full year in advance (deadline stated as 11 September 2026), make termly payments due on or before the first day of each term (equal fees each term), or choose direct debit with monthly processing (direct debit processed on the 2nd of each month starting in October 2026). - The school's Terms & Conditions require that fees are due and payable on the first day of the school term to which they relate and set out that, where notice of withdrawal is required, a Term's Notice in writing must be given. Fees are treated as fixed termly amounts; if a pupil is withdrawn on less than a Term's Notice, fees in lieu of notice become immediately payable. Payment methods - The school's Terms & Conditions require payment by bank transfer; the school also operates an online payment portal (Feepay) for payment processing and offers a monthly direct‑debit option as one of the payment schedules. Parents may therefore pay by bank transfer, by the school's online payment portal, or by approved direct debit arrangements as set out in the billing options. Late payment, charges and non‑payment - An administrative late‑payment charge of EUR 100 per month is applied to any fees that remain unpaid. The school reserves the right to withhold services, suspend extras (music lessons, day care, paid hobbies) if fees are overdue by half a term or more, and to exclude a pupil on short notice where fees remain unpaid; exclusion for non‑payment may lead to deeming the pupil withdrawn and fees in lieu of notice becoming payable. Refunds and fee waiver policy - Fees will not be refunded or waived for absence due to sickness or other reasons except in exceptional circumstances and only at the sole discretion of the Board of Directors in cases of genuine hardship. No pro‑rata refunds are provided for early withdrawal within a term; fixed termly fees apply. Cancellation of an accepted place less than a term before entry will normally incur a term's fees, with the Acceptance Deposit credited to the account in part satisfaction where applicable. Boarding - Boarding is not applicable. The school is a day primary school for children aged 2–12; historical boarding provision ended in 1998.	Fee details —
Diving deeper	Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements	Boarding arrangements —	Boarding arrangements —
Uniform requirement	Uniform requirement —	Uniform requirement —
Food options	Food options —	Food options —
House system	House system —	House system —
Governance and ownership	Governance and ownership —	Governance and ownership —
Academics	Academics
Curriculum details	Curriculum details Irish Primary Curriculum delivered through High Performance Learning with high expectations, strong relationships and a wide range of experiences to support academic, social and personal development. Lessons are purposeful and engaging, with clear learning aims so pupils understand what they are learning, why it matters and how they can succeed. Small class sizes allow teachers to know each child well and tailor learning to build progress, confidence and independence. The curriculum is broad and balanced, linking subjects and combining a strong academic core with specialist subjects, creativity, sport and wellbeing. Learning builds steadily from Pre-Primary to 6th Class, with knowledge and skills revisited and deepened year on year. There are leadership and performance opportunities throughout the school, including the annual school musical and four performances per year.	Curriculum details —
Student teacher ratio	Student teacher ratio Maximum class size is 24 pupils, with smaller classes in Pre-Primary. Small classes and strong teacher-pupil relationships enable individualized support.	Student teacher ratio —
Exam results	Exam results —	Exam results —
Higher education progression	Higher education progression Pupils leave well prepared for secondary school and progress to leading Dublin secondary schools year after year, including Sandford Park, Rathdown, St Columba's College and St Andrew's College.	Higher education progression —
Gifted and talented	Gifted and talented High Performance Learning accreditation underpins the curriculum, with specialist teaching from the early years and a broad enrichment programme to support interests and talents, along with leadership and performance opportunities such as an annual school musical and multiple productions each year.	Gifted and talented —
Academic calendar	Academic calendar —	Academic calendar —
Wellbeing & support	Wellbeing & support
Social & emotional learning	Social & emotional learning —	Social & emotional learning —
Special educational needs (SEN)	Special educational needs (SEN) —	Special educational needs (SEN) —
English as an additional language	English as an additional language —	English as an additional language —
Mental wellbeing	Mental wellbeing —	Mental wellbeing —
Safeguarding	Safeguarding —	Safeguarding —
Safeguarding policy	Safeguarding policy —	Safeguarding policy —
Facilities	Facilities
Facilities overview	Facilities overview —	Facilities overview —
Sports facilities	Sports facilities —	Sports facilities —
Academic facilities	Academic facilities —	Academic facilities —
Extra curricular facilities	Extra curricular facilities —	Extra curricular facilities —
Parent experience	Parent experience
History	History —	History —
Community	Community —	Community —
Parent teacher association	Parent teacher association —	Parent teacher association —
Extra-curricular	Extra-curricular
Academic & intellectual	Academic & intellectual —	Academic & intellectual —
Arts & creative	Arts & creative —	Arts & creative —
Cultural & language	Cultural & language —	Cultural & language —
Social & hobbies	Social & hobbies —	Social & hobbies —
Community & service	Community & service —	Community & service —
Leadership & professional	Leadership & professional —	Leadership & professional —
Lifestyle & wellbeing	Lifestyle & wellbeing —	Lifestyle & wellbeing —
Language provision	Language provision
Language provision	Language provision —	Language provision —
Bilingual teaching	Bilingual teaching —	Bilingual teaching —
Immersion programs	Immersion programs —	Immersion programs —
Reputation	Reputation
Awards	Awards —	Awards —
Accreditations	Accreditations —	Accreditations —
Admissions	Admissions
Admissions	Admissions The school has an admissions process that is clear and personal, with guidance at every step. Prospective families register interest by completing a short enquiry form to share the child's age and preferred start date. A visit to the school is scheduled so applicants can see the school in action, meet staff and ask questions. Depending on age, a Taster Day or Ready for School Assessment may be offered; this relaxed introduction helps the child settle and gives the school a sense of the child before start. After the visit, an offer and next steps are provided; if a place is offered, enrolment, key dates and how the school supports a smooth start are explained. Siblings of current pupils are given priority during admissions.	Admissions —
Scholarships	Scholarships The 1904 Bursary is available to help local families access a Castle Park education. Selection is discreet and confidential, based on family circumstances and a child's potential to thrive here, with emphasis on potential rather than prior achievement, and a long-term commitment with plans to grow.	Scholarships —
Waitlist	Waitlist —	Waitlist —
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