Primary and Post Primary Education
Accessing school places (primary and post-primary)
Children in Ireland attend primary school from the age of 4/5 to 12/13 (these schools may be referred to as National Schools). They then move to post-primary (secondary) school from the age of 12/13 to 18 approx. Children aged between 4 and 18 will be supported to access public primary or post-primary education provided by the State as appropriate.
To secure a place for a child in school, parents/guardians should approach any local school (primary or post-primary depending on the age of the child) and ask about a place for the child in that school. If the school has a place available, they will provide information on how to enrol in that school.
If parents/guardians have any difficulties in securing a place for a child in a school in Laois or Offaly, they should contact the Laois and Offaly REALT:
email: realt@loetb.ie phone: +353 85 876 4777
A database of all primary and post-primary schools is available here.
(When searching this database, under “County” select Laois or Offaly, under “School Level” select Primary or Post Primary as appropriate).
The following resource, from the Professional Development Support Service (PDST), is designed to explain the education system in Ireland. It is divided into Primary and Post-Primary resources and each is available in English, Ukrainian and Russian language versions.
National Parents Council Primary Resources for Ukrainian Parents
