FAQ's 1st Years 25-26
How do I apply for a 1st year place in Piper’s Hill College?
Please visit the admissions tab on our website www.phcol.ie to complete our online application form.
Completed applications are accepted from October 1st 2024 until 5pm on October 22nd 2024.
You will receive an email to your registered email address to confirm receipt of your completed application form.
Applications received after this date will be considered and processed as late applications in accordance with the school’s Admission Policy
When will we know if we are being offered a place?
Offers will begin to be sent out from October 25th 2024. These will be sent via email to the registered email address.
What do we do to accept the place?
When you are sent the offer via email, you need to:
- click on the link in this email to accept or decline the place.
- complete the enrolment/acceptance form in this email.
- be given a link to an enrolment form. You need to complete this and submit it by the date advised in the email. If you do not do so by this date, your offer will be cancelled.
What do I do if I am having technical issues with the application form?
Please contact support@uniqueschools.ie.
What do I do if I have further questions about the application process?
Call 045-897885 or email admissions@phcol.ie
How do I apply for a place in your AS (Autism Spectrum) class?
There is a separate paper application form if you wish to apply for any year in our special (AS) class. Please email info@phcol.ie for this from.
What if I want to apply for a mainstream place in the event the AS class is overscribed?
Please email info@phcol.ie for the AS class application form AND compete an online application form for a mainstream place using the online application form under the admissions tab on our website www.phcol.ie
Do you do an entrance exam?
We are holding a 1st Year Welcome Morning on Saturday January 25th 2025 for incoming 1st years. Further details will be sent to parents/guardians of successful applicants closer to the time.
On this morning,
- students will be invited into the school (usually according to primary schools) for 1.5 hours.
- They will complete a small Literacy, Maths and Irish comprehension on the day. This will give us a general idea of Reading age and Maths and Irish proficiency. This is not a test. It is impossible to fail. We do not use this information to stream students.
- We will do a more comprehensive analysis called CAT-4 on their iPads once the students have started school next September. This will help us get a broader learning profile of a student's aptitude and capabilities.
- We will hold a brief information session for parents/guardians to give them an overview of who we are and of the steps involved up to your young person starting in PHCOL.
Do the results of this exam affect my young person’s chances of getting a place?
No. We do not use this information to stream students. We are a mixed -ability school.
Does the results of this exam decide what tutor group they will be assigned?
No. If your young person is invited to this welcome morning, they already have a place secured in Pipers Hill College. The results will not affect this.
What subjects do students study in 1st year?
There are three different categories of subjects at Junior Cycle:
Core Exam Subjects (required by everyone)
- Irish*
- English
- Maths
- Science
- History
- Geography
- French OR German OR Spanish (Modern European Language)
*Those with a formal exemption attend subject support class
Core Non- Exam Subjects**
- Digital Skills (1st and 2nd year only)
- CSPE (Civic, Social and Political Education)
- SPHE (Social, Personal and Health Education)
- Life Skills (1st year only)
- PE (Physical Education)
- IMBV (Identity, Multi-Belief and Values Education)
**These courses are not examined at Junior Cycle but students’ complete assignments over the three years and successful completion of the courses is formally recognised on the Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement (JCPA)
Optional Subjects
Students choose to study TWO subjects from the below list
- Visual Art
- Home Economics
- Wood Technology
- Engineering
- Business Studies
- Music
- Graphics
Does my young person have to study Irish in Secondary school
Yes. Irish is one of the core subjects in the school curriculum in Ireland. All students must study Irish unless they are given a formal exemption from studying the subject.
An exemption is only given in certain circumstances. The student must meet certain criteria.
If your young person has a formal Irish Exemption. Please ensure that you have submitted the Irish Exemption Certificates to the school. These certificates are not passed onto Piper’s Hill College by your young person’s primary school.
Does my young person have to study a Modern European Language?
Yes, at Junior Cycle. They are optional in 5th and 6th year for the Leaving Certificate.
How and when do we choose our optional subjects?
Option subject preferences are submitted online via our school management system VSWare. Further information about subject choices will be sent to parents in advance of this system opening. The deadline for options to be submitted is Wednesday February 5th 2025.
Do you have any advice on how to choose optional subjects?
Yes, we will help with this process. It will be discussed at the 1st Year Welcome Morning in January and short videos explaining the different option subjects will be circulated to parents via email.
My young person as an Additional Educational Need (AEN), do you cater for this?
Yes, we have a team of dedicated and highly qualified teachers in the area of AEN/SEN. in PHCOL. We offer a vast and varied range of supports such as team teaching, subject support, literacy, numeracy, and social skills support.
We ask all parents to ensure that you have submitted any Reports /Irish Exemption Certificates to the school. These are not passed onto Piper’s Hill College by your young person’s primary school.
Should you wish to discuss AEN needs further, please contact our AEN Coordinator - Grainne O'Meara on 045-897885.