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Castle Park School

Ireland, Dublin

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The school at a glance
Instructs in English
Fees €8,478 - 12,748
Ages 2 - 12 years
Pupil numbers 400
Type Co-educational
Opened 1904
Bus Service No
Academic offering
Curriculum Bespoke Curriculum
Taught languages English, French, Spanish
Typical class size 24
Strengths Performing Arts, Languages, Outdoor Education
Clubs Arts and Creative, Cultural and Language, Social and Hobbies
Stages Infant/Toddler Care, Early Years, Primary School
Introduction

Castle Park School is an independent, co-educational primary school in Dalkey, County Dublin, for pupils aged 2 to 12. The curriculum follows the Irish Primary Curriculum delivered through High Performance Learning, with clear expectations, purposeful lessons and strong relationships that support academic, social and personal development. Small class sizes allow teachers to tailor learning to each child, building progress, confidence and independence. The curriculum is broad and balanced, linking subjects and combining a strong academic core with specialist teaching in music, languages, science, art, ICT and physical education. Learning progresses from Pre-Primary to 6th Class, with knowledge 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. Castle Park sits on eleven acres with a 25-metre pool, a Forest School, an outdoor amphitheatre classroom and a science laboratory, underpinning daily practical learning and wellbeing today.

Castle Park Road, Dalkey, Co. Dublin, A96 DP48, Ireland

The Essentials

Castle Park School has 400 pupils, typical class sizes of 24, instruction in English.

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.

Stages
Pre-Primary (2-4 years); Primary (4-12 years).

Type
Independent, co-educational primary school for pupils aged 2–12.

Additional learning support
Learning support and enrichment are provided; English as an Additional Language (EAL) support is available.

Country affiliation
Ireland.
Diving Deeper

Boarding Arrangements
Boarding ended in 1998; Castle Park is now a day school.

Food Options
An in-house catering team provides a hot lunch daily, with dietary requirements accommodated.

House System
Every pupil is a member of a school house. Houses are Toone, Pringle, Collings and Edwardes. House events cover sport, music, art and science; older pupils mentor younger pupils; all 6th Class pupils take leadership roles within their houses; house points culminate in Sports Day.

Governance and Ownership
Castle Park School is a not-for-profit charitable organisation governed by an independent Board of Directors. The Board is typically 8–12 directors, with a majority of members being current or former parents; the Board provides strategic oversight, governance and financial stewardship.
Fees

Annual tuition at Castle Park School ranges from EUR 8,478 to EUR 12,748 for 2026/27.

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.
Academics

Castle Park School teaches Bespoke Curriculum for students aged 2 to 12.

Curriculum
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.

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.

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.

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.
Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
Castle Park uses a bespoke SEAL programme (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning) embedded in daily school life. Wellbeing is integrated into daily life and shapes how pupils learn, behave, relate to others and see themselves. Every pupil is known, supported and listened to from day one; small class sizes and consistent staff relationships create a calm, secure environment. Through SEAL, pupils learn to recognise and manage their emotions, build positive relationships, develop resilience and self-belief, and use strategies to cope with challenge and change. Castle Park is a talking school where pupils have a strong voice through student councils, peer mediation and daily opportunities to talk with staff; pupils know who to go to and feel safe sharing concerns. Personal Development Days and careful transitions support wellbeing and personal growth, and pupils leave with improved emotional literacy and confidence.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)
Learning support and enrichment are tailored to each pupil. Our learning support provision is designed to meet needs in a calm, structured and supportive way. We identify needs through classroom observations, assessments and day-to-day learning behaviours, alongside parental insight and specialist screening where appropriate. Support is flexible and may include one-to-one reading sessions, small-group literacy or numeracy, in-class strategies such as visual supports or breaking tasks into steps, and targeted interventions such as phonics or maths fluency, plus organizational and emotional and social support in the Chill Out Room. Teachers and the learning support team work closely to share observations, plan strategies, review progress and communicate with families. Enrichment and high-potential learning are provided to keep pupils engaged, with clubs in coding, maths, science and the arts and leadership opportunities; English as an Additional Language support is available to help those with non-English backgrounds access the curriculum.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)
Targeted English language (EAL) support is available for pupils whose first language is not English. The EAL provision helps pupils access the curriculum and participate confidently in classroom activities. EAL support is integrated with the school's learning support framework, ensuring consistency across teaching and learning. Families can discuss their child's EAL needs with the school before applying to ensure appropriate planning. The school aims for non-native speakers to feel settled and part of the school community.

Mental Wellbeing
Wellbeing is not a separate programme; it is a taught, structured part of the curriculum. SEAL provides explicit vocabulary for pupils' inner lives and helps them name emotions, understand why they feel as they do, and develop strategies to manage difficult moments. The atmosphere is calm and pupils are known as individuals, with small class sizes and strong pastoral structures that prevent anyone from slipping through the net. Personal Development Days focus on wellbeing, leadership, emotional intelligence and personal growth, and transitions between year groups are carefully planned to build confidence. Pupils leave Castle Park with greater self-understanding, emotional literacy, empathy and a growth mindset.

Safeguarding
The school has a Child Safeguarding Statement. All staff receive a copy of the CSS and the school has procedures to ensure appropriate supervision of children, including in staff handbooks. There are intimate care procedures for pupils who require such care and a Chronic Health Conditions Policy; all staff are first aid trained and the First Aid room is open and visible. The school has a Learning Support Policy addressing safeguarding for pupils with special educational needs. There are risk assessments and procedures for school outings and travel arrangements. There is an Acceptable Use of Force Policy in place for managing behaviour.
Parent Experience

History
Castle Park was founded in 1904 by W. P. Toone. It was handed over to Donald Pringle in 1938, and ownership passed to a limited company with charitable status in 1965, thereafter administered by a Board of Directors. Since 1970 Castle Park has been co-educational and is now entirely a day school. Sibling girls were admitted in the early 1970s, and in 1975 the school officially became co-educational, with the Old Cepians' Society (formerly the Old Boys' Society) as the alumni association. The Centenary Development Plan of 2004–2008 renewed the campus, with new facilities opened in 2008.

Community
Castle Park is a community that extends beyond the classroom, with families, staff and past pupils all playing a part in school life, and with an expanding alumni network. A dedicated parent community group, Friends of Castle Park (FCP), is run by a voluntary committee. FCP coordinates events, social occasions and shared initiatives to support the school and help new families feel connected. The school provides information for families through the parent portal and highlights career opportunities and alumni networks.

Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
Friends of Castle Park (FCP) is the Parents' Association at Castle Park School, run by a voluntary committee. It supports the school community through events, social gatherings and shared initiatives throughout the year. It organises seasonal events for pupils across the school year, hosts informal social events for parents and families, helps new families feel connected and settled, and supports school projects that benefit pupils. Families stay connected through parent WhatsApp groups, coffee mornings and informal meetups, second-hand uniform sales and optional parent-led hobby groups. Funds raised by FCP help support school events and shared spaces, creating positive experiences for pupils. Kathryn Johnson, FCP Chair — askfcp@castleparkschool.ie.
Facilities

Facilities Overview
Castle Park School sits on eleven acres of mature grounds in Dalkey. The campus includes a 25-metre swimming pool, an outdoor amphitheatre classroom and a forest circle shaded by hundred-year-old trees. There is a science laboratory on site and a Forest School for outdoor learning. Specialist teaching covers music, languages, science, art, ICT and physical education. The facilities support a broad range of daily learning, sport and creative expression.

Sports Facilities
Castle Park has a 25-metre on-site swimming pool used for swimming lessons and sports academy activities. The campus supports physical education through the pool and spaces for other sports within the day. The Sports Academy coordinates swimming lessons, holiday camps and other sports programmes. On-site facilities enable practical, active learning across PE and sport.

Academic Facilities
Facilities include a 25-metre swimming pool, a science laboratory and a Forest School. Eleven acres of grounds support a broad curriculum with spaces for outdoor learning. Specialist teaching is integrated across music, languages, science, art, ICT and physical education. These facilities underpin daily, practical learning and hands-on experiences.

Extra Curricular Facilities
Around 40 hobbies are offered each term. There are four stage performances each year and three trips per year. A programme of over 40 activities is included in the fees, with additional outings and residential trips for older pupils.
Extra-Curricular Activities

Academic & Intellectual
Strong academics and specialist teaching underpin Castle Park School, with a broad range of experiences beyond the classroom. The full Irish Primary Curriculum is followed and enriched by specialist teaching in music, science, art, PE and languages, and is underpinned by High Performance Learning.

Arts & Creative
Specialist teaching in music and art supports creative development, and four stage performances take place each year.

Cultural & Language
Languages are taught as part of specialist teaching; the Irish Primary Curriculum is enriched by languages.

Social & Hobbies
Forty hobbies are offered each term and three trips take place per year.

Lifestyle & Wellbeing
The school has eleven acres of grounds, a 25-metre pool on-site, an outdoor amphitheatre classroom and a forest circle shaded by hundred-year-old trees. The balance of academic rigour with wellbeing fosters healthy, happy, well-prepared pupils.
Languages

Language Provision
Castle Park delivers the Irish Primary Curriculum, enriched and extended. Languages are taught by specialist teachers from the early years, with languages introduced progressively. Languages are taught by near-native language instructors. French and Spanish are offered as specialist language subjects.
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.

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.
School Events
The school has not added events
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