Rathdown School, one of Ireland’s leading private day and boarding schools for girls aged between three and 18, has announced its move to coeducation and will see the phased introduction of boys to the Dublin school for the first time starting in 2022.
The decision behind the transition to coeducation is to ensure the school reflects modern, contemporary, Ireland and to fulfill its ethos of being an inclusive and progressive school that is relevant to 21st century Ireland, according to Brian Moore, principal of Rathdown Senior School.
Speaking about the announcement, he said: “It is very exciting as we embark on this new chapter for Rathdown School. Our vision is to ensure we continue to promote progressive and contemporary values that reflect those of modern Ireland, and we believe coeducation is a key component fulfilling these values. Allowing boys the same opportunity as our girls to be educated in Rathdown School will resonate with what our families, prospective families, and feeder schools have told us. They value what our small community provides for girls and want the same for their sons. We want to be fully inclusive, and this will allow us to broaden our footprint in our local community and in the country as a whole – as well as further afield.
Set within 16 acres in Glenageary, Rathdown School welcomes day pupils to its junior school, while its senior school offers both a day pupil and boarding option to students from across Ireland and internationally. The school currently provides a broad subject offering that is coeducation ready for the introduction of boys to the school in 2022. Boarding will remain girls only pending the construction of a new boarding wing for boys.
Adding to Brian Moore’s comments, Dermot Dix, principal of Rathdown Junior School, said: “We are very proud of our heritage at Rathdown School. Our mission and values are based on inclusivity and diversity, and on being an educationally progessive, child-centred school. The introduction of coeducation fits seamlessly with these values. Our class sizes will remain small, and our students will receive the same high-quality individual attention that they have always received and this new development will only enhance their social and personal development.”
On March 23 at 7pm, Rathdown School will host an information evening on Zoom for families of prospective students for the junior and senior school. An in-school open day will also be held on April 7.
For further details and to register for both events, visit www.rathdownschool.ie
