Does anybody have children who attend or know anybody whose children go to Stranmillis Primary School.
I know people move into the area specifically to send their kids to the school but can anyone explain to me what makes this school so desirable for so many?
Posted Sep 14, 2020, 1:20 PM UTC
As somebody who lives in the area and has a kid going to the school, I'm a little baffled myself. Like there's a constant waiting list, seemingly somebody just pulled their kids out to home school over fears of covid and the two spots in different years were filled instantly.
Don't get me wrong, it's a very good school. Most of the staff are great, they jump on any chances that a kid might be falling behind really early rather than crossing fingers and hoping for the best. Most of the kids I know going there are happy to go (ya know, for kids going to school). The PTA are really good at raising cash from the mostly middle class parents so they have loads of computers and iPads and sports equipment. It's extracurriculars are very good (most on hold with covid now though obvs) with breakfast club, after school care, language classes, judo, swimming club over in Methody, chess, athletics, miniversity, whatever you're having yourself. And if it's your thing they get the kids into grammars (mostly Methody) at close to 100%.
But I'm not sure it's that much better than other schools, it's not like it's a supermarket and we can try St Brides for a year so it's hard to tell. And I come from the country down south where you just went to the local schools and didn't have to worry about 11+ or whatever, so I find the clamour over schools a bit weird anyway.
I doubt it's that much better to the extent that it pays off the effort some people seem to put in if you believe the rumours (family or friends houses being used for addresses for applications, people renting close to the school for a year and then breaking the lease once the school place is secured). I know of one family in my kids year who drives over from the west someplace and I have to think they're passing schools every bit as good. And for a school that has limited the distance for acceptance in one recent year to 200 metres there's a mad amount of cars at drop off and pickup.
But it's a lot of middle class parents trying to do what they perceive to be the best for their kids. Your mileage may vary on how much of a ball ache that might be.
And they reason they use the boat club for some PE is partly there's very little outdoor space in the school and they're hemmed in on every side so no room for expansion, so they have to get inventive on getting the kids moving.
This is really useful. Appreciate the insight.
I also agree. That there are countless good shops across all of the city. I wouldn't travel to it, but if it was in the local neighbourhood of course I'd love my daughter to go there.
All my siblings and I went there - it deserves the good reputation. It’s a lovely, inclusive place I look back on very fondly.
Following as I’d like to know too! I have my sons name down for Campbell college but I’m all for hearing about others!
Campbell is a great school! Don't hear about others. Lol
Must admit I haven’t heard of this school either. We went with Campbell for the Kindergarten option mainly
School system in Ballyhackamore is a bit different. Strandtown is the main school for p4-p7. And it's one of the biggest primary school's in the country. There's a load of nursery-p3 schools that feed it.
Campbell junior school (formally called cabin hill) is a great school. Loved Campbell. Good choice. Amazing facilities.
Too late for my kid but never heard this!
It's one of the first things you hear when you mention living in Stranmillis.
Huh. Guess I never thought about living over there! We’re in Finaghy.
We're looking between North Belfast and Stranmillis. Schools in North are great in the area we're looking at however my wife loves Stranmillis and as we viewed s house there today we saw the kids with tennis racquets in their hands walking towards the Boat Club (I presume) for PE etc which was certainly something I never did in my primary school.
Way more schools and cheaper houses in North Belfast, the kids at my wee one's nursery were doing Tae Kwon do in their after school club last year.
Commenting to follow as well as I'm interested.
I think it's simply because it's a small school in a large, wildly middle-class catchment area. The Stranmillis locale alone has 8,100 residents across 2,600 household, according to the census.
But the school's catchment are also includes Malone, Galwally, Upper Ormeau, Balmoral and Rosetta.
To be bluntly honest....
There are a lot of middle and upper class families around the area, and if they don't get into that school, they might have to go to a school in a working class area. Which probably isn't what they want. People actually move house to get bids to go to primary school's like Stranmillis and Strandtown (Ballyhackamore).
Good small school in a middle class area. Demand is much higher than the supply of places.