School admissions are moving online for families in ten selected areas as the Department of Education and Youth tests a new application system for first-year post-primary places. The applytoschool.ie pilot is designed to simplify applications for the 2027/28 school year, but parents and guardians must prepare documents and understand each school’s admissions policy before applying.
School admissions pilot opens for 2027/28 places
The pilot allows eligible families to apply online to participating post-primary schools in Athenry, Celbridge, Clonakilty, Greystones, Kilbeggan, Kilcoole, Maynooth, Oranmore, Rosscarbery and Tullamore/Killina.
Applications open on 1 October 2026 and close on 22 October 2026. Schools are scheduled to issue first-year offers on 12 November 2026, with applicants required to respond between 12 and 20 November.
Documents parents should prepare
- The child’s birth certificate
- Up to two proofs of address, such as utility bills or bank statements
- Supporting documents for a special class application, where relevant
Documents can be uploaded as JPG, JPEG, PDF, PNG, TIFF, TIF or BMP files. Each file must be no larger than 10MB, and images must be clear, complete and correctly matched to the relevant upload field.
Participating schools and admissions criteria
The participating schools include community colleges, Catholic schools, multi-denominational schools and Irish-medium options. The pilot includes schools such as Clarin College, Celbridge Community School, Clonakilty Community College, Greystones Community College, Maynooth PPS, Gaelcholáiste Mhaigh Nuad, Calasanctius College and Tullamore College.
Under the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, schools must publish admissions policies that are fair, transparent, equitable and non-discriminatory. Where applications exceed available places, each school must apply its own published selection criteria. Families should therefore review the relevant policy directly on the school’s website, as the Department does not set individual school admission priorities.
Special class applications
The online form can be used to apply for mainstream places, special classes or both. Special class applications may require professional reports, evidence describing the child’s level of need and a National Council for Special Education letter of eligibility for the 2027/28 school year.
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Offers, waiting lists and application support
Applicants may receive more than one offer if they apply to several participating schools. Parents are advised to accept only their preferred offer. If a school is oversubscribed, unsuccessful applicants may be placed on a waiting list managed under that school’s admissions policy. A waiting list does not guarantee a place, so families should consider any definite offer carefully.
Technical queries about the system can be sent to helpdesk_applytoschool@education.gov.ie. The Department also provides a parent user guide, video and frequently asked questions.
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Key takeaway: Families using the school admissions pilot should apply between 1 and 22 October 2026, upload complete documents and check each school’s published criteria before submitting an application. For official guidance, use gov.ie and the Department of Education and Youth’s applytoschool.ie resources.
Article/Image Courtesy: gov.ie