Bridging the Gap: Parents build a case for a new special needs school in East Cork

'They think that its ok for our children to be taken out of our community and sent to another town for school.'

Parents and their children at Youghal GAA (left to right): Nikkie Foley and Colm (aged 5), Neasa Ormond and Jack Ormond (aged 10), Patricia O Connell and Grace (aged 11), John Phillips and Sebastian Phillips (aged 4), and Frances O’Callaghan. Picture: Noel Sweeney

The move to ‘big’ school brings new worries for parents. For the eldest child in a family, the transition from primary to post-primary is uncharted territory.

With it comes new responsibilities like lockers and timetables, exam halls, and more subjects. There’s a lot for parents to get their heads around too, long before their child sets foot in the door, like open nights and admissions policies.