Loreto Secondary School, Kilkenny was founded in 1868 by the Loreto order and over the years has established a reputation as one of the country’s finest schools. The busy life of the school is conducted within the context of a calm, respectful and positive learning atmosphere. Our dedicated staff members demonstrate a remarkable level of care for their students and a love of their subjects. Our students exhibit a great sense of pride in their school and an awareness of their place in the global Loreto community. As a Catholic school, founded in faith, we are propelled forward by a strong commitment to our values and the maintenance of the famous Loreto tradition of innovation in education.
We actively promote Gospel values and Mary Ward spirituality and promote her defined characteristics of the ideal person: justice, freedom, sincerity, truth and joy. As a school community, we measure ourselves by these values. We make a strong commitment to the development of the whole person, and this is evident in our promotion of an impressive range of extra- and co-curricular activities. We believe in the transforming power of leadership. We have found time and time again that by giving responsibility to our students, we see them prosper in terms of leadership skills and self-confidence. Leadership opportunities include our Student Council, Senior Prefect team, Head Girls, Games Captains, Class Prefects, Peer Mentoring Group, Green Schools, Justice and Peace, Peer Mentoring and many more.
We offer a broad curriculum and we continuously strive towards providing for the constantly changing needs of our students. We have embraced curricular reform and have recently revised our junior curriculum to maximise students’ ability to tailor their own curriculum to suit their own interests, needs and aptitudes. We have also introduced new subjects to our curriculum, including Technical Graphics, Physical Education (LC exam subject) and Politics and Society. I encourage you to study the curriculum section of this website to see how we provide an education that is ‘congruous to the times’ (Mary Ward).
When choosing a secondary school, you need to be able to answer these questions:
- Will my daughter be cared for?
- Will she be provided with an environment that will enable her to achieve her academic potential, regardless of her ability?
- Will she be given the opportunity for personal growth, helping her to live a meaningful life?
I hope that our website will help you to answer these questions with a confident ‘yes’. Places in Loreto are offered in accordance with our Admission Policy. You are encouraged to read that document carefully (you will find it in the enrolment section of our website). If you have any further queries, do not hesitate to contact us.
With our modern facilities on the Granges Road, these are exciting times for our school. I can assure you, that as we continue to develop, our students’ interests will continue to be at the centre of everything we do in Loreto.
Colm Keher,
Principal.
A Word From Our Deputy Principals
Loreto Secondary School provides a values-based education where all students are nurtured in a warm, caring environment. Each teacher plays a role in what we see as a whole-school approach to the pastoral care of each student. Resources that further support this care are Guidance and Counselling, Home School Liaison, Learning Support, Year Head, Class Tutor, Student Council and Cara Club. This results in a friendly and positive atmosphere in the school which is based on mutual respect between staff and students.
We also value very highly our cooperation with parents as the primary educators, as it is only in partnership with them that students will reach their full potential in all aspects of their lives. We welcome and encourage parents to attend information nights, parent teacher meetings, cultural and sporting events and the many activities run by our Parents’ Association.
I hope that by attending our Open Night and consulting our website you will have the information required to make an informed choice about our school. If you require any further clarification, do not hesitate to contact us.
Marie Therese Gallagher, Niamh Fitzpatrick and Marian Moran
Deputy Principals.
A Word From Our Deputy Principals
Enrolment
Loreto Secondary School operates an open and inclusive admissions policy. Very important information for parents who would like to apply for a school place on behalf of their daughter can be found here.
Extra-curricular
Our programme of extra-curricular activities contributes in no small way to the personal development of our students. We also foster that famous Loreto spirit and sense of community while maintaining strong relationships among all members of the school community.
Sports
Loreto has a long tradition of promoting high levels of participation in sport. We continue to achieve at the highest level in school competitions while maintaining an inclusive ethos.