Cork Schools Join National Expansion of Online Admissions System

Three Cork schools will take part in the next phase of the Government's Apply to School online admissions initiative, Minister for Education and Youth Hildegarde Naughton has announced.

Mount St Michael in Rosscarbery is the newest Cork school to join the expanded scheme, alongside Sacred Heart Secondary School and Clonakilty Community College, both in Clonakilty, which participated in the pilot programme last year.

The Apply to School platform, available at applytoschool.ie, was launched in 2025 across 15 schools in Athenry, Celbridge, Greystones, Clonakilty and Tullamore. It provides families with a single online application form for first-year places in post-primary school.

In the next phase, the number of school planning areas involved will double from five to ten. Rosscarbery, Kilcoole, Maynooth, Oranmore and Kilbeggan will join the original five locations.

A total of 22 post-primary schools will take part in the expansion, with around 2,600 families expected to benefit when applications for first-year places open in October 2026.

Hildegarde Naughton, Minister for Education and Youth, said:

"I am delighted to see the expansion of the Apply to School system to more schools in Cork, building on the success of last year's pilot programme. This initiative is already making the admissions process simpler, more transparent and less stressful for families, and this next phase will make the system even easier for parents to use.

By listening to feedback from schools and parents, we have continued to improve the system so that it works better for everyone involved. This expansion is an important step towards a streamlined, national approach to school admissions, reducing administrative burdens for schools while providing a more user-friendly experience for families."

The expansion follows a comprehensive review of the pilot, with feedback from both parents and schools described as very positive. The pilot achieved a customer effort score of 80%.

A number of improvements have been incorporated into the expanded system, aimed at clearer communication between schools and families, better alignment of admissions timelines, and a more streamlined process overall.

The expansion covers the 2027/2028 admissions cycle. Detailed information for parents and guardians will be available in September 2026.