Welcome Our Mission Administration Board of Governors Board of Management Calendar 2008/2009 Employment Vacancies Booklists SPS Handbook Newsletters Lunch Menus        Search Site Map          Welcome to Sutton Park School The Main House is on the left and the Junior Building on the right. The Gym Hall and Swimming Pool are to the far left of the Main House. The Hockey Pitch and Grass Pitch are at the end of the lane on the far right; and our boarding house, Westbury House, is off the lane to the right.        Back To School               Welcome to Sutton Park School. Here you will find some details for the next term. Whether you are a parent of a current student or a parent of a new student joining us in the new academic year, we would like to offer you some helpful information that will assist you in your preparation for the new term. This section has a quick link to information regarding Booklists, Uniforms, Boarding Info and some relevant forms which are required to be completed and sent to the school prior to your child/ren(s) start so that we can prepare some of our databases before the beginning of next term. You can also view further information via the navigation links on the left hand side of the webpage. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO VIEW INFORMATION          Congratulations to the Class of 2008 Not all aspects of a Principal’s role are enjoyable or fulfilling, but it is one of the undoubted pleasures of the job to celebrate the publication of the Leaving Certificate results with the students. Yesterday was one of the highlights of my teaching career because I was privileged to be part of celebrating an exceptional set of results with a wonderful group of young men and women. Of course there were nerves and plenty of evidence of anxiety, but the dominating emotion was the sheer joy and well-earned satisfaction that beamed from each face as the results were handed out. The headline figures will be sufficient to give you a flavour of the depth and extent of the achievement of the Class of 2008: >Those students who gained 500+ points was 31%. Last year close to 18% achieved the highest grades. >46% of students gained 450 + points – last year 36% of students achieved this score. >Nearly 60% of students scored 400 points or more and 70% achieved a points score of 350 or more. No student failed Maths or English at any level and Sutton Park averaged 413 points, well above the 397 we achieved last year. It is worth noting that last year’s results were a significant improvement from 2006. The national average points is something in the region of 300. What all this data means is that by any measure the students in the class of 2008 have significantly raised the bar of achievement and laid down a marker for future years as to what can and will be expected. I am confident that these students will have their choice of college courses considerably enhanced. With the press reporting that national results are likely to remain at or close to last year’s figures, they are in an extremely enviable position when the first round of CAO choices begin next week. I can already report that Yusuf Bhujwalla has secured his place at Cambridge University and I hope that this bodes well for all those who are looking to access some of the most difficult courses. I could mention every subject area and applaud the quality of teaching and the level of achievement in each, but you will forgive me if I focus on Maths in this brief summary of our performance. The concern regarding achievement in Maths country-wide was after all the headline in many news reports. The Irish Times ran the headline, “More than 5,000 Leaving Certificate Pupils fail Maths”, yesterday morning. The article reported that only 6,600 students gained an “honour” [Grade C3 or better] in higher maths and noted that only 17% of Leaving Cert students opted for the Higher Level papers in this subject. At Sutton Park this year 44% of the year sat Maths at Hons level and 88% of our students gained an A or a B. This can be measured against a national average of 45%. Indeed, 94% of Sutton Park students gained A-C grades at honours Maths while the national average was 78%. Of course we should not be compared with national averages and I would expect us to perform well above the majority of schools. Nevertheless, the extent and depth of our performance is way above expectations – a point made in our recent Maths Inspection. I want to thank all the students, their parents and of course all our teachers for the hard work and dedication that has made such results possible. This year, in the week of the Debs, I hope as many of the students as possible will return for our Prize Giving, when we can celebrate individual performances and achievements in front of a wide audience. There are many impressive stories to tell. Sutton Park quite rightly enjoys a reputation for producing rounded, well-adjusted and confident young men and women who are not solely interested in the narrow pursuit of points. Nevertheless, I hope these results demolish the myth that we are not an academic school. I do not mean in the sense that we only cater for bright students. We have many very bright students and this year they all performed at or above their potential. No, I mean that we can provide pathways to the best Third Level courses for all our students. Some of the class of 2008 had severe learning difficulties when younger, some were in danger of drifting off the rails and some, on occasions, simply lost self-confidence. To see the tears of joy and sheer delight at overcoming problems and recognising that hard work is rewarded is something I most value about teaching. Anything is possible if you are in the right environment and have the best kind of support. All the students can be proud of their achievements and it gives me enormous pleasure to celebrate their success in these few words. SUMMER HOCKEY CAMP - AUGUST 2008 The Hockey Camp will be run from Wednesday 20th to Friday 22nd August 2008. It is recommended that all students interested in playing in a school hockey team attend. The cost of the camp is €40 (payment to be made at the first session, with cheques made payable to Sutton Park School). All students involved MUST have a gum-shield and shin pads for safety reasons. Times: Grade 6, 1st and 2nd Years: 10:00 am -12:00 pm 3rd to 6th Years: 13:30pm - 15:30pm N.B - It is vital that any boys' All-Ireland squad member attend the afternoon training sessions. All enquiries regarding the Hockey Camp can be made by contacting Mr Scully at the school.        History & Status Sutton Park School was founded in 1957 as one of the first co-educational, multi-denominational schools in Ireland. Sutton Park is an international day and boarding school, with students from ages 4 to 19 attending from 22 countries. Sutton Park School is fully accredited by the European Council of International Schools and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Programme Sutton Park School is chiefly an academic school, with over 95% of our graduates going on to third level institutions, including major universities in Ireland, Europe and North America. Sutton Park is well known for its programmes in Music, Drama and Fine Art. We have a thriving Sports Programme with Sutton Park student representatives on County and National teams in our two main sports, Hockey and Badminton, as well as Athletics, Golf, Skiing and other sports. Location & Facilities Situated in mature grounds on scenic and historically important Howth Head, about 15 kilometres north of Dublin City centre and about a kilometre inland from Dublin Bay, Sutton Park’s facilities consist of an imposing Georgian house, modern classroom blocks, two science laboratories, a modern gymnasium, a heated outdoor swimming pool and outstanding grass and Astroturf sports pitches. As part of our on-going Development Programme, we have recently opened new €7.5 million facilities, including a brand new library and information technology centre. Boarding Westbury House is our purpose-built boarding house situated on the grounds of Sutton Park School. Commanding magnificent views from Lambay to Dublin Port, this modern, spacious family-type house accommodates 16 to 18 boarders all in en suite two- and three-bed rooms. Under the supervision of our house parents, our boarders enjoy a happy and relaxed atmosphere with all the comforts of modern life. Further Information Whether you are visiting this site as a prospective, current or past parent or student of Sutton Park School, we trust you will find find useful and up-to-date information here. If you wish to contact the School directly, you can email us. If you wish to contact an individual member of staff, you will find a list of telephone numbers and email addresses on our Administration page. You can write to us at:        Sutton Park School St Fintan's Road Sutton, Dublin 13        All content © 2007 Sutton Park School tel: +353 (0)1 839 9400 For more information on how to contact Sutton Park School, click here. All rights reserved.