Expansion of Apply to School online admissions system to include Westmeath school

Meán Scoil and Chlochair in Kilbeggan will join the expanded Apply to School online admissions system for post-primary schools.

The schools inclusion was announced by Minister for Education and Youth, Hildegarde Naughton on Monday.

The Apply to School platform, applytoschool.ie, was first introduced in 2025 across 15 schools in Athenry, Celbridge, Greystones, Clonakilty and Tullamore.

The next phase of the initiative will make the system available to more families, providing a simpler and more streamlined way to apply for first-year places through a single online application form.

Building on the success of the pilot, the number of school planning areas involved will double from five to ten. In addition to the original locations, the system will now be extended to Rosscarbery, Kilcoole, Maynooth, Oranmore and Kilbeggan.

Minister Naughton welcomed the expanion of the platform saying, ““I am delighted to see the expansion of the Apply to School system to more schools in Westmeath, 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 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.”

A total of 22 post primary schools will be taking part in the next phase of the Apply to School system.

The enhanced online process is expected to directly benefit around 2,600 families applying for first-year places in October 2026.

The expansion comes after a comprehensive review of the pilot programme involving participating schools.

Feedback from both parents and schools was very positive, with the pilot achieving a strong customer effort score of 80%.

The pilot was designed to simplify and modernise the admissions process.

Drawing on feedback from participating schools, a number of enhancements have been incorporated into the expanded system to further improve the experience for both parents and school staff.

These updates will support clearer communication between schools and families, help align admissions timelines, and streamline aspects of the admissions process.

Overall, the system aims to deliver a more transparent, simple and user-friendly admissions process for both mainstream and special education placements.