Coláiste Lorcáin

What Coláiste Lorcáin does

Coláiste Lorcáin Castledermot is a Designated Community College located in Castledermot, County Kildare, Ireland (R14X620), operating under the statutory governance of the Kildare Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB) with the Poor Sisters of the Mother of God congregation as trustee patrons. The school delivers the full suite of Irish secondary education programmes — a three-year Junior Cycle, the optional Transition Year (one of the earliest sanctioned by the Department of Education), and the Established Leaving Certificate — and is preparing to launch the Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) vocational programme from August 2026. It also runs three dedicated ASD Special Classes opened sequentially in August 2022, August 2023 and August 2025 at the request of the National Council for Special Education, each with six students supported by two S.N.A.s, which were reported full as of September 2024.

The school's core infrastructure comprises 17 general classrooms, 2 science labs, a computer room, library, art room, music room, gym, canteen and sports pitches, supplemented by free access to local GAA and Soccer club facilities. Technology stack is standard education IT — Microsoft Office 365 and Teams for learning and communication, Tyro MIS for student records with OpenID Connect parent access, iClassCMS for the website, Schoolwise as the parent/student portal, Way2Pay for online fee collection, and examrevision.ie for exam preparation — with ICT (iPad/laptop for teachers, data projector and whiteboard in every classroom) deployed across the campus. There is no proprietary platform, no public API, and no mobile application.

The business model is state-funded: revenue is received as government capitation and operational grants via KWETB, with no disclosed tuition fees. Monetised interactions with end-users are limited to a small annual supervised study fee (Monday-Thursday 4:15-6:15 p.m.), pay-as-you-go canteen services, and ancillary transactions processed through Way2Pay. Go-to-market is community-led: annual Open Nights in October drive enrolment of incoming 6th-class students, supplemented by a website, organic social channels (X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook), parent newsletters, and YouTube videos. Current leadership comprises Principal E. Gaughran (also Designated Liaison Person for Child Safeguarding) and Deputy Principal A. O'Súilleabháin.

Name

Coláiste Lorcáin

Legal name

Coláiste Lorcáin Castledermot

Website

https://colaistelorcain.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Coláiste Lorcáin is a state-funded Designated Community College in Castledermot, County Kildare, Ireland, delivering Junior Cycle, Transition Year, Leaving Certificate and three ASD Special Classes to local secondary-school students under KWETB governance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Castledermot

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. State Education Funding: As a Designated Community College under Kildare Wicklow Education and Training Board, the school receives government funding for operations. Revenue supports teaching staff, facilities, and educational programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Coláiste Lorcáin Castledermot is a state-funded Irish secondary school (community college) operating under the Kildare Wicklow Education and Training Board. It delivers the full national secondary curriculum — Junior Cycle, Transition Year, Established Leaving Certificate and Leaving Certificate Applied (effective August 2026) — to students typically aged 12–18 in the Castledermot and County Kildare catchment area. It also operates three ASD Special Classes for students with Autism and provides supplementary Supervised Study and canteen services.

Product overview

Coláiste Lorcáin is a Designated Community College offering a comprehensive secondary education programme. The school provides three main educational pathways: the three-year Junior Cycle Programme, the optional one-year Transition Year Programme (one of the first schools sanctioned by the Department of Education for this), the Established Leaving Certificate (LCE), and from August 2026, the Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA). Additionally, the school offers an ASD Special Class for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (opened August 2022, with three classes by August 2025). Supplementary services include Supervised Study (after-school study programme) and canteen facilities. The school has invested in ICT infrastructure with computers in all classrooms, teacher devices (iPads/laptops), data projectors, and whiteboards in every classroom.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Junior Cycle Programme A three-year programme for students in 1st, 2nd and 3rd year following the revised Junior Cycle curriculum, designed to encourage active learning and teaching methods. Offers core subjects (Irish, English, Maths, History, PE, Religious Education, Science, SPHE, CSPE, Computers/IT) and optional subjects (Applied Technology, Business, French, Geography, German, Graphics, Home Economics, Wood Technology, Music, Visual Art).
• Transition Year Programme An optional one-year programme between Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate, offered as one of the first schools sanctioned by the Department of Education for this programme. Includes core subjects (Religion, Computers, English, Irish, Mathematics, French/German), Careers and Personal Development classes, plus short course modules in Art, History, Geography, Safe Driving, PE, First Aid, Science, Engineering, Design and Communications Graphics, Construction Studies, Home Economics, Music and Mini Company. Includes mandatory work experience every Wednesday.
• Established Leaving Certificate (LCE) Traditional two-year Leaving Certificate programme with core examinable subjects (Irish, English, Mathematics) and core non-examinable subjects (Careers, PE, Religious Education). Students study 4 optional subjects including Accounting, Agricultural Science, Art, Biology, Chemistry, Construction Studies, Design and Communication Graphics, Engineering, and Physics.
• Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) A distinct two-year programme aimed at preparing students for adult and working life, effective from August 2026. Focuses on vocational preparation with modules in Agriculture & Horticulture, Childcare/Community Care, Hotel Catering & Tourism, Office Administration & Customer Care, Information & Communication Technology, Hair and Beauty, and more. Requires 90% attendance and awards certificates at Pass, Merit, or Distinction levels.
• ASD Special Class Special Class for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, opened August 2022 at the request of the N.C.S.E. First class had 6 students with 2 S.N.A.s. A second class opened August 2023, and a third class opened August 22nd 2025. Classes are full as of September 2024.
• Supervised Study After-school supervised study programme available Mondays to Thursdays from 4.15–6.15 p.m. throughout the school year. Open to students in all year groups for a small annual fee.
• Canteen Services Full canteen facilities provided for students who wish to take lunch in school, offering hot and cold lunches at a reasonable fee.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kildare Wicklow Education and Training BoardcoreOthersETB nominates three members to the Board of Management. The school operates as a Designated Community College under ETB governance.
• Poor Sisters of the Mother of God CongregationcoreOthersSchool trustees (Patrons) who nominate three members to the Board of Management. The congregation has historical connection to school establishment.
• National Council for Special Education (N.C.S.E.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerN.C.S.E. requested the school to open ASD Special Classes. First class opened August 2022, second August 2023, third August 2025. N.C.S.E. determines need and supports provision of special education places.
• Local G.A.A. and Soccer ClubsminorOthersLocal Gaelic Athletic Association and Soccer clubs generously permit the school to use their facilities free of charge to supplement school's sports facilities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Scoil Dara: KWETB secondary school in Kilcock, County Kildare. Operates under the same ETB governance and serves a directly comparable community college student population in north Kildare.
• Athy Community College: KWETB-run community college in Athy, County Kildare. Direct peer in governance model and curriculum structure, serving a comparable Irish community college student population.
• Leixlip Community College: KWETB community college in Leixlip, County Kildare. Shares the same Designated Community College framework, ETB oversight, and broad secondary curriculum as Coláiste Lorcáin.
• Curragh Post Primary School: KWETB post-primary school located near the Curragh in County Kildare. Direct ETB-governed peer with a comparable community college mandate in the same county.
• Naas Community College: KWETB community college located in Naas, the county town of Kildare. Closely comparable in operating model, governance structure, and curriculum to Coláiste Lorcáin.
• Maynooth Community College: Another Designated Community College under KWETB in County Kildare, offering Junior Cycle, Transition Year and Leaving Certificate programmes under the same ETB governance and funding model as Coláiste Lorcáin.

Broad incumbents

• Blackrock College: Well-established fee-charging private secondary school in Dublin operating at significantly larger scale than Coláiste Lorcáin, but serving an overlapping Leinster secondary school market with broader resources.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CLorcain
• Facebookfacebook.com/138155646206325
• Instagraminstagram.com/clorcain
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/col%C3%A1iste-lorc%C3%A1in

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Coláiste Lorcáin