St Fintans Secondary School

What St Fintans Secondary School does

St Fintan's High School is an all-boys Catholic voluntary secondary school located in Sutton, Dublin 13, Ireland, operating under the trusteeship of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust (ERST). Founded on September 8, 1943 at Burrow Road with 48 boys and 5 Christian Brothers as a fee-paying preparatory and secondary school, it relocated to its current coastal site overlooking Dublin Bay in September 1972, where it transitioned to a full secondary school. The school currently educates over 700 students across the Junior Cycle, Transition Year, and Senior Cycle, supported by approximately 50 teaching staff, a Principal (Kathy Mullen), two Deputy Principals (Sophie Buckley, Enda Duffy), and a broader middle leadership team of 10+ Assistant Principals overseeing pastoral, academic, and extracurricular portfolios.

The school delivers Ireland's national post-primary curriculum aligned with the NCCA Junior Cycle framework and Senior Cycle specifications, supplemented by a compulsory Transition Year ("PONS") programme with specialised modules in Computer Studies (Python programming via replit.com), Enterprise, Sports Science, Anthropology, Craft & Design, Personal Development, Road Safety, and Yoga. Extracurricular offerings comprise 12+ competitive sports (Rugby, Gaelic Football, Hurling, Soccer, Badminton, Basketball, Athletics, Golf, Squash, Table Tennis, Tennis, Ultimate Frisbee with 200+ weekly participants, and a newly introduced Padel programme), an annual School Musical tradition since 2007 (productions include Tommy, Les Misérables, Sweeney Todd, Shrek, Beauty & the Beast, and Oliver), school band, choir, trad band, guitar club, debating, Gaisce President's Award, Green Schools, and BT Young Scientist participation. Technology infrastructure consists of Google Workspace for Education (Classroom, Docs, Drive, Meet, Gmail) deployed via a 1:1 Chromebook programme, plus the iClassCMS website platform licensed from Bottletop Media Ltd.

The school operates as a non-profit under ERST governance with no tuition fees, funded primarily by Irish Department of Education capitation and teacher-salary grants (including the School Book Scheme for textbooks), supplemented by voluntary parental contributions and Parents' Association fundraising (golf classic, musical bingo, coffee mornings, lunches). Admissions are managed directly through an annual admissions process with Open Nights held on September 15 each year, drawing students primarily from the Sutton, Howth, and surrounding Dublin 13 area. Strategic community partnerships include Suttonians RFC (rugby since 2001), Sutton Lawn Tennis Club, Sutton Dinghy Club (sailing), Sutton LTC (padel), Santa Sabina (cross-school musical collaboration), Lycée de la Côteière in Lyon (French exchange), and national programmes including Creative Schools (2017-2019 pilot selection), Gaisce President's Award, Green Schools, and the BT Young Scientist exhibition.

Name

St Fintans Secondary School

Legal name

St Fintan's High School

Website

https://stfintanshs.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1943

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

St Fintan's High School is an all-boys Catholic voluntary secondary school under ERST trusteeship in Sutton, Dublin 13, educating over 700 students across Junior Cycle, Transition Year, and Senior Cycle, with 50 teachers and extensive sports, music, and performing arts programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based (Religious) K–12 Schools (EDAJABAC)

Keywords

• Secondary education services
• Junior cycle curriculum
• Transition year programme
• Senior cycle education
• School sports programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Sutton

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 Funding (Department of Education): As a Catholic voluntary secondary school under ERST trusteeship, St Fintan's receives core operational funding from the Irish Department of Education to cover teacher salaries and basic operational costs.
2. Department of Education Grants: Additional grants from the Department of Education support specific initiatives such as the School Book Scheme, which provides textbooks to students. Funding is reviewed and allocated annually.
3. Parents' Association Fundraising: The Parents' Association conducts fundraising activities (golf classic, musical bingo, coffee mornings, lunches) to fund specific school improvements and amenities. Funds raised support capital items like furniture and seating.
4. Voluntary Parental Contributions: Parents are invited to make voluntary contributions to support school activities and resources. The school also processes AIG insurance claims and CHY4 charitable donation records for the Parents' Association.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

St Fintan's High School provides all-boys Catholic voluntary secondary education for students aged approximately 12–18 across the Junior Cycle, compulsory Transition Year, and Senior Cycle (Leaving Certificate) programmes. Core delivery comprises academic teaching aligned with the Irish national curriculum, a structured pastoral and wellbeing framework, Additional Educational Needs support, and an extensive programme of competitive sport, music, performing arts, and personal development. The school is delivered as a non-fee day school funded primarily by the Irish Department of Education and ERST trusteeship.

Product overview

St Fintan's High School is an all-boys Catholic voluntary secondary school under ERST trusteeship offering a comprehensive educational programme across Junior Cycle, Senior Cycle, and Transition Year. The school provides a unified curriculum with streamed and mixed-ability classes, supplemented by extensive extra-curricular activities including performing arts (School Musical since 2007, School Choir, Music Department), competitive sports (Rugby, Ultimate Frisbee, Badminton, Tennis, Padel, GAA), and personal development programmes (Wellbeing, Guidance, AEN support). The Transition Year Programme serves as a bridge year with specialized modules in Computer Studies (Python programming), Enterprise, Sports Science, Anthropology, Craft & Design, Personal Development, Road Safety, and Yoga. The school utilizes Google Workspace for Education for digital learning and maintains strong community partnerships with local sports clubs including Suttonians RFC and Sutton LTC.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Junior Cycle Curriculum A three-year post-primary programme (1st to 3rd Year) for boys aged approximately 12–15, with mixed-ability teaching in First Year and ability-banded classes from Second Year onwards. Teaching and learning is built around the key skills of the NCCA Junior Cycle Framework.
• Transition Year Programme A compulsory one-year bridge programme between the Junior and Senior Cycles, organised in four classes identified by the Latin word for bridge ("PONS"). Provides structured modules including Anthropology, BTYS, Computer Studies, Craft & Design, Enterprise, French Exchange, Media Studies/Model UN, Personal Development, Road Safety, Sports Science, and Yoga.
• Senior Cycle Curriculum Two-year 5th and 6th Year programme preparing students for the Leaving Certificate, with streamed classes by ability in Irish, English, Maths and French and mixed-ability arrangements for other subjects. Subject selection is guided by the Guidance Counsellor.
• Wellbeing Programme Whole-school wellbeing curriculum covering CSPE, SPHE and PE, supported by dedicated initiatives including Chess Club, Cultural Diversity Week, Debating, Prefects, Student Council, School Band, School Choir, School Musical, Green Schools Committee, and SOAR Workshops. Resources are hosted on a Padlet wellbeing page.
• Additional Educational Needs (AEN) Provision Student-centred learning support for students with a wide range of learning, emotional, social and behavioural needs, delivered through early intervention, collaborative planning, differentiated teaching, 3 dedicated AEN classrooms, Special Needs Assistants, and an AEN Coordinator.
• Guidance Counselling Service Guidance Department supporting Personal and Social Development, Educational Development, and Vocational/Career Development for all year groups, including Leaving Certificate subject selection advice and career pathway planning.
• After-School Evening Study Programme Supervised study programme running Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 3:55pm to 5:45pm, providing a quiet structured environment for homework and revision. Operated on a cost-recovery basis with costs and term dates communicated to parents in advance.
• School Musical Annual Transition Year dramatic production staged since 2007, featuring full-scale musicals including Tommy, Les Miserables, Sweeney Todd, Shrek The Musical, Beauty & the Beast, and Oliver, with sets, lighting, sound rigs and tiered seating. Avenue Q won the 2016 Bord Gais Student Theatre Awards Judges' Choice Award for Outstanding Production; A Midsummer Night's Dream won Best Set Design in 2017.
• Music Department Cohort music programme including weekly School Choir participation for all First Year students, plus school band, trad band and guitar club running at lunchtime, music recitals for exam classes, and community performances at St Michael's House Raheny and Crumlin Children's Hospital.
• Arts Programme School-wide arts integration programme built on St Fintan's selection as one of 150 schools nationwide for the Creative Schools pilot (2017–2019), supporting arts and creativity across curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities under the Creative Ireland Programme.
• Rugby Programme Competitive rugby programme introduced in 2001 with the support of Suttonians RFC, with teams across all year groups and matches hosted at Suttonians RFC. Notable alumni include Jack Aungier (Connacht, Ireland U20) and Sean Cribbin (Ireland Sevens, 2021 Olympic qualification). The team qualified for the Leinster Schools Senior Cup in 2017 and 2018.
• Ultimate Frisbee Programme Non-contact team sport with over 200 students training or playing weekly, including past pupils representing Irish underage teams at U20 and U24 level at European Championships and World Games.
• Padel Programme Two dedicated padel courts at Sutton LTC used throughout the school year, with the first official St Fintan's padel match (6th Year vs teachers) held in May 2026. Court bookings organised by David Walls, Padel Chairperson at Sutton LTC.
• French Exchange Programme Exchange programme with Lycée de la Côteière in Lyon, France, including in-person student exchanges (French students visit in January; St Fintan's students travel to Lyon in April/May) and a virtual exchange during COVID featuring documentary projects and penpal activities via Google Meets.
• BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition Programme School programme supporting student participation in the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, encouraging students to demonstrate ingenuity and creativity in the sciences and to showcase projects at the national exhibition.
• Enterprise Module (Student Enterprise Programme) Transition Year business creation module where students learn to establish a functioning business and compete in the Student Enterprise Programme, Ireland's largest student enterprise competition. Dublin Sanitize won the 2020 Fingal County Student Enterprise Awards.
• Computer Studies / Python Programming Module Introductory computer programming module using Python, delivered through replit.com where students save and continue work at home. Covers printing, comments, variables, inputs, and conditional statements.
• Gaisce – The President's Award Programme Long-running programme offering Transition Year students the opportunity to complete Ireland's most prestigious youth award through four challenges: personal skill, physical activity, community involvement, and adventure journey.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 700 students enrolled across Junior Cycle, Transition Year, and Senior Cycle with 50 teachers providing education and pastoral support
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Creative Schools Initiative (Arts Council / Department of Education / Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Creative Schools is a flagship initiative of the Creative Ireland Programme led by the Arts Council in partnership with the Department of Education and other government departments. St Fintan's was one of 150 schools selected for the pilot programme from 2017 to 2019, enabling the school to build a platform across the whole school community promoting the arts as integral to each student's experience.
• Edmund Rice Schools Trust (ERST)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSt Fintan's High School operates under the trusteeship of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust (ERST). The school follows the ERST Charter which is based on the life and intentions of Blessed Edmund Rice. The five key elements of the ERST Charter are: Nurturing faith, Christian spirituality and Gospel-based values; Promoting partnership; Excelling in teaching and learning; Creating a caring school community; Inspiring transformational leadership.
• Suttonians RFCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSt Fintan's introduced rugby in 2001 with the help of Suttonians RFC. The school maintains firm ties with the club, and rugby training and home matches take place after school at Suttonians RFC. The partnership has produced notable alumni including Jack Aungier (Connacht, Ireland U20) and Sean Cribbin (Ireland Sevens, Olympic 2021).
• Sutton Lawn Tennis ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school has a strong tennis programme with teams competing at Minor, Junior, and Senior levels in the Leinster Schools Boys' Tennis Tournament. Orna Morrissey of Sutton Lawn Tennis Club plays a key role each year in organising court allocation and supporting the programme.
• Sutton LTC (Lawn Tennis Club)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school has two padel courts at Sutton LTC which students use throughout the school year. The first official St Fintan's padel match (6th year vs teachers) was held at Sutton LTC in May 2026. David Walls, Padel Chairperson at Sutton LTC, organised court bookings.
• Sutton Lawn Tennis Club (Orna Morrissey)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrna Morrissey of Sutton Lawn Tennis Club continues to play a key role each year in organising court allocation and supporting the Leinster Schools Boys' Tennis Tournament programme. Her dedication is central to the ongoing success of the St Fintan's tennis programme.
• Santa SabinaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSt Fintan's annual school musical, staged since 2007 as a Transition Year event, incorporates female roles performed by students from Santa Sabina. This collaboration allows for full-cast productions while maintaining the all-boys school environment.
• St Michael's House, RahenyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school band has performed at St Michael's House, Raheny as part of community charity events and performance opportunities for students within the wider community.
• Crumlin Children's HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school band has performed at Crumlin Children's Hospital as part of community charity events and performance opportunities for students within the wider community.
• Lycée de la Côtière, Lyon (France Exchange)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPre-COVID, the school ran a French exchange programme with Lycée de la Côtière in Lyon. French students spent a week at St Fintan's in January, and St Fintan's students travelled to Lyon in April/May staying with French families. During COVID, a virtual exchange was organised including documentary projects and penpal programmes via Google Meets.
• BT Young Scientist and Technology ExhibitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSt Fintan's participates in the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, encouraging students to demonstrate ingenuity and creativity in the sciences. The school nurtures future scientists and engineers through this programme.
• Student Enterprise ProgrammeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school's Enterprise module participates in the Student Enterprise Programme, Ireland's biggest student enterprise competition. Students create fully functioning businesses and may be entered into the National Final. The school has won the Fingal County Student Enterprise Awards for several years, with Dublin Sanitize winning in 2020.
• Gaisce – The President's AwardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGaisce – The President's Award is Ireland's most prestigious award for young people aged 15-25. St Fintan's has been a long-running institution for this programme. Each year, a large number of Transition Year students undertake the award through the school, completing four challenges: personal skill, physical activity, community involvement, and an adventure journey.
• Green Schools ProgrammeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSt Fintan's participates in the Green Schools programme, an international environmental education programme operating in Ireland and managed by the Environmental Education Association of Ireland. The school has a dedicated Green Schools Committee with its own Google Site for sustainability initiatives.
• Sables Nua, Kabwe (Zambia Aid Project)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSt Fintan's alumni, including Brian Howard, have participated in a Zambian aid project working with the school's partner school Sables Nua in Kabwe, Zambia. This international community engagement programme is cited by alumni as a highlight of their time at the school.
• Sutton Dinghy ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransition Year students enjoy sailing lessons at Sutton Dinghy Club, located in Dublin Bay in front of the school. This partnership leverages the school's coastal location to provide unique experiential learning opportunities.
• Howth CastleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSome Transition Year students engage in cookery lessons at Howth Castle as part of the school's TY programme, providing experiential learning in the local community.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Castleknock College: West Dublin all-boys Catholic voluntary secondary school. Comparable single-sex faith-based model serving Dublin families, with broad extracurricular sports and arts programmes.
• St Mary's College (Rathmines): Dublin all-boys Catholic voluntary secondary school with a strong sporting tradition. Closely comparable to St Fintan's along model, size, and competitive positioning.
• Terenure College: Dublin all-boys Catholic voluntary secondary school with a strong rugby tradition and Christian Brothers heritage. Direct comparable in terms of size, model, and competitive positioning for Dublin families.
• Belvedere College S.J. Northside Dublin Catholic all-boys voluntary secondary school run by the Jesuits. Direct comparable to St Fintan's as another religiously-affiliated boys' post-primary school in Dublin relying on community reputation and word-of-mouth for enrollment.
• Coláiste Mhuire (Cabra): Northside Dublin Catholic co-educational secondary school. Comparable as a Catholic voluntary secondary school under Edmund Rice/Christian Brothers heritage in the same north Dublin catchment.
• Blackrock College: Dublin Catholic all-boys voluntary secondary school with a strong tradition in sport (rugby especially) and performing arts. Comparable to St Fintan's on single-sex model, faith-based ethos, and reputation-driven admissions.
• Gonzaga College S.J. South Dublin Jesuit all-boys secondary school. Comparable faith-based all-boys day school competing for similar Dublin Catholic families, with emphasis on academic achievement and pastoral care.
• St Michael's College (Ailesbury Road): South Dublin all-boys Catholic voluntary secondary school. Comparable in faith-based single-sex model and DEP-funded Dublin boys' school positioning.

Emerging players

• Educate Together Secondary Schools: Growing network of multi-denominational co-educational secondary schools in Ireland. Indirect competitor attracting families who prefer non-faith-based and co-educational alternatives to traditional Catholic voluntary schools.

Regional players

• Wesley College Dublin: Dublin private co-educational secondary school. Comparable academically selective fee-charging school, offering a different model but competing for similar Dublin families seeking strong extracurricular programmes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/212527926220883
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st-fintans-secondary-school

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 St Fintans Secondary School