‘Grinds’ school to move to vacant offices as business expands

There is an increasing demand for grinds for the Leaving Cert. Stock image

Gordon Deegan

The growing lucrative business around the Leaving Certificate has prompted exams grind operator the Dublin Academy of Education (DAE) to seek permission to convert a vacant office building in Blackrock in south Dublin into a new school.

This follows the DAE – formerly The Dublin School of Grinds – lodging plans with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council to change the use of five-storey Frascati House in Blackrock to allow it house a new 22-classroom school.

The DAE currently operates a school at Stillorgan Plaza with capacity for 330 full-time students.

Planning documents lodged with the application state that the DAE has no more capacity to expand at Stillorgan and is now seeking to move to the larger accommodation at Frascati House where it can increase capacity to 375 day students with potential to increase further over the next five years.

The planning application seeks permission for internal alterations to provide 22 classrooms and ancillary offices, a study hall, common areas, toilets and staff facilities.

In a planning report drawn up by John Spain & Associates lodged with the application, it states that the DAE specialises in helping second level students, predominantly fifth and sixth years, to achieve their full academic potential in state exams.

The report states that it does so by providing part-time grinds in Leaving Cert and Junior Cert subjects and a full-time day school for fifth and sixth year students.

The John Spain planning report states that the school at Frascati House will employ 50 people for the 2024/25 academic year.

The report states that a move to Frascati House would allow the DAE to offer a full-time fourth year programme, for which there is a high demand. It is unable to offer spaces due to space restrictions at Stillorgan Plaza.

The report states that subject to a granting of permission, it is the applicant’s intention to occupy the building by September 2024.

The application is being made by DAE firm Newstead DSOM Ltd, and latest accounts for the firm show that it increased its accumulated profits to €1.16m in 2022. Cash funds totalled €916,891. Numbers employed at the school firm in 2022 increased from 62 to 74.

Pay to directors totalled €329,446 while there are dividends payable of €128,000 to shareholders.