Transition Year

Transition Year

TY is a one-year programme providing a crucial bridge to help pupils make the transition from the highly-structured environment of Junior Cycle to where they will take greater responsibility for their own learning and decision-making at Senior Cycle. It serves as a foundation for developing the key competencies required to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

(TY Programme Statement 2025)

The Purpose and Vision of Transition Year

Transition Year gives students the time and space to mature, develop self-confidence and grow in independence. Students engage in the world of work through work experience and have opportunities to develop personal and social skills through a range of experiences which are designed to challenge students beyond the boundaries of the traditional classroom. Students are encouraged to forge new links and nurture new interests within the school community, the broader community and in society. TY is about personal development, embracing new challenges and looking ahead to the future.

Transition Year is explicitly designed around the Four Student Dimensions

(TY Programme Statement 2025):

Aims

Our Transition Year aims are to:

1. Nurture the development of the student as a whole person by building on their previous experiences, with a curriculum designed to align with the Four Student Dimensions. (Alignment: Personal Growth).
2. Expand the student’s experience and awareness of diverse future pathways and nurture the student’s capacity to sustain their growth and development through a process of lifelong self-regulated learning. (Alignment: Career Exploration, Being a Learner).
3. Create space and opportunities for meaningful, enjoyable learning experiences through which the key competencies (Managing Learning and Self; Thinking and Problem Solving; Being Creative; Communicating; Working with Others; Participating in Society; Cultivating Wellbeing) can be developed. (Alignment: All Dimensions).
4. Develop general, technical, and academic skills whilst engaging students in the independent, self-directed learning required for Senior Cycle and life beyond school. (Alignment: Being a Learner).
5. Encourage a variety in teaching and learning styles and provide opportunities for students to engage as ethical and sustainable citizens within the school and wider community. (Alignment: Civic and Community Engagement).

Organisational Details

• School Management: Mick Nally (Principal) & Marian Rowan (Deputy Principal)
• TY Programme Coordinator: Kellie Reid
• TY Year Head: Deirdre Byrne
• Work Experience Coordinator: Katie Louise Whyte

Work Experience

Every Monday, our students go on work experience for the day for the entire year.