For Senior Cycle there are a number of options open to students. The information below outlines the various pathways available and what each one involves. We encourage every student – and their family – to research each option carefully before making a decision.
Our TY programme is a one-year, school-based programme situated between Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle. It acts as a bridge between the more dependent learning style of Junior Cycle and the goal of a more independent, self-directed and motivated Senior Cycle student.
TY is optional – all students are eligible – but what a student gains from TY largely depends on what they put in. You reap what you sow.
Personal Development – Maturity and responsibility, growing into yourself as a young adult.
Academic & Technical Skills – Focus on interdisciplinary skills and self-directed learning beyond the curriculum.
Life & Social Skills – Finding a role among peers, in school, and in the wider community.
The Leaving Certificate Applied is a two-year programme offered in place of the traditional Leaving Certificate. It is aimed at preparing students for adult and working life, with a strong emphasis on practical approaches to teaching and continuous assessment.
It is particularly suitable for students who benefit from a hands-on approach to learning and who feel the traditional Leaving Certificate may not fully cater to their strengths.
The LCA values what you can do, not just what you can recall in an exam hall.
For further information about all aspects of the LCA programme, please visit the NCCA website or speak with our Guidance team.
The established Leaving Certificate is a two-year programme culminating in the State examinations. All students study 7 subjects in total.
English, Irish and Mathematics are core subjects — every student studies these.
You will then choose your top 6 subjects from the modern languages and 22 optional science, creative, practical and social subject groupings.
We will endeavour to give you your top 4 choices , but ask you to choose 6 due to timetabling and availability
Most students will choose a modern foreign language and 5 additional subjects, ultimately studying 4 of those 6.
Students who do not choose a modern foreign language will pick 6 options and study 4 of those 6 — please be aware of the implications this may have for college entry requirements.
Take time to research the subjects you intend to choose using the Careers Portal. Speak with Ms C Joyce, Mr Flynn, or any of our subject teachers.
