Garda Vetting Documentation for Transition Year Students Work Experience – 2022/2023
The following documents are essential for your child to undertake a work placement.
Garda Vetting – Check of Identity Guide
Garda Vetting Form with Guidelines (NVB 1)
Garda Vetting for TY and LCVP students guidelines
Parent-Guardian Consent Form (NVB 3)
The following is for the Employers of our Transition Year pupils:
Mission Statement
Our TY programme seeks to promote personal, social, educational and vocational development of our students and encourage education for maturity.
We strive to encourage self-directed learning by enhancing existing skills and by fostering the acquisition of new skills , students will assume greater responsibility for their own learning and decision making.
What Is Transition Year?
Transition Year offers students a broad educational experience, providing a bridge between Junior and Leaving Cert Cycles.
It helps students to make the transition from a highly structured exam-oriented environment to one where they will take greater responsibility for their own learning and decision-making.
Overall aims:
- Education for maturity
- Personal Development
- Social Awareness
- Social Competence
- Technical and Academic Skills
- Self-Directed Learning
- Work Experience
Subjects
The Transition Year programme offers a wide variety of subjects for our students to study.
| Core Subjects | TY Specific Subjects | Leaving Cert. Subjects |
| English | Pilates in Education | Accounting |
| Irish | Road Safety | Business |
| Maths | Drama and Dance | Chemistry |
| French or German | Debating | Physics |
| Religious Education | Coding | Biology |
| Career Guidance | Japanese Culture & Language | Agricultural Science |
| – | Chinese Culture & Language | Geography |
| – | Photography | History |
| – | Law Education | Music |
| – | Food and Nutrition | Home Economics |
| – | Healthy Relationship | Art |
| – | – | Technology |
| – | – | Design and Communication Graphics |
Transition Year Calendar
Our Transition Year Calendar is posted on the Transition Year notice board in the Staffroom, on the student Transition Year notice board, and in the Transition Year section of the school website. Changes may need to be made to this calendar from time to time as new opportunities arise. All students are informed of any changes made.
Induction of Transition Year Students
Prospective Transition Year students and their parents or guardians are introduced to the Transition Year programme at an open evening during third year.
Student guidelines, initial information about the programme and its demands and opportunities are discussed at this session.
Students are requested to sign a contract of behaviour on the first week of Transition Year setting out clearly the guidelines of what is expected of each student.
Opportunities for Transition Year Students
A wide variety of opportunities are available to Transition Year students every year, including competitions, excursions, workshops and community participation.
Students are encouraged to participate as much as possible in all of these extra-curricular activities.
Descriptions of these opportunities are posted on the Transition Year notice board and are updated regularly.
Work Experience
It is important that all students are involved in work experience. Each student must secure their own work placement. Careers and Guidance classes will assist all students in their preparation for work experience.
The model for work experience will be a mix of one day per week and two block release sessions. The students will go on work experience one day per week, commencing the 1st week in September. Block 1 work experience will commence after the Transition Year Musical for 1 week. Block 2 work experience will commence during the month of March for 1 week only.
Each student is given a pack, containing important documents, which must be given to the employer where the student is doing work experience. This allows the school to gain valuable feedback from employers on how each student is progressing in the workplace.
When students are on Work Experience weeks in the Spring transition year teachers telephone the contact person for their three assigned students to thank them for accommodating the student and enquire about their progress. Evaluation forms are returned to the school by the employers detailing the students progress and any relevant recommendation they feel necessary.
All necessary documents relating to Garda Vetting can be found at the top of the page.
Transition Year Journal
This journal contains a variety of educational aids, such as yearly planner, daily reflection diary, module report forms, social awareness activities, mini-company documents, work experience reports, guest speakers and educational achievements, which are integral to student development.
Students must bring this journal to school everyday as it is an important part of everyday class recording, personal development and reflective learning.
Homework
As different methodologies are often employed when teaching transition years, the form homework takes may vary. However, each student is expected to complete homework on time and to an appropriate standard. Failure to do so could result in sanctions being applied.
Discipline
Transition Year students are expected to abide by the school Code of Behaviour.
As well as this, it is necessary for all students to sign a Transition Year Contract at the beginning of the school year.
Sanctions apply for any form of misconduct, but students may also earn merit points for positive work and participation, which will be reflected in the overall performance of the student at the end of the year.
Evaluation and Assessment
Students may be asked to work as individuals or in a group.
Assigned work may need to be completed in the following formats:
- PowerPoint Presentations
- Project Style e.g. Scrapbook
- Essay Style
- Displays
- Traditional Exam
- Event Organisation
There are three elements of the assessment process.
- Portfolio Interviews 40%
- Continuous Assessment or Assignment Completion 40%
- Attendance and Punctuality 20%
Certification
The three categories of awards are:
- Distinction 85-100%
- Merit 65-84%
- Pass 40-64%
Should a student receive below 40%, the student and their parents/guardians will be interviewed by the Principal and Year Head in order to determine how to progress.
Graduation
At the end of May, Transition Year students participate in a graduation ceremony during school hours. This is a celebration and acknowledgment of the achievements during the year.
With the help of teachers, students create displays of their work and activities since the beginning of the year, while the Music and Home Economics departments add to the celebration.
Certificates and awards are presented to students.
Expenses
We endeavour to keep all costs to a minimum, but due to the varied nature of learning in the Transition Year Programme, costs are incurred.
A deposit is paid by parents prior to the commencement of the Transition Year Programme and the balance is paid at the end of the academic year in third year. These costs cover transportation, admittance and external tuition; such as workshops, guest speakers, etc.
On occasion, extra optional opportunities which present themselves throughout the year, may have to be funded by parents separately.
Regular fundraising events are carried out by Transition Year students to supplement extra expenses.
Optional Extras
In response to parental demand, we offer an optional extra outing on our Transition Year Programme.
As the holistic education of our students is of the highest priority, trips with a clear educational value are selected for our students.
This trip is in addition to the standard programme and as such incurs additional costs to the standard expenses.
Past and present behaviour must be appropriate to that expected by school rules before a student can be considered for this optional outing.
Ms Orla Thornton, Transition Year Co-Ordinator and Year Head.