Career Guidance
School Guidance and Counselling
The school’s Guidance Counsellor plays an important role in the personal, vocational and academic development of all students. Ms. Dunne is actively involved in the transition to second level and is available to meet parents should the need arise.Every effort will be made to guide pupils in their choice of subjects and, eventually a career and suitable vacancies will be brought to their notice if they arise. Trial interviews, visits to third level institutions, career seminars etc are organised for students each year.
What is Guidance?
Guidance in schools refers to a range of learning experiences provided in a developmental sequence that assists students to develop self-managements skills which will lead to effective choices and decisions about their lives. It encompasses the three separate, but interlinked, areas of personal and social development, educational guidance and career guidance.
Counselling is a key part of the school guidance programme, offered on an individual or group basis as part of a developmental learning process and at moments of personal crisis. Counselling has as its objective the empowerment of students so that they can make decisions, solve problems, address behavioural issues, develop coping strategies and resolve difficulties they may be experiencing. Counselling in schools may include personal counselling, educational counselling, career counselling or combinations of these.
Guidance Provision
Introduction
The Guidance curriculum may be divided into two components:
Formal
Informal
Formal Guidance
The Formal Guidance curriculum is delivered using two forms of intervention employing a number of methodologies:
1. Individual contact of a personal counselling nature and careers/vocational
guidance.
2. Classroom guidance delivered in regular weekly classes to senior cycle
students.
Informal Guidance
The Informal Guidance programme consists of liaising with other Teaching Staff/Management to promote cross curricular links and to enhance the development of a whole school policy in relation to the delivery of The Guidance Plan. Meetings with Parents/Guardians form an integral part of informal guidance.
Guidance Programme
1st Year to 6th Year
First Year
- Entrance assessment CAT3
- Individual interview with each student around ‘How they are settling in’
- Counselling to certain students and Referrals
- SPHE (not necessarily by guidance counsellor)
- Study Skills (through SPHE or guest speakers)
- Time management
Second Year

- Individual counselling to certain students and Referrals
- SPHE
- Study Skills (through SPHE or guest speakers)
- Career guidance if requested
Third Year

- Individual counselling to certain students and Referrals
- Study Skills (through SPHE or guest speakers)
- Reasonable accommodation applications for state exams
- SPHE
- DATS testing
- Interest assessment
- Meetings with students regarding DATS and CII results
- Meetings with students regarding senior cycle options
- Talk with students and parents regarding senior cycle options
Transition Year

- Subject choice
- Preparation for work experience
- Preparation for the world of work
- Individual counselling and referrals if needed
Fifth Year

- One timetabled class per week
- Preparation for the world of work
- Research and ICT skills so that students can be self-directed in their career exploration and development
- Introduction to the National Framework of Qualifications
- Career Investigation
- Career talks
- Study Skills
- Exam technique
- Work Experience (Link Modules)
- Reasonable accommodation applications
- Individual counselling to certain students and Referrals
Sixth Year

- One timetabled class per week
- Careers expo (RDS Higher Options Conference)
- Career options
- Qualifax, Career Directions and Careers portal websites
- CAO and or UCAS Applications on line.
- PLC Application forms
- Exam technique
- Study Skills.
- College funding – Grants
- Individual Career interview (at least one)
- Open Day visits (students provided with information on dates so they can attend in their own time
- HEAR and DARE information and applications
- Reasonable accommodation applications
- Individual counselling to certain students and Referrals