Transition Year Coordinator: Ms. Nicole Collier
Transition Year Year Head: Ms. Deirdre Piper
Transition Year Tutors: Ms. Christina Norton and Mr. Graham Walsh
Introduction
Transition Year is a unique year. It is an opportunity to grow up, develop new skills, to mature and to try new things. Transition Year provides a bridge between Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate. It offers a broad educational experience promoting key skills that will help the personal, social, educational and vocational development of each student. It provides us with chances to create new learning opportunities in which each student can discover their individual strengths and develop skills that will help them going forward. Our aim is to prepare each student for the role they will play as an independent and responsible member of society.
The Curriculum
The transition year programme is designed by each school under Department of Education guidelines to cater for the needs of their students. Transition year at Holy Child Community School is a broad based programme. The content of the curriculum may vary from year to year. A cross curricular approach is adopted whenever possible. The programme is designed based on four layers. The curriculum in the current year includes:
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Core Subjects
These subjects are timetabled for the entire year. They are the Junior Cycle and Leaving certificate subjects of Irish, English and Mathematics.
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Subject Sampling
These are optional Leaving Certificate subjects that are offered and tailored to suit the TY programme. In the current year these subjects include: Business, Technology, Woodwork, Food technology, Music Performance, French/Spanish, Heritage Studies (History).
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Workshops
Transition year students undertake a variety of workshops across the year e.g., Personal Safety, JFK Forensic Workshop, EiSHt, Debating, First Aid, Drumming, Science workshop, Architecture, Film Making, Radio workshop and Climate Action Workshop.
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Social Awareness
A group of Transition Year students travel to the local nursing home to chat, play games, music and sing for residents. A group of Transition Year students also work with the local primary school to teach football.
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TY Modules/Subjects Layer
PE, RE, Digital Portfolio, Green Schools, and Career Guidance are undertaken by all students for the full year.
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Enterprise
All students are undertaking the Enterprise programme, an opportunity to set up and run their own business.
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Trips
Transition Year students undertake a number of subject based trips over the year e.g. History – Croke Park, Glasnevin Cemetery, Kilmainham Gaol, Team building - Zipit and Causey Farm, Enterprise - National Ploughing Championships, Music Performance - Bord Gais, Irish - Film, English - Film, Home Ec - Butlers Chocolate Factory, Art - Art Gallery
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Project Work
Students engage in project work throughout Transition Year. This project work is showcased through Digital Portfolios.
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Once Off / Calendar Events
These events or activities take place on specific dates or times during the year. These may include workshops and trips.
Work Experience (one week in October and one week in February)
This is an integral part of the transition year programme. Students are to attend work experience for one week in October and one week in February. This provides an opportunity to investigate possible career areas and to experience the world of work.
In addition students have the opportunity to apply for places on a variety of additional structured programmes eg. R.C.S.I. Mini Med Programme, Bar of Ireland Transition Year Programme, College programmes for transition Year students
Assessment
Students are assessed 3 times within the academic year. All TY students have house exams in English, Irish, Maths, Science, Home Ec, Enterprise, Woodwork/Technology, Art and French. Students receive feedback and a grade on all of these assessments.
All subjects are represented with a minimum of one piece of work on the students’ digital portfolio. TY students are responsible for creating a Digital Portfolio. The Digital Portfolio is a showcase of all of the activities that students have completed throughout the year. This portfolio is the basis of their end of year interview with the TY coordinator.