St Paul’s Mission Statement:
St. Paul’s Secondary School provides an inclusive climate of learning based on the key value of respect within a nurturing and stimulating educational setting.
We are a secondary school of the community for the community. Each student is expected to strive to fulfil his or her potential. Each person is encouraged to develop personally, academically, spiritually, socially and culturally.
“When we aspire, believe and achieve, together we can succeed.”
The Ethos of the School:
St. Paul’s Secondary School is a Catholic voluntary co-educational secondary school under the Trusteeship of the Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin. St Paul’s is a welcoming and inclusive school. It is the secondary school of the community, for the community. It is the natural extension of the family with brothers and sisters, neighbours and relations learning, sharing and growing together.
The school strives to maintain and promote an atmosphere of Christian care, concern and respect where our students grow into well-adjusted men and women. The school has a strong Christian tradition, in which the Sisters of Mercy have had, and continue to have, an important role.
Inbuilt structures and procedures in the daily life of the school offer the student’s opportunities to develop personal initiative and responsibility, together with a questioning mind, which will help them assess, with a critical eye, the wide and varied values of the world they live in today. In school they also learn the importance of personal commitment, punctuality, regular attendance, planning for the future and working as a team.
At St Paul’s the holistic development of each student is supported, promoted, encouraged and celebrated. On completion of their education students will be prepared for life, further education, work and the varied and exciting challenges of adult life.
In preparation for life, students at St Paul’s will be taught essential habits, skills and values. Christian values and the key principles of “respect” and “doing one’s best” will remain central to what we are and all we do.
Through its curriculum, teachers and timetable, the school will provide a comprehensive education for its students. Subjects will be offered at all levels and programmes and specific courses of study will be tailored to the students’ needs. A wide range of additional academic opportunities will be afforded to students. Support, advice and guidance on further education and careers will be extensive.
Through its unique atmosphere, the school will help students develop into well-adjusted men and women. Through its pastoral care and guidance, students and their families will be supported through difficult times. The provision of physical education, sports and the promotion of healthy living will remain paramount. Through extra-curricular, subject and programme related activities students will have many opportunities to showcase their talents, perform or experience the arts. The School Charter sets out the conditions and the expectations for all the school partners to achieve St Paul’s Mission Statement through the school ethos
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Scope of the Guidance Policy:
The School Guidance Counsellor is centrally involved in key areas of the Guidance Policy. However the comprehensive nature of the plan expands beyond the Guidance and Counselling role and also involves the following members of staff:
Principal and Deputy Principal Years Heads
Form Tutors TY and JCSP Co-ordinator
LCVP Teachers SPHE teachers
RE Teachers Resource Teachers and Supporting Staff
School Chaplain
Guidance Policy Statement:
Guidance (Student Support Services) in general refers to a range of learning experiences provided in a developmental sequence that assist students to make choices (personal and social, educational and career) about their lives and to make transitions consequently on these choices. Guidance encompasses a wide range of learning activities within the school and operates across a range of departments.
These learning activities may be separated into three interlinked areas:
- Personal and Social
- Educational
- Career
The school guidance programme aims to reach all pupils. It helps students to acquire competencies in:
- Knowledge of self and others
- Career planning and exploration
- Educational and personal development.
Aims of the Guidance Policy: This Guidance Policy aims to
- Explain the rationale and aims of guidance.
- List the different target groups and their needs.
- Detail the objectives for the target groups.
- List the activities and resources
- Other roles and functions of the Guidance Counsellor
- Establish a timescale for monitoring and review
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- Rationale and Aims of Guidance:
The rationale and aims of the Guidance Programme are:
- To develop, inform and support students to attain their individual goals whether educational, social, emotional or personal.
- To create a healthy school community where students grow, feel a sense of belonging and establish positive meaningful relationships.
- To foster a school environment that emphasizes the rights and responsibilities of each person.
- To embrace diversity within the school community as something enriching.
- To support and promote as far as possible the implementation of policies that help students attain academic success.
- To provide experiences which encourage personal development, decision-making and critical independent thinking skills.
- Enhance and strengthen the provision of Guidance by articulating the needs of students and targeting Student Support Services to meet those needs.
- To help focus the School Support Services to where they are most needed and most effective.
- To allow teaching staff to engage in and influence developments and changes to Student Support Services.
- To allow the work of the Guidance Counsellor, Resource Teachers, Pastoral Care Teachers, SPHE Teachers, RE teachers be transparent and understood by the wider school community.
- To seek additional resources for the Guidance and Student Support Service.
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- Target Groups and their needs
The programme aims to reach all students in the school system. The needs of these target groups are identified as follows.
First Year: Students need support with transition from primary to secondary school, such as:
- Adapting to a new school and a new programme of study.
- Adjusting to a co-ed environment and making new friends.
- Accessing special guidance, Learning Support and other support needs over and beyond the general needs of their year group.
- Information on school policy and procedures as well as clear information the school curriculum.
- Setting goals and studying effectively linking to DEIS progression and attainment plan.
- Maintaining high self-esteem and promoting positive mental help (it is hoped that this will help a student’s attendance, retention, attainment and progression in line with the schools DEIS plan).
Second Year: Students need support with development issues such as:
- Coping with their emerging sexual identity
- Developing their own values attitude and beliefs
- Understanding the value and limitations of the peers group
- Learning new social skills including coping skills
- Learning the consequences of negative and positive behaviour
- Exposure to third level and further education linking to DEIS progression plan.
- Maintaining high self-esteem and promoting positive mental help (it is hoped that this will help a student’s attendance, retention, attainment and progression in line with the schools DEIS plan)
Third Years: Students generally require support and guidance in the following areas;
- Special focus on study skills, homework and study management for DEIS attainment
- Knowledge of one’s own abilities, talents, interests and aptitudes.
- Ongoing issues regarding their personal development, health and safety.
- Information and reflection on Senior Cycle Subjects and Course Options.
- Students need support in refining subject choice and levels.
- Behaviour impacts on future choices
- Maintaining high self-esteem and promoting positive mental help (it is hoped that this will help a student’s attendance, retention, attainment and progression in line with the schools DEIS plan)
Transition Year:
- Experience Learning Modules not experienced in Main Stream
- Acquire insight and develop talents through a programme of work and activities.
- Prepare for the world of Work through a structured and reflective programme of Preparation for Work Experience and Work Placement.
- Through performance opportunities to develop confidence in presentations and public speaking
- Maintaining high self-esteem and promoting positive mental help (it is hoped that this will help a student’s attendance, retention, attainment and progression in line with the schools DEIS plan)
Fifth Years:
- They need to continue to develop awareness of their aptitudes, interests and values in relation to careers and courses.
- They need opportunities to explore the world of further training and education.
- They need to set academic targets that are realistic and challenging.
- They need to sharpen their Study Skills, Job hunting skills and Interview skills to further support the DEIS attainment aims.
- Regular review of these with each student.
- Maintaining high self-esteem and promoting positive mental help (it is hoped that this will help a student’s attendance, retention, attainment and progression in line with the schools DEIS plan).
Sixth Years:
- To research their Vocational and Educational Preferences
- Individual meeting re CAO, Grants and the Leaving Cert
- Make decisions on their final course choices, Form filling, writing personal statements.
- Students need support in their transition from school to Work or Further Education
- Research and learning skills need to be given focus. An attitude and mindset of ‘self motivation’ needs to be further developed
- Regular review of these with each student
- Maintaining high self-esteem and promoting positive mental help (it is hoped that this will help a student’s attendance, retention, attainment and progression in line with the schools DEIS plan)
Parents:
- The Guidance Counsellor is present at all parent teacher meetings. Parents/guardians can come and discuss their child throughout the meeting and can also phone the school if they need to make an appointment
- The Guidance Counsellor meets the parents of all year groups throughout the year. Talks are held in the evening in the school assembly hall.
- Parents and parent’s council also get involved in helping and contributing to the success of the Occupation evening held for sixth year students. In line with our DEIS plan we work together as a whole. St Paul’s is a secondary school of the community and for the community.
- Parents may be asked to come in on Tuesday lunchtime to give a talk on their particular occupation.
- Parents are known to be of most importance in helping a student with career choice and progression. In line with the School DEIS plan we have introduced an information night based solely on third level supports. We are hoping that providing more support and assistance that our progression rate will increase.
Whole School Community Activity
The Guidance, HSL, RSE, PE and SPHE will hold a Positive Mental Health week in November each year. During this week Monasterevin Age Action group will visit first years. They will be invited to talk about school in their time
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- Objectives of the Guidance Policy
Students will acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes that contribute to effective learning in school and across their life span.
Junior Cycle i.e. first, second and third year students, will:
- Develop an understanding of themselves as individuals and in relation to others.
- Become aware of their own strengths and talents.
- Acquire the competency and confidence to avail of the support services in our school such as Guidance Counsellor, Resource Teachers, Years Heads, Student Council and class tutors and others.
- Develop good organization and presentation skills in relation to homework and study.
- Demonstrate pride in self, community and school, i.e. have a sense of the school as a supportive community, their role and a positive attitude towards it.
- Develop interpersonal skills and a positive mental attitude and awareness towards themselves and of the needs of others.
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Senior Cycle i.e. transition year, fifth and sixth year students, in addition to the above, will:
- Develop coping strategies to deal with stress, personal and social issues and the challenges posed by adolescence and adulthood
- Develop an awareness of interests, aptitudes and personality traits in themselves and others.
- Development career awareness and employment readiness.
- Acquire the skills to investigate the world of work in relation to knowledge of self, knowledge of the world of work and further education and to make informed career decisions.
- Develop decision-making, planning, communication and problem solving skills.
- Assume responsibility for their individual vocational journey. mentoring e.g. form teacher
- Develop a social and political awareness that promotes independent and critical thinking newspapers and debates
Timetabling
It is endeavoured to be fair in the division of both junior and senior classes.
Once a week, Transition Year, Fifth Year and Sixth Year students are given timetabled Guidance classes by the Guidance Counsellor.
There is flexibility regarding the junior classes where the Guidance Counsellor takes a number of classes where required i.e. Study Skills, subject choice, transition from primary to secondary school, countering bullying etc.
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- Activities and Resources of the Guidance Policy
Role of the Guidance Counsellor
The role of the Guidance Counsellor is to liaise with the Principal and Deputy Principal around organisational / administrative matters pertaining to the overall guidance and counselling service. It is envisaged that the Guidance Counsellor will also takes responsibility for compiling the end of year report.
Learning activities describe what we do in this school to achieve our objectives and resources describe the tools to achieve those learning objective. The Guidance Counsellor co-ordinates, operates and oversees much of the Guidance and Counselling aspect of the School Guidance Programme addressing the following areas
- Counselling
- Personal Development Programmes
- Consultation
- Information
- Preparation
- Assessment
Counselling
Counselling can be divided into three areas Personal, Educational and Vocational.
Personal Counselling:
In theory Counselling should only take place at the request of the person. More often than not students are requested to see the Guidance Counsellor or Year Head.
Students are helped to explore their own behaviour in their present life situation. They are encouraged to explore their thoughts and feelings around their situation and to work through the choices open to them, looking at the consequences of each choice. The Guidance Counsellor may refer students to a Counsellor or Helping Agency outside the school if the Guidance Counsellor and or Principal deem that the nature of the problem was beyond the expertise or the time available to deal with the student. The outside sources of support used by the school are
- NEPS National Educational Psychological Services
- Kildare Youth and Employment Services
- FAS & Youth Reach
- Private Counsellors
- CAMHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
- HALO
- Garda JLO Juvenile Liaison Officer
Educational Counselling:
Guidance Counsellor, teachers and the SPHE classes explore the following with the student:
- Subject choice/level
- Learning problems
- Motivation
- Testing ( Standardised test, aptitude tests, interest inventories)
- Decision making skills (students are encouraged to take responsibility for their choices)
Vocational Counselling:
- Careers information (students are assisted in following up career options using the Qualifax website, career software, career library, college prospectuses, weekly career speakers etc)
- Pathways to third level colleges.
- Financial and personal supports available (SUSI grant, HEAR/DARE, CKLP etc)
- Job hunting skills, i.e. CV, Application form, Interview skills, Work experience (Transition Year, LCVP)
Development Programmes
- Targeted second year students will be invited to participate in a personal development programme in conjunction with the SCP programme. This will be further supported with a simultaneous parenting course for targeted students parents, linking with the DEIS plan around parental relationships.
Curricular Programmes:
Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) and Religious Education (RE) and others are involved in guidance provision, since they share the objective of promoting the students’ personal development and growth.
In the Junior Cycle the current textbook used in the school is the ‘Minding Me’ series. The particular contribution of guidance in SPHE is in facilitating students to:
- recognize their own talents and achievements and to identify their strengths and weaknesses
- develop coping strategies to deal with stress, personal and social issues and the challenges posed by adolescence and adulthood
- cope with the demands of school programmes, study and examinations
- organize the management of time for school, study, sporting and leisure activities
- develop interpersonal skills and awareness of the needs of others
- establish good patterns of decision-making and to learn how to make informed choices
- make successful transitions from primary to second level and from second level to further or higher education, training or directly into employment
In the Senior Cycle students are educated on the following topics:
- Relationships
- Mental Health
- Emotional Intelligence
- Life Skills
- Substance Abuse
- Physical Health and Nutrition
Educational Development Programmes:
Formal modules to develop study skills / concentration skills and exam technique are introduced to all years
Programmes to explore subject choice, careers choice and level (first and third year) to be carried out within careers, TY, and SPHE classes.
Vocational Development Programmes:
St Paul’s Secondary School will provide experiences that promote the vocational development of pupils and prepare them for transition to work, further and higher education. These experiences include:
- Career exploration and planning
- Involvement in mini-companies
- Work experience (Transition Year & LCVP)
- Briefing and debriefing for work experience placement and evaluation.
- Visits to Open Days, Work Places, Higher Options, FAS opportunities etc.
- Participation in presentations by visiting speakers.
- Schools careers night
- School occupation night
- Weekly quest speaker
Consultation
The guidance counsellor works with the other significant adults in the student’s life. To provide a professional service alone is neither possible nor desirable. These significant adults may include teachers, parents, the school principal, year heads, class tutors and non-teaching staff. The purpose of this consultation is to enable each one to be more effective in the life of the student. As in all counselling, respect for the integrity of the individual student is paramount and appropriate confidentiality is observed.
Information
Students need to be informed about the sources of support open to them in and outside of school. Services within the school such as pastoral support, guidance and counselling, teachers’ roles, student council and mentoring system need to be more clearly outlined verbally and in writing as part of an induction programme for first years. Students should learn how to use this information to access the school services.
Vocational information concerning colleges, open day’s, careers and upcoming events are presented in an organized and clear way for students to access and understand. This information is communicated in the following ways:
Notice Boards: Well-placed notice boards can be invaluable in disseminating information and in promoting the guidance service. Students are encouraged to use the notice boards as it saves time and disruption of classes. The notice board is kept up to date and free of clutter.
Internet: Students are introduced and shown how to use the internet for Career and Course research. Career websites such as Careersportal, Qualifax, Career Directions are used regularly in schools. Student will be given set researching tasks and asked to commit their finding to a worksheet/presentation.
Tests: Extensive use will be made of Guidance tools such as Study Skills interest test, Careers Interest test, Values test as a way of informing and enlightening students’ knowledge of themselves.
Career Exhibitions: An in house career exhibition. This is a very worthwhile and efficient way for students and their parents to access various employers, training agencies and colleges. This enables students to have direct personal contact and chat in an informal way with those directly involved in their area of interest.
Guest Speakers: A weekly presentation from a different guest speaker is given. Students at all levels are invited to attend.
Parent Evenings: Parent and student information evenings are held throughout the year on topics such as: SUSI Grant, HEAR & DARE programmes, CAO and beyond, Careers night as well as an occupations night: It is envisaged that a careers library will be up and running by October midterm break. All students will have access to this material and resource.
Preparation:
Transition from primary to second level:
An Open Night introduces the prospective parents and teachers to the school. A first year only day helps the new students to become familiar with the geography of the school, subjects and teachers. A first year parents evening helps to facilitate transition and inform parents about the school curriculum.
Transition from junior to senior cycle:
Developmental programmes in third year explore the decision making process in relation to senior cycle options. Aptitude tests are administered and, in conjunction with subject teacher’s assessment students are offered this as guidelines for subject choice. A Third Year Subject Choice booklet is produced and updated each year by the Guidance Counsellor. The SPHE teachers in 3rd year work through the document in 3rd years classes. A third year parents evening is organised to deal with subject choice and senior cycle options.
Leaving School.
Sixth year students explore readiness for work, third level, training etc. with the guidance counsellor at individual interview and in class. Students explore interpersonal relationships, growing awareness of personal freedom and responsibility, coping skills and adjustment to adult life during guidance classes and religion. The guidance counsellor works in collaboration with the class tutors and pastoral care team to help this critical transition.
Assessment:
The guidance counsellor uses a range of psychological and educational measurement instruments. These have a variety of purposes: prediction of academic performance, categorization of occupational interests, assessment of behaviour, educational and career planning, personal and social development. Perhaps the most important use of all is that they are used by the Guidance Counsellor as a source from which to validate and motivate the students. Information from these sources, supplemented by school records and public examination results, enables the guidance counsellor to assist a pupil in decision making, problem solving, behavioural and life changes.
The Guidance Counsellor has a licence to administer and interpret Standardised tests. They are carefully used in the context of students’ exam results and additions results available to the school. The various tests administered to students fall under the following headings:
- Aptitude Tests
- Interest Inventories
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- Role and Functions of the Guidance Counsellor
Critical Reflection and Evaluation
Critical reflection is a very important part of the school Guidance Programme. It is important to measure and assess the strengths and weaknesses in the Guidance service provided to secondary school students and their parents and to employ strategies for a whole school approach to guidance. It is envisaged to develop an evaluation programme whereby all Leaving Certificate students will be given the opportunity to evaluate. Parents will also be asked to evaluate meetings/talks held outside of school hours.
Ethical Considerations and Accountability
This policy statement will be the basis on which a regular review and evaluation of the Counselling Service will be conducted between the Guidance Counsellors, the Principal and the Deputy Principal. A comprehensive review of the entire Counselling Service within the context of the Whole School Plan will provide an opportunity for the Guidance Counsellors to give a full report to the Senior Management team, receive feedback on any shortfalls in the service and agree a budget for the following year. The Guidance Counselling Service is subject to all relevant legal requirements, to the provisions of the 1998 Education Act, to Department of Education and Science Directives, to the school’s Religious and Educational Philosophy and the School Plan.
The Guidance Counsellor like all other members of staff in the school is entrusted with the care of their students in “ loco parentis” and accepts the responsibilities of this position, keeping the students welfare to the forefront at all times. The Guidance Counsellor is constantly aware of her responsibility to the student, to the school, to her own profession, to herself and to the implementation of this policy. The Guidance Counsellor takes part in professional peer supervision, which provides support and feedback for her professional welfare.
Confidentiality
A professional relationship involving confidentiality is at the core of the Guidance Counselling Service. The contract of confidentiality is explained to all students at the beginning of the school year. The Guidance Counsellor will take reasonable care to ensure that consultations with students, parents and other professionals will take place in an appropriately private environment, especially in one to one consultations. Confidentiality of students must be respected unless there is clear and immediate danger to the student or to others. Hence, confidentiality of the student will be respected provided it is in the best interest of the student and that no other party will be endangered by it and all legal and ethical requirements are respected.
Reporting Procedures
In both Personal Counselling and in Careers/Vocational Guidance Interviews the confidentiality rule is followed i.e. school management, class teacher, year head and/or parents/guardians are informed on a need to know basis if it is felt that the student is a danger to herself and/or to others or it is a legal requirement. The student is informed of the limits of confidentiality at the beginning of a session. If it is felt that it’s in the student’s best interest to inform a Teacher/Parent/Guardian of a particular difficulty, this is only done with the knowledge and ideally the agreement of the student.
Referral Services
Assistance for students will be sought from other qualified professionals outside the school, for areas of concern such as learning difficulties, substance abuse, bereavement, where the Guidance Counsellor considers necessary and appropriate. The Guidance Counsellor will supply all relevant information and seek the relevant permission from school authorities and parents or guardians. Teachers, school management and parents may refer students to the Guidance Counsellor. Information will be given on a need to know basis. Information will be re-laid to staff through are’ in’ and ‘out’ list on the staff board in the staffroom.
Record Keeping
Record keeping is an integral part of the administration of the Guidance and Counselling Service. All records will be kept in accordance with the ‘Freedom of Information Act’ and the ‘Data Protection Act’.
Record-keeping Procedures
Two types of records:
- Detailed Personal records of all Personal counselling and Careers/Vocational Guidance Interviews.
- Summary reference records of Personal Counselling sessions
- Student records are kept for 7 years (minimum).
- The detailed records of personal counselling sessions should contain some of the actual words and phrases used by the client.
- To ensure accuracy the Guidance Counsellor should try to write up notes as soon as possible after the session.
- Keep notes as brief as possible.
- Develop own shorthand.
Multicultural Counselling
St Paul’s Guidance service recognises and is sensitive to cultural differences.
It will be essential to acquire knowledge about the historical background, traditions and values of all students and to help them to have effective support systems in place. It will also be necessary to acquire skills and interventions that respect the life experience of different cultural groupings and a flexibility to modify strategies to fit the needs and situation of each individual student.
Assessment Services
“Intelligence tests, as well as any other kind of tests, should be used not to label individuals but to help in understanding them.” All our assessment procedures will be dictated by the above principle and a variety of procedures will be used to assist students, parents and teachers for a variety of purposes, for example, as an indication of academic ability, categorisation of occupational interests, subject choice for senior cycle, educational and career planning, personal and social development. School assessment and public examination results will supplement this information. The Guidance Counsellor with the aid of the above information will be better equipped to assist the student in decision making, problem solving, and behavioural change and with developing skills for coping with ever changing circumstances.
Testing
- The NGRT along with a numerical assessment is the chosen assessment for incoming first year students.
- Third Year Testing… The concepts of testing are introduced (uses, limitations, interpretation …) Differential Aptitude Tests (DATS) and Interest Inventories.
Differential Aptitude Tests (DATS) are administered to the Third Year students by the Guidance Counsellor. The DATS are machine scored and feedback is given to all students by the Guidance Counsellor in conjunction with senior cycle subject option decisions. A DATS feedback form is completed for each student before the feedback session. We see this one to one meeting as a huge step in goal setting for Senior Cycle. In line with our DEIS plan our aim is that it will led to better attendance and retention(students enjoying the subjects that they have chosen) and as a result lead to a higher rate of progression. Evaluation of the tests used is on-going. Copies are available upon request.
Protocol for meetings
- Meetings with students
- Meetings with Parents/Guardians
All meetings are by appointment. Guidance Counsellor issues out an appointment slip during Guidance Class on Friday of every week. The Guidance Counsellor makes herself available on a Tuesday and Thursday at lunchtime in R1 if students from other years wish to make an appointment. Subject teachers have the right to refuse a student to attend the Guidance Counsellor if it interferes with their teaching. Students have to get their classroom teacher to sign and release this student from class appointment at the time of their appointment.
Parents/Guardians can make appointments with the Guidance Counsellor by telephoning the school. Appointments are usually conducted during the school day, but may in certain circumstances be arranged after school. All parties are requested to inform each other if a cancellation is necessary. On occasion, the Guidance Counsellor may request another staff member e.g. Year head, subject teacher and/or management to be present at a meeting or vice versa. The student is frequently invited in for all, or part of the meeting, with the approval of Parents/Guardians. This gives the student responsibility, ownership and inclusion in the meeting and its outcomes. Notes are kept of all meetings by the Guidance Counsellor.
Links with Staff / Outside Agencies
The following demonstrates the whole school dimension of Guidance and the collaboration between the whole school community and the Guidance Counsellor.
- Management
- Year heads
- Class Teachers and Teaching Staff
- LCVP coordinator
- Caretaking Staff
- Student Council
- Parents and Parents Association
- Past Pupils.
- SPHE teachers
Outside Agencies
- NEPS
- Social Workers
- Employers
- Colleges/Admission Officers
- FÁS/SOLAS/ETB
- Colleges of Further Education
- Community…Gardaí, Defence Forces
- DES…examination commission/home school tuition…
Halo
CAMHS
In – Career Development
To maintain qualified membership of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors a chartered Member must complete 10 hours of in-service training annually (IGC Constitution and Code of Ethics 2004).
In-Career development is essential to the work of the Guidance Counsellor. Regular attendance at local branch IGC meetings and Counselling Supervision is facilitated by the school through sensitive timetabling. The IGC AGM provides a range of in-service through the provision of workshops and presentations relevant to our work. Additional in-service is organised at local or/and at national level and is open to all registered current members of the IGC. The DES supports the provision of in-service for IGC members through funding. The IGC has numerous links with organisations e.g. Institute of Suicidology, IBEC, FAS (SOLAS), IAPC …all offering in-career development. Attendance at Open Days, career seminars etc. all constitute in-career development.
Other inks with the School DEIS plan
- In order to improve student’s attendance, retention and progression the school offers a homework club for junior cycle students.
- The Guidance Counsellor runs a weekly movie club to assist those who find lunchtime difficult. After school study is provided four days a week and financial support is available for this.
- All the above support services provided for the students and their parents are in line with the DEIS plan.
- The Guidance Counsellor makes contact with past sixth years at the end of September following their leaving cert results and offers.
- If student have failed to implement a plan they will be invited to come in and review this with the Guidance counsellor.
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- Monitoring and Review
- This guidance plan will be monitored and reviewed at the end of each year.
- The Guidance Counsellor, Principal and Deputy Principal will be responsible for its review.
- The effectiveness of the guidance provision in delivering key DEIS targets for improvement will be evaluated by the various DEIS teams.