Transition Year in Gallen C.S

What is Transition Year?

Transition Year is a one-year programme between the end of the Junior Certificate and the beginning of the Leaving Certificate programme.

Does the Transition Year have a fixed curriculum?

No each school devises its own programme and it varies from year to year, following guidelines laid down by the Department of Education and Science and taking into account the resources available to the school, the numbers doing Transition year, the interests of the students and current network links we made within our local community.

How many students do Transition Year?

For the last number of years over 90% of all Third years continued on to do Transition year which proves in itself how successful the programme is. Students are informed in March /April of Third year about the Application Process.

What are the four layers of Transition Year?

Layer 1 refers to the core subjects that all students take for the full year.

Layer 2 refers to subject sampling which gives students a taste of many of the Leaving Certificate subjects available in the school to help them make informed choices when making their subject choices later.

Layer 3 is the Transition Year Specific Layer includes subjects and modules devised both within the school and by external agencies supporting the programme in schools: few examples are: Swimming , Gaisce , Enterprise, Self- defence, Local Enterprise competitions, TY Enterprise awards .

Layer 4 is called the TY Calendar Layer and includes activities such as work experience, trips, our annual musical production, etc

What are the main benefits of doing Transition Year?

A significant benefit to the student is the space provided by the year to grow and mature at a sensitive and keys stage of transition through adolescence into young adult life.
Students have many opportunities to practice team work skills, research skills , IT skills, project skills.
Students become more self-directed learners through the development of general, technical and academic skills.
Students gain in maturity in relation to work and careers by developing work-related skills.
Students gain in personal maturity by been given opportunities to develop communication skills, self-confidence and a sense of responsibility.
Students gain in social maturity by developing greater ‘people’ skills and more awareness of the world outside school.
By sampling a wide range of subject areas students can make more informed choices about the kind of Leaving Certificate programme they may wish to follow at the end of the Transition Year.
It is generally recognised by teachers that a Transition Year Programme equips the now more mature student with a broader range of skills and insights to deal more effectively with a Leaving Certificate programme and able to maximise their points.

Do students get any homework in Transition Year?

Yes, homework is an important part of Transition Year. In addition to traditional styles of homework, students do projects, assignments and research on a variety of topics for their Portfolio. Guidelines for completion of their Portfolio’s will be given to all students in early September. Their portfolios are inspected at Christmas and in May. The Students’ Portfolio of work is part of the criteria for Certification as the end of the year. Parents are invited to a formal presentation of certificates including a Transition Year Certificate awarded by the Department of Education and Skills.

Has Gallen CS Transition year Programme ever been externally evaluated?

Yes, Inspectors from the Department of Education visited out school to evaluate our Transition Year Programme in detail. The evaluation was conducted over two days during which the inspector liaised extensively with the programme coordinator and visited classrooms to observe teaching and learning. The inspector also examined students’ work and reviewed relevant documentation pertaining to the programme, as well as teachers’ written preparation.

The Board of Management were very pleased that the Inspectorate confirmed their confidence in the excellent TY Programme that is run in Gallen Community School Ferbane. The full report is available on request in the school or on www.education.ie/inspectorate.The following are the main strengths identified in the evaluation:

There is very good whole-school support for the TY programme in Gallen Community School Ferbane.
A strong level of commitment to professional development is evident among the TY teaching team.
The TY programme is well resourced. Members of the teaching staff are appropriately assigned to the programme and a large number of staff members are involved in the programme.
Communication between the school and parents is very good.
Planning for the delivery of the TY programme in the school is very good.
The TY programme is very well co-ordinated.
Curriculum provision in the TY programme in Gallen Community School Ferbane is very good.
In the lessons observed classroom management of students was excellent. Student-teacher rapport was seen to be very good and mutual respect between teachers and students was evident. Effective teaching methodologies were used in many of the lessons observed.

Activities that have featured on our Transition year Calendar in Gallen C.S. Ferbane: