Transition Year

Description

Programme Outline

Transition Year is a one-year programme of study for students who have completed their Junior Cycle education. Our Transition year program is compulsory to all students. Our mission for transition year embodies the whole school mission and we will strive to consistently assess the programme ensuring it is meeting the needs of all our students. 

Transition Year will provide students a bridge which will enable them to make the transition from Junior Cycle to Senior Cycle with a firm focus for their futures. The year will encourage personal and social development and will aid students’ growth in their independence.

Transition Year “provides an opportunity for learners to reflect on, and develop an appreciation of, the value of learning in preparing them for the ever-changing demands of the adult world of work, further and higher education and relationships”.

Our Transition year programme is centred around Student dimensions and Curriculum dimensions and the four student dimensions are the key foundations for the development of the TY Programme; Personal Growth, Being a learner, Civic & Community Engagement and Career Exploration.  

Core Subjects:

These are the list of our core subjects here in Kilkenny City Vocational School. Each class is 1 hour long.  

Taster Subjects: The students will get a chance to try out all three of these subjects in the band throughout the year. They will swap three times in the year.

Transition Year Subjects

Assessment:

• A combination of a credit system and school assessments is used to assess students
• A school report is also issued at Christmas and at Summer
• An end of year completion certificate is also awarded at the end of the academic year and graded as follows

.The following criteria are considered when deciding the grade for the end of year certificate

Standardised Testing

• We also carry out the following standardised testing on Transition Year students
• Cat 4 Test – Cognitive Abilities Test 4 – identifies students developed ability and likely academic potential. It identifies strengths and weaknesses across 4 areas – verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning and spacial reasoning.
• PASS Test – Pupils attitudes to self and school -This explores student’s thoughts and feelings as potential obstacles to attainment.

Transition Year Highlights

• Work experience (3 one-week blocks)
• Enterprise competition
• SCIFEST
• Various leisure trips (for example: Emerald Park, Cool planet, Dunmore East activity centre, Castlecomer Zip lining, Ice skating, Go Quest and lots more).
• Educational Trips
• Historical trips around Ireland (national museum of Ireland, Glasnevin Cemetery, Seamus Heaney museum, Medieval mile museum, Kilkenny Castle).
• College Open Days
• Certified Professional Coffee Barista training
• Certified First Aid course
• Volleyball Coaching Course
• 6 Week Tag Rugby
• Future Leaders GAA Programme
• Drugs Awareness Programme
• Self Defence (4 week training block)
• End of year trip to DELPHI (2 nights and 3 days of fun filled activities).

Huge thanks to @tonyjoreilly for coming to talk to our TYs and LCA group today. What an inspirational talk! He had our students captivated and hanging on to every word as he shared his own personal experience #inspirationaltalk #gamblingawareness #transitionyear