The Guidance & Counselling Service
The aim of the guidance and counselling programme is to ensure that our students have access to appropriate guidance to assist them in their academic, personal and social development and support them in making educational and career choices in accordance with the Education Act (1998).
Guidance
The guidance process aims to help students to develop an awareness and acceptance of their talents and abilities by allowing them to explore possibilities and opportunities.
We aim to support students to grow in independence and to take responsibility for themselves allowing them to make informed choices about their lives.
Some guidance activities include:
- Supporting parents and students throughout the journey from 1st to 6th year in making choices and dealing with change including transition from primary to secondary school, subject choice and career decisions.
- Organising guest speakers from Higher Educational Institutions, Post Leaving Cert Colleges, Career Ambassadors and Apprenticeship opportunities.
- Organised visits to Higher Educational Institutions such as NUI Maynooth, Trinity College Dublin, IT Tallaght, UCD and DCU.
- Personal career interviews for students covering CAO, PLC, Apprenticeships, HEAR/DARE and SUSI applications.
- Careers classes in Transition Year involving online career investigation and becoming familiar with websites for career and college investigation.
- Organising personal awareness talks such as AWARE and Junior Achievement Ireland programmes.
- Links with the local community such as CRH, Salesforce and SMART FUTURES to investigate real-life career paths.
Counselling
Counselling is a key part of the school’s guidance programme. This is offered on an individual or group basis as part of a developmental learning process as well as at times of personal crisis.
Counselling aims to empower students so that they can make decisions, solve problems, address behavioural issues, develop coping strategies and resolve difficulties they may be experiencing.
A professional relationship involving confidentiality is at the core of the school’s counselling service.
The guidance counsellor does not act in a disciplinary capacity and this allows students to engage at a more personal level.
Common issues include:
- Self-esteem building
- Anger management control
- Family bereavement or illness
- Friendship issues
The guidance counsellor may refer students, with parental consent, to outside agencies for more intensive support relating to issues such as depression, suicide ideation, self-harm and eating disorders.