Learning & Teaching

GETSS Transition Year
2024 - 2025

What is Transition Year?

Aims of Transition Year

Transition Year Mission Statement

“Students who took part in Transition Year are found to be more likely to engage in additional study and to persist with difficult questions in Fifth Year and Sixth Year. Overall, they report spending significantly more time on homework in the years leading up to the Leaving Certificate than their non-participating classmates”  –   Journal of Irish Education 2016

Layers of THE TY Programme

  • Core Subject Layer
  • TY Subject Sampling Layer
  • TY Modules or Subjects Layer
  • Calendar -”Once-Off” Layer

Key Competencies

Overview of Subjects and Units Core Subjects:
  • English
  • Gaeilge
  • Maths
  • Science
  • MFL – French/Spanish
  • Ethical Ed
  • PE
  • Guidance

TY Specific Subjects

  • Portfolio
  • Money Matters
  • Life Skills
  • Creative Arts
  • Creator Space
  • Field Studies
English

The focus on English in TY will be immersion in the subject; students will be afforded the opportunity to explore a range of mediums to communicate and express themselves in a variety of ways.

Skills:
  • Production of poetry from text to sound with a focus on recital and performance
  • Creation of podcast, screen production and drama products to explore interesting themes/ideas
  • Development of journalism skills in response to a range of societal and topical issues
  • Participation in drama with a focus on oral and creative communication as expression
Outings/ Visits
  • A trip to Dublin to see a performance in a theatre
  • A variety of methodologies to immerse in the different writing processes
  • Workshops with various artists
  • Visit to Flirt FM
Skills:

All the learning will be active and transferable to the critical, creative and analytical skills needed to interact with the Senior Cycle curriculum.

TY Irish builds upon the language developed during Junior Cycle. All four language skills are further developed to enable the learner take an active part in the bilingual society in which we live in today in Ireland. The learner is encouraged to develop and share her/his views on a range of topics.

Assessment is usually carried out on an ongoing basis and can include school-based assessment of projects or portfolios, oral, aural, practical and written activities.

  • Turas go dtí an Ghaeltacht/ optional trip to the Gaeltacht
  • Writing workshops (cross curricular with English), short film, podcast and magazine creation.
  • Cócaireacht trí mheán na Gaeilge/ Cooking through the medium of Irish
    Ciorcail chómhrá for everyone!

The Transition Year Maths program has been designed to engage students and to build their confidence mathematically. Transition year will provide an opportunity to consolidate the mathematical knowledge and skills learned during the junior cycle, and to  develop these skills in a manner that would act as a useful bridge to the leaving cert course. Students will be introduced to possible careers in Maths as well as the mathematical requirements for third level helping them form their future goals.

Key skills:

Problem solving, critical thinking, working with others, being numerate, managing information.

Outings and workshops:

Math Sparks- Problem Solving Workshops, Escape Rooms, participation in Peter’s Problem.

Links to senior cycle:

Students will be introduced to key mathematical concepts associated with senior cycle Maths throughout the course of the year.

The science programme is designed to provide a bridge between Junior Cycle Science and Leaving Certificate Sciences.
A taster session in each subject area (Biology, Chemistry & Physics).

Course Objectives
  • Build on Junior Science Content & Skills
  • Relate Science to the real world
  • Develop laboratory skills
  • Encourage a scientific approach to issues
  • Understand the real-life applications of chemistry and its impact on society

Students will experience the introduction of the Senior Cycle language skills, such as comprehension, critical thinking, reflecting on cultural and societal issues as well as key Basic Communicative Proficiency and Language Awareness. The proposed modules enable students to master their chosen language and to make informed career choices.

Junior and Senior Cycle Skills:

Working with Others, Being Literate, Information Processing, Critical and Creative Thinking.

Projects and Modules:

Language exchange programme, Think Languages (celebration of languages and cultures across our school), Independent Research Project and oral presentations, Digital Storytelling ( short movie), Transition Year Mandarin Module, European Day of Languages, LASC ( Latin American Solidarity Center) module.

Outings:
  • Junior Galway Film Fleadh in Pálás Cinema
  • Galway Language tour with historical links to France and Spain.
  • Introduction to University of Galway; Spanish and French Departments.

Ethical Ed for TY continues to build on ethical decision making and value building.
Students will focus on volunteering, sustainability and advocacy in TY with community work being a core part of class.

Students will have the opportunity to work with different organisations to explore these areas and work on projects linked with our school values.

Ethical Ed is a core subject in GETSS and moving into Senior Cycle students will engage in the newly developed Ethical Ed for Senior Cycle specification.

Our TY PE program aims to encourage students’ life-long appreciation and participation in physical activity. We also aim to encourage the students to work well as a team player; learning how to work with and communicate with others through pair and group work. Students will have the opportunity to engage in activities they may not have experienced before.

Key Skills:

Staying Well, Working With Others, Communicating.

Outings:

Team building trip to Delphi, PE Expo, CPR training.

This course will include digital media including film making, 3D design and printing, coding, intro to computer science. Students will get an opportunity to explore the function of Office 365 along with high quality media creation.

Skills

(Woodwork, 3d design and printing & Electronics)
Creating projects in every class.

Links to senior cycle

Computer Science, Design Communication Graphics (DCG), Technology

Creative Arts will encompass Visual Arts & Music. The modules will build and develop skills that allow students to showcase their creativity in a variety of ways.

This course will offer students who are encountering art and music for the first time an opportunity to develop their creative skills as subject tasters will be offered through the class. This will allow students the opportunity to test their aptitude for these subjects before considering them for Senior Cycle.

Students will engage with workshops, gallery visit, local street art walk and visiting speakers and performers, including percussion, song writing and exploring the practical arts.

Trips:

Visit local galleries/ Galway Street Art Tour/Musical in Bord Gais Wicked

Events:

Students will be working towards a Musical that they will perform and produce in November.

Links to Senior Cycle Music:

Performance skills with ukulele, percussion and singing. Music technology and listening skills will also be developed through the cross curricular podcast.

Links to Senior Cycle Art:

Teamwork, imagination and creativity, problem solving, self-motivation, and organization.

This module will provide students with skills necessary for college/working life. Students will learn about food choice, nutrition and develop their culinary skills.

Students will learn to cook quick easy dishes, modify recipes for optimal health. Also, they will learn to eat well on a budget. to keep costs low when planning meals.

Key skills

Being creative, working with others, managing myself

Outings

Butlers Chocolate Visit

Links to senior cycle

LC Home Economics

The Money Matters Module will help students apply Business acumen in a practical, real-world manner. Units of learning will include: ‘World of Work’, ‘Forming, Storming & Performing’, and ‘Money Smarts’! In ‘Forming, Storming & Performing’ students will learn about enterprise, how ideas are formed, developing successful teams, creating prototypes, and setting up their own business.

Key Skills

being creative, working with others, being numerate and staying well.

Outings

Visit to a business and/or guest speaker

Projects

Money Smarts and School Bank (BOI), Student Enterprise Programme.

Links to Senior Cycle

Tasters in Business, Accountancy, Economics and LCVP.

Local, National and International investigations of current and past events. For example: The Impact and Aftermath of 9/11, Exploitation, The Salem Witch Trails and Pompeii.

Key skills

Working with Others, Managing Information and Thinking, Managing Myself, Being Creative.

Outings

Local investigation Galway.

Projects

The impact of 9/11 on History and Tourism, Mount Vesuvius and its role in Pompeii.

Links to Senior Cycle

Tasters in Geography, History and Politics and Society will occur through this subject.

Build a Personal Career Portfolio: The following 3 areas will be addressed: 1. Understanding and developing myself 2. Exploring life, learning and work 3. Developing and managing my career. Students will document their research on at least 3 courses/PLC/University/Apprenticeship -Job profile, minimum entry requirements. Work experience should be linked to career research.

Key skills:

Matching self-assessments with a course- Personality tests, Interest Assessments, skills audit, values audit, curriculum vitae.

Outings:

Open days, career fairs and taster weeks: universities/colleges/ work experience/volunteering: ATU, U of G, UL/Mary I (pending on interests of groups)

Link to Senior Cycle:

Guide to choosing senior cycle subjects – careers week, information sessions with teachers.

Reach + Account with Careers Portal:

All students will have an online digital portfolio which will be used in TY and in senior cycle.

An Gaisce is the President’s Award. All students will have the opportunity to achieve the Bronze Award if they wish. The programme involves four sections:
  • Personal Skill (1 hour -13 weeks)
  • Community Involvement (1 hour -13 weeks)
  • Physical Recreation (1 hour -13 weeks)
*One of these challenges will take a further 13 weeks Adventure Journey (2 days, 1 night expedition or exploration)

Assessment

Core subjects will be assessed during usual assessment windows with reports going home twice a year to parents/guardians. Assessment points will occur regularly in each subject and will be various in their nature.

Portfolio:

“A portfolio is a collection of information gathered, created and organised by YOU! At the end of the year, you will have a complete portfolio outlining your achievements and reflections from the year. At the end of this year, you will have a 5 minute interview with a member of staff where you will present your portfolio, and answer questions about your experience.” Students each week will work and update their portfolio, this is done on their iPad as an e-portfolio At the end students will be interviewed on their portfolio work.

Important dates for 2024-25

Work Experience Dates:

December 2nd 2024 -  December 13th 2024 April 28th 2025- May 9th 2025

School Show:

Week of November  25th (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night shows).

Community Placement dates:

February 20th 2025- March 20th 2025 (from lunchtimes on Thursdays)

Foreign Trip:

31st January 2025-3rd February 2025

Community Placement

Students are required to engage in a Community Care Placement. This involves volunteering once a week during one 5 – week block – February 20th – March 20th, 2024 (from lunchtimes on Thursdays). Volunteering covers many varied and different activities, from visiting an elderly or sick neighbour, assisting a charity, helping someone to read and write, teaching digital skills, the list is endless. Students arrange their Community Placement by contacting local agencies and charities. They may choose to link this with Gaisce if they wish to complete this during the year.

Sample list of Organisations

  • Enable Ireland
  • National Council for the Blind Ireland (NCBI)
  • Irish Cancer Society
  • Oxfam
  • Amnesty International
  • Brothers of Charity
  • Society of Saint Vincent de Paul
  • Galway Hospice
  • Focus Ireland
  • Food Cloud

Work Experience

  • Integral part of the TY programme
  • 2- week placement (2nd – 13th December 2024)
  • 2- week placement (April 28th – May 9th 2025 )
  • This must be arranged by students
  • Monitored by TY team
  • Career Investigations: Work experience should be linked to areas of interest where possible.

Work Experience Ideas

  • Architects
  • Accountancy: Deloitte/KPMG
  • Solicitors
  • Engineering
  • Hotel and Catering
  • Guards
  • Primary Schools
  • Hospital

Some places now require students to be Garda Vetted, e.g. creches/ nursing homes/ primary schools.

This is organised through the school but can only be applied for when the student has turned sixteen.

Forms available from Gary.

Additional TY Opportunities which may be of interest

Application for TY Leave

All students are encouraged to do as much as it is possible during their TY Programme  They must apply for leave from the school if they wish to do something outside of the ‘normal’ times during the year (for example, an extra week of work experience). If you choose to do an ‘extra’ work experience outside of the regular blocks this is not a replacement for the official blocks. Students still must complete their work experiences at the allotted times.

Click the links below to learn more about TY in Galway ETSS.


TY Information Evening 2024


TY Information – Work Experience, Community Care, Vetting, Insurance etc.


Garda Vetting Form – Parent and Guardian Consent


Garda Vetting Form and Guidelines

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