Transition Year

Introduction

Transition Year (TY) in Belvedere College is a compulsory programme. It is designed to act as a bridge between junior and senior cycle. It provides students with an opportunity to experience a wide range of educational activities, including work experience and community care, over the course of a year that is free from formal examinations. The aim of TY is to educate students for maturity with an emphasis on personal development, social awareness and skills for life.

 

Benefits of Transition Year

Research indicates very high levels of satisfaction among teachers, parents/guardians and students with TY and how it supports learning and the all-round development and maturity of students. TY is valued for the variety of learning experiences, often in ‘taster’ subjects and new areas of learning, that it offers students. It is seen as contributing in significant ways to the broad skill development of students; in this context, skills in personal and social development and life skills are often mentioned. Work experience and community placement are highly valued elements of the TY.
The diverse assessment and reporting methods and the opportunity for the student to gain additional qualifications are viewed very positively. Above all, the future orientation of the TY and the contribution it can make towards students facing the future with a more mature, capable, confident and assertive outlook are seen as successful features of the programme. In their feedback on TY, students frequently cite how TY helps them grow as a person, how they get to experience a great diversity of learning through TY activities, and how they learn a lot about skills that prove useful in study and in life after school.

In addition, students taking TY generally perform better in Leaving Certificate examinations, and make better choices when selecting their Leaving Certificate subjects.