Celebrating success at Kerry school awards
Deputy Principal, Ms. Maureen Foley-Hayes, compered the event where close to 90 students received awards.
Top students in the 25 subjects taught in the school were first up and this was followed by an address Leaving Certificate student and President of the Student Council Niamh Twomey, where she congratulated all the students on winning awards.
Then there were awards for the year heads, best attendance and best Junior Certificate results.
The huge success the school has had in science competitions this year was noted with wins at BT Young Scientist Exhibition, Scifest and Cansat as well as winning the AIB Bright Sparks Environmental Award with a €2000 prize for the school recently and winning the senior category at the Young Environmentalists Award recently for their Plant to Plate project.
"It is great to see students taking action on environmental and social issues and we hope that they will continue in the future, there is plenty to do,' commented Ms Foley Hayes.
Awards for music, debating, penmanship and library patrons were given as well as 'Gradam Scéine', special awards to 11 students who had stood out from the crowd for their personal qualities.
The Dan Cahill Award went to Ciara Stauch who excels at History and English and the Helen Quinn Award went to Seán O'Sullivan for his outstanding empathy and kindness to others.
The schools focus on sustainability was represented by awards for Green School, Environmentalist and Gardener of the Year.
The final section was for sport with a whole range of awards for individuals who had excelled in the past year.
A new award, the Tom O'Connor Perpetual Shield was given to the winner of the Senior Boys Football, Donncha O'Sullivan, for his outstanding contribution to school football over his time in school
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Mr Dermot Healy closed by congratulating all the students on their awards and announcing that Student of the Year 2025 was Laura Scanlon, LCA1.
Laura had been a strong presence in the school community over six years, embracing opportunities inside and outside the classroom, leading by example and making a lasting impression an all around her.
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RTÉ News
30-05-2025
- RTÉ News
How bonus points have changed Leaving Cert Maths
Analysis: There's no doubt that bonus points are driving the uptake of Higher Level maths, but the initiative has had unintended consequences This article is now available above as a Brainstorm podcast. You can subscribe to the Brainstorm podcast through Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. In Ireland, the proportion of students opting to complete their Leaving Certificate mathematics examinations at Higher Level (HL) has increased by 130% in 13 years. Such growth would suggest that significant progress is being made in mathematics education in Ireland, but research into the reasons behind this surge may temper such optimism. Increasing participation in Higher Level mathematics at Senior Cycle has been a key aim for Irish policymakers over the past 15 years. The Bonus Points Initiative (BPI) was introduced in 2012 with the aim of increasing the uptake of Higher mathematics and the long term goal of improving students' mathematical capabilities. Bonus points mean that students who opt to study Higher Level maths and who obtain a score greater than or equal to 40% in their Leaving Certificate examination are awarded an additional 25 'bonus' points. Based on the current CAO system, this means that a student who obtains 40% at Higher Level would receive more points (71) than a student who achieved 90-100% in the Ordinary Level paper (56). From RTÉ Brainstorm, have Leaving Cert maths' questions got harder or easier over 100 years? Maths is the only subject for which bonus points are available, thus giving the subject a special status in our education system. Despite assurances that bonus points would initially be rolled out on a four-year trial basis, it has now been in place for 12 years with no formal evaluation of the initiative conducted. As part of an independent research project, we have carried out several studies investigating the impact of bonus poinys on the profile of students in the Higher Level mathematics classroom; students' motivations to study Higher Level maths; teachers' perspectives on bonus points and the impact on students' performance in the subject. The findings from these studies will highlight some of the unintended consequences of attributing such a special status to mathematics. As mentioned at the outset, between 2011 and 2024 there has been a 130% (from 15.8% to 36.3%) increase in the proportion of students taking Leaving Cert maths at Higher Level. As such, bonus points have been successful in achieving its primary aim of increasing the number of students opting for higher maths. In 2019, we conducted a study with 911 Senior Cycle students who were taking Higher maths and asked them what factors motivated them to study the subject at this level. From a list of 19 factors, the two factors that most students selected were "I wanted to get bonus points" (91.2% in agreement) and "I will get good CAO points from it" (80.3%). These findings leave us in no doubt that the Bonus Point Initiative is driving the uptake of Higher Level matsh and Irish students are now primarily extrinsically motivated to study the subject at this level. However, research has also found that extrinsic motivational factors can lead to diminished intrinsic motivation among students. Therefore, the central role that the BPI is currently playing in motivating students to study higher maths may have longer term negative effects on students' affective reaction to the subject. The surge in the number of students opting for Higher Level maths and the motivation behind this has also led to a change in the profile of students taking the subject. A research study with 266 Senior Cycle HL maths teachers found that bonus points often resulted in students not suited to HL mathematics persevering with it. This large number of less able students has resulted in a much wider range of abilities than would have been the case prior to 2012. Many of these students are also less ambitious and have lower expectations of themselves, often aiming to just reach, rather than exceed, the score required to be awarded bonus points. These findings present teachers with a series of challenges to contend with, most notably in terms of catering for much higher levels of diversity in the mathematics classroom. It is therefore unsurprising that the majority of teachers in our study would like to see the BPI retained but adjusted (56%) or discontinued and not replaced (23%). From RTÉ Radio 1's Today With Claire Byrne, why do so many adults struggle with everyday maths? As well as having implications for teachers, the BPI may also be impacting the grades being awarded to students. Between 2008 and 2024, the profile of students studying HL maths has changed considerably. A figure which has remained consistent in this time is the combined proportion of students opting to complete their Leaving Certificate maths examinations at either HL or OL (ranging from 87.9% to 94.1%). Given that the maths capabilities of the combined HL and OL cohorts are unlikely to have varied too much from year to year, one would expect that the proportion of students achieving at the upper end of the HL grading spectrum would remain consistent. However, we found this was not the case. When comparing Leaving Cert maths'; results from 2008 to 2019, there is a 44% increase in the proportion of all HL and OL students achieving a score of 70% (H3 or above in current grading system) or better in the HL examination. When 2008 is compared to 2024, there is a 116% increase in this proportion. While some of this inflation can likely be attributed to the impact of the predicted grades policy in 2020 and 2021, this trend of grade inflation was already in evidence prior to 2020. Given teachers' concerns about the profile of students now opting for HL maths, it is highly unlikely that this increase can be attributed to a better calibre of student studying HL mathematics as a result of the BPI. Grade inflation of this nature can lead to a loss of confidence amongst stakeholders regarding the capacity for Leaving Certificate grades to provide valid and reliable information about students. This can lead to students being admitted to third-level courses for which they are not sufficiently mathematically prepared, an issue which has been highlighted in Ireland recently. Overall, these research studies offer the first comprehensive evaluation of the BPI. While it is clear that the primary objective of the BPI has been achieved, there have certainly been some unintended consequences. Assigning mathematics a special status has impacted on students' motivations for pursuing Higher Level maths. This has led to a need for different teaching practices in classrooms; and raised concerns about the competencies of students graduating from second level. If the bonus points initiative is to continue, these implications need to be considered to ensure we develop students with the required mathematical competencies to guarantee a knowledge economy. University of Limerick. She is the Deputy Director of EPI∙STEM, the national centre for STEM Education. Dr Páraic Treacy is a Lecturer in Mathematics in the School of Education at Mary Immaculate College, Thurles. Dr Mark Prendergast is a Senior Lecturer in Mathematics Education in the School of Education at UCC. He is a Research Ireland awardee.
Irish Times
20-05-2025
- Irish Times
CAO change of mind: A selection of courses on offer in 2025
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Physiotherapy, University of Limerick (CAO code: LM100 ) UL's physiotherapy course is a four-year programme that allows students to develop the skills and experience required to become competent and innovative practitioners. The programme is approved by CORU, the state registration board for physiotherapy in Ireland. The course includes a total of 31 weeks of clinical practice in the last two years, providing students with ample opportunity to explore their theoretical learning in a practical setting. The first year provides a foundation in anatomy and physiology through introductory modules, as well as classes in physiotherapy practice and communication and behaviour. [ CAO 2025: A guide to some lesser-known courses Opens in new window ] Over the remaining three years, students undertake studies in the various disciplines of physiotherapy including cardiorespiratory care, clinical neurology and musculoskeletal disorders for people across their lifespan. 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European studies, Trinity College Dublin (CAO code: TR024 ) Trinity College Dublin's European studies programme is an excellent humanities option for students interested in a multidisciplinary course. This four-year programme offers students the chance to learn European languages while studying both history and the social sciences. Students study two out of five available European languages: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Polish, or Russian (only German, Italian, Polish, Russian and Spanish are available from beginner level). Both languages are studied equally in the first two years, after which you major in one and minor in the other. Students can only study one language from a beginner level. As well as languages, students are able to select a range of modules in European history, the history of ideas, and social sciences (politics, economics, or sociology). The third year is spent at a university abroad studying through the language you have majored in. 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Irish Independent
18-05-2025
- Irish Independent
Ramsgrange students excel at SciFest competition
The group entered their project under its new name Cries 'til it's Chronic which investigates the potential gender bias in the treatment of chronic pain. SciFest is a nationwide programme for secondary school students which intends to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education by providing a platform for second-level students to present and display their scientific investigations. Currently in its 19th year, the competition attracts over 16,000 students to compete and present their scientific investigations. Regionally, 16 different SciFest@College events take place at a variety of different third-level institutions across the country, with the Ramsgrange students competing in the SETU Carlow event and as well as presenting their research, they also had the opportunity to view the facilities on offer at SETU Calow as well as obtaining information on the various STEM courses available. Within the regional competition, the Ramsgrange students won Best Project Award and will now compete against the 15 other regional winners at the SciFest national finals where the projects will be evaluated by an expert panel of judges from academia, enterprise and government. Should the Ramsgrange students be the winners of the national finals, there will then be an opportunity for them to progress further and to represent Ireland at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in the USA and attend the Berlin Long Night of Science. Not only did the girls come away with the Overall Best Project Award, but the judges were so highly impressed that that they were invited to present at the SETU Evolve Research Symposium – an incredible milestone and achievement, as they were the first post-primary students ever to be invited to this prestigious event. The symposium is part of the 12th Festival of Ideas to Inspire Human Potential and featured talks from leading experts from five institutions across four countries, including: Dr. Irene Davis who is the founder of the Running Centre at Harvard Medical School, now a Professor at the University of South Florida in Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, Prof. Mark Johnson, a Professor of Pain at Leeds, Beckett University, known for his work on the nature and perception of pain, Dr. Ciaran Cosgrave who is the Director of UPMC Sports Medicine and the Institute for Health, former team doctor for the Irish Rugby Team, British and Irish Lions, Liverpool FC, and Leinster Rugby, Prof. Steffen Willwacher who is a Professor at Offenburg University, Germany, specializing in the risk of injury and overuse in sports and finally, Dr. Colin Griffin, Two-time Olympian, Olympic coach, and sport scientist with PhD research in lower limb injuries. Representing the Cries 'Til It's Chronic group, Katie and Colleen, despite being the only post-primary school students present amongst the PhD and Post Graduate students and researchers in the field of sports science and pain, held their own and earned high praise for their contributions and making lots of connections to help further and continue their research.
