Assessment on entry

Students are assessed for academic potential on entry to the College. This information is available to the Guidance Counsellor, the Principal, the Deputy Principal and/or the Dean for diagnostic purposes as the student moves through the school. Learning difficulties are confidentially disclosed to the relevant teachers, and a programme of learning support is available at junior cycle.

Regular assessments

The academic progress of each student is assessed regularly by each of his teachers through the giving of regular written and/or non-written homework (which will take whatever form is considered best for the subject involved), through regular class tests, and through any other means that may be considered effective (e.g. project work, portfolios etc.).
Students receive as much feedback as possible on these different assessments (e.g. homeworks are corrected, projects are graded), and ways are sought by the school to reinforce excellent work and outstanding effort during the course of the year (e.g. praise, commendation slips, prizes, awards).
Although such assessment takes place regularly throughout the year, the public and published assessment of academic performance in classes (other than 4th year) takes the form of Christmas and Summer House examinations. The Transition Year students (4th year) undergo different assessments over the course of the year.
Students in 3rd, 6th and 7th year sit a "mock" examination in March, the results of which are used to decide on the levels that the student will take in the state examinations in June.
Students who fail their examinations may be required to re-sit the examination