Garbally College

The Guidance Service in Garbally College is managed by the Guidance Counsellor, Roisin Mc Sharry. The Guidance Counsellor collaborates with the School Principal, Deputy Principal, Year Heads, Pastoral Care Team, The Special Educational Needs Coordinator and the school Chaplain to plan, manage, deliver and evaluate the three main areas of learning in Guidance during the six years in Post Primary Schools within the Whole School Guidance Plan (School Policy Document 2019) and NCGE: A Whole School Guidance Framework (NCGE 2017).

The role of the Guidance Counsellor may be defined as the full range of interventions made to assist students make certain choices about their lives. The Guidance Counsellor, as part of a school team, focuses primarily on the personal and social, educational and vocational development of the students. A holistic approach to Guidance provision is essential to ensure all students have “access to appropriate Guidance” (9 (C) Education Act.1998). The Guidance Counsellor is a member of an overall educational team. Furthermore, the Guidance Counsellor, in conjunction with staff and management, will be central to and supportive of pastoral teams and policies which attempt comprehensively to deal with in-school issues e.g. anti-bullying, substance abuse, crisis response, bereavement, child protection, promotion of well-being and relationship building. Guidance should be considered as a process, to evolve over time, reflecting the needs of all students, available resources and contextual factors. 

THREE DOMAINS OF LEARNING IN GUIDANCE

1. DEVELOPING MYSELF

2. DEVELOPING MY LEARNING

3. DEVELOPING MY CAREER PATH

It includes sequential activities, organised and implemented as a collaborative effort by all school partners in order to ensure that it reflects the identified needs of students. Counselling is a key part of the school guidance programme, offered on an individual or group basis as part of a developmental learning process and at moments of personal crisis. Counselling includes personal counselling, educational counselling, career counselling or combinations of these.

Classroom Guidance is timetabled one class period per week in TY, 5th and 6th year.

Guidance is provided to Incoming First Years at key times in their transition. The Guidance Counsellor works as part of a transition team alongside the Year Head, the Deputy Principal, the Pastoral Care team and the SEN team to facilitate a smooth transition from primary to Post Primary Level for all students. The Guidance Counsellor works closely with the SPHE coordinator to ensure all areas of guidance are delivered in Junior Cycle Wellbeing. The Guidance Service is a dynamic service in Garbally. It adapts to the changing needs of the students as part the the School Self Evalutaion policies. Table below are the key measures that guide guidance for all, somme and few. 

Career Guidance & Counselling

• St. Joseph’s College incorporates a taster programme, which includes teaching and learning in all 8 elective subjects for the Junior Certificate during the first 8 weeks of first year. Before selecting their 3 elective subjects, the Guidance Counsellor will address all First Year students in class and at an educational/career assembly for students and their parents/guardians. During this assembly, the Guidance Counsellor will disseminate key information about early subject choice in regard to matriculation at Third Level. The Guidance Counsellor will also deliver a presentation on the CAT 4 (Cognitive Abilities Test 4) and inform students and parents about using the CAT 4 parents report as an extra resource for educational decisions.

• The Guidance Counsellor will address Transition Year students and Third Year students going straight to Fifth Year after Third Year at an educational/career assembly for students and their parents/guardians outside of school hours. During this assembly, the Guidance Counsellor will disseminate key information about subject choice within the school, subject curriculum and methods of assessment, learning styles and curriculum skills emphasis in relation to aptitude testing and implications for subject choice.

• In Sixth Year, the Guidance Counsellor will deliver a career talk outside of school hours to accommodate parents/guardians which will cover specific issues such as transition to work, further education and third level education. This talk will include essential information on the CAO process, the PLC process and the Apprenticeship programme.

• The Guidance Counsellor will advise students' about completion of UCAS applications for Higher Education in the UK

• The Guidance Counsellor will devise specific interventions where appropriate for students’ pursuing an apprenticeship.

• Being available to pupils who have left the school to offer advice after the Leaving Certificate results have been issued, i.e. the day of the Leaving Certificate results day, round 1 of CAO offers and at the beginning of the new school term.

Educational Guidance and Counselling

• The Guidance Counsellor assists the Special Education Needs Coordinator (SENCO) in assessing incoming students prior to the student’s entry to the school. The information gathered is used in conjunction with Learning Support and the Pastoral Care Team to initiate support services or request further assessment as soon as possible for the student.

• Liaising with the Principal, Year Heads, the SENCO and subject teachers concerning pupils who require intervention.

• Assist the SENCO with RACE applications for Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate. This will include psychometric test administration and feedback.

• Counselling interventions for study techniques, educational planning and personal organisation.

• Liaise with the SENCO to identify students requiring further attention. • Providing guidance and information to students and parents at appropriate stages in their educational progress during timetabled guidance and school talks outside school e.g. Implications for choosing to study at higher and ordinary levels in subjects, Junior Cycle subject choice and senior cycle subject choice.

• Liaise with Year Heads when students are opting to change subject levels at Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle. Offer educational counselling when appropriate. Record students’ decisions and ensure parental consent is recorded in each student file.

Develop and tailor group and individual interventions to build academic self-concept amongst students especially in the area of academic self-efficacy. The Guidance Counsellor has many roles in the job. One of the main roles is seen as an academic self-efficacy builder. The objectives of the guidance programme are not only framed by reference to the legislative requirements, but are also referenced by good practice developed by the IGC and the National Centre for Guidance in Education (NCGE). Guidance in the school is viewed as a holistic process which begins prior to the entry of the student into St. Joseph’s College and concludes after the student has left the school.