School Guidance Counselling in St Aidan's Community School has three areas of practice:
Educational Guidance:
This involves standardized testing before coming into St Aidan's in sixth class and again in fifth year. Helping you with studying, exam worries, deciding what subjects to pick in first year and fifth year options, deciding on whether to do Higher or Ordinary level in Junior Cert. / Leaving Cert., and choosing which Leaving Certificate programme to do - Leaving Certificate Applied or Traditional Leaving Certificate.
Career Guidance:
Career guidance involves helping students decide on a future career or course of study. These decisions are complex and take a lot of time, energy, research and commitment from the student.
The guidance counsellor’s job is to help you decide what you want from the many choices available to you. The guidance counsellor will never make that decision for you. You will always have the final say.
The Guidance Counsellor may use several online and paper interest tests together with a series of aptitude and personality tests to help you decide on a career / a job / a college / a course that will suit you. Presentation and information sessions are arranged for students and parents on Applying to UCAS, CAO, PLC colleges and Apprenticeships and applying for SUSI grants. Guest speakers, career events, open days, careers fairs and access programmes in conjunction with UCD and TU Tallaght are coordinated by the Guidance Department in fifth and sixth year.
Personal Guidance (Counselling):
Personal Counselling is available to any student who wishes to discuss personal difficulties. Sometimes reassurance and encouragement is all that is needed, at other times difficulties may be more complex and may require ongoing support. Issues such as bullying, problems with friends, problems settling into your class, worrying about friends or family members, etc. are examples of issues which the Guidance Counsellor or a member of the care team can help students with. In the case where more complex issues arise, students can be guided in referring to outside agencies in consultation with parents/guardians.
Many Thanks to Ms.AnneMarie McDonnell for all the information.