The Trinity Acces Schools of Distinction award is given to schools that promote and strive for a college-going culture in their school in partnership with parents, students, staff, and the wider community. We have been successful in securing that award for our school for three years running and are hopeful to retain it this year and into the future. Our portfolio is aligned with our whole school guidance plan and can be viewed on Padlet here.
The three categories under which a school applies for the award are Pathways to College, Mentoring and Leadership in Learning. Under these three core practices, Stepaside Educate Together Secondary School is aiming to make our school a positive learning environment in which all students can flourish and achieve their potential and go on to education and training after their time in school.
We are incredibly proud as a young school to have this recognition from Trinity College and look forward to many years of all our students flourishing academically, personally, and vocationally no matter what their calling.
Just some of the activities already undertaken over the past two years, as well as ongoing initiatives we have in place to work towards this, include: campus visit to UCD for Maths Week; a workshop delivered by a senior lecturer from IADT on coding for all 3rd years; classroom activities for College Awareness Week; 1st-year Subject Choice fair with teachers and 2nd and 3rd-year student and subsequent parents' information evening; our Bridge 21 model of learning; College Awareness PBL week; daily technology-mediated learning; Relationship Keepers peer mediation and Student Council leadership... the list goes on.
If any parents, students or college staff have any ideas on building and promoting a college-going culture in our school please don't hesitate to contact our Guidance Counsellor, Alice on aoconnor@stepasideetss.ie 😊