Curragh Community College
Curragh Community College wins School of Distinction: Community Award from Trinity Access, Trinity College Dublin for the second year running.
Curragh Community College has received a prestigious award from Trinity College, Dublin for the second year in succession. The ‘School of Distinction Award: Community Award’ has gone to just a handful of schools throughout the country.
This award recognises and showcases the efforts of schools nationwide to transform their school culture, to develop innovative approaches to teaching and learning and engage in a process of evaluating and identifying the needs of their students and teachers. As a Community Award winner, management and staff at Curragh Community College have demonstrated a commitment to setting relevant targets to address these needs and action student-centred programmes with the aim of embedding a college-going culture in their school. This is underpinned by the three core practices of Pathways to College, Mentoring and Leadership in Learning. This award affords the opportunity for staff member, Selina Conway, to complete a Postgraduate Diploma in 21st Century Teaching in TCD. Selina will join Danielle Doyle, who completed this course last year, in growing and diversifying the TAP Team here in the school. The award also gives the teaching community in CCC the opportunity to avail of whole-school continuous professional development.
The TAP team in the school undertook the extensive application process which entailed highlighting the hard work and perseverance of all of their colleagues and students, the collegiality amongst staff and the transformational culture of the school. Danielle Doyle is delighted for the school community, “For us, the main focus is equality of opportunity and providing more pathways for our students to third level and further education. We always encourage our students to be the best version of themselves and this award and unique partnership gives our young people the opportunity to continue to reach their potential beyond their secondary education.” Principal, Nessa Doyle, is delighted that the hard work untaken daily by the whole staff in Curragh Community College, has been recognised and honourned by Trinity College through this award. “Everything we do is geared towards opening the doors of the world to our young people. The ‘college knowledge’ which the Trinity Access Programme advocates, begins the moment a young person sets foot inside our school. Winning this award has affirmed for the whole school community that the relationships we build and nurture with our students are a key element to support our students to grow in confidence and self-belief from first year right through to the Leaving certificate and beyond”.
This year, the judges were particularly impressed by Curragh Community College’s strong commitment to leadership in learning for teachers, praising the strong encouragement from management, information sharing amongst colleagues and celebration of staff achievements. They commended the range of activities provided to showcase Pathways to College and the strong promotion of this, the internal and external mentoring programmes on offer to students, our strong links with our Business in the Community Partner, Horse Racing Ireland, the promotion of Student Voice in the school and the culture of teams and continuous professional development evident. They look forward to seeing how the school develops diversity in these programmes in the coming year.
Lisa Keane, Director of Trinity Access says, “We are delighted to recognise the innovative, leadership and community focused work that these schools have achieved in an extraordinary year. We hope to share the learning from these beacons of creativity with all our other school partners. A warm congratulations from all in Trinity Access for your courageous and creative leadership.”
Staff members from Curragh Community College will formally receive the award on behalf of the school at an Awards Ceremony in Trinity College on Thursday the 14th of October.
