Guidance & Counselling
Helping students understand themselves and shape their future
Guidance at Scoil Mhuire supports the personal, educational and vocational development of every student.
The Scoil Mhuire journey is developmental. At each stage, students encounter new choices, challenges and possibilities. Guidance helps them develop the self-knowledge, confidence and practical skills required to make informed decisions and manage important transitions.
Three connected areas
1 - Personal and social guidance
Students are supported in developing self-awareness, resilience, healthy relationships and the confidence to respond constructively to challenges.
Individual or group counselling can provide a safe, professional and respectful space in which a student may explore concerns, consider her circumstances and clarify her thoughts.
2 - Educational guidance
Students are helped to:
Understand how they learn
Reflect on their progress
Make informed subject choices
Develop effective study and organisational habits
Prepare for the changing demands of each stage of secondary school
Guidance supports students as they enter secondary school, progress through Junior Cycle and Transition Year, and prepare for Senior Cycle.
3 - Career guidance
Students receive support in researching courses, careers and progression routes, including:
University and higher education
Further education and training
Employment and workplace opportunities
Alternative and non-traditional pathways
Students are encouraged to consider their interests, values, strengths and ambitions. Guidance recognises that there is no single route to a fulfilling future and no single definition of success.
Guidance through the Senior Cycle
Transition Year: Explore
Transition Year provides valuable space for self-discovery and career exploration without the immediate pressure of state examinations.
Through the guidance programme, students begin to:
Identify their interests, strengths and values
Explore careers and employment sectors
Understand how school subjects connect with future courses and careers
Develop CV-writing and interview skills
Learn about workplace expectations and professional conduct
Reflect on work experience and other Transition Year activities
Practise decision-making, goal-setting and future planning
Work experience, projects, community involvement and contact with employers help students connect their learning with the wider world.
Fifth Year: Research and plan
In Fifth Year, guidance becomes more structured and regular. Students begin to turn general interests into informed and realistic possibilities.
The programme supports students in:
Developing greater self-awareness and confidence
Researching university courses, further education and apprenticeships
Understanding entry requirements and progression routes
Exploring career areas and labour-market information
Connecting personal strengths with possible pathways
Setting short- and long-term goals
Developing independent research and planning skills
Regular guidance helps students approach Sixth Year with a stronger understanding of their options and the steps required to pursue them.
Sixth Year: Decide and progress
Sixth Year is an important transition point. Students receive structured guidance and opportunities for individual support as they make decisions about life after school.
Support may include:
Researching CAO and UCAS options
Exploring further education and training courses
Investigating apprenticeships and employment routes
Understanding course-entry requirements
Managing application procedures and deadlines
Considering scholarships and other opportunities
Preparing CVs, personal statements and applications
Developing interview skills
Evaluating different options realistically
Creating personal action plans
Considering accommodation, budgeting and transport
The aim is informed choice: a pathway that reflects the individual student’s abilities, interests, values, circumstances and aspirations.
Learning through experience
Guidance is enriched by opportunities that allow students to encounter education and employment beyond the classroom. These may include:
Career talks and guest speakers
Open days and exhibitions
University and college visits
Work experience
Engagement with people from different professions
Online research using reliable course and career information
CV and interview workshops
These experiences help students ask informed questions, challenge assumptions and develop a broader understanding of the opportunities available to them.
Supporting wellbeing
Career and educational decisions can sometimes create uncertainty or anxiety. Guidance provides students with time, information and reassurance so that important choices do not have to be made in isolation.
Students are reminded that:
It is normal not to have everything decided immediately
Career development is an ongoing process
Plans can change as interests and circumstances develop
Asking for support is a positive and responsible step
Several different routes can lead to a rewarding future
Guidance with care and respect
Every conversation begins with the student as an individual: her strengths, her questions, her circumstances and the future she hopes to create.
Students do not need to have everything figured out before speaking with the Guidance Counsellor. A conversation is often the best place to begin.
Inclusive guidance
Guidance at Scoil Mhuire is designed to be accessible and supportive for every learner.
Information and activities may be adapted through:
Clear schedules and advance instructions
Predictable lesson structures
Written, oral and visual presentation of information
Assistive technology
Templates and step-by-step guidance
Flexible ways of participating
Additional time where appropriate
Individual or small-group support
A calm, low-stress learning environment
These approaches help ensure that students with additional educational needs, sensory differences, dyslexia, dyspraxia, social anxiety or English as an additional language can participate meaningfully in the guidance programme.