In Loreto Wexford, the Leaving Certificate Applied programme is taken as an alternative to the mainstream established Leaving Certificate. The Leaving Certificate Applied programme is a two-year Leaving Certificate programme aimed at preparing students for adult and working life. The programme sets out to recognise the talents of all students and to provide opportunities for developing personal responsibility, self-esteem and self-knowledge, and helps students apply what they learn to the real world.
Unlike the established Leaving Certificate, which focuses on a terminal exam for which CAO points are awarded, the Leaving Certificate Applied gives credits to students which are assessed throughout the two years of the programme consisting of four half-year blocks called sessions.
Assessment
Assessment takes place on the completion of modules, and there is also a final examination in each of the following areas:
- English and Communication
- Two vocational specialisms
- Mathematical Applications
- Language
- Social Education
Students who successfully complete the programme are awarded a Leaving Certificate from the Department of Education and Science. The certificate is awarded at three levels: Pass; Merit; and Distinction.
Graduates of the programme can obtain places on one or two year post Leaving Certificate courses. These places, in some cases, are conditional on the quality of the overall result obtained from the course. Other graduates get jobs, either as apprentices or in places where they have previously done work experience.
The key aspect of the Leaving Certificate applied is that it allows students, who have struggled within the education system up to the Junior Certificate, to find a way of learning that works for them. The LCA programme gives these students the confidence to continue after the Leaving Certificate onto a PLC course and then onto further third level education, a situation that many would have thought impossible when facing the Junior Certificate exams.
More details of the programme can be sought from programmecoordinator@loretowexford.com
LCA WORK PLACEMENT
LCA work placement provides invaluable
learning opportunities for students and are often referred
to by them as one of the highlights of their school year.
Work placements allow students to not only learn about
the world of work and explore possible career options
but also to actively develop skills for future enterprise
and employability