Ethos
Our Lady’s School was founded in 1953 by the Religious of Christian Education.
Our Mission Statement
Our Lady’s School is a community that embraces Christian values. The education it provides is rooted in a deep sense of faith.
We aim to create a positive inclusive environment which enables everyone to reach their full potential. We promote mutual respect within the school community and strive to provide a happy and secure atmosphere which fosters a love of learning.
We encourage the development of the whole person, by fostering the personal, spiritual and moral development of every student. The realisation of individual talents and academic excellence is paramount.
We aim to create a friendly, healthy, safe and caring environment which affirms our pride in the school.
We promote the development of the necessary skills so that students may become responsible members of society. It is our wish to see every student leave Our Lady’s School with moral integrity and a heightened sense of social conscience.
Academic excellence
The pursuit of academic excellence is one of the 4 central pillars in Our Lady’s School. Academic excellence is identified with achieving academic goals and reaching one’s academic potential. Success is not simply measured by grades but is defined by how well our students have grown in their intellectual, emotional, social and ethical development during their years in Our Lady’s.
The achievement of academic excellence is a process of both formal and informal education inside and outside the classroom to develop a student’s individual talents. For a student to achieve they must balance the demands of study with physical activity and a focus on their own wellbeing. The holistic development of our students is a priority within the school.
We provide support and resources to our students to enhance academic achievement and to prioritise students’ wellbeing. To assist the development of academic excellence throughout the school we academically track all of our students. When needed identified students are given extra assistance and support. Senior cycle students engage with their own individual academic tracking booklet to help them achieve their academic goals. Staff mentors also work with 6th year students helping them to maximise their potential. Numerous other supports are provided to give all our students every opportunity to achieve academic excellence in Our Lady’s.
Wellbeing
‘Student wellbeing is present when students realise their abilities, take care of their physical wellbeing, can cope with the normal stresses of life, and have a sense of purpose and belonging to a wider community.’ Guidelines for Wellbeing in Junior Cycle, NCCA
There is a strong tradition in Our Lady’s School of focusing on student wellbeing. Wellbeing is at the heart of both curricular and extra-curricular experiences in school. Wellbeing is now identified as a clear area of learning within the new Junior Cycle Framework, which is a welcome development and one which supports much of the work done in Our Lady’s School.
All Junior students partake in PE, SPHE, CSPE and Pastoral Care classes while all Senior students engage in PE, Guidance and Pastoral Care. These classes explicitly address important, age-appropriate areas of Wellbeing. All students are also involved in rich Wellbeing programmes through the Year and House systems.
Supporting the curricular emphasis on Wellbeing, we offer a wide array of co-curricular and extra-curricular opportunities for students. Student suggestions for new additions to these programmes are always welcome. We encourage all students to get involved in aspects of school life outside of class time as we firmly believe that these experiences allow students to develop a sense of belonging and agency in an environment that values their individual talents and interests and that gives them the opportunity to pursue and nurture them.
You will find more information about Wellbeing in Our Lady’s School on the Wellbeing, Guidance and Extra-curricular pages.
House
The House System
As soon as a student begins her first year, she becomes a member of one of five houses: St Brigid’s, St Colmcille’s, St Laurence’s, St Patrick’s or St Muireann’s House. She becomes a member of a form class with the other members of her house in her year group (i.e. B1, C1, L1, M1 or P1). She will remain in this house with other house members (one class from each year group) throughout her school career. The house system focuses on wellbeing and belonging, building school identity and providing an extended family within the school community. The houses meet at least twice a month and partake in learning experiences based on the indicators of wellbeing. Houses also meet throughout the year for various inter-house competitions!
In her form class group, each student has her own Form Teacher, 6th Year Councillor and Year Head. The Form Teacher and Sixth Year Councillor meet with their class daily, providing guidance and support. Additionally the year group, as a whole, meets twice monthly with their Year Team for year group activities based on wellbeing.
Meet our 6th Year leaders for 2024-25 below:
Left to right:
Clara (C House Captain), Anna (M House Captain), Katie (Sports Captain), Rachel (Head Girl), Maria (Deputy Head Girl), Louisa (B House Captain), Ella (L House Captain), Saibh (P House Captain).
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