The College currently offers fourteen different home study Leaving Certificate subjects at both higher and ordinary level: Accounting, Biology, Business, Chemistry, Economics, English, French, Geography, German, History, Irish, Mathematics, Physics, Spanish. More details on all of these subjects can be found here
Virtual Classroom
Our #leaving certificate courses have been authored and designed to replace the classroom and the majority of our students would not be in main stream school. This is for a myriad of reasons – some would have health issues and others are based out of the country (we have children of diplomats and also young footballers who have been scouted and are in the UK) but they wish to continue in the Irish system. Some students just decided that they did not wish to return to school after the Junior Cycle and so we would work to support them through the Senior Cycle.
For a free information pack and College prospectus click here
Mature Students
We also work with many mature students who may need one or two subjects to gain entry to third level or perhaps would like to know more about a subject in order to help their own children through the Leaving Certificate. For example, our Irish course is extremely popular with students who need Irish at Higher Level for entry into a Masters in Primary Education. We also have many students who are studying for subjects with a view to entry requirements for the Garda, emergency services (e.g. paramedics, ambulance service, fire brigade) as well as for apprenticeships (e.g. ESB).
Extra Subject & Extra Tuition
We also support students who simply use our courses in tandem with their secondary school work as a form of extra tuition or who may wish to take an additional subject which is not available at their secondary school due to resources or a timetable clash.
Tuition
Kilroy’s College will bring the student through the syllabus for the examinations and the student is guided by their tutor who can be reached privately by email. There is no face-to-face contact with the tutors – all correspondence with the tutor is by email.
Each subject comes with a set number of lessons – each has a written assignment which must be completed and sent back to the College for correction and feedback by the tutor. In addition, students receive 1 full mock test which is sat at home under timed exam conditions and is also graded with feedback.
Text Books
Text books are purchased separately by the student – you will have received a book list upon enrolment.
Old School Style
We do ask that the students handwrite all of their written assignments. This is because the Leaving Certificate is a written examination and students will of course be marked on grammar and spelling in the examination.
Junior Certificate
We also deliver two home study Junior Certificate subjects:
English, Mathematics
These courses are designed to augment school work and the vast majority of our students use the programmes as a form of extra tuition.
It is not necessary to purchase a textbook with our Junior Certificate courses as the entire syllabus is broken down into our own study notes and lessons. However, we do recommend a textbook that may be used for extra support or guidance.
HOMEWORK
Self-Reflection Exercises
These can be found in some course Lessons. They are not to be submitted to the College for correction, but have been included to aid learning and provide self-reflection on a topic. We have included some stationery in your coursework folder so that you can jot down the answers and keep them together with the rest of your course materials.
Formal Assignments
There is one formal assignment which should be submitted to the College by the student at the end of each course Lesson for correction, feedback and grading by the tutor. This could be either a written assignment and/or an oral assignment (for leaving certificate languages).
Model Answers
Students also receive model answers for each assignment.
Predictions for Third Level
Tutors can provide predictions for UCAS if needed.
Submission of Assignments
By Correspondence
You will also find some yellow record slips in your coursework folder. If you have enrolled as a correspondence student (postal delivery) then please attach one completed slip to each submission and post it back into the College – together with a self-addressed envelope (SAE) – with €2.20 postage attached.
Online
If you are based abroad and are registered as an online Leaving Certificate student emailing in your work please just type your student number and subject into the subject line of the email, before attaching your work (scanned, hand written assignments) as a word document.
Oral Assignments for Languages
These should be recorded in a sound file (either off a mobile device or laptop/desktop) and emailed into the College please. Email to online@kilroyscollege.ie and please write your student number and the lesson number in the subject line of your email.
Time Effort
Students would enrol in and work towards an exam year – i.e. currently 2017 or 2018. Each course is valid for up to 24 months (but this can be extended if need be by a few months and there is no extra charge for this service).
Each course can be completed in as little as 6 months however and each subject would require approximately 200 hours of time effort – including additional reading – (depending on the level of any previous knowledge).
2 STEPS TO REGISTERING TO SIT THE LEAVING CERTIFICATE
External Candidates (i.e. those not on a role book in secondary school in Ireland)
There is a two-step process to registering as an external candidate to sit the examinations.
Step 1
In order to physically sit the Leaving Certificate examination the student must first gain confirmation from a secondary school (if they are not currently enrolled in a secondary school in Ireland) that they agree to allow them to sit the exam in their school/exam centre.
We advise our students to organise this before Christmas as this information will be needed in the New Year for Step 2.
Step 2
Then as an external candidate you must also register with the State Examinations Commission (SEC) in the January/February before you intend to take the exam. You will find details on their website
Registration Fee Payable
There is a fee payable by external candidates to the SEC. In 2016 the fee payable to the SEC for first time entry for 1 subject was €71 or to repeat 1 subject was €116 as a guideline (fees capped at 3+ subjects). Students then go into the school as any other candidate and sit the aural, oral and written examinations. They will receive their results through the SEC however and not through the school.
If the student is currently enrolled in a secondary school in Ireland they can ask the school Principal to add them to the exam roll for their extra subject(s) – this is usually done in the November of the year before the examinations – and in that way would not need to register as an external candidate.
“Stick at It”
Studying from home can be challenging. You will need to be self-motivated and organised. Your College tutor will support you throughout your learning journey, but only YOU can do the work and put the time in to ensure a positive outcome in the examinations.
In particular learning a new language from scratch is not easy – there will be challenges along the way. If it was easy everyone would be doing it. However, it is important to “stick at it” – even when the going gets tough. Anyone can learn a new subject if they put a little effort in and the rewards of achieving your goal or being able to converse in a foreign language will be worth the time spent mastering it.
KILROY’S COLLEGE TEAM
Tutor Support
Don’t be afraid to reach out to your tutor who can be contacted privately by email at tutor@kilroyscollege.ie with any query on coursework. You will be given your tutor’s name upon enrolment.
Student Services Team
Our Student Services team (managed by Lisa Wright and Rosarii Kelly) at the College can also be contacted by phone (01) 639 4660 or by email studentservices@kilroyscollege.ie with any Leaving Certificate administrative query – however big or small.