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Leaving Cert Vocational Programme
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Leaving Cert Vocational Programme

The Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP) is an optional, two year, academic and experience-based programme, available in Presentation Secondary School Castleisland.

Candidates following the LCVP take a specified range of Leaving Certificate (Established) subjects as well as a formal and practical programme called the Links Modules. The Links Modules consists of compulsory work experience and enterprise activity together with personal vocational exploration and substantial use of information technology.

The Leaving Certificate Vocational is designed to give a strong vocational dimension to the Leaving Certificate. The programme combines the virtues of academic study with a new and dynamic focus on self-directed learning, enterprise, work and the community. Young people taking the LCVP have a unique opportunity to develop their interpersonal, vocational and technological skills. These skills are equally relevant to the needs of those preparing for further education, seeking employment or planning to commence their own business in the future.

 

Programme Requirements

Before a student qualifies to study L.C.V.P. she must have:

  • A minimum of five Leaving Certificate subjects including Irish, two of which must be from one of the Vocational Subject groupings listed below.
  • Students are required to have a Modern European Language other than English and Irish.
  • (Students with special dispensation for Irish or another language may also qualify)

 

Specialist Groupings

There are 16 specialist groupings in total and these are reviewed yearly. The groupings are subjects which complement each other.

1 Construction Studies; Engineering; Design and Communication Graphics; Technology  – Any Two

2 Physics and Construction Studies or Engineering or Technology or Design & Communication Graphics

3 Agricultural Science and Construction Studies or Engineering or Technology or Design & Communication Graphics

4 Agricultural Science and Chemistry or Physics or Physics/Chemistry

5 Home Economics; Agricultural Science; Biology – Any Two

6 Home Economics and Art – Design Option or Craft Option

7 Accounting; Business; Economics – Any two

8 Physics and Chemistry

9 Biology and Chemistry or Physics or Physics/Chemistry

10 Biology and Agricultural Science

11 Art – Design Option or Craft Option and Design & Communication Graphics

Services Groupings
12 Engineering or Technology or Construction Studies or Design & Communication Graphics and Accounting or Business orEconomics

13 Home Economics and Accounting or Business or Economics

14 Agricultural Science and Accounting or Business or Economics

15 Art  Design or Craftwork Option and Accounting or Business or Economics

16 Music and Accounting or Business or Economics

 

General Aims

The general aims of the course are to enable students to:

  • Realise the vocational potential of their Leaving Certificate subjects
  • Become self-confident, innovative and resourceful
  • Acquire attitudes and skills appropriate to adult life, the world of work and enterprise
  • Explore career opportunities in areas relevant to their vocational subject grouping and personal aspirations
  • Interact and learn from adults in the community
  • Utilise local business and community enterprises as learning resources

 

The Course

The LCVP or Link Modules course is made up to two parts:

  1. Preparation for the World of Work
  2. Enterprise Education

 

Assessment

There are two types of assessment in L.C.V.P.

Portfolio of Coursework
The portfolio is worth 60% of the total marks and is made up of work completed over the two years. Each student is expected to submit all of the Core items listed below and two of the four optional items.

Examination Paper
The examination is worth 40% of the total marks.

Section A: Audio-visual Presentation

Section B: Case Study (received in advance by the students)

Section C: General Questions (four out of six to be completed)

Students of LCVP receive a grade of Distinction, Merit or Pass. Points applicable are as follows: Distinction (66 points) Merit (46 points) Pass (28 points).