You will likely be reading this as you are wondering what the Ursuline College Blackrock is like. Will it be a good fit for my daughter? Will she thrive there? Is the quality of teaching excellent? Will she be known as an individual and be able to be herself? Will her talents be encouraged and developed?
These are just some of the questions I imagine many parents ask themselves when deciding upon a post primary school for their daughter. To answer these questions, and the others you have, I encourage you to make contact with us for a visit. However, for now I would like to tell you a little about our school.
We are situated in a quiet corner of Blackrock near the marina and occupy a spacious and open campus with excellent facilities. Whilst our setting is peaceful and the girls have the luxury of space in what can be an extremely busy and fast moving world, this aspect of the school only sets the scene.
Most special about our school, is the relationships between the girls and staff. We are a relatively small school and this ensures that everyone knows everyone. No girl ever gets lost, or feels that she is just another person in a classroom. Each girl is known and valued for who she is as an individual. This personal connection is at the core of everything we do. Our staff realise that to get the most from a student, they first need to understand how they think, what motivates them and most importantly find that spark within every young person that makes them feel good about themselves. When a student knows that their personal learning journey is fully understood by the teacher, exceptional progress can be made.
Academically, each year our girls gain places at some of the best Universities in Ireland and abroad. Whilst academic results are an important marker for any school and gaining places at illustrious universities is significant, this is not our only consideration. We congratulate those girls who achieve the highest points, but also celebrate with those girls who, through hard work, guidance and excellent support, accomplish more that they first thought possible. Our results reflect our school’s passion, commitment and dedication to providing a truly outstanding education that gives our girls the very best start in life.
In addition we aim to cultivate a culture within the school where students and staff alike strive for the highest standards in everything they do – from the manner of all the staff to the work ethic and presentation of the students. Such standards breed a pride in our school and develop within the girls an inner discipline and respect that they will take with them throughout life.
We provide a rounded education to each of our girls and whilst academic endeavour remains at the school’s core, we also hope that our students contribute to the life of the school beyond the classroom. We encourage the girls to embrace all the opportunities on offer at school from art, to the choir, playing in one of our sports teams, working on a Young Scientist project, connecting with younger girls in primary schools via our outreach work, being a part of our Kenyan immersion project or raising awareness of social and environmental issues within the local community, to name but a few.
Underpinning all of what I have written here is a commitment to the Ursuline Ethos and Philosophy that has been with us ever since the school was established in 1771. We are the oldest girls school in Ireland. The Ursuline ethos ensure that our girls respect the dignity and uniqueness of each other and value the importance of courtesy and kindness. We encourage our girls to be aware of their place in society and to be active agents for change in the world. Ursuline girls are leaders.
These may seem like lofty words, but I encourage you to visit and experience the school for yourself. Come see, look around, meet our students, speak with our staff and enjoy the vibrancy of our school community.
We look forward to welcoming you.
Warm wishes,
Patrick McBeth
Principal
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