Leaving Cert Maths Ordinary Level study tips with Jean Kelly
In the video up top she runs through Paper 1 and 2 with Study Hub host Maura Fay. Jean looks at what might come up and the best ways for students to get set.
Jean also shared six videos full of great advice and tips for Leaving Cert students sitting the exams with RTÉ Learn.
Jean has a wide breadth of experience in teaching Leaving Cert Ordinary Level Maths to students of all abilities and has been teaching in The Institute of Education for over 20 years.
Over that time, Jean has developed an unmatched track record in helping students through the Maths syllabus and brings a refreshing approach to the explanation, clarification and tuition of the Maths syllabus.
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Irish Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Education Minister defends length of school summer holidays in Ireland
The Education Minister has defended the length of schools' summer holidays, saying they offer people a chance to "take a break". Helen McEntee acknowledged that it was a challenge for parents in need of childcare, and any decision on changing the length of the school year would require a considered approach. There has been some commentary in recent weeks that the length of the school holidays – three months for secondary schools and two months for primary – are out of date, as Ireland has some of the longest school breaks in Europe. Visiting a Clondalkin primary school on Thursday, where children were taking part in a summer programme for two weeks, Ms McEntee said: "I'm here in a school where you have principals, teachers, SNAs, who are working and supporting children throughout the summer. "We've always had a particular time period for school holidays. "What we find, particularly for our secondary schools, is that they're actually coming back earlier now, in August, so the Leaving Cert results will be out from the 22nd, some students are actually in that week and, in fact, the following week is when a lot of schools are coming back. "Our teachers work hard, our schools are very active throughout the year. I think the time that's taken throughout the summer gives everybody a chance to take a break." A view of the summer programme at St Mary's Junior National School in Clondalkin, Dublin. It features baking, literacy and outdoor classes for students over the summer break. Picture date: Thursday July 24, 2025. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Grainne Ni Aodha/PA Wire The children at St Mary's Junior National School learn literacy and numerical skills, and how to bake, as part of the summer programme, which gives educational support to children, including those with special educational needs. They can also paint in the school's outdoor wooden classroom, called the sun room, which was funded by the Arts Council. Ms McEntee said 1,800 schools are taking part in the summer programme this year, including 80 special schools, a 16 per cent increase on last year. Asked if the activity of the summer programme suggested the summer break was too long, she said the programme initially began "with a particular emphasis on special education". "For children with additional needs, to have that structure and to have that focus, is really, really important. 'And I think there was an acknowledgement that to have that extra support throughout the summer is something that would be hugely beneficial, not just for the students, but also for the parents. "It's obviously since expanded, it's not just a focus on special schools or additional needs, it's a focus on our DEIS schools, making sure that where children – and it's not all children that access the programme – but if there is that need there to have that extra support, that structure throughout the summer, it's there. Education Minister Helen McEntee (left) and junior minister Emer Higgins (centre) during a visit to the summer programme at St Mary's Junior National School in Clondalkin, Dublin. It features baking, literacy and outdoor classes for students over the summer break. Picture date: Thursday July 24, 2025. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Grainne Ni Aodha/PA Wire "It's also fun. "I do acknowledge, I have to say, the challenges for parents when it comes to childcare, when it comes to the fact that in many households you have both parents working now full time, so the summer does pose challenges. "But you know, I think any changes to summer breaks, any changes to holidays, that's something that would always have to be considered in engagement and consultation with schools, with teachers, with parents, with families overall." Ms McEntee also announced a National Convention on Education, to inform a long-term strategy for primary and secondary education in Ireland. Professor Anne Looney, who will chair the convention, said in a statement she was looking forward to being involved in ensuring "we give our learners and those who work with them the best opportunities to flourish and succeed." Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
Irish Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
'She was a lady' - Ray D'Arcy battles back tears at his beloved mum's funeral
Radio and TV host Ray D'Arcy has revealed his mother Mary was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer six weeks ago. Speaking at her Funeral Mass on Wednesday, an emotional Ray fought back tears as he told mourners at St Brigid's Parish Church in Kildare Town that his mother was given 'weeks to live'. Addressing mourners, the RTE star said: 'She had some trouble over the last 18 months with her health, nothing life threatening, we thought. 'And then about six weeks ago, we got the diagnosis of an aggressive form of cancer. The doctor said, weeks then last Wednesday, they said it was going to be short days, and she didn't suffer much. 'It was funny, the staff in Naas had the measure of mammy. One of the ward nurses, Mary was her name too, actually, she said to me, 'your mother strikes me as someone who wouldn't complain.' 'She wouldn't be asking for pain relief, she said. And then Linda, another nurse, she was a palliative care nurse. She had the official name for our mother. She said, 'Your mother is an under reporter, an under reporter'. That was ma. A slight woman with a huge heart.' Ray described his mother as a 'lady' who would put every Minister for Finance to shame as she raised nine children in a house with 'very little money'. Ray D'Arcy and his wife Jenny pictured this morning at the funeral of his mother, Mary D'Arcy. (Image: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin) Mourners follow the hearse from the funeral home. (Image: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin) 'Nine children in 16 years, a lot of children, but not a lot of money. It could have broken her, you know, and probably nearly did at times, but our mother was made of strong, strong stuff. 'Her ability to manage a household budget on a meagre income would put many a Minister for Finance to shame. 'We never wanted for anything. Actually, I really don't know how she did it. I'm in awe of how she got through it. Imagine at one stage, nine of us in that little council cottage, Joan, a baby, Joe doing his Leaving Cert. 'I remember actually when mammy was pregnant with Joan, our father arrived home from the pub one night. When he went into the kitchen, mam was in tears over the sink, doing the washing up, and she complained to him that none of us were pulling our weight. 'So he returned to the sitting room. We were all in there, maybe watching The Old Grey Whistle Test or something, and he proceeded to read us the riot act. 'Your mother needs your help,' he said, 'It's not my fault your mother's pregnant,' he said. 'And if you didn't laugh, you'd cry. We all turned out reasonably okay.' Ray told how his mother was 'kind, tolerant and forgiving' who was a devout Catholic that was 'unsettled' when the church scandals emerged in recent years. 'Our mother flourished as we became independent of her…our mother was a calming presence everywhere she went. She was active all over the place. I don't know how she did it. Mary D'Arcy's remains arrive at the church. (Image: Ray D'Arcy and other family members carry his mother's remains. (Image: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin) 'She was a member of the Community Council. She was on school management boards. She was an integral part of the local history group. She led the choir here in St Brigid's church for years. 'She was a devout Catholic. The scandals really unsettled my mother, but she had a great relationship with her God. We joked, actually, over the last few days, that she's been fast tracked to heaven, the full VIP treatment, complimentary chocolates on arrival. 'Our mother, slight of stature, but big of heart was a truly good person. She was kind, she was tolerant, she was forgiving, she was a great listener, and she gave sage advice. 'She had a great memory. She never forgot a birthday of her nine children, 16 grandchildren and two great grandchildren. 'The arrival in the post of the package or card with her beautifully neat handwriting was a constant in all our lives, as was her beautiful, warm smile…a smile that was full of mother's love.' Ray also recalled the time his mother interviewed Pogues singer Shane MacGowan at her kitchen table live on the radio. 'The pioneer in conversation with the Pogues lead singer, very much not a pioneer, that shouldn't have worked at all. 'And for the first five minutes or so, it was awkward and stopped, starting. I'm sure the listeners probably felt uncomfortable. 'But then our mother, she was a huge fan of Shane McGowan. She appreciated his genius, and she'd read his biography, and then she said to him, after about five minutes, and of course, Shane, you were in the Nipple Erectors. Shane laughed that raspy laugh, and that was that they got on famously a mutual admiration society of sorts.' He said Mary 'travelled a lot in later life, she loved a good sitcom, always a good musical as well. She loved the movies, and up until a couple of years ago, she went up to Dublin every Wednesday to meet Angela or Alison to go to the cinema.' 'She was vibrant, very much young at heart. She had a beautiful energy. She was a lady. She was intelligent and insightful. She was a wonderful mother, and we were very lucky to have her. He added that just before she died last Friday morning, his sister Anne told her how much her family loved her. 'And I imagine if my mother could have talked on Friday morning, she would have said, I love you all too, equally and unconditionally. 'Our mother, Mary Darcy, was a truly amazing person, and we missed her terribly.' Symbols to the altar included hymnal 'representing mammy's devotion to and love of hymns in general', a copy of the Jesuit magazine 'The Messenger'. 'Our mother literally spread the word of God for 36 years, as she delivered The Messenger every month for 36 years.' A book of crosswords was also brought to the altar. Father Adrian Carbery told the congregation Mary was a 'lady'. He said: 'We have to say that Mary was a remarkable woman. She had a huge impact on the whole community. She lived a long life, and she lived it to the full. 'She really made a profound impact on Kildare through her involvement in so many activities around the place and her commitment to the Historical Society, her love for the drama, her weekly distributing newsletters from the parish, The Messenger magazine for years and years and years, which I think was a legacy from Sister Annunziata, she continued it on right to the very end. 'She had a great love for people,' he added. Mary was buried after her Funeral Mass in St. Conleth's Cemetery in Kildare Town. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
Irish Times
07-07-2025
- Irish Times
Carl O'Brien: ‘Why grade deflation for Leaving Cert students might not be such a bad thing'
We asked recently what you'd like to know more about in the run-up to the Leaving Cert results. Many parents are keen for more details about the impact of the postmarking adjustment for the class of 2025. 'It's unfair - why should the class of 2024 have an advantage over the class of 2025,' said one parent. 'Thousands of students from recent years will have stronger grades. Surely there is fairer system?' wrote another. There's no doubt about it: this year's students are paying for the price of Covid-era grade inflation. Students' results this year will be inflated, on aggregate, by 5.5 per cent after marking is completed. This is 1.5 per cent lower than last year's 7 per cent postmarking adjustment. This, based on our rough calculations, could be the equivalent of roughly 10-12 CAO points for a higher level student. READ MORE Why is this happening? The Minister for Education wants to gradually return Leaving Cert grades to pre-Covid norms over the course of several years to maintain the integrity of the exam results. Many students are naturally worried that they will be disadvantaged in the hunt for CAO points compared to students on bumper grades from previous years. But will it really be so bad? After digging into the numbers, there are a few reasons to believe it might not necessarily be so unfair for many students. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw 1. Lower grades may mean lower points There are several factors that influence the entry cut-off point for the CAO's round one offers in late August. They include the number of places on offer across individual courses, demand for these places and the points achieved by applicants. With so many candidates set to achieve lower points this year, on aggregate, it seems likely that CAO points will drop across many courses. Something similar happened in 2023. A particularly difficult higher level Leaving Cert maths paper meant the proportion of students who secured top grades fell significantly. For example, the proportion of students who achieved a H1 fell from 18 per cent in 2022 to 11 per cent in 2023. This meant there were thousands of fewer points washing around the system. This led to points falling across a majority – 60 per cent – of courses. More significantly, the proportion of students who secured their first-choice increased. John McGinnity, guidance counsellor with the Institute of Education, estimated at the time that the drop in the number of students who secured a H1 in maths was worth the equivalent of 20,000 points across the system. 'This drop in points had a ripple effect through the entire system given the interdependencies between courses as it cascaded down, reducing the points for those courses in the middle and lower ranges as it moved through,' McGinnity said in 2023. There is a chance, then, that with fewer points in the system this year, we could see points drop across many courses. It's not a given. In courses where there are increased applicant numbers – and no increases in places – there may be upward pressure on points. But there are reasons to be hopeful. A Leaving Certificate student checks their exam results via the online Department of Education hub. Photo: Bryan O'Brien Keywords: can leaving cert pass honours fail college education points 2. Fewer candidates with bumper results from last year The unfairness at the heart of grade deflation lies in the fact this the class of 2025 are competing against thousands of students from recent years with inflated results for the same CAO places. But how many? One higher education source tells me that data from early March shows that about 15 per cent of the 2025 CAO applicant cohort will be presenting Leaving Cert results from 2024. This is significantly down from the average of 17-18 per cent over the previous five years. These proportions are unlikely to have changed much since then, but the CAO should be able to provide more definitely data soon. How much impact this has across individual courses is another story. Either way, it is a positive indicator. Trinity College Dublin. Photograph: iStock. 3. Extra places in some courses New programmes and additional places may help to ease some points pressure across courses in very high demand such as dentistry, pharmacy and therapeutic areas this year. Last June, for example, the Government approved a significant expansion in training places for 'health and social care professions'. A total of 320 additional student places are being created in 2025 in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, radiation therapy, radiography, podiatry, social work, medical science and dietetics. In addition, there is a new dentistry course offered by the RCSI for the first time this year (20 places reserved for Irish/EU students), as well as pharmacy at University of Galway – two areas associated with sky-high entry points. Again, there is no guarantee that points will drop in these courses, but additional places are a positive indicator when it comes to easing upwards points pressure. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw 4. What's up and what's down Later this week the CAO will provide a breakdown of general course preference trends among this year's applicants following the July 1st 'change of mind' deadline. This gives a clue about what's up and what's down this year in terms of CAO points. This, in turn, gives a clue about where points requirements are likely to rise and fall. If you can't wait for that, the figures as of March this year showed that applications for college degrees in areas such as construction, engineering and architecture increased considerably in 2025. Conversely, interest in third-level courses for languages and information and communication technologies (ICT) has fallen away. In the area of health studies, school leavers applying for degrees in medicine have increased by 4 per cent; dentistry and related subject applications had a 76 per cent increase; nursery and midwifery, which are skills in high demand. How were the exams for you? We'd love to hear your feedback on this year's Leaving Cert exams: what were the hardest?; what kind of toll did it take on students?; what changes would you like to see?; are you concerned about grade 'deflation' and its impact on CAO points? Please take a few minutes to complete our survey, below, and we'll share the results soon:
