Guides
Practical, up-to-date guides on every route through Irish education and into work. Written to be read in minutes, not hours.
Why Our School Is Moving to CourseCompass for 2026/27
We're switching our guidance department to CourseCompass's School Package this year. Here's what convinced me, what it actually includes, and what it costs.
What This Year's CAO Points Actually Teach Our 5th Years
Points rose on 627 courses in 2026 even though grades fell. A guidance counsellor on why that happened, and the lesson worth teaching now, a full year before it matters.
CAO Round 2, 2026: What the Numbers Are Actually Telling Us
3,428 Round 2 offers, 184 courses down on Round 1, and a reply deadline of Wednesday. A guidance counsellor's read on what actually moved this week.
The 5 Tools I Would Recommend to Every Guidance Counsellor in Ireland
A working guidance counsellor's toolkit: five websites and platforms that make Irish career guidance conversations better — and how to use each one.
The CAO Points System Is Somehow More Complicated Than It Needs to Be
A teacher on why students struggle to work out their own CAO points — and an open feature request for a predicted points calculator.
The Leaving Cert Is Changing, and Students Need to Know What That Actually Means
Senior Cycle Redevelopment explained: which subjects change when, what the new assessment structures mean, and the questions every student should be asking.
Starting 5th Year in 2026? Here Are the Things You Actually Need to Know
A guidance counsellor's practical advice for students entering Senior Cycle in September 2026 — what's changing, what to focus on, and why you don't need your whole future figured out.
What I Actually Want Students to Bring to a Guidance Meeting
You don't need answers before a guidance appointment — you need questions. A counsellor on how to get real value from a guidance meeting.