Principal's Address

Ciaran Hartigan

“I feel very privileged to be leading such a unique and dynamic school, heading up a dedicated and professional staff with decades of collective educational experience.”

I am delighted to welcome you to The Dublin Academy of Education website and I would like to thank you for your interest in our school. I feel very privileged to be leading such a unique and dynamic school, heading up a dedicated and professional staff with decades of collective educational experience.

As outlined in our Mission Statement, here at The Academy, we strive to provide all of our students with an exemplary educational experience in an environment where they feel cared for, listened to and respected. Our students are at the centre of everything we do and their emotional and academic wellbeing are our foremost consideration. I am keenly aware of the significant role a school atmosphere plays in both personal and academic success and that is why we pride ourselves on promoting an atmosphere of mutual respect between both students and staff.

Ciaran Hartigan presents 625 points award on behalf of the Dublin Academy of Education

Students here at The Academy embrace our Mission Statement. They foster positive relationships with one another and with staff. The Academy student is one who is able to self-motivate and manage themselves. Here, our aim is to develop students who are mature and take responsibility for their own education, who are college-ready by the time they leave us. We encourage students to choose subjects that they will enjoy and that appeal to them, subjects that they are likely to continue to study in some capacity after their Leaving Certificate exams. Accordingly, we provide a wide range of subject options so that students can tailor their own Leaving Certificate programme that draws on their own individual strengths and interests.

Katie Lenehan teaching at The Dublin Academy of Education

Apart from our students, the greatest strength we have here at The Academy are our teachers, and I am incredibly proud to be a part of that team. One quality we value above all else in our teachers is their passion, both for their subject and for their students’ education. Each subject teacher provides a year plan which sets out what will be achieved in each class period. This is further supported with a schedule of assessment which is communicated to students at the start of the year and provides regular opportunities for students to develop their exam techniques and receive valuable feedback from their teachers. It is a pleasure to lead such an enthusiastic and well-organised group of professionals who are fully committed to our students’ success.

Ciaran Hartigan talking to students at The Dublin Academy of Education

As principal, my primary role is to promote student performance and welfare. I aim to foster positive relationships between the school and our educational partners, especially our parents. I accomplish this through regular communication and interaction with students and parents. We are a listening school and that listening begins with me. I am firmly committed to the idea that improvement, both personal, academic and professional, comes from honest reflection and a willingness to change. At The Academy, we imbue our students with this philosophy, that they may go out into the world stronger, happier and more fearless people.