Your son or daughter has the option to study Occupational Studies either within St Malachy's or within SERC Downpatrick as part of their GCSE pathway.

What is Occupational Studies?

Occupational Studies is equivalent to TWO GCSE's over a two-year programme. The course has been designed to appeal to learners who may be better suited to developing their skills in a more practical, occupationally orientated environment as opposed to traditional GCSE’s that are heavily exam based.

What does my son/daughter have to do in order to achieve 2 GCSE’s?

Students will have to complete two units in Year 11 and two units in Year 12. Each unit involves 60% practical assessment, 20% recall of knowledge learned and 20% evaluation of work completed. Students can access grades from A*- G.

What is the difference between studying Occupational Studies at St Malachy's and SERC?

Students who attend SERC may have more options on what units they study. Due to Curriculum and Timetable constraints, students within St Malachy's will only be able to study the set units below.

When will my son/daughter attend SERC?

They will attend every Monday in Year 11 and every Friday in Year 12. Students who stay within St Malachy’s will also have all of their Occupational Studies classes on these days.

How will my son/daughter travel to attend SERC?

Students will go to SERC via Translink. They can still use EA provided bus passes and an additional bus pass with the pupil’s photo and EA specialist transport if required.

Are St Malachy's still involved with SERC?

Yes, a member of our senior leadership team will meet the students at SERC each week to register the students before they begin their day. SEN support is also provided at SERC using current St Malachy’s staff.

How can I find out more information?

All students who express an interest in attending SERC will be invited to a parent’s information session before the end of this year in order to go through specific details and arrangements. In the mean time you can type CCEA OCCUPATIONAL STUDIES MICROSITE in to google for all the specific information of the course.

Is this decision absolutely final as we are still undecided?

At the minute we are looking for an expression of interest for where you feel your son/daughter would most likely achieve their full potential. Then over the next few weeks our KS3 Team, SENCO, Careers Adviser and SLT will be analysing each individuals profile to see where we feel the student is best suited. You will then be contacted so that a final collaborative decision can be made.