Retention

Below you will find information on our DEIS plan for Retention. The co-ordinator for this pillar is Louise O'Toole.

Rationale for our Retention Targets:

These Retention targets have been identified and developed by us to highlight and address barriers that can prevent students from remaining engaged with and completing their education here at Mercy Inchicore. We believe that retention is a core measure of school effectiveness, and increasing retention rates supports improved life opportunities for our students, most of whom come from a community where educational disadvantage has historically impacted progression and outcomes. Our targets focus on Transition Year (TY), Junior Cycle, and Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) because these stages represent key transition points where students are most likely to disengage or leave school prematurely.

We as a staff strongly believe that early identification and support for students exhibiting low attendance, poor engagement, or behaviour concerns at Junior Cycle are crucial to keeping them connected to school. Interventions tailored through collaborative supports such as SCP, HSCL, Year Heads etc. instill a sense of belonging and help mitigate the risk of dropout at this foundational stage. 

In addition, TY plays a significant role in developing student confidence, independence and engagement with learning. Supporting students to remain in TY helps to build resilience and academic ownership, which research shows can reduce the likelihood of early school leaving and improve senior cycle retention.

The LCA programme here in Mercy Secondary School provides a practical, achievement-focused environment for students. Setting a clear target to improve retention in LCA acknowledges the diversity of our students and ensures that students who benefit from alternative methodologies and assessment modes are supported to complete the programme successfully.

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