Private Boarding School in Ireland

St Columba's College, Dublin:
Founded in 1843, St Columba's College is a co-educational boarding school of 300 pupils, aged 11 to 18, in a beautiful setting at the foothills of the mountains overlooking Dublin Bay. We are seven miles south of Dublin city centre. We do have local day pupils, but about 80% of pupils are seven-day boarders. The pursuit of academic excellence is the everyday priority of our highly qualified professional staff. There are 38 full-time members of the teaching staff for the 300 pupils, and the resulting overall pupil-to-staff ratio of under 10-to-1 means small classes and close individual attention. In regular formal staff meetings, individuals' academic problems are discussed. The academic progress of each pupil is at all times closely monitored.

Irish Junior Certificate, Irish Leaving Certificate, Transition Year Programme. At the end of each term, all pupils in all subjects sit full-scale formal internal examinations. (The Leaving and Junior Certificate examinations replace these for Forms VI and III in June). Following these, detailed results and reports are sent to parents.

Drama is an integral part of our college life. Facilities include a well-equipped stage, an adjoining purpose-built Drama Room and a large collection of costumes. Pupils in every year are involved in an annual production of some sort, and there are also performance technique workshops for those in Forms II and IV. As well as learning specific performance-related skills, drama allows pupils to build self-confidence, character and social skills, and to work as part of a team whether on- or off-stage. Gaining confidence and skill in speaking and performing in front of large groups is an end in itself, but several of our recent leavers have also gone on to pursue a variety of drama-related courses. There is an extremely active Video Drama group which involves pupils of all ages.

Drama Dublin has a thriving theatre scene and visits to current productions are made as part of the English and Irish Studies courses, and by the Shakespeare Society.

The opportunities for involvement in organised drama through the school are as follows:

Year I - Form Play
Year II- Action Track workshops, Form Play, Junior Play
Year III - Junior Play, Language Plays
Year IV - Junior Play, Senior Play, Action Track showbuild, St.Andrew's Festival, TYP drama module.
Year V - Senior Play, Language Plays, St Andrews Festival
Year VI - Senior Play