Villiers School

Villiers School FOUNDED 1821

Co-Educational Boarding & Day School

Transition Year Junk Kouture

We are a diverse School with boys and girls, boarders and day students, many nationalities, cultures and creeds. We offer a wide academic curriculum; excellent teaching facilities and we pride ourselves on small class sizes.

Headmistress’ Address It is with great pleasure that I introduce you to Villiers School. I hope you enjoy browsing these pages as an introduction to our School. Why not follow it with an actual visit and enjoy the Villiers experience first hand?

In Villiers we pride ourselves on the care we give our students. We believe education goes beyond classroom academics and we focus on the individual at a deeper level. We strive to ensure our students leave Villiers as young adults entering the world with a sense of integrity, determination, responsibility, kindness and a positive attitude towards life.

Our school was founded almost 200 years ago and seamlessly blends traditional education with a multitude of other experiences, be they on the sports field, in the world of arts and music or in personal development.

At senior level, our students choose between the Irish examination system and the International Baccalaureate.

We are proud to have alumni members in universities all over the world. We believe every individual should fulfill their potential. We aim to see our students emerge as strong characters who are ready to take their place in the world with genuine self-worth from personal and collective investment in their achievements.

We are dedicated to developing each student’s individual potential and understand that pastoral care goes hand in hand with ensuring personal success.

Please feel welcome to contact us at any time with any questions, queries or suggestions.

Jill Storey

Headmistress

Mission Statement Villiers provides a broad and balanced education within a caring community.

Our aim is to develop life and learning skills in order to face the challenges ahead with awareness and integrity.

Villiers School

Tradition & Innovation

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ased in the southwest of Ireland, less than 20Km from Shannon Airport and less than 5 minutes to all major motorways with a legacy spanning almost 200 years. Villiers is the ideal location for national and international students, alike.

Villiers management and staff promote inclusive, yet independent education, so that each student reaches his/her true potential, in a manner suited to each individual.

Having begun life as a Protestant-ethos educational facility with 30 students, Villiers is now a multi-denominational campus of over 600 students.

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With a legacy

spanning almost 200 years

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We are proud to have Olympic Gold Medallist, Daniel Ketchum, former Minister of Education, Jan O’Sullivan and NASA’s former Head of Operational Medicine, Dr. Percival McCormack, as part of our alumni.

September 2016 saw the school extend its campus to fully utilise our 14 acres with the opening of Derravoher House as a senior study facility, the processing of our Candidacy for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme and the introduction of our ITY programme.

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Villiers management

and staff promote inclusive, yet independent education, so that each student reaches his/her true potential

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International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

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illiers School is Ireland’s only authorised IBDP boarding school having been authorised in March 2017. We join other international schools which share a common philosophy – a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that we at Villiers believe is important for our students.

For over 40 years, IB programmes have gained a reputation for their high academic standards, for preparing students for life in a globalised 21st century, and for helping to develop the citizens who will create a better, more peaceful world.

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A commitment to high quality, challenging, international education

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Founded in 1968, currently there are close to 1 million IB students at 3,440 schools in 141 countries across the world. Villiers is only the second school in Ireland, and the only school outside of Dublin to offer the IB Diploma Programme.

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The only school

outside of Dublin to offer the IB Diploma Programme

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The benefits of this programme, apart from its academic rigour, are that it is transferable from country to country and school to school, so we can facilitate students who want to develop English speaking skills, who want to explore a different culture or indeed for families who need to transfer to Ireland for a short period.

Villiers ITY Programme is a preparatory year for students considering studying for the IB Diploma Programme. However, it is also open to, and we welcome, students who wish to study the Leaving Certificate programme

What to Expect

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illiers School offers day and boarding options to its students. Boarders are offered a day, weekly or fortnightly option. Currently our international boarders account for over 20% of the boarder body and includes students from Germany, Spain, China, USA, Thailand, Canada and Vietnam to name just a few.

This mix of nationalities is an asset to both academic and cultural learning and experiences. Students are housed in modern, recently refurbished dormitories with approximately six students in each dorm, and are overseen by a combination of teaching and boarding staff. The aim at Villiers is to encourage multi-culturalism while maintaining a family-style structure.

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T he right balance of a

challenging academic environment combined with socialization

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In addition to boarding and academic staff there are two rotational school nurses and the school principal lives on campus with her family, while two other residences on campus are also home to members of staff and their families. There is a real sense of belonging but an acceptance of individualism.

Teachers share the responsibility of supervising study facilities, and while the experience of each student tends to be that of living within a family, there is the right balance of a challenging academic environment combined with socialization, exercise and self-exploration.

Our varied clubs and teams includes: Hockey, Rugby, Basketball, Badminton, Crafts, Cookery, Philosophy, Debating, Gardening, Computers, Choir, Friendship, Quilting and Sewing, Metalwork and more!

Programmes of Study

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illiers offers a range of programmes for students from 12-18 years old.

Transition Year is a perfect standalone programme for students of 15 or 16 years of age. Students can avail of small group English tuition, preparation for Cambridge English exams and an Irish Cultural studies programme. An exhilarating and active outdoor pursuits programme is combined with a challenging academic programme built around project work and formative assessment tasks ensures that this is an exciting and diverse programme.

ITY is a one-year pre-IB programme.

All ITY students are expected to have attained a minimum of a B1 CEFR in English, and be a minimum of 15 years of age. ITY gives students an opportunity to taste what the IBDP

is like, to improve their English sufficiently in order to successfully engage in the IBDP and to begin developing their research and critical thinking skills by completing a significant piece of research.

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A n exhilarating and active outdoor pursuits programme is combined with a challenging academic programme

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Junior Students (12-16) can participate in our Junior Cycle/ Junior Certificate programme and can stay for 1-3 years, while Senior Students (16-18) can stay for 1-2 years and participate in either the Leaving Certificate Programme or the International Baccalaureate Programme. Small-group language and classroom support classes are provided to all students for whom English is a second language while students also have the option of preparing for Cambridge English Exams.

Testimonials Qilei - China Hello. My name is Qilei and I’m from China. I’m a Transition Year Student.

My first term has been wonderful…

The teachers are patient and my classmates are friendly.

There are many people who like to talk to me, maybe because I’m from different culture. The thing that surprised me is that there are so many kinds if subjects I can choose. Of course, I have met a lot of International Students.

They are nice. They come from all around the world. Some things they’ve said have changed my opinion about

their country. It’s a good thing. It can help me to get to know this world better and improve my language skills.

Blanca - Spain Hello, I’m Blanca from Spain! When I arrived here I was really nervous and excited at the same time. When I saw the school, I thought it was really nice. Then I met some of the students in my year and they helped me with everything.

In my school time, I try to speak as much English as I can because I’m here to improve it… I like classes because I’m in Transition Year and it’s not a year full of exams and

homework like the others. It’s more practical. After school we always do something, usually we play badminton or basketball and there’s lots to pick from.

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clothes from different shops and that was amazing.

Carlota - Brazil

do something, usually we play badminton or basketball and there’s lots to pick from

I’m Carlota and I come from Brazil. I am in Third Year and I am doing my Junior Certificate… There is a lot of hard work and lots of exams but it is a really useful experience because you learn how to focus and study as hard as possible in every subject.

During my first term of school we did lots of activities like caving, rock climbing, laser tag and others. I found them really exciting because I had never done them before! We also did a fashion show where we had to wear

My host family are really nice and I have the opportunity to do lots of horse riding. I have made lots of friends and I know people not only from Ireland but from other countries and I think it is a great experience being here.

After school we always

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Villiers School FOUNDED 1821

Co-Educational Boarding & Day School Headmistress: Jill A. Storey M.A H.Dip.Ed.(Hons), Dip.in Rem.Ed. (Hons)

Villiers School North Circular Road Limerick Telephone: +353 61 451447 / 451400 E-mail: secretary@villiers-school.com Web: www.villiers-school.com