Department Members:
Ellen Vaughan, Grace Leddy & Helena Tierney
Department Co-ordinator: Ellen Vaughan
Provision of the subject in the school
Home Economics is taught at Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle. We follow the Department of Education specification for Junior Cycle and the Leaving Certificate syllabus at Senior Cycle Transition Year students have 4 periods per week for an 8-week module. Units of work, consisting of both practical and theory elements, are designed by teachers for Transition Year students. The subject is taught at Higher and Ordinary level at Leaving cert and common level at Junior Cycle. Junior Cycle students have four class periods per week, usually one double of practical work and two single periods. Senior cycle students have two double and one single class periods a week.
Facilities:
We have two equipped specialist rooms, one which is used for cookery and the other for textile and craft work.
Planning and Preparation
Department meetings are formally held at the beginning and end of each term. Informally, we discuss department matters daily.
Resources:
The Textiles and Craft Room is equipped with twelve sewing machines and a wide range of textiles equipment to support students during practical classes. All Home Economics classrooms are equipped with a teacher computer and projector, and the integration of ICT into teaching and learning is strongly promoted within the department.
This year, the Home Economics department also gained access to a new laptop trolley, further enhancing opportunities for digital learning and student engagement. These devices are used to support research, project work, assignment preparation, and the development of digital literacy skills. The internet is regularly utilised for investigating Leaving Certificate assignments, researching creative craft designs, and supporting independent learning.
Text Books:
Junior Cycle students use the @Home Book by Eilis Flood. Senior Cycle students use Complete Home Economics (2nd Edition) by Laura Healy. Transition Year students use the Now You’re Cooking recipe and evaluation book by Julie-Anne Behan and Brenda Fallon Hyland.
Common Assessment:
All students across each year group sit common Christmas and summer examinations to ensure consistency in assessment and monitoring of student achievement. For Junior Cycle students, assessment also includes the ongoing monitoring of conduct, progress, and homework on a term basis.
Leaving Certificate students complete monthly class assessments, with results reviewed regularly to monitor progress and identify areas requiring additional support. In Fifth Year, all students complete the mandatory Food Studies Journal, which involves research and investigation into a range of culinary topics. Each research task is supported by a practical cookery activity designed to reinforce and apply the learning outcomes explored.
Students complete four Food Studies assignments throughout the year, which are submitted digitally through a coursework journal. This journal constitutes 20% of the overall Leaving Certificate grade in Home Economics.
In-service Professional Development is undertaken during the year. All teachers in the department are members of the ATHE (Association of Teachers of Home Economics). Local and National association meetings were attended this year.
Teaching and Learning
Junior Cycle
1st Year: This year, First Year students explored a wide range of learning outcomes from the new Junior Cycle Home Economics specification through a variety of engaging activities and practical projects. At the beginning of the year, students developed their knowledge and understanding of nutrition, diet, and healthy eating principles while also building essential practical cookery skills. Throughout the year, they prepared a variety of dishes including apple crumble, sponge cakes, scones etc.
As part of Seachtain na Gaeilge, students participated in a baking competition where they decorated their baked goods using Irish language themes and phrases to help promote and celebrate the Irish language throughout the school community. This activity encouraged creativity, teamwork, and a positive appreciation of Irish culture and language in a fun and engaging way.
As part of their textiles module, students learned a range of creative stitching techniques while also developing an appreciation for the sustainable use and reuse of textiles. Students further showcased their creativity and design skills through an interior design project where they designed and constructed their “dream bedroom” using a shoebox model.
2nd Years: Second Year students engaged with a wide range of learning outcomes from the Junior Cycle Home Economics specification throughout the year. A significant emphasis was placed on nutrition, health, and wellbeing, particularly in the area of diet-related diseases. Students explored conditions such as obesity, coronary heart disease, diabetes, coeliac disease, and high blood pressure in considerable detail through the use of case studies, group work, food label analysis, and class discussions. They developed an understanding of the causes, effects, prevention, and dietary management of these conditions while also examining the importance of making informed and responsible food choices.
Students further developed their practical cookery skills through the preparation of a variety of dishes including chicken stir-fry, vegetable curry, vegetable soup, macaroni cheese, brown bread, and apple tart. Practical lessons encouraged students to apply healthy eating guidelines, safe and hygienic food practices, and sustainable approaches to food preparation.
Throughout the year, students also explored topics including diet through the life cycle, cooking methods and techniques, consumer protection, health and wellbeing, and the nutritional value of fruit, vegetables, and dairy foods. A variety of active learning methodologies were used, including group projects, poster creation, menu planning, research tasks, surveys, and data analysis activities, many of which incorporated the use of ICT.
3rd Years: Third Year students continued to build on their knowledge and understanding of key areas of the Junior Cycle Home Economics specification throughout the year. Topics studied included food commodities, food spoilage and preservation, the digestive system, and consumer awareness. Students also continued to develop an understanding of sustainability and the importance of making informed and responsible food choices.
As part of their Junior Cycle assessment, students completed CBA 2: Food Literacy Skills Brief. This involved researching a given brief, planning a suitable menu to meet specific criteria, and demonstrating their understanding of nutrition, meal planning, and food preparation skills. The chosen menu was then carried forward into the Practical Cookery Examination in March, which accounts for 50% of the final Junior Cycle Home Economics grade.
We are extremely proud of our Third Year students, who worked exceptionally hard in preparation for their practical examinations and produced dishes of an outstanding standard. Students displayed great creativity, organisation, and culinary skill in the preparation of a wide variety of dishes including lasagne, spaghetti bolognese, pizza, apple crumble, vegetable soup, Eve’s pudding, and many more. Their dedication, effort, and enthusiasm throughout the process were highly commendable, and all students should be congratulated on their excellent achievements.
Transition Year Home Economics is delivered through two distinct modules designed to develop both practical life skills and theoretical knowledge. Students participate in one double class each week focused on culinary skills, where they develop a wide range of cookery and baking techniques in a practical, hands-on environment. Through these classes, students build confidence and independence in food preparation while learning how to prepare a variety of nutritious sweet and savoury dishes. Emphasis is also placed on food presentation, safe and hygienic practices, teamwork, and the development of lifelong cooking skills.
In addition, students attend two single theory classes each week, which provide them with an insight into the theoretical aspects of Home Economics at Senior Cycle level. These classes are designed to give students a taste of what the Leaving Certificate Home Economics course involves while encouraging critical thinking, discussion, and research skills.
Throughout the year, students engaged in a variety of themed modules including Sports Nutrition, Farming and Sustainable Food Production, and Basic Nutrition for Teenagers. These modules allowed students to explore the relationship between food, health, sustainability, and lifestyle choices while developing an appreciation for the importance of informed decision-making in everyday life.
Senior Cycle
Fifth and Sixth Years
The Leaving Certificate Home Economics – Social and Scientific course is delivered over a two-year period and provides students with opportunities to develop their practical culinary skills, nutritional knowledge, research abilities, and critical thinking skills.
Fifth Year students completed three of the compulsory Food Studies assignments required as part of the Leaving Certificate coursework component. Students investigated topics including the nutritional needs of older adults and the challenges they may face in maintaining a healthy diet, the causes and prevention of iron deficiency, and the use of commercially prepared filo and puff pastry in food preparation.
These assignments involved detailed research, menu planning, practical food preparation, and evaluation. Students demonstrated a high standard of creativity, organisation, and practical skill while preparing and presenting a range of dishes linked to their chosen assignments.
This year, students also adapted to the new digital coursework format, presenting and compiling their assignment journals electronically. These Food Studies journals account for 20% of the overall Leaving Certificate Home Economics grade and are submitted to the Department of Education for marking in November of Sixth Year.
Sixth Year students continued to build on their knowledge and understanding across a wide range of topics on the Leaving Certificate Home Economics – Social and Scientific course. Areas studied included food spoilage and preservation, nutrition, vitamins and minerals, food commodities, meal planning and management, food processing and packaging, food safety and hygiene, family resource management, consumer studies, and the Irish food industry. Students also explored contemporary issues relating to families, education, work, poverty, and consumer protection.
Throughout the year, students further developed their analytical, evaluative, and exam-writing skills through regular revision, research activities, case studies, class discussions, and examination-style questions in preparation for the Leaving Certificate examination.
Assessment:
Homework was given at the end of each lesson. Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate students normally sit mock exams. Common papers were sat for in house exams at Christmas and summer.
Open Evening
The Home Economics department proudly opened both the kitchen and textiles rooms for the school’s Open Evening. The rooms were beautifully decorated, with a wide range of student craft and textile projects displayed throughout, showcasing the creativity and talent of our students.
A number of First and Second Year students volunteered on the night and prepared a selection of delicious baked treats for visitors to enjoy. Live cooking demonstrations also took place throughout the evening, giving prospective students and parents an insight into the practical and engaging nature of Home Economics classes in the school.
Our sewing and textiles room was also open on the night, where visiting students had the opportunity to take part in a simple craft activity and create their own item to bring home. This proved to be a very enjoyable and interactive experience for all involved.
Autism Awareness Baking Competition:
As part of our Autism Awareness Week celebrations, the Home Economics department organised an inclusive baking competition which promoted creativity, teamwork, and a culture of inclusion throughout the school community. Students worked collaboratively in a fun and supportive environment, celebrating neurodiversity while developing practical cookery and communication skills.
The competition provided students with an opportunity to engage positively with one another through baking and encouraged participation, confidence, and social interaction in an enjoyable and meaningful way. A wonderful variety of baked goods was produced, showcasing the enthusiasm, creativity, and talent of all students involved. Congratulations to our competition winners, Sarah Tighe and Callum Connor, who were presented with hampers in recognition of their fantastic efforts and teamwork.
The baked creations were later enjoyed at our Autism Awareness Coffee Morning, where parents and families were invited into the school to celebrate the achievements of the students. Members of Student Voice, staff, students, and incoming Sonas first-year students all attended and contributed to the warm and welcoming atmosphere of the event. The coffee morning proved to be a very positive and inclusive occasion, highlighting the strong sense of community and belonging within our school while promoting awareness, acceptance, and celebration of neurodiversity.
LCA Hotel Catering Tourism Coffee Morning
As part of the LCA Hotel, Catering and Tourism module, students organised and hosted a highly successful Coffee Morning as part of their ongoing key assignments and practical learning experience. The event provided students with an opportunity to apply their skills in a real-life setting while demonstrating excellent teamwork, communication, initiative, and organisational abilities throughout the entire process.
Students took responsibility for planning and coordinating the event from start to finish. In preparation, they worked collaboratively to create invitations, organise the schedule, decorate the kitchen area, and prepare a wide selection of homemade baked goods. The Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) Officer worked closely alongside the students and staff to encourage and support parental involvement, helping to ensure strong attendance and engagement on the morning.
Teachers and parents were invited to attend the event, providing students with a valuable opportunity to showcase their work and skills which they had learned from the start of the year.
The Coffee Morning was a wonderful success and reflected the students’ hard work, dedication, and ability to work collaboratively. It also highlighted the many valuable skills developed through the LCA programme, including leadership, hospitality, organisation, teamwork, and confidence-building. The positive feedback received from parents and teachers was a testament to the pride, effort, and enthusiasm the students invested in making the event such an enjoyable and memorable occasion.
