About us
PRINCIPAL
Ms Helen Tobin – Liason Person
DEPUTY PRINCIPALS
Mr David Clarke – Dep Liason Person
Ms. Orla Molamphy
Ms. Elaine Moran
Portmarnock Community School is a co-educational school that caters for student secondary education. The school, built by the Department of Education and Science, was opened in 1979. It provides a fully comprehensive education which is designed to ensure equality of educational opportunity for all its students.
Portmarnock Community School is committed to an educational policy that fosters the development of the whole person. It provides a structure that facilitates religious, social, physical and intellectual growth in an integrated manner.
Educational Philosophy
Portmarnock Community School is a co-educational school established under the Deed of Trust for Community Schools. Under the terms of the Deed of Trust – Articles of Management par 2 – the school serves the community of Portmarnock and the surrounding area. The Joint Patron of the school is the Archbishop of Dublin, the Loreto Sisters and County Dublin Vocational Education Committee.
The purpose of this document is to give an overview of each of the trustees’ own charter/mission which will, in turn, inform future discussion on ethos and culture, and will serve to describe the Characteristic Spirit of Portmarnock Community School.
The County of Dublin Vocational Education Committee is constituted under the Vocational Education Act, passed by the Dail and Seanad Eireann in 1930. As a representative democratic body, it strives through it’s schools, centres and colleges, to deliver an educational service of excellence to all the community of County Dublin.
Students, irrespective of economic circumstances, gender, religious or philosophical outlook, race or social situation are welcome.
In terms of students, the school regards them as valued members of the community, each student being respected as an individual and encouraged to develop an awareness of his/her own worth.
It recognizes the importance of preparing students for participation in the; family, community, country and in the wider European and World context.
College programmes are aimed to provide each student with broad, relevant and personally fulfilling experiences.
Education is recognized as a life-long process, providing opportunities for continuing education to the community.
Co. Dublin VEC is proud of the rich cultural heritage and language of each student and consciously strives to foster such pride in the whole community.
In terms of its staff, they are valued as dedicated professional people and Co. Dublin VEC aspires to provide them with the resources and support to achieve the highest possible standards in their work.
Students are required to show respect to all staff members.
Parents and legal guardians are supported in their role as the primary educators.
In conclusion, Co. Dublin VEC aspires to develop an ethos characterised by equality, respect, justice and fair play for all.
Loreto Sisters
The sisters of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, popularly known as Loreto have as their founder Mary Ward. In a male dominated society and church, she believed that women in time to come would do much. She established foundations in six European countries but what she desired at the time was considered ‘outrageous’ and her houses were suppressed.
While Mary Ward died with few followers, she did inspire these to remain loyal to the church. Her spirituality is centered on Jesus and in the Gospel values. She attempted to initiate an apostolic way of life and active ministry based on the spirituality and constitutions of St. Ignatius.
How does this relate to the educational philosophy of the Loreto Order?
In recent years the IBVM drew up the Kolkata guidelines which challenge us all, as educators, to deliver an excellent educational experience worthy of its recipients.
Key challenges
To enable the fullest possible personal growth, Loreto /IBVM education gives priority to the integration of the spiritual, intellectual, moral, physical and emotional development of the individual student. Relationships within Loreto/IBVM education are characterised by respect, justice, honesty, courage and compassion.
Informed by the Loreto/IBVM priority ‘to stand with those on the margin of society’ a Loreto/IBVM school must actively respond to the needs of those excluded from full participation in society on the basis of economic and/or social deprivation. When such a response, based on gospel values, is integral to the school experience it is prophetic and makes the message of the order credible in society.
Loreto Educational Communities aim to make their centres where
- love, freedom, justice, sincerity, and joy find expression (Mary Ward believed that these were essential qualities as a ground and foundation for those called to the way of life she envisaged)
- young people feel accepted and allowed to experience the exercise of appropriate responsibility
- the potential of everyone, spiritual, intellectual, physical is recognised and respected.
- positive critical reflection is developed
- special concern for the disadvantaged and underprivileged is experienced and encouraged
- the challenge of suffering is faced
- staff, parents, students, past pupils co-operate for the common good.
In conclusion, the main aim of the school, under Loreto Trusteeship, in this case Portmarnock Community School, is to be a centre of Christian education, which cares for the faith and personal development of each student. The school strives for excellence in providing a holistic education, i.e. religious, academic, cultural, physical, psychological and social.
As a Board, it is grateful that its joint trustees complement each other very well sharing the values of
respect, justice, freedom, sincerity, joy, and love
with not only an overall commitment to excellence but in 2007 committed to engaging a multi-cultural and/or multi-faith school community as envisioned by Mary Ward or as the County of Dublin VEC states in its charter ‘students irrespective of economic circumstances, gender, religious or philosophical outlook, race or social situation are welcome to join us in the pursuit of knowledge.
