Merlin College’s motto “Achieve, create, become,” was certainly reflected in its recent Junior Cert results with 10 students receiving an ‘A’ grade in Higher Level art alone. This is only the second cohort of students to take their Junior Cert exams since the Doughiska school opened in 2013, with 100 per cent of students passing their Junior Cert exams last year also.
Such success bodes well for the future, according to the school’s principal John Cleary, who believes that the teaching staff have laid the necessary foundations already in ensuring their students will do equally well in their Leaving Cert exams and progress on to university and avail of all the opportunities third level can offer.
Indeed the school’s dedication to strive for academic excellence, as well as providing the best in pastoral care, has been recognised by the Department of Education’s inspectorate during a recent whole school evaluation. Teaching and learning, a wide and vast curriculum with a strong cohort of specialised teachers, a strong management team, well behaved students, and a broad extracurricular programme were among the many things acknowledged by the inspectors, along with the school’s palpable positive and inclusive atmosphere.
One of Ireland’s fastest growing schools, Merlin College is also one of the most diverse, multicultural, schools in the country and its ethos is shaped around the joyful, artistic, and positive influences such diversity brings. The college’s open and enrolment night, for 120 places only, will take place on Thursday October 26 for incoming first years 2018/19 between 6.30pm to 8.30pm.
