Alexandra College Principal Mrs Barbara Ennis
In our Mission Statement, the purpose and the ethos of the College is clearly stated. We endeavour to remain true to that characteristic spirit in everything we do in the College.
Alexandra College is a private, all girls, secondary school with an enrolment of 620 students. It is also a boarding school with a capacity for 170 boarders.The diverse backgrounds and nationalities of the students creates a wonderful web of relationships which last a lifetime.
The best way to describe Alexandra College is to look at the crest, which is divided into 4 equal parts with a cross at the centre. These symbols represent the academic, sporting, creative and musical education, which result in an inclusive and holistic education for each student in the College.
If we look first at the academic work, prospective parents are always told that the fundamental principle that guides all our decisions is the quality of teaching and learning. Alexandra College has always been an innovator in Irish education and we continue to push the boundaries of learning and teaching through the use of ICT. All staff and senior students have laptops and therefore a world of educational resources is at their fingertips.
In terms of educational attainment, over 90% of our Leaving Certificate students proceed on to 3rd level with an average number of points achieved being 435 each year – compared with a national average of 300.
The professional and dedicated staff of the College is our greatest asset and through their enthusiasm and selfless work they encourage our students to have enquiring minds, to challenge the status quo and to love learning.
Putting parents in the picture
Alexandra College offers parents the ability to log into the schools website and securely access information relating to their child. The parental website includes class timetables, academic reports, absenteeism, excursions, sporting events, school calendar and news, awards received, detention etc., thus enabling parents to be more actively involved in their children’s school life. It facilitates a team approach making an effective union of Teacher, Student and Parent.
A co-operative approach
The sharing of information provides parents with an insight to student life and invites the parents to have an active input in their children’s education. This transparent, honest and co-operative approach lends itself to the disciplined, safe environment both parents and educators strive for in schools. Alexandra College, in addition to the parental website, automatically generates a personal newsletter to each parent via email. The newsletter informs the parents of the weekly activity for their child including their forthcoming events, excursions, absenteeism and the latest school news. Up to now such detailed weekly updates have not been possible in the traditional school environment.
Alexandra College is regarded as the home of Irish Womens’ Hockey and our teams reach the semi-finals and finals of both League and Cup competitions each year. Our soccer and basketball teams are involved at the final stages of both regional and national competitions annually and in the summer term it is a pleasure to see both cricket and tennis being played by our many teams. Athletics is a year round event and allows each student to develop in individual sporting areas. In 2008, three new pitches were developed – one water based, one sand dressed and a new soccer pitch and athletics area. The development came about through the generosity of parents who pledged and donated money to our development appeal. It is hoped to build a new Gym in 2009/10. With this development, we will see the completion of the finest sports facility of any school in the country.
It is now widely recognized that creativity is the hallmark of a quality education. In our ever changing and challenging world, qualities such as creativity, lateral thinking, flexibility and coping skills are fundamental if individuals and societies are to survive and progress. Through our programmes in Art, ICT, Drama, Debating and Public Speaking these essential skills are developed. Our students are encouraged to think globally and to understand their role in developing society.
