MyCareerVerse Guidance Toolkit
Create a professional, NCGE-aligned Whole School Guidance Plan tailored to your school. Configure your school profile, populate each section, and export a ready-to-ratify document for your Board of Management.
Step 1
Set up your school's details. These selections will tailor suggested content throughout the plan, including year-group naming, ethos-specific language, and programme structures.
Section 1
Describe your school, its mission, and the purpose of this WSGP. The template text below adapts based on your school profile — edit to match your school's unique context.
Section 2
This section references the legislation, circulars, and policy frameworks that underpin your guidance provision. The core references below apply to all Irish post-primary schools.
Section 3
The NCGE Framework organises guidance around three areas of learning, eight competences, and the continuum of support model (All, Some, Few).
Personal and social development — resilience, identity, relationships, wellbeing, self-awareness, and emotional health
Educational guidance — subject choices, study skills, learning support, assessment preparation, and academic monitoring
Career guidance — exploration, pathways, decision-making, CAO/UCAS, apprenticeships, labour market awareness
GUIDANCE FOR ALL
Whole-school activities through SPHE, Wellbeing, curricular supports, assemblies, career talks, notice boards
GUIDANCE FOR SOME
Targeted interventions — subject choice sessions, study skills workshops, TY modules, group guidance
GUIDANCE FOR A FEW
Individual counselling, psychometric assessment, crisis response, external referrals, DARE/HEAR support
Section 4
Detail the guidance activities for each year group using the three areas of learning and the continuum of support (All / Some / Few). Click each tab to populate the programme matrix.
Junior Cycle — 400 hours minimum Wellbeing provision (SPHE, CSPE, PE, GRL units). Focus on transition, belonging, and early career awareness.
| Area of Learning | Guidance Elements | Details | All Students | Some Students | Few Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myself | |||||
| Learning | |||||
| Career |
Junior Cycle — 400 hours Wellbeing. CareersPortal Junior Reach+ completion. Focus on self-management, interests, and early career conversations.
| Area of Learning | Guidance Elements | Details | All | Some | Few |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myself | |||||
| Learning | |||||
| Career |
Junior Cycle — Formal Subject Choice Process. JC exam preparation. Senior Cycle transition. CAT4 psychometric testing.
| Area of Learning | Guidance Elements | Details | All | Some | Few |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myself | |||||
| Learning | |||||
| Career |
Transition Year — TY Programme Statement 2024 aligned. Core career exploration focus. Structured work experience (2 weeks minimum). Project-based learning.
| Area of Learning | Guidance Elements | Details | All | Some | Few |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myself | |||||
| Learning | |||||
| Career |
Senior Cycle — Individualised guidance. CAO pathway awareness. Interest profiling. Examination preparation. Mock interviews programme.
| Area of Learning | Guidance Elements | Details | All | Some | Few |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myself | |||||
| Learning | |||||
| Career |
Senior Cycle — CAO application. Examination completion. Post-secondary transition. Destination tracking. Minimum 3 one-to-one appointments per student.
| Area of Learning | Guidance Elements | Details | All | Some | Few |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myself | |||||
| Learning | |||||
| Career |
Section 5
Whole School Guidance is a collaborative activity (CL 0041/2024). Define each team member's contribution to the guidance programme.
Section 6
In accordance with IN 0008/2023 and the Wellbeing Policy Statement, personal and social guidance counselling is an essential element of guidance provision.
Section 7
All assessment is carried out in accordance with Circular 0084/2024, supporting personal development, educational planning, and career decision-making.
Section 8
Detail your guidance hours allocation in accordance with CL 0008/2024 (1.0 WTE per 500 students via PTR reduction).
Section 9
Describe how your school supports students through each major transition point.
Section 10
Section 11
Section 12
Section 13
Implementation
Track every step from initial planning through Board ratification. Tick off items as you complete them. Progress updates automatically.
Getting Organised
Before you begin drafting, set up your shared folder in Microsoft Teams or SharePoint. This structure keeps all WSGP materials organised, accessible to the guidance team, and ready for review by SLT and the Board.
Folder 08 (Confidential) must have restricted permissions — Guidance Counsellor(s) and DLP only. In Teams, use a Private Channel. In SharePoint, set item-level permissions. All records must comply with IN 0003/2024 and GDPR.
Create a dedicated Team called "Guidance Department" or add a Guidance channel to your existing Staff Team. Add tabs for the Guidance Calendar (Planner), the WSGP document (pinned Word file), and a OneNote notebook for meeting minutes. Restrict the Confidential channel to GC staff only using Teams' private channel feature.
When submitting to the Board of Management, share only the 01 — WSGP and 02 — Appendices folders. Create a read-only "Board Submission Pack" subfolder containing the final WSGP PDF, an executive summary (1–2 pages), and the annual guidance calendar. Never share Folder 08 or individual student data.
Presenting to Staff
Before Board ratification, present the WSGP to the full staff. This ensures buy-in and reminds colleagues that whole school guidance is everyone's responsibility (CL 0041/2024). Here is a suggested structure for your staff presentation.
School name, plan period, WSGP purpose. One slide — keep it clean. Reference CL 0041/2024 as the driver.
Explain the three areas of learning (Myself, Learning, Career Path) and the All/Some/Few continuum. Emphasise that guidance is a whole-school responsibility, not just the GC's job.
One slide per cycle (JC, TY, SC) showing key guidance activities. Highlight where subject teachers, Year Heads, and tutors contribute. Use the programme matrix tables from Section 4.
Show each group's contribution — Board, Principal, GC, Year Heads, Tutors, AEN, SPHE, Chaplain, Subject Teachers, Students, Parents. This is the slide that gets staff engaged.
How students are supported through primary-to-post-primary, JC-to-SC, and post-secondary transitions. Mention DARE/HEAR, AEN provisions, and referral protocols.
Highlight updates — new circulars, Bí Cineálta implementation, new digital tools, revised assessment instruments, any changes to allocation or timetabling, feedback from last year's review.
Show the referral pathway clearly — who to contact, how to fill in the form, when to refer, what happens next. This is the most practical takeaway for non-guidance staff.
Open for questions. Note the Board submission date, when the plan goes live, and how feedback will be gathered. Thank staff for their contribution to whole school guidance.
Keep it to 15–20 minutes maximum — staff have limited CPD time. Use visuals from the WSGP (the three-area diagram, the continuum pyramid, the year-group matrix). Print a one-page summary handout with the referral pathway and key dates. Consider scheduling during a September CPD day when the plan is fresh. If your school has a large staff, present by department or cycle (JC staff, SC staff) for more targeted engagement.
PowerPoint or Google Slides deck (8–10 slides). One-page handout summarising roles, referral pathway, and the annual guidance calendar. Printed copies of the referral form (Appendix B) for staff rooms. A shared link to the Teams/SharePoint folder so staff can access the full WSGP. Feedback form or short survey (paper or digital) for staff to complete after the presentation.
Appendices
The following appendices should accompany your WSGP. Use this reference list to ensure you have prepared all supporting documents.
Appendix A
Annual Guidance Calendar
Appendix B
Referral Protocol & Form
Appendix C
Individual Student Guidance Record
Appendix D
Psychometric Assessment Consent
Appendix E
Work Experience Documentation
Appendix F
External Support Agencies Directory
Appendix G
CAO/UCAS Key Dates
Appendix H
GRL Planning Template
Appendix I
Student Needs Assessment
Appendix J
WSGP Annual Review & SSE Template
Appendix K
Parent/Guardian Information & Consent
Appendix L
Critical Incident — GC Protocol
Appendix M
Legislative Reference Guide
Appendix N
Guidance Allocation Tables
Appendix O
Revision History & Sign-Off
Appendix P
Governance & Partner Agencies
Once you have completed all sections and appendices, print this page or export to PDF for formal submission to your Board of Management.