A Step-by-Step Guide to Subject Choices - 1st Year Secondary School

Why I Created This Guide

For 18 years, I worked in the finance sector, navigating high-stakes environments and professional structures. But when I looked back at my own academic beginnings, I realized I had made my most important early decisions—my subject choices—based on the TV shows I was watching at the time! Between Ally McBeal and ER, I chose what I thought looked like a "real job" rather than understanding my own natural curiosities or how I actually worked.

Now, as a Kingstown College-accredited coach and a parent of two children in primary school, I want to help the next generation avoid the "guessing game." I created Ard Ré Coaching to support teens and parents as they navigate the "Big Jumps" in the Irish education system and beyond

What's Inside the Roadmap?

The First Year Roadmap is a 12-page professional framework designed to make your child the "architect" of their own school experience. It isn't just a list of subjects; it's a discovery tool that includes:

• The Interest Audit: A worksheet to help students identify their natural curiosities before they even open a school handbook.

• The "Mirror Test": Integration with the VIA Character Strengths Survey to help students see if their results "click" with their authentic selves.

• The Jargon Buster: Clear explanations of CBAs, SLARs, and the 400-hour Wellbeing block to lower parental anxiety.

• The Commitment: A shared agreement for parents and students to foster autonomy and "Decompression Space" at home.

How to Secure Your Copy

The First Year Roadmap is a comprehensive, 12-page guide designed to move your family from guesswork to discovery. It is part of my Mini-Courses & Guides series, dedicated to making the transition to secondary school a season of growth rather than a source of stress.

Use code ARDRE30 at checkout this weekend for a 30% launch discount. (Valid until the end of 17th March 2026)