Development
Castleknock College is dedicated to providing an exceptional educational experience for our students. To further enhance the standards of excellence with which we are rightly associated, we are undertaking a major development of our sports and academic / IT facilities. This programme will not only provide tangible benefits to our current students but will also leave a lasting legacy for generations to come.
The support of parents, both old and new, and of pastmen is crucial in realising these enhancements. Your commitment to our vision will directly impact the lives of our students and contribute to the continued success of Castleknock College.
Castleknock College grounds
Castleknock College has always aimed to instigate a lifelong love of sport and physical activity in all our pupils, focusing on participation, progression, and performance. However, such excellence in performance, dedication and practice is rarely possible without the necessary infrastructure and environment in which it can flourish.
The provision of playing fields capable of withstanding use by almost 800 students on a weekly basis is essential for an effective extra-curricular programme. Currently, given the mix of heavy use as the school year progresses, the pitches become increasingly unplayable.
With over 40 acres available on our campus, we are fortunate to have the space to consistently provide areas for development. The next phase of development will enable us to provide:
- All year-round access through new flood lit, 4G all-weather pitch
- Two new sand-based pitches
- An athletics sprint track
- New lighting for pitches with additional netting for playability
- Improved traffic flow system with additional parking spaces.
Improved Academic / IT facilities
With more than 800 students and staff, Castleknock College is extraordinarily vibrant with constant day-time, evening and weekend activity. In order to complement the vibrancy and passion for learning that pervades the school, we also want to significantly upgrade academic and IT facilities that are available to our students.
This will involve a major redevelopment of Dowley House, in which the heating system was already recently upgraded. This redevelopment will provide:
- A new lecture theatre
- An upgraded IT Room
- A Design & Communications Graphics (DCG) Room, and
- New adaptive learning spaces.
Changes in the curriculum and methods of assessment demand new and flexible teaching approaches and modern learning environments (MLEs). We propose to create new adaptive learning spaces, enlarging the classrooms that are available on the first floor of Dowley House. This will allow students to become more engaged in their learning, stimulating a mix of creativity, academic inquiry and collaboration. These new environments, with mobile desks, chairs, interactive displays, projectors, and smartboards, will also improve flexibility for teachers, enabling them to tailor their lessons to cater to students’ needs, interests and learning styles.
Funding the Development
These two major developments, in sports and academics / IT, will have a most significant impact on all current students and for generations to come.
A significant investment – over €3 million – is required to realise these Phase One plans. We have initiated an ambitious fundraising campaign seeking the generosity of pastmen, parents, and friends of Castleknock College.
A range of tax-efficient gifts – most usually pledged over 4-5 years – are being sought to ensure success. While we have no way of knowing what any one individual, family or company has the capacity to contribute, we know that these level of gifts are essential to generate the necessary early momentum for the campaign.
Your support can ensure that we continue to provide the best educational environment at the College, helping us to maintain our prominence as a leading secondary educational institution with a Vincentian ethos.
If you are interested in helping, please contact our Director of Development, Brendan Phelan, and he will be happy to discuss the development plan, and how you might be able to support it.
Brendan Phelan
Director of Development
brendan.phelan@castleknockcollege.ie / development@castleknockcollege.ie
Main Tel: +353 1 8213051
Direct Tel: +353 1 9060775
Mobile: +353 83 4013814