Where:Clondalkin, serving the communities of Neilstown and Rowlagh, which the government's Rapid programme identifies as one of the 45 most disadvantaged urban areas in the country.
When:The college opened in 1984. An ANCO study at the time found that no one in the area had a third level qualification. Leaving Certficate qualifications in the community were rare.
Who:The current enrolment in the college is 520 12- to 18-year-olds preparing for the Leaving Certificate. The school also accommodates 90 full-time mature students and 200 part-time, studying a range of courses in preparation for Fetac Certificate examinations.
The school has a staff complement of 99. Collinstown is administered by a local Board of Management under the aegis of the CDVEC committee.
Performance:Around 70 per cent of Collinstown students now go on to complete the Leaving Certificate. Roughly 30 per cent go to college. A number of past pupils now teach at the school and many more are involved in voluntary tuition. Less than 10 per cent transferred to college from Collinstown in the 1990s, before the school introduced its third-level access programme. Transfer figures have since quadrupled.
