Line and House Structure

Clongowes Wood College operates a 6-year cycle, starting at normal Irish secondary school age of 12 to 13 years old. The first public exam is taken at the end of the third year, then a Transition year, followed by a two year Leaving Certificate.

Each year is named rather than numbered, which is part of the Jesuit ethos. This means that your boy starts in Rudiments, followed by Grammar, Syntax, Humanities (Transition year) Poetry and Rhetoric.

Each pair of years is grouped into a Line. Thus Rudiments and Grammar are Third Line, Grammar and Humanities are Lower Line and Poetry and Rhetoric comprise Higher  Line. The Line arrangement defines things like access to certain parts of the school, privileges, responsibilities etc. The Line concept is very much part of the tradition of the school. As they mature through the school it provides the more senior boys with a sense of responsibility to each other (within the Line) and for the well being of the younger boys.

The House structure provides a link across the age divide, with 18 Houses comprising on average of five boys from each year.  Each house is named after a Jesuit of note whose life stands out as an example of witness to God and service to others.   A number of domestic chores, social events and outside activities are run by each House. The annual sports day is House based.