Transition Year Coding Course in Ireland

In short

A good Transition Year coding course runs for the whole year and ends with one finished project the student can show and explain. The Transition Year Programme Statement, in all Irish schools since September 2025, lets each school design its own TY, allows externally provided learning only within the context of the school's TY programme, and says TY should not be used to start Leaving Cert courses early. So the right course is exploration, not a head start: Python first, then an app, website, data project or AI model built to the end. Modern Age Coders teaches TY students live online in groups of five to ten or one to one. The first class costs nothing, and the course is then USD 100 a month in a group or USD 150 a month one to one.

Start here

Three year-long projects for Transition Year

Each of these can carry a student from September to a finished piece of work in May. The card opens the full syllabus.

TY / 01

App Development for Teens

A phone app designed for a real user, built across the year and released to friends and family before the TY showcase.

Open the syllabus →

TY / 02

AI and Machine Learning for Teens

A small model trained on data the student collects, tested honestly, and explained in plain words to a room of parents.

Open the syllabus →

TY / 03

Data Science for Teens

An investigation of an Irish open dataset, from a question in October to charts and a written finding in the spring.

Open the syllabus →

The Programme Statement

What the Transition Year Programme Statement asks of schools

The statement is short and readable, and it is the document a TY coordinator will work from. The points that matter for coding are these.

The Transition Year Programme Statement (NCCA, published August 2024)
Point	What the statement says	Where
What TY is	A one-year optional programme available to all post-primary schools, standalone within senior cycle	Page 7
In schools from	September 2025, replacing the 1994 Transition Year Guidelines for Schools	Cover; Department press release
Foundations	Four Student Dimensions: Personal Growth, Being a Learner, Civic and Community Engagement, and Career Exploration	Page 11
Who designs it	Each school, with autonomy to suit its own culture, identity and context	Page 16
Placements	Work and community placements amounting to the equivalent of two to four weeks	Page 19
Reporting	Three elements: the student's TY portfolio, student reflection and school reporting	Page 23

A user and a creator

Under Being a Learner, the statement lists "Becoming more skilled with digital technologies, both as a user and a creator." Most teenagers are already expert users. Coding is how they become creators.

Under Personal Growth it suggests "Individual tasks and projects, involving digital and non-digital skills to enable self-expression." A year-long coding project is one of the clearest examples there is.

Outside learning, inside the school plan

The statement allows for students taking part in "externally provided learning experiences", but "once it is within the context of the school's TY programme". It also mentions short certified courses and micro-credentials among Career Exploration experiences.

So the first step is a conversation with the school's TY coordinator. We are happy to describe the course in writing for a school, and we do not promise that any school will count it.

Sources, read 16 September 2026: Transition Year Programme Statement (NCCA, 2024); Department of Education press release, 2024; Curriculum Online, Transition Year.

Sampling, not a head start

Why a TY coding course should not be the Leaving Cert started early

The statement is explicit on this, and it is good advice. TY is for finding out, not for getting a year ahead.

The statement says TY "should not be used, for example, as a way to explicitly spread leaving certificate subject specification over three years rather than the two years of 5th and 6th year, for which these curricula were designed."

So our TY course does not teach the Leaving Certificate Computer Science specification. It teaches programming and building for their own sake, which is also the best preparation for anyone who later chooses the subject.

The Department's Inspectorate, reporting on its 2024 evaluations, found that TY programmes "often included digital subjects to help inform Leaving Certificate subject choices", and listed "Transition Year Computer Science Sampling" among the digital subjects it observed.

That is the right use of the year: try computing properly, then decide. Students who go on to take the subject can find help on our Leaving Cert Computer Science grinds page.

Try it for real

A student who has built something over months knows far more about whether they like computing than one who sat through a taster afternoon.

Decide with evidence

By spring the student can say what they enjoyed, what they found hard and what they would like to study next, which makes Fifth Year subject choices easier.

Keep the record

Plans, screenshots, test results and reflections go into the TY portfolio as the year goes on, not in a rush at the end.

TY in numbers

Transition Year in numbers, and a lesson in reading them

Transition Year was first piloted in September 1974 and opened to all post-primary schools in September 1994. Today virtually every school offers it: 99%, according to the Department. The Department's Education Indicators give the recent trend.

Students doing Transition Year, Education Indicators for Ireland (June 2025), indicators B.39 and B.40
Year	Students in TY	As % of the previous Third Year
2019	48,268	74.0%
2020	47,544	72.9%
2021	48,025	73.8%
2022	54,927	79.2%
2023	58,703	80.3%

Trap 1: which year?

The report says "2023 means September 2023". So its 2023 row is the 2023/24 school year, and anyone who reads it as the year students sat the Junior Cycle is out by one.

Trap 2: the denominator

The rate divides TY students by the previous year's Third Year, and the report warns it "may include new arrivals into the system", so it can run slightly above the true share of students moving straight into TY.

Trap 3: percent or points?

From 2019 to 2023 the number in TY rose by about 21.6%, while the rate rose by 6.3 percentage points. Both are true. A headline that mixes the two up is wrong by a factor of three.

This is a first TY data project in miniature. Students load the table in Python, compute both kinds of change, and write one honest sentence about the trend that a reader could not misunderstand.

The policy picture is still moving. The Department has committed to universal access to TY, meaning every student in every school could choose it, "from a date to be identified". We found no date announced yet.

Sources: Education Indicators for Ireland, June 2025; Introduction of the new Programme Statement, February 2024; Inspectorate, Post-primary insights 2024. The 21.6% and 6.3 points are our own arithmetic on the table.

A week or a year

A coding week at university, and a coding year at home

Some Irish universities run excellent short programmes for TY students. They and a year-long course do different jobs.

ComputeTY at DCU

Dublin City University's School of Computing runs ComputeTY, a week-long coding camp on its Glasnevin campus. It reached its 21st year in 2026, has introduced more than 5,000 young people to computing, and welcomed almost 70 students that year.

What it teaches

DCU describes interactive Python workshops and lab sessions guided by its own Computing students, with awards for Python programming and micro:bit programming. DCU says places are allocated by school.

How the two fit

If a school offers a place, a student should take it: a week on a campus is a wonderful taster. A year-long course is different, a single project carried from September to May with the same teacher.

Source: DCU, ComputeTY Coding Camp 2026 and DCU School of Computing, ComputeTY, read 16 September 2026. We have no connection with DCU.

The TY year

A project plan from September to May

Set against the 2026/27 school calendar fixed by Circular 0018/2026. Each school's TY programme has its own rhythm, so the plan bends around trips, placements and events.

A year-long TY coding project, 2026/27
When	Stage	The student
September to the October mid-term	1. Python, quickly	Writes and fixes short programs every week
After the mid-term (schools close 26 to 30 October 2026) to Christmas	2. A first small build	Finishes a mini website or game and shows it to the group
From 6 January 2027 to the February mid-term	3. Choosing the big project	Picks an app, a data investigation or an AI model, with a real user in mind
To the end of the spring term on 19 March 2027	4. Build and test	Builds it, tests it with real people and keeps a log of changes
From 5 April 2027 to May	5. Show and reflect	Presents the project and writes the portfolio reflection

Why a year, not a week

The things a TY student learns from a long project, planning, getting stuck, starting a part again, finishing, simply cannot happen in a week. That is also what employers and colleges mean by experience.

Where each skill leads after TY is laid out stage by stage on the coding roadmap.

Around placements and trips

TY is full of good interruptions: two to four weeks of placements, trips, musicals and mini-companies. Lessons pause when they need to and the project plan moves with them.

A work placement in a technology company is a natural partner to the project; the student will understand far more of what they see.

The catalogue

Nine live courses that suit Transition Year

Grouped by the kind of project a student wants to finish. The free first class helps a student pick a course and a starting level.

I

Make something people use

Apps and websites

TY / MAKE / 01

App Development for Teens

A phone app, from a paper sketch to real users.

Open the syllabus

TY / MAKE / 02

Full Stack Web Development for Teens

A site that stores and serves its own data.

Open the syllabus

TY / MAKE / 03

Git and GitHub for Teens

Every change saved, so the portfolio shows the journey.

Open the syllabus

II

Find something out

Data and AI

TY / FIND / 01

Data Science for Teens

An Irish dataset, a question and an honest answer.

Open the syllabus

TY / FIND / 02

AI and Machine Learning for Teens

A model trained on the student's own data.

Open the syllabus

TY / FIND / 03

AI Tools for Teens

Using AI tools with judgement, for thirteen and up.

Open the syllabus

III

Go deeper into code

For students who love the puzzle

TY / DEEP / 01

Python for Teens

The language under almost every TY project here.

Open the syllabus

TY / DEEP / 02

Problem Solving for Teens

Algorithms for students who enjoy hard puzzles.

Open the syllabus

TY / DEEP / 03

Java for Teens

A typed language, for a second way of thinking.

Open the syllabus

How the classes run

Weekly lessons that fit around a busy TY

Lessons are live, with a teacher in India at a set time in Irish time. India never moves its clocks, so our teachers are four and a half hours ahead while Ireland is on summer time and five and a half ahead after the clocks go back in October. TY students often have more flexible days than other years, so there is more choice of slot.

Weekday evening

The usual choice, Irish time, after the school day.

Weekend

Longer sessions when a project needs a push.

By arrangement

Where a school fits the class into its own TY timetable.

The first class is on us

The student writes real code with a teacher, talks about project ideas, and gets a suggested course and level.

Five to ten per group

TY students and others of the same level, sharing progress and testing each other's projects.

One to one

For a student with a very particular project, or a timetable that will not fit a group.

A log for the portfolio

Each week the student notes what they built and what went wrong, which becomes the portfolio reflection.

A letter for the school

On request we describe the course in writing for a TY coordinator; the school decides how it fits.

A showcase at the end

The finished project is presented to the group and can be shown at the school's TY events.

Student work

Finished projects by our students

Four projects that our students built and published; the kind of work a TY year can end with. More are on the student labs page.

AI and ML

NutriLife

An AI nutrition coach that reads what you eat and works you toward a target.

by Bhavya · Open it

AI and ML

Misti

A chatbot that answers mathematics and programming questions, built and deployed by a student.

by Harshit · Open it

AI and ML

GuardianX

An assistant that helps a young person recognise unsafe situations online.

by Vivaan · Open it

Web app

SkyCast

A weather forecasting site with live conditions for any location.

by Krish

Fees

Fees for the TY course

Paid monthly in US dollars at one rate for every country outside India. There is nothing to pay upfront for the year, no enrolment charge, and a student can stop at the end of any month if their TY plans change.

Free first class

USD 0

no card required

Real code and a talk about project ideas
A suggested course and level
No card taken

Book it

Group batch

USD 100

a month, billed in US dollars

Five to ten students at one level
The same teacher for the year
Project checked every week
A certificate when the course is complete

Start here

One to one

USD 150

a month, billed in US dollars

A teacher for one student
Built around an unusual project or timetable
Flexible around placements

Enquire

What families say

Rated 4.9 across 547 Google reviews

Reviews exactly as families and students posted them on Google. Nobody was paid or prompted to write one.

★★★★★

"The one step solution for my son. Modern Age Coders make learning coding so simple that kids love it. The teachers explain complex concepts clearly with practical exercises and interactive content."

Ria Mukherjee

Parent

★★★★★

"Modern Age Coders has been a game-changer for me. I struggled to grasp IT concepts and coding before joining, but their classes transformed everything. I can now confidently write complex programs with ease."

Samriddha Mondal

Student

★★★★★

"One of the most wonderful education centres out there. Education is not limited to school syllabus but focuses on skill development."

Vansh Agarwal

Student

★★★★★

"My child Dhairya is really enjoying the Modern Age Coders classes. This is his first online class and he eagerly looks forward to it. I can already see his improvement, and the teachers are very cooperative."

Sonam Oswal

Parent of Dhairya

★★★★★

"Modern Age Coders have wonderful teachers who teach in a clear, easy and practical way. The teacher boosts students' confidence and inspires them to learn without hesitation."

Sonu Goyal

Parent

★★★★★

"I highly recommend this computer coding class! The teachers are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about coding."

Ritu Kedia

Parent

Questions about TY

What TY students, parents and coordinators ask

Does the new Programme Statement allow outside courses in TY?

It says students who wish to take part in externally provided learning could be accommodated, but only within the context of the school's TY programme. Each school decides, so talk to the TY coordinator first.

Will this course give my child a head start on Leaving Cert Computer Science?

It is not designed to. The statement says TY should not be used to spread Leaving Cert specifications over three years. The course teaches programming and building, which helps any later choice without teaching the syllabus early.

What will my child have at the end of the year?

One finished project, such as an app, a website with its own data or a small AI model, plus a log and a written reflection that can go into the TY portfolio.

How many students do Transition Year?

The Department's Education Indicators report 58,703 students in TY in 2023/24, which was 80.3% of the previous year's Third Year.

Is ComputeTY at DCU the same kind of thing?

No. ComputeTY is a week-long camp on DCU's campus with places allocated by school. It is an excellent taster; a year-long course is a longer project with the same teacher.

What about work placement weeks?

Lessons pause or continue as the family prefers. The statement suggests placements equivalent to two to four weeks, and the project plan is built around them.

Does my child need to have coded before?

No. The first months cover Python from the start, and students with club experience begin further on.

How much does the TY course cost?

The first class is free. After that a group place is USD 100 a month and one-to-one lessons are USD 150 a month, charged in US dollars, with no upfront payment for the year.

What times are lessons?

A weekday evening or a weekend slot chosen in the free class, or a time a school arranges. Our teachers are four and a half hours ahead of Ireland in summer and five and a half in winter.

What happens after we fill in the form?

We call back at a reasonable hour in Ireland to arrange the free first class. There is no charge unless the student decides to go on.

Elsewhere on this site

Before and after Transition Year

Pages for the years either side of TY.

Best coding classes for teens in Ireland

The whole secondary route.

Junior Cycle Coding help

For the years before TY.

Leaving Cert Computer Science grinds

For students who choose the subject.

After CoderDojo

For TY students who started at a club.

Understand the code, do not copy-paste

Using AI help without losing the learning.

Coding classes in Ireland

The national page.

Start here

Start the TY project with a free class

Leave a number and we will phone at a time that suits you in Ireland. In the free class the student writes some code, talks through project ideas with a teacher, and leaves with a plan for the year.

Want to see more before you decide? There is a page on the way our teachers work, a syllabus for each of our courses, and a gallery of projects our students finished.

WhatsApp us · +91 91233 66161 · contact@modernagecoders.com

You can also message us on WhatsApp, which is free from an Irish mobile and often quickest. The number is an Indian one because our teachers and team are in India; we have no premises in Ireland.

Three year-long projects for Transition Year

App Development for Teens

AI and Machine Learning for Teens

Data Science for Teens

What the Transition Year Programme Statement asks of schools

A user and a creator

Outside learning, inside the school plan

Why a TY coding course should not be the Leaving Cert started early

Try it for real

Decide with evidence

Keep the record

Transition Year in numbers, and a lesson in reading them

Trap 1: which year?

Trap 2: the denominator

Trap 3: percent or points?

A coding week at university, and a coding year at home

ComputeTY at DCU

What it teaches

How the two fit

A project plan from September to May

Why a year, not a week

Around placements and trips

Nine live courses that suit Transition Year

Make something people use

App Development for Teens

Full Stack Web Development for Teens

Git and GitHub for Teens

Find something out

Data Science for Teens

AI and Machine Learning for Teens

AI Tools for Teens

Go deeper into code

Python for Teens

Problem Solving for Teens

Java for Teens

Weekly lessons that fit around a busy TY

The first class is on us

Five to ten per group

One to one

A log for the portfolio

A letter for the school

A showcase at the end

Finished projects by our students

NutriLife

Misti

GuardianX

SkyCast

Fees for the TY course

Rated 4.9 across 547 Google reviews

What TY students, parents and coordinators ask

Does the new Programme Statement allow outside courses in TY?

Will this course give my child a head start on Leaving Cert Computer Science?

What will my child have at the end of the year?

How many students do Transition Year?

Is ComputeTY at DCU the same kind of thing?

What about work placement weeks?

Does my child need to have coded before?

How much does the TY course cost?

What times are lessons?

What happens after we fill in the form?

Before and after Transition Year

Best coding classes for teens in Ireland

Junior Cycle Coding help

Leaving Cert Computer Science grinds

After CoderDojo

Understand the code, do not copy-paste

Coding classes in Ireland

Start the TY project with a free class

Keep exploring Modern Age Coders

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