Junior Cycle & Leaving Cert English Grinds

Online English Tutor in Ireland

Improve essays and exam answers with an expert Online English Tutor who knows how the SEC marks English. From Junior Cycle writing through to Leaving Cert Paper 1 composing and the Paper 2 comparative study, our grinds target the marks your child is missing.

Book Free Trial LessonView Irish Pricing
Irish student drafting a Leaving Cert English essay by hand during an online grind
Trusted by families

Recommended by parents and students for English tutoring

Math Make Smart is rated 4.9 on Trustpilot. Read what families say about our certified tutors and one-to-one online lessons.

Trustpilot

English Grinds for Irish Students

This is English as an exam subject, not English for new learners. English tutoring in Ireland means sharper essays, better comprehension answers and a clear plan for every paper.

Help When Essays Are Due

Grinds scheduled around school and extra availability ahead of mocks, orals season and the June exams, when writing practice matters most.

Clear Euro Pricing

No registration fee and no long contract. Pay per grind or share a monthly plan across English and another subject.

Marked Using PCLM

Leaving Cert English is marked on Purpose, Coherence, Language and Mechanics. Every essay we review is marked the same way, so feedback turns straight into marks.

The Irish English Curriculum First Year Through Sixth Year

Grinds follow the NCCA Junior Cycle English specification and the Leaving Certificate English syllabus at Higher and Ordinary Level, including the prescribed texts for your child’s exam year.

1Junior Cycle English (1st–3rd Year)
2Transition Year Writing
3Leaving Cert English (5th & 6th Year)

Paper 1: Comprehending & Composing

Reading comprehension questions and the long composition, where personal essays, speeches and short stories are all possible.

Paper 2: The Single Text

An in-depth answer on one prescribed text, showing detailed knowledge and a clear line of argument.

Comparative Study & Poetry

Comparing texts across modes of comparison, plus prescribed and unseen poetry at Higher and Ordinary Level.

English Counts in Almost Every CAO Calculation

Because it is a core subject nearly every student sits, a strong English result is one of the most reliable ways to protect a points total.

Leaving Cert Paper 1Comparative StudyPrescribed PoetryJunior Cycle Oral CommunicationPCLM marking

Your Child’s English Roadmap, Year by Year

Our online English tutoring builds essay skill and reading depth over time instead of cramming quotes in Sixth Year.

1st & 2nd Year

Reading for meaning, structured paragraphs and the first Classroom-Based Assessment, the Oral Communication task, completed in Second Year.

  • Paragraph structure
  • Oral Communication CBA

3rd Year

The Collection of the Student’s Texts CBA and its written task, then the Junior Cycle English exam at Higher or Ordinary Level.

  • Collection of Texts CBA
  • JCFE written answers

Transition Year

A good window for reading widely and practising extended writing without exam pressure, which pays off heavily in Fifth Year.

  • Wider reading
  • Extended writing practice

5th & 6th Year

Leaving Cert Paper 1 and Paper 2, the single text, comparative study and poetry, all marked against PCLM criteria.

  • Composing & comprehension
  • Single text & comparative
English tutor reviewing an essay with an Irish student during an online grind
Detailed Essay Feedback

English Tutors Who Mark Like the SEC

Our English tutors hold degrees in English or a related discipline and know the prescribed texts for the current exam years. All are Garda vetted before they teach, and every grind is recorded.

  • Garda vetted before their first grind
  • Degree-qualified in English or a related field
  • Familiar with current prescribed texts
Learn More About Our Tutors

English Lesson Plans For Each Class and Year

Week-by-week English lesson plans for every class and year in Ireland, from 1st Class through Junior Cycle and Transition Year to the Leaving Certificate.

English Lesson Plan For1st ClassPrimary · Stage 2English Lesson Plan For2nd ClassPrimary · Stage 2English Lesson Plan For3rd ClassPrimary · Stage 3English Lesson Plan For4th ClassPrimary · Stage 3English Lesson Plan For5th ClassPrimary · Stage 4English Lesson Plan For6th ClassPrimary · Stage 4English Lesson Plan For1st YearJunior CycleEnglish Lesson Plan For2nd YearJunior CycleEnglish Lesson Plan For3rd YearJunior CycleEnglish Lesson Plan For4th YearTransition YearEnglish Lesson Plan For5th YearLeaving CertificateEnglish Lesson Plan For6th YearLeaving Certificate

Frequently Asked Questions

What does PCLM mean in Leaving Cert English?
It stands for Purpose, Coherence, Language and Mechanics, the four criteria used to mark Leaving Cert English answers. Purpose and Coherence carry the most weight, so an essay that clearly answers the question and keeps a steady line of argument will score well even if the writing is not flashy. Most students lose marks on Purpose by drifting away from the question.
How should my child prepare for the comparative study?
By learning to compare, not summarise. The comparative study asks students to set texts against each other under the modes of comparison for that year, and the strongest answers weave the texts together throughout. Students who write about each text separately and then add a comparison at the end rarely reach the top grades.
Can grinds help with the composition on Paper 1?
Yes, and it is often where the biggest gains are. The composition carries a large share of the Paper 1 marks, and students who practise planning quickly and writing to a clear purpose can improve noticeably within a few months. We work on structure first, then style.
What are the Junior Cycle English CBAs?
There are two. The Oral Communication task is completed in Second Year, and the Collection of the Student’s Texts follows in Third Year with a written Assessment Task linked to it. They are reported on the Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement and reward students who plan ahead rather than leaving them to the last week.
Do you cover the prescribed texts for this year?
Yes. The prescribed texts and poets change from year to year, and our tutors work from the list published for your child’s exam year. It is worth confirming which single text and comparative texts your child’s class has chosen, since schools pick from the list.
Is the free trial grind really free?
Completely. No card is taken and nobody calls afterwards to sell you a package. The grind shows where your child’s writing and reading currently stand and what would lift their marks fastest.
Could my child’s reading be holding back other subjects?
It often is. Long maths questions, science data questions and history sources all depend on careful reading, so a student who reads slowly or misses detail can lose marks right across the Leaving Cert. When we see that pattern we look at English alongside maths grinds because the same reading issue usually shows up in both.

Related Subjects

Strong reading helps across the whole Leaving Cert. These are the subjects families often add.

Online Maths Tutor in Ireland

Maths grinds

Online Science Tutor in Ireland

Science grinds

Online Biology Tutor in Ireland

Biology grinds

Book Your Free Trial Lesson

Tell us your child’s year, level and the texts they are studying, and we will match them with an English tutor for a free first grind. No payment details needed.

Write Answers That Earn the Marks

From Junior Cycle paragraphs to Leaving Cert Higher Level essays, our English tutors help students write with clarity and purpose.

Book Free TrialContact Us