The Woodcock Johnson IV UK Tests of Achievement UK and Irl edition is a world leader in assessment and highly suitable for monitoring academic progress, diagnosing difficulties, and planning intervention for reading, writing and maths. The WJ IV is made up of 11 discrete tests that can accurately assess areas of reading, writing and maths in persons aged between 4 up to adult (aged 90+). The test is perfect for applying for access arrangements in the UK (25% extra time, reader and scribe);  reasonable accommodations (RACE), Irish exemptions and DARE in the Republic of Ireland. The test is approved by the Department of Education and skills (DES) and the SpLD Assessment Standards Committee (SASC) Skills.

The UK and Ireland edition is a special edition of the WJ IV which has been designed and adapted from the WJ IV Tests of Achievement,  Form C. While the norms have not changed, all of the content has been anglicised for use in the UK and Ireland and the testing battery has been shortened from 20 tests (standard and extended battery tests available in the full Wj IV) to the 11 core tests (standard battery only) thus making it more economical, affordable, and accessible to those schools and examiners seeking out a reliable and robust assessment tool.

Examiners can choose to administer all 11 discrete subtests or can select individual subtests for isolated use. The WJ IV will allow examiners to gain an in-depth understanding of a person’s academic strengths and weaknesses enabling targeted interventions to be put in place. Scores from the WJ IV can also be used to apply for access arrangements in the UK. With 11 subtests (see table below), spanning a huge age range (4- 90+ years) and assessing areas of early literacy and early number skills as well literacy and maths, the WJ IV is the perfect choice for students in every educational setting. 

Subtests of the WJ IV

11 BENEFITS OF USING THE WJ IV:

1. suitable for a range of educational settings (early years – adult education)
2. profiles students literacy AND maths attainments
3. fast administration times (5-10 mins per test)
4. Strong diagnostic powers
5. standard scores, percentiles and confidence intervals available
6. great administration flexibility (choose to administer one, some or all subtests)
7. allows a comprehensive understanding of each students pattern strengths and weaknesses
8. ability to design targeted interventions and instructional objectives
9. use for applications of access arrangements (7 different suitable subtests)
10. use to inform decisions around educational placements, programmes, and resources
11. computer scoring & reporting saves time and allows student data export and collation of score

Available to rent for a 4 week period at the cost of €50. Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for booking details.

Delighted to announce that we have been successful in our application to become the Kerry Apple Regional Training Centre for the 2019/20 academic year. We will provide training for teachers in Kerry here in the Education Centre commencing on the 17th of September. Keep an eye on our website in the coming weeks where a full list of training courses will be posted and teachers will be able to register. Mr. Robbie O Connell Principal of St. Brendan’s N.S. Blennerville is the manager and he will work closely with Ms. Roísín Johnston of Holy Cross Mercy Primary School in Killarney in coordinating all the courses. I would like to thank Miriam Walsh of the Cork Regional Apple training Centre for all her support in bringing this application to fruition. #AppleRTC

The Health and Safety Authority has developed resources to give farm safety messages to Primary students in 30 minutes. These are available at www.hsa.ie/education under Teacher Supports and Resources.  These include a Farm Safety Presentation-primary: a set of seven PowerPoint slides, specifically developed for use in all Primary classes. Teachers can use them with their whiteboards or print off to photocopy.  On the Farm videos showcase child safety on the  farm from the child’s own perspective. In addition to this, the HSA's dedicated e-learning portal www.hsalearning.ie contains a short interactive course for Primary students called Keep Safe on the Farm (2 x 40 minute online lessons suitable for the whiteboard). A certificate can be downloaded for the class once complete.