Kilkenny City school among first to be awarded LGBTQ+ Quality Mark

Kilkenny City Vocational School was honoured to attend the Belong To LGBTQ+ Quality Mark Accreditation Ceremony, held in the Royal Marine Hotel, Dún Laoghaire, where it was recognised as one of 16 schools nationwide to receive accreditation this year.

This achievement reflects 18 months of dedicated work by the entire school community to promote inclusion, respect, and a strong sense of belonging for all students. The Belong To organisation supports LGBTQ+ young people across Ireland, and its Quality Mark programme recognises schools that demonstrate a whole-school commitment to creating safe, inclusive environments.

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A highlight of the event was the contribution of KCVS students Ria Young and Tyler Dempsey, who represented the school with great pride, kindness, and professionalism. They participated in a student panel discussion alongside host James Kavanagh, where they spoke about their experiences of the inclusive practices for all within the school.

The school would like to extend its thanks to its core team teachers who attended the ceremony, as well as to the wider school community for their continued support throughout this journey.

KCVS is particularly proud to be the second school in County Kilkenny to receive this prestigious award, and the first in Kilkenny city centre to achieve this recognition.