When many parents think about grinds, they remember their own experience: usually either a teacher offering a few after-school grinds around a kitchen table or additional classes and revision courses in grind schools.
While these are still popular, the big growth area in Ireland’s multimillion euro grinds area has been online. In recent years, there has been a proliferation of companies offering notes, online classes and videos, interactive quizzes and so much more.
A key benefit is price. While subject grinds can typically cost hundreds of euro, and the cost of attending a full-time grind school is close to €10,000 a year, many online study sites now offer a set price for access to all their notes, videos and classes. One of the most popular, Studyclix.ie, for example, has a free basic package and charges just under €50 for one-year access to all its material and classes on every subject.
Demand for grinds seems stronger than ever due to a range of factors such as strong competition for CAO points, a shortage of teachers in schools across key subjects and a perception that some subject teachers in some schools are underperforming.
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Either way, the huge amount of competition in this area means online grinds have become more affordable than ever. Some grinds companies offer discounted rates to students in disadvantaged areas while some are even offering free grinds. And, if the price of one company is too much for a family, there are many other options.
Here, we take a look at some of the key players for specialist grinds, as well as the companies offering grinds across two or more subjects.
Maths
This is a not-for-profit project offering free maths grinds to every second-level student in Ireland. Funded by a philanthropist, BrighterMinds was cofounded by teachers Gráinne Enright and Paul Enright and it requires no registration links or login: students simply go to the website, click on their year level and watch a free class. For students who may previously have been unable to afford grinds, it is a real game-changer.
Running since 2011 and founded by maths teacher Eamonn Toland, TheMathsTutor offers more than 1,000 on-demand video lessons, advice on exam preparation and technique, online support, bite-sized notes, exam countdown revision schedules and weekly webinars. This December, there’s a significant discount on annual membership, down from €299 to €169, although students can also pay a monthly membership of €30. Before committing, students can avail of a free trial where they can sample videos, notes and exercises.
OReillyMaths.ie
This site partners with businesses across Ireland to provide weekly maths classes to students from disadvantaged schools who may not otherwise be able to afford grinds. It also provides free video tutorials on a number of key maths topics.
Online maths grinds for primary, Junior Cert and Leaving Cert students, with a mix of personalised small classes, recorded classes and 24/7 after-grind support through WhatsApp. Students are grouped by ability and get notes and a 15-minute worksheet on each weekly topic.
Irish
Run by experienced teacher John Gavin, the site offers free live classes on its YouTube channel on Wednesdays at 8.30pm. About half of the content on the site is free, with options for students to pay for additional essays, grammar and oral exam tips, and poetry, prose and play advice. Gavin has worked as both an Irish oral examiner and a written examiner for the State Examinations Commission, as well as a course tutor for student teachers at teacher-training college Hibernia College.
English
Like many teachers, Gillian Chute starting offering grinds as a side business some years back, but her approach caught on and it has now become her full-time business.
Chute offers a number of options for students who need additional support with their English course, as well as for stronger students who want to improve their skills, with options including weekly grinds, intensive day courses, online Christmas courses, summer courses, and Easter courses.
Like all grinds teachers, she provides notes, but what sets her apart is that she places an emphasis on structure and methodology in writing answers, using a step-by-step teaching method rooted in exam techniques – rather than simply learning the information. She also runs regular topic sessions throughout the year.
French
In 2015, experienced French teacher Elizabeth Lyne, author of Leaving Certificate textbook Bonne Chance, began writing French notes for students, and a small business was born.
FrenchNotes is one of a minority of study websites that specialises in just one subject, and she does weekly Zoom classes with relatively small numbers, so each student can still be provided with individual attention. Lyne also provides individualised and detailed feedback to students.
There are a range of different options, with a view to keeping the site as widely affordable to as many students as possible. These include online classes and workshops, as well as Junior and Leaving Cert plans with extensive notes, translations, sample answers, exercises, worksheets, audio notes, pronunciation guides and more.
More than one subject
studyclix.ie
Created by Sligo-based teacher Luke Saunders and web developer Keith Wright in 2012, Studyclix quickly became Ireland’s most popular study website. It covers most Junior and Leaving Cert subjects, broken down topic by topic and with a combination of notes, videos, past exam questions, a forum, quizzes and marking schemes.
Offering lessons and teacher support at primary and secondary level, with teachers on hand to guide through tricky areas.
This site is focused on closing the inequality between those who can and can’t afford grinds, and won a Social Entrepreneur Ireland Award in 2022. Tutors work one-on-one with students, providing personalised feedback on the homework they have set.
A free, user-friendly platform for teachers to share their notes and resources, all while helping students with their learning. Students can publish their notes, sample answers and other educational resources.
ExamLearn contains a selection of Junior and Leaving Cert notes, videos and, perhaps most usefully of all, sample answers and marking schemes broken down by subject and topic.
Live weekly grinds, presented online by experienced grinds teachers in a wide range of subjects, where students can ask questions during the Q&A session. Students can also catch up by watching the recordings.
Developed by the Dublin Academy of Education, this app includes access to past exam questions by searching keywords as well as marking schemes, access to notes, video and written solutions to questions and access to free live weekly classes. While usually just under €40, It is currently free to access.
