Junior Cycle

The Junior Cycle, introduced in 2014, features newly developed subjects with a focus on key skills and new approaches to assessment and reporting. Classroom practise is now informed by an over-arching set of 24 statements of learning, which the students engage with over the course of their Junior Cycle experience. The 24 statements, which are underpinned by the eight principles, are central to the school’s junior cycle programme.

 
There are eight fundamental principles:

• Learning to Learn
• Choice and flexibility
• Quality
• Creativity and innovation
• Engagement and participation
• Continuity and development
• Inclusive education
• Wellbeing

Throughout the Junior Cycle, students will acquire and enhance their proficiency in these six key skills. These will be brought to life through the learning experiences encountered by students and will be evident in the assessment approaches used in the classroom and in examinations.
 

Assessment

Classroom Based assessment (CBA)

The new Junior Cycle introduced classroom-based assessments to accurately assess the development of students’ skills, in the different subjects. Each subject has two classroom-based assessments. The first of these is completed in 2nd year, while the second is completed in 3rd year ,except for Irish where both CBAs are in 3rd year.
A particular purpose of the classroom-based assessments is to facilitate developmental feedback to students.

Priority Learning Units (PLU)

For a small group of students with special educational needs, priority learning units (PLUs) are provided. These units concentrate the attainment of the keyskills for this cohort of students.

Assessment Tasks

Student performance on the assessment task contributes 10% of their national examination results. The assessment task may require students to demonstrate an understanding of the knowledge and skills developed during their second classroom-based assessment. It gives the students the opportunity to reflect and consider how they implemented the key skills in their completion of the 2nd classroom-based assessment.

Examination

The state examinations are drafted by the state examinations commission (SEC). Student performance on these examinations contributes 90% of their national examination results.

Accreditation

Before the end of the first term following the completion of the Junior Cycle, each student will receive a composite Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement (JCPA). This will document the full range of the student’s learning achievements. They will include evidence of student’s achievements gathered over their 3 year cycle in the area of national examination results, classroom based assessments (CBA’s) and other areas of learning (OAL).

 
The curriculum is based on the syllabus of the Department of Education and students will be prepared for the Junior Certificate examination to be taken at the end of Third Year.

It is school policy to have classes of mixed ability, and in most subjects this will continue to the end of the Junior Certificate Programme.