For the Junior Cycle student, the curriculum will be a mix of subjects and short courses along with other learning experiences. For a small group of students with special educational needs, priority learning units (PLUs) will be provided. The Junior Cycle curriculum components will enable the 24 Statements of Learning (see jct.ie) literacy and numeracy and other key skills, to become a reality for students throughout their three-year junior cycle.
Classroom-Based Assessments (CBAs) of subjects (and Short Courses if offered) will take place in most subjects during both 2nd and 3rd Year. These will provide students with opportunities to demonstrate their understanding and skills in a way which would not be possible in a formal examination.
Exams will be set, held and marked by the State Examinations Commission in June of third year. English, Irish and Maths specified at Higher and Ordinary levels. All other subjects specified at a Common Level with exam duration of 2 hours or less.
Students will be issues a Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement (replacing the old Junior Certificate) which will list subject results and descriptors from CBAs. It will also note Other Areas of Learning which can include sporting achievements, students’ council work, green school etc.
The following are Subjects on offer at present but some may be offered as a short course in line with school resources and student demand.
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Subject
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Comments
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English
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Higher & Ordinary Level
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Irish
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Higher & Ordinary Level
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Mathematics
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Higher & Ordinary Level
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Well Being: C.S.P.E.
PE,
SPHE,
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Civic, Social & Political Education, Physical Education,
Social, Personal & Health Education,
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History
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Common level
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Geography
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Common level
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Science
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Common level
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Religion & Digital Literacy
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Not at Exam level
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Note: A special feature of Mount Saint Michael is our Modular System where each first year student gets a chance to study all the Option Subjects each for a month, so every student experiences every subject. At the end of three months students will be in a good position to make their final choices having experienced all the subjects. So parents and students can make an informed choice about subjects. Almost all students get their first choice of subjects except where numbers exceed places in any particular subject. The following are optional subjects that have been offered, however, the level of demand and resources available determines on availability from year to year.
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Options – all examined at Common level
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French
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Music
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Home Economics
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Wood Technology
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Business
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Music
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Engineering
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Graphics
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Art, Craft & Design
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The provision of these subjects is in accordance with the school’s resources and allocations and therefore is subject to change.
JCPA- New Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement
For the junior cycle student, the new junior cycle (Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement) will mean that the curriculum available in their schools will be a mix of subjects and short courses and other learning experiences. For a small group of students with special educational needs, priority learning units (PLUs) will be provided. As schools plan a new junior cycle programme they will choose curriculum components that will enable the 24 statements of learning, literacy and numeracy and other key skills to become a reality for students throughout their three-year junior cycle.
Key Skills for JCPA
Key skills help learners develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes to face the many challenges in today’s world. They also support students in learning how to learn and to take responsibility for their own learning.
Key Skills Teaching Toolkits
24 Statements of Learning:
The student
1 communicates effectively using a variety of means in a range of contexts in L1*
2 listens, speaks, reads and writes in L2*
and one other language at a level of proficiency that is appropriate
to her or his ability
3 creates, appreciates and critically interprets a wide range of texts
4 creates and presents artistic works and appreciates the process and skills involved
5 has an awareness of personal values and an understanding of the process of moral decision making
6 appreciates and respects how diverse values, beliefs and traditions have contributed to the communities and
culture in which she/he lives
7 values what it means to be an active citizen, with rights and responsibilities in local and wider contexts
8 values local, national and international heritage, understands the importance of the relationship between past
and current events and the forces that drive change
9 understands the origins and impacts of social, economic, and environmental aspects of the world around her/him
10 has the awareness, knowledge, skills, values and motivation to live sustainably
11 takes action to safeguard and promote her/his wellbeing and that of others
12 is a confident and competent participant in physical activity and is motivated to be physically active
13 understands the importance of food and diet in making healthy lifestyle choices
14 makes informed financial decisions and develops good consumer skills
15 recognises the potential uses of mathematical knowledge, skills and understanding in all areas of learning
16 describes, illustrates, interprets, predicts and explains patterns and relationships
17 devises and evaluates strategies for investigating and solving problems using mathematical knowledge,
reasoning and skills
18 observes and evaluates empirical events and processes and draws valid deductions and conclusions
19 values the role and contribution of science and technology to society, and their personal, social and global importance
20 uses appropriate technologies in meeting a design challenge
21 applies practical skills as she/he develop models and products using a variety of materials and technologies
22 takes initiative, is innovative and develops entrepreneurial skills
23 brings an idea from conception to realisation
24 uses technology and digital media tools to learn, communicate, work and think collaboratively and creatively in a responsible and ethical manner.
Assessment
Assessment
Assessment in education is about gathering, interpreting and using information about the processes and outcomes of learning. It takes different forms and can be used in a variety of ways, such as to test and certify achievement, to determine the appropriate route for students to take through a differentiated curriculum or to identify specific areas of difficulty (or strength) for a given student. Assessment in the new junior cycle will be linked, on an everyday basis, into the learning taking place.
Students should be more involved in, and more responsible for, gathering and presenting evidence of that learning. In general terms, the teacher’s role lies in giving feedback on and reporting on, evidence of learning. And some of the results of assessment activity in schools should also be used for certification purposes.
Teachers use a variety of assessment tools to gather information about students’ learning. Asking questions, giving written tests at the end of units of study, setting and correcting homework assignments are all forms of assessment with which teachers are familiar. Teachers use the results of this assessment to inform students on their progress, to report to parents and to plan future classroom activities.
However, recent advances in our knowledge of how learning takes place and how learners make their way through classroom activities have led to new understandings of the importance of assessment in the promotion of learning. These new perspectives are having an impact across the curriculum as the focus in assessment activity begins to move from an emphasis on the assessment of learning to include assessment for learning – providing feedback to learners on how to improve their learning.