Junior Cycle

JUNIOR CYCLE

For a period of five years from when it is first introduced in 2014, the new Junior Cycle will operate in schools alongside the programmes based around the existing Junior Cycle.

Almost all junior cycle students take courses leading to the Junior Cycle, the State examination is taken at the end of the third year of junior cycle.

The curriculum which is taken by each pupil for the first three years consists of English, Irish, Maths, History, Geography,

Religion, wellbeing, Art, Home Economics, Business Studies, Science, Metalwork, Woodwork and a language either French, German or Spanish. Students also choose a short course too complete over the three years.

Curriculum

Beginning on a phased basis in September 2014, the new junior cycle will feature revised subjects and short courses, a focus on literacy, numeracy and key skills, and new approaches of assessment and reporting. Schools will have more freedom to design junior cycle programmes that meet the learning needs of all students. For students, the new junior cycle will mean that the curriculum available in their schools will be a mix of subjects and short courses as well as other learning experiences.

Classroom-based assessments

During second and third year, students complete a number of Classroom-Based Assessments.

For a small group of students with special educational needs, priority learning units (PLUs) will be provided. These components will enable the statements of learning, literacy and numeracy and other key skills to be become a reality for the students throughout their three-year junior cycle.

Junior Cycle Short Courses

Artistic Performance

This short course comes under the umbrella of ‘arts education’. Through movement, sound, symbol and image, the arts can transform a student’s creative idea into a work of expression that is communicated to an audience, usually in a group performance.

The course is delivered in three strands:

• Strand 1: Experiencing the arts – artistic performances are discussed and evaluated so that the student gets an idea of the actual experience of the arts. Students will gain an insight into what the art form is communicating, how it is communicated, and to consider their potential role in the final group performance.
• Strand 2: Planning and Preparing – The students plans and prepares for the performance they are going to be involved in. They consider their own strengths and those of others in order to make decisions on the performing/non-performing roles to be undertaken. Through individual and collaborative activities, students will develop the skills necessary to be successful in their particular role. This may be done through research, further observations and experiences, use of outside or in-school expertise, and regular attendance and practice at rehearsals.
• Strand 3: Participation and Performance – This strand brings the experiences of the arts as an observer and a participant together in the final group performance.

Assessment

There is one Classroom-Based Assessment (CBA), the final performance, which is the culmination of work undertaken in the three strands of the Artistic Performance short course. The assessment considers technical control, creativity, interpretation and teamwork. As part of the Classroom-Based Assessment, students will need to include a reflection on their experience of engaging with the arts as they progress through the three strands. This can be presented in written, digital, visual or audio form, or any other format that is deemed suitable by the student and appropriate for capturing the essence of the reflection.

Digital Media Literacy (DML)

Creating and sharing media in a digital environment has become an increasingly important feature of how young people communicate and engage with each other and with the wider world. Young people are actively manipulating digital media to participate in social and cultural life, to pursue their interests and to express themselves online. Through studying this digital media literacy short course, students will learn to use digital technology to engage in self-directed enquiry, to discriminate between multiple sources of information and to participate safely and effectively in an online environment.

The Junior Cycle Schools Programme (JCSP)

The Junior Cycle Schools Programme supports and supplements the Junior Cycle Programme by offering students the option of continuous assessment.

The Junior Certificate School Programme is based on the concept that all young people are capable of real success in school and that they can have a positive experience of school if the conditions are favourable. The Junior Certificate School Programme aims to provide a curriculum framework that assists schools and teachers in making the Junior Certificate more accessible to those young people who may leave school without formal qualifications. It attempts to help young people experience success and develop a positive self-image by providing a curriculum and assessment framework suitable to their needs. On completion of the programme students receive a profile which is an official record of their achievements, validated by the Department of Education and Science.

Please visit www.jcsp.ie for more information about the JCSP

Mount Seskin Community College has a School Library setup to allow students use it both during Class but also in use at lunch time and after school.

The library is staffed by a full-time Librarian, Shane Doyle.