Junior Cycle
Read about our junior cycle offerings.
The Curriculum
The Junior cycle programme is broad. Students study compulsory English , Mathematics, Science, Physical Education, Geography, History, Art, Music, Irish, and the selection of one other Modern Foreign Language (from German, French).
Our First to Third year programme is underpinned by the practice of inquiry; nurturing students to be open-minded, risk-takers who are reflective and balanced. It focuses on the practical development of the skills needed to develop our students to become successful learners who enjoy learning, make progress and achieve; become confident individuals who are able to live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives; and responsible global citizens who make a positive contribution to society.
At the heart of our junior cycle programme is our pastoral care system designed to support our students holistically. The well being programme aims to guide our students into being global-minded, respectful, and principled members of society.
Assessment
Assessment of students’ work and progress takes place in lessons in an on-going manner both formally and informally. Students’ progress within a subject is monitored and measured. Assessment can take place in many ways throughout the year and the key summative assessments will be shared with parents through VS Ware as part of our commitment to continuous assessment and reporting. Assessments might include:
- Teacher feedback on classwork and homework
- Self-marking and peer marking of work
- Tests completed in formal conditions
- Presentations
- Project-based learning tasks
- Examinations at the end of a module or year
Students are encouraged to be a part of the process, to reflect and learn from all assessment experiences in order to improve knowledge, skills and understanding.
3rd Year
Students will continue the same academic curriculum that they studied in 2nd year.
Junior Cycle Assessment:
Each subject will have a new syllabus, new teaching methodologies and new modes of assessment. The new Junior Cycle also has a new grading system as outlined below. This will replace the previous A, B, C system.
New grading system:
| Grade | Range (%) |
| Distinction | ≥90 up to 100 |
| Higher Merit | ≥75 up to 90 |
| Merit | ≥55 up to 75 |
| Achieved | ≥40 up to 55 |
| Partially Achieved | ≥20 up to 40 |
| Not Graded | ≥0 up to 20 |
All results received by the students in each of their subjects will be reported on the student’s Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement (JCPA).
- Each subject examined under the new Junior Cycle will also have two Classroom Based Assessments. The first CBA is completed in 2nd year and the second CBA is done in 3rd year. These are both assessed by their classroom teacher and the full subject department works on the standardising of the assessments. The results of these two assessments will also be included on the JCPA.
- The work completed in the second CBA is also further assessed in an Assessment task (AT) which is completed in the last term of 3rd This is corrected by the State examination system and will account for 10% of the final exam result; the other 90% is awarded to the written exam completed in June of 3rd year.Â
 - The JCPA will also give a more holistic account of the student’s progress in that it also reports on Other Areas of Learning (OAL ). This allows the College to report on a student’s engagement in the full College curriculum including Sport, Music, Liturgical events and Debating.
- English, Irish and Maths can be studied at either Higher or Ordinary level while all other subjects will be taken at a Common level.
