Curriculum
Junior Cycle
Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement
The Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement (JCPA) is the new award for students taking the Junior Certificate.
The JCPA has replaced the traditional Junior Certificate. The traditional Junior Certificate was issued by the Department of Education and Skills and only showed the grades awarded in the state-certified final examinations taken in May (Art) and June of 3rd Year.
The new JCPA is issued by the school and will show:
- The grades awarded in the state-certified final examinations (Junior Cycle Exams) in June of 3rd Year.
Note: The Visual Art Junior Cycle exam involves the completion of a Visual Art Journal and the production of an artifact. This project is completed during class time only and cannot be worked on outside the classroom. - Achievements in Classroom based assessments (CBA’S) held in second and third year.
- Achievements in Other Areas of Learning (OALs)
Our school subjects for Junior Cycle (1st to 3rd year)
Core Subjects for Junior Cycle:
- English
- Irish
- Mathematics
Compulsory in Assumption Secondary School for Junior Cycle:
- History
- Geography
- Religious Education (New specification for Junior Cycle 2019)
- Modern Foreign Language (MFL)
- Wellbeing (Short Courses) –Civic, Social and Political Education (CPSE),
Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE), Physical Education (PE), Guidance, Music Appreciation/Choir & Art & Craft.
Optional Subjects (students select two from the following list in advance of entering the school):
- Business
- Visual art
- Music
- Home Economics
- Science
For parent information on Junior Cycle, please click here.
For information on individual subjects available at the Junior Cycle, please visit curriculumonline.ie
What is a Classroom Based Assessment (CBA)?
What is meant by Other Areas of Learning?
As well as the results taken from the Department of Education and Skills on the student’s final certificate examinations, the JCPA will record student participation, achievement and progress during the 3 years of their Junior Cycle Programme.
These OALs will include areas of learning outside the Junior Cycle Programme, such as:
- Social
- Cultural
- Pastoral
- Scientific
- Entrepreneurship
- Physical/Sporting
- Musical
- Performing arts e.g. speech & drama, dance, etc
- Visual arts
- Religious
Students will be asked to keep a record of all significant learning activities during their three-year Junior Certificate Programme.
In order to aid students in drawing up this list of Other Areas of Learning, we have listed possible areas within our school where students may have acquired valuable learning experiences.
List of Possible Experiences
This is only a suggested list – there may be other activities students may have undertaken not listed here that they may include:
- Member of a school team – sports, debating etc.
- Member of the student council e.g. SRC representative.
- Member of the school choir, band etc.
- Participated in a school committee e.g. Green Schools Committee.
- Participated in fund-raising activities – bake sale etc.
- Participated in various themed weeks in school.
- Represented their class or school in a competition
Students should try to identify the specific skill(s) acquired or learning outcome from the OALs they chose to list:
E.g. OAL: Represented school on a Debating Team Skills Acquired: research, writing and public speaking.