Junior Certificate Schools Program

Junior Certificate Schools Programme

The programme is an intervention within the Junior Certificate Programme. It provides a curriculum framework which will assist the school and individual teachers in adopting a student-centred approach to the Junior Certificate.

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.

The Junior Certificate School Programme has been designed to ensure that young people can benefit from their time in school and enjoy the experience of improvement and success. The emphasis on active learning and on the development of basic skills in the programme is highlighted.

What is the aim of the J.C.S.P.?

• To provide a fresh approach to the Junior Certificate Programme for students who might struggle to cope with secondary school.
• It is an intervention for these students based on the concept that all young people are capable of achieving real success in school.
• To provide young students who might feel apprehensive about secondary school with the confidence to take pride in their own school work and achieve to their full potential.

What is the difference between the JCSP and the Junior Certificate?

• There is no specific difference, the students still sit the standard Junior Cert in June.
• Through a system of profiling a student’s work, students are provided with opportunities to engage with the curriculum, become more aware of their own learning, and to achieve success at school.
• After the three years they each receive an official certificate of their achievements, validated by the Department of Education and Science, in addition to their Junior Certificate Examination Certificate.

What do students gain from being in the Programme?

• Students get an opportunity to become more involved in their own learning, discussing statements and meeting targets.
• Through engagement with this learning process, students begin to succeed and go on to build on this success.
• During their time on the Programme the JCSP team looks for opportunities to reward and praise students and to give them useful feedback on their performance.

What is a JCSP Statement?

• A statement describes an area of knowledge, a concept or a skill. It states that a student knows, understands or can do something e.g.‘The student can carry out a simple research project and display the results appropriately.’
• Each statement is divided up into smaller, achievable, learning targets.

What initiatives are run in St. John’s College?

• Over the course of the three year period JCSP students will take part in specific learning initiatives. Some of these initiatives include:
• Literacy and Numeracy Initiatives
• Drop everything and read
• Paired reading
• Catch up Literacy

For further information please click link below:
http://www.ncca.ie/en/Curriculum_and_Assessment/Post-Primary_Education/Junior_Cycle/Junior_Certificate_School_Programme/