Curriculum
English in junior cycle aims to develop students’ knowledge of language and literature, to consolidate and deepen their literacy skills and make them more self-aware as learners.
More specifically it encourages all students:
- to be creative through language and to gain enjoyment and continuing personal growth from English in all its forms
- to develop control over English using it and responding to it with purpose and effect through the interconnected literacy skills of oral language, reading and writing
- to engage personally with and think critically about an increasingly broad range of spoken, written and multimodal texts
- to develop an informed appreciation of literature through personal encounters with a variety of literary texts
- to use their literacy skills to manage information needs, and find, use, synthesise, evaluate and communicate information using a variety of media
- to gain an understanding of the grammar and conventions of English and how they might be used to promote clear and effective communication.
Junior Certificate Irish builds upon the language developed during primary education. The learner’s vocabulary is both reinforced and enriched at this stage and the four language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) are further developed. In addition, the learner’s linguistic and cultural awareness are expanded over the three years of junior cycle.
Maths focuses on developing students’ ability to think logically, strategically, critically, and creatively, while empowering individuals to become critical citizens through the exploration of:
- Number
- Geometry & Trigonometry
- Algebra & Functions
- Statistics & Probability
- Unifying strand.
These capabilities enable students to respond to familiar and unfamiliar situations by employing mathematics to make informed decisions and solve problems efficiently.
Science in junior cycle aims to develop students’ evidence-based understanding of the natural world and their ability to gather and evaluate evidence: to consolidate and deepen their skills of working scientifically; to make them more self-aware as learners and become competent and confident in their ability to use and apply science in their everyday lives.
More specifically it encourages all students:
- to develop a sense of enjoyment in the learning of science, leading to a lifelong interest in science
- to develop scientific literacy and apply this to the analysis of science issues relevant to society, the environment and sustainability
- to develop a scientific habit of mind and inquiry orientation through class, laboratory and/ or off-site activities that foster investigation, imagination, curiosity and creativity in solving engaging, relevant problems, and to improve their reasoning and decision-making abilities
- to develop the key skills of junior cycle to find, use, manage, synthesise, and evaluate data; to communicate scientific understanding and findings using a variety of media; and to justify ideas on the basis of evidence
- to acquire a body of scientific knowledge; to develop an understanding of Earth and space and their place in the physical, biological, and chemical world and to help establish a foundation for more advanced learning.
The Specification for Junior Cycle Modern Foreign Languages aims to develop communicative language skills. It also aims to enable students to explore the interdependence between language and culture, to develop their appreciation of the relevance of languages to their lives for personal, social, educational, vocational and leisure purposes, and to derive enjoyment from language learning.
More specifically it encourages all students to
- actively engage in language activities and tasks, developing the capacity to understand written and spoken language
- communicate effectively and confidently in the target language in familiar contexts through a range of media
- develop their capacity to use appropriate structures and vocabulary for the purposes of communication, both written and oral
- enjoy a language-learning experience that will facilitate and encourage them to continue learning languages in future
- be reflective and autonomous in their language learning, and become actively involved in monitoring and assessing their progress
- appreciate their own and other cultures
develop skills that they can apply to other areas of study and to their lives.
The study of history at Junior Cycle aims to enable students to develop the necessary conceptual understanding, disciplinary skills and subject knowledge to investigate the actions of people in the past and to come to a deeper understanding of the human condition. Students also come to see the world, and their place in it, from a historical perspective; and understand how the people and events of the past have shaped the contemporary world.
The study of history instils in students a respect for integrity, objectivity and looking at issues from different perspectives. This capacity for critical thinking helps them to interrogate sources of evidence and make judgements about the viewpoint expressed, including the capacity to identify propaganda.
This 100-hour short course builds upon the 70 hour CSPE course that many teachers and parents are familiar with. It is built around three strands, rights and responsibilities, global citizenship and exploring democracy. There is a strong focus on student action aimed at giving students an experience of active citizenship.
CSPE is an important part of a wellbeing programme within Junior Cycle as it enables students to feel connected to and take responsibility for the wellbeing of others. It also develops students’ confidence, agency and engagement which are important characteristics of student wellbeing.
This short course builds on the Junior Cycle Physical Education Framework which physical education teachers currently use to plan their physical education programme in junior cycle.
There are four strands, each one focusing on learning in different physical activity areas: Physical activity for health and wellbeing. Games, Individual and team challenges, Dance and Gymnastics.
This short course aims to develop students’ positive sense of themselves and their physical, social, emotional and spiritual health and wellbeing. It also aims to build the capacity of young people to develop and maintain healthy relationships.
In Galway Educate Together Secondary School, Ethical Education is taught as a separate subject. All students will participate in Ethical Education.
Ethical Education involves exploring different worldviews and beliefs, considering ethical dilemmas and the process of ethical decision making. Ethical Education invites students and teachers to engage with issues and problems facing society and aims to develop the skills of critical thinking, discussion and debate.
In Ethical Education students will explore the following areas: Values; Making Moral and Ethical Decisions; Beliefs and Worldviews; Different Teachings and Perspectives; Diversity in Ireland, Migration; Power and Participation; Gender Equality; Global Citizenship Education
Worldwise Global Schools
Galway Educate Together Secondary School will be active participants in the Worldwise Global Schools initiative. For further information please see www.worldwiseschools.ie
We are very proud that we have already been awarded the Diplomatic Passport for our work on Global Citizenship Education.
Short Courses
All students will also have the opportunity to experience other short courses. These may include:
Computer science is present in every aspect of modern society. Correctly-functioning software systems allow airplanes to fly from one city to another; give out money at the ATM and diagnose the level of glucose in your blood. Fundamental understanding of how computer hardware and software operate and relate to everyday life is an increasingly important area of learning for students. Problem solving and computational thinking skills are developed in this course as students build and create software projects using their own ideas and imagination. The course looks to build on any coding skills that primary students might have acquired while offering insight into possible future studies in computer science and software engineering.
The short course aims to develop the student’s ability to formulate problems logically; to design, write and test code through the development of programs, apps, games, animations or websites; and, through their chosen learning activities, to learn about computer science.
Learning about and through the arts is fundamental to an education that aspires to support the development of the whole person. Awareness of, involvement in and appreciation of the arts, enables students to encounter a rich world of creativity, imagination and innovation (Arts in Education Charter, 2012). The UN Declaration of Human Rights (Article 27) affirms the right of everyone to ‘participate in the cultural life of the country, and to enjoy the arts’.
Learning in the area of artistic performance is enjoyable for students, because it is hands-on, fully engaging the participants in practical group activities. It fosters both the development of the specific skills of the art form and a range of transferable skills that may apply to other collaborative endeavours. Through movement, sound, symbol and image, the arts can transform people’s creative ideas into expressive works that communicate feelings, meanings and interpretations to an audience. While it may draw on the students’ previous experiences, it also provides opportunities for students to develop new skills; the performance being both a challenge and a source of satisfaction in bringing an idea from conception to realisation.
This short course in artistic performance aims to engage students in artistic practices with others, by offering a structure that can be used to facilitate collaborative and individual imaginative and creative initiatives, leading to a group performance.
In Galway Educate Together Secondary School, Ethical Education is taught as a separate subject. All students will participate in Ethical Education.
Ethical Education involves exploring different worldviews and beliefs, considering ethical dilemmas and the process of ethical decision making. Ethical Education invites students and teachers to engage with issues and problems facing society and aims to develop the skills of critical thinking, discussion and debate.
In Ethical Education students will explore the following areas: Values; Making Moral and Ethical Decisions; Beliefs and Worldviews; Different Teachings and Perspectives; Diversity in Ireland, Migration; Power and Participation; Gender Equality; Global Citizenship Education
Worldwise Global Schools
Galway Educate Together Secondary School will be active participants in the Worldwise Global Schools initiative. For further information please see www.worldwiseschools.ie
We are very proud that we have already been awarded the Diplomatic Passport for our work on Global Citizenship Education.
1st Year Taster Programme
- Exploring people, place and change.
- Exploring the physical world.
- Exploring how we interact with the physical world.
- develop the student’s creativity, spatial ability, and capacity to reason and communicate ideas through engagement with abstract and applied geometric problem-solving activities
- encourage the development of the cognitive and practical dexterity skills associated with graphical communication
- instil an appreciation of the role of graphics in the world around them
- equip all students to make judgements on the best mode through which to represent their ideas and solutions.
- encourage the production of drawings that promotes the skills of communicating through graphics.
- develop students cognitive and practical skills associated with modelling and graphical communication.
- Responsible Family Living
- Food, Health & Culinary Skills
- Textiles & Craft
Students develop practical food and health literacy skills, creative design and textile skills while nurturing students’ resourcefulness, innovation, adaptability, and competency as consumers.
Students will develop the knowledge, skills and understanding necessary to produce and to engage with authentic and original art, craft and design work. In so doing, they will begin to develop the visual literacy, critical skills and language necessary to engage with contemporary culture. This will further contribute to the students’ understanding of the rich and diverse roles of art, craft and design in historical and contemporary societies and cultures.