About - Students and JCSP

Which students should do the JCSP?
Yes, schools are strongly encouraged to adopt mixed-ability grouping. In schools that adopt mixed-ability grouping, a greater satisfaction among students with the pace and type of instruction is evident and their students, including their higher ability students, usually perform better in the Junior Cycle examination. These findings suggest that over time, schools should move towards using mixed-ability grouping for all, including those students participating in the JCSP.

Can a group of students within a class do the Programme?
Certainly. It is up to the teacher and the school to decide what way they want to organise the students in their classes.

How is students’ participation in the Programme explained to them?

 

Students are told that they are entered into the Junior Cycle. The JCSP is a series of positive steps to support the achievement of the Junior Cycle. When explaining the JCSP to students, it is important that they don’t feel any different from their peers. To achieve this, the JCSP is explained as the Junior Cycle with a plus and that they will receive extra continuous support to promote success.

 

What do students gain from being in the Programme?
Students are provided the opportunity to become owners of their own learning by discussing statements and meeting agreed targets. Through engagement with this learning process, students begin to succeed and continue to build on this success. Throughout their time on the Programme, the JCSP team seeks out opportunities to reward and praise students and to give them useful feedback on their performance. Students also have the opportunity to participate in initiatives to support their learning. In addition, the JCSP team tries to make positive contact with the students’ families. When the students complete their Junior Cycle examinations, they also get a final profiling certificate from the Department of Education and Skills containing a listing of all they have achieved while engaged with the Programme.

Should the learning targets in the statements be explained to the students?
Student engagement in their learning is actively encouraged in the JCSP. Choosing statements based on the students’ needs and interests helps to make the JCSP students' learning experience more realistic and relevant. Students are encouraged to become involved in selecting statements in areas that they are interested in. It is important to emphasise that learning targets are part of the Junior Certificate/Cycle specifications and engagement with the statements is a stepping-stone to success.

 

Is it necessary to involve the students in tracking their own progress?
JCSP teachers have found that involving students in monitoring their own progress gives students an increased sense of control over their own learning and leads to greater motivation in achieving the learning targets. Experienced JCSP teachers report that this involvement is an important aspect of the delivery of the Programme. It lets the students know how they are getting on regularly and rewards their success with encouragement and praise.

Can students be helped to make the transition from primary to secondary?
Many JCSP schools now run transfer programmes for students moving from primary to secondary school. These programmes take some of the strangeness and fear out of moving into secondary school by allowing the 6th class primary pupils to explore their new school, meet some teachers, hear from 1st and 2nd years about the highlights of the year and in some cases try a few classes.

How long does a student need to be in the Programme to receive a Final Profile?
A student has to complete one year working on the Programme in order to receive a Final Profile.

Can a student be profiled if they have left the school?
Yes, any student who has completed one full year in the Programme is entitled to a profile and certification. However, the profile and certification can only be awarded at the end of third year.