Junior Certificate

Junior Certificate - 3 Years

All students take the following core subjects:

  • English
  • Irish
  • Maths
  • History
  • Geography
  • Civic, Social & Political Education (CSPE)
  • Social, Political & Health Education (SPHE)
  • Religious Education
  • Physical Education
  • Computers

They then pick one modern language from a choice of three:

  • French
  • German
  • Spanish

Students then choose three subjects from the following:

  • Arts and Craft
  • Business
  • Home Economics
  • Music
  • Science
  • Materials Technology (Wood)
  • Materials Technology (Metal)
  • Technical Graphics

 

The following are useful websites.  They give you an opportunity to find out information for yourself:

  1. The Department of Education Website, in addition to providing useful information, gives the syllabus and guidelines for your chosen subjects. www.education.ie
  2. For more information please visit the Junior Certificate at the Department of Education website. The State Examinations Commission Website www.examinations.ie provides a wealth of information on state exams, the timetable, past examinations and marking schemes.

 

Leaving Certificate


Leaving Certificate - 2 years

All students take the following core subjects:

  • English

  • Irish

  • Maths

  • Religious Education

  • Career Guidance

  • P.E./Computers/Art

Students also choose four subjects from the following options:

  • French

  • German

  • Spanish

  • Physics

  • Chemistry

  • Music

  • Biology

  • History

  • Geography

  • Business

  • Accountancy

  • Technology

  • Home Economics

  • Art

  • Engineering

  • Technical Drawing

  • Building Construction

The following are useful websites.  They give you an opportunity to find out information for yourself.

  1. Ireland’s National Learners’ Database QualifaX provides information on further and higher education and training courses.  QualifaX ensures that you have all the information you need to make informed choices about your education, training and career paths. www.qualifax.ie
  2. www.careerdirections.ie  also a very useful website.
  3. The website for the Central Applications Office is www.cao.ie

  4. The Department of Education Website, in addition to providing useful information, gives the syllabus and guidelines for your chosen subjects. www.education.ie

  5. For more information please visit the Leaving Certificate at the Department of Education website. The State Examinations Commission Website is www.examinations.ie gives a wealth of information on state exams, the timetable, past examinations and marking schemes.

 

 

Junior Certificate Schools Programme (JCSP)

The Junior Certificate School Programme is a national programme sponsored by the Department of Education and Science and the National Council of Curriculum and Assessment.

The Junior Certificate with a Plus

  • This Programme gives every child the chance to do well.

  • It is the Junior Certificate programme…with a PLUS.

  • All the students are entered for the Junior Certificate examination.

 Plus…

  • They get a profile that lists their skills and explains all the things they are good at and they get a reference from the school.  

What happens in school?

  1. The school puts together a Junior Certificate Programme that will keep your child interested.

  2. It is designed to bring out the best in your child all the way through school and in the Junior Certificate examination.

  3. The Programme is tailored to suit the students.

  4. They work on short-term goals so they can see they are making progress.

  5. They build up their skills gradually.

  6. Their success is rewarded at each stage.

The Profile

  1. Each student involved in the Programme gets an individual profile.

  2. The profile highlights all the great things that your child can do.

  3. The teachers can give credit for all class work, homework and class
    tests.

  4. The Profile lists and describes the skills and knowledge each student has learned. 

  5. It will be different for each student.

Information from the Department:

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 if the conditions are favourable.  This is a collaborative venture between our school and other local second level schools, providing high level support (1:12) to students with special needs to the Junior Certificate.

What is the JCSP?
The Junior Certificate School Programme is a national programme sponsored by the Department of Education and Science and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment.  It originated in the early school leavers’ programmes initiated by the City of Dublin Vocational Educational Committee and the Curriculum Development Unit.  Currently the programme is operating in 240 schools throughout the country.

Aims
The Junior Certificate School Programme aims to provide a curriculum framework that assists schools and teachers in making the Junior Certificate more accessible to those young people who may leave school without formal qualifications. It attempts to help young people experience success and develop a positive self-image by providing a curriculum and assessment framework suitable to their needs. On completion of the programme students receive a profile which is an official record of their achievements, validated by the Department of Education and Science.

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. 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.  In addition, the JCSP team tries to make positive contact with the students’ families.  When the students sit their Junior Certificate exam they also get a certificate from the Department of Education and Science and a profile listing all they have achieved while on the Programme.

For more information visit the Junior Certificate Schools Programme section on the Department of Education website at www.jcsp.ie

 

 

Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA)


The Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) is a distinct, self-contained two-year senior cycle course which aims to provide the option of a programme emphasising Vocational Preparation and the development of personal and practical skills.  The range of courses on offer, combined with continuous assessment and work experience are an excellent preparation for adult life and the world of work.

It is designed for students who (i) do not wish to proceed directly to third level education or (ii)for those whose needs, aspirations and aptitudes are not adequately catered for by the original Leaving Certificate programme or (iii) who choose not to opt for the original Leaving Certificate programme. The LCA Programme is administered and assessed by the State Examinations Commission.

Student Tasks
Student Tasks are a major part of the Leaving Certificate Applied Programme and are assessed by external examiners appointed by the Department of Education and Science. These Tasks may be in a variety of formats – written, audio, video, artefact etc. Each student is also required to produce a report on the process of completing the Task. This report may be incorporated in the evidence of task performance.

Subjects include:

Vocational Preparation

Guidance

English and Communications

Mathematical Applications

Information Technology

Arts Education

Social Education

Languages - Irish & Modern, spoken and culture

Leisure and Recreation

Vocational Education

Hotel, Tourism and Catering

Engineering and Construction Studies

Science

For more information please visit the Leaving Certificate Applied at the Department of Education website at http://lca.slss.ie

Exams

In-house Exams and State Exams

In-house Examinations
 In Balbriggan Community College we have ongoing assignments, tests and assessments conducted by individual teachers during the year. 

Then twice a year the whole school is turned into an exam centre and all the students sit down and complete examinations for between one and three weeks, depending on whether you’re a Junior or a Senior student.  Senior students have longer examinations. 

These In-house examinations occur during February generally and coincide with the Mocks i.e. the pre-Junior and pre-Leaving Certificate Examinations.

Once again toward the end of May the school sits down to complete their summer examinations, but in this case the Junior and Leaving Certificate students are under-going intense study for their real exams which begin in early June and have to wait until then to show off what they know.

State Examinations – Junior and Leaving Certificate
 Written Exams begin in June, just after the Bank Holiday weekend.  Practical Exams occur before that and Oral Exams take place around Easter.

2011 Exam Timetables
The 2011 Examination will commence on the 9th June and the Timetables will be available at www.examinations.ie.

Courses & Examinations
 All students spend their first three years preparing for the Junior Certificate Examination.  After that they have two choices.

  • Leaving Certificate Applied Programme
  • Traditional Leaving Certificate

YEAR 1

YEAR 2

YEAR 3

YEAR 4

YEAR 5

All students begin the Junior Certificate Programme.

 

 

 

All students continue their studies in the Junior Certificate Programme.

 

 

All students are in the final year of the
Junior Certificate Programme.

The Junior Certificate Examination takes place in June of this year. 

All Students are in their 1st year of their chosen Leaving Certificate Programme.

All students are now in their final year of their chosen Leaving Certificate Programme.

The Leaving Certificate Examination takes place in June of this year.

When do mock or practice examinations take place?
 These are normally planned for February, around the Mid-Term break.  They aim to give the student a dress rehearsal for the real thing and also a last chance to evaluate progress while there is still time to make up lost ground.

When do state examinations take place?
 About one week after school closes for the summer holidays the State Examinations usually begin and they go on until the last week in June.  However, oral assessments are usually held just before Easter and practical examinations take place after Easter.

When are the results of state examinations available?
 The Junior Certificate results reach the schools in mid-September.  The Leaving Certificate Examinations results reach the school in mid-August.

When do students let the school know what they wish to do after Junior Certificate?
 Some time in late February or early March, students are usually approached by their Year Heads working in conjunction with the Guidance Department and the co-ordinators of the different senior programmes.  At this stage students should know what they want to do and, where relevant, what subjects to choose for senior cycle programmes.  There is an Information Day for all 3rd Years at the end of the mock examinations, followed by an Information Evening for parents during the following week.

What is the points system?
 If there are not enough places for all applicants who have the necessary second level qualifications for Third Level Colleges, then each individual’s examination grades are reduced to a single points score and those with the highest points are taken onto the course.  When a points rating is quoted for a course this simply indicates the lowest points level that gained a place in the previous year’s entry. 

IMPORTANT!!
The information in this section is offered as a general guide. The reader is advised that this information is no substitute for the official Department of Education documents. 

Points & Grading System

Points System
The points assigned to each grade achieved in the Leaving Certificate are shown in the table below. Points for individual applicants are calculated as the total of the points from your six highest grades. i.e. the maximum number of points available to any one candidate is 600, which you would achieve if you got A1s on six (or more) Higher Level papers.

Grade Higher Paper Ordinary Paper
A1 100 60
A2 90 50
B1 85 45
B2 80 40
B3 75 35
C1 70 30
C2 65 25
C3 60 20
D1 55 15
D2 50 10
D3 45 05

Grading
 Results of the Leaving Certificate examination subjects are given in the form of grades. Each grade represents a percentage range of marks as follows:

Percentage Range Grade
90 or over A1
85 but less than 90 A2
80 but less than 85 B1
75 but less than 80 B2
70 but less than 75 B3
65 but less than 70 C1
60 but less than 65 C2
55 but less than 60 C3
50 but less than 55 D1
45 but less than 50 D2
40 but less than 45 D3
25 but less than 40 E
10 but less than 25 F
less than 10 No Grade

 

 

Adult Education Course Outline


Adult Education & Leisure Time Activity Spring Programme 2010

 Term Commences Monday, 1st February, 2010

 For Full Course List Click here

 For Further Information contact

Extra Night Enrolment Monday 25th January 7.30 - 9pm!

Balbriggan Community College

Tel: 01 8412388

Fax: 01 8412818

Email: balbriggancomcol@eircom.net

Principal: Mr. Pat Halpin

Adult Education Officer: Ms. Ciara Grant

 Enrolment

Enrolment 18th, 19th, 20th and 25th January, 2010

7.30 - 9pm in Balbriggan Community College

Online Registration at click here

 

For General information on night classes in County Dublin V.E.C. schools please click here

Full Fee payable on Enrolment.

Payment of fee by cheque would be appreciated.

O.A.P. Discount 50 Euros

Fees are non-refundable, except where a class does not form.

No student may transfer from one subject to another, except with the permission of the Adult Education Officer.

The County Dublin Vocational Education Committee accepts no responsibility for property stolen or mislaid on any of its premises. 

Cars parked at owners’ risk.

Full Timetable available now.

 

ALP
The Advanced Learners Programme is a course at Balbriggan Community College aimed at those who are of exceptional ability and are progressing with ease through the traditional Junior Certificate Programme. It challenges these students to enhance their knowledge and problem solving skills in areas that will both braoden their educational learning and enhance the basic skills they have already learned.

Now in its second year, this programme is proving to be a huge success with the students involved. They experience modules on important skills that are not being provided within the current Junior Certificate Programme. Modules include Computer Programming, Forensic Science, Formula 1 Car Enginnering Design, Public Speaking, Entrepreneurship and more.