Junior Cycle

The Junior Cycle programme follows on from what students have studied in Primary school.  It is a broadly based programme designed to provide a good general education and to prepare students for their Senior Cycle studies.

The First Year curriculum is intended to provide the newcomers to secondary school with as wide a range of educational experience as possible, so that each student may discover his/her scholastic and vocational aptitudes.

First year

All students currently take each of the following subjects:

Civic, Social & Political Education (CSPE)  •  Irish  •  English  •  Maths •  Social Personal & Health Education (SPHE)  •  French  •  German  •  Science •  History  •  Geography  •  Business Studies  •  Religious Education •  Art, Craft & Design  •  Music  •  Technical Graphics  •  Choir or Home Economics & Woodwork

Second and Third years

All students currently take each of the following examination subjects:

Irish*  •  English  •  Maths  •  History  •  Geography  •  Science •  CSPE •   Religion

* (unless exempt from Irish by the DES)

They also choose three other examination subjects from the following list:

French   •   German   •   Business Studies   •   Art, Craft & Design   •   Music •   Materials Technology Wood   •   Technical Graphics   •   Home Economics

Students entering 2nd year are strongly advised to take a modern language.  However, where a student entering second year has a particular difficulty with languages, he/she may opt not to take either French or German, but it should be recognised that a European language is a requirement for admission to the majority of courses in the National University of Ireland (UCD, UCC, NUIG, NUIM, RCSI, Shannon).