Junior Cycle

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.

A significant feature of the Junior Cycle is the CBA - Classroom Based Assessment. Below is the Newbridge College CBA calendar for 2nd and 3rd years 2024-2025.

2nd Year CBA Calendar 3rd Year CBA Calendar

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:

  • Wellbeing
    • Civic, Social & Political Education (CSPE)
    • Social Personal & Health Education (SPHE)
    • Physical Education (PE)
  • Irish
  • English
  • Maths
  • French
  • German
  • Science
  • History
  • Geography
  • Business Studies
  • Religious Education
  • Art, Craft & Design
  • Music
  • Home Economics
  • Technical Graphics
  • Materials Technology Wood

Second and Third years

All students currently take each of the following examination subjects:

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

* (unless exempt from Irish by the DE)

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

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

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, UG, MU, RCSI).

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