Coláiste Dún an Rí offers the Junior Cycle Program, an optional Transition Year Program, the Leaving Certificate Program and also Leaving Cert Applied Program.

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Junior Cycle

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The Junior Cycle subject provision consists of Core and Elective subjects.

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Core Subjects

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All students study the following subjects in Junior Cycle

Irish

English

Maths

Science

History

Religious Education

Physical Education (Short Course)

CSPE (Short Course)

SPHE

 

Elective Subjects (First Year 2024 - 2025)

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Students are required to choose a total of four subjects from the following list to study for Junior Cycle

 

Students select two subjects from the following Option Block

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Option Block 1

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Business

Geography

Modern Foreign Language (French)

 

Students select a further two subjects from the following Option Block

 

Option Block 2

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Visual Art

Business

Home Economics

Geography

Wood Technology 

Engineering

Music

Graphics

 

Students will sit a maximum ten subjects for the Junior Cycle examination

 

Transition Year

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A Transition Year Program is optional for students as they move from Junior to Senior Cycle. Admission to Transition Year is based on an application and selection criteria. Please see our TY Admissions Policy at Policies | Colaiste Dun An Ri .

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The TY Program focuses on the holistic development of students and the curriculum provides academic, social and personal growth aspects across the year. Information on the TY Program is provided to students and parents in the Spring of Third Year.

 

Leaving Certificate Programme

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The Leaving Certificate curriculum is as follows:

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Core Subjects (all students will participate in the following subjects)

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Irish

English

Maths

Religious Education/RSE

Career Guidance (Sixth Year)

Physical Education

 

Elective Subjects (based on resources and availability students may choose to study four of the following subjects)

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Accounting

Agricultural Science

Art

Biology

Business

Chemistry

Construction Studies

Design and Communication Graphics

Engineering

French

Geography

History

Home Economics

Music

Physics

Polish

Politics and Society

 

(Please note that depending on uptake and resources not all of these subjects may be provided. While we try to meet all subject demand requests it is not possible to guarantee that students will get their preferred choices.)

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Leaving Certificate Program

 

The Leaving Cert Applied Program is an optional program offered to students who may not meet the criteria for the traditional Leaving Cert. For information on our LCA Admissions Policy please see Policies | Colaiste Dun An Ri

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What is the difference between the Leaving Cert and Leaving Cert Applied?

Leaving Cert Applied (LCA) is split into four half-year sessions, with more emphasis on continuous assessment instead of the end of year exams.

 

This is different to the Leaving Cert which focuses on the final exams taken at the end of two years (5th and 6th year).

 

What is involved in LCA?

The different elements of the LCA include vocational preparation and general education, taken as modules at different times over the two years.

 

Vocational preparation

Vocational preparation involves:

 

Work experience

Applying maths in everyday life

IT and computers

Communication

 

General education

General education involves gaining skills and knowledge in areas such as:

 

Life skills

The arts (dance, drama, craft and design, etc.)

Social education

Active leisure studies

Horticulture/Agriculture.

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Earning credits

You will earn credits for the work you do in each half-year session. There are final exams that take place in June – the same time as the regular Leaving Cert exams – but your grades will not depend entirely on those exams because you will have built up credits during the year.

 

What exams are involved in LCA?

The exams that are taken as part of the LCA include:

 

English and communication

Two vocational specialisations (practical exams)

Mathematical applications

Language (written and oral in all languages)

Social education

 

Grading for the LCA

The grading of the Leaving Cert Applied is broken down into:

 

Pass (60-69 %)

Merit (70-84 %)

Distinction (85-100 %)

The pass grade is equal to 6 D grades in Ordinary Level in the Leaving Cert.

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