Students are selected for the programme based on the following criteria:
- Students with low academic performance in primary school
- Students who achieve very poor results in the standardised tests prior to entering secondary school
- Students with serious difficulties in basic skills such as literacy and numeracy
- Students with a record of high absenteeism from primary school
- Students who would have had access to resource teaching
Students are selected for the programme by the following staff members:
- Principal
- Deputy Principal
- JCSP Coordinator
- Home School Liaison Officer
- Learning Support Teacher
Students in the programme are organised in the following way:
- All JCSP students are placed in a single class unit
- They are streamed upon entering Secondary school
- The subject teachers are part of the JCSP department
- Certain students are withdrawn to attend the Behaviour Support Unit
The curriculum provision is as follows:
- All JCSP students are offered English, Irish, Maths, French, History, Geography, Science CSPE, SPHE, Religion and a choice of either Metalwork or Woodwork.
- The literacy needs of the students are assessed prior to entering 1st year and resource and learning support hours are allocated to those in need
- During the course of the year, other students from the JCSP class may be sent for assessment based on the opinion of subject teachers
- The students are retested every year to assess the increase of reading ages and levels.
- Each JCSP teacher receives a Student Profile Handbook that breaks the particular subject into separate sections that would be tested at ordinary and foundation level.
- There is a checklist for students to fill in after completing a particular topic that can only be filled in when a students fully understands the topic
- A teacher may wish to focus on four of the sections in the handbook and may award the students personally or use them to gain a certificate at the end of third year
- Students in third year receive a folder which holds these JCSP checklists, handouts, certificates, class tests and worksheets which are used as a means of revision before the Pre Exam and Junior Cert
The programme is coordinated and developed in the following ways:
- A coordinator is appointed to run the programme
- Based on the amount of students in the programme, the coordinator is allocated between three and five class periods to coordinate everything
- The coordinator attends regular in-services on literacy and encourages other JCSP teachers to do the same by putting up the JCSP calendar in the staff-room and applying for cover
- The coordinator tests the reading ages of all JCSP students pre and post a reading initiative
- The Coordinator holds term meetings with the JCSP teachers to discuss new resources, initiatives and any problems arising from the students
- It is preferable that that coordinator teaches a subject with each JCSP class as they will have a better understanding of the students and their challenges.
Selection of JCSP initiatives:
- The JCSP coordinator applies for initiatives offered by the Curriculum Development Unit which aid teaching and learning
- Initiatives can be applied for in term one and term two of the academic year
- A literacy and numeracy initiative are always applied for
- Other initiatives try to focus on the social skills and the self esteem of the students such as school outings, award evenings and team building
- Due to limited funding, each year a selection of JCSP teachers will be involved in an initiative concerned with their subject
Provision of JCSP resources:
- Based on the needs of the students and teachers, the JCSP coordinator applies for resources which are supplied by the Curriculum Development Unit.
- Resources include Keyword notebooks, Keyword posters, Wall charts, Posters, Postcards, Bookmarks, Book tokens, Calculators, Workbooks, Subject Handbooks for teachers.
- The resources are distributed and explained to each subject teacher upon arrival at the annual JCSP meeting for each year group
- If a particular teacher wishes to carry out an exercise with JCSP students that requires additional funding, they may apply for it through the JCSP coordinator
Parental Involvement:
- The parents of JCSP students are involved as much as possible through invitation to awards nights commending their son’s achievement in a particular task
- JCSP postcards are used as a means of communication between teachers and parents
- Parents are informed of trips through letter and phone contact
- Certificates are given to students who have made significant improvement in an area
- JCSP certificates are given to students who have completed the JCSP programme and are now in fourth and fifth year.
JCSP work to date:
- In 2009/2010, Second year students completed six novels in six weeks
- Second years also completed a Who Wants to be a Word Millionaire initiative
- Second Years were brought Ice Skating as a reward for participating in these initiatives
- Parents of Second Years were also invited to an award morning where their sons received their certificates for their reading challenges
- Flashmaster Math calculators were purchased for this groups in an attempt to make maths fun and also to improve basic arithmetic
- History and Geography teachers teamed up to bring the class to the Queenstown story and on a tour of Cobh harbour
- 42 novels purchased
- 12 DVD’s purchased
- In 2010/2011, First year students were brought bowling as a reward for good behaviour.
- Third year students received their study folders and keyword notebooks
- Postcards were sent home to both second and third year parents to communicate good progress students had made
- Reading tests were carried out on both first and third year groups at the beginning and end of the academic year
- Staff profile meetings were held for each JCSP group at the beginning and end of the year
- A special award was set up to honour the most improved JCSP students and this was celebrated at the school’s annual award night
- The attendance of one particular students was monitored closely with an attendance certificate available at the end of a six week period
- A spelling intervention was done with third years to improve knowledge of exam terminology before the Pre exams
- Irish workbooks were purchased to improve literacy in other languages
- 13 Easter eggs purchased for first year students
- First year students entered the “Make a Book” competition with a three books they had written and designed
- Pens, copies, pencils, maths sets and calculators bought for all second year students
- 42 novels purchased
- In 2011/2012, Mary Glasgow French magazines were purchased to improve interest and literacy in French
- SRA reading kit was purchased to help second years with their writing and comprehension
- “In The Spotlight” progressive text books were purchased to improve first years understanding of comprehensions
- 30 novels purchased
- Four bean bags purchased for library
- 2 French Story books
- Three posters for library purchased
- Subscription to Mary Glasgow Spanish magazine
- 3 potted plants for Library
- 2 magazine storage boxes for library
- 14 ring binder folders for 3M students