Other Areas of Learning – Information for parents

 

What kind of learning is reported in the other areas of learning section?

In the ‘other areas of learning’ section the school has flexibility to report on other learning experiences and events that the student has participated in outside of the schools junior cycle programme:

  • Student engagement with co-curricular or extra-curricular activities offered by the school such as engaging in a science fair, participation in the school’s sporting activities or debating
  • Specific learning opportunities that do not form part of subjects or short courses, for example: leadership training; activities relating to guidance; membership of school clubs or societies; membership of their school’s student council

In this section of the JCPA, the school may also include reference to student engagement in learning experiences that form part of the formal timetabled curriculum, but that are not reported on in other sections of the JCPA, for example: engagement with a school’s own religious education programme; engagement with elements of the Physical Education (PE), Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) and the Civic, Social and Political Education (CSPE) curriculum. In addition, schools may also refer in this section to student participation in short courses or subjects where the student has not completed the formal assessments and no descriptor has been awarded.

The school may also wish to include broader aspects of reporting in this section, or areas such as attendance, personal and social development and learning dispositions.

In summary, schools will have considerable flexibility in deciding what information they wish to include on this section of the JCPA.

 

How should a school decide what aspects of a students’ “Other Areas of Learning” should be reported on in the JCPA?

This section of the JCPA has a limit of 150 words or 760 characters, dependant on the font size, font type and the layout used (e.g. bullet points will take up more space).

It should focus on recognising learning achieved (skills and knowledge) rather than on activities. This should be borne in mind when decisions are made.

For example if students have participated in the BT Young Scientist Competition, or Robotics Competition or an entrepreneurial project, the school could ask students to identify the learning that had taken place (skills, including key skills and knowledge) and this could be included in this section of the JCPA.

 

How will data relating to students’ “Other Areas of Learning” be gathered and stored?

Schools have considerable flexibility in deciding the procedures through which information on ‘other areas of learning’ may be gathered for inclusion in this section of the JCPA.

 

The learning outcomes identified by students will have to be collected from them and stored locally for entry on to the JCPA at a later date. Schools will choose the mechanism to do this which best suits their individual contexts. For example, a school email address specific to this purpose could be created and students invited, in third year, to email their contribution to this part of the JCPA direct to it. Where this is not feasible, students would provide the information direct to a nominated teacher, for example, the class tutor or year head. The school will determine who is responsible for transfer of the information into the JCPA for each student.

 

How many references to different types of learning should a school include on the JCPA under Other Areas of Learning?

It is recommended that a school includes between three and five references to Other Areas of Learning in this section for each student.

 

Will the DES have access to the information in the Other Areas of Learning section?

No. This data will only be held by the school. The DES will only have access to the data relating to students’ achievement in the SEC examination in subjects, and the data relating to students’ achievement in the CBAs and in the L2LPs.