Dear Parents/Guardians and Students,

On Wednesday, 29^th April, Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh announced revised arrangements for Junior Cycle 2020. The Minister’s announcement made it clear that the Junior Cycle examinations as we have known them to date will not take place in June this year and will not take in the autumn either.  The examinations are no longer postponed. They have been cancelled.

In his announcement the Minister stated that all third year Junior Cycle students are to be awarded certificates for the completion of Junior Cycle by the Department of Education and Skills, schools are given autonomy to assess students, and all students are to receive a report on achievement.

The full text of the Minister’s announcement is available on the website of the Department of Education and Skills. The Minister’s announcement was followed by the publishing of guidelines for schools on assessment and reporting on students’ learning at Junior Cycle May 2020.

In line with the guidelines issued from the Department of Education and Skills, Ashton School has adopted a whole-school approach to the assessment and reporting on student achievement following consultation with the teachers of third-year students to determine the most appropriate method of assessment for the third-year group and relevant subjects.  The Board of Management now wishes to communicate the arrangements to parents/guardians and students. Details of the assessment arrangements for Junior Cycle 2020 are available here.

The final grades will be based mostly on achievements which have been reported to students and their parents/guardians already.  Students should not feel anxious about final assessment as most of the work which will contribute to their final grade has already been done. Students should, for now, attempt to do their best in any assessments planned by their teachers during the remaining weeks. Students who are unsure of what they should be revising should ask their teachers.

After the end of the current school year, students will receive a written school report (a profile certificate) listing the grade achieved in each subject and the grade awarded for classroom-based assessments as appropriate.  The profile certificate will also list achievements in other areas of learning.  Some of the achievements listed will be common to all students, but other achievements listed on the profile certificate will be specific to each individual student themselves. 

I wish to congratulate each student on what they have achieved to date.  I also wish you well as you look forward to the Transition Year programme next year. 

Yours sincerely,

Adrian Landen
Secretary to Board of Management

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