Science 

Junior Cycle: New features of this curriculum include learning outcomes across the unifying strand, Nature of science, and the four main strands the physical world, chemical world, biological world and earth and space. 

There is a new focus given to the Nature of science which aims to promote greater engagement and thinking about how science works; carrying out investigations, communicating in science, and the role and contribution of science and scientists to society. 

There are new assessments which offer students a chance to demonstrate their achievement as creators of scientific research reports. The lessons are discovery based, so there are no more mandatory experiments where the teacher leads the practicals. The students research how to carry out experimental work, and thus take more ownership of their learning.