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Statutory curriculum

A revised curriculum was introduced in the 2007/08 school year and now applies to all 12 years of compulsory education.

The revised curriculum includes a new Foundation Stage to cover P1 and P2. Key Stage 1 now covers P3 and 4 and Key Stage 2 remains as P5, 6 and 7. At post-primary, Key Stage 3 remains as Years 8, 9 and 10 and Key Stage 4 Years 11 and 12.

The revised primary curriculum is made up of Religious Education and the following Areas of Learning:

  • Language and Literacy
  • Mathematics and Numeracy
  • The Arts
  • The World Around Us
  • Personal Development and Mutual Understanding
  • Physical Education

The revised post-primary curriculum includes a new area of Learning for Life and Work, made up of Employability, Personal Development, Local and Global Citizenship and Home Economics (at Key Stage 3).  In addition, it is made up of Religious Education and the following Areas of Learning:

  • Language and Literacy
  • Mathematics and Numeracy
  • Modern Languages
  • The Arts
  • Environment and Society
  • Physical Education
  • Science and Technology

At Key Stage 4, the statutory requirements have been reduced to Learning for Life and Work, PE, RE and developing skills and capabilities.  This is to provide greater choice and flexibility for pupils and will enable them to access the wider range of opportunities schools will have to provide through the Curriculum Entitlement Framework.

Through each area of learning, children develop the skills – called Cross-Curricular Skills and Other Skills that they need for life and work:

Cross-Curricular Skills

  • Communication
  • Using Mathematics
  • Using ICT

Other Skills

  • Being Creative
  • Working with Others
  • Self-Management
  • Managing Information
  • Thinking, Problem-Solving and Decision Making