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The Primary Curriculum Framework is for all primary and special schools and will guide the work of teachers and school leaders as they enhance learning, teaching, and assessment for all children from junior infants to sixth class.
The framework sets out the vision, principles, key competencies, structure, approaches to learning, teaching and assessment, and time allocations for the redeveloped curriculum.
It links with Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework and connects with the Framework for Junior Cycle supporting continuity of experiences for children from early childhood through primary school and into their post-primary education.
The framework presents five broad curriculum areas; Arts Education, Language; Social and Environmental Education (SEE); Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) Education, and Wellbeing.
The curriculum aims to provide a strong foundation for every child to thrive and flourish, supporting them in realising their full potential as individuals and as members of communities and society during childhood, as they progress through primary and special education and into post-primary education. Building on their previous experiences, the curriculum views children as unique, competent, and caring individuals, and it views teachers as committed, skilful, and agentic professionals. It supports high-quality learning, teaching, and assessment that is inclusive and evidence-based, recognising the right of all children to make progress in all areas of their learning and development.
There are eight overarching principles that schools need to consider in pursuing the curriculum vision (see Figure 1). The principles convey what is valued in primary and special education and what lies at the heart of high-quality learning, teaching, and assessment in the primary curriculum. They are broad in nature to reflect varied school contexts and children’s different circumstances, experiences, and abilities.
As children interact and engage with the social world of their home, community, and school, they need to be able to navigate a wide variety of contexts and situations, not only in childhood but as they mature into adolescence and adulthood. Children also need to be able to interact and engage with the natural world around them and come to appreciate its value and their responsibilities as custodians of it.
These capabilities are presented as seven inextricably linked key competencies that are relevant from stages 1 to 4 (Junior Infants to Sixth Class) (see Figure 2). They link closely with Aistear’s four themes and the eight Key Skills in the Framework for Junior Cycle.
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Curriculum Areas and Subjects
The curriculum is presented in five broad curriculum areas:
1. Language (English, Irish and Modern Foreign Language)
2. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education
3. Wellbeing (P.E. and S.P.H.E.)
4. Arts Education (Drama, Art and Music)
5. Social and Environmental Education (History and Geography)
In addition to the five areas, school patrons have a legal right to design their own programme in accordance with the ethos of their school. This programme forms part of children’s learning experience in primary and special schools.
Parents play a key role in their child’s education. They are the child’s primary educators, and the curriculum promotes a partnership approach with parents to support their child’s holistic development. Positive relationships and proactive communication between parents and schools support an awareness of the principles of the curriculum, the learning it provides, and the approaches to learning, teaching, and assessment that are used. This also enables teachers and parents to share observations and keep each other informed about the child’s progress in and out of school.
Extending and consolidating the child’s learning at home is supported through positive dispositions towards learning by parents, as well as diverse and enriching experiences through learning activities which may include homework. The curriculum supports learning at home through activities that are purposeful, diverse, engaging, supportive of child agency and choice, considerate of the home learning environment, developmentally appropriate, and aligned with children’s diverse needs and abilities.
The curriculum is presented in five broad curriculum areas:
1. Language (English, Irish and Modern Foreign Language)
2. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education
3. Wellbeing (P.E. and S.P.H.E.)
4. Arts Education (Drama, Art and Music)
5. Social and Environmental Education (History and Geography)
In addition to the five areas, school patrons have a legal right to design their own programme in accordance with the ethos of their school. This programme forms part of children’s learning experience in primary and special schools.
Parents play a key role in their child’s education. They are the child’s primary educators, and the curriculum promotes a partnership approach with parents to support their child’s holistic development. Positive relationships and proactive communication between parents and schools support an awareness of the principles of the curriculum, the learning it provides, and the approaches to learning, teaching, and assessment that are used. This also enables teachers and parents to share observations and keep each other informed about the child’s progress in and out of school.
Extending and consolidating the child’s learning at home is supported through positive dispositions towards learning by parents, as well as diverse and enriching experiences through learning activities which may include homework. The curriculum supports learning at home through activities that are purposeful, diverse, engaging, supportive of child agency and choice, considerate of the home learning environment, developmentally appropriate, and aligned with children’s diverse needs and abilities.