Key Stage 3 (Northern Ireland Curriculum): What to Teach (Northern Ireland)
Your Teacher Information Pack for Key Stage 3 (Northern Ireland Curriculum) in Northern Ireland: the curriculum structure, our short summaries with links to the official wording, and key dates.
- Country
- Northern Ireland
- Key stage
- KS3 (Years 8, 9, 10)
- Ages
- 11–14
- Source
- The Northern Ireland Curriculum (Foundation Stage to Key Stage 3)
- Last checked
- 2026-10-20
Plan the whole year: open this course in the Year Planner – every lesson dated around your term dates, with a coverage check. Free.
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What to teach
The Northern Ireland Curriculum is set out by Area of Learning. Below are the areas and strands as facts, with links to the statutory requirements on the CCEA website.
Language and Literacy
- English with Media Education (Irish with Media Education in Irish-medium schools) (strand of Language and Literacy)
Modern Languages
- Modern Languages – statutory Area of Learning (see CCEA statutory requirements for content).
Mathematics and Numeracy
- Mathematics and Numeracy – statutory Area of Learning (see CCEA statutory requirements for content).
Environment and Society
- Geography (strand of Environment and Society)
- History (strand of Environment and Society)
Learning for Life and Work
- Employability (strand of Learning for Life and Work)
- Local and Global Citizenship (strand of Learning for Life and Work)
- Personal Development (strand of Learning for Life and Work)
- Home Economics (strand of Learning for Life and Work)
Science and Technology
- Science (strand of Science and Technology)
- Technology and Design (strand of Science and Technology)
Physical Education
- Physical Education – statutory Area of Learning (see CCEA statutory requirements for content).
Religious Education
- Religious Education – statutory Area of Learning (see CCEA statutory requirements for content).
The Arts
- Art and Design (strand of The Arts)
- Drama (strand of The Arts)
- Music (strand of The Arts)
Cross-curricular skills and Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities
- Communication – part of the statutory Whole Curriculum Skills and Capabilities.
- Using Mathematics – part of the statutory Whole Curriculum Skills and Capabilities.
- Using ICT – part of the statutory Whole Curriculum Skills and Capabilities.
- Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities – part of the statutory Whole Curriculum Skills and Capabilities.
Assessments and key dates
Statutory assessment in Northern Ireland is set by CCEA: check the CCEA website for current arrangements.
Official documents
Trusted free resources
- CCEA – the official curriculum site.
- BBC Bitesize – videos and quizzes by nation and stage.
Links only: we don't copy their content and we aren't connected to these organisations.
More packs
All Northern Ireland packs · Find another TIP
Structure of the Northern Ireland Curriculum from CCEA (ccea.org.uk). Read the statutory requirements on the CCEA website.
Northern Ireland: facts and links only. CCEA content is © CCEA and its terms forbid commercial reuse, so no CCEA text is shown here: read the statutory requirements on the CCEA website. Checked on 2026-10-20.
Classfern is not affiliated with or endorsed by CCEA or the Department of Education (Northern Ireland).