Curriculum

There are common standards of teaching and curriculum across all schools. The 1989 legislation provides a minimum legal curriculum for grant-aided primary and secondary schools. The curriculum must be balanced and broadly based, promoting the spiritual, moral, cultural, intellectual, and physical development of pupils and providing them with the opportunities, responsibilities, and experiences of adult life.

The curriculum for each subject must cover programs of study that set out what is to be taught. There are attainment targets as to what pupils are expected to know.

There are four key stages in the school career. Key Stage 1 is the first four years of primary school. Key Stage 2 is the last three years of primary school. Key Stage 3 is the first three years of secondary school, and Key Stage 4 is the last two years of compulsory secondary school.

Pupils are assessed at the end of each key stage. There is flexibility for pupils at Key Stage 4 to study vocational subjects that are not within the curriculum. They may take part in work-related learning in a workplace or college of further education. It must not be more than 40% of the total program, and it may be offered in partnership with a recognized training organization.

The CCEA prepares the curriculum and organizes assessments and examinations on behalf of the Department of Education. KS1 and KS2 are assessed by class teachers on a holistic basis. Key Stage 3 is assessed by teachers and in standardized tests in math, English, and science.

Schools must enter pupils for public examinations unless there are educational reasons for not doing so. The CCEA regulates the GCSE and other external examinations.

Pupils may appeal in respect of grades through their principal. The appeal is to the appropriate Examination Board. After a further review, there is provision for an appeal to an Examination Appeals Board in relation to the Examinations Board procedures rather than substantive grading.

Schools must provide for religious education and collective worship. This must be arranged so that the schools shall be open to pupils of all religious denominations. No pupil is to be excluded directly or indirectly from other advantages that the school affords.

Ministers of religion of any denomination must be given reasonable access to teach religious instruction, provided that parents do not object. Parents are entitled to have their child excused from any religious education class and collective worship and withdrawn from schools in a reasonable period. Catholic maintained and integrated schools may determine their own provision for collective religious instruction and worship.

Religious education must follow the course syllabus prepared by the Department of Education in consultation with the four main churches. In controlled schools, other than controlled integrated schools, religious education must be of a denominational Christian nature.

Variations in the statutory curriculum require Department of Education consent. This may arise where a pupil has special educational needs or other circumstances apply. The curriculum may be varied only where the Department of Education allows it to be modified or suspended, where regulation requires it, or where there are special educational needs. Revise the above.

The matter is dealt with by the principal in the first instance with an appeal to the Board of Governors and ultimately to the curriculum complaints tribunal. In the case of special needs, an appeal may be had to the Special Educational Need Tribunal.

The Admissions Appeal Tribunal hears appeals on the ground that a school did not apply or incorrectly applied its admission criteria and but for that, the child would have been admitted to the school. The appeal must be made in writing. Parents are given the opportunity to make representations. If the tribunal finds in favor of the appealing parent, it must direct the governors of the school to admit the child even if this exceeds numbers otherwise permissible.

Year-end reports are required in grant-aided schools. They are to provide particulars of achievements in subjects that form part of a curriculum together with results of compulsory subjects’ tests and public examinations.

Individual pupil records are available to parents and the department only. Parents and pupils over 11 have access to certain aspects of the record, including formal records of academic attainments and other talents, ability, and educational progress. A request in writing must be made to the school. The contents of the records may be collected under data protection principles.

Parents may apply to the Curriculum Complaints Tribunal in relation to the manner in which an Education and Library Board, Board of Governors, or school is discharging its duties in relation to curriculum assessment, religious education, access to information, and equivalent matters.

Children are of compulsory school age between 4/5 and the age of 16.  Where children are four before 1st July, compulsory schooling commences for September.  Where children are 16 before 1st July, compulsory school age and at the end of the current school year.

Parents have a duty to ensure that children of compulsory school age receives sufficient full-time education suitable to their age, aptitude, ability and special educational needs which they may have by regular attendance at school or otherwise.

Parents may educate their children at home.  However, education must be approved by the Department of education and the Education and Library Board.