Northern Ireland Curriculum > Key Stage 4

Key Stage 4

The Education (Curriculum Minimum Content) Order (Northern Ireland) 2007 will come into operation from the 1st August 2007 for pupils in Year 11 and from the 1st August 2008 for pupils in Year 12. This means that schools must meet the following statutory requirements, as referred to below. The following information was extracted from The Education (Curriculum Minimum Content) Order (Northern Ireland) 2007. The Education Order (January 2007) states the statutory requirements relating to specification of the Northern Ireland Curriculum minimum content from Foundation Stage to Key Stage 4.

The curriculum is intended to be balanced and broadly based curriculum which:

  • a) promotes the spiritual, emotional, moral, cultural, intellectual and physical development of pupils at the school and thereby of society; and
  • b) prepares such pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life by equipping them with appropriate knowledge, understanding and skills.

In order to meet their statutory requirements, schools must provide learning opportunities in relation to the following:

  • a) Religious Education – in accordance with the core syllabus drafted by the four main Christian Churches in Northern Ireland and specified by the Department of Education.
  • b) the following Areas of Learning at Key Stage 4:

Areas of Learning

Contributory Elements
Language and Literacy
Mathematics and Numeracy
Modern Languages
The Arts
Environment and Society
Science and Technology
Learning for Life and Work Employability
Local and Global Citizenship
Personal Development
Physical Education Physical Education

 

The statements below provide the Minimum Content for Learning and Life and Work and Physical Education.

Learning for Life and Work

Employability

Pupil should be enabled to:

  • explore self employment and identify relevant sources of support;
  • examine the impact of globalisation on employment;
  • investigate the recruitment and selection process, taking into
  • account the rights and responsibilities of employees and
  • employers;
  • consider how employees and employers might maintain an
  • effective working environment;
  • investigate the increasing social responsibility of business in the community;
  • develop a personal career plan based on relevant information and guidance.

Employability
Non-Statutory Guidance PDF, 244 KB

Learning for Life and Work

Personal Development

Pupils should be enabled to:

  • develop an understanding of how to maximise and sustain their own health and well-being;
  • reflect on, and respond to, their developing concept of self, including managing emotions and reactions to on-going life experiences;
  • recognise, assess and manage risk in a range of real-life contexts;
  • develop their understanding of relationships and sexuality and the responsibilities of healthy relationships;
  • develop an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of parenting;
  • develop further their competence as discerning consumers in preparation for independent living.

Personal Development
Non-Statutory Guidance PDF, 323 KB

Learning for Life and Work

Local and Global Citizenship

Pupils should be enabled to:

  • respond to the specific challenges and opportunities which diversity and inclusion present in Northern Ireland and the wider world;
  • identify and exercise their rights and social responsibilities in relation to local, national and global issues;
  • develop their understanding of the role of society and government in safeguarding individual and collective rights in order to promote equality and to ensure that everyone is treated fairly;
  • develop their understanding of how to participate in a range of democratic processes;
  • develop awareness of key democratic institutions and their role in promoting inclusion, justice and democracy;
  • develop awareness of the role of non-governmental organisations.

Local and Global Citizenship
Non-Statutory Guidance PDF, 422 KB

Sample Learning Programme

The following document provides an example of how to meet the requirements of KS4 Local and Global Citizenship.

KS4 Local and Global Citizenship
Learning Programme PDF, 150 KB

Physical Education

Pupils should be enabled to:

  • plan and participate in a regular, frequent and balanced programme of physical activity that:
    • develops their interests and talents;
    • extends their knowledge, understanding and skills; and
    • contributes to, and helps sustain, a healthy and active lifestyle;
  • evaluate their own performances and that of others;
  • recognise and manage risk and apply safe principles and procedures before, during and after physical activity;
  • experience and understand different roles within a range of physical activities;
  • know how to access sporting and recreational opportunities in the local and wider community.

 

In addition to the statutory requirements above it is proposed that schools meet the following statutory requirements in relation to skills at Key Stage 4.

Pupils should be enabled to develop skills in:

Communication

Teachers should enable pupils to develop skills in:

  • communicating meaning, feelings and viewpoints in a logical and coherent manner;
  • making oral and written summaries, reports and presentations, which take account of audience and purpose;
  • participating in discussions, debates and interviews;
  • interpreting, analysing and presenting information in oral, written and ICT formats;
  • exploring and responding, both imaginatively and critically, to a variety of texts.

Using Mathematics

Teachers should enable pupils to develop skills in:

  • using mathematical language and notation with confidence;
  • using mental computation to calculate, estimate and make predictions in a range of simulated and real life contexts;
  • selecting and applying mathematical concepts and problem-solving strategies in a range of simulated and real-life contexts;
  • interpreting and analysing a wide range of mathematical data;
  • assessing probability and risk in a range of simulated and real life contexts;
  • presenting mathematical data in a variety of formats which take account of audience and purpose.

Using Information and Communications Technology

Teachers should enable pupils to develop skills in:

  • making effective use of information and communications technology in a wide range of contexts to access, manage, select and present information, including mathematical information.

Other Skills

Problem solving  
(including thinking, decision making and being creative).

Working with Others

Self management

Religious Education

Religious Education is defined separately by the Department of Education and the four main Christian Churches in Northern Ireland.

Department of Education
Proposals for a Revised Core Syllabus for Religious Education