What's changing?
The redeveloped primary curriculum is the biggest change to primary education in Ireland since the 1999 curriculum was introduced. It reorganises the previous 11 individual subjects into five broad curriculum areas:
- Language (English, Gaeilge, Modern Foreign Languages)
- Mathematics
- STEM Education (Science, Technology)
- Social and Environmental Education (History, Geography)
- Arts Education (Visual Arts, Drama, Music)
- Wellbeing (PE, SPHE)
The curriculum also shifts from content objectives to Learning Outcomes that describe what children should understand and be able to do.
When does it start?
The rollout is phased, running from September 2026 through to 2032/33. Schools don't need to change everything at once. You have genuine agency in deciding where to start — but you do need to start planning for the transition.
The Primary Language Curriculum (PLC) and Primary Mathematics Curriculum (PMC) are already in use. The remaining redeveloped specifications will roll out in phases from September 2026.
The parallel curriculum problem
For several years, teachers will be planning from two curricula simultaneously:
- Redeveloped specifications for subjects your school has adopted early
- 1999 curriculum for subjects still on the original curriculum
This means your fortnightly plans need to reference the right curriculum version for each subject. It also means your planning tools need to support both.
What stays the same in your planning?
The good news is that the practical structure of your planning largely stays the same:
- Fortnightly plans still identify content, select curriculum objectives or outcomes, plan activities, and note assessment approaches
- Cúntas Míosúil still records what was taught and includes reflections
- Lesson plans still need objectives, activities, differentiation, and assessment
What changes is the curriculum language: "content objectives" become "Learning Outcomes", and subjects are grouped into broader curriculum areas.
Time allocations
Some time allocations have shifted. For example, a typical 5th class now allocates approximately:
- 4 hours/week to English
- 3 hours/week to Gaeilge
- 3 hours/week to Wellbeing (increased from the previous PE + SPHE allocation)
Check the NCCA's time allocation guidance for your specific class level.
How to prepare
1. Familiarise yourself with the redeveloped curriculum framework at curriculumonline.ie
2. Talk to your staff about which subjects your school will adopt first
3. Update your planning tools to support both curriculum versions
4. Don't panic — the transition is phased over seven years for a reason
How Plean Éasca supports the transition
Plean Éasca currently covers the 1999 NCCA curriculum for SESE, Arts, PE, and SPHE subjects — with all content objectives built in. We're actively adding support for the redeveloped curriculum specifications as they become available.
Our goal is to be the tool that makes the parallel curriculum transition seamless: one place to plan from both curricula, with the right content objectives and Learning Outcomes for each subject.