Used on a daily basis by teachers across the country, the Primary School Curriculum includes 23 documents in total. These cover six curriculum areas across a total of 11 subjects. There’s also a Curriculum Statement and Teacher Guidelines for each subject, together with an Introductory Statement outlining the aims, principles and features of the new Curriculum. Such size and complexity presented an exciting challenge, at the core of which was the need to create a user-friendly and easy to follow design. 

 

The curriculum claimed 1st place for its design in the GDBA Design Effectiveness Awards in 2000.

“The new Primary School Curriculum will act as a benchmark for future [design] initiatives. I believe it has transformed our approach to the design of NCCA publications and will continue to influence strongly our publications programme for the future.”
Lucy Fallon-Byrne, Assistant Chief Executive, NCCA

“Built upon exhaustive and inclusive process; informed by best practice nationally and internationally; supported by the most ambitious and best funded implementation programme in the history of Irish education, this revised primary curriculum will, I believe, make a valuable contribution in the classrooms throughout the country.”
Micheál Martin TD, Minister for Education and Science
 

“We at the Department of Education and Science are indeed proud of the new Primary School Curriculum. ‘Design’ has been clearly instrumental in the effective integration of the Curriculum into the school system. We are now also referring to the new Primary Curriculum as an example of best practice for other colleagues to follow!”
Emer Egan, Senior Inspector, Department of Education and Science