Policy

It is the policy of Limavady Grammar School to follow the statutory requirements of the Revised Northern Ireland Curriculum and, through it, to allow pupils the opportunity to gain relevant qualifications to equip them for higher education and the world of work.

Areas of Learning

The curriculum for Key Stage 3 is set out in nine Areas of Learning comprised of subject strands. Each subject strand is defined as a minimum requirement and is structured to facilitate more collaborative learning. Although subject strands are organised within specified Areas of Learning this does not preclude connections being made with other Areas of Learning or subject strands.

Area of Learning	Contributory Subjects & How We Deliver Them
The Arts	Art and Design Music Drama
English	English with Media Education
Mathematics	Mathematics with Financial Capability
The Environment and Society	History Geography Home Economics
Modern Languages	French Spanish German
Physical Education	Boys Girls
Science and Technology	Physics Biology Chemistry Technology and Design
Learning for Life and Work	Personal Development Home Economics Local and Global Citizenship Employability
Religious Education	Religious Education

Skills and Capabilities

At the heart of the curriculum lies an explicit emphasis on the development of skills and capabilities for life-long learning and for contributing effectively to society. These whole curriculum skills and capabilities consist of the Cross-Curricular Skills and Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities. They are embedded and infused throughout the revised Northern Ireland Curriculum at each key stage and pupils should have opportunities to acquire, develop and demonstrate these skills in all areas of the curriculum.

Cross-curricular Skills

The cross-curricular skills are:

Communication
Using Mathematics
Using ICT

The cross-curricular skills of Communication, Using Mathematics, and Using Information and Communications Technology (ICT) are the bedrock skills through which young people access knowledge. These skills are developed across the curriculum and are the responsibility of all teachers. Emphasis is placed on transferring, applying and ‘using’ skills effectively, throughout the curriculum. Schools are required to assess and report annually on each pupil’s progression in the cross-curricular skills with reference to Levels of Progression.

Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities

The ability to think both critically and creatively and to develop personal and inter-personal skills and dispositions is essential for functioning effectively in a changing world. Therefore, the development of Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities (TS&PC) is at the heart of the revised curriculum from Foundation Stage to Key Stage 4.