The Northern Ireland Curriculum aims to empower young people to develop their potential and make informed and responsible choices and decisions throughout their lives.

The Foundation Stage aims to provide a learning programme which will:
• promote children’s personal development;
• promote positive attitudes and dispositions to learning;
• promote children’s Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities;
• encourage creativity and imagination;
• enable children to develop physical confidence;
• develop children’s curiosity and interest in the world around them;
• enable children to communicate in a variety of ways;
• motivate children to develop literacy and numeracy skills in meaningful contexts.

Children at Key Stages 1 and 2 should build and develop the experiences provided at the Foundation Stage. Continued emphasis should be placed on personal, social and emotional development as well as an explicit emphasis on the development of skills in Communication, Using Mathematics, Using ICT and Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities. Children should be provided with opportunities to develop these skills through a range of worthwhile, challenging, relevant and enjoyable learning experiences.
Learning at Key Stages 1 and 2 should continue to foster the intellectual, social, emotional, physical, cultural, moraland spiritual development of children by:
• providing opportunities for children to continue to develop the transferable skills of Communication, Using Mathematics, Using ICT and Thinking Skills and PersonalCapabilities through the opportunities provided;
• developing self-confidence and self-esteem;
• developing the skills necessary to enable children to participate as contributing members of groups;
• providing opportunities for children to engage in exploration, problem-solving and decision-making;
• promoting, in children, positive attitudes to learning to help them make informed and responsible choices and decisions;
• continuing to develop children’s creativity;
• using a range of strategies, includingthematic approaches, in a wide range of contexts which are worthwhile, challenging, relevant and enjoyable;
• developing a greater depth of knowledge, understanding and skills through a wide range of contexts;
• providing opportunities for children to express their individual needs and to make realistic choices.