New and revised subjects and programmes published

Recently approved by The Minister for Education, Norma Foley TD, new and revised Leaving Certificate subjects and Senior Cycle Programmes have been published and are available at Curriculum Online. These include curriculum specifications for nine Senior Cycle subjects; Biology; Physics; Chemistry, Business, Arabic, Ancient Greek and Latin, as well as two new subjects, Drama Film and Theatre Studies and Climate Action and Sustainable Development. The new and revised subjects will be introduced into schools next year, for fifth year students starting the 2025/2026 school year.

A new Transition Year Programme Statement has also been published. Over the 2024/25 school year, all schools will have the opportunity to audit their current Transition Year offering and revise it where necessary in line with the Programme Statement.

In addition, a new Senior Cycle Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) specification has been published and schools have until September 2027 to introduce this for students entering fifth year, with the exception of those following the Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) programme. This change will apply for all LCA students entering fifth year in 2025, and will replace Social Education Modules I and II of the LCA programme.

The first ever Senior Cycle Level 1 and 2 Learning Programme Statement and initial modules for certain students with special educational needs have also been published. The new Level 1 and Level 2 Learning Programmes are available from this school year for implementation in schools.