Primary School Curriculum

Geography in the primary school is part of Social, Environmental and Scientific Education (SESE) and is concerned with the three major themes of place, space, and environment. The essence of the subject is understanding the world around us and developing a sense of place and space. There is a strong emphasis on local environment and developing geographical investigation skills. Students at primary-level geography are encouraged to actively engage with their environment to investigate, identify interrelationships and draw conclusions.  Junior Cycle Geography can progress the related learning that has taken place at primary level through a similar approach of understanding how geographical processes form and shape our physical, environmental, and social world. The curriculum at primary recommends an integrated approach towards topics studied; this approach continues with the geography curriculum at junior cycle.

Senior cycle

The Junior Cycle Geography specification is developed to align with significant themes and aspects of Leaving Certificate Geography to allow for the transfer of knowledge and skills. The strands and elements will allow students to develop the foundations of the knowledge and skills for progression to senior cycle and provide useful opportunities for continued learning in many subjects. The depth and breadth of the learning at junior cycle will provide students with the experience of geographical concepts that will be further developed at senior cycle.