How is primary Art organised?

The Arts Education Specification for Primary and Special Schools (NCCA, 2025) has 3 strands: Exploring and creating, Performing and presenting, Responding and connecting. Learning outcomes are written for the end of each stage.

Art planning for primary

The new Arts Education specification is being introduced from September 2026, one area at a time. If your school hasn't started this area yet, you're still teaching the 1999 curriculum. Tell Heapso which one you're using and it plans to that.

Strands

Read the official specification on curriculumonline.ie The 1999 Visual Arts curriculum

Other primary subjects

Questions teachers ask

How is primary Art organised?: The Arts Education Specification for Primary and Special Schools (NCCA, 2025) has 3 strands: Exploring and creating, Performing and presenting, Responding and connecting. Learning outcomes are written for the end of each stage.
Should I plan to the new Art specification or the 1999 curriculum?: Schools start the new specifications one curriculum area at a time from September 2026. If your school hasn't started this area yet, you're still teaching the 1999 curriculum. Tell Heapso which one you're using in Settings and it plans to that.

Plan your next Art unit

Heapso opens a unit plan set to the right stage. Add the learning outcomes you're teaching and Pip cites only those.

Plan this unit free