
Supporting the Curriculum and Assessment in 2021/22 — Primary
Primary Resources
On this page
This list of resources may be helpful for schools and parents/carers of primary pupils during 2021/22.
Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities
Support for infusing Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities in teaching for knowledge and understanding.
Assessment for Learning
A practical guide to Assessment for Learning; the day-to-day classroom approach to formative assessment used to adapt teaching in the interests of learner progress.
Foundation Stage
Developmental Stages
The Developmental Stages in Learning are non-statutory and support Foundation Stage teachers when assessing the Cross-Curricular Skills.
Barefoot Resources
Barefoot Resources have launched some teaching and learning resources in computational thinking and computing skills. These materials have been aligned to the Foundation Stage of the NI Curriculum.
All resources are free and do not require a login.
Key Stages 1 & 2
Personal Development and Mutual Understanding (PDMU)
Language and Literacy
Using these CCEA storybooks, which include teaching prompts, can help children identify and address issues, clarify beliefs and think about their values. There are five books in each set.
These tasks were designed for class assessment by teachers, but they can be used to support learning and teaching without a focus on having to assess children’s achievements using the assessment grid.
Each task includes a ‘Managing the Task’ section that provides a structure for the writing or reading required.
Look out for the task ‘Dear Diary’, which is suitable for pupils in Years 3–7. This is a unique period in our history and children have an important role to play in recording their current experiences.
The link above takes you to a database, so you can browse or search for specific activities.
Below is an explanation of the levels used in the database.
- Level 1 – early Key Stage 1 (early Year 3)
- Level 2 – end of Key Stage 1 (Year 4)
- Level 3 – early Key Stage 2 (Years 5–6)
- Level 4 – end of Key Stage 2 (Year 7)
- Level 5 – very proficient pupils at the end of Key Stage 2.
Mathematics and Numeracy
These tasks were designed for class assessment by teachers, but they can be used to support learning and teaching without a focus on having to assess children’s achievements using the assessment grid.
The link above takes you to a database, so you can browse or search for specific activities.
Below is an explanation of the levels used in the database.
- Level 1 – early Key Stage 1 (early Year 3)
- Level 2 – end of Key Stage 1 (Year 4)
- Level 3 – early Key Stage 2 (Years 5–6)
- Level 4 – end of Key Stage 2 (Year 7)
- Level 5 – very proficient pupils at the end of Key Stage 2.
Using Mathematics/Financial Capability
Using ICT/Digital Skills
These tasks were designed for class assessment by teachers, but they can be used to support learning and teaching without a focus on having to assess children’s achievements using the assessment grid.
Look out for tasks that promote the use of media like movie or podcast apps and software. Encourage children to use these tools to record their experiences during this exceptional period in our history.
The link above takes you to a database, so you can browse or search for specific activities. The activities indicate what hardware or software is needed and bear in mind that they are usually designed for a group working together.
Below is an explanation of the levels used in the database.
- Level 1 – early Key Stage 1 (early Year 3)
- Level 2 – end of Key Stage 1 (Year 4)
- Level 3 – early Key Stage 2 (Years 5–6)
- Level 4 – end of Key Stage 2 (Year 7)
- Level 5 – very proficient pupils at the end of Key Stage 2.
The World Around Us
Connects Geography, History, and Science and Technology
Designed for Key Stage 2 (Years 5–7), this comic tells the stories of ordinary people from Northern Ireland who have achieved extraordinary success in the areas of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).