TheSchoolRun.com closure date
As we informed you a few months ago, TheSchoolRun has had to make the difficult decision to close due to financial pressures and the company has now ceased trading. We had hoped to keep our content available through a partnership with another educational provider, but this provider has since withdrawn from the agreement.
As a result, we now have to permanently close TheSchoolRun.com. However, to give subscribers time to download any content they’d like to keep, we will keep the website open until 31st July 2025. After this date, the site will be taken down and there will be no further access to any resources. We strongly encourage you to download and save any resources you think you may want to use in the future.
In particular, we suggest downloading:
- Learning packs
- All the worksheets from the 11+ programme, if you are following this with your child
- Complete Learning Journey programmes (the packs below include all 40 worksheets for each programme)
You should already have received 16 primary school eBooks (worth £108.84) to download and keep. If you haven’t received these, please contact us at [email protected] before 31st July 2025, and we will send them to you.
We are very sorry that there is no way to continue offering access to resources and sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused.
An overview of the Northern Irish educational system

Education in Northern Ireland is similar to the structure set up in England, with a few key differences. For instance, the age at which children start school is determined by whether they turn four by 1 July of the academic year, whereas in England and Wales it is 1 September.
Also, all Northern Irish schools follow the Northern Ireland Curriculum, which is based on the National Curriculum of England but tailored to local needs. This curriculum is divided into five Key Stages: Foundation Stage (Years 1 and 2), Key Stage 1 (Years 3 and 4), Key Stage 2 (Years 5–7), Key Stage 3 (Years 8–10), and Key Stage 4 (Years 11–12). While this mirrors England's curriculum structure, the specific expectations and assessments are unique to Northern Ireland.
Students in Northern Ireland don't sit Key Stage 1 and 2 SATs (Standard Assessment Tests); instead, they are assessed by their teachers using Levels of Progression (LoP). These assessments occur at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 4) and Key Stage 2 (Year 7). Teachers assign levels to students based on their performance, and these levels correspond to specific expectations: students should be at Level 2 by the end of Key Stage 1 and at Level 4 by the end of Key Stage 2. Formal results are reported to parents at the end of Year 4 and Year 7.
In secondary school, pupils take General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) exams in Year 12 and have the option to continue into Years 13 and 14 to study for A-levels or more vocationally-focused Advanced Level exams.
The Northern Ireland Curriculum also includes compulsory Religious Education (RE) at all Key Stages, though parents have the right to withdraw their children from these lessons if they wish.
Age during school year | England and Wales: National Curriculum (plus Foundation Phase in Wales) | Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Curriculum | Scotland: Curriculum for Excellence |
4-5 | Reception | Year 1 | (Nursery) |
5-6 | Year 1 | Year 2 | P1 |
6-7 | Year 2 | Year 3 | P2 |
7-8 | Year 3 | Year 4 | P3 |
8-9 | Year 4 | Year 5 | P4 |
9-10 | Year 5 | Year 6 | P5 |
10-11 | Year 6 | Year 7 | P6 |
11-12 | Year 7 | Year 8 | P7 |
12-13 | Year 8 | Year 9 | S1 |
13-14 | Year 9 | Year 10 | S2 |
14-15 | Year 10 | Year 11 | S3 |
15-16 | Year 11 | Year 12 | S4 |
A-Levels and SCE Highers – not compulsory | |||
16-17 | Year 12 | Year 13 | S5 |
17-18 | Year 13 | Year 14 | S6 |


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