The 1999 History and Geography curricula: planning SESE in 2026/27

History and Geography sit in an odd position in 2026/27. Their replacement is already published: the Social and Environmental Education specification, one of the five areas of the redeveloped curriculum. But unless your school chose SEE as its first enactment area, both subjects are still planned from the 1999 curriculum this year, and the 1999 documents are where your strands, strand units and content objectives live.

Here is the shape of both, and how to plan SESE sanely while the ground shifts.

History in the 1999 curriculum

The 1999 History curriculum builds outward as children get older: from the child’s own story, to local studies, to Ireland, to the ancient and wider world. Strand names vary by class band, and infant history looks very different from 5th and 6th, but two constants run through all of it:

• Story is central. From “Myself and My Family” in the infant classes through Early Ireland, ancient civilisations and medieval life in the middle and senior classes, narrative is the vehicle.
• Working as a historian matters as much as content. Time and chronology, using evidence, cause and effect, empathy: the skills strand is not an optional extra, and plans that only list topics miss half the curriculum.

A history fortnight, then, names its strand and strand unit, its content objectives, and the evidence or source work the children will do, not just “the Vikings”.

Geography in the 1999 curriculum

Geography follows the same outward spiral: the immediate environment first, then the local area, Ireland, Europe and the wider world, with natural environments and human environments as recurring lenses and environmental awareness and care running throughout. As with history, there is a skills dimension that plans need to show: a sense of place and space, maps and globes, geographical investigation.

The practical planning implication: geography benefits enormously from linkage, with history (the local study), with science (environmental care), and with whatever theme your class is carrying. The 1999 curriculum explicitly encourages it, and a fortnightly plan that names its linkage reads as stronger, not padded.

What changes with SEE

In the redeveloped curriculum, History and Geography combine into Social and Environmental Education, with Learning Outcomes replacing content objectives. If your school chose SEE as its 2026 enactment area, your SESE planning moves to the new specification this September; if not, the 1999 curricula remain exactly right for 2026/27. The Primary Curriculum 2026 guide covers the rollout; the subject-by-subject guide has the full table.

Frequently asked questions

Are the 1999 History and Geography curricula still valid in 2026/27? Yes, for every school that did not choose SEE as its first enactment area, which is most schools.

Do I plan History and Geography separately or together? They are separate subjects in the 1999 curriculum with separate strands and objectives, but a shared local study or theme is classic good practice, and your plan can show the linkage explicitly.

How much detail per fortnight? Strand, strand unit, the objectives being worked on, the activities and the skills focus. The 2026 preparation guidance favours concise records over exhaustive ones.

SESE planning in one place

Pleanáil has the complete 1999 History and Geography curricula built in alongside the SEE specification. Pick the subject and class level, tick the objectives you are covering, and the plan cites the right document either side of your school’s transition. Coverage tracks itself, so the year-view balance across strands is visible at a glance.

Plan your SESE year against the real curriculum. Start your free 30-day trial.