The 1999 PE curriculum: strands, strand units, and planning from it in 2026/27

Here is a strange fact about Irish primary teaching in 2026: the PE curriculum most teachers are planning from this September was published when some of those teachers were in primary school themselves. The 1999 Physical Education curriculum is still the operative document for any school that has not yet begun enacting the Wellbeing curriculum area, and finding a clear summary of it online is harder than it should be.

So here is that summary, along with what changes when Wellbeing arrives.

The six strands

The 1999 PE curriculum is organised into six strands, and the expectation has always been a broad and balanced programme across them rather than a games-only year:

• Athletics: running, jumping, throwing, and understanding pace and effort
• Dance: exploring, creating and performing movement
• Gymnastics: body management, movement sequences, using apparatus
• Games: sending, receiving and travelling skills, and mini-games
• Outdoor and Adventure Activities: orienteering-style challenges, walking, outdoor challenges
• Aquatics: water confidence, swimming strokes, water safety (where schools have access)

Each strand breaks into strand units with content objectives per class level, which is exactly the shape your fortnightly plan references: strand, strand unit, objective.

What a fortnight of PE planning looks like

A typical fortnightly plan does not touch all six strands. It picks one or two, names the strand units, and lists the content objectives being worked on. A November fortnight might be Gymnastics (movement) plus Games (ball handling), with objectives chosen for your class level. Across the year, the balance across strands is what an inspector or principal looks for, which is why a long-term overview mapping strands to months matters more in PE than in most subjects. Our long-term plan guide covers that year-view; the fortnightly plan template shows the two-week shape.

Where PE is heading: Wellbeing

In the redeveloped curriculum, PE no longer stands alone. It sits inside the Wellbeing curriculum area alongside SPHE, with Learning Outcomes instead of content objectives. Two things make this immediately relevant:

• Wellbeing must be among the first three curriculum areas every school enacts, and many schools are choosing it first from September 2026.
• If your school is one of them, your PE planning moves from 1999 strands and objectives to Wellbeing Learning Outcomes this year.

If your school has chosen a different starting area, the 1999 PE curriculum remains your document for 2026/27, and planning from it is exactly right. Our Primary Curriculum 2026 guide covers the whole rollout, and the subject-by-subject guide shows where every other subject stands.

Frequently asked questions

Is the 1999 PE curriculum still valid in 2026/27? Yes, unless your school has chosen Wellbeing as its enactment area. Most subjects outside language and maths are still planned from their 1999 curricula during the phased transition.

Do I need to cover all six strands every year? The curriculum expects a broad and balanced programme. Aquatics depends on pool access, but the other five strands should all appear across your year, which is a long-term plan question rather than a fortnightly one.

Where do I find the content objectives for my class level? The official PDF is on curriculumonline.ie. In Pleanáil, the full 1999 PE curriculum is built in: pick PE, pick your class level, and the strands, strand units and objectives are there to tick into your plan.

Plan PE straight from the curriculum

Pleanáil has the complete 1999 PE curriculum loaded alongside the Wellbeing specification, so whichever side of the transition your school is on, your PE plan references the right document automatically, and switches cleanly when your school makes the move.

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