The Department of Education is fully committed to provision of a high quality broad balanced education suited to the age, aptitude and ability of pupils aged 5 to 16 years old. The 35 primary schools and 5 secondary schools deliver this through the use of the Manx Curriculum for Learning and Achievement.
This curriculum aims to develop learners with: 
- Readiness
- Relationships which are positive
- Resourcefulness
- Resilience
- Remembering skills
- Reflectiveness
In doing so, pupils will develop subject skills including verbal and written communications and numeracy, in addition to traditional subject skills in:
| Core Subjects | Foundation Subjects | Basic Subject |
|---|---|---|
| English | Design and Technology | Religious Education |
| Mathematics | Information Technology | |
| Science | History | |
| Geography | ||
| Art & Design | ||
| Music | ||
| Physical Education | ||
| Modern Foreign Language |
A modern foreign language, French, is taught to all pupils from the age of 7 and the Manx language is available on an optional basis from age 8. Manx Curriculum work is extended by work in personal and social education, including health education, and citizenship.
It is also the Department’s policy that the educational needs of children and students should be identified and met within mainstream settings wherever possible. All schools can support children with special needs and those marked by an asterisk on the list of schools also have special units for meeting the needs of children and students with severe and profound learning difficulties.
The Manx National Curriculum in secondary schools is delivered through separate timetabled subjects and pastoral/tutor lessons. For pupils aged 14 to 16 there is some degree of choice of curriculum through various Science subjects, Technology, Art and Music and each pupil is required to have an Information Technology qualification at 16.
At the start of the 2007/08 term, there were 6688 pupils in primary schools (including nursery) and 5623 11 to 18 year olds in secondary schools. 
Public examinations at age 16 (GCSE) are the main focus of achievements for the majority of pupils, and a small number of pupils take General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQ) foundation courses, together with a reduced number of GCSE examinations.
Progress for pupils is monitored through teacher assessment or, at 16+, through national examinations. The results of these assessments give valuable information to guide school improvement. The curriculum offered within primary and secondary schools is monitored on a regular cycle of school self-review. School self-reviews are validated by regular reviews carried out by officers of the Department and external consultants. These reviews cover all aspects of the organisation of the school including the ethos, management planning and development planning of each school.
Each school has its own school brochure for distribution to parents. This describes the main features of the school, advises on the curriculum to be followed, the policies of the school and how the school operates on a day to day basis.
See also http://www.gov.im/education/provision/primary.xml and http://www.gov.im/education/provision/secondary.xml
