curriculum for excellence

1 >>>RESPONSIBLE CITIZENSSUCCESSFUL LEARNERSCONFIDENT INDIVIDUALSEFFECTIVE > Crown copyright 2008 This document is also available on the Scottish Government Donnelley B55210 06/08 Further copies are available fromBlackwell s Bookshop53 South BridgeEdinburghEH1 1 YSTelephone orders and enquiries0131 622 8283 or 0131 622 8258 Fax orders0131 557 8149 Email for excellencebuilding the curriculum 3a framework for learning and teachingThe Scottish Government, Edinburgh 2008curriculumforexcellencebuilding the curriculum 3a framework for learning and teaching>>RESPONSIBLE CITIZENSEFFECTIVE CONTRIBUTORS Crown copyright 2008 ISBN: 978-0-7559-5711-8 The Scottish GovernmentSt Andrew s HouseEdinburghEH1 3 DGProduced for the Scottish Government by RR Donnelley B55210 06/08 Published by the Scottish Government, June 2008 Further copies are available fromBlackwell s Bookshop53 South BridgeEdinburghEH1 1 YSThe text pages of this document are printed on recycled paper and are 100% recyclableA FRAMEWORK FOR learning AND TEACHING 1>CONFIDENT INDIVIDUALSSUCCESSFUL LEARNERS contentssetting the context3building the curriculum the case for change8building the curriculum framework summary11entitlements for all children and young people14building the framework looking at this in greater depth20the curriculum20the purpose of the curriculum22experiences and outcomes23principles for curriculum design25freedom and responsibility25learning.

2 Teaching and assessment26the framework at different stages of learning28qualifications44recognising personal achievement45conclusion46annexes47a key contextual legislation and national guidance47b references, publications and websites50 This paper is relevant to all those involved in promoting effective learning for children and youngpeople from 3 to 18. It particularly outlines important messages for those involved in planningthe curriculum for children and young people. It builds onA curriculum for excellence : Progressand Proposals, provides guidance on a new framework and sets out considerations which arecritical to the adoption ofCurriculum for BUILDING THE curriculum 3>>RESPONSIBLE CITIZENSEFFECTIVE CONTRIBUTORS settingthecontextCurriculum for Excellenceaims to achieve a transformation in education in Scotland byproviding a coherent, more flexible and enriched curriculum from 3 to18, firmly focused on theneeds of the child and young person and designed to enable them to develop the fourcapacities.

3 The changes brought about byCurriculum for Excellenceshould lead to improvedquality of learning and teaching and increased attainment and achievement for all children andyoung people in Scotland, including those who need additional support in their learning . As theOECD said in its recent report,Quality and Equity of Schooling in Scotland, curriculum reformhas to come from schools rather than waiting for central direction; this document is designedto help schools and other establishments plan that change. The transformation in educationthatCurriculum for Excellenceaims to achieve extends beyond schools and this document willstimulate professional reflection by all those working with children and young people existing guidance on the 3-5 curriculum , 5-14 curriculum and curriculum design in thesecondary sector will be replaced by this document, which will be complemented by furtheradvice, guidance and exemplification.

4 This document provides the framework for planning acurriculum which meets the needs of all children and young people from 3 to 18, ensuring afocus on developing the four capacities at every stage. Planning should proceed on the basisthat the school year 2008-2009 will be spent on preparation for approaches based on thisguidance from school year the ambitions for this curriculum involves pre-school centres and schools working inlearning partnerships with colleges, universities, employers, partner agencies, youth work andthe voluntary sector to provide a coherent package of learning and support based around theindividual learner and in the context of local needs and Scottish Government has high ambitions for Scotland:ambitions which show ourconfidence in the potential talents of Scotland s people. Our principal purpose is to create amore successful Scotland with opportunities for all to flourish through increasing sustainableeconomic growth.

5 To deliver this purpose five overarching strategic objectives have beenidentified to make Scotland smarter, safer and stronger, wealthier and fairer, greener andhealthier. We believe that these objectives should be the focus of government and publicservices both nationally and believe thatCurriculum for Excellencecan play a significant role in achieving our principalpurpose and strategic aim ofCurriculum for Excellenceis to help prepare all young people in Scotland to taketheir place in a modern society and economy. The curriculum will provide a framework for allA FRAMEWORK FOR learning AND TEACHING 3>CONFIDENT INDIVIDUALSSUCCESSFUL LEARNERS young people in Scotland to gain the knowledge and skills for learning , skills for life and skillsfor work that they for Excellencewill offer better educational outcomes for all young people and will providemore choices and more chances for those young people who need them, helping us to meet theconcerns raised in the recent Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)report onQuality and Equity in Schooling in means.

6 >a coherent and inclusive curriculum from 3 to 18 wherever learning is taking place, whetherin schools, colleges or other settings>a focus on outcomes>a broad general education>time to take qualifications in ways best suited to the young person>more opportunities to develop skills for learning , skills for life and skills for work for all youngpeople at every stage>a focus on literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing at every stage>appropriate pace and challenge for every child>ensuring connections between all aspects of learning and support for learningWe already have a great deal of excellent practice in Scotland. We need to build upon this tocreate more exciting, engaging, relevant learning and teaching in every pre-school centre,school and college, or wherever the child or young person is learning .

7 Local authorities andschools will need to build strong partnerships with a range of organisations including colleges,universities, employers andSkills Development Scotland, community learning and development,the voluntary sector, youth work and other providers to deliver a personalised learningexperience for every child and young EducationEvery child and young person is entitled to expect their education to provide them with:>a curriculum which iscoherentfrom 3 to 18>abroad general education, including well planned experiences and outcomes across allthe curriculum areas from early years through to S3>asenior phaseof education after S3 which provides opportunitiesto obtain qualifications aswell as to continue to develop the four capacities>opportunities to developskills for learning , skills for life and skills for work(includingcareer planning skills)

8 With a continuous focus onliteracy, numeracy and health andwellbeing4 BUILDING THE curriculum 3>>RESPONSIBLE CITIZENSEFFECTIVE CONTRIBUTORS>personal supportto enable them to gain as much as possible from the opportunitieswhichCurriculum for Excellencecan provide>support in moving intopositive and sustained destinationsbeyond is the responsibility of schools and their partners to bring the experiences and outcomestogether and apply these entitlements to produce programmes for learning across a broadcurriculum, covering science, languages, mathematics , social studies (including Scottishhistory), expressive arts, health and wellbeing, religious and moral education and this broad curriculum it is expected there will be an emphasis on Scottish contexts,Scottish cultures and Scotland s history and place in the world.

9 This planning shoulddemonstrate theprinciples for curriculum design:challenge and enjoyment; breadth;progression; depth; personalisation and choice; coherence; should be made available in a range of ways including interdisciplinary learning and arange of opportunities which ensure a broad approach, enabling, for example, a coherentunderstanding of environmental curriculum framework sets out what a child or young person should be able to do and theexperiences that contribute to their learning , rather than detailed definitions of content orprescribed hours of experiences and outcomes are grouped into five levels - early (in which most children willundertake learning to the end of P1); first (in which most children will undertake learning by theend of P4); second (in which most children will undertake learning by the end of P7); third (inwhich most young people will undertake learning during S1 S3) and fourth (in which mostyoung people will have undertaken learning by the end of S3).

10 For all young people, learning , atwhatever level, will be managed in a manner that paves the way for work towards qualificationsin the senior phase at the SCQF level appropriate to the needs and achievements of eachyoung intention must be to avoid driving young people through the levels as fast as possible. Thisarrangement of experiences and outcomes is intended to give teachers and other staff theflexibility and scope to follow issues through and to provide personalised and varyingprogrammes of learning so that the young person is secure at a level before moving experiences and outcomes can be packaged in different ways appropriate to the individualchild or young person. For example, some young people might learn about modern languageoutcomes as part of learning about hospitality or business, or outcomes related to mathematicsin the context of learning about geography, or outcomes related to geography in the context ofA FRAMEWORK FOR learning AND TEACHING 5>CONFIDENT INDIVIDUALSSUCCESSFUL LEARNERS learning about science.