Townhill Primary School Curriculum Information Mrs. Pirouet Headteacher

It’s all changed ……. Changes in how children are taught ….…since I was at school Changes in what is being taught Changes in how children are taught Different kinds of lessons Children knowing more about some things than we do. Perhaps a good starting point in thinking about change is to think back to our own experiences at school. How we were taught and what we learned may have been very different from what we see happening in our own children’s schools today. A lot of our learning has also taken place since we left school as we have had to keep up with the changes that are taking place in the wider world. [As an ice breaker you may want to ask people to have a chat with their shoulder partner about something that they are aware of that has changed since they were at school] We all have memories of what it was like for us at school - what we were taught and the kinds of lessons we had - and will notice changes for our own children. Sometimes our children have greater knowledge and skills in some areas than we have! Particularly in relation to new technology. In some areas, children and young people are taking the lead. Texting was not originally envisaged as a main use for mobile phones but young people quickly realised that this was the cheapest way of using their mobiles for communication – and then created a new abbreviated language to make it even faster. Education and schools have to change to keep up with changes taking place in the world around us. There are changes in what is being taught – new ‘subjects’ and areas of study. We only have to look at the wide range of courses on offer at Universities to see the wide variety of opportunities for today’s young people.

Keeping up with change Technology and the internet Environmental concerns Health and wellbeing Living together in a ‘smaller’ world Education and schools have to change to keep up with changes taking place in the world around us. Some of the things that we may experience as changes – but which the next generation take for granted are; - different work opportunities and patterns - Some of the jobs our children will be doing don’t yet exist. Did you dream of being a ‘web interface engineer’ when you were a child. Even the more traditional jobs require new skills and expertise in the computerised age. - new technology and growth of the internet the latest technology means that it is now much easier to communicate and work from anywhere in the world. Those of you with mobile phones and blackberries may find this a mixed blessing. Working form home may be an option and suit some people – for others it can mean never leaving the office. How will the generation that has grown up with new technology and practically invented texting use these tools in the future. What are the skills needed to make sensible choices and understand the information they may find on the internet. environmental concerns Young people are very aware of issues such as climate change and global warming and recognise that there are international problems and issues to be faced – and that they may be the people who have to come up with the answers. - health and wellbeing issues Not all changes have been for the better. Whilst food is plentiful – it may not always be as nutritionally good as in previous decades. There are predictions that in some parts of Scotland the life expectancy for today’s children is going down. Worries about obesity and the associated health complaints are very real. But there are even more opportunities for leisure and sport activities. - increased contact with different cultures and travel The world is getting smaller. More opportunities for cheap travel and improved media and communications means that we are more aware than ever of other cultures and their diversity. Our own communities are changing and also becoming more mixed and varied. It is important that education keeps up with these changes - as times change so education and schools need to change to ensure that they prepare children and young people for an unknown future. In November 2003 Ministers established a Review Group of education professionals and academics to review education in Scotland to consider what needs to happen to make sure that the education system helps children and young people prepare for the complex world they will be living in. The task of the Review Group was to identify the purposes of education from 3 to 18 and consider key principles for the design of future education. One of the questions the Review Group asked was …………(next slide)

The future of education in Scotland The hope is that all Scottish children become confident individuals successful learners responsible citizens effective contributors to work and society So what are the purposes of education in Scotland? Children start learning before birth and have already learnt an immense amount before they start school. How can the formal school system ensure that all children have the experiences and opportunities that will help them learn and prepare them for future learning too? The hope for all children and every young person is that they should become confident individuals successful learners responsible citizens effective contributors to society and at work. It is easy to see how these relate to the previous slide and are in keeping with international ideas about education. More information and detail on these four purposes of Scottish education can be found on the handout. (Distribute chart outlining in more detail the four purposes) These form the background and basis of any changes taking place in Scottish Schools. The curriculum should provide the support, structure and direction to young people’s learning so that they develop in all of these four areas. Nurseries, schools and colleges are being asked to carry out their own reviews to consider how they meet these four purposes for children aged 3 to 18. National principles for change will support them and the whole process of change is known as ‘ developing a Curriculum for Excellence

Outside school A lot of learning also takes place outside school at home and within the family at clubs and in community settings individually and with friends All of these experiences contribute to a child’s learning and development. Parents are the most important influence on a child’s education and development and have a key role to play and contribution to make to helping their children. You will be able to think of lots of ways in which you help your children achieve the four purposes of education through everyday activities and family life. By working together in partnership with your child’s school, the experiences that a child or young person has outside school can be recognised and developed further in school – and vice versa. Children and young people achieve in all sorts of different ways and in all sorts of different settings and these achievements should be recognised as important and contributing to a child’s overall development and education. For example; - preparing a family meal - caring for animals, pets or livestock - caring for a family member - developing a particular artistic, musical or sporting skill - participating in community events - overcoming a personal challenge - planning a family holiday or outing In thinking about how all these achievements contribute to a child’s education the last point on the previous slide - the principle of relevance – applies. Only by working together can teachers and parents ensure that children's learning is relevant now and in the future.

What will this mean for schools? Learning will take place through planned experiences linking different ‘subject’ areas Experiences focussed on achieving specific outcomes in terms of knowledge, skills and understanding Schools will need to consider all that they do and how it contributes to children and young people achieving the four purposes. Learning in schools will take place through a wide range of planned experiences. These may connect traditional ‘subject’ areas and core skills, the arts, culture and sports. Sometimes the experiences may be linked to particular vocational or other specialised settings. Children will also learn through the day-to-day experiences of the life of the school community, with its values and social contact, and from out-of-school activities, events and celebrations. Taken together, these activities should provide a motivating and rich blend of experiences which promote learning. Children and young people should be able to describe these experiences and say ‘I have …..worked with others to plan and perform a drama about a historical event’ These experiences will not be unfocussed. They will be designed to achieve specific outcomes in terms of knowledge, skills or understandings that will show how children and young people are developing and progressing. Children and young people will know what they are trying to achieve and be able to say what they are able to do in ‘I can…’ statements. These are outcomes and should demonstrate how children are developing and achieving the four purposes.

The 3-18 curricular subjects health and wellbeing languages mathematics sciences social studies expressive arts technologies religious and moral education So what are the curriculum areas and subjects. They have been organised into these 8 areas. The curriculum areas should provide the basis for learning and the development of skills in a variety of settings from pre-school to secondary. They offer opportunities for citizenship, sustainable development, enterprise, creativity and cultural aspects. Taken together, their outcomes and experiences should represent our expectations for general education for all young people in Scotland before they embark on greater specialisation - in most cases by the end of S3. It will be open to schools to organise the outcomes and experiences differently (for example, designing challenging interdisciplinary projects), taking account of local circumstances, to plan for progression, breadth and depth of learning. Outcomes and experiences might also be grouped differently for different stages of learning, such as early learning, or for young people with additional support needs. There are also the vital core skills in literacy, numeracy and IT that children need to have that will be developed and addressed through all the curriculum areas. Other areas that have been seen as separate initiatives, e.g. enterprise, citizenship , health, creativity and problem solving will also be integrated across the curriculum areas.

New Attainment Levels Early Level – Pre- school & P1 First Level – To the end of P4, but earlier for some children Second Level – To the end of P7, but earlier for some children Third Level – S1-S3, but earlier for some Fourth Level – S2 – S4 Senior Level – S4 – S6

What are we already doing? Developing cross cutting project links Adopting creative approaches to teaching Developing ICT skills across the curriculum Whole school eco, health and enterprise ventures in mixed P1-P7 groups Visiting other schools to share practice Sharing ideas across our staff Teachers and specialists from across Scotland have been meeting to consider the experiences that children need to have in order to achieve the specific outcomes that will enable them becoming confident, successful adults able to participate and contribute to their families, communities and society. These documents are available for parents to consider and comment on too if they wish and some schools may be involving parents in thinking about what this means for the school their children attend and the kinds of changes it may mean.

What are we already doing? Celebrating achievement All Fife Festivals – music, creative dance, drama & country dance A number of external events eg trips, Carnegie College, Rotary Quiz Participating in competitive & non competitive sporting events from P3 Teachers and specialists from across Scotland have been meeting to consider the experiences that children need to have in order to achieve the specific outcomes that will enable them becoming confident, successful adults able to participate and contribute to their families, communities and society. These documents are available for parents to consider and comment on too if they wish and some schools may be involving parents in thinking about what this means for the school their children attend and the kinds of changes it may mean.

Sporting Pursuits P3-4 Tennis P3-7 Gymnastics P3-7 Badminton P3-7 Swimming P4-7 Football P5-7 Netball P5-7 Athletics P6 Cricket P5-7 Hockey Teachers and specialists from across Scotland have been meeting to consider the experiences that children need to have in order to achieve the specific outcomes that will enable them becoming confident, successful adults able to participate and contribute to their families, communities and society. These documents are available for parents to consider and comment on too if they wish and some schools may be involving parents in thinking about what this means for the school their children attend and the kinds of changes it may mean.

Timescales Throughout 2008/09 trials and focus groups to test these. From 2009/10 all schools work on developing new curriculum.

Personal Learning Plans Each child has their own plan. Targets in all curriculum areas are pre-printed Staff highlight termly the targets being worked on Pages to be carried out at home PLPs come home on Friday with a parents’ guide PLPs are returned to school on the Monday The PLP will form the basis of your child’s school report This year pupils will have a teacher’s end of session comment page.