Strathkinness Primary School An introduction to the Curriculum for Excellence – 24 th March 2010 (Revised March 30 th 2010 with new links added)

What is a school curriculum? A school curriculum describes what children & young people do in school. In pre school classes the curriculum promotes children’s emotional, personal & social development as well as encouraging their intellectual, physical and creative skills. The primary school curriculum includes the areas which develop children’s basic skills e.g. ES, RME & PSD. This is then carried forward into secondary schools where the curriculum is split into different subject areas e.g history & geography.

Cfe takes a new approach The school curriculum is changing to reflect the changing world our pupils live in. A Curriculum for Excellence means putting the child first and equipping every young person with the knowledge and skills most suited to their particular talents and aspirations. A strong emphasis will be placed on literacy, numeracy, citizenship, health and well-being and the essential skills for life and work. A Curriculum for Excellence aims to provide: Greater choice and opportunity for pupils A single coherent curriculum for all children and young people aged More freedom for teachers

What will this mean for schools and other educational establishments? They will need to consider all that they do and how it enables children and young people to become successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors. This includes looking at learning and teaching activities, day-to-day experiences, events and celebrations.

What is happening now? The present curriculum is being reviewed to make sure that it is up-to-date, challenging, enjoyable and relevant. Opportunities for choice are being considered to allow a range of choices from play activities, through to programmes which allow greater depth of study. Schools are looking at adopting the Cfe outcomes with a view to full implementation for

Increasing Pupil Choices The children state what they know, and what they would like to know

Tailoring our planning Teachers plansPLP’s

We are currently reflecting on “how” we teach and the learning experiences we provide for our pupils. We are investigating approaches to learning and teaching which will motivate, engage and challenge our pupils to become: Successful Learners Confident Individuals Effective Contributors Responsible Citizens What are we doing at Strathkinness Primary to enable our pupils to take A Curriculum for Excellence forward?

What will this mean for our pupils? At Strathkinness Primary the implementation of a Curriculum for Excellence will be evident in a number of ways. Active Learning Starting in the early stages, pupils will engage in a more active approach to learning. In Primary 1/2/3 initially, existing maths and language programmes will continue to be taught. The emphasis now, however, will be on delivering these programmes in a more active way to take account of different learning styles. Learning experiences and activities will encourage children to make links across different areas of the curriculum and use their skills in new situations. This will help to foster self confidence and independence.

What will this mean for our pupils? (continued) Collaborative Activities e.g. Enterprise weeks Pupils throughout the school will have more opportunities to engage in activities which promote group work, with every member of the group having a designated role to play. Collaborative learning develops and highlights group members’ individual abilities and contributions. Formative Assessment Assessment for Learning focuses on the gap between where a learner is in their learning, and where they need to be - the desired goal. This can be achieved through processes such as sharing criteria with learners, effective questioning and quality feedback. This development has been ongoing within the school and is evident in all our classrooms.

Examples of a Curriculum for Excellence in the class You will see three examples of Cfe in practise on our radiowaves website: Infants – Using the Roamer Middle – Learning about the Solar System Senior – Dancing at Falkland Palace

Curriculum for Excellence Early (Primary 1) Outcomes and Experiences Health & Wellbeing Planning for choices and changes: HWB0-19a In everyday activity and play, I explore and make choices to develop my learning and interests. I am encouraged to use and share my experiences. Language Listening: LIT0-02a/ENG0-03a As I listen and talk in different situations, I am learning to take turns and am developing my awareness of when to talk and when to listen. Information Technology: TCH0-04b I enjoy taking photographs or recording sound and images to represent my experiences and the world around me.

Curriculum for Excellence First (Primary 2) Outcomes and Experiences Health & Wellbeing Planning for choices and changes: HWB0-19a HWB1-19a Through taking part in a variety of events and activities, I am learning to recognise my own skills and abilities as well as those of others. Language Listening: LIT1-02a When I engage with others, I know when and how to listen, when to talk, how much to say, when to ask questions and how to respond with respect. Information Technology: TCH1-04b I can create, capture and manipulate sounds, text and images to communicate experiences, ideas and information in creative and engaging ways.

Curriculum for Excellence First Outcomes and Experiences (Primary 3 & 4) Science: SCN1-06a By safely observing and recording the sun and moon at various times, I can describe their patterns of movement and changes over time. I can relate these to the length of a day, a month and a year. Language Listening & Talking: LIT1-04a As I Listen and watch, I can identify and discuss the purpose, key words and main ideas of the text, and use this information for a specific purpose. Physical Education: HWB1-21a I am discovering ways that I can link actions and skills to create movement patterns and sequences. This has motivated me to practise and improve my skills to develop control and flow. Information Technology: TCH1-04b I can create, capture and manipulate sounds, text and images to communicate experiences, ideas and information in creative and engaging ways.

Curriculum for Excellence Second Outcomes and Experiences (Primary 5 – 7) Social Studies People, past events and societies SOC2-03a I can investigate a Scottish historical theme to discover how past events or the actions of individuals or groups have shaped Scottish society. SOC2-06a I can discuss why people and events from a particular time in the past were important, placing them within a historical sequence. Language Listening & Talking: LIT2-09a When listening and talking with others for different purposes, I can: share information, experiences and opinions explain processes and ideas identify issues raised and summarise main points or findings, clarify points by asking questions or by asking others to say more. MLAN2-12a I use the support of others and access appropriate reference materials of my choice to help me plan my writing in ways that engage my reader, using ICT when appropriate. Physical Education: HWB2-23a While working and learning with others, I improve my range of skills, demonstrate tactics and achieve identified goals. HWB 2-24a By reflecting on my own and others work and evaluating it against shared criteria, I can recognise improvement and achievement and use this to progress further. Dance: EXA2-08a I can explore and choose movements to create and present dance, developing my skills and techniques. EXA2-10a I have taken part in dance from a range of styles and cultures, demonstrating my awareness of the dance features. EXA2-11a I can respond to the experience of dance by discussing my thoughts and feelings. I can give and accept constructive comment on my own and others’ work. Information Technology: TCH2-04a I explore and experiment with the features and functions of computer technology and I can use what I learn to support and enhance my learning in different contexts. TCH2-04b I can create, capture and manipulate sounds, text and images to communicate experiences, ideas and information in creative and engaging ways.

Next steps: How we assess performance