a curriculum for excellence 30 October 2010

Scottish Government §One of the most ambitious programmes of educational change ever undertaken in Scotland §Providing a co-ordinated approach to curriculum reform – 3 to 18 §Taking account of anticipated future needs deriving from economic, technological and social changes §Relying on professional capacity to make these changes

BtC 3 P13

Learner Entitlements §experience a traditionally broad Scottish curriculum that develops skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work, with a sustained focus on literacy and numeracy, that encourages an active, healthy and environmentally sustainable lifestyle and that builds an appreciation of Scotland and its place in the world, Every child and young person should:

Learner Entitlements §benefit from learning and teaching that strikes a better balance between equipping them with the skills for passing exams and skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work; there should be no need for groups of young people to take examinations before the end of S3,

Learner Entitlements §have their learning and achievements recognised by an assessment system that supports the curriculum rather than leads it and ensures that their transition into qualifications is smooth.

Rationale for the curriculum framework §Aims §Overview of the six years of secondary schooling in Balfron High School

Aims To provide a curriculum which §prepares young people for the challenges and issues that face todays world §gives young people understanding of Scotland and its place in the world.

Aims To provide a curriculum (the totality of all that is planned) in S1 to S3 which §allows the development of the four capacities, §is underpinned by the principles of Curriculum for Excellence, §develops skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work, §provides opportunities for interdisciplinary learning to develop an understanding of the connections within and across the learning experiences, §is broad and general, §allows preparation for transition to specialism in the upper school (S4 to S6).

Aims To provide a specialist curriculum for the senior phase which §allows all to achieve the qualifications and experiences, skills and capacities necessary to move to a positive destination at the end of the fourth, fifth or sixth year of a young persons secondary schooling or at the end of the second term in the sixth year.

Transition from Primary to Secondary Build on good practice: §Visits to Primary Schools by promoted and teaching staff, responsible for supporting learning, to find out about achievement, learning needs and personal needs of children §Based on this information, provide targeted support §Joint working between primary and secondary staff on curriculum and learning and teaching e.g. active learning strategies, literacy, numeracy etc

Transition from Primary to Secondary during S1 Build on good practice: §Personal Support for child §Build relationships with parents §Residential §Support from Senior Pupils- Buddying §Support from Senior Pupils – paired reading. paired Mathematics §Recording and recognising achievement

Transition – Assessment Develop ways of recording and reporting information that will ensure better information about a childs progress – Developing, Consolidating, Secure -Primary to Secondary, during the broad, general education phase and at the transition from broad, general education phase to senior phase §Use of management information system to track and monitor progress

First Year period allocation

Transition from Broad, General Education phase to Senior Phase Build on good practice: §Personal Support §Working with parents §Choice in December of S3 §Course choice for the Senior Phase

New qualifications The Scottish education system is world-renowned and our qualifications are highly valued. Highers, Advanced Highers and Access qualifications will remain and will be updated to reflect changes to the curriculum. There will be new qualifications for all in literacy and numeracy from 2012/2013 and Skills for Work qualifications.

New qualifications §From 2013/2014 there will be new National 4 and National 5 qualifications to replace Standard Grades and Intermediate 1 and 2. §Young people can now study for Scottish Science and Scottish Language Baccalaureate (a stage on from Higher/Advanced Higher).

Access 1 Access 2 Standard Grade Foundation / Access 3 Standard Grade General / Intermediate 1 Standard Grade Credit / Intermediate 2 Higher Advanced Higher Higher National Diploma Ordinary Degree Honours Degree Masters Doctorate Access 1 Access 2 Access 3 *National 4 *National 5 Higher Advanced Higher *Literacy 3 *Literacy 4 *Literacy 5 *Numeracy 3 *Numeracy 4 *Numeracy 5 SCQF Levels Next Generation of National Qualifications Qualifications New qualifications are marked * Others qualifications, like Highers, remain and will be reviewed to be in keeping with Curriculum for Excellence

What parents can do Sharing, planning and learning! §Listen, talk, share and encourage – this has a big influence on children's learning §Do things together – learn together and have fun together §Praise effort §Encourage a can do approach – give it a try, you might just like it § Help them to respect others §Talk to them about their strengths and interests, and help them make choices based on these §Find out what learning is happening at school and do what you can at home to build on that

What parents can do §Help them work on tasks on their own and then talk about it with you afterwards §Encourage any reading – books, online, it all helps! § Encourage them to make their own choices § Help prepare for change – talk about it together §Look for opportunities at home to develop literacy and numeracy skills: money, number problems, time, measuring, matching, size, reading, writing, understanding instructions, questioning information § Ask for extra help if you think your child needs it for any reason. Visit § Be there – help, listen, support and encourage §Talk to them about how they are feeling

Other information §Website: §Google – Curriculum for Excellence §Parent Zone Scotland and search for Curriculum for Excellence