Curriculum for Excellence: An inclusive curriculum Linda Kirkwood Professional adviser Scottish Government

Lets remind ourselves what CfE is about.. Its addressing the achievement gap Its about raising standards Its about ensuring that ALL young people have the building blocks they need in terms of skills, concepts and knowledge Its about an education that supports a sustainable future

What are the barriers for many children and young people within the present curriculum? List 5

CfE –key features Definition of the curriculum –the totality of learning –not just in classrooms Development of skills is central A learner centred curriculum A curriculum for ALL children and young people –no ‘alternative ‘ curriculum Described in terms of outcomes not inputs Coherent and flexible

CfE –key features Focus on the needs of the young person Focus on learning which is relevant, engaging and motivating,active in its nature and reflecting the different learning styles of learners Depth of learning –not ‘covering the curriculum’ Focus on achievements learning in contexts which are joined up and relevant and not in silos Integrated approach –involving real partnerships

CfE –key documents Building the Curriculum 3 This describes the framework for the curriculum and sets out the key values, experiences and outcomes, entitlements, support, principles of curriculum design and arrangements for assessment etc. P13 schematic is especially useful for planning purposes

CfE –key documents Experiences and Outcomes This folder describes the learning experiences in terms of outcome statements for learners from early years through to Level 4 (S3). It is expected that all young people cover all of the Es and Os up to 3 rd level There are 8 curriculum areas including Health and wellbeing, Literacy and Numeracy –which are the responsibility of all. Skills are built in and outcome statements offer greater flexibility in designing engaging and relevant experiences for learners in a variety of contexts and environments

CfE –key documents Building the Curriculum 4 –Skills for Learning, Skills for Life and Skills for Work Building the Curriculum 5 –Framework for assessment Assessment which supports learning, review of National Qualifications, Literacy and Numeracy assessment S3, greater variety and recognition of different types of qualifications and recognition of achievement

In what ways does this remove the barriers to young people’s learning and development?

Some issues…. Development needs of partners/carers Development of more effective partnerships with clear roles and responsibilities, joint ownership, involvement of learner, clear outcomes for learners, appropriate support