1. The Scottish Education System
Unit outline
Overview of the education system in Scotland
Introduction to Curriculum for Excellence
Stages
The examination system and awards
School inspection

2. The Scottish Education System
Birth until age 3
Broad General Education (age 3 – until end of S3 secondary school)
Senior Phase (S4-S6 ages 15-18)
College Education (16+)
Higher Education

3. Senior Phase
The senior phase of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) is for young people from S4-S6 in secondary School. A key aim of CfE is to ensure that all young people can continue to expect to gain knowledge or skills and work towards qualifications and awards, whatever their individual needs and wherever they are learning. You can support young people in the senior phase by working in partnership with others to offer a range of options, including work-based learning or community-based learning, volunteering or a combination of these.

4. Curriculum Framework Coherent curriculum 3 to 18
Broad general curriculum – early years to S3
Senior phase with opportunities to gain qualifications
Skills for learning, skills for life, skills for work
Personal support
Support to move to destinations beyond school

5. Curriculum for Excellence The purposes of education: the four capacities
Successful Learners
Confident individuals
To enable all young people to become:
Responsible Citizens
Effective Contributors

6. The purposes of education: the four capacities (1)
Successful Learners
With-
Enthusiasm and motivation for learning
Determination to reach high standards of achievement
Openness to new thinking and ideas
And able to-
Use literacy, communication and numeracy skills
Use technology for learning
Think creatively and independently
Learn independently and as part of a group
Make reasoned evaluations
Link and apply different kinds of learning in new situations
Confident Individuals
With-
Self-respect
A sense of physical, mental and emotional well-being
Secure values and beliefs
Ambition
And able to-
Relate to others and manage themselves
Pursue an active and healthy lifestyle
Develop and communicate their own beliefs and view of the world
Live as independently as they can
Assess risk and make informed decisions
Achieve success in different areas of activity

7. The purposes of education: the four capacities (2)
Responsible Citizens
With-
Respect for others
Commitment to participate responsibly in political, economic, social and cultural life
And able to-
Develop knowledge and understanding of the world and Scotland’s place in it
Understand different beliefs and cultures
Evaluate environmental, scientific and technological issues
Develop informed ethical views of complex issues
Effective Contributors
With-
An enterprising attitude
Resilience
Self-reliance
And able to-
Communicate in different ways and in different settings
Work in partnership and in teams
Take the initiative and lead
Apply critical thinking in new contexts
Create and develop
Solve problems

8. Understanding the CfE levels and curriculum areas
The CfE levels are:
Level
Early (0)
First (1)
Second (2)
Third (3)
Fourth 4)
Senior Phase
Stage of Learning
Nursery-P1
P2-P4
P5-P7
S1-S3
S4-S6
Age
3-6
6-9
9-11
11-15
15-18
*The “stage of learning” and “age” categories above should be used as rough guides only.

9. The eight curriculum areas
Expressive arts (EXA)
Languages and literacy (LIT)
Health & wellbeing (HWB)
Mathematics and numeracy
(MTH & MNU)
Religious & moral education
(RME)
Sciences (SCN)
Social studies (SOC)
Technologies (TCH)

10. Understanding CfE experiences and outcome codes
Having explored my local area, I can present information on different places to live, work and relax and interesting places to visit. SCO 2-10a
SOC refers to the Social Studies curriculum area
2 refers to the Level;
10a refers to a particular statement

11. Scottish Credit & Qualifications Framework

12. Additional Support for Learning (Scotland) Act 2009
“All looked after children and young people have additional support needs, unless the education authority determine that they do not require additional support in order to benefit from school education”
The Local Authority must consider whether a Coordinated Support Plan is needed.

13. Included, Engaged and Involved: Part 2: A positive approach to managing school exclusions
There is a section specifically around looked after children and questions for designated managers to consider around excluding looked after children (Page 42-46)

14. Joint Inspection of Services
In September 2011 The Care Inspectorate were mandated to take the lead in developing a multi-agency approach to services around children. This Joint Inspection of Services, based on the following requirements:
Getting it Right for Every Child
A strong user focus
A coordinated/joint approach which demonstrates a duty of cooperation
It’s aim is to focus on inspecting a wide range of services working directly with children, parents and carers, focusing on the effectiveness of integrated working to improve outcomes for all children, as well as the most vulnerable.
It will asses children looked after at home, children looked after and accommodated and the theme of corporate parenting.

15. Joint Inspection

16. Key Messages
The four capacities of Curriculum for Excellence are: successful learners; confident individuals; responsible citizens; effective contributors.
The early years curriculum is based on the principle of active learning. Nurture groups may be available to support vulnerable children.
The eight curriculum areas used to structure school learning are: mathematics; languages; social studies; expressive arts; sciences; technologies; health and wellbeing; religious and moral education.
The system of national qualifications, the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework, is the responsibility of the SQA.
Joint Inspections of Services to Children.