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Appendix 1
The work of the early review groups
Groups were established in eight curriculum areas: science, languages, social subjects, mathematics, technologies, expressive arts, health and wellbeing, and religious and moral education. Members of the groups reflected a wide range of professional experience including teachers and staff from education authorities, SQA, LTS and teacher education institutions, with support from HMIE.
The first step was to carry out an initial review of existing curriculum guidance against the values, purposes and principles of A Curriculum for Excellence. To do this, the review groups used a common set of evaluative questions and relevant research evidence. They based their work on the Curriculum Framework 3 to 5, the 5-14 guidelines, Standard Grade and Intermediate 1. They provided initial advice on updating, prioritising and simplifying outcomes, and reducing overcrowding. Examples of possible outcomes and experiences were developed and tested against the principles of curriculum design to ensure, for example, that they would offer opportunities for challenge and enjoyment, depth of learning, relevance, and personalisation and choice. The groups also prepared draft rationales describing the benefits to young people of learning in that curriculum area.
The groups agreed that:
- prioritisation and simplification are indeed possible and can reduce the number of strands and learning outcomes
- the most important changes relate as much to 'how' to teach as 'what' to teach
- it will be essential to support proposed changes through CPD programmes
- formative assessment strategies promoted by Assessment is for Learning would support changes in curriculum advice.
The curriculum area groups concluded the first phase of their work in December 2005. This preliminary work has been considered as a whole to inform the next, more comprehensive, phase of review.
Groups have also been established to consider issues relating to personal and social development, to the early years, and for children who need additional support for learning; their work is continuing.
Strategies for simplification and prioritisation
Review groups used a number of different strategies to arrive at initial proposals to simplify and prioritise the curriculum. These included:
- reducing the number of attainment outcomes 2 for the groupings of learning experiences and outcomes
- re-defining and re-allocating aspects of learning
- amending the degree of demand expected at particular levels to reflect research about children's development and pace of learning.
Examples of proposals for possible change
- Reducing the number of attainment outcomes
- personal search could become a permeating element within RME
- in science 'Developing Informed Attitudes' would become a permeating element
- Re-defining and re-allocating aspects of learning
- The following elements might now sit within health and wellbeing:
- eating for health, and safe, hygienic practices
- physical education, physical activity and sport
- personal safety
- mental, social and emotional health
- drugs alcohol and tobacco
- sexual health and relationships
- Adjustments to level of demand
- The early level in mathematics, for example, would take account of the very good progress children are making at the early stages with aspects of shape and number
- Introducing ideas at the appropriate stage, based upon research on children's learning
- In science all targets within the 'Cells' strand would be introduced from Level 3 onwards
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