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What might be different?
In the following sections we identify possible features and changes as we move towards a curriculum for all young people. We will refine and adjust this thinking in the light of the engagement process.
The early years
- Building on the real strengths: the existing guidance for the curriculum 3 to 5 is working well
- Some changes to refresh, update and extend guidance in response to evidence of practice and to enable good progression
- Better continuity between children's pre-school and P1 experiences, especially in learning and teaching approaches, through the proposed new structure
Primary
- Some adjustment to curriculum areas
- Substantial simplification and prioritisation of the curriculum and supporting guidance
- Guidance setting out both experiences and outcomes
- Fewer, more broadly-spaced levels
- More emphasis on active learning through P1 and beyond
- Emphasis on literacy and numeracy retained
- Assessment 'fit for purpose', i.e. it supports learning
- Schools focusing more on outcomes achieved by children than on 'inputs', with recommended time allocations for each area of the curriculum discontinued
- Better continuity in learning and in methodologies to maintain pace and challenge across the transition to secondary, building on effective transition models.
Secondary
- Greater clarity about the purposes of learning, especially in early secondary school: to enable young people to develop the four capacities and prepare them for life in 21st century Scotland
- Successful, confident, responsible and effective young people prepared for their chosen route from school, whether into colleges, universities, or the world of work
- Greater scope for different approaches to curriculum design in S1 to S3 within clear parameters
- Curriculum includes planned opportunities for broader achievements, interdisciplinary activities and choices as well as learning across all
curriculum areas - S1 to S3 provides a strong platform for further learning and a good basis for choice and greater specialisation
- Curriculum areas and subjects revised and enriched through the review process to provide challenge and enjoyment, depth and relevance
- Focus on 'raising the bar' on expectations for attainment, notably in literacy and numeracy, but also for achievement in health and wellbeing, citizenship, enterprise and creativity
- Assessment 'fit for purpose', i.e. it supports learning
- An important feature during S3: taking stock and recognising a broad range of achievements
- In due course, changes needed in the S4 to S6 curriculum, to build upon the revised S1 to S3 base
- Recognition process continues so that when a young person leaves school the span of their learning and achievements is captured in a way that does justice to them
- Scope to plan for S4 to 6 as a single stage with a great deal of opportunity for individual pathways and choice, with continued emphasis on the development of the four capacities
- Learning outcomes within SQA arrangements revised to reflect A Curriculum for Excellence purposes and principles: SQA are committed to revising the learning outcomes within their arrangements to ensure good progression from the revised S1 to S3 curriculum.
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