CfE Implementation e-bulletin January 2014
Welcome to the first CfE Implementation
e-bulletin of the New Year. Throughout 2014
we will be aiming to provide easy access to the
most up to date resources, materials and
information available to help promote positive
engagement among practitioners, pupils and
parents as you embed Curriculum for
Excellence in your setting.
Bill Maxwell
Chair of the CfE Implementation Board
Key Curriculum Support
December saw the launch of ‘Key Curriculum
Support’ a new online one-stop-shop for CfE
allowing you to navigate easily to a bank of
guidance, support and resources. This simple
tool aims to assist practitioners and parents
when searching the web for CfE related
materials and advice.
This was created following feedback from some practitioners that information
and resources were located on numerous different websites and were not
always easy to find. Simply click on the button to take you to the Key
Curriculum Support area of the Education Scotland website. We would like to
ask for your help in including this button on your school or local authority
website. Please copy and use this button as a resource on your school website.
Support for learning, teaching and assessment
Education Scotland is working closely with a number of partner organisations to
create a range of opportunities for dialogue and engagement to help provide the
best possible support as we continue to embed Curriculum for Excellence:
1. CfE Leadership Events: Senior Phase
Education Scotland, ADES, SLS and the SQA are keen to explore with secondary
school leaders how we can continue to build on the positive transformation that
CfE is bringing to education in Scotland. This series of events will run in
February and March and will have a focus on the senior phase of CfE, with
particular focus on current planning and delivery of the new qualifications.
Representatives from all secondary schools will be invited to attend one of these
events.
The views and experiences of school leaders and partners continue to be
important in helping us to shape further support for schools in developing the
senior phase of secondary education.
2. Education Scotland/AHDS Events
These events, open to all school leaders, will run in March and are being
developed in partnership and involving AHDS, Education Scotland, ADES and
Scottish Government. They will focus on the key messages from the Curriculum
for Excellence Working Group on Tackling Bureaucracy’. The key themes
explored will be, supporting effective planning of learning, teaching and
assessment and monitoring and tracking learners’
progress.
SSLN Professional Learning Resource
Education Scotland has published a new Professional Learning Resource for
Literacy and uses results from the Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy
(SSLN) to promote and inform professional reflection, dialogue and debate
about progression in reading comprehension.
At the heart of this resource are case studies based on pupils’ responses to the
following SSLN reading assessments carried out in 2012 and on their responses
to the associated pupil questionnaire. The resource aims to help practitioners
use SSLN findings to:
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reflect on their own practice in developing and promoting literacy,
share understanding of literacy across learning,
consider how to enhance children and young people’s literacy skills in all
areas of the curriculum,
and plan how to develop their practice through incorporating new
concepts and ideas.
Emerging approaches to Profiling 3-18
A number of reports on emerging approaches to Profiling 3-18 are now available
on the Education Scotland website.
These include approaches being developed in the Early Years and in the Senior
Phase. This new resource complements existing support materials for profiling.
Further exemplars will be published over time.
Implementation timetable for the new qualifications
The new National 1, National 2, National 3, National 4 and National 5
qualifications were introduced in August 2013. The new Higher will be
introduced in August 2014 and the new Advanced Higher in August 2015.
In 2013-14 and 2014-15, the new qualifications will run alongside some of the
existing qualifications. This is referred to as 'dual running'. This is to allow
learners currently in S5 and S6 to continue working towards the existing
qualifications until they complete their education.
Access 1, Access 2, Access 3, Intermediate 1 and Intermediate 2 are being dual
run for two years – 2013-14 and 2014-15.
When the new Higher is introduced in 2014-15, the existing Higher will be dual
run for one year.
When the new Advanced Higher is introduced in 2015-16, it will not be dual run
alongside the existing Advanced Higher.
New resources available for Assessing Progress and Achievement
A number of updated resources have been published as part of a suite of
support available from Education Scotland.
An overarching paper providing an introduction to the assessing progress and
achievement professional learning papers is available, in addition to professional
learning papers for a number of curriculum areas.
A paper on monitoring and tracking progress and achievement in the broad
general education has also been published.
These resources can be accessed through the assessing progress and
achievement professional learning resource section of the Education Scotland
website.
Course comparison documents for new Higher Courses
SQA has published tables which outline some of the changes for each of the
new Higher Courses – in comparison with the existing Higher Courses.
This is intended to help teachers/lecturers identify what is changing, and what
will remain the same, within their subject.
The information in these tables is not exhaustive, but provides links to more
detailed subject documentation that can be accessed from the subject pages.
Course comparison documents can be found on the 'Related Information' panel
on each of SQA's subject pages on the SQA website.
National 1 event
SQA will be running a National 1 event to support teachers and lecturers with
the introduction of the new National 1 Units. The event will take place on 27
March 2014 at Stirling Management centre.
The event will be led by SQA Qualifications Development staff, and will update
teachers/lecturers on Unit delivery and assessment. There will also be an
opportunity for delegates to consider and give feedback on proposals for the
review of freestanding Units at Access 2.
For further information and to book your place, please visit the SQA website.
NQ verification 2013-14
SQA have introduced new quality assurance arrangements to support internal
assessment of the new National Qualifications. These arrangements ensure
continued credibility, facilitate the partnership approach, support sharing of
knowledge and understanding and flexible delivery, and increase confidence in
assessment decisions.
A blend of approaches are used to externally verify the internal assessment of
new National Qualifications, including prior verification, national or area
verification events and visiting verification activities.
Following a review of Round 1 external verification activity, SQA has published
generic key messages and subject specific messages on the individual subject
web pages.
During the verification process, SQA has identified subjects where further
support is required to build teachers’ confidence and answer assessment
questions. SQA is putting in place additional subject experts to provide CPD for
teachers, which will be delivered at Local Authority or sector level.
CfE Liaison Team
SQA's Curriculum for Excellence Liaison Team provides a dedicated resource for
every school and college throughout Scotland, delivering support and advice for
the new qualifications. They have been working with schools and colleges for
four years, supporting teachers to help them prepare for the implementation
and delivery of the new qualifications.
They are available to attend parents' evenings, staff meetings and meet with
other members of your school or college community. For an initial discussion
about your requirements or to make an appointment, contact your area
manager. Information about the area managers, including the areas they cover,
is available on the SQA website.
Annual Statistical Report
A consultation paper has been published as part of a review of SQA’s Annual
Statistical Report.
The consultation runs until 28 February 2014 and seeks views on a range of
proposals. These proposals are based on feedback gathered through an online
web survey and a review of the requests received for statistical information,
with the aim of ensuring the report best meets user’s needs.
You can view the paper and respond here.