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CfE Implementation e-bulletin
Issue 2 - June 2012
I am delighted to share with you the second
issue of the CfE Implementation Group ebulletin. I hope you found our inaugural
edition to be a useful update on the range of
support material being developed to support
you as we continue to implement Curriculum
for Excellence (CfE).
This has been an extremely busy and very productive session for everyone
involved in the implementation of CfE and a range of support and materials
have been developed. One of the first tasks for the Implementation Group after
being formed in February, was to develop the CfE Implementation Plan for
2012/13 and I was delighted to circulate it widely to all schools and local
authorities in May and make it available on the Education Scotland website.
Another key milestone this year has been SQA’s publication of the final
documents for the 197 new National Qualifications at National 2, National 3,
National 4, National 5 and Higher levels on 30 April this year. To support the
delivery of key aspects of the new National Qualifications, Education Scotland
also published a suite of practical advice and guidance for teachers and
lecturers. A further tranche of materials and advice and guidance was made
available by SQA and Education Scotland just last week as part of our
programme of guidance and information in support of CfE.
A report of the key findings from the CfE Audit, which was conducted with each
of Scotland’s education authorities, was also published. The evidence indicates
that that the implementation of the new National Qualifications and full delivery
of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) continues to be achievable within the agreed
national timescale. The audit built on established dialogue, consultation and
communications methods and was not a one–off or standalone activity.
Dialogue with teachers and subject specialists will continue through a range of
activity which will include Education Scotland’s ongoing inspection, development
and engagement activities, bespoke visits and a series of events hosted by SQA
and Education Scotland.
Education Scotland will also have visited around 50 secondary schools between
April and the end of June to work with teachers, principal teachers and faculty
heads and headteachers. This will help inform where further support may be
needed, and will ensure that the professional voice of teachers continues to be
part of the overall implementation of Curriculum for Excellence.
The first in a new series of CfE Briefing documents was also made available and
focused on Broad General Education and a parents' version of this is being
developed at the moment. The next titles in the series are being prepared and
will be available in the new academic year.
Looking to the future, I am enthusiastic about the activities planned beyond the
summer and look forward working with a range of partners to plan, develop and
deliver course materials for National 4 and National 5.
We are working closely with ADES and also in dialogue with professional
associations and others to explore the range of course materials that are being
developed at local levels which could be shared nationally and will also consider
the outcomes of the audit to identify where further materials are required and
address this.
Looking at the range of support being made available from SQA, Education
Scotland and other national bodies, alongside the materials being developed at
local levels, we have the making of a strong, comprehensive and valuable
national package of course materials to help us move forward with confidence.
Implementation of Curriculum for Excellence takes place, and will always take
place, through the ongoing work of teachers, individually and collectively, as
they change their plans for learning, teaching and assessment. Therefore, I
would like to finish by wishing everyone a lovely summer and an enjoyable
break.
Dr Bill Maxwell
Chair of the CfE Implementation Group
New National Qualifications - Assessment Overviews
Assessment overviews have now been published on SQA’s website for every
Course from National 2 to National 5. Please use the subject drop-down menu
to find the documents for your subject.
The assessment overviews describe the Course and Unit assessment support
materials that SQA will produce for practitioners in session 2012/13 by subject
and level.
In response to practitioner requests for these materials as early as possible, the
Scottish Government has provided additional funding to SQA. This has allowed
SQA to bring forward the publication of these materials. The first package of
Unit assessment support will be available in October (as opposed to the original
February milestone) and further packages will follow in February and April 2013.
Each package of Unit assessment will provide practitioners with materials that
cover the requirements of the Course. It will also provide information on how to
gather evidence and make assessment judgments. The materials will be ready
to use, but centres will be free to develop their own assessment packages. The
Unit assessment support will be published in a secure, electronic format.
The specimen question papers will be published by end of February 2013 on
SQA’s website. All specimen Coursework will be available by 30 April 2013 in a
phased release on SQA’s website.
Course and Unit assessment support for Highers will be available by the end of
April 2014.
Find out more on the SQA website.
New Advice and Guidance for National Qualifications now available
Education Scotland has published further advice and guidance to assist
practitioners in preparing to deliver courses within the new National
Qualifications (NQ) framework. The subjects include:
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Administration and IT at National 4 and 5 levels
Geography for the Global Issues Unit at National 5 level
Computing Science at National 4 level, including the Added Value Unit
RMPS for the Added Value Unit at National 4 level
Science at National 4 level
Literacy at National 4 level
Music at National 4 and 5 levels
Maths at National 2 level
English and Communications at National 2 level
Skills at National 2 level.
The advice and guidance provides support for units or courses which are new
or have aspects of significant change and experienced subject practitioners from
across the country have been involved in their development.
All of the materials are downloadable from the Education Scotland website.
Updated Inspection Advice Note
Education Scotland recently published an updated inspection advice note which
is available on its website. The advice note will take effect for inspections from
August 2012 and replaces the previous one issued in August 2011. The advice
note sets out increased expectations for QIs 5.1 (The curriculum) and 5.9
(Improvement through self-evaluation) to maintain alignment between
inspection expectations and the national CfE implementation schedule.
Information for Parents
In August a package of materials will be made available for parents to help
them understand Curriculum for Excellence, the new National Qualifications and
to help them explore how they can get involved in their child’s learning and
discover what they can do to help.
In the meantime, remember there is already a range of material available which
you can share with your parents including:
• Parentzone website
• SQA Parent Leaflet
• CfE Films
More for parents
The National Parent Forum of Scotland will host its third Conference on 6
October at Bishopbriggs Academy on the theme of Curriculum for Excellence
with the keynote speaker, Dr Janet Brown, SQA, who will provide parents with
the latest developments on the new Qualifications. The conference will once
again be run in partnership with Scottish Government, Education Scotland and
SQA.
Broad General Education
The broad general education phase is the first of two closely connected phases
of education. It stretches from age three to the end of S3, after which learners
move on into the senior phase from S4 to S6.
It is designed to provide breadth and depth of education which all young people
will need in order to thrive now and into the future. Its purposes span all the
key aspects of a young person’s learning and development, as expressed in the
attributes and capabilities of the four capacities of Curriculum for Excellence.
Education Scotland recently hosted a series of briefing sessions which provided
support and guidance on Broad General Education. Over 600 delegates
attended the events which took place across the country.
A CfE Briefing document and a Q&A specific to broad general education are
available on the Education Scotland website. A parents' version of the Briefing
document is currently being developed and will be published online before the
end of June.
CfE Briefings – New titles coming soon
The next titles in the series of the new CfE Briefing documents will be available
to download in the next term. These will include:
• Progress and Achievement
• Profiling and S3 profiles
• Inter-disciplinary learning.
BeXcellent website
A new website which will bring Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) to life for young
people has been launched by Children in Scotland and the Scottish Youth
Parliament, in partnership with Scottish Government.
BeXcellent is the first CfE resource created specifically for children and young
people, and offers an easy-to-understand approach to the new curriculum and
the personalised, creative learning it promotes. The site was developed in
consultation with groups of children and young people, and features a simple
guide to the new curriculum, as well as activities designed to stimulate
independent learning and new ways of thinking.
Professional Standards for Lecturers Refreshed
A review of the Initial Teacher Training/Education standards for lecturers in
Scotland’s colleges has been undertaken. The refreshed standards are not only
initial standards for practitioners wishing to gain the TQFE qualification through
a university, or a Professional development award through SQA, but also define
a lecturer’s current role and contribution to a college.
National Qualifications Group Awards (NQGA) Delivery in Colleges
Scotland’s Colleges is working with experts in the sector to support the delivery
of NQGAs by producing creative learning and teaching materials that reflect the
values and purposes of Curriculum for Excellence. These materials include
online units, lesson plans, classroom activities, presentations, websites, videos,
quizzes and much more.
The resources that are currently being developed are to support:
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NC Celtic Studies
NC Social Sciences
NC Creative Facial Techniques and Digital Media
NPA Bakery.
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