Curriculum for Excellence
S1 Curriculum Descriptor August
2010
ALL SAINTS’ R.C. SECONDARY SCHOOL
LEARNING MOTIVATION SUCCESS
Curriculum for Excellence- S1 Curriculum August 2010
Rationale
The development and implementation of Curriculum for Excellence in All Saints Secondary
School is focused on achieving our Mission stated below:
“In our Catholic community, we aim to work with our young people to help each of them fulfil
their individual potential and enrich their lives.
We aim to develop them into confident high achieving young people who respect everyone
and are able to make a valuable contribution to society.”
The Totality of the Curriculum
The S1 Curriculum in All Saints Secondary School is composed of the 4 contexts for
learning that make up the “Totality of the Curriculum” – Building the Curriculum 3.
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The Ethos and Life of the School
Curriculum Areas and Subjects
Opportunities for Wider Achievement
Interdisciplinary Learning
The work of the school has already established strength in each of these areas. We are
building on these strengths to create a Curriculum which is truly excellent and which meets
the commitment to our young people as identified in our Mission Statement
This S1 Curricular document will be the first step to fully developing Curriculum for
Excellence over the next 5 years.
S1 CURRICULUM 2010
DESIGN PRINCIPLES
As a school, we have discussed the 7 design principles to both clarify our understanding of
these and identify which of them are the most important for us as a school. Our curriculum is
built on those design principles; underpinned by the guidance in Building the Curriculum 3
and focused on developing aspects of the 4 capacities in each of our learners.
Specifically, our S1 Curricular arrangements are focused on:
Breadth, challenge and enjoyment, relevance. The structure sets the foundation for
delivering Personalisation and choice; progression and coherence.
CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS
“Subjects are an essential feature of the curriculum, particularly in secondary school. They
provide an important and familiar structure for knowledge, offering a context for specialists to
inspire, stretch and motivate.” Building the Curriculum 3
Within our S1 curriculum, we have retained our commitment to breadth and a wide range of
subjects are included. The subjects which have always made up the curriculum in the school are
retained and we believe that this gives a strong base of learning experience for all our learners.
In addition, it allows them to identify where their strengths lie and which subjects will give them
the best opportunity to develop as successful learners as they go through their education in the
school.
To support this, we are no longer having the rotation approach to timetabling Art, Music, Drama,
Home Economics and Technical. We are instead opting for a 1 period a week experience in
those subjects to allow for more informed personalisation and choice for our learners.
The school is aware of an increase in the number of teachers in S1. Within the 2 curricular
areas where that are single periods (Technologies and Expressive Arts), we are having
discussion about making connections between the subjects, for example a focus on
connected Experiences and Outcomes.
We have made strong progress in delivering Literacy and Numeracy across the Curriculum,
and therefore there is less requirement for the current amount of time learners currently have
in English and Maths. With this in mind, English and Maths has been reduced from 5 periods
per week to 4 periods per week.
Activity Afternoons
Focus:
To develop our learners as:
Successful Learners with
Enthusiasm and motivation for learning
Openness to new thinking and new ideas
Confident individuals
Able to achieve success in different areas of activity
This releases 2 periods per week into the curriculum. Underpinned by the principle of
challenge and enjoyment, the 2 periods which have become available will now be our activity
afternoon. This afternoon is based on an objective to:
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give our learners different learning experiences
increase challenge and enjoyment
provide a wider range of opportunities for learners to be creative.
“The entire period from S1 to S3 needs to be planned to maintain challenge and enjoyment,
with the highest possible expectation of what young people can achieve. The activities
should encourage young people to develop creativity and innovation”. (Building the
Curriculum 3)
Our activity afternoon will encourage this development in our learners. They will take part in
a range of activities designed to give them new experiences and to provide a platform for
discovering or developing talents and for providing a wider range of opportunities for
success.
Our Activity Afternoons will operate as a rotation with our learners rotating around 9 activities
for 4 periods a week. The activities will develop over the years of implementation and are
designed to “enrich their lives” (School Mission Statement).
Social Sciences has changed from a rotation to be delivered as a common Social Sciences
course for all learners delivered by all teachers in the Faculty. Science will be delivered as a
general Science course.
The structure of the curriculum in S1 is:
Subject
Periods
English
Maths
Mod Lang
Science
Social Subjects
Bus Ed
Home Econ
Technical
Art
Music
Drama
ICT
Asdan
RE
PE
Activity Afternoon
Tutor
4
4
3
3
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
3
2
1
ETHOS AND LIFE OF THE SCHOOL
“The starting point for learning is a positive ethos and climate of respect and trust based
upon shared values across the school community, including parents, whether for young
people in school or for those not in school.”
“Develop knowledge and understanding of society, Scottish contexts, history and culture and
Scotland’s place in the world.” (Building the Curriculum 3).
Over and above current ethos activities in S1 such as the Sports Tournaments and clubs
that already run, the S1 curriculum will also respond to the local circumstances of our school
by giving our young people the opportunity to experience cultural experiences within their
own local community which they may otherwise not have had the opportunity to experience:
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Every S1 learner has 3 out of school trips to places of cultural interest. These trips
are linked to areas of the curriculum and to experiences and outcomes within each
curriculum area. They will also provide assessment opportunities within each area.
The curricular trips are:
1. Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum – This will link to the Art and Design curriculum
where both preparation and follow up will be done with learners.
2. New Lanark – Linking to the Social Subjects curriculum where it will provide an
opportunity for assessment and discussion based on Experiences and Outcomes
being delivered within the course.
3. Glasgow Science Centre – Linking to the Science curriculum experiences and
outcomes.
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There are 3 Focus days in the year.
1. A Retreat for all S1 linking the 4 capacities of Curriculum for Excellence to the
values of the Gospel. This is led by the RE Department.
2. A day focusing on activities to develop Numeracy skills in the context of
Financial Education.
3. A day of activities to develop skills for work. All faculties are identifying how
they are developing skills for work within the curriculum and have produced
statements identifying this. The focus days are intended to build on these
and increase learners’ awareness of the skills they are developing and how
they can be applied in different contexts.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR WIDER ACHIEVEMENT
“Personal achievement provides children and young people with a sense of satisfaction and
helps to build motivation, resilience and confidence….. All establishments need to plan to
offer opportunities for achievement and to provide the support and encouragement which will
enable young people to step forward to undertake activities which they find challenging.”
(Building the Curriculum 3)
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As part of our Activity afternoon, every learner will be given the opportunity to
achieve the “John Muir Award”.
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Every learner will achieve the Asdan Short Course: “Key Steps” building on achieving
the Asdan Short Course Stepping Stones as part of the Primary -Secondary
Transition Programme.
INTERDISCIPLINARY LEARNING
“The curriculum should include space for learning beyond subject boundaries, so that
children and young people can make connections between different areas of learning..
Interdisciplinary studies, based on groups of experiences and outcomes from within and
across curriculum areas can provide relevant, challenging and enjoyable learning
experiences and stimulating contexts to meet the varied needs of children and young
people.” (Building the Curriculum 3)
The Interdisciplinary learning provision within the S1 curriculum will have 2 elements to it:
1. Two interdisciplinary learning days - both involving a range of faculties and focused
on skills developed within curricular areas within the school. Between the 2 days,
every faculty will have been involved in one Interdisciplinary learning project. The
focus for the days are:
The All Saints – all aspects of making and marketing a product.
This focuses on these following experiences and outcomes:
Literacy
I can respond in ways appropriate to my role and use contributions to reflect on, clarify or
adapt thinking.
LIT 3-02a
Numeracy
I can budget effectively, making use of technology and other methods to manage money and
plan future expenses.
MNU 3 – 09b
Art and design
Wile working through a design process in response to a design brief, I can develop and
communicate imaginative design solutions.
EXA 3 – 06a
Health and Well Being
By taking part in practical food activities and taking account of current healthy eating advice,
I can prepare foods to meet identified needs.
HWB 3 – 33a
Social Studies
When participating in an enterprise activity I can explore ethical issues relating to business
practice and gain an understanding of how business helps to satisfy needs.
SOC 3-20a
And develop the skills of:
Literacy
Communicate, collaborate and build relationships.
Numeracy
Develop essential numeracy skills which allow full participation in society.
Art and Design
Talking and working with others
Health and Well Being
Participate in a wide range of activities which promote a healthy lifestyle.
Social Sciences
Presentation Skills, oral or written
2. Environmental Awareness Day – to focus on issues and matters associated with the
Environment and our responsibilities.
Every faculty will work with one other faculty on Interdisciplinary links. The content of
these collaborations have been identified by the IDL team from the S1 course plans.
Each of the IDL activities will have specific assessment arrangements built into them to
ensure that they help learners to “apply skills they have learned in unfamiliar situations”.
Building the Curriculum 5.
Development of Interdisciplinary Learning is on going in the school and there will be scope to
connect learning to other appropriate areas, for example Religious Education.
All of the aspects of our S1 curriculum mentioned are planned with Experiences and
Outcomes at the centre of them. Each activity will include a clear statement of the
Experiences and Outcomes covered and how they are already being delivered within subject
areas.
This is the starting point for Curriculum for Excellence in our school and will be informed by
our transition arrangements within our Learning Community to ensure that our Curriculum is
progressive from 3 -18.
G. Lyons 2011