Implementing Curriculum for Excellence and the new National
Qualifications in Secondary
Key messages September 2013 through March 2014
CONTENTS
1.
Secondary school inspections September 2013 - March 2014
2.
Secondary school CfE fieldwork December 2013 - March 2014
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1. Secondary school inspection findings September 2013 - May 2014
1. Overview of evaluations
30 secondary school/all-through inspections carried out
unsat.
weak
satis.
good
vg
exc.
1.1
0
6
2
10
11
1
2.1
0
2
4
14
10
0
5.3
0
2
7
12
9
0
5.1
0
3
9
11
6
1
5.9
0
4
10
9
7
0
2. Summary of key strengths
 In all schools inspected, some aspect of ethos or positive staff/pupil relationships
was identified as a key strength. Areas highlighted included: young people who
want to learn, achieve and succeed; the positive & supportive learning
environment; the sense of pride in the school; and young people’s behaviour and
confidence.
 In 14 schools, the leadership of the headteacher.
 In 15 schools, aspects of young people’s personal achievements, attainment in
national examinations, or opportunities for young people to achieve across a
range of areas.
 In eight schools, pastoral support, including in two the contribution of partners.
 In eight schools, the positive impact of partnerships, including one school where
vulnerable groups were well supported into positive destinations.
 In five schools, teachers’ commitment to professional learning, or their leadership
of learning.
 In six schools, the quality of support for young people with additional needs.
 In four schools, aspects of the curriculum. In two of these, the curriculum from S4
to S6, and in one the curriculum S1 to S3. Curriculum development was
highlighted in the fourth.
 In three schools, improved attainment.
 In two schools, effective or improved transitions.
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3. Summary of main points for action
 In 17 schools, continue to improve the curriculum (in line with the national
implementation plan). In three further schools, more urgent improvements to the
curriculum were required.
 In 14 schools, aspects of meeting needs which included providing activities which
are suitably challenging in lessons across the school; and provision for young
people with additional needs.
 In 14 schools, continue to improve approaches to improvement through selfevaluation. In a further four schools, more urgent improvement to self-evaluation
were required to ensure positive impact on young people’s experiences and
achievements.
 In nine schools, improve approaches to tracking and monitoring young people’s
progress.
 In five schools, attainment needed to be improved.
 In six schools, the quality of learning and teaching needed to be more
consistently high.
 In three schools, partnership working needed improvement.
 In two schools, staff needed to work together more effectively to improve young
people’s experiences and achievements.
2. Secondary school CfE visits December 2013 - March 2014
In addition to the inspection programme outlined above, Education Scotland staff made a
total of 70 visits to secondary schools across all 32 local authorities and held discussions
with headteachers and other promoted staff.
1 Summary of findings from visits
This summary represents what schools told Education Scotland staff on these visits.
Therefore, it reflects different evidence from that gathered on inspection, but no less
important information.
2 Broad General Education
A wide range of approaches exist to taking forward broad general education (BGE) in S3.
Some schools told us that they are finding it challenging to ensure all young people
experience all of the Experiences and Outcomes (Es&Os) up to the Third Level and
some at Fourth Level. The development of a new CfE BGE self-evaluation toolkit should
help schools to improve progression further through the BGE phase.
Staff are continuing to develop the ways in which they use the Es & Os from S1 to S3 to
improve course content, particularly for relevance. They are developing and refreshing
courses as they try to further improve outcomes for learners. This includes seeking to
develop progression pathways from S3 into the senior phase. Headteachers told us that
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they are confident that the quality of learning experiences in the classroom is improving
in response to CfE.
Schools are aware that they need to review further S1 to S3 in terms of better
progression and preparation for the senior phase, often specifically around planning for
depth in S3. There is a wide variety of approaches to personalisation and choice across
S1 to S3, with most schools recognising the need to move towards a strategy for
specialisation/option choice towards the end of S3. Schools feel more clarity around the
entitlement to personalisation and choice from S1-S6 is required. Across Scotland,
schools recognise there is a need to improve assessment and the tracking and
monitoring of progress in learning.
3 Senior Phase
Preparation for courses at the senior phase has been driven largely by planning a oneyear course in S4 for all young people. This includes those expected to attain at
N3/N4/N5. Further development of blending and stretching Fourth level Es & Os with
those which are integral to new national qualifications (NQs) would be beneficial.
Some schools expressed concerns to us around procedural changes to internal;
verification, including a perceived inconsistency of approach.
Almost all schools are planning to develop further and enhance their senior phase design
although this is taking some time to become fully embedded. Some schools have
planned and implemented a unified S4 to S6 structure across their senior phase,
organising classes and subjects by level rather than by age or stage. A few schools are
currently running two year courses and programmes across S4 to S5 which they plan will
lead to more of an 'exit‘ based qualifications approach with individual learners achieving
at the highest level of which they are capable. In light of success of the first year of
national qualifications, there is a continuing need to raise and maintain professional
confidence in NQs and especially in new Highers.
4 Transitions
Most schools have programmes specifically developed to improve curricular transition
from P7 to S1, and for planned positive destinations for all learners beyond school. They
feel that further work is still needed in these areas.
5 Partnerships with key stakeholders, including parents
Most schools told us they work well with key stakeholders including parents, young
people and community groups. There are examples where schools have engaged
effectively with parents in all matters relating to Curriculum for Excellence, including
senior phase developments and learner pathways. Where this has been carried out
thoroughly, in a well-planned, and informed basis, and has involved a range of parental
information meetings, local conferences, focus groups, and surveys, parental confidence
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has remained high. Schools told us that greater sharing of emerging and best practice
around parental involvement and employer engagement is required at a national level.
Most school are working well with the communities they serve and have increasing
opportunities for partnership working including maintaining local woodland trusts,
community service, charity work and third sector developments. Opportunities for young
people to gain leadership skills are also increasing. Schools told us that successful
models of partnership working could be shared more effectively.
6 Reducing inequity
A range of different strategies are in place to reduce inequality. These include: the
effective use of Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) information; GIRFEC
partnership working, peer mentoring; individual mentoring of vulnerable young people by
all promoted members of staff; and vertical tutor systems. Other strategies include the
employment of family liaison workers, the use of youth workers, the provision of tablets
and laptops on a targeted basis, and the full scale development of various ‘schools’
within schools for football, dance, music, creative arts.
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