Heads of Nursery, Primary, Secondary and Special Schools
College Principals
Local Authority Chief Executives and Directors of Education
Community Learning and Development (CLD) Managers
Scottish Council of Independent Schools
July 2013
Curriculum for Excellence: Implementation Plan 2013-14
I am writing in my capacity as Chair of the Curriculum for Excellence Implementation
Group:
 to thank you for your contribution to another year of sustained progress in
embedding Curriculum for Excellence; and
 to share with you the national Implementation Plan for 2013-14. The plan gives a
comprehensive overview of our plans for providing national support for local
implementation activities in the year ahead.
A year of progress
Over the year we have seen evidence of teachers becoming increasingly confident in
using the experiences and outcomes, enabling them to provide more motivating and
challenging learning across the curriculum. Most schools are progressing well in the
delivery and further development of Curriculum for Excellence, with learners
experiencing a broad range of learning across the four contexts of the curriculum.
Teachers are employing an increasing range of assessment approaches, although,
as our plans for further national support in 13/14 recognise, many staff need to
continue to gain more confidence in assessment, moderation and tracking progress
and achievement.
Most centres are developing their curriculum models and approaches well to deliver
the entitlement to a Broad General Education (BGE) to the end of S3. We are
increasingly seeing more effective ways of planning for pupil progression through the
BGE, with a strong element of personalisation and choice built in to provide a firm
foundation for the senior phase.
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Transforming lives through learning
Secondary schools now have plans in place for the Senior Phase, with many being
well advanced and an iterative and evolutionary approach often being adopted as
schools gain experience of operating their new Senior Phase models over the next
few years. Whilst a range of approaches to curriculum planning and structures are
now becoming evident, a strong pattern is emerging where the majority of schools
are offering six or seven subjects at the start of S4, alongside a range of
opportunities to develop broader achievements, attributes and capabilities. It is for
schools and their local authorities to decide on the most appropriate curriculum
design and pattern of subject choice for any particular point in the Senior Phase.
The common aim is clearly to enable all young people to achieve the highest level of
success possible by the time they complete the phase, through pathways which
match their individual interests and needs and which set them up well for a future
positive destination.
With regard to the new National Qualifications, very good progress has been made
in preparing new course provision which is now getting up and running across the
country. Staff are continuing to develop their confidence, knowledge and
understanding of the related assessment arrangements, especially around
moderation and the application of consistent standards.
Parental involvement is crucial to the success of Curriculum for Excellence and we
have been seeing increasing evidence of this happening in many centres across the
country. It is important that centres fully develop the active role of young people,
parents and other partners in fully developing the curriculum and we know it has
been hugely beneficial where centres have focused strongly on turning that principle
into practice.
Implementation Plan for 2013-14
The aim of publishing the 2013-14 Implementation Plan at this stage is to help you in
planning local activity to take forward the next steps in your areas, establishments or
services. The implementation plan sets out the objectives we need to achieve, the
activities at local level that will be required to achieve these objectives, and the
national support that will be available.
The plan is designed to ensure that further support is provided in the areas which
feedback suggests will be of most benefit. Those include areas such as curriculum
planning, approaches to assessment and moderation, tracking pupil progress and
profiling. In providing support and guidance in all of these areas, the emphasis will
be on ensuring that processes are effective but are also manageable and do
not take valuable time away from learning and teaching.
The plan sets out the further support being provided for the next phase of the
introduction of new National Qualifications and it also outlines actions we need to
take to ensure parents have the necessary information and advice to help them
support their child’s learning.
I am also pleased to let you know of some significant steps forward in community
learning and development (CLD) delivery within the context of Curriculum for
Excellence. Recently the Curriculum for Excellence Management Board approved a
CLD Strategy and Communications Plan and the aim is to publish an addendum to
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the Curriculum for Excellence Implementation Plan 2013-14 later in the Summer
which focuses solely on CLD activities and national support.
Overall, I hope you will agree, it has been another year in which we can all take pride
in the significant progress we have made together on the Curriculum for Excellence
implementation journey. Whilst the degree of change we are taking forward can, at
times, be challenging, the innovation, enthusiasm and professionalism being
demonstrated by practitioners across sectors and across the country is often
inspirational and is helping ensure that learners are increasingly experiencing the full
benefits that Curriculum for Excellence can provide.
Yours sincerely
Dr Bill Maxwell
Chair of the Curriculum for Excellence Implementation Group
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