A Curriculum for Excellence
Holyrood R.C. Sec. School Glasgow
Parent Forum Seminar
November 2011
The world our kids are
going to live in is
changing four times
faster than our schools
Dr Willard Daggert
Director of International Centre for
Leadership and Education
‘80% of the jobs that
current Primary 1 pupils
will do, do not exist yet’
BT Futurologist 2005
‘By the age of 16, the average
adult in the UK will have
done 75% of the writing they
will do in their lifetime’
One of the only places
operating largely as it did
more than 50 years ago
would be the local school
Nummela and Caine; Making Connections
Has School Changed ?
Holyrood 1979
“Curriculum for Excellence allows for both
professional autonomy and responsibility when
planning and delivering the curriculum. . . The
framework provides flexibility ….Such flexibility
will result in a more varied pattern of
curriculum structures to reflect local needs
and circumstances.”
Building the Curriculum 3 pp11-12
Moving from this..
to…
To The 4 Capacities
Successful
Learners
Responsible
Citizens
Confident
Individuals
Effective
Contributors
… to one that recognises the S1-S3 learner as the
centre of coherent and complimentary activity.
Literacy
&
Numeracy
language
The 4
capacities
Health &
Well
Being
Science
&
Technol
ogy
Social
Sciences
Exp Arts
…
ID
Learning
BUILDING THE CURRICULUM 3
A FRAMEWORK FOR LEARNING
AND TEACHING
FAQ – What it’s all about ?
Answer – Page 13 !
Values
Wisdom, justice,
Compassion, integrity
The curriculum:
all that we
plan for children and young
people’s learning
Entitlements
Including broad
general
education;
Experiences
and outcomes
( I can / I am able to)
Senior phase;
Skills for learning,
for life and
for work
8 curriculum areas
Support
for learning
through choices and changes
into positive and sustained
destinations
Effective teaching
and
active,
sustained learning
Principles
Challenge and enjoyment
Breadth
Progression
Depth
Personalisation and choice
Coherence
Relevance
Assessment,
qualifications
(NEW)
A Broad General Education S1 – S3
“A broad general education will include all of the
experiences and outcomes across all the curriculum
areas to and including the third level. These should be
experienced by all pupils, as far as this is consistent with
their learning needs and prior achievements. Most
learners will progress into the fourth level in many
aspects of their learning before the end of S3, laying
strong foundations for more specialised learning and
qualifications.”
n.b. 4th level = SCQF4 = general level
Building the Curriculum 3 pp 14-15
A Broad General Education
“ The period of time spanned by a level will generally be at
least two years.
The experiences and outcomes are designed to raise
the bar of achievement and it is important that staff
interpret them in the most aspirational way: (they)..
Must not create artificial ceilings.
(they) .. Will lead to young people reaching by the end of
S3 a level of attainment and achievement deeper and more
secure than at present.”
Building the Curriculum 3 Page 24
A Broad General Education
“ The scope offered by the 3 years S1-S3 should be used
by schools to plan for coherent programmes which
minimise fragmentation, for example by using small teams
of teachers working together to cover curriculum areas,
each contributing as appropriate from their specialism and
by a collaborative approach to planning which enables
young people to make connections between different areas
of their learning.”
Building the Curriculum 3
A Broad General Education (IDL)
“ By providing motivating contexts interdisciplinary
learning can provide access to particular
curriculum areas for young people who might not
otherwise be motivated by an aspect of learning.
“ IDL can provide opportunities to extend and
deepen understanding.”
Building the Curriculum 3
A Broad General Education .. Senior Phase
“The senior phase of young people’s education
follows their broad general education ,which takes
them to the end of S3 or equivalent.The senior
phase can be characterised as that which takes
place in the final stages of compulsory education
and beyond, normally around age 15-18”
Some key points :
Broad General Education
• Primary / secondary transition – 3-18
curriculum
• Schools need evidence that all Es and Os
are covered in BGE
• The nature / purpose of S3 – the end of
BGE or beginning of Senior Phase ?
• The end of the ‘middle school’ phase
• S3 as transition to Senior Phase.
•
•
Some key points :
• Delivering BGE and incorporating Personalisation
& choice for transition to Senior Phase and
qualifications –
•When ? GCC – not before end of S3
Some key points :
The Senior Phase
• A distinct senior phase will follow BGE
• The CfE principles and entitlements still apply to
senior phase
• Articulation with the new Qualification framework
– National 3 (Access)
– National 4 ( General/Int1)
– National 5 (credit / Int2)
–National 6 ( Higher)
–National 7 (Adv Higher).
the
Curriculum Planning CfE
• Number of subjects in Senior Phase ? ( S4 – S6)
• Depth of learning not just number of subjects.
• Flexible pathways for learners
• S4 Presentations – for some only ?
• Qualifications reflect rather than drive curriculum.
• External partnerships / other qualifications
Holyrood R.C. Sec School
High Level Curriculum Map
P5 – Senior (DRAFT)
Transition to Higher / Further Education.
• Learning experiences
• Will benchmark move to 6 Highers ?
• The myth of the ‘2 year’ higher
• Evidence of breadth – 5/6 Highers plus 2/ 3 National 5s ?
• Relevance of wider achievement to all faculties
• Advanced Highers / Bac – the new standard ?
Key Questions – Parents
1. Understanding of CfE
2. Personalisation for S3
3. Choice for S4 – 7 subjects / more time
Not common S4 – S6 timetable ( 5/6 subjects)
4. English but not maths compulsory S4
5. Exams in S4 only for leavers.
6. Retain 5 subjects in S5.