Qualifications are changing
Curriculum Update Event – Stirling Management Centre
Wednesday 16th May 2012
National 1 and National 2
Key Points
 Builds on principles and practices guidance and relevant
level experiences and outcomes
 Follows the design principles agreed by CfE Management
Board and SQA’s Qualification Committee
 Incorporates the best features of existing Access 2
Courses and feedback from engagement
 Focuses on personalisation and choice
 Provides opportunities for flexible delivery and curriculum
planning
Curriculum area
Courses at National 2
Lifeskills Mathematics
Mathematics
Science
Science in the Environment
Languages
English & Communication Modern Languages (French,
German, Italian, Spanish)
Expressive Arts
Performance Arts
Creative Arts
Social Subjects /
Business
Social Subjects
Business in Practice
Health &
Wellbeing
Physical Education
Food, Health & Wellbeing
Technologies
Practical Craft Skills
Information &
Communications Technology
Courses will:
 Have strong focus on skills development and
activity based learning
 Be written in a very open way to encourage
personalisation and choice
 In many cases provide a mix of optional and
mandatory Units
 Encourage breadth, depth and application
Course and Unit Support Notes:
 information on progression,
hierarchies and fallback
 advice on approaches to teaching,
learning and assessment
sequencing
skills for learning/life/work
links to other Units/Course
Awards
 Personal Development Award at
SCQF 2
 Personal Achievement Award at
National 1 and National 2
These will be available from August 2012
Personal Development Award
 Hierarchical with PD Award at SCQF
levels 3, 4, 5 and 6
 Re –brand the existing Personal
Development Course
 Consist of nine Units in three
groupings – select one from each
grouping
Personal Achievement Award
National 1 and National 2
The Award aims to develop, reinforce
and strengthen skills associated with:
 working toward independence
 working with others
 communicating
 thinking
 developing knowledge and
understanding
Personal Achievement Award
National 1 and National 2
 recognises small but significant
achievement of learners on an
incremental basis
 each Unit is 3 SCQF credit points in
size
 based around 40 new Units
developed across both levels
Personal Achievement Award
National 1 and National 2
 All Units have same outcomes
- prepare for
- participate
- review
 Units grouped under two themes
- Developing Independence
- Taking part in the Community
Personal Achievement Award
National 1 and National 2
Type of
Award
Bronze
Number of
Units (all
3SCQF credit
points)
2
Combination
of Units
Size of award
(SQCF credit
points)
One from each
theme
6
Silver
4
At least one
from each
theme
12
Gold
6
At least two
from each
theme
18
Personal Achievement Award
Learners can:
 build up achievement in small
amounts
 develop skills in very open contexts
 focus on participation to develop skills
 widen and deepen skills by working in
a very wide range of contexts
Tasks
Consider:
• Opportunities for developing breadth and depth of learning
using Courses in a curriculum area and/ or a mix of Units
from these Courses
• Opportunities to develop breadth and depth of learning
using the full range of revised/new Courses at National 2
• Potential to use Awards to recognise learning that has
taken place
• Consider and provide feedback on future provision at
National 1 level
Further development work
For further information visit:
www.sqa.org.uk/curriculumforexcellence