Developing Curriculum for
Excellence: A Local
Authority Perspective
Andrew Griffiths
Head of Education
Aberdeenshire Council
Why is there no ‘Curriculum for
Excellence for Dummies’?
• It is complex
• It is about a transformational change in
education
• Over-simplifying loses the message
Background
• Curriculum for Excellence is a 3-18 education development
based on a national Scottish Government policy
• It is overseen by Education Scotland, the national body
responsible for the quality of education in Scottish schools and
education services
• Local Authorities are responsible for the quality and
development of education in local government areas
• A period of significant change
• National Debate in Education – 2003
• OECD Report on Quality and Equity in Scottish Schools - 2007
• It is not all totally new
• Learning and teaching is core business
• Skills for learning, life and work
• ‘Evolution not revolution’
• Working with parents, Further/Higher Education colleagues,
business, employers and a range of other partners to support
the developments
Why change?
• “Today’s learners are no longer the people
our educational system was designed to
teach” (Marc Prensky)
• Improve attainment and achievement
opportunities for all learners
• Create better learners equipped with modern
skills for learning, life and work
• Enable young people in Scotland to have the
knowledge, skills and attributes required for
the 21st century
• Summed-up in the ‘four capacities’
The Four Capacities
• The purpose of the curriculum is
encapsulated in the four capacities - to
enable each child or young person to be a
successful learner, a confident individual,
a responsible citizen and an effective
contributor
• The experiences and outcomes are a set of
statements which describe the expectations
for learning and progression for each of the
eight curriculum areas.
University of Aberdeen Graduate
Attributes
Some similarities with Four Capacities of
Curriculum for Excellence:
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Academic Excellence
Critical Thinking and Communication
Learning and Personal Development
Active Citizenship
In our Local Authority…
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Aberdeenshire Education, Learning and Leisure (EL&L) service is
responsible for all of our schools
We are a confident and aspirational service
The service develops policy which is governed by the democratic
process of elected Councillors who are responsible for policy and
scrutiny of standards
This is governed through the EL&L Committee which is politically
representative of the make-up of the Council
The service has broad guidelines to ensure that schools implement
Curriculum for Excellence appropriately
Head Teachers and schools are charged directly with developing the
curriculum with support and guidance from the Local Authority
The Senior Phase in S4 is the starting point for qualifications
We are aiming to improve qualifications and attainment in the Senior
Phase through more opportunities where appropriate. The
qualifications a young person leaves school with is crucial
Qualifications remain vital, but so are the wider skills and attributes
each young person is entitled to develop
The importance of Nursery and
Primary education
Learning stages
• Early Level
• First Level
• Second level
All levels incorporate the full range of
experiences and outcomes
Secondary Education
2 parts
• S1-3 Broad General Education
• S4-6 Senior Phase
The S1-3 curriculum
• Learning across all the 8 curriculum areas
• Builds on the primary curriculum and
experiences
• Blend of separate subjects and interdisciplinary learning
• Some whole school or year group learning
experiences
• Opportunities for wider achievement
• Increasing opportunities for choice and
personalisation as each learner moves
through the curriculum
The Senior Phase – S4-6
• All pupils have entitlements to
experience a Senior Phase of education
• Pupils will work towards SQA and other
qualifications in S4-S6
• New qualifications being developed
nationally
• Will replace some existing qualifications
Senior Phase Entitlements
• A coherent curriculum from 3-18 and
then beyond the senior phase –
HE/FE/work
• A Senior Phase which provides
opportunities to gain qualifications and
develop the four capacities
• Develop the four capacities, skills for
learning, life and work and move
beyond school positively
Challenges
• Supporting the understanding of change and the
reasons for it
• Providing for all learners as individuals whilst dealing
with the realities of schools and curriculum structures
• Developing consistency with curriculum opportunities
whilst acknowledging the diversity of schools and
communities
• Supporting parents and working as partners
• Building-in curricular flexibility whilst acknowledging
the requirements of universities and colleges
• Communicating complex changes, in particular an
understanding of the Senior Phase and qualifications
approach
Where to next?
• Our schools will begin Senior Phase for S4
pupils from this summer
• First diet of new qualifications in summer of
2014
• Variety of approaches taken by our schools
• Continuing to work with parents, employers,
universities, colleges and other partners
Some questions linked to university
context
• How can we develop a greater understanding
of local and national changes with Curriculum
for Excellence and its potential impact?
• How much do staff in universities know about
the scale and specifics of changes and how
can Local Authorities support this
understanding?
• What do Local Authorities need to know/do to
ensure we understand what universities
need?