DR8M 04 (CCLD 309) Plan and implement curriculum frameworks for early education
Elements of competence
CCLD 309.1 Develop curriculum plans according to requirements
CCLD 309.2 Implement curriculum plans
CCLD 309.3 Monitor and reflect on implementation of curriculum frameworks
About this Unit
This Unit includes planning and implementing curriculum frameworks for early education
within the four home countries. It includes the development of curriculum plans according to
the framework being followed, the implementation of plans and the monitoring and
evaluation following implementation. The Unit relates to work with younger children in the
early stages of education.
This Unit is for you if you work with children who are receiving early education. You may
have supervisory responsibilities or work unsupervised. Early education frameworks vary
between the four home countries and you will need to relate each part of the Unit to your own
country and workplace.
Keywords
What we mean by some of the words used in this Unit
Sufficient human and material resources to deliver the
Adequate resources
curriculum
Taking positive action to counter discrimination: this will
Anti-discriminatory
involve identifying and challenging discrimination and being
practice
positive in your practice about people's similarities and
differences
The children with whom you are working, except where
Children
otherwise stated
Frameworks that are discretionary or statutory, currently in
Early education
use in your home country
framework
Refers to a person's identification with a group that shares
Ethnicities
some or all of the same culture, lifestyle, language, skin
colour, religious beliefs and practices, nationality,
geographical region and history. Everyone has an ethnicity
Includes parents (mothers and fathers) and carers and
Families
extended and chosen families who contribute significantly to
the well-being of individual children and who may or may not
have legal responsibility
A process of identifying, understanding and breaking down
Inclusion
barriers to participation and belonging
Pulling together different areas of learning into activities and
Integrated approach
experiences
Styles people prefer to use when learning and that help them
Learning styles
to learn best, such as a focus on seeing, hearing or doing
Methods, planning and approaches to monitoring
Monitoring strategies
Those (mothers and fathers) who have formally and legally
Parents
acknowledged parental responsibility for the continuous care
and well-being of the child in question, whether biologically
related or not
Activities that form part of the curriculum plans
Planned activities
Any adult who has an interest in ensuring plans are fit for
Relevant adults
purpose
Relevant inspection regime Inspectorates in your home country that register and inspect
your setting
The process of thinking about and critically analysing your
Reflect
actions with the goal of changing and improving occupational
practice
Unit: DR8M 04 (CCLD 309) Plan and implement curriculum frameworks for early education
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DR8M 04 (CCLD 309) Plan and implement curriculum frameworks for early education
Evidence Requirements for the Unit
It is essential that you adhere to the Evidence Requirements for this Unit
GENERAL GUIDANCE
 Evidence must be provided for ALL of the performance criteria and ALL of the
knowledge.
 Work with children and families does not lend itself to a series of fragmented
activities. When assessment planning it is essential that assessors and candidates
identify opportunities to integrate a number of activities for assessment on any
particular occasion.
 Assessment of knowledge and understanding should wherever possible be carried out
during performance to ensure that theory and practice are linked.
 The evidence must reflect, at all times, the policies and procedures of your workplace
as linked to current legislation and the values and the principles for good practice in
children’s care, learning and development.
 All evidence must relate to your own work practice.
SPECIFIC EVIDENCE REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS UNIT
Simulation:
 Simulation is not permitted for this unit.
The following forms of evidence ARE MANDATORY:
 Direct Observation: Your assessor or expert witness must observe you in real work
activities which will provide evidence of some part of Element 2 in this unit.
 Reflective Accounts: You should describe your actions in a particular situation and
explain why you did things. You may be able to use a reflective account to provide
some of the performance evidence for this unit. e.g. how you ensure that you
maintain high expectations of children based on realistic appraisals of their
capabilities, how you assess children's individual learning styles and provide
appropriate learning activities.
Issues for consideration:
 The following performance criteria may be difficult to evidence by observation.
Element 1 – all performance criteria
Element 2 – PCs 1, 3, 10, 11, 12 and 13
Element 3 – all performance criteria
Competence of performance and knowledge could also be demonstrated using a variety
of evidence from the following:
 Questioning/Professional Discussion: Questions may be oral or written. In each
case the question and your answer will need to be recorded. Professional discussion
should be in the form of a structured review of your practice with the outcomes
captured by means of audiotape or a written summary. These are particularly useful
to provide evidence that you know and understand principles which support practice,
policies, procedures and legislation, and that you can critically evaluate their
application e.g. early education frameworks used within your Home Country,
principles of delivery of the curriculum. In addition the assessor/expert witness may
also ask questions to clarify aspects of your practice.
 Products: These are non-confidential records made, or contributed to, by you, e.g.
curriculum plans, plans or timetables for the deployment of colleagues, monitoring
documentation, information provided for parents.
 Confidential Records: These are non-confidential records made, or contributed to,
by you, e.g. curriculum plans, plans or timetables for the deployment of colleagues,
monitoring documentation, information provided for parents.
Unit: DR8M 04 (CCLD 309) Plan and implement curriculum frameworks for early education
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DR8M 04 (CCLD 309) Plan and implement curriculum frameworks for early education



Original Certificates and other evidence of prior experience and learning:
Where you have relevant prior experience it must match the requirements of the
standards. Certificates of training, awards and records of attendance must be
authentic, current and valid. Your assessor will also want to check the content of
such training so that this can be matched to the standards and check that you have
retained and can apply learning to practice, e.g. other vocationally related
qualifications, training on the early education curriculum, courses on learning styles.
Case Studies, projects, assignments: These methods are most appropriately used to
cover any outstanding areas in the knowledge requirement of your award.
Witness Testimony: Colleagues, allied professionals, children, young people,
families and carers may be able to provide testimony of your performance. Your
assessor will help you to identify the appropriate use of witnesses.
Unit: DR8M 04 (CCLD 309) Plan and implement curriculum frameworks for early education
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DR8M 04 (CCLD 309) Plan and implement curriculum frameworks for early education
KNOWLEDGE SPECIFICATION FOR THIS UNIT
Assessment of knowledge and understanding should wherever possible be carried out during
performance to ensure theory and practice are linked.
You need to provide evidence for ALL knowledge points listed below:
To be competent in this Unit, you must know and understand the
following:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
8a
9
10
11
12
13
14
Enter Evidence
Numbers
Detail of the early education curriculum requirements in your home
country
Requirements of the relevant inspectorates
Sources of support in respect of planning and curriculum
development, drawing on available best practice
The kinds of equipment, materials and activities that support the
implementation of a learning curriculum, using play as a vehicle for
delivery
Effective use of ICT to support the curriculum
Theoretical approaches to how children learn and develop and how
these might influence practice
How children’s learning is affected by their stage of development
The importance and implications of a differentiated approach to the
provision of learning experiences for children
The meaning of personalized learning and how this affects planning
and implementation of the curriculum in your home country where
this is appropriate
The effects of low self-esteem and lack of confidence on learning
The benefits to children of learning through play and not relying on
formal experiences and activities that are inappropriate for the
child's age, needs and abilities
How to support and extend play opportunities to encourage
learning
That children learn in different ways and have individual learning
styles and preferences
Specific issues for children’s development and learning in
multilingual or bilingual settings or where children are learning
through an additional language
How you adapt your practice to meet the individual needs of all the
children in your setting, including different ages, gender, cultures
and ethnicities, needs, abilities and learning styles
Unit: DR8M 04 (CCLD 309) Plan and implement curriculum frameworks for early education
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DR8M 04 (CCLD 309) Plan and implement curriculum frameworks for early education
CCLD 309.1 Develop curriculum plans according to requirements
Performance criteria
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
DO
Enter Evidence Numbers
RA
EW Q
P
WT
DO
Enter Evidence Numbers
RA
EW Q
P
WT
Research and extract relevant information
from curriculum documents on which to
base your planning
Consult with relevant adults when
drawing up your plans, taking into
account the resource implications
Draw up short, medium and long-term
plans, according to the requirements of
the curriculum framework in your home
country
Cover each area of the curriculum,
emphasising an integrated approach and
using children's play as a key vehicle for
delivery
Plan, taking into account the pattern of the
children’s attendance and their need for a
balanced programme, including time to
rest and restore energy
Ensure that adequate and appropriate
resources are available for the
implementation of the early education
framework in your setting
Take into account the individual needs of
children involved, including their
different learning styles and starting
points and prepare your plans accordingly
Ensure your plans include use of ICT to
support learning and development
Clearly define the roles and
responsibilities of those who are involved
Include children, parents and families and
external expertise in the planning process,
as appropriate to your setting
Ensure that your plans reflect inclusion
and anti-discriminatory practice
CCLD 309.2 Implement curriculum plans
Performance criteria
1
2
3
Communicate the plans to all relevant
people within the setting, discussing roles
and responsibilities
Regularly refer to available curriculum
guidance documents to assist with
implementation of the curriculum plans
Check the understanding of other adults
involved in the delivery of the
curriculum, clarifying issues as required
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DR8M 04 (CCLD 309) Plan and implement curriculum frameworks for early education
CCLD 309.2 Implement curriculum plans (cont)
Performance criteria
DO
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Enter Evidence Numbers
RA
EW Q
P
WT
Provide planned curriculum activities and
experiences that meet the needs of the
children in your setting, flexibly changing
and adapting plans as required to meet the
needs of all the children
Provide a stimulating, enjoyable and
carefully planned learning environment,
using indoor and outdoor spaces
Use everyday routines to enhance learning
Encourage children's participation,
ensuring a balance between structured
activities and freely chosen play
Have high expectations of children and
commitment to raising their achievement,
based on a realistic appraisal of their
capabilities and what they might achieve
Support and extend play to encourage
learning, drawing on your knowledge of
individual children and their preferred
learning styles
Regularly check and discuss children's
progress and that of the group, consulting
with families and other adults as
appropriate
Be sensitive to children’s achievements
and recognise when they are ready to
move on
Seek additional support if children are not
progressing as expected
Keep appropriate records
CCLD 309.3 Monitor and reflect on implementation of curriculum frameworks
Performance criteria
DO
1
2
3
4
5
Enter Evidence Numbers
RA
EW Q
P
WT
Develop monitoring strategies and
documentation, as required by the
curriculum framework in your home
country
Regularly communicate with parents,
families and other adults to support
monitoring of curriculum frameworks
Check that each area of the curriculum is
implemented to a consistent quality,
according to requirements of your setting
and relevant inspection regime
Monitor the participation and learning of
all the children in the setting
Reflect on your practice in the light of
your work in planning and implementing
curriculum frameworks
DO = Direct Observation
EW = Expert Witness
RA = Reflective Account
P = Product (Work)
Q = Questions
WT = Witness Testimony
Unit: DR8M 04 (CCLD 309) Plan and implement curriculum frameworks for early education
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DR8M 04 (CCLD 309) Plan and implement curriculum frameworks for early education
To be completed by the Candidate
I SUBMIT THIS AS A COMPLETE UNIT
Candidate’s name: ……………………………………………
Candidate’s signature: ………………………………………..
Date: …………………………………………………………..
To be completed by the Assessor
It is a shared responsibility of both the candidate and assessor to claim evidence, however, it
is the responsibility of the assessor to ensure the accuracy/validity of each evidence claim and
make the final decision.
I CERTIFY THAT SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE HAS BEEN PRODUCED TO MEET
ALL THE ELEMENTS, PCS AND KNOWLEDGE OF THIS UNIT AND THAT THE
CANDIDATE HAS DEMONSTRATED THE APPLICATION OF THE PRINCPLES
AND VALUES.
Assessor’s name: …………………………………………….
Assessor’s signature: ………………………………………....
Date: …………………………………………………………..
Assessor/Internal Verifier Feedback
To be completed by the Internal Verifier if applicable
This section only needs to be completed if the Unit is sampled by the Internal Verifier
Internal Verifier’s name: ……………………………………………
Internal Verifier’s signature: ………………………………………..
Date: ……………………………………..…………………………..
Unit: DR8M 04 (CCLD 309) Plan and implement curriculum frameworks for early education
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