Victoria, Australia May Sweeney – National Co-ordinator Learning and Teaching Scotland November 2006

What do we want to do better? Desire to address: Overcrowding – too many initiatives Progression Balance between ‘vocational’ and ‘academic’ Preparing young people better for lifelong learning and employment Ensuring that assessment supports learning Increasing choice

Values “The Curriculum … must enable young people to build up a strong foundation of knowledge and understanding and promote a commitment to considered judgement and ethical action.” page 11 A Curriculum for Excellence 2004

To enable all young people to become Successful learners Effective contributors Responsible citizens Confident individuals

Principles for curriculum design  Challenge and enjoyment  Breadth  Progression  Depth  Personalisation and choice  Coherence  Relevance

Aims of the programme Focus practice upon the child and around the four purposes of education Simplify and prioritise the current curriculum Encourage more learning through experiences Create a single framework for the curriculum and assessment 3-18

“ To ensure that young people develop the literacy, numeracy and other essential skills and knowledge they will need for life and work.” Page 4 A Curriculum for Excellence

New approach to curriculum development Engagement Education authorities; elected members Head Teachers; schools/centres/establishments; children’s services Children & young people Parents/carers TEIs/ FE colleges/GTC Professional associations Employers Media Range of interested parties: Forestry Commission; WWF etc

What has been happening? Engagement Early review groups Skills for Work Courses Progress and Proposals – March 2006 Register of Interest

Proposals: Looking at the curriculum differently Single framework 3 – 18 Promote learning across a wide range of contexts and well planned experiences More than curriculum areas and subjects, also –Ethos and life of the school –Interdisciplinary projects and studies –Opportunities for personal achievement Equip young people with high level of literacy and numeracy skills

Interdisciplinary projects and studies “The curriculum needs to include space for learning beyond subject boundaries, so that learners can make connections between different areas of learning. ….. To be successful, these activities need to be well planned with a clear purpose and outcomes in mind.” (Progress and Proposals 2006)

Opportunities for personal achievement “..activities such as performances, community or enterprise activities and trips. … Many …are voluntary for learners and have traditionally been organised as ‘extra- curricular’ opportunities. However, they play a major part in creating opportunities for individual growth, progress and achievement and we need to consider how they can be made available for all learners.”

Proposals: Levels of achievement ACfE levels of achievement will replace 5-14 levels extend from 3-18 describe both outcomes and experiences “I can…” and “I have…” statements Provide scope for challenge and depth (no need to speed through levels but no ceilings either)

Proposals: Progression and Levels of Achievement Level Experiences and outcomes for most children or young people EarlyIn pre-school and in Primary 1 FirstBy end of P4, but earlier for some SecondBy end of P7, but earlier for some ThirdIn S1- S3 but earlier for some Fourth level broadly equates to SCQF level 4 Fourth SeniorIn S4 – S6, but earlier for some

Proposals: Organising Learning Organising learning through curriculum areas - to provide breadth –Health and well being –Languages –Mathematics –Sciences –Social studies –Expressive arts –Technologies –Religious and moral education

“The curriculum areas should provide a basis for learning and the development of skills across a broad range of contexts. They offer opportunities for citizenship, sustainable development, enterprise, creativity and cultural aspects. ….. It will be open to schools to organise the outcomes and experiences differently (for example by designing challenging interdisciplinary projects), …to plan for progression, breadth and depth of learning.” p15, Progress and Proposals 2006

Making Choices in learning “The proposed changes to the structure of the curriculum give us an opportunity to look differently at choices in learning at all stages. … We would like to work with schools to explore possibilities for different approaches to personalisation and choice...e.g., whether it would be desirable and possible for choices to take place over a more extended period across S1-S3, ….approaches to subject choice which are not based on the current modal structure..” p15-16, Progress and Proposals 2006

Recognition of Achievement How do we recognise broader skills and achievements more explicitly? Robust, convincing and highly valued Must not become a new bureaucratic burden for schools

Implications Role of the teacher –Shift from prescription about detail of the curriculum towards more scope for professional judgement and creativity –Enhancing both initial teacher education and CPD

Implications Leadership –Increased expectations –Support professional dialogue and debate –Opportunities to be creative in curriculum design

? Building the Curriculum paper Writing of outcomes and experiences Work on curriculum architecture Further engagement Inter-authority collaboration Involvement of schools and other stakeholders through Register of Interest Examples of changing practice in response to ACfEX on website Glow

Current Challenges Management of change Varying levels of awareness and understanding of purposes and principles Readiness of staff to interpret and use simplified guidance Focus on external accountability and qualifications Nature of CPD

A Curriculum for Excellence Scotland 2006