1. Curriculum for Excellence at Kirkhill Primary School
What it means for your child, their teacher and yourself.
October 2016
This evening is an opportunity for us all to think about the future and how we prepare our children for changes that we cannot predict or fully understand ourselves. Education plays a key part in helping children be able to cope with changes as they grow and become adult but education also needs to change in order to be able to do this. Tonight is a chance for us to think about these changes and what they will mean for our children and ourselves.

2. Overview Design of our Scottish Curriculum
IDL: Interdisciplinary Learning Topics
Assessing Progress: Summative and Formative
Tracking Pupil Attainment and Achievement
Reporting on Progress

3. Curriculum Rationale
To maintain our education system as being one of the best in the world and which prepares our young people for an ever changing and demanding world; able to secure jobs yet to be invented and compete in a rapidly changing world
Our curriculum requires to develop our pupils’ skills for learning, life and work and across the 4 capacities:
Successful learners with the motivation for learning
Confident individuals with physical mental and emotional wellbeing and self respect
Responsible citizens with respect for others and the world we live in
Effective contributors who can communicate, solve problems and be
enterprising and creative.
So why change?
 Education and schools have to change to keep up with changes taking place in the world around us. Some of the things that we may experience as changes – but which the next generation take for granted are;
- different work opportunities and patterns - Some of the jobs our children will be doing don’t yet exist. Did you dream of being a ‘web interface engineer’ when you were a child. Even the more traditional jobs require new skills and expertise in the computerised age.
- new technology and growth of the internet the latest technology means that it is now much easier to communicate and work from anywhere in the world. Those of you with mobile phones and blackberries may find this a mixed blessing. Working form home may be an option and suit some people – for others it can mean never leaving the office. How will the generation that has grown up with new technology and practically invented texting use these tools in the future. What are the skills needed to make sensible choices and understand the information they may find on the internet.
environmental concerns Young people are very aware of issues such as climate change and global warming and recognise that there are international problems and issues to be faced – and that they may be the people who have to come up with the answers.
- health and wellbeing issues Not all changes have been for the better. Whilst food is plentiful – it may not always be as nutritionally good as in previous decades. There are predictions that in some parts of Scotland the life expectancy for today’s children is going down. Worries about obesity and the associated health complaints are very real. But there are even more opportunities for leisure and sport activities.
- increased contact with different cultures and travel The world is getting smaller. More opportunities for cheap travel and improved media and communications means that we are more aware than ever of other cultures and their diversity. Our own communities are changing and also becoming more mixed and varied.
It is important that education keeps up with these changes - as times change so education and schools need to change to ensure that they prepare children and young people for an unknown future.
In November 2003 Ministers established a Review Group of education professionals and academics to review education in Scotland to consider what needs to happen to make sure that the education system helps children and young people prepare for the complex world they will be living in. The task of the Review Group was to identify the purposes of education from 3 to 18 and consider key principles for the design of future education.

4. The Aim of Curriculum for Excellence
It aims to raise standards of education to meet the increasing challenges of a changing world – preparing our pupils for the unknown. The 3 Pillars: Raising Standards Developing Skills Increasing Knowledge

5. Developing Skills
It’s bringing real life to learning – making learning relevant to the world young people live in; developing transferable skills for learning, life and work.
Re-emphasis on learning skills in Literacy, Numeracy and Health and Wellbeing which will underpin ALL learning. Schools working with partners and businesses to offer opportunities for young people to develop skills needed for the world of work. (DYW)

6. Curricular Areas Literacy 6 hours Numeracy 6 hours
Health and Wellbeing (including PE) 6 hours
Science Total of 7 hours
Technology (including ICT)
Social Subjects
French
Religious and Moral Education
The Arts: Art, Music, Drama
A broad but deep curriculum which provides planned EXPERIENCES with expected and specific OUTCOMES for each level based on Skills, Knowledge and Understanding.

7. Professional Dialogue Around the Design of our Curriculum in Kirkhill

8. What Does This Mean For Our Pupils?
Exciting, innovative topics relevant to the needs of the children as individuals within their own community
Cross Cutting Themes: Enterprise (DYW), Global Citizenship, Creativity, Problem Solving, Sustainability, Scottish Studies…
Confident and computer literate (digital literacy, digital innovation) youngsters well equipped to use a range of rapidly developing ICT resources
Pupil Support in the widest sense: GIRFEC- Child at the Centre (health and wellbeing)
Active, Interdisciplinary and Collaborative Learning; requiring the ability to transfer skills taught across all learning
Achievements of the WHOLE child are valued by all- including further education establishments and employers.
There are also the vital core skills in literacy, numeracy and IT that children need to have that will be developed and addressed through all the curriculum areas. Other areas that have been seen as separate initiatives, e.g. enterprise, citizenship , health, creativity and problem solving will also be integrated across the curriculum areas.
Schools will need to consider all that they do and how it contributes to children and young people achieving the four purposes. Learning in schools will take place through a wide range of planned experiences. These may connect traditional ‘subject’ areas and core skills, the arts, culture and sports. Sometimes the experiences may be linked to particular vocational or other specialised settings. Children will also learn through the day-to-day experiences of the life of the school community, with its values and social contact, and from out-of-school activities, events and celebrations. Taken together, these activities should provide a motivating and rich blend of experiences which promote learning. Children and young people should be able to describe these experiences and say ‘I have …..worked with others to plan and perform a drama about a historical event’
These experiences will not be unfocussed. They will be designed to achieve specific outcomes in terms of knowledge, skills or understandings that will show how children and young people are developing and progressing. Children and young people will know what they are trying to achieve and be able to say what they are able to do in ‘I can…’ statements. These are outcomes and should demonstrate how children are developing and achieving the four purposes 8

9. Let’s look!
There are opportunities for learning all around us in everyday life. Parents, teachers and children can have fun with this together …bringing life to learning and learning to life.

10. A clock that has stopped in class, the building of a wind farm or even some brown trout! Question: What learning could develop? All familiar and relevant objects which would capture the imagination of our pupils.
PARENT EXERCISE; SUGGEST Learning WHICH COULD TAKE PLACE Objects like these can show in a clear way that we can learn from things all around us. This will show you how Curriculum for Excellence is different.
Here are three real-life, familiar objects.
A plate of fruit.

11. Previous Knowledge

12. What Do We Want/ Need To Learn?

13. Skills Framework

14. Planning Assessment

15. How Do We Know How Well Our Pupils Are Progressing?
Formative Assessment: Make, Say, Write, Do
Teacher, Self and Peer Assessment: Thumbs, No Hands Up, Traffic Lights...
Teacher/ Pupil Dialogue, Learning Visits, Sampling Pupil Work, Behaviour (Health & Wellbeing) …
Summative Assessments: Check Ups, End of Topic Assessments (including Numeracy), Standardised Tests, Teacher Made Assessments
Teacher/Management Tracking Dialogue
Cluster Dialogue/ Moderation/ Learning Visits

16. Progression Through Levels
A rough guide but can be earlier or later for some pupils:
Early Level: pre-school years and P1
First Level: P2 to P4
Second Level: P5 to P7
Third Level: S1 – S3
Senior Phase: S4 to S6
National 4 National 5
Highers and Advanced Highers
They offer opportunities for citizenship, sustainable development, enterprise, creativity and cultural aspects.
A general course for S1-3, building on A Curriculum for Excellence , cross curricular working, interactive teaching for all. (covering approx.: levels 3 & 4.)
In S4-6, a lot will continue but different opportunities for all learners, and will involve FE colleges etc. It will also mean a change to qualifications taken then.
Curriculum for Excellence marks a shift from prescriptive guidance to more professional freedom and responsibility and accountability. The experiences that children and young people are entitled to and the outcomes that they should achieve.
This supports professionals to teach subjects more creatively, to take on board the individuals in front of them whilst giving teachers the professional responsibility and accountability to make it work.

17. Tracking Pupil Progress

18. Tracking Pupil Achievement
Name
Recognising Success
Show
Burns
Pupil Group
Competition Winner
Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
Term 4
Pupil A CI
Won a poetry reciting competition SL
Passed first skiing level- got certificate RC
Sold cakes round neighbours and gave money to old folks home
Small part but had a speaking role
ECO
Pupil B
Pupil C
Read 6 books in 6 weeks at Summer reading Challenge
Golf medal
Took part in charity cycle raised £200
Camped out overnight as part of Scout Badge- received badge
Main Character
2nd place
Eco Committee

19. Reporting On Pupil Progress Attainment & Achievement The WHOLE Child
To ERC Education Department: S & Q Report, Inspections and Reviews
To Parents:
School Website
Assemblies
Homework (including Comments Section)
Jotters/ Work Home
GLOW
Reviews & Meetings
Parent Meetings
Open Doors
New Curriculum News (Next Term with Levels Recorded)
CfE Guidance Booklets and Attainment Slips
End of Year Summative Report

20. What Parents Can Do …
Listen, talk and encourage your child to work on tasks on their own, with
you, with others and then talk about it afterwards – this has a big influence on
children’s learning
By being here tonight you are working in partnership with your child’s school
Encourage and praise effort but it’s also really good to win or be very good at something
Value & celebrate achievements
Encourage and demonstrate a ‘can do’ approach – ‘give it a try, you might just like it, if
you don’t like it that’s “OK” but give it a go anyway! (Open Mindset)
Foster resilience and perseverance- if at first...
Provide as many different experiences as you can but also allow your child to find their own experiences
Have high, but realistic expectations
Model & ‘teach’ the values for living- be a good role model but develop an understanding of “it’s “OK” to
make mistakes as long as we learn from them
Keep up to speed with ICT- be a learner too- crucial
Teach accountability, responsibility and consequences
So what can you do to help?

21. Let’s All Remember…
“Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes a lasting impression” - Haim Ginott

22. Parents can find out more and on Kirkhill’s Website
and on Kirkhill’s Website
The partners working to deliver Curriculum for Excellence are:
Scottish Government
The government has responsibility for the national education system
Education Scotland
Develops the curriculum, provides information and guidance
on learning and teaching
Scottish Qualifications Authority
Develops, marks and manages the qualifications process
Education Scotland (HMIe)
The inspectors who monitor the quality of education 22