Edinburgh Training Centre, 13 January 2005

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Edinburgh Training Centre, 13 January 2005
Aberdeen Conference Centre, June 20 2006
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Daniel McGinty, Curriculum for Excellence Team,
Learning and Teaching Scotland
Edinburgh Training Centre, 13 January 2005
Aberdeen Conference Centre, June 20 2006
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A Curriculum for Excellence moving up a gear
in Scottish educationDaniel McGintyTeam member
Learning and Teaching ScotlandAberdeen
Conference CentreAberdeenTuesday 20 June 2006
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Purposes of this session

• A curriculum for excellence
• the story so far
• current priorities
• connections with education for citizenship
• implications for our professional practice

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2002 the national debate

• Strengths of our curriculum
• existing flexibility
• combination of breadth and depth
• quality of teaching
• quality of supporting material
• comprehensive principle

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2002 the national debate

• Improvements needed
• Overcrowding in the curriculum
• Need for improved progression
• Ensuring that assessment support learning
• Increasing choice for pupils
• Balance between vocational and academic
  experiences
• Preparing young people better for lifelong
  learning and employment

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2004 report of the curriculum review group

• a curriculum for excellence
  values
  purposes principles

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Values

• Wisdom, justice, compassion and integrity the
  words which are inscribed on the mace of the
  Scottish Parliament have helped to define values
  for our democracy.
• It is one of the prime purposes of education to
  make our young people aware of the values on
  which Scottish society is based and so help them
  to establish their own stances on matters of
  social justice and personal and collective
  responsibility. Young people therefore need to
  learn about and develop these values. The
  curriculum is an important means through which
  this personal development should be encouraged.

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Purposes Our aspiration for all children and
for every young person is that they should
besuccessful learners,confident
individuals,responsible citizens andeffective
contributorsto society and at work
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responsible citizens

• with
• respect for others
• commitment to participate responsibly in
  political, economic, social and cultural life
• and able to
• develop knowledge and understanding of the world
  and Scotlands place in it
• understand different beliefs and cultures
• make informed choices and decisions
• evaluate environmental, scientific and
  technological issues
• develop informed, ethical views of complex issues

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Principles

• Challenge and enjoyment
• Breadth
• Progression
• Depth
• Personalisation and choice
• Coherence
• Relevance

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2005-2006

• Early review groups
• Process of engagement
• Conferences, including education for citizenship

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Current priorities looking at the curriculum
differently

• Unifying the curriculum 3 18
• The whole school has the responsibility for
  developing the four capacities in every child and
  young person
• Learning and teaching at the heart of our work
• Promoting high levels of literacy and numeracy
  skills
• Drawing aspects of school life together ethos
  and life of the school interdisciplinary
  projects and studies
  opportunities for personal achievement

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Current priorities some learning contexts

• Values and ethos
• Assemblies
• Whole-school events and projects
• Participation in teams
• Student council
• Subjects and courses
• Interdisciplinary projects

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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

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Connections with education for citizenship

• encouraging learning through experiences
• emphasis on pupil participation eg assessment is
  for learning
• citizenship in school
• citizenship in the local community
• global citizenship

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Connections with education for citizenship
recognition of achievement

• How do we recognise broader skills and
  achievements more explicitly?
• Need for process to be robust, convincing and
  highly valued
• Must not become a new bureaucratic burden for
  schools

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responsible citizens

• with
• respect for others
• commitment to participate responsibly in
  political, economic, social and cultural life
• and able to
• develop knowledge and understanding of the world
  and Scotlands place in it
• understand different beliefs and cultures
• make informed choices and decisions
• evaluate environmental, scientific and
  technological issues
• develop informed, ethical views of complex issues

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Implication for our professional practice
strategic

• How do we ensure that a curriculum for excellence
  is on our school improvement plan for session
  2006 2007?
• Are we using the starter kit
  the reflection kit the
  focus group questions?
• Have we joined the register of interest?
• Are we using re-structured management
  arrangements to promote education for citizenship?

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Implications for our professional practice
leadership

• Changing concept of leadership in Scottish
  educationWhere is leadership needed?Where is
  leadership to be found?
• Participation and collegiality
• Adopting a whole-school viewmanaging pupil
  movement building a sense of belonging
  celebrating our achievements

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Implications or our professional practice
personal

• Building on existing strengths in education for
  citizenship
• Working collaboratively
• Developing professional judgement and creativity
• Putting a curriculum for excellence and education
  for citizenship into our CPD priorities

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Mainstreaming Education For Citizenship

• In essence, it the curriculum must be
  inclusive, be a stimulus for personal for
  personal achievement and, through the broadening
  of pupils experience of the world, be an
  encouragement towards informed and responsible
  citizenship

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George Milne, Curriculum and Management
Structures Co-ordinator, Aberdeenshire Council

Edinburgh Training Centre, 13 January 2005
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Mainstreaming Education for Citizenship, 3-15,
Regional Conference for School Co-ordinators

• Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre, 20
  June 2006
• George Milne
• Curriculum Management Structures Co-ordinator
• Aberdeenshire

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The Good News

• A Curriculum for Excellence offers a way of
• unifying the curriculum
• Activities such as enterprise, citizenship,
  health and
• creativity which are often seen as add-ons, can
  be
• built into the curriculum framework.
• ACfE is the driver to bring coherence to the
  current range of major initiatives.

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Pupils become SUCCESSFUL LEARNERS CONFIDENT
INDIVIDUALS RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS EFFECTIVE
CONTRIBUTORS

• When they
• understand clearly what they are trying to learn
  and what is expected of them
• are given feedback about the quality of their
  work and what they can do to make it better
• are given advice about how to go about making
  improvements
• are fully involved in deciding what needs to be
  done next

Through activities which demonstrate challenge
enjoyment breadth progression depth personal
isation choice coherence relevance
Learning and Teaching
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A Curriculum for Excellence through Education for
Citizenship

• Improving Scottish Education
• Two of the stated priorities
• Space is needed for imaginative teaching which
  can capitalise on approaches which can make
  learning relevant, lively and motivating
• A clearer and more consistent approach is
  required to education for citizenship and the key
  role of schools in transmitting values

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A Curriculum for Excellence through Education for
Citizenship

• CROSS-CURRICULAR EXPERIENCES
• Examples of good practice from Aberdeenshire
  schools
• Weekly assemblies with pupil input
• Activities days and events
• Health and well being activities
• Environmental Education
• School magazine
• Global Rock Challenge

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A Curriculum for Excellence through Education for
Citizenship

• SPECIFIC CURRICULAR AREAS
• Collaborative Approaches that ensure we deliver
• Communication
• Ethical Issues
• Pupil Involvement
• participation
• Environmental Issues

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A Curriculum for Excellence through Education for
Citizenship

• WORKING WITH THE WIDER SCHOOL COMMUNITY
• Working with the wider community should involve
  activities such as
•  
• collaboration between teachers and other
  professionals, including social workers and
  health professionals
• working closely with parents and carers to ensure
  Education for Citizenship is enhanced in a
  pupils life out with school
• Implications of Additional Support for Learners
  Act
• enterprise, community, political, international
  and media links
• opportunities for personal achievement
•  

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A Curriculum for Excellence through Education for
Citizenship

• PARTICIPATION BY YOUNG PEOPLE IN DECISION MAKING
•  
• Examples of good practice from Aberdeenshire
  schools
• Consultation with pupils about all major
  initiatives
• Involvement in decision making
• Pupil role in evaluation of courses
• Pupils represented at the Aberdeenshire Forum
• Social Entrepreneurship
• Contribution to the Community

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A Curriculum for Excellence through Education for
Citizenship

• KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
• contemporary issues (including social, economic,
  political, environmental, religious, cultural and
  ethical issues)
• individual and social needs and the consequences
  of actions taken to meet them
• rights and responsibilities in a democratic
  society
• conflict resolution and decision-making
  processes, including the influence of the media

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A Curriculum for Excellence through Education for
Citizenship

• SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES
•  
• core skills
• being able to cope effectively, rationally and
  safely in a range of social situations
• working in teams to carry out tasks and overcome
  difficulties
• communicating effectively with others
• researching and handling information
• thinking critically about evidence

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A Curriculum for Excellence through Education for
Citizenship

• VALUES AND ATTITUDES
• developing respect for self and others
• sharing responsibility for community welfare
• valuing and respecting cultural and community
  diversity
• understanding and valuing rights and
  responsibilities

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A Curriculum for Excellence through Education for
Citizenship

• CREATIVITY AND ENTERPRISE
•  
• developing independent thought
• using creative forms of self expression
• observing and reflecting on social, natural and
  made environments
• defining problems and suggesting and working
  through solutions
• taking account of the consequences of creativity
  and enterprise

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confidential individuals
responsible citizens
Knowledge and Understanding
Values and Dispositions
Participation in decision-making
Education for Citizenship
Specific Curricular Areas
Cross Curricular Activities
School Community
Skills and Competences
Creativity and Enterprise
successful learners
effective contributors
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To be a Successful Lifelong Learner

• You must first be.
• A confident individual
• A responsible citizen
• An effective contributor

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National Priorities
Citizenship
Qualifications
Vals/Purps/Princs
Enterprise
Society needs
Aims of the Curriculum
Core skills
Community Needs
Emotional. Intelligence.
Meet needs of all abilities
Voc. Training
Creativity
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Pupils become SUCCESSFUL LEARNERS CONFIDENT
INDIVIDUALS RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS EFFECTIVE
CONTRIBUTORS

• When they
• understand clearly what they are trying to learn
  and what is expected of them
• are given feedback about the quality of their
  work and what they can do to make it better
• are given advice about how to go about making
  improvements
• are fully involved in deciding what needs to be
  done next

Through activities which demonstrate challenge
enjoyment breadth progression depth personal
isation choice coherence relevance
Learning and Teaching
41
Edinburgh Training Centre, 13 January 2005
Aberdeen Conference Centre, June 20 2006