George Smuga

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Education Authority Contacts Meeting Marine Hotel
Dunoon
13 and 15 May, 2008
George Smuga
Professional Adviser, Curriculum Division,
Scottish Government
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Building the Curriculum 3
A Framework for Learning and Teaching
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Key Drivers

• National Debate on Education Curriculum for
  Excellence Progress and Proposals
• Improving Scottish Education, HMIE, 2006
• Scottish Governments skills strategy
• The National Performance Framework, 2007
• OECD Report Quality and Equity of Schooling in
  Scotland, 2007

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Key Messages

• Need to maximise the economic potential of all
  young people to compete in a global economy
• Need to address under-achievement especially
  amongst young people from disadvantaged
  socio-economic backgrounds
• Need to place higher priority on skills for life
  and skills for work
• Need to introduce greater flexibility and
  innovation into the education system

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Important background material
Draft Experiences and Outcomes
Building the Curriculum2
Building the Curriculum1
Starter and Reflective Tool Kits
Progress Proposals
Sept 2007 June 2008
The Curriculum Review Group
March 2007
Nov 2006
April 2006
March 2006
Nov 2004
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Key Features

• A coherent and more flexible curriculum from 3 to
  18
• A focus on outcomes rather than inputs
• Focused on the needs of the child and young
  person the learner at the centre
• Designed to develop the four capacities
• Integrated approach involving schools working in
  learning partnerships with other agencies

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Key Design Features

• Definition of the curriculum four aspects
• Values and purposes of the curriculum
• Seven principles of curriculum design
• Experiences and Outcomes built around eight
  curriculum areas
• Role of subjects and interdisciplinary projects
  and studies

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All Children and Young People are Entitled to

• A coherent curriculum from 3 to 18
• A broad general education from age 3 to the end
  of S3
• A senior phase with opportunities for
  qualifications and other planned opportunities to
  develop the four capacities
• Planned learning opportunities through the
  experiences and outcomes across all curriculum
  areas

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All Children and Young People are Entitled to

• Opportunities to develop skills for learning,
  skills for life and skills for work, literacy,
  numeracy and health and wellbeing
• The best personal support to allow high levels of
  achievement
• Opportunities and support to move into positive
  and sustained destinations post school

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The Secondary Stages S1 to S3

• Positive transitions from primary
• A broad general education providing a strong
  platform for later learning and qualifications
• Curriculum based on the ethos and life of the
  school and community, opportunities for personal
  achievement, interdisciplinary learning and
  subjects
• Breadth achieved through learning across all the
  experiences and outcomes in the 8 curriculum
  areas up to the third curriculum level

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The Secondary Stages S1 to S3 - cont

• Continuing focus on skills for learning, skills
  for life and skills for work, literacy, numeracy
  and health and wellbeing
• Most learners will progress towards fourth level
  in chosen areas at appropriate points during S1
  to S3
• Progress and achievements to be recognised at end
  of S3
• Not expected that qualifications will feature at
  this stage

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Curriculum Planning S1 S3

• How can schools step up a gear on P7-S1
  transition? How might S1 be structured
  differently?
• What might an S1-S3 curriculum look like based on
  a broad general education?
• What might the balance be between subjects,
  interdisciplinary studies and other learning
  opportunities?
• How and when might young people move to the
  fourth curriculum level?
• How might literacy, numeracy and health and
  wellbeing be delivered across the curriculum?

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The Senior Phase

• The stage at which the relationship between the
  curriculum and qualifications becomes of key
  importance
• Other planned opportunities for developing the
  four capacities
• Managing the curriculum in a more flexible way
• Consultation and review of qualifications
• Working with other partners who contribute to the
  young persons learning

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Proposals on Qualifications

• New awards in literacy and numeracy at SCQF
  levels 3 to 5
• New general qualifications at SCQF levels 4 and 5
  to replace Standard Grade and Intermediate
• Access, Higher and Advanced Higher to remain
• Content and structure of these to be reviewed and
  up-dated in line with Curriculum for Excellence

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Proposals on Qualifications (contd.)

• Consultation on how to increase flexibility
• Bypassing lower-level qualifications
• Taking qualifications over an extended timeframe
• Introducing a winter diet
• Timeframe
• Revised qualifications to be in place from 2012-13

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Planning The Senior Phase

• How might schools best structure the senior phase
  taking account of the proposals on
  qualifications?
• How might schools balance the key place of
  qualifications with providing other opportunities
  for personal achievement?
• What are the planning implications of supporting
  young people into positive and sustained
  destinations?

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Making The Change

• Reform with change
• Defining the new landscape
• No prescribed inputs or central models
• Encouraging innovation and creativity

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Key Issues

• Transitions across stages and between levels
• Curriculum planning
• A broad general education up to the end of S3
• Focus on skills/interdisciplinary learning
• Choice, progression and breadth in the secondary
  stages

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Key Issues (contd.)

• Recognising and recording personal achievement
• Integrated planning across partners
• Planning the curriculum to integrate personal
  support with learning
• Accountability
• Planning for implementation

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Planning for Implementation

• The children who are currently in primary 6 are
  likely to be the first to experience the new
  secondary curriculum in full Fiona Hyslop 24
  April 2008
• These pupils will come to secondary in 2009 how
  can schools plan to implement the new S1-S3
  curriculum over the three year period 2009
  2012?