What do we mean by ‘Curriculum’?

The curriculum is all that is planned for children and young people throughout their education.

Children start learning before birth and have already learned an immense amount before they start

school. The curriculum provides the support, structure and direction for young people’s learning.

Children learn at home, school and in the community.  A wide range of adults, particularly parents, are directly involved in the education of children and young people.

The curriculum includes the ethos and life of the school as a community, curriculum areas and subjects, interdisciplinary learning and opportunities for personal achievement.

The 8 curriculum areas are:

• Literacy/English
• Numeracy/Mathematics
• Health and Wellbeing
• Sciences
• Technologies
• Social Studies
• Religious and Moral Education
• Expressive Arts

How will your child progress?

The experiences and outcomes of curriculum for excellence are written at 5 levels with progression to qualifications described at the senior phase.  The path that most children and young people are expected to follow is set out below.

• early level – in the pre-school years and P1
• first level  –  to the end of P4
• second level – to the end of P7
• third level – to the end of S3
• fourth level – this broadly equates to Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework level 4
• senior phase  – S4 to S6, and college or other means of study

It is recognised that children and young people will progress at different rates: some will require additional support and may take longer for their learning to be secure at a particular level; others will achieve secure learning sooner.

Progression within a level

Experiences and outcomes have been developed across all 8 curricular areas to ensure children have the opportunities to develop skills, knowledge and understanding.  Within each level there are 3 milestones of progression as shown below.

The Learner..

Developing

• Has started to engage in the work of the new level
• Is beginning to make progress in an increasing number of outcomes across the breadth of learning described in the experiences and outcomes for the level.

Consolidating

• Has achieved a breadth of learning across many of the experiences and outcomes for the level
• Can apply what he/she has learned in familiar situations
• Is beginning to undertake more challenging learning and to apply learning in unfamiliar contexts.

Secure

• Has achieved a breadth of learning across almost all of the experiences and outcomes for the level, including any significant aspects of the curriculum area
• Has responded consistently well to the level of challenge set out in these experiences and outcomes
• Has moved forward to more challenging learning in some aspects
• Has applied what he/she has learned in new and unfamiliar situations

How do we share your child’s progress and achievements?

Our school has many approaches to involve you in your child’s learning and share their progress and achievements.  This  includes;

• Personal learning planning V.I.P. and purple books
• Parents meetings
• Events within school
• Progress and achievement updates
• End of session report

How can I get involved as a parent?

 

• Look out for information from the school about any changes that may be taking place. You may be able to find out more by asking about these changes at a parents’ evening or from a particular teacher. There may be special evenings organised to discuss changes in the curriculum and remember – the Parent Council meetings are held
• The Learning and Teaching Scotland website http://www.curriculumforexcellencescotland.gov.uk offers extensive information on the development of Curriculum for Excellence.
• For more information on Experiences and Outcomes visit:

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/thecurriculum/howisthecurriculumorganised/experiencesandoutcomes/index.asp

• Stay informed about what’s happening within Scottish education by visiting the Parentzone website.  http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/parentzone/index.asp

 

Responsibility of all

Support           Praise            Interest          Challenge       Encourage

 

We have a number of policies within the school which encorporate the values and aims of a Curriculum for Excellence and they are available to any parent who would like to read them.

Here is a list of our polices, we have included the literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing as examples.

• Support for Learning
  • Assessment
  • Learning and Teaching
  • Use of AiFL Strategies to Promote Effective Learning and Teaching
  • Attendance and Late Coming
  • Behaviour
  • Anti Bullying
  • Curriculum for Excellence
  • Child Protection
  • Distributed Leadership
  • Equal Opportunities
  • Healthy Tuck
  • Internet Use
  • Literacy
  • Child Welfare – Abuse
  • Homework
  • Mathematics
  • Modern Languages
  • Monitoring Support for Learning
  • Parent/Adult Help
  • Personal and Social Development
  • Religious and Moral
  • Sun Awareness