{"id":589,"date":"2021-10-06T16:51:12","date_gmt":"2021-10-06T15:51:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/earlylevelportal\/?page_id=120"},"modified":"2026-03-31T14:33:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T13:33:22","slug":"curriculum-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/earlylevelportal\/curriculum-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Curriculum*"},"content":{"rendered":"<section id=\"builder-section-text_11\" class=\"builder-section-first builder-section builder-section-text builder-section-last builder-section-full-width builder-text-columns-1\" style=\"background-size: cover; background-repeat: no-repeat;background-position: center center;\">\n<div class=\"builder-section-content\">\n<div class=\"builder-text-row\">\n<div class=\"builder-text-column builder-text-column-1\" id=\"builder-section-text_11-column-1\">\n<div class=\"builder-text-content\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-17252\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/public\/earlylevelportal\/uploads\/sites\/3720\/2025\/11\/24141652\/Curriculum-icon-300x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"50\" height=\"50\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/public\/earlylevelportal\/uploads\/sites\/3720\/2025\/11\/24141652\/Curriculum-icon-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/public\/earlylevelportal\/uploads\/sites\/3720\/2025\/11\/24141652\/Curriculum-icon.png 756w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 50px) 100vw, 50px\" \/><\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"color: #003300;\">Curriculum<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/earlylevelportal\/curriculum-resources-and-collated-guidance-pages\/\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">Resources<\/span> <span class=\"ttfmake-icon mceNonEditable fas\">\uf0ad<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>What is it?<\/h3>\n<p><cite>&#8220;Scotland&#8217;s curriculum, the <a href=\"https:\/\/education.gov.scot\/curriculum-for-excellence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Curriculum for Excellence (CfE)<\/a>, helps our children and young people gain the knowledge, skills and attributes needed for life in the 21st century.\u00a0 Scotland&#8217;s curriculum places learners at the heart of education.\u00a0 At its centre are four fundamental capacities.\u00a0 These capacities reflect and recognise the lifelong nature of education and learning.&#8221;<\/cite><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2722\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2722\" style=\"width: 278px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2722\" title=\"(The Four Capacities)\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/earlylevelportal\/uploads\/sites\/3720\/2021\/11\/10151321\/4-capacities.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"278\" height=\"238\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/public\/earlylevelportal\/uploads\/sites\/3720\/2021\/11\/10151321\/4-capacities.png 285w, https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/public\/earlylevelportal\/uploads\/sites\/3720\/2021\/11\/10151321\/4-capacities-35x30.png 35w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 278px) 100vw, 278px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2722\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">(The Four Capacities)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>(<a href=\"https:\/\/scotlandscurriculum.scot\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Scotland&#8217;s Curriculum for Excellence<\/a>, Scottish Government and Education Scotland)<\/p>\n<p>A refreshed narrative on Scotland&#8217;s curriculum, which sets CfE within the current context, was published in September 2019.\u00a0 It is available in both English and in Gaelic.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/education.gov.scot\/media\/3bjpr3wa\/realisingtheambition.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Realising the Ambition<\/a> (Education Scotland, 2020) discusses the early childhood curriculum as,<\/p>\n<p><cite>&#8220;&#8230; holistic.\u00a0 It values children, recognising them as full of potential from birth.\u00a0 Our role in developing a flexible, enabling and creative child-centred curriculum is to be responsive to the uniqueness of each child, their family and the context of the community in which they live.<\/cite><\/p>\n<p><cite>&#8216;Curriculum for Excellence Early Level&#8217; is intended to support the implementation of a responsive, continuous play-based curriculum for children aged three to six.\u00a0 It is important then that practitioners and teachers provide, through responsive and intentional planning, a blend of child-initiated and adult-initiated learning experiences.\u00a0 The emphasis should be on child-centred play pedagogy to ensure continuity in children&#8217;s curriculum experiences&#8221;\u00a0 (p. 52)<\/cite><\/p>\n<p>The key to enabling the curriculum is consideration of the principles of the <a href=\"https:\/\/glowscotland-my.sharepoint.com\/:b:\/g\/personal\/earlylevelportal_glowmail_org_uk\/Eb0Kmwfl6JZApEzRAcRx38UBa_PWwLC13gB7tCqkD5iAbw?e=bBfxPM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">7 Principles of Curriculum Design<\/a>: breadth, depth, progression, challenge and enjoyment, relevance, coherence, personalisation, and choice.\u00a0 When the principles of curriculum design are utilised through a <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/earlylevelportal\/play-pedagogy-continued\/\">play pedagogy<\/a>, practitioners can develop and <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/earlylevelportal\/tracking-monitoring-and-assessment\/\">track<\/a> learning for progression with children.\u00a0 In the Early Level, the focus in developing the curriculum for children through <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/earlylevelportal\/play\/\">play<\/a> is on the <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/earlylevelportal\/spaces\/\">learning environments<\/a>, experiences, and interactions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3>Key Messages<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Seven principles of curriculum design:<\/strong>\u00a0 Practitioners should know the seven principles of curriculum design and apply this to the Broad General Education of the children.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Curriculum rationale:<\/strong> <cite>&#8220;The purpose of our curriculum is clear and understood by staff, children, families and partners. Our curriculum supports us to be clear on the knowledge and skills that underpin curriculum areas. We ensure our curriculum supports children to become successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors.&#8221;<\/cite> (<a href=\"https:\/\/glowscotland-my.sharepoint.com\/:b:\/g\/personal\/earlylevelportal_glowmail_org_uk\/Ed7zH1HrTvVLiBM3BqHLHmYBPNzlzrpdp8CmH33bU-Azxg?e=MHheAW\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>A Quality Improvement Framework for Early Learning and Childcare Sectors<\/strong><\/a>, Sept 2025, p33)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Experiences and Outcomes<\/strong>:\u00a0 Practitioners should be very familiar with the <a href=\"https:\/\/education.gov.scot\/Documents\/All-experiencesoutcomes18.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">experiences and outcomes<\/a> for Early Level and must create interesting opportunities for the children to develop their learning across these over their pre-school years, P1 or later for some.\u00a0 Practitioners understand the purposes and possibilities of different play areas and materials, linking these to developing skills, knowledge, and understanding within the experiences and outcomes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The four capacities: <\/strong>Practitioners are aware of the <a href=\"https:\/\/education.gov.scot\/curriculum-for-excellence\/about-curriculum-for-excellence\/what-is-curriculum-for-excellence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">four capacities<\/a> (Successful Learners, Confident Individuals, Responsible Citizens, Effective Contributors) and know what this looks like within playful learning.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>The four contexts for learning:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Curricular areas:\u00a0 <\/strong>Practitioners provide learning opportunities through all curriculum areas throughout the setting over the year using both the <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/earlylevelportal\/spaces-indoor\/\">indoor<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/earlylevelportal\/spaces-outdoor-learning\/\">outdoor<\/a> spaces.\u00a0 Practitioners support development in the three main areas of the Curriculum for Excellence: <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/earlylevelportal\/emerging-literacy-and-english\/\">Literacy<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/earlylevelportal\/mathematics-and-numeracy\/\">Mathematics &amp; Numeracy<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/earlylevelportal\/health-and-wellbeing\/\">Health and Wellbeing<\/a>.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Interdisciplinary Learning (IDL)<\/strong> applies skills, knowledge, and understanding from various curriculum areas to multiple experiences and is not confined to a particular subject area. As a result, children have the opportunity to practice using these skills in a range of contexts, e.g. pre-reading or pre-writing skills, which are used within most spaces in a setting; mathematical skills and language are used across most experiences.\u00a0 Within IDL, practitioners follow the interests of the children through both <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/earlylevelportal\/intentional-planning\/\">intentional<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/earlylevelportal\/responsive-planning\/\">responsive<\/a> planning, allowing children to see and experience the interconnectedness of their learning.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Opportunities for Personal and Wider Achievement:<\/strong>\u00a0 Practitioners know each child as a learner and celebrate children&#8217;s individual achievements, including achievements from &#8216;<a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/earlylevelportal\/spaces-beyond-the-gates\/\">beyond the gate<\/a>&#8216;, such as riding a bike without stabilisers, zipping up a coat independently, football medal, swimming certificate, etc.\u00a0 Achievements are shared and celebrated in multiple ways between home and school, e.g. display on the walls in the setting, <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/earlylevelportal\/learning-journeys\/\">learning journeys<\/a>, Floorbooks, newsletters and social media.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ethos and wider life of the school:<\/strong>\u00a0 The setting&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/earlylevelportal\/vision-values-and-aims\/\">vision, values, and aims<\/a> should be embedded into practice, in word and action by all stakeholders.\u00a0 Children are given opportunities to contribute to the wider life of the school.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Children&#8217;s progress:<\/strong>\u00a0 At the end of the Early Level, there are clear benchmarks for different curriculum areas.\u00a0 Practitioners should understand how to use progression frameworks to support, develop and challenge children&#8217;s skills, knowledge and understanding (Scottish Borders Council Frameworks, Trackers &amp; Progressions can be found on the Emerging Literacy &amp; Mathematics &amp; Numeracy Portal pages).\u00a0 Practitioners&#8217; knowledge of the child as a learner supports recording children&#8217;s progress towards achieving the benchmarks at the end of the Early Level. \u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Play pedagogy<\/strong>:\u00a0 Practitioners should have a sound understanding of how the curriculum is delivered through playful experiences in the nursery environment and their interactions.\u00a0 Practitioners need to have clear and robust systems to follow the learning cycle through play pedagogy.\u00a0 This ensures a blend of child-led and adult-initiated learning from the intentional and responsive plans.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>\u00a0<\/h3>\n<h3>Ways we can do this<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Curriculum Rationale<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Develop a clear curriculum rationale for your setting.\u00a0 <em><cite>It is important to ensure that everyone within the school is clear about what they aim to achieve through the curriculum. When a school has a rationale for its curriculum, it means that everyone involved with the school can answer the question &#8216;What do we want for our children and how will we work together to achieve this?&#8221;<\/cite>.\u00a0<\/em> This is a way to connect the setting&#8217;s vision, values and aims with your pedagogical approach as a team.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Experiences and Outcomes<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>All practitioners should ensure that a wide range of experiences and outcomes are facilitated through play.\u00a0 Literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing should be constant throughout the setting&#8217;s provision.\u00a0 Provision of the wider curriculum is enabled throughout the year following the settings long term plans.\u00a0 These plans may be based on a seasonal or <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/earlylevelportal\/nature-pedagogy\/\">nature approach<\/a> but should always follow the children&#8217;s interests and needs as the central driver for learning.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Seven Principles of Curriculum Design<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>All learning must take account of these principles:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Challenge and enjoyment<\/li>\n<li>Breadth<\/li>\n<li>Progression<\/li>\n<li>Depth<\/li>\n<li>Personalisation and choice<\/li>\n<li>Coherence<\/li>\n<li>Relevance to the Eight Curriculum Areas \u2013 containing a range of subjects.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>(<a href=\"https:\/\/glowscotland-my.sharepoint.com\/:b:\/g\/personal\/earlylevelportal_glowmail_org_uk\/Eb0Kmwfl6JZApEzRAcRx38UBa_PWwLC13gB7tCqkD5iAbw?e=bBfxPM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">7 Principles of Curriculum Design Leaflet<\/a>, Angus Council)<\/p>\n<p><strong>The 4 Capacities<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Four Capacities can support reflection of our planning to ensure we are making provision for them, e.g. what opportunities do children have to be effective contributors in the setting?\u00a0 Children&#8217;s awareness of the Curriculum for Excellence language will increase through its active use during interactions with practitioners.\u00a0 The four capacities could be recorded in learning journeys and Floorbooks or on wall displays as evidence.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The 4 Contexts for Learning<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Ensure that the planning takes full note of the four contexts for learning, providing wide opportunities for the children.\u00a0 Practitioners fully understand what this looks like in ELC, and all planning should reflect them.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Curricular areas<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Over the year, continuous provision should target all Early Level curricular areas of learning throughout the setting, both outdoors and in.\u00a0 This is informed mainly through intentional planning.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Interdisciplinary Learning (IDL)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is influenced by the children&#8217;s interests and needs and the &#8220;flow&#8221; of the year. However, responsive planning also covers many of the experiences and outcomes which arise directly from the children.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ethos and wider life of the school<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Opportunities for this might arise through interests such as Eco-group, Pupil Council, inclusion in whole school events, e.g. Book Week, Children In Need charity work, taking responsibility for tasks in the setting, representing the ELC in the school or in the wider community.\u00a0 Ensuring ELC settings have regular visits from the senior management team to build relationships and embed the school and setting&#8217;s vision, values and aims.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Wider Achievements of the child<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/earlylevelportal\/family-partnerships\/\">Families<\/a> should be encouraged to share their children&#8217;s achievements and value each achievement. For example, blank &#8220;WOW&#8221; certificates can be shared with parents to fill in. In addition, each setting should be encouraged to visually promote children&#8217;s achievements, either on a child height learning or WOW wall, in a Floorbook, or in individual learning journeys.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Children&#8217;s progress<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>All practitioners should understand the learning cycle as part of their observations.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/education.gov.scot\/media\/3bjpr3wa\/realisingtheambition.pdf#page=48\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3041 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/earlylevelportal\/uploads\/sites\/3720\/2021\/11\/12153143\/Learning-Cycle-RTA.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"533\" height=\"288\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/public\/earlylevelportal\/uploads\/sites\/3720\/2021\/11\/12153143\/Learning-Cycle-RTA.png 521w, https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/public\/earlylevelportal\/uploads\/sites\/3720\/2021\/11\/12153143\/Learning-Cycle-RTA-300x162.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/public\/earlylevelportal\/uploads\/sites\/3720\/2021\/11\/12153143\/Learning-Cycle-RTA-55x30.png 55w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 533px) 100vw, 533px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\">(Realising the Ambition, Education Scotland, 2020, p. 48):<\/p>\n<p>Practitioners should understand the connections between what is observed, next steps, and how it will be achieved.\u00a0 The next steps are informed by the aforementioned SBC progression frameworks and trackers.\u00a0In addition, health and Wellbeing trackers should be in place.<\/p>\n<p>Moderation of learning journeys ensures consistency across the setting in recording children&#8217;s achievements and progress towards the next steps by all practitioners.\u00a0 There should be termly opportunities for meeting with senior management to discuss children&#8217;s progress and where interventions are required for either support or challenge.\u00a0 Emerging Literacy Developmental Overviews and the SBC trackers will support practitioners to know the children as learners\u00a0(see tabs at the bottom of the <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/earlylevelportal\/emerging-literacy-and-english\/\">Emerging Literacy<\/a> &amp; <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/earlylevelportal\/mathematics-and-numeracy\/\">Mathematics &amp; Numeracy<\/a> pages).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Play pedagogy<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is key to the delivery of the Early Level curriculum.\u00a0 Each setting should clearly understand its pedagogy for play in delivering the curriculum.\u00a0 Realising the Ambition (Education Scotland, 2020) provides a comprehensive guide for achieving this.<strong>\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>(<a href=\"https:\/\/education.gov.scot\/resources\/early-level-play-pedagogy-toolkit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Play Pedagogy Toolkit<\/a>, Education Scotland, 2021)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Curriculum Resources \uf0ad\u00a0 What is it? &#8220;Scotland&#8217;s curriculum, the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE), helps our children and young people gain the knowledge, skills and attributes needed for life in the 21st century.\u00a0 Scotland&#8217;s curriculum places learners at the heart of education.\u00a0 At its centre are four fundamental capacities.\u00a0 These capacities reflect and recognise the lifelong &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7767,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-builder.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-589","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/earlylevelportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/589","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/earlylevelportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/earlylevelportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/earlylevelportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7767"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/earlylevelportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=589"}],"version-history":[{"count":114,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/earlylevelportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/589\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21056,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/earlylevelportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/589\/revisions\/21056"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/sb\/earlylevelportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=589"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}