Curriculum for Excellence… …at Kirkhill Primary School

1. Curriculum for Excellence……at Kirkhill Primary School What it means for both you and your child. March 2011

2. The history… When we were at school!!!

3. Why change? To maintain our education system as being one of the best in the world which prepares our young people for an ever changing and demanding world Need for our curriculum to change in order for our children to have skills for learning, life and work, across the 4 capacities: – successful learners – confident individuals – responsible citizens – effective contributors

4. Consider… ‘The world we live in is changing 4 times faster than our schools’ Alvin Toffler ‘Children currently in P1 will do jobs that don’t yet exist, using technologies that are not yet invented’

5. The Aim of A 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 Improving Knowledge Developing Skills

6. What’s different? New Levels: Early: pre-school years and P1 (3 years) First: P2 to P4 (3 years) Second: P5 to P7 (3 years) Third: S1 – S3 (3 years) Senior: S4 to S6 (3 years) Different kinds of lessons Curricular Areas with Numeracy, Literacy, Enterprise, Citizenship, Creativity, Sustainable Development and ICT Permeating Learning more relevant to the modern, ever changing world Improved learning and teaching More rigorous, informative and holistic assessment Skills based with knowledge rather than knowledge based with skills picked up ad hoc Children knowing more about some things than we do Totality of Merit: Attainment & Personal Achievement New qualifications

7. Curricular Design Principles • Challenge and enjoyment • Breadth • Progression • Depth • Personalisation and Choice • Coherent • Relevant

8. 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. Increased emphasis on learning skills in literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing which will underpin ALL learning. Industry and enterprise will offer opportunities for young people to develop skills needed for the world of work.

9. Improving Teaching and Learning by… putting the child at the very centre. building on the many ways that teachers already make learning engaging. Sharing best practice and standards School, Cluster, GLOW, NAR offering experiences around real life issues, working in groups, working outside the classroom and by working in different environments with interesting, relevant and up to date materials and tools.

10. Professional Dialogue

11. Our Aim for Our Pupils … We aim to provide the best education for our children so that they are equipped for life and all it might throw at them. We call this developing ‘the 4 capacities’: Successful Learners Confident Individuals Effective Contributors Responsible Citizens

12. What will this mean for our pupils? A broad, deep and child centred curriculum, based on the progression of skills Curriculum providing planned EXPERIENCES with expected, specific OUTCOMES for Knowledge, Skills, Understanding A general education till the end of S3, then options from S4 onwards All previous curricular areas included All staff (including secondary) having responsibility for: – literacy, numeracy, health & wellbeing – Exciting, innovative topics relevant to the needs of the children as individuals within their community Pupil Support in the widest sense: Least and Most Able Active Interdisciplinary Learning: Requiring the ability to transfer skills taught across all learning Achievements of the WHOLE child valued by all

13. Let’s look! There are opportunities for learning all around us in everyday life. Teachers, parents and children can have fun with this together. That’s bringing life to learning and learning to life.

14. A plate of fruit, a kite, a basketball. All familiar objects which would capture the imagination of our pupils.

15. A plate of fruitLiteracyNumeracyHealth & WellbeingScienceSocial StudiesExpressive Arts…

16. A kite LiteracyNumeracyHealth & WellbeingScienceTechnologySocial StudiesExpressive Arts…

17. A basketballIt’s over to them!

18. The challenges for pupils, schools and parents … Equipping our children with the knowledge and transferable skills which they will need to succeed (in a future we don’t yet know) to secure jobs yet to be invented to build self-esteem and resilience To ensure school’s assessment/ monitoring procedures are rigorous in order to maintain standards

19. What parents can do … Listen, talk, share and encourage – this has a big influence on children’s learning By being here tonight you are working in partnership with your child’s school Encourage your child to work on tasks on their own, with you, with others and then talk about it afterwards. Do things together – learn together and have fun together Praise effort, encourage, support Encourage 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! Foster resilience and perseverance Help your child to respect themselves and each other Find out what learning is happening at school and do what you can at home to build on that

20. Value each child for himself – don’t compare Talk to your child-“What were you learning today? Value, support & celebrate achievements Provide as many different experiences as you can Don’t pigeon hole your child Have high, but realistic, expectations Model & ‘teach’ the values for living, be a good role model Keep up to speed with ICT- be a learner too Set & maintain boundaries, teach accountability and responsibility Get involved – at home, in school Do things together and have fun. There’s more…!!!

21. Parents can find out more www.parentzonescotland.gov.uk and on Kirkhill’s Website The partners working to deliver Curriculum for Excellence are: Scottish Government www.scotland.gov.uk The government has responsibility for the national education system Learning and Teaching Scotland www.LTScotland.org.uk Develops the curriculum, provides information and guidance on learning and teaching Scottish Qualifications Authority www.sqa.gov.uk Develops, marks and manages the qualifications process HMIe www.hmie.gov.uk The inspectors who monitor the quality of education