The basics of Curriculum for Excellence

1. The basics of Curriculum for Excellence Stewart Maxwell, HM Inspector of Education

2. What I’ll cover • Curriculum for Excellence (CfE)- recap • Language– Entitlements, BGE, Senior Phase, Experiences and Outcomes • CfE in practice - examples • Opening up thinking about CfE

3. A new approach to learning Learning throughout life • Curriculum for Excellence aims to achieve a transformation in education in Scotland by providing a coherent, more flexible and enriched curriculum from 3 to 18. • The curriculum includes the totality of experiences which are planned for children and young people through their education, wherever they are being educated. Curriculum for Scotland • Pre birth – 3 framework, Adult & CLD guidance

4. Why change? • Education system for the 21st century • Equipping young people to compete in a changing world • Secondary sector change greatest “We need a curriculum which will enable young people to understand the world they are living in, reach the highest levels possible of achievement, and equip them for work and learning throughout their lives.”Curriculum for Excellence 2007

5. Curricular areas • There are eight curriculum areas: • Expressive arts (EXA) • Health and wellbeing (HWB) • Languages (LIT) • Mathematics (MTH) • Religious and moral education (RME) • Sciences (SCN) • Social studies (SOC) • Technologies (TCH) Responsibility of all • Health and wellbeing across learning • Literacy across learning • Numeracy across learning

6. “Meeting the ambitions for this curriculum involves pre-school centres and schools working in learning partnershipswith colleges, universities, employers, partner agencies, youth work and the voluntary sector to provide a coherent package of learning and support based around the individual learner and in the context of local needs and circumstances”. “All establishments will work with a range of partners to address the needs of all children and young people and provide motivating and challenging opportunities, particularly for those who may require more choices, more chances. Action to address the needs of learners requires an integrated approach across children’s and young people’s services with strong links to community learning and development and community regeneration” Building the Curriculum 3 (Scottish Government, 2008)

7. Understanding the CfE Language 4 capacities • Successful learners • Confident individuals • Responsible citizens • Effective contributors • Entitlements (6) • Broad General Education • Senior Phase • Experiences and Outcomes • Levelling (0-4)

8. Learner entitlements • a coherent curriculum from 3 to 18 • a broad general education, including the experiences and outcomes well planned across all the curriculum areas, from early years through to S3 • a senior phase of education after S3 which provides opportunity to obtain qualifications as well as to continue to develop the four capacities

9. Learner entitlements • opportunities for developing skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work with a continuous focus on literacy, numeracy, and health and wellbeing • personal support to enable them to gain as much as possible from the opportunities which Curriculum for Excellence can provide • support in moving into positive and sustained destinations beyond school.

10. Experiences and Outcomes The experiences and outcomes describe the expectations for learning and progression in all areas of the curriculum. • Experiences set expectations for the kind of activities which will promote learning and development • An outcome represents what is to be achieved • The title ‘experiences and outcomes’ recognises the importance of the quality and nature of the learning experience in developing attributes and capabilities and in achieving active engagement, motivation and depth of learning. • I can, I am, I know how to etc

11. Purposes of Senior Phase S4- S6 including college/MCMC 16+ To provide all learners, whatever their individual needs, with: • an experience which builds on their learning in S1 to S3 with scope to develop their individual potential • a broad preparation for adult life, whether their own next stage is further/higher education or • employment or volunteering, and for participation in wider society • opportunities to extend their own abilities and interests • opportunities for a range of personal achievements, in or out of school • recognition of achievement, both attainment of qualifications and wider achievements • continued emphasis on literacy, numeracy, health and wellbeing and the development of a wide range of skills for life and skills for work

12. Designing a framework to meet the needs of learners PROGRESSION Broad General Education Senior Phase Active & engaging learning & assessment Transitions Support Partnerships

13. How are the experiences and outcomes structured in health and wellbeing? Within health and wellbeing there are six organisers: Substance misuse Food and health Mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing Planning for choices and changes Relationships, sexual health and parenthood Physical education, physical activity and sport

14. Levels

15. What does it look like in practice? • “ Almost all young people can articulate their learning in terms of the Curriculum for Excellence capacities. CLD and partner staff are making effective progress in aligning their programmes to health and wellbeing experiences and outcomes”. (Braeview Academy LC February 2012) • “CLD staff are making very good progress in aligning programmes to Curriculum for Excellence experiences and outcomes. This should be further embedded across all programmes. Further planned development in partnership with the school in joint planning of broad general education and senior phase should be taken forward”. (Dunfermline HS LC January 2012) • “CfE outcomes are firmly embedded in practice”. (Anderson HS February 2012)

16. What are others doing? Maddrim Media Shetland - Film making group 12 -26 age group Range of stated learning outcomes built into plans /evaluation: • Through contributing my views, time and talents, I play a part in bringing about positive change in my school and wider community. (HWB4-13a) • Having had opportunities to lead negotiation and decision making, I can work on my own and with others to devise, rehearse and refine dramas and scripts (EXA 4-14a) Expressive arts Participation in performances and presentations • Art & design • Dance • Drama • Music

17. East Renfrewshire CfE as the language of learning in the 21st Century. • Mixed discipline approach to up skilling AL, libraries and arts staff on using learning outcomes • Building on future adult learner’s understanding of Es and Os • Staff identify outcome of their service – match to CfE outcome (posters) • Input of youth workers on their application in practice • Agreement to create and apply a measuring tool Recall facilitated group tutorial • Sharing of evaluation and experience – positive and negative Lessons learned • Not all staff made the connection - what they do and facilitating change • Need to grasp it’s about facilitating change – expressed as outcomes before things inc self eval makes sense

18. Inverclyde • Intro sessions for CLD staff / partners - the concept of CfE and potential role of CLD • CLD staff / partners looked at the CfE curriculum areas they considered most relevant - Health and well-being, social studies, literacy, numeracy and religious and moral education • Staff and partners assisted to align their programmes to CfE experiences and outcomes and to indicate the extent to which they might be able to contribute to the assessment of the achievement of outcomes • Partnership day with school teaching staff - considered the role of non-teaching staff in assessment and moderation and in recognising and recording achievement • Plan to have the CLD programmes mapped to CfE outcomes and experiences uploaded onto Glow to make them accessible to teaching staff. • A range of partners better understand and value CfE, and appreciate their contribution to young people achieving CfE outcomes.  • CLD service gearing up to deliver the new National 4 units. In early discussion with colleagues at Education HQ about linking more with schools. In discussions about an enhanced senior phase pilot with the joint campus school in Port Glasgow.

19. Capacity Building and CfE? 3- 18 but Q.I. themes offer scope to develop…. • Highland - Our Community…A Way Forward • Inspection evidence -YW or CCB? • Evolving practice / approaches • Youth Scotland - quick guide to CfE • Uniformed organisations

20. Way forward? • Adopt what is right for you • Recognise the contribution made • Understand the language – be confident • Triangulation –data, observations, what participants say Benefits • Strengthen and improve youth work practice • Set clearer outcomes and improve evaluation practice • Better describe the value of work • Build robust and relevant evidence - more accurately describe impact • More effective partnerships with other learning providers