a curriculum

for excellence

30 October 201030 October 2010

Scottish Government

One of the most ambitious programmes of educational change ever undertaken in Scotland

Providing a co-ordinated approach to curriculum reform – 3 to 18

Taking account of anticipated future needs deriving from economic, technological and social changes

Relying on professional capacity to make these changes

BtC 3

P13

Learner Entitlements

experience a traditionally broad Scottish curriculum that develops skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work, with a sustained focus on literacy and numeracy, that encourages an active, healthy and environmentally sustainable lifestyle and that builds an appreciation of Scotland and its place in the world,

Every child and young person should:

Learner Entitlements

benefit from learning and teaching that strikes a better balance between equipping them with the skills for passing exams and skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work; there should be no need for groups of young people to take examinations before the end of S3,

Learner Entitlements

have their learning and achievements recognised by an assessment system that supports the curriculum rather than leads it and ensures that their transition into qualifications is smooth.

Rationale for the curriculum framework

Aims

Overview of the six years of secondary schooling in Balfron High School

Aims To provide a curriculum whichprepares young people for the challenges and

issues that face today’s worldgives young people understanding of Scotland

and its place in the world.

AimsTo provide a curriculum (‘the totality of all that is planned’) in

S1 to S3 which allows the development of the four capacities, is underpinned by the principles of Curriculum for

Excellence, develops skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work, provides opportunities for interdisciplinary learning to

develop an understanding of the connections within and across the learning experiences,

is broad and general, allows preparation for transition to specialism in the upper

school (S4 to S6).

Aims

To provide a specialist curriculum for the senior phase which

allows all to achieve the qualifications and experiences, skills and capacities necessary to move to a positive destination at the end of the fourth, fifth or sixth year of a young person’s secondary schooling or at the end of the second term in the sixth year.

Transition from Primary to Secondary Build on good practice:

Visits to Primary Schools by promoted and teaching staff, responsible for supporting learning, to find out about achievement, learning needs and personal needs of children

Based on this information, provide targeted support

Joint working between primary and secondary staff on curriculum and learning and teaching e.g. active learning strategies, literacy, numeracy etc

Transition from Primary to Secondary during S1

Build on good practice:

Personal Support for child Build relationships with parents ResidentialSupport from Senior Pupils- BuddyingSupport from Senior Pupils – paired reading.

paired MathematicsRecording and recognising achievement

Transition – Assessment

Develop ways of recording and reporting information that will ensure better information about a child’s progress – ‘Developing’, ‘Consolidating’, ‘Secure’ -Primary to Secondary, during the ‘broad, general education phase’ and at the transition from ‘broad, general education phase’ to ‘senior phase’

Use of management information system to track and monitor progress

APPENDIX 1A S O N D J F M A M J

S1

S2

S3

S4*Assuming

internal assessment in

J une

S5**3 weeks of

transition/work experience/college input etc

S6***

TransitionGeneral Change of timetable at the end of the year Change of timetable at the end of June

General + but keeping all but the General+ and Senior 4 phase fixed

Senior 1Senior 2 Note: S4* Almost all pupils in S4 will be in their Fourth Year at school. There may be one or two who are from Fifth Year pupils Almost all pupils in S4 will be in their fourth school year. Others could be in their fifth school year.

Senior 3 S5** Almost all pupils in S5 will be in their fifth school year. Others could be in their fourth or sixth school year.

Senior 4 S6*** Almost all pupils in S6 will be in their sixth school year. Others could be in their fifth school year.

Transition to S6

First Year period allocation

Area Subject Period Allocation English 4 Language and

literacy French 3 Mathematics and

numeracy Mathematics 4

Sciences Integrated course 3 Social Subjects Integrated course 3

Art & Design 2 Expressive Arts Music 2

PE 3 Home Economics 2

Health and wellbeing

PSE /Enterprise 1 Technology Technical 2

Religious and Moral Education

RME 1

Total 30

Day Period 1 Period 2 Morning Break Period 3 Period 4 Lunch Break Period 5 Period 6

9.05 - 10.00 10.00 - 11.50 11.50 - 11.05 11.05 - 12.00 12.00 - 12.50 12.50 - 01.40 1.40 - 2.35 2.35 - 3.30

Monday

Maths Science PSE/Enterprise French

Tuesday

French PE English Science Technical Music

Wednesday

Social Subjects Art and Design Maths English RME PE

Thursday

Music Science Social Subjects Maths Art and Design English

Friday

PE Maths French English Social Subjects Technical

Balfron High School - Sample timetable S1

Home Economics

Transition from Broad, General Education phase to Senior Phase

Build on good practice:

Personal Support Working with parentsChoice in December of S3Course choice for the Senior Phase

New qualifications

The Scottish education system is world-renowned and our qualifications are highly valued.

Highers, Advanced Highers and Access qualifications will remain and will be updated to reflect changes to the curriculum.

There will be new qualifications for all in literacy and numeracy from 2012/2013 and Skills for Work qualifications.

New qualifications

From 2013/2014 there will be new National 4 and National 5 qualifications to replace Standard Grades and Intermediate 1 and 2.

Young people can now study for Scottish Science and Scottish Language Baccalaureate (a stage on from Higher/Advanced Higher).

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

Access 1

Access 2

Standard Grade Foundation / Access 3

Standard Grade General / Intermediate 1

Standard Grade Credit / Intermediate 2

Higher

Advanced Higher

Higher National Diploma

Ordinary Degree

Honours Degree

Masters

Doctorate

Access 1

Access 2

Access 3

*National 4

*National 5

Higher

Advanced Higher

*Literacy 3

*Literacy 4

*Literacy 5

*Numeracy 3

*Numeracy 4

*Numeracy 5

SCQF Levels

Next Generation of National Qualifications

Qualifications

New qualifications are marked *

Others qualifications, like Highers, remain and will be reviewed to be in keeping with Curriculum for Excellence

What parents can doSharing, planning and learning! Listen, talk, share and encourage – this has a big influence

on children's learning Do things together – learn together and have fun together Praise effort Encourage a ‘can do’ approach – ‘give it a try, you might

just like it’ Help them to respect others Talk to them about their strengths and interests, and help

them make choices based on these Find out what learning is happening at school and do what

you can at home to build on that

What parents can do Help them work on tasks on their own and then talk about it

with you afterwards Encourage any reading – books, online, it all helps! Encourage them to make their own choices Help prepare for change – talk about it together Look for opportunities at home to develop literacy and

numeracy skills: money, number problems, time, measuring, matching, size, reading, writing, understanding instructions, questioning information

Ask for extra help if you think your child needs it for any reason. Visit www.infoscotland.com/justask

Be there – help, listen, support and encourage Talk to them about how they are feeling

Other information

Website: www.balfronhigh.org.uk

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