INCA Education around the world
Scotland : Curricula (age 3-19)
Last reviewed and updated: 15-Dec-2011
5.2 Second phase: Compulsory primary education, age 5-12
5.2.1 Control
5.2.2 Compulsory subjects
5.2.3 Optional/elective subjects
5.2.4 Formulation of curriculum
5.2.5 Key skills
5.2.6 Curriculum materials
5.2 Second phase: Compulsory primary education, age 5-12 [see 3.2.2]
Curriculum for Excellence reform
In November 2004, in the document ‘A Curriculum for Excellence’, the Scottish Government confirmed its intention to reform and simplify the curriculum to increase student choice and make learning more stimulating. The plan is to introduce more flexibility in the curriculum for 3- to 18-year-olds; improve student confidence and attainment by easing the difficulties of transitions; enable early professional intervention; reduce the burden of assessment; and clarify the purposes of education and the principles underpinning it at the beginning of the 21st century. 2 36 The Government has set in motion a programme of work which will be part of the process of creating a single, coherent Scottish curriculum for the 3-18 age range.
Since its inception, the aspiration for the development of the Curriculum for Excellence has been to enable all children and young people to become successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors to society and at work. Its implementation began in the 2009-2010 school year.
5.2.1 Control
Education Scotland
Education Scotland, a new agency formed in February 2011, is responsible for supporting quality and improvements in Scottish education, as an amalgamation of several other agencies. Education Scotland supersedes Learning and Teaching Scotland (responsible for developing the curriculum) and Her Majesties Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) (responsible for inspections and reviews) and additionally includes a National CPD team and the Positive Behaviour Team.
Curriculum
The curriculum in Scottish Primary schools is not determined by statute or regulation but by advice provided by the Government in non-statutory guidance. Current advice is provided in the Curriculum for Excellence suite of documents, which can be viewed here.
In November 2004, the Scottish Executive published 'A Curriculum For Excellence'. This document set out plans to reform and simplify the curriculum to increase student choice and make learning more stimulating.36 In June 2008, the Scottish Executive published 'Building the Curriculum 3' which replaced the existing guidance on curriculum design for 5- to 14-year-olds. This indicates the future direction of education in Scotland as pre-school centres and schools implement the Curriculum for Excellence from 2009 /10.98
The Curriculum for Excellence is defined broadly to include all of the activities which contribute to the development and achievements of children and young people at all stages in their schooling. These include: the ethos and life of the school as a community; curriculum areas and subjects; interdisciplinary projects; and opportunities for personal achievement. There are also opportunities to develop skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work, with a focus on literacy, numeracy and health and well-being across the primary curriculum.
Full details are available from the Curriculum for Excellence website.
Details of the 5-14 programme for curriculum and assessment which preceded the 'Curriculum for Excellence' as the non-statutory guidance is available on Appendix 1.
5.2.2 Compulsory subjects
Curriculum for Excellence sets out ‘experiences and outcomes’ which describe the expectations for learning and progression in all areas of the curriculum.
These are expressed on eight curricular areas for learners 3-15:
- expressive arts (which covers Art and Design, Dance, Drama and Music)
- health and well-being (which covers Mental, Emotional, Social and Physical Well-being; PE; Planning for Choices and Changes; Food and Health; Substance Misuse; and Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood)
- languages (including literacy, English and a foreign language)
- mathematics (including numeracy)
- religious and moral education
- sciences
- social studies (which covers People, Past Events and Societies; People, Place and Environment; and People in Society, Economy and Business)
- technologies 98
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 engagement, motivation and depth of learning. An outcome represents what is to be achieved via the experience.
Modern foreign languages
The guidelines for Modern Foreign Languages 5-14 recommend that, from no later than P6 (age 10-11), students should study a foreign language. The guidelines also allow for the introduction of modern languages at an earlier stage, where local and individual circumstances support this. Arrangements for the teaching of a modern foreign language in primary schools vary considerably between schools and are affected by factors such as the availability of trained staff and the organisation of classes across the school. 20
Interdisciplinary studies
The 'Curriculum for Excellence' guidance recommends that learning should be made available in a range of ways including interdisciplinary project. The curriculum should include space for learning beyond subject boundaries so that children and young people can make connections between different areas of learning.
All learning in the 'Curriculum for Excellence' is described in terms of experiences and outcomes. Interdisciplinary studies are based upon groupings of experiences and outcomes from within and across curriculum areas. Experiences and outcomes can be packaged in different ways, so that, for example, outcomes relating to People, Place and Environment can be experienced in the context of the Sciences.98
According to the Building the Curriculum guidance, effective interdisciplinary learning:
- can take the form of individual one-off projects or longer courses of study;
- is planned around clear purposes ;
- is based upon experiences and outcomes drawn from different curriculum areas or subjects within them;
- ensures progression in skills and in knowledge and understanding;
- can provide opportunities for mixed stage learning which is interest based. 98
Enterprise education
In March 2003 the Scottish Executive published its 'Determined to Succeed' strategy for Enterprise in Education. This aims to help young people to develop self-confidence, self-reliance and ambition to achieve their goals. In October 2004, new guidelines were published to help ensure that young people receive the best possible experience of enterprise education. The resource, 'How Good is Our School at Enterprise in Education?' was produced by HM Inspectorate of Education in partnership with schools, education authorities and the business community. It contains quality indicators to support teachers when including the 'Determined to Succeed' strategy within and across the curriculum. 63 Under Curriculum for Excellence these plans were revised under “Employers engaging with young people” which works with employers and young people to match work to an individuals needs.
Sex and relationships education
'Relationships, sexual health and parenthood' is one of the outcomes for the Health and Wellbeing area of the Curriculum for Excellence (see above). Individual schools and teachers can decide how to develop approaches to meet the experiences and outcomes which are set down for each curriculum area. 97
Parents and carers are informed and consulted about sex and relationships education, and are allowed to access the resources used. If a parent decides to exempt their child from sex education they are expected to discuss alternative arrangement with the head teacher. As sex education is cross curricular it is not possible for a child to be withdrawn from all lessons covering the subject.97
Time allocation
The Curriculum for Excellence does not specify requirements for time allocation to curriculum subjects. However, there is an expectation that children should receive two hours of physical education a week to meet the experiences and outcomes set out for health and well-being. 98
5.2.3 Optional/elective subjects
There are no optional/elective subjects during this phase of education.
5.2.4 Formulation of curriculum
The review process for the Curriculum for Excellence began in 2002, when there was a general ‘National Debate on Education’. The aim was to determine what was working well in education and the curriculum and what needed to change. Following this, in 2003, a Curriculum Review Group was established by Scottish Executive Ministers to identify the key principles to be applied in any curriculum redesign for ages three to 18. This Group looked at evidence of practice, research, international comparisons and global, local economic and social changes. The initial Curriculum for Excellence documents were then published in November 2004, outlining aims for education in Scotland and principles for curriculum redesign. This led to a period of research, review and refinement culminating in the publication of new curriculum guidelines in 2009.
In the 2009-10 school year, primary schools are beginning to introduce Curriculum for Excellence; implementation is expected to begin in secondary level education in 2010-11.
There appears to be no regular cycle of curriculum review. 102
5.2.5 Key skills
The Curriculum for Excellence supports all children in developing skills which they will use throughout their life and in their work, including the development of pre-vocational, enterprise and employability skills, personal skills, high-level cognitive skills and the opportunity to apply learning in practical contexts.98
It is the responsibility of teachers to reinforce and extend the following skills across the curriculum:
- health and well-being across learning (which includes skills for life and work)
- literacy across learning
- numeracy across learning.98
Opportunities should be provided for children to apply the skills in stimulating and relevant contexts. 98
5.2.6 Curriculum materials
In Scotland, approval and purchase - from the school's budget - of textbooks is the responsibility of individual school management teams (the headteacher and other senior teachers). The School Board (made up of parents and members of the local community) also plays a consultative role. 16
It is the responsibility of the local authority to ensure that books, materials, stationery, and mathematical instruments are provided for the use of students.2
