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Read Out LoudCfE Position Paper
Page last updated at 10:46 AM, 27/04/2010
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Aiming For Excellence at Torryburn
A Position Paper on Curriculum for Excellence
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What’s it all about ?
What have we done so far ?
Where do we go next ?
How will we recognise success ?
What’s it all about ?
The aims of A Curriculum for Excellence are to :
- focus classroom practice on the child in order to develop the 4 capacities i.e.
Ø Successful Learners
Ø Confident Individuals
Ø Effective Contributors
Ø Responsible Citizens
· simplify (de-clutter) the curriculum through cross curricular working
· embed experiential learning
· create a single framework for 3 – 18
Previously 5 – 14 focused on learning ‘content’. Now we need to focus on the ‘how’ of learning and not simply the ‘what’. There is a greater emphasis on improving skills and understanding. The core areas of literacy, numeracy and ICT retain a high priority.
7 Key Principles of CfE
- challenge and enjoyment
- breadth
- progression
- depth
- personalisation and choice
- coherence
- relevance
Challenge and Enjoyment:
Young people should find their learning challenging and motivating. The curriculum should be ambitious and aspirational. Learners at all stages should experience appropriate pace and challenge. Active learning should become the norm with each individual able to realise his/her potential. A greater emphasis is place on creativity. Learners need support to enable them to sustain their effort.
Breadth:
Learners need opportunities for a broad range of experiences. The curriculum needs to offer a variety of contexts in the classroom as well as enable a broader view of the other aspects of school life.
Progression:
Learners should experience continuous progression from 3 – 18 within a single framework. At all stages prior learning/achievement is the foundation that needs to be built upon to ensure coherent progression. Learners progress at different rates according to needs and aptitudes. This means that options are kept open and routes not closed off too early.
Depth:
Learners need opportunities to develop their capacity for styles of learning. As they progress, they should develop and apply increasing intellectual rigour, drawing on different strands of learning and exploring more advanced levels of understanding.
Personalisation and Choice:
The curriculum should respond to individual needs and support strengths, aptitudes and talents. It should give each young person increasing opportunities for exercising responsible personal choice as they move through their school career. Attaining levels across a wide range of areas of learning will allow choice to become as open as possible. Safeguards need to be in place to ensure that choices are soundly based and are focused on successful outcomes.
Coherence:
Taken as a whole, children’s learning activities should combine to form a coherent experience. There need to be clear links between different aspects of learning, including opportunities for extended activities which can draw different strands of learning together.
Relevance:
Learners need to understand the purpose of their activities in order to see the value in what they are learning. It needs to be relevant to their lives, present and future.
Dimensions of Excellence
Learning and Teaching:
dimension 1: engages young people in the highest quality learning activities
dimension 2: focuses on outcomes and maximises success for all learners
Vision and Leadership:
dimension 3: develops a common vision across children, young people, parents and staff
dimension 4: fosters high quality leadership at all levels
Partnership:
dimension 5: works in partnership with other agencies and its community
dimension 6: works together with parents to improve learning
People:
dimension 7: reflects on its own work and thrives on challenge
dimension 8: values and empowers its staff and young people
Ethos and Culture:
dimension 9: promotes well-being and respect
dimension 10: develops a culture of ambition and achievement
What have we done at Torryburn so far ?
2008 – 2009
- increased awareness of CfE
- implemented consistent use of AIfL strategies across all stages
- discussions around planning for change
- raised profile of PLPs incorporating a broad overview of CfE
- implemented consistent use of rich task exemplars from EA, literacy planners from cluster and interactive maths planners
2009 – 2010
- considered some opportunities for ‘linking learning’
- implemented consistent focus on selected QIs each term
- improved self-evaluation processes to include peer mentoring
- focused on whole school responsibility for health and wellbeing outcomes
- planned taking forward our work on Eco Schools, Health Promotion and Citizenship including Global Citizenship (Kiva)
- created working parties with a clear focus on improvement
- implemented consistent focus on Social Skills at whole school level
- focused on learning and teaching methodologies and implemented Co-operative Learning
- raised the profile of ‘Achievements’ for pupils and staff
- developed enterprise activities to link learning and develop Responsible Citizens and Effective Contributors.
