A Curriculum for Excellence

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A Curriculum for Excellence

The values, purposes and principles for the curriculum 3 to 18 in Scotland are set out in Curriculum for Excellence

This affirms that A Curriculum for Excellence is for all young people in all educational settings, and that it should support them in a range of ways that will help to maximise their potential. At its heart lies the aspiration that all children and young people should be successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors.
In Argyll & Bute, we recognise that teachers are the key to the successful implementation of A Curriculum for Excellence. The quality of learning and teaching in every classroom – and the inspiration, challenge and enjoyment which can come from teachers’ enthusiasm and commitment – will be critical to achieving our aspirations for all young people. The children and young people of Argyll & Bute need teachers who themselves exemplify the four purposes, who have a sense of community with their colleagues and who share in responsibility for the success of the school and all that happens within it.

Argyll and Bute Support Materials

The following documents have been developed to assist schools in the development of Curriculum for Excellence.
Planning the Curriculum (PDF document 255k).
Planning Abbreviated (PDF document 190k).
3_18_learning (PDF document 210k).

Anne Paterson

Anne Paterson, Quality Improvement Officer, is one of Argyll & Bute Council's education authority contacts for A Curriculum for Excellence. Anne can be contacted via Inveraray Conference Centre on 01499 302218 or mobile 0776 699 1641.

Elliot Morrison

Elliot Morrison, Quality Improvement Officer, is one of Argyll & Bute Council’s education authority contacts for A Curriculum for Excellence. Elliot is based at the Oban Education Office and can be contacted on 01631 564908.

Engagement Days for Staff

Promoting engagement with A Curriculum for Excellence in Argyll and Bute presents us with some unique challenges given our geography and diversity of schools. Nevertheless there is a real determination and enthusiasm to make sure that the launch of A Curriculum for Excellence to schools is creative, innovative and will have a long term impact on teachers.

View the Engagement Days for Staff page

Cross Cutting Themes & Interdisciplinary studies

A Curriculum for Excellence offers a way of unifying the curriculum – making links for learners. It is the responsibility of every teacher, regardless of subject discipline or sector, to promote the development of pupils’ skills in literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing.

Following from the successful pilot in interdisciplinary work using the Australian rick task model, Dave Whitelaw has developed the Argyll and Bute interdisciplinary task series, which is matched to the Curriculum for Excellence draft outcomes and experiences. More information is to be found on the following pages.

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Senior Pupil Forum

The Senior Pupil Forum at Inverary Conference Centre on Friday 16th March engaged in collaborative enquiry to look at A Curriculum for Excellence from the pupils, perspective. Dave Whitelaw, a Curriculum for Excellence coordinator for Argyll and Bute started the discussion by taking the pupils through a brief summary of the Curriculum for excellence initiative, the Values, Purposes and Principals. The pupils then considered what they felt their schools had done to help them meet the capacities.

This was followed by a reflection on what pupils need to do or show if they themselves are identifying with the capacities.

Then the pupils brainstormed the qualities they felt are demonstrated by a ‘Teacher for Excellence’. Click here to download

Heads and deputes conferences

During session 2007/08 a number of days were devoted to bringing together all the secondary heads and deputes from across the authority to explore and discuss issues arising from the ‘Curriculum for Excellence’ initiative.
Guest speakers from around the country who are involved in the development of Curriculum for Excellence gave of their time to help in these discussions and explain further the thinking and intentions behind the various papers being considered.
The group debated :
*How to take their schools forward to meet the values and principles of CfE, and the implications for future classroom practise, cooperative learning, and assessment is for learning (AiFL)
*The need for interdisciplinary studies and the best ways to achieve this with due consideration of the use of the ‘Argyll and Bute interdisciplinary task series’.
*The best ways to take staff through the consideration and trialling of the curricular ‘outcomes and experiences'.
*The impact of the introduction of ‘literacy’, ‘numeracy’ and ‘health and wellbeing’.
*Then onto consider the implications of the impact of ‘Building the Curriculum 3’ on the structure of the school, along with the consultation on the review of ‘National Qualifications’. Guest speaker for this was George Smuga, professional adviser to the Scottish Government on Curriculum for Excellence.
The depth of discussion and the quality of the presentations made during these days was impressive and the heads and deputes found the experience of considering these issues together to be invaluable in helping them to take forward the thinking and planning in each school.
The authority intends to continue with these conferences in the forthcoming session to develop further the abilities of the senior staff to implement the Curriculum for Excellence.

Secondary subject development days

Argyll and Bute continued with the Secondary subject development days and involved guest speakers in a number of subject areas to take forward their understanding of the  implications of a ‘Curriculum for Excellence’ and in particular how best to consider and trial the curricular ‘Draft outcomes and experiences’.
Schools in Argyll and Bute have been involved in formal trialling of the draft outcomes and experiences in social studies, religious and moral education, Gaelic (learners) and literacy and Gaidhlig.
Principal teachers found this approach invaluable in helping them to return to their school and involve the staff in these issues.
Development is taking place on draft authority strategy papers in Numeracy, Literacy and Health and wellbeing and staff will be invited to contribute to these.

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