A Curriculum for Excellence

Learning and Teaching> Curriculum for Excellence

A Curriculum for Excellence - Cross Cutting Themes

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. Activities such as ICT, enterprise, thinking skills, citizenship, sustainable development, health and creativity, which are often seen as add-ons, can be built into the curriculum framework.

Literacy

Competence and confidence in literacy is essential for progress in all areas of the curriculum. This means that all teachers have responsibility for promoting language and literacy development. Every teacher in each area of the curriculum needs to plan opportunities that will encourage young people to explain their thinking, debate their ideas and read and write at a level which will help them to develop their language skills further.

Click here to find out more about the development of literacy in Argyll & Bute.

Click here to access literacy support materials.

Click here to view the literacy outcomes and experiences.

Numeracy

Learning in numeracy should provide a base of knowledge, skills (such as problem-solving) and understanding that will support learning in other areas of the curriculum. All teachers have responsibility for promoting the development of numeracy and there will be challenges associated with this. However, it is essential to plan opportunities to develop numeracy in every classroom in order that connections can be made for learners.

Click here to find out more about the development of numeracy in Argyll & Bute.

Click here to view the numeracy outcomes and experiences.

Enterprise

Enterprise in education will equip children and young people with the skills and values to contribute meaningfully to the Scottish economy and society and will prepare them for the role of global citizens of the twenty-first century. It can be broadly defined as:
• opportunities to think and act in enterprising ways across the curriculum
• an emphasis on core skills and the ability to transfer these to different contexts
• learning and teaching which encourages positive attitudes and develops skills such as problem solving, decision making, creativity and risk evaluating
• entrepreneurial experience
• career education which promotes knowledge and understanding of the world of work and includes a focus on work experience
• development of a culture of lifelong learning.

Enterprising teaching
Key features of enterprising teaching include the use of authentic 'real-life' contexts in direct teaching situations, active learning, formative assessment techniques, collaborative cross-curricular and cross-sector working and long-term planning to ensure progression.

Enterprise learning
Key features of enterprise learning include the development of critical thinking skills, learner ownership, experiential learning, cooperative activities and reflection on learning.

Click here to find out more about enterprise in education:
www.ltscotland.org.uk/enterpriseineducation
www.determinedtosucceed.co.uk

ICT

A Curriculum for Excellence has unified a set of purposes and principles for the whole curriculum to enable young people to become successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors. Developing these four capacities will depend on the environment in which children learn, their choice of learning and teaching approaches and how their learning is organised.

In this section, you will find examples and evidence of how pupils are already acquiring a full range of skills and abilities through the use of ICT in Argyll and Bute.
Click here

Health and Wellbeing

The aims of health and wellbeing within Curriculum for Excellence The main purpose of health and wellbeing within Curriculum for Excellence is to develop the knowledge and understanding, skills, capabilities and attributes necessary for mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing now and in the future. The rationale behind this is that learning through health and wellbeing enables children and young people to: make informed decisions in order to improve their mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing ; experience challenge and enjoyment; experience positive aspects of healthy living and activity for themselves; apply their mental, emotional and social skills to pursue a healthy lifestyle; make a successful move to the next stage of education or work; establish a pattern of health and wellbeing which will be sustained into adult life, and which will help to promote the health and wellbeing of the next generation of Scottish children; and, for some, perform at high levels in sport or prepare for careers within the health and leisure industries.

Click here to view the Health and Wellbeing outcomes and experiences.

Sustainable Issues

The cross cutting theme of sustainable issues covers a variety of major strands which are present in the curriculum as integral parts of existing topics:
• Sustainable consumption and production
• Climate change and energy
• Natural resource protection and environmental enhancement
• Sustainable communities
• Learning for sustainable development

However, in the light of A Curriculum for Excellence, sustainable issues should be placed at the core of school life. It is not a subject in itself but should permeate everything we think and do.
This will cover:
• Eco Schools Development
• Sustainable Development
• Global Citizenship

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