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Curriculum for Excellence

Curriculum for Excellence

Principles for Curriculum Design

Schools and learning communities in Aberdeenshire apply the principles for Curriculum Design that are drawn from National advice but reflect our unique Aberdeenshire context.  These principles are:

  • Challenge and enjoyment in learning
    • Breadth of learning
    • Progression in learning
    • Depth of learning
    • Personalisation and choice e.g. in how to present learning
    • Coherence (with other areas of learning)
    • Relevance of learning

Curriculum Entitlements

The following entitlements are also provided for all pupils in Aberdeenshire Schools:

  • A coherent curriculum from 3 to 18
  • A broad general education, including well planned experiences and outcomes across all the curriculum areas. This should include understanding of the world and Scotland’s place in it and understanding of the environment
  • A senior phase which provides opportunities for study for qualifications and other planned opportunities for developing the four capacities
  • Opportunities for developing skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work
  • Opportunities to achieve to the highest levels they can through appropriate personal support and challenge

Opportunities to move into positive and suCurriculum for Excellence

Principles for Curriculum Design

Schools and learning communities in Aberdeenshire apply the principles for Curriculum Design that are drawn from National advice but reflect our unique Aberdeenshire context.  These principles are:

  • Challenge and enjoyment in learning
    • Breadth of learning
    • Progression in learning
    • Depth of learning
    • Personalisation and choice e.g. in how to present learning
    • Coherence (with other areas of learning)
    • Relevance of learning

Curriculum Entitlements

The following entitlements are also provided for all pupils in Aberdeenshire Schools:

  • A coherent curriculum from 3 to 18
  • A broad general education, including well planned experiences and outcomes across all the curriculum areas. This should include understanding of the world and Scotland’s place in it and understanding of the environment
  • A senior phase which provides opportunities for study for qualifications and other planned opportunities for developing the four capacities
  • Opportunities for developing skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work
  • Opportunities to achieve to the highest levels they can through appropriate personal support and challenge
  • Opportunities to move into positive and sustained destinations beyond school

(In Aberdeenshire Schools this includes a strong focus on learning In, About and Through the environment i.e. outdoor learning.)

Learners are provided with a broad, balanced set of experiences designed around the curriculum areas of:

  • Expressive Arts
    • Languages and Literacy
    • Mathematics and Numeracy
    • Health & Wellbeing
    • Religious and Moral Education
    • Sciences
    • Social Studies
    • Technologies

The core curriculum consists of Literacy, Numeracy and Health and Well-Being. These subjects permeate all other curricular areas. Attainment and Achievement in these areas are regularly assessed and reviewed annually by the school to ensure standards are maintained or improved.

Learners are given opportunities to develop skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work with a continuous focus on:

  • Enterprise and Creativity
    • Citizenship and International Education
    • Literacy
    • Numeracy
    • Health & Wellbeing
    • Sustainable Development
    • Digital Technology

SCHOOL POLICIES

School and authority policies are currently being reviewed and updated to reflect Curriculum for Excellence requirements.  Please contact the school office if you would like more information about current school or authority policies.  Please refer to the Nursery Handbook for Early Years and Childcare Information.

The Curriculum for Excellence is structured into different levels. 

Early The pre-school years and P1, or later for some.
First To the end of P4, but earlier or later for some.
Second To the end of P7, but earlier or later for some.
Third and Fourth S1 to S3, but earlier for some.  The fourth level broadly equates to Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework level 4.

The fourth level experiences and outcomes are intended to provide possibilities for choice and young people’s programmes will not include all of the fourth level outcomes.

Senior phase S4 to S6, and college or other means of study.

LEARNING & TEACHING

Our teaching approaches recognise and reflect that each child is an individual with their own aspirations and aptitudes.  We aim to develop each child to their full potential.  We use a variety of teaching methods to cater for a range of learning styles.

We believe in active learning for all pupils at all stages with children fully engaged in thinking.  In promoting active learning, we recognise the importance of ensuring that learning experiences are stimulating and challenging.

We make use of the local environment, including local businesses.  Our aim is to make learning relevant and meaningful and to promote enthusiasm for life-long learning.

Not all pupils do the same work at the same time; within any class the teacher will regularly allocate tasks that are set at different levels of difficulty according to the identified and agreed next steps for each pupil.  The aim is to challenge all pupils but at the same time give them work that is within their capabilities so that each child experiences success.

There are circumstances when all pupils in the class are given the same task.  In these circumstances teachers will look for and accept different levels of outcome based on their knowledge of the individual child’s strengths.

By the time pupils leave our school we hope that they have acquired many of the attributes of an independent learner.  Each will have developed at his/her own pace and in his/her own way.  We trust that not only will each of them have gained an awareness of his/her full potential, but will want to fulfil that potential.

During their time at Fishermoss we hope that all pupils will develop the skills to enable them to become:

  • Successful learners
  • Confident individuals
  • Effective contributors
  • Responsible citizens

Inter-Disciplinary Learning

Inter-disciplinary learning makes connections and is meaningful.  Our curriculum includes space for learning beyond subject boundaries, so that learners can make connections between different areas of learning.  Inter-disciplinary study can also take advantage of opportunities to plan and work with partners, multi-disciplinary agencies and the wider community who are able to offer and support enriched learning experiences and opportunities for our pupils.

Developing this approach will enable our children to build skills in transferring their learning to new situations and support them to:

  • Become skilled in flexible thinking
  • Apply concepts across subject areas and to life beyond school
  • Adopt multiple points of view in problem solving
  • Select which skills and knowledge are required in unfamiliar situations
  • Develop organisational skills, creativity, teamwork and the ability to apply learning in new and challenging contexts

There are considerable inter-relationships between subjects and this is reflected in our planning, teaching and assessment.

Personalisation and Choice

The school provides a framework for learning based upon the principles of curriculum design and curriculum entitlements. Within this, the school encourages pupils to have a say in how they learn and what they learn e.g. in cross curriculum study within a social studies based topic, the children might choose to communicate their learning through a report, a PowerPoint presentation or a piece of artwork. The pupils also might choose to research a specific aspect of information within focus areas. Through the use of learning logs and personal planning, the pupils are involved in setting their own targets and planning next steps in learning.

For further information on specific aspects of learning, please contact your child’s teacher in the first instance.

Further information about Curriculum for Excellence can be found at www.educationscotland.gov.uk/thecurriculum and http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/parentzone/mychild/primary/

Play & Active Learning

Play-based curriculum is now widely considered to be the most appropriate approach for the development of young children’s learning. Our pupils learn and develop friendships very naturally through play. Play at Fishermoss brings about a wealth of opportunities for children to develop their language.

Through play, they can learn scientific concepts, such as what plants need to grow; mathematical concepts, for example, fitting blocks together to build a tower; literacy skills, such as looking for signs outdoors; technology skills, including scanning their artwork.

In this way, our pupils learn how to: Ÿ Work in partnership with others Ÿ Express themselves Ÿ Build their independence Ÿ Make sense of their experiences Ÿ Manipulate materials.