Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) is Scotland’s biggest educational reform in almost twenty years. It introduces a new curriculum and new approaches to teaching and learning for all Scottish pupils between the ages of three and eighteen. Pupils who enter S1 in August 2010 will be the first year group of secondary school pupils to start the new curriculum.

The purpose of Curriculum for Excellence is to improve the learning, attainment and achievement of children in Scotland. It aims to ensure that pupils can achieve in many different areas – not just in terms of exam success – and that they develop a wide range of skills for living and working in the wider world. CfE has a strong focus on developing and raising standards in literacy, numeracy and health and well-being, and has stressed that every teacher is responsible for developing their pupils’ abilities in these areas.

A key aim of CfE is help children to develop into confident individuals, effective contributors, successful learners and responsible citizens – these are known as the four capacities and are at the very centre of the new curriculum.

Course Organisation

CfE takes an interdisciplinary approach to subject areas. This is to help pupils transfer their knowledge and skills from subject to subject, ensuring that they have a deep understanding of a topic’s applications and develop problem-solving skills. Most primary schools already adopt an interdisciplinary approach to teaching, but it will be relatively new for many secondary schools, which traditionally take a subject specific approach. Separate subjects will remain in secondary schools when CfE is introduced, but links with other subjects will be highlighted and developed.

Levels and Stages

CfE divides the curriculum up into different level, with different learning outcomes and experiences matched to a particular level. In nursery and primary schools, the levels are:

Early – pre-school and P1
First – P2-P4
Second – P5-P7

In secondary schools, S1 pupils will begin the Third level, and will have covered its Outcomes and Experiences by the end of S3. There is also a Fourth level, which can also be completed by the end of S3, but progression between levels 3 and 4 is left open to allow pupils to develop at their own pace.

The Senior Phase of CfE covers S4-S6 and allows pupils to pick exam courses. The current Standard Grade, Intermediate 1 and Intermediate 2 exams will be replaced with new exams called National 4 and National 5, which can be sat from the end of S4. Higher courses will remain, as will Advanced Highers.

Summary of Changes

• A single curriculum framework to be introduced across Scotland for all pupils between the ages of three and eighteen from August 2010
• A broad, interdisciplinary curriculum to be followed until the end of S3
• No need for externally assessed exams to be taken prior to S4
• Recognition of achievements beyond qualifications
• New Scottish Certificates in Numeracy and Literacy to be introduced for all pupils, which will be assessed internally from S3
• Standard Grade Foundation level to be replaced with Access 3 (an internally assessed qualification)
• New National 4 and National 5 exams to be introduced from August 2013 to replace Standard Grade General and Credit levels and Intermediate Levels 1 and 2, but retaining the ‘best features’ of those exams
• Pupils able to bypass new National courses and begin studying for Highers in S4
• Highers and Advanced Higher qualifications to remain though with likely changes to the courses

Active Learning for Curriculum for Excellence

As you'd expect Leckie & Leckie has a series of resources designed specifically for Curriculum for Excellence. Find out more about Active Learning.