Introduction
The revised guidelines for The Structure and Balance of the Curriculum
5-14 set out the five key principles of breadth, balance,
continuity, coherence and progression that form the
framework of the 5-14 curriculum. This Guide for Teachers and Managers
offers further advice about and exemplification of the implementation
of these principles in different Scottish schools.
Flexibility is a key element of the guidelines for The Structure and Balance of the Curriculum 5-14. It is described as a local resource. Flexibility allows schools to make important decisions about curriculum provision and delivery in order to build most effectively on their progress and plan to improve pupil achievement. This discussion and planning will involve consultation with staff, with other schools in local clusters and, as appropriate, with parents and the community. Local authorities have an important role to play by offering advice, guidelines and policy: providing staff and curriculum development opportunities and supporting self-evaluation and quality-assurance arrangements. Where schools work in such partnerships, flexibility brings many benefits and opportunities. It also brings a responsibility to ensure that the curriculum is well managed and consistent with national guidelines on the curriculum.
The Structure and Balance of the Curriculum 5-14 emphasises the importance of developing a curriculum for all pupils aged 3-18 based on a continuum of learning that prepares them for further learning and, in time, for the world of work. Structure and Balance of the Curriculum 5-14 forms a bridge between the early foundational learning described in the Curriculum Framework for Children 3 to 5 and the guidance contained in Curriculum Design for the Secondary Stages: Guidelines for Schools. The guidance in these three documents lays the basis for such a continuum of learning. All managers and teachers should be aware how the key messages in each of these documents interrelate and apply to their own situation.
This Guide for Teachers and Managers complements and makes reference to guidance given in other revised national guidelines and guides as well as other publications such as How Good is Our School? (SOEID, 1996) and Raising Standards - Setting Targets: Case Studies from Primary Schools (Quality Initiative in Scottish Schools, SOEID, 1998). It offers:
While much of value can be learned from the experience and successful practice of others, in the end schools need to find their own best arrangements to meet their own needs and priorities. This guide along with guides for curriculum areas is designed to help schools in this process.
Further support materials and illustrations of good practice in areas of the 5-14 curriculum appear on the SVTC 5-14 website: www.svtc.org.uk.
At various points throughout this guide, the reader is invited to consider specific issues in the form of questions or suggestions. These are identified by the icons
and 
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