Building the Curriculum 4: Skills for learning, life and work
Building the Curriculum 4 aims to help all those who are involved in planning and delivering young people’s learning across all sectors and settings.
Published in 2009 by the Scottish Government, it sets out key messages about how children and young people develop and apply skills as part of Curriculum for Excellence, so as to bring about the transformational changes needed to improve the life chances of young people in Scotland.
The information in this document, and expanded in this website, should be considered alongside the experiences and outcomes, so that the development of skills is integrated and embedded into programmes and courses throughout the pre-school, school years and into lifelong learning.
PDF File: Building the Curriculum 4: Skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work (661 KB)Skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work
All children and young people are entitled to opportunities for developing skills for learning, life and work. The skills are relevant from the early years right through to the senior phase of learning and should provide them with a sound basis for their development as lifelong learners in their adult, social and working lives.
The skills should be developed across all curriculum areas, in interdisciplinary studies and in all the contexts and settings where young people are learning. Opportunities to develop skills may be offered in different ways appropriate to learners’ needs, whether through active learning, interdisciplinary tasks or the experience of learning in practical contexts.
The skills include literacy, numeracy and associated thinking skills; skills for health and wellbeing, including personal learning planning, career management skills, working with others, leadership and physical co-ordination and movement skills; and skills for enterprise and employability.
Progression
Progression in skills is signposted in the experiences and outcomes. This will help practitioners to ensure that as they progress through the levels, learners build on, extend and apply similar skills developed at previous levels.
Related resources
Partnership working
All establishments should plan and deliver learning and other experiences which meet the needs of individual children and young people.
Assessment and recognition of skills
The assessment process should help children and young people to understand why skills are important, reflect on how they are developing their skills and identify the next steps in their skills development.
Sharing practice
Active, outdoor learning in the nursery
Riverside Primary School Nursery develops an attractive, secure and stimulating outdoor learning area.
Fashion and brand retailing course
Glasgow Caledonian University course to prepare pupils for learning after school in a retail environment.
Decision making and leadership for learning
Cultercullen Primary School develops children’s involvement in decision making and leadership for learning
Developing independent living skills
Pupils at Fairview School practise their independent living skills beyond the school day.
Partnership working
Forres Academy works in partnership with the voluntary organisation Skill Force.
Improving employability skills
Partnership working with primary and secondary schools at Banff and Buchan College to improve employability skills.