The four capacities

The purpose of Curriculum for Excellence is encapsulated in the four capacities - to enable each child or young person to be a successful learner, a confident individual, a responsible citizen and an effective contributor.

The experiences and outcomes in the range of curriculum areas build in the attributes and capabilities which support the development of the four capacities. This means that, taken together across curriculum areas, the experiences and outcomes contribute to the attributes and capabilities leading to the four capacities.

The expanded statements of the four capacities can also form a very useful focus for planning choices and next steps in learning. The attributes and capabilities can be used by establishments as a guide to assess whether the curriculum for any individual child or young person sufficiently reflects the purposes of the curriculum.

Taken as a whole, the experiences and outcomes embody the attributes and capabilities of the four capacities