Curriculum for Excellence: The Next Phase

Learn about the latest developments around Curriculum for Excellence and the shape of the next phase

This spotlight will discuss many of the findings that have resulted from trialling the draft experiences and outcomes in Scottish education over the past months. It will also consider the latest advice on assembling the curriculum as a whole.

Young people need opportunities to develop skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work at every stage of their educational experience. They should expect to have access to a general, broad education, with a particular focus on literacy and numeracy and managing their own health and wellbeing; to feel stretched and engaged by the pace of their learning and the increasing levels of understanding required of them at every stage.

Curriculum for Excellence aims to provide a framework within which excellent learning and teaching can take place. The engagement and trialling processes are testing how well the draft materials produced so far serve this purpose.

The draft experiences and outcomes offer a fresh opportunity for staff in all sectors of education to focus on further improvements to their learning and teaching approaches. They are intended to support staff in taking forward the main features of Curriculum for Excellence through professional reflection and initial trialling in the classroom. The draft experiences and outcomes describe expectations about learning from 3 to 15. Work on the curriculum beyond age 15 will link closely with these developments.

Gill Robinson, Learning and Teaching Scotland

Gill Robinson
Gill is Chief Professional Advisor, Curriculum for Excellence. After research in chemistry, Gill taught in school, university and further education.

She was seconded to the Scottish Executive Education Department in January 2004 as Head of Curriculum, Qualifications and Curriculum. She was a member of the Curriculum Review Group and Programme Director for Curriculum for Excellence. She is currently seconded to Learning and Teaching Scotland.