Curriculum for Excellence – Making the Change with Critical Skills

For Scottish schools, making the change towards Curriculum for Excellence presents all educators with an agenda of demanding, but exciting challenges. This seminar will share how CPD at Charleston School has been delivered using the Critical Skills Programme as the key tool in managing the transformation towards Curriculum for Excellence. Critical Skills promotes active learning, collaboration, problem solving and, importantly, challenge and enjoyment – if it is right for our pupils, then why not also for our staff?

“It (the day) has left me feeling inspired and motivated.”

“I have a deeper understanding of how Curriculum for Excellence can be implemented in the classroom.”

By having Critical Skills modelled in CPD sessions, teachers are beginning to transfer this knowledge to the classroom and our pupils are now experiencing the true meaning, value and power of Curriculum for Excellence.

The use of Critical Skills has also proved invaluable in the delivery of curriculum events for the wider community where active learning workshops have enhanced parents' understanding of Curriculum for Excellence.

This seminar presents an overview of Charleston School's journey towards Curriculum for Excellence and will include examples of how development priorities, including changes in classroom practice, were agreed and subsequently taken forward.

Barbara has taught for 29 years in the North East of Scotland and is currently headteacher of Charleston Nursery/Primary School in Aberdeen City, a post she has held since 1999. Like all headteachers around Scotland, she is currently immersed with her staff in taking forward the Curriculum for Excellence agenda.

In August 2008, Barbara returned to her substantive post following an extended period of secondment as a Development Officer for Curriculum for Excellence with Learning and Teaching Scotland. From May 2005, she was part of the writing team for Mathematics and Numeracy as well as a member of the engagement team, giving presentations and workshops around the country. Barbara has extensive experience in the development of educational resources, programmes and policies that promote effective learning and teaching.

She has also been involved in a number of local and national projects covering a range of educational themes and aspects of strategic management.