Curriculum for Excellence Early Level: Developing a Common Approach to Learning across Nursery and Primary One

Curriculum for Excellence has provided practitioners with an opportunity to reflect on existing approaches to teaching and learning in nursery and primary. There are often significant differences in learning experiences for children in nursery compared to those they engage in when they are in primary one.
 
In this session, we will explore:

• The implementation of Curriculum for Excellence, looking at ways to make the children's learning experiences across the level in nursery and primary one more cohesive.

• Practical approaches to organising the physical layout of the learning environment to support common approaches to teaching and learning and to allow children to have more choice and responsibility for their own learning.

• The experiences of a group of staff from a number of schools that have been involved in a Community of Practice to support and develop their practice in this area. The Community of Pratice has involved staff from a number of Scottish local authorities and one school in Birmingham. All participants have been activley involved in making significant changes to learning and teaching approaches, as well as significant changes to the physical features of their establishments.

Kevin Kelman is currently on secondment at the University of Glasgow from his substantive post as Head Teacher in South Lanarkshire Council. His previous roles have included: Head of an inner-city school, working mainly with BME families; Depute Head Teacher; Assistant Head Teacher; P6-S2 Raising Achievement Co-ordinator, working across the transition from primary to secondary; Early Years Lecturer in Further Education; class teacher and counselling supervisor at ChildLine.

He has written a number of books and contributed to chapters in edited collections. Kevin has been a regular contributor to Nursery World and Nursery Education (Scholastic) publications. Kevin is part of Learning and Teaching Scotland's Transitions Advisory Group (TAG). The remit of this group is to look at transition issues in relation to Curriculum for Excellence (Early Level).

He has been an invited speaker at a range of regional and national events. These have included: The Scottish Learning Festival; British Association for Early Childhood Education (Early Education) events; Holyrood Communications; Children in Scotland events; and Times Supplements Limited's Teaching Exhibitions events.