Curriculum for Excellence : The HMIE perspective

The seminar will focus on emerging issues related to the implementation of the Curriculum for Excellence initiative and the challenges and opportunities for innovative curriculum leadership in Scottish schools. 

The seminar will outline trends arising from inspection evidence, along with the recurrent characteristics of good practice identified by HMIE.  The importance of creative curriculum leadership and vision will be emphasised, balanced with the need for equity and fairness in relation to what children and young people can expect to experience, no matter what school they attend. 

The seminar will include a focus on practical issues arising from the nature of revised guidance on the curriculum for Scottish schools. The importance of varied and well planned approaches to learning and teaching in developing the capacities of Curriculum for Excellence will be emphasised. Assessment issues will be discussed. Optimum conditions for effective curriculum development and innovation will be considered, within the context of A Journey to Excellence, along with the need for pragmatism and rigour in monitoring and evaluation. 

The workshop will be relevant to teachers and curriculum leaders in the pre-school, primary and secondary sectors.

Lachlan MacCallum is currently Lead Inspector Secondary and District Inspector for Dumfries and Galloway, within HMIE. 

He has played a significant role representing HMIE within the Curriculum for Excellence development programme.He has had extensive experience inspecting in the pre-school, primary and secondary sectors throughout Scotland. 

Previous postings have included roles as national specialist for history and for education for citizenship. 

He has also had wide experience of European education systems, within the context of the Council of Europe, particularly in relation to Scandinavian  education. 

He has contributed to many seminars and staff development events within Scotland, and abroad, often in relation to curriculum development and education for citizenship