Building A Curriculum for Excellence in Mid Yell Junior High School

Mid Yell

Junior High School

BUILDING

A CURRICULUM FOR EXCELLENCE

Update 2015

1

Building A Curriculum for Excellence in Mid Yell Junior High School

  1. Introduction

Mid Yell Junior High School has been working towards the implementation of the Curriculum for Excellence for the last four years. We have made a considerable amount of progress in a number of areas and have implemented a number of changes in our curriculum, assessment procedures and whole school systems. The purpose of this paper is to bring these all together and summarise where we are now as a whole school in relation to our new curriculum.

  1. Background

In November 2010 we moved into our new school building. We look forward to using this wonderful space for many years to come,delivering the best possible curriculum for all our pupils.

It is important to note that as a small school with many composite classes and single teacher departments we are well aware that we must work collaboratively and with other schools and agencies if we are to build the capacity for our school to successfully implement the developments required to fully embrace the Curriculum for Excellence and offer our learners the best possible opportunities.

We have been supported by our own schools service, colleagues in other local, national and international schools and many other agencies. We are grateful for all their support, advice and willingness to share.

As a school, we have participated in a number of Shetland Islands Council development groups, SQA moderation activities, LTS focus groups and SSLN(SSA) reference groups. Staff have been involved in NAR development projects and undertaken a variety of training opportunities to enhance their knowledge, skills and understanding. Some staff have participated in Teaching for Understanding and Leading Understanding online courses offered through the Tapestry partnership and Harvard University.The many strategies and theories investigated in these courses have been cascaded to other staff within the school during staff development sessions.

To support the development of Curriculum for Excellence in Mid Yell JHS, we have made some changes to our collegiate working agreement to allow for more opportunities to meet as a staff group. Promoting dialogue, focussed discussion and sharing of practice has been a key element of the progress made so far. The establishment of Teacher Learning Communities (TLCs) has been another important tool in driving forward our practice.

Most importantly it must be noted that we are very well supported by our pupils, parents and our local community who have worked alongside the staff of the school to help move things forward in a positive manner and to play a very real part in providing wonderful learning opportunities for all our pupils. Both our Parent Council and Pupil Councils are actively involved in monitoring the work of the school and dedicate a considerable amount of time, effort and energy into improving our whole school community.

  1. A summary of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE)

Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) is the national development programme which,following a review of Scottish Education, has produced new guidance on both Learning and Teaching and the Curriculum itself.

It concerns itself at least as much with the “Hows” of learning and teaching as the “Whats” of the curriculum. It aims to provide:

  • more professional freedom for teachers
  • greater choice and opportunity for each of our pupils
  • asingle coherent curriculum for all children and young people aged 3-18.

Curriculum for Excellence challenges each of us to think differently about the curriculum, to plan and act in new ways and to reflect on and develop appropriate learning and teaching strategies to promote the learning of all young people.

The implementation of Curriculum for Excellence has implications for:

  • approaches to learning and teaching amongst pupils, teachers and support staff
  • the organisation of our curriculum
  • the qualifications system
  • the recognition of wider achievement
  • the improvement framework.

Curriculum for Excellence aims to:

  • focus classroom practice upon the learner and around the Four Capacities at the heart of Scottish education:
  • Successful learners
  • Confident individuals
  • Responsible citizens
  • Effective contributors
  • simplify and prioritise the current curriculum
  • encourage more learning through experiences
  • create a single framework for the curriculum and assessment 3-18.

The intention of Curriculum for Excellence is to change the balance from a process that is heavily dependent on content, to emphasise learning and teaching approaches that improve pupils’ understanding of what is being taught. It is not a one-off change but the start of a continuous process of review to ensure that the curriculum remains up to date.

The purposes of the curriculum 3-18 are shown below under the headings of the Four Capacities :

  1. Curricular Aims

The Curriculum for Excellence documents define the aims of the curriculum itself:

“The curriculum reflects what we value as a nation and what we seek for our young people. It is designed to convey knowledge which is considered to be important and to promote the development of values, understanding and capabilities. It is concerned both with what is to be learned and how it is taught”

The curriculum comprises all the experiences and opportunities planned by the school to promote and facilitate student learning. In Mid Yell Junior High School we believe that the curriculum must aim to:

  • lay the foundations for lifelong learning
  • promote confidence and a desire for success in all our learners
  • prepare our learners for citizenship and the changing patterns and demands of employment
  • assist our learners in their future contribution to Scotland’s economic performance
  • reflect the multicultural nature of our society
  • improve the health and wellbeing of our learners and, through them, our community

In addition, our curriculum must provide learning opportunities which meet the needs of all learners in a planned and coherent way, within the context of Shetland Islands Council’s policies.

  1. Principles for Curriculum design

In order to deliver the aims, outcomes and experiences noted above, certain principles underpin the design and delivery of the curriculum.

National advice continues to emphasise the provision of a broad and progressive curriculum to encourage the development of knowledge, understanding and skills across a range of areas of learning. There has, however, been a move to offer flexibility to learners, teachers, schools and authorities asthe Curriculum for Excellence, encourages schools to innovate and to better reflect the needs of their learners and their communities. In addition, within the overall context of breadth, depth, coherence and progression, the element of choice for learners themselves has increased, not only in S4-6 but also in S1-3.

In Mid Yell Junior High School, an eighth principle – innovation - is considered to be an important and essential response to the changing learning needs and styles of young people in a modern society. It also fuels improved teaching styles which lead to improved learning and achievement.

Therefore, in planning our curriculum, it becomes possible to identify a range of interwoven principles:

5.1 Challenge and Enjoyment

Young people should find their learning challenging, engaging and motivating. The curriculum should encourage high aspirations and ambitions for all. At all stages, learners of all aptitudes and abilities should experience an appropriate level of challenge, to enable each individual to achieve his or her potential. They should be active in their learning and have opportunities to develop and demonstrate their creativity. There should be support to enable young people to sustain their effort.

5.2 Breadth

All young people should have opportunities for a broad, suitably weighted range of experiences. The curriculum should be organized so that they will learn and develop through a variety of contexts within both the classroom and other aspects of school life.

5.3 Progression

Children and young people should experience continuous progression in their learning from 3-18 within a single framework. Each stage should build upon earlier knowledge and achievements. Children should be able to progress at a rate which meets their needs and aptitudes, and keep options open so that routes are not closed off too early.

5.4 Depth

There should be opportunities for children to develop their full capacity for different types of thinking and learning. As they progress, they should develop and apply increasing intellectual rigour, drawing different strands of learning together, and exploring and achieving more advanced levels of understanding.

5.5 Personalisation and Choice

The curriculum should respond to individual needs and support particular aptitudes and talents. It should give each young person increasing opportunities for exercising responsible personal choice as they move through their school career. Once they have achieved suitable levels of attainment across a wide range of areas of learning the choice should become as open as possible. There should, however, be safeguards to ensure that choices are soundly based and lead to successful outcomes.

5.6Coherence

Taken as a whole, children’s learning activities should combine to form a coherent experience. There should be clear links between the different aspects of children’s learning, including opportunities for extended activities which draw different strands of learning together.

5.7 Relevance

Learners should understand the purposes of their activities. They should see the value of what they are learning and its relevance to their lives, present and future.

5.8 Innovation

The curriculum should be capable of supporting and sustaining new methodologies and approaches to curriculum delivery and of incorporating current research into existing good practice.

6 CURRICULAR PRINCIPLES - DELIVERY

The principles for designing the curriculum require to be complemented by principles for curriculum delivery, encompassing issues critical to the development of pupils’ learning. In this context the following principles are central to curriculum development:

  • learners should have ownership of their own learning and should be able to have genuine opportunities to specify what and how they learn
  • learners should be able to transfer between schools and be supported in progressing their learning
  • education is concerned with the development of the whole person and the whole range of learning experiences – social, creative, cultural, sporting, academic, moral and spiritual – should be valued equally
  • learning is not restricted to classroom activities but occurs in a wide range of contexts within and beyond school walls
  • the development of self-esteem, confidence, motivation and a positive sense of community are critical aspects of raising achievement
  • intelligence is not one general ability, nor was it fixed at an earlier age
  • emotional intelligence is as important as academic intelligence
  • the recognition and celebration of achievement must be supported over a wide range of contexts
  • the twin roles of challenge and enjoyment are crucial in stimulating learners
  • all individuals are of equal worth and have equal rights to have their needs developed and their potential realised
  • diversity in the backgrounds, religious beliefs and lifestyles of learners should be respected and celebrated
  • parents have a crucial role in the development of positive attitudes to study and learning
  • support for learning strategies are very important in helping young people to overcome learning difficulties
  • feedback, assessment and reporting encourage effective learning

7CURRICULAR PRINCIPLES – MANAGEMENT & EVALUATION

Curriculum architecture and delivery must be accompanied by review and evaluation of the effectiveness of curriculum provision, including the use of HGIOS 3 and other performance indicators in this area. These central principles must be at the forefront of our planning of the curriculum and timetabling structures.

The development and implementation of curriculum policy - design, management, provision and evaluation - is the responsibility of the headteacher and senior staff in schools, working in collaboration with all school staff.

The importance of on-going evaluation and periodic review and refreshment of the curriculum are essential elements if we are going to offer a genuine commitment to young people, their families and our community that our curriculum will reflect the individual needs of our learners and our society.

It should be emphasised that the measure of any school’s curriculum will be determined by the degree to which the school:

  • maintains a focus on the key outcomes
  • provides a range of essential curricular experiences in and across the curriculum
  • structures and delivers the curriculum in ways which are consistent with the principles outlined above

The role of the school as a “learning community” with a firm emphasis on a positive and inclusive ethos is essential. The ethos described is one that recognises and places value on a wide range of achievements and one that also motivates and enables all pupils to achieve high levels of attainment. Such a learning community also values partnerships with the extended community, defined in the widest possible sense.

8 CURRICULAR FRAMEWORK

Mid Yell Junior High School aims to provide a curriculum which embraces the principles noted above within a framework which :

  • Takes account of current and future local and individual circumstances
  • Takes account of national curriculum and assessment developments, including SQA developments at Levels 4 and 5
  • Meets the needs and expectations of all learners
  • Meets the demands of stakeholders and society in general
  • Encourages increased achievement and commitment to learning
  • Provides an effective basis for lifelong learning
  • Makes full use of Curriculum for Excellence

In so doing, we must strive to unify and improve pupil experiences in the 3-18 curriculum through:

  • Provision of more effective transition and improved pupil experience within the 10-13 curriculum, including the use of cross-curricular themes (P6 – S1)
  • Provision of a differentiated curriculum suitable to each pupil’s needs and taking account of their interest, enthusiasm and ability
  • A broader definition of the curriculum which contains an appropriate range of experiences, including:
  • A balance of subject-based and meaningful cross-curricular learning
  • Reduction of the number of compulsory modes of study beyond option choice with only English, Maths, PE, PSE and RME being mandatory, whilst retaining at least six separate modes of study
  • the provision of appropriate vocational experiences
  • courses such as ASDAN, Community Sports Leader awards, first aid certification, food hygiene and Outdoor Education certification
  • the involvement of learners in deciding what and how they learn
  • innovation and the development of unique contexts for learning
  • Reduction of the assessment burden within the 12 to 18 curriculum through the staged provision of appropriate National Qualifications and/or future courses and units, including appropriate “end-point” assessment in S3
  • Partnership with FE Colleges, Employers and community agencies in the provision of an appropriate curriculum
  • Providing appropriate means to profile pupils learning and achievement at key points
  • Structured use of the opportunities provided within the collegiate calendar and by reduced class sizes, revised management structures and the potential reorganisation of the school day/year to improve learners’ experiences of the curriculum
  • Reviewing and consulting on the nature and structure of the school day, week and year
  • Reviewing and consulting on the means by which resources may be matched to developments
  • Participating in Local Government consultation regarding the restructuring of school estate and organisation

9. CURRICULUM ARCHITECTURE

Curriculum Architecture is the term used to describe the nature and structure of the school curriculum.

The national approach to the curriculum sees it as a single framework for development and learning from 3 to 18. That framework must allow different progression routes from one stage of learning to the next and must promote learning across a wide range of contexts and experiences.

Our curriculum should equip young people with the highest possible levels of literacy, numeracy and thinking skills and support the development of their health and wellbeing. It should enable every child to develop his or her full potential through a broad range of challenging, well-planned experiences which help them develop qualities of citizenship, enterprise and creativity.

The curriculum is more than curriculum areas and subjects: it is the sum of all the experiences which we plan for our learners throughout their learning. At all stages the curriculum will include learning through:

  • the ethos and life of the school as a community, and its links to the wider community
  • curricular subjects and areas
  • interdisciplinary projects and studies
  • opportunities for personal achievement

The ethos and life of the school as a community

All teachers (and pupils) know that positive relationships and a positive climate for learning are essential starting points for successful learning in the school. The wider life of the school – activities such as assemblies, community events and cross-departmental or whole-school projects – makes an important contribution to the development of the four capacities, helping all our young people to become successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors. Other opportunities for pupils include learning through such activities as peer mentoring, membership of Pupil councils, undertaking responsibilities and playing a part in decision making.