Curriculum

Curriculum for Excellence

Our school follows Scotland’s A Curriculum for Excellence, which places learners at the heart of their education. Children are supported to become successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens.

Curriculum for Excellence was designed to help children develop the knowledge and skills to thrive now and in the future. There is a continuous focus on literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing and children are encouraged to make links between their learning and real-life experiences.

At Preston Tower Primary School, staff work collegiately within year groups and across the wider school to plan creative learning experiences for children. Learning experiences are underpinned by the 7 Principles for Curriculum Design:

  • Challenge and Enjoyment
  • Breadth
  • Progression
  • Depth
  • Personalisation and Choice
  • Coherence
  • Relevance

From Nursery to S3, children experience a broad general education which is delivered through a range of experiences and outcomes, encompassing four levels and a senior phase (see below diagram). Note that some children and young people will start learning at these levels earlier and others later, depending on individual needs.

https://education.gov.scot/parentzone/learning-in-scotland/curriculum-levels 

Each level contains experiences and outcomes in the following curricular areas:

  • Languages and Literacy
  • Mathematics and Numeracy
  • Health and Wellbeing
  • Sciences
  • Social Subjects
  • Technologies
  • Expressive Arts
  • Religious and Moral Education

All staff are responsible for helping children develop literacy and numeracy skills to help children access all aspects of the curriculum.  Some areas of the curriculum are taught discretely on a regular basis, others are linked through interdisciplinary themes. The children are involved in planning their learning through regular discussion. 

Further information about Curriculum for Excellence can be found here: https://education.gov.scot/education-scotland/scottish-education-system/policy-for-scottish-education/policy-drivers/cfe-building-from-the-statement-appendix-incl-btc1-5/what-is-curriculum-for-excellence

The experiences and outcomes for each of the 8 curricular areas can be viewed here: https://education.gov.scot/education-scotland/scottish-education-system/policy-for-scottish-education/policy-drivers/cfe-building-from-the-statement-appendix-incl-btc1-5/experiences-and-outcomes/