Musselburgh Grammar School's current curriculum structure has been developed as a result of collaboration and consultation since 2017.  The school established a Curriculum School Improvement Group which has worked in consultation with the school's learners, wider staff, parent council, partners and the wider parent body to arrive at a model which suited the needs of the young people the school serves.  Staffing has changed over time but every year the group continues its work, adding new members, and remains a key driver in curricular change.  In session 2022/23 the group comprised a team of 14 teachers across a range of promotion levels, faculties, experience and age and was thus highly representative of the school's staff community.   

It was recognised in 2021 when schools returned to in-person teaching following Covid that the learning landscape had changed, that there was a need for further review and refresh of our curriculum and that new consultation with all stakeholders was required.   This has been our driver in session 2022/23. Extensive consultation has occurred, including several staff professional dialogue sessions,  focus groups, and vision and values sessions.  The group has met with parents during curriculum evenings and curriculum conversations workshops and has consulted widely with all of our young people through surveys and focus groups. This has allowed all stakeholders to more fully examine current provision and curriculum offer, to determine what is working well and what we need to move forward.

The findings from this consultation have given the Curriculum SIG a wealth of information and have allowed MGS to identify the following curriculum improvement priorities for next session and beyond :

• Publish our new curriculum rationale and ensure that it can be fully articulated by all learners, staff, parents and partners.

• Establish, promote and make use of curriculum documents on an improved MGS Pathways website.

• Strengthen links between MGS and external stakeholders to include; SDS, DYW School Coordinator, local employers and 3rd sector organisations.

• Ensure that labour market information informs learner pathways and that the links between them are understood.

• Review our S3 curriculum model to ensure that it meets of learners the requirements of BGE, offering personalisation and choice whilst developing skills and knowledge to allow progression into National Qualifications in S4 and beyond. 

Through our relentless commitment to improvement we strive to ensure that every learner who enters Musselburgh Grammar school can achieve success within our school. As such our main drivers are: 

• To provide high quality learning and teaching experiences across all four contexts of learning.

• To develop wide ranging partnerships that enhance our curriculum offer.

• To ensure the development of skills in every young person and member of staff.

• To create a curriculum structure that allows our young people to become:  Successful Learners, Confident Individuals,  Effective Contributors and Responsible Citizens, the 4 capacities which underpin Curriculum for Excellence. It is our aim that this commitment transcends both BGE and Senior Phase. 

Curriculum Design 

With the above priorities as our focal point, we have designed and developed the MGS curriculum to include: 

• A  Broad General Education with some personalisation and choice in the first three years (S1-3)

• A Senior Phase which leads all students to achieve success in appropriate national exams and qualifications.

• A Pathways website so that each young person has access to the correct pathway for them from the wider offer 

• Wider Achievement options in the Senior Phase to build confidence, community involvement and skills for work and life

• A timetable in which S4 - S6  are grouped together to offer greater choice for our young people

• A partnership approach - we work with many partners to develop and deliver many of our courses 

• Curriculum diversification: We encourage all faculties to broaden their curriculum offer, delivering appropriate courses from the full SCQF Framework.