The guidance clearly states in more than one place three aspects key to developing a curriculum locally and selecting learning. These aspects being: the statements of what matters, the descriptions of learning and the principles of progression.

• There are 27 statements if what matters in all and these represent the sum of what learners need to know and understand when they leave compulsory education. They are the fundamentals of each Area and all learning must link back to them.

• The descriptions of learning articulate how learners should progress within each statement of what matters.

• They are arranged in five progression steps which form the continuum of learning. The principles of progression provide a higher level of understanding for practitioners on how learners progress. 

These elements will be used together to inform learning, teaching and assessment. This step will focus on the first of these three elements and consider how the statements of what matters can help us identify what our learners need to learn.

Key Principles 

• The focus is on the learning and not the content.

• All learning supports the development of the four purposes.

• Learning develops the aspirations and ambitions set out in the vision.

• Learning is broad in scope and not bound to specific contexts.

• Learning embodies the key concepts, ideas and inquiries within a discipline or area.

• Learning provokes deep thinking, discussion, enquiry, new understanding and new questions.

• Learning allows for recurrence and transference to other contexts.

• Learning over time and multiple modes of assessment should be employed.