Curriculum

Curriculum for Excellence is the curriculum for children and young people aged 3 to 18 years. It builds on the solid foundations developed in the critical years of 0 to 3 which are supported by the ‘Building the Ambition’ guidance.

The early level of Curriculum for Excellence spans pre-school and primary as it is designed to meet the needs of most children from 3 years until the end of Primary 1, promoting better continuity and progression of learning across the sectors. The core messages of Curriculum for Excellence are:

1 active, experiential learning

2 a holistic approach to learning

3 smooth transitions

4 learning through play.

Curriculum for Excellence seeks to enable all children to become:

1 successful learners,

2 confident individuals,

3 responsible citizens

4 effective contributors

There are 8 areas within the new curriculum:

1 Health and Wellbeing

2 Numeracy and Mathematics

3 Literacy and English

4 Science

5 Expressive Arts

6 Social Studies

7 Technologies

8 Religious and Moral Education

The experiences and outcomes for Literacy & English, Numeracy & Mathematics and Health and Well-being represent the core areas of the new curriculum.

Our planning for the new Curriculum is based on seven principles which underpin all the learning experiences of children and young people throughout their education.

1 Challenge and Enjoyment

2 Breadth

3 Progression

4 Depth

5 Personalisation and Choice

6 Coherence

7 Relevance

On a daily basis our centre gives children the opportunity to experience a wide range of activities, based on the Curriculum for Excellence, to meet their development needs and their interests. These include:

· sand and water play

· construction

· small world

· jigsaws and games

· free painting and cutting and gluing activities

· dough or clay

· stories, rhymes and songs

· music and movement

· home corner

· dressing up and other role play opportunities

· energetic physical play

· interest and nature tables

· exploration and discovery play

· using the computer, interactive and programmable toys and other ICT resources

We also make optimal use of our extensive outdoor facilities each day.

We aim to provide opportunities during a large part of the session for children to choose freely from a wide range of resources and activities, but we also provide some activities that are organised and led by an adult.

The emphasis is always on learning through play!

During each session children will have opportunities to play alone, with a friend or in a larger group. There will be times when they can relax and play quietly, as well as times when they can be energetic and lively.

In addition to these activities we record on our plans next steps for children’s learning. This allows staff to work more closely with the children on particular areas of the curriculum and to observe their progress. Planning in this way ensures that we can tailor future activities to meet the needs of individual children and that the whole curriculum is offered in a balanced and accessible manner.

Finally we hope you and your child enjoy your time with us.