Following the OECD review of Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence, Education Scotland is leading a refreshed and updated national curriculum framework through the Curriculum Improvement Cycle (CIC). This work aims to ensure that the curriculum remains relevant, future-focused and responsive to the needs of children and young people in a rapidly changing world.

The refreshed framework will provide greater clarity and consistency for schools while continuing to support high-quality teaching, learning and achievement. It is being developed in collaboration with educators, learners, parents and partners across Scotland to ensure every child has access to an engaging, inclusive and ambitious education that prepares them for life, learning and work.

The Curriculum Improvement Cycle began in 2024 following recommendations from the OECD review. Draft curriculum guidance is being developed between 2024 and 2027, with renewed curriculum guidance expected to be available to schools in 2027. Implementation is planned to begin from August 2028 for children and young people from Primary 1 to S3, with changes for the Senior Phase (S4–S6) following from the 2029/30 academic year.

CURRICULUM FOR EXCELLENCE

Scotland’s curriculum – Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) – helps our children and young people gain the knowledge, skills and attributes needed for life in the 21st century.

Curriculum for Excellence places learners at the heart of education. At its centre are four fundamental capacities. These capacities reflect and recognise the lifelong nature of education and learning. The four capacities are aimed at helping children and young people to become:

Curriculum is defined as the totality of all that is planned for children and young people from early learning and childcare, through school and beyond. That totality can be planned for and experienced by learners across four contexts: 

There are eight curriculum areas:

• Expressive arts

• Health and Wellbeing

• Languages (including English, Gaidhlig, Gaelic learners and modern languages)

• Mathematics

• Religious and moral education

• Sciences

• Social studies

• Technologies.

Literacy, Numeracy and Health and Wellbeing are recognised as being particularly important – these areas are seen as being the ‘responsibility of all’ staff.

This diagram shows the five curriculum levels with progression to the senior phase (S4-S6).

Early level: Age 3 to P1
First level: P2, P3, P4
Second level: P5, P6, P7
Third/Fourth level: S1, S2, S3
Senior phase: S4, S5, S6