Curriculum Rationale & Overview

"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."  (Building the Curriculum 3: A Framework for Learning and Teaching, Education Scotland)

As a school we take great pride in knowing every individual; valuing, supporting and challenging to ensure success is achieved in all areas.  Elgin High School is a truly inclusive school which continually meets the needs of all young people in its community.  This is highlighted in our motto of Working Together for Success.  Many of our students move on to a variety of University and Higher Education opportunities whilst others establish themselves in a range of employment pathways across the world.  Through strong partnership working our students play a key role in many events, experiences and activities throughout our local community.  With a comprehensive range of courses at all levels reflecting our ever changing world, Elgin High School provides a curriculum that stimulates and encourages all young people to fulfil their potential.

Along with academic attainment and achievement, we at Elgin High School place the personal development of all young people very highly.  Our core values of: Respect, Responsibility, Resilience, Support and Success, equip students from S1 to S6 to engage with activities both inside and outside the classroom, allowing them to develop skills such as creative thinking, communications, team work, enterprise and leadership.  Through their awareness of healthy lifestyles, environmental and global issues our young people will play a key role in the future of our society.

To design our curriculum, we undertake the key steps outlined in the "Refreshed Narrative for Curriculum for Excellence":

As with all state schools in Scotland, our curriculum is based on the Curriculum for Excellence framework and documentation. The infographics below provide more information about the key aspects of Curriculum for Excellence. More detailed information on Curriculum for Excellence can be found on Education Scotland's website here. 

There are four fundamental capacities that our curriculum is designed to enable our learners to become and they should experience this across four contexts of learning:

Our School Context

Elgin High School is a non-denominational six-year secondary school serving the community of Elgin South, including the rural areas of Birnie, Longmorn and Miltonduff.   In September 2021, the roll was 796 students. The school occupies a modern building which opened in 2018 and contains excellent resources & facilities including:

We also have an extensive ASN department, which houses an Enhanced Provision facility for pupils with severe & complex additional support needs.

We have experienced significant roll growth in recent years, with this being predicted to continue over the next few years. Our catchment area is expanding rapidly due to the construction of new homes to the south of Elgin. This has not only increased the overall number of pupils in the area, but also widened the breadth of backgrounds from which our pupils come to us. In addition, we also have a significant number of placing requests each year from outside of our catchment area.

In addition, we have seen an increase in the percentage of pupils staying at school to complete a full senior phase S4-S6. This increases the demand for a wider range of courses in our Senior Phase in order for our curriculum to meets our learners’ needs. 

Local Labour Market Information

Elgin High School is situated within the largest town and the central economic hub in Moray. However, it’s location on the A96 corridor means that the area has a significant number of employment opportunities linked to neighbouring Local Authorities e.g. Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Highland. The area has traditionally had a wide mix of industries ranging from those linked to its coastal location e.g. Fishing, Aquaculture etc. to those linked to defence due to the nearby military bases in Kinloss and Lossiemouth. There has also been a traditional focus on food and drink production due to Elgin’s proximity to manufacturers such as Walkers, Baxter’s and the whisky and spirits industry.

However, there is a changing employment landscape in Moray, as can be seen from the infographic below:

With a significant growth in Health & Care employment opportunities, alongside professional occupations such as teaching and corporate management requiring SCQF level 7-10 qualifications, it is essential that our curriculum provides both breadth and depth for our pupils to ensure that they leave with the qualifications and skills necessary to enable them to pursue these professions post-school. 

So how do we structure our curriculum to meet our learners' needs at Elgin High School? 

Please use the buttons below to find out more about our curriculum model and how we embed skills for learning, life and work.