Active Learning Curriculum for ExcellenceMoira Lawson

National Context

Priorities for ScotlandHealth and Well-being

Early Years Strategy

Curriculum for Excellence

An ambitious and aspirational programme

Curriculum for Excellence

• At the heart of an active learning approach is the creative, adaptable professional who can enjoy developing the ideas that arise from children immersed in their learning.

Building the curriculum 2.

active learning in the early years

Key Features

• Focus practice on the child and development of the four capacities to maximise potential and develop skills for life

• Simplify and prioritise the current curriculum• Encourage more experiential learning• Create a single framework for the curriculum

and assessment 3-18 • Leadership at all levels

The Challenges!

• Improving the quality of learning and teaching• Promoting active learning, motivation and progress• Personalisation and choice• Transition and continuity• Effective Inclusion• Tuning into parents – Effective Partnerships• Giving every child the best possible education for life

Dynamic Play

• Spontaneous and led by children• Planned and purposeful• Time for investigating, exploring and

experimenting• Quality range of learning opportunities, which

motivate and engage children• Responsive and inter-active support• Collaborative

Play brings together and connects different parts of the network of learning. It uses real first hand experiences, games with rules, representation, and helps children reflect on and try out ideas, feelings and relationships. Play co-ordinates a child’s development and learning.”

Tina Bruce “Helping Young Children to Play” 1996

What might active learning look like?

• Motivated children fully engaged in their learning

• Imaginative contexts to create learning across the curriculum

• High quality, interesting resources and effective staff interaction encourage curiosity, challenge, investigation and creativity

• Planned opportunities for pupils to develop a wide range of skills and knowledge through purposeful activity

Active Learning

Involve children in planning and evaluating their learning, building on previous experiences

Give children a voice and opportunities to share their ideas through responsive planning

Create an exciting learning environment, which empowers children to explore, research and experiment

Provide focused, quality teaching and challenge to extend learning and promote confidence

Supporting Transition

•Core features which we need to provide to support children to be effective learners •An exciting yet familiar environment which offers children opportunities to build on previous skills and experiences•Balance between child centred and child directed play opportunities•Staff intervene to scaffold learning and support progression•Clear evidence of children’s achievements

Effective InclusionEffective Inclusion

Curriculum for Excellence philosophy is inclusion at all levels for all childrenCareful attention is paid to monitoring the progress of children with additional needsOpen collaboration with a range of appropriate agencies to support children and familiesStaff adapt activities to meet the needs of individuals and have high expectations of all children in their learning

Partnership with Parents

• Recognise the interests and experiences that children bring from home and use these to extend learning

• Reassure that children will learn effectively through experiences and share observations/assessments

• Encourage and promote involvement in the life of the school and their children’s learning

• Explain the curriculum and national initiatives• Actively seek to share children’s successes and

achievements

Designing an appropriate curriculum to support young people develop their skills for life

“This is a vision, not just for education, but for the kind of

people that education must aspire to shape”

(A Curriculum for Excellence)

“Never lose sight of the bairns!”