Scotland's Curriculum

For Excellence

Putting learners at the heart of education

As part of their learner journey, all children and young people in Scotland are entitled to experience a coherent curriculum from 3 to 18, in order that they have opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to adapt, think critically and flourish
in today’s world.

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:

Scotland's Approach

What Matters?

How We Do It

Individual settings and practitioners are empowered to make
the decisions needed to provide a coherent, flexible and enriched curriculum that is adaptable and responsive to the diverse needs
of individual learners and which reflects the uniqueness of
their communities.

Curriculum Entitlements

Children and young people’s rights and entitlements are central to Scotland’s curriculum and every child and young person is entitled to experience:

• a curriculum which is coherent from 3 to 18

• a broad general education, including well planned experiences and outcomes

across all the curriculum areas from early years through to S3. This includes understanding the world, Scotland’s place in it and the environment, referred

to as Learning for Sustainability

• a senior phase after S3, which provides opportunities to attain and achieve,

including to study for qualifications, awards and other planned activities to

develop the four capacities

• opportunities for developing skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work

• opportunities to maximise their individual potential, benefitting from appropriate

personal support and challenge

• support to help them move into positive and sustained destinations

beyond school