Curriculum
Every child and young person in Scotland is entitled to experience a broad general education, as described by the Scottish Government’s Curriculum for Excellence.
The curriculum is organised into eight broad categories.
Expressive arts
Includes art and design, dance, drama and music. Your child will get the chance to find out about and express their feelings and emotions and those of others.
Teachers plan and deliver lessons and projects in all four areas of the Expressive Arts – Art and design, Dance, Drama and Music. High Life Highland and Young Music Initiative support our school with PE and Music, who enhance the learning experiences on offer to the children.
In addition, there are ample opportunities throughout the year for children to prepare and showcase performances of singing, dancing and performance at assemblies and events.
Health and wellbeing
Mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing, planning for choices and changes, PE, activity and sport, food and health, substance misuse and relationships, sexual health and parenthood.
A holistic approach is taken to promote health and wellbeing in Kinlochleven Primary. Account is taken of the stage of growth, development and maturity of each individual as well as the social and community context. Within a progressive framework, children are provided opportunities to develop the knowledge and understanding, skills, capabilities and attributes, which they need for mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing now and in the future.
Promoting health and wellbeing at school is embedded in the variety of activities offered during the day and in extra-curricular activities. Class teachers plan and deliver lessons in physical education. Opportunities also lie within the context of Religious and Moral Education, Social Studies or as stand-alone topics. Health Week is an annual focus.
Languages
Includes learning about English as well as learning an additional language.
The development of literacy and language skills play important roles in all learning. Staff build on the foundation, which has been started at home and help children to use literacy skills for a variety of purposes. Literacy skills are regarded as essential life skills.
The four main outcomes are Listening, Talking, Reading, Writing.
Literacy and language skills are developed using all curricular areas. Staff exploit cross-curricular opportunities to promote literacy and language development, to help children see connections across the curriculum and to make learning meaningful. It is considered very important that children have a context and a purpose to motivate and stimulate them using language interestingly, imaginatively, appropriately and precisely.
French and Gaelic is taught in P6 and P7. The children begin with a focus on talking and listening with the pupils being encouraged to take an active part in role-play, games and songs. They are then encouraged to consolidate and further develop the listening alongside the more formal skills of reading and writing. Through presenting Modern Languages in an enjoyable and inclusive manner, we hope that our pupils will be able to make use of their increasing knowledge of a modern language successfully and confidently in a real international context.
Mathematics
Includes using real life experiences to make predictions, connect to other things, provide skills to understand and examine information, simplify and solve problems, assess risk and make informed decisions.
Mathematics involves the knowledge and understanding of processes and concepts, making connections and applying these in a range of contexts. Numeracy skills are regarded as essential life skills. Children come to school as active mathematical thinkers having, through trial and error, solved problems naturally in play and family life. At school children are provided with structure through which they can further develop skills, understand concepts and learn facts and techniques.
Mathematical activities are planned for the children through which they further develop their understanding of number, money, measure, shape, position and movement and information handling. Children will enjoy exploring, applying their thinking and presenting solutions to others in a variety of ways. At all stages collaborative learning encourages children to reason logically and creatively through discussion of mathematical ideas and concepts. Mental maths is a daily activity in all classes to develop quick recall, reinforce learning and apply to real life contexts.
Religious and moral education
Includes exploring the world’s major religions as well as views that are non-religious. Your child will think about their own beliefs and values.
Children learn about Christian practice in worship and the place of Christian action in the community. Children will also study other world religions in line with national guidelines.
This part of the curriculum operates through class teaching, assemblies, outside visits and visitors to school.
Weekly assemblies offer a space for reflection and celebration throughout the session. Diversity is celebrated; moral values are explored, established and reinforced through reflection, discovery and critical evaluation. The children are taught the importance of respect, tolerance and understanding.
RME is an important part of the curriculum and forms a significant part of our approach to developing and discussing respect, morality and values.
Any parent who wishes to exercise the right to withdraw their child from religious education/observance should inform the Head Teacher.
Sciences
Includes learning about the natural world and living things, forces, chemical changes and our senses.
Through our science programmes children develop their interest in and understanding of our living, material and the physical world.
There are five main learning outcomes:
Every opportunity is taken to make connections to other curricular areas. Children engage in a wide range of collaborative investigative tasks, which allow them to further their knowledge and understanding.
Social studies
Includes developing understanding of the world by learning about other people and their values, in different times, places and circumstances.
Programmes of study are planned to ensure continuity, depth and progression throughout the levels in Curriculum for Excellence and will include social studies topics relating to people, past events and societies; people, place and environment and people in society, economy and business.
Some studies may last several weeks; others will have a short-term focus. Educational outings are often linked to social studies topics and enhance the learning experiences of the children.
Technologies
Includes business, computing science, food, textiles, craft, engineering, graphics and applied technologies.
The technologies framework includes creative, practical and work-related experiences and outcomes in business, computing science, food, textiles, craft, design, engineering, graphics and applied technologies. As children play and learn, they develop an interest, confidence and enjoyment in technologies. Children also develop an understanding of the role and impact of technologies in Scotland and the global community.
ICT skills are developed through direct teaching but are also transferred and applied in different learning contexts. Interactive whiteboards are installed in all classrooms. They are successful in
More information about Curriculum for Excellence is available on the Education Scotland website http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learningandteaching/thecurriculum
At Kinlochleven Primary School we are committed to providing the widest possible range of experiences and opportunities for our children to learn, develop and grow. A key part of this development is the continuous assessment of educational progress and the recognition of the wider achievements in life which children experience.
Continuous assessment involves a varied combination of planned activities, formal assessments, discussions with pupils, observations of children working together and peer and self evaluation to support learning. By collecting information in a range of ways we value the experiences and strengths of children and can plan for progress and report this progress to parents and pupils.
Throughout the year pupils complete Key Assessment Tasks which focuses on a specific area of the curriculum. In Nursery, assessment of pupils is collated termly into statements of progress in a Learner’s Journey. These are shared with parents so they can view at any time.
Parents receive information on their children’s progress through learning overviews, homework and other communications from the class teacher. Learning is shared through the school’s website and Seesaw and through sharing learning events which give pupils an opportunity to share and discuss their learning with their parents. Formal reporting takes the form of annual individual parent meetings and a written report on progress each session.
