Curriculum for Excellence

Scotland’s curriculum – Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) – helps our learners gain the knowledge, skills and attributes needed for life in the 21st century. It is divided into two phases: the broad general education and the senior phase. 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:

  • Successful learners
  • Confident individuals
  • Responsible citizens
  • Effective contributors

As part of their learner journey, all learners 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 :

  • Curriculum areas and subjects
  • Interdisciplinary learning
  • Ethos and life of the school
  • Opportunities for personal achievement

Children’s rights and entitlements are central to Scotland’s curriculum and every learner 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.

Related links

  • The purpose of the Curriculum – The purpose of the curriculum is encapsulated in the four capacities – to enable each child or young person to be a successful learner, a confident individual, a responsible citizen and an effective contributor.