Scottish education is changing for young people. In August 2010, Curriculum for Excellence, the new 3-18 curriculum in Scotland, was implemented in all schools.
Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) is being introduced to raise standards of learning and teaching and help improve children's life chances, equipping young people to meet the challenges of the modern world and apply their skills to whatever lies ahead.
So what does this look like in North Lanarkshire schools and how have they been preparing for these changes?
Every year group and all staff members are involved in 'Newman Enterprise Day', an interdisciplinary learning experience across the whole school. Health and Well Being, Numeracy, Literacy and Communication skills are experienced and each of the CfE principles covered in a variety of ways depending on the activities undertaken.
The purpose of the day is to raise achievement, build self-confidence, respect others, make informed choices and enhance learning and teaching across the school by building upon positive relationships. Proposed outcomes such as this cannot be delivered in a single subject or curriculum insert. Rather, they are at the core of the school and play a key part of the school ethos.
On Newman Enterprise Day, all staff and students are taken off the formal timetable for the day and the day is devoted to 'sharing gifts'. Workshops and activities include: - athletics, pottery, sugar craft, theatre workshops, card-making, study skills, enterprise skills and team building. Staff, both teaching and non-teaching, are encouraged to move out of their comfort zone and share a skill that would be transferable and enhance the learning experience of students.
What makes this different to anything they have done before is that the day was planned by and for pupils. The idea for this type of event was initiated through discussions with the S6 council - enabling them the opportunity to take the initiative a lead.
Engaging staff and students in activities such as these and allowing pupils to see staff in different settings can only serve to strengthen relationships. Providing detailed and realistic links between what is learned during Newman Enterprise Day and the value these skills bring to individuals provides a genuine insight into what success can look like and what can be achieved by informed decision making in the process of planning for a successful future.
Isabelle Boyd, Head Teacher, said:
"I saw pupils and staff interacting in a completely different way. It was great to see youngsters getting involved and having the confidence to speak out and share their opinions and ideas with others. I saw some of our pupils in a completely different light - confident and included."
A pupil involved on the day said:
"It was fun and enjoyable working with other people and discussing other people's thoughts. I thought we were good at time-keeping and communication - sadly, we didn't win."
And another pupil stated:
"I enjoyed this activity because I liked the pressure and it gave me an insight into what running a business is like."