The document summarizes a self-evaluation of the curriculum at CCHS. It discusses the strengths and areas for improvement in four themes: 1) the rationale and design of the curriculum, 2) the development of the curriculum, 3) programs and courses, and 4) transitions between stages of education. Some key strengths identified include staff engagement in curriculum development and collaboration. Areas for development include further developing interdisciplinary learning, ensuring curriculum supports positive career outcomes, and improving tracking of student progress and skills development. The document outlines action points for school leadership and all staff to address areas for improvement.

1. Self evaluation at CCHS
2014/15
The Curriculum
Learners' Experiences

2. The ‘Four Contexts of Learning’
 Curriculum areas, subjects and courses
 The ethos and life of the school as a
community
 Interdisciplinary Learning
 Opportunities for personal achievement

3. Theme 1 The Rationale and Design of
the Curriculum
Our curriculum challenges and supports our young
people to achieve their full potential. All our young
people are expected to attain qualifications at the
highest level possible. The curriculum is the vehicle
through which our young people are supported and
challenged to become successful learners, confident
individuals, effective contributors and responsible
citizens who move into positive and sustained
destinations when they leave school.
Underpinning the curriculum is a commitment to
learning for sustainability as enshrined in the
school’s vision and values.

4. Theme 1 – The Rationale and Design of
the Curriculum. Next Steps.
 Ensure that we are all committed to the rationale.
 Continue to closely monitor the impact of the design
of the curriculum on outcomes for young people
 Sample pathways through the curriculum as
experienced by pupils
 Review the S1 and S2 ‘Personalisation and Choice’
and ESD courses.
 Explore ways of embedding STEM and LfS into the
BGE.

5. Theme 2 – The Development of the
Curriculum. Strengths.
 All staff have engaged in the development of the curriculum
and are regularly reviewing its impact on pupils.
 Staff are working collaboratively in and beyond school.
 All staff are aware of their role in promoting the school’s vision
and values and the development of the attributes and
capabilities underpinning the 4 capacities.
 Some excellent examples of curriculum development through
effective partnership working which has resulted in exciting,
challenging, innovative and worthwhile learning opportunities.

6. Theme 2 – The Development of the
Curriculum. Areas for development.
 Further develop a range of IDL opportunities across
the 4 contexts of learning for all year groups.
 Engage with the recommendations from the
‘Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young
Workforce Report’ (The Wood Commission)
 Embed the monitoring and tracking of personal or
wider achievement and monitor its implementation.

7. Theme 3 – Programmes and Courses.
Strengths (a Selection!)
 Staff are designing and refreshing programmes and courses
using the Es and Os and qualifications and award specs to plan
a coherent approach to learning, teaching and assessment and
to ensure the development of knowledge and skills as well as
the attributes and capabilities of the 4 capacities.
 Staff are increasingly confident in their use of the Es and Os to
provide motivating and challenging learning experiences.
 In S3 programmes and courses are based on the Es and Os
typically at 3rd
and 4th
curriculum levels. For some, appropriately
challenging learning experiences involve extending the
challenge of learning at 4th
curriculum level into National 5 level
work.
 Staff are supporting pupils to acquire key skills in literacy,
numeracy and health and well being.

8. Theme 3- Programmes and Courses.
Areas for development.
 Consider practical ways in which the recommendations from
the DYW can be incorporated into courses and programmes.
 Support staff in using the new terminology of ‘working within’,
‘working well within’ and ‘has achieved’ levels and ensure this
is consistent across the school and is understood by all.
 Support staff in ensuring a shared understanding of ‘breadth,
challenge and application’ of learning. Ensure pupils are
experiencing appropriate breadth, challenge and application.
 Support staff to be more explicit in identifying the skills which
pupils are developing and ensure pupils ‘know how to apply
knowledge and skills in the real world and know why we are
doing tasks’ (pupils’ own words).

9. Theme 4 – Transitions. Strengths ( a
selection!)
 Staff and partners collaborate to ensure continuity
and progression in learning across all curriculum
areas between P7 and S1.
 All staff are engaged in the S3 Review of Learning.
These are used by pupils to create their S3 Profile
and by SLT/PSLs in course choice.
 Some staff are taking steps to ensure their faculty
has an impact on positive and sustained
destinations.
 The ’16+ Group’ plays a key role in securing positive
destinations for the most vulnerable young people.

10. Theme 4. Transitions. Areas for
Development.
 All faculties to assess the validity of the levels received from
Primaries.
 All pupils will be provided with resources to monitor and track
their own progress and will have easy access to these. The P7
Profile will be the starting point. These will be developed in
consultation with pupils to ensure they are relevant and related
to what is being done throughout the school.
 The S3 Reviews of Learning will include pupils’ levels.
 All Faculties should consider ways in which they can contribute
to identifying and encouraging positive and sustained
destinations for pupils.

11. Shared Classroom Experiences
February 2015. Strengths.
 The School Ethos. Young people are very respectful of each
other and of their teachers. Positive relationships and
exemplary behaviour are evident throughout the school.
Established routines evident in almost all classes
 Some excellent examples of questioning by teachers; pupils
working independently and collaboratively; some excellent
examples of Learning Intentions; some excellent examples of
modelled exemplification.
Pupils noted that they are helped to learn through working with
others/discussing/peer explanations/figuring things out; teacher
explanations including clear LI and SC; examples of good work;
appropriate amount of teacher talk/task; links to the real world
and knowing why they are doing tasks.

12. Shared Classroom Experiences
February 2015. Areas for Development.
 Pupils frequently ‘off task’ but not disruptive. Little pace and
challenge for many pupils not just the most able. Little
differentiation. A lot of copying was evident.
Pupils noted that it can take a while to move on to new
work and that they go over work a lot when they
already understand it. Reported chatting or being
given pointless extra work if finished early. Copying
was noted by many pupils as a common task and
they noted problems of ‘zoning out’ and not retaining
information although they liked the notes for test
revision.

13. Shared Classroom Experiences
February 2015. Areas for Development.
 Many pupils were unaware of their levels or what
they need to do to improve.
 Some Focus Group pupils knew their levels, other
didn’t. Pupils noted that they found the learning logs
used in some classes useful. Pupils find comments
on work helpful; specific and focused written and
verbal feedback is helpful; some strategies like two
stars and a wish help them focus on next steps;
debrief after tests is useful but grades alone are
unhelpful. Senior students found target grades
unhelpful and demotivating and don’t find completing
target setting booklets helpful.

14. Shared Classroom Experiences
February 2015. Areas for Development
 There was little evidence of ICT being used
effectively in the classroom. Questioning of pupils
indicated that it is not being used much.
 Pupils cited that there is limited use of ICT and it
decreases in the SP. Sometimes used for research,
games, recording of performances, taking notes.
Pupils find using ICT engaging but perhaps not in the
same way as staff hope they will! Eg Edmodo in the
BGE.

15. Pupils Focus Group Comments
February 2015. Other areas to think
about.
 Pupils struggled to identify skills which were
developed in class.
 Getting asked questions was quite a negative
experience for many pupils. They said that
teachers either asked the same people
(those with their hands up) or those that they
think aren’t listening. They dislike when
teachers comment that they should know the
answer when they don’t.

16. Action Points in the short term for SLT
and LT
 Agree the most effective use of the ‘Personalisation and Choice’ and
ESD periods in S1 and S2 and plan for session 2015/16.
 Sample pathways through the curriculum for a selection of pupils
 Engage with ‘The Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young
Workforce Report’
 Review the current target setting booklets, pupils planners and profiling
through consultation with staff and pupils and ensure a streamlined
and efficient system for session 2015/16
 Explore appropriate training opportunities for the identified ‘areas for
development’ using, where possible, the expertise of CCHS staff
 Monitor, track and celebrate wider achievement

17. Action points in the short term for all
staff
 Ensure that all pupils know their levels and ensure that S3 pupils put
these in their Reviews of Learning.
 Incorporate pupils’ suggestions for effective feedback into lessons.
 Be explicit, through LIs and SC, about the skills pupils are developing
through lessons.
 Discuss – are primary levels valid and reliable and report back to DM
by the Easter holiday.
 Engage in professional discussion and share good practice about: the
effective use of ICT; effective questioning; increasing pace and
challenge and differentiating tasks, activities and resources; breadth,
challenge and application. The aim is to incorporate actions from these
discussions into next session’s Improvement plans.
 Ask the question – do pupils need to copy? How else can they get
notes they need?