Early learning and childcare quality indicators: Curriculum

'Very good' curriculum rationale and design

Our curriculum is ambitious, holistic and built upon trusting, nurturing relationships. It promotes and upholds the rights of the child as stated in the UNCRC. Local and national guidance and evidence-based research influence and inform us as we review and refresh our curricular approaches.

Our creative and responsive approach to curriculum design ensures that learning is current, dynamic and supports children to receive their entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum.

Outdoor learning is a valued and embedded part of our curriculum design. It offers rich opportunities for inquiry, exploration and wellbeing, and is planned progressively to support children’s development and learning across curricular areas. We ensure challenge and enjoyment, breadth, progression, depth, personalisation and choice, coherence and relevance across the curriculum. Creativity and learning for sustainability are embedded in our curriculum design.

The purpose of our curriculum is clear and understood by staff, children, families and partners. Our curriculum supports us to be clear on the knowledge and skills that underpin curriculum areas. We ensure our curriculum supports children to become successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors.

‘Weak’ curriculum rationale and design

There are important weaknesses in the design and implementation of our curriculum. We do not make effective use of national guidance or evidence-based research to inform our approach.

Our rationale for our curriculum is unclear and is not underpinned by the principles for curriculum design. While we may offer children a range of experiences indoors and outdoors, these are not planned or progressive. These experiences do not result in children developing sufficient knowledge, skills or attributes.

'Very good' continuity and progression in the curriculum

Our curriculum is highly responsive to the uniqueness of each child, their family and the context of our community. It is co-created with stakeholders to deliver excellence and equity for all children. The implementation of our curriculum supports children to receive continuity and progression in learning across all curricular areas.

Our staff use robust approaches for gathering, recording and sharing information about learning that informs the implementation of our curriculum. We work collaboratively with colleagues to ensure all children experience high-quality transitions within and beyond the setting. Our approaches to transition are highly effective in building on children’s learning to support curriculum continuity and progression.

‘Weak’ continuity and progression in the curriculum

Our lack of information on children as learners significantly impacts on how we support continuity and progression within and across the early level of Curriculum for Excellence. Planning is not consistently based on what children already know and can do. Transitions do not support or build on prior learning. This results in missed opportunities to extend or deepen learning.

‘Very good' partnerships

We know our community and context very well and seek out and foster meaningful relationships with a wide range of partners. Our curriculum is significantly enriched through these strong relationships and the highly effective contributions of carefully chosen and sustained partnerships.

We value and respect the essential contributions of families to children’s learning. Parents/carers understand the role they play and are empowered to contribute to our curriculum. We engage very effectively with parents/carers and support a range of parental engagement activities, including family learning. We actively involve stakeholders in meaningful ways to plan and deliver exciting and engaging opportunities across the curriculum.

‘Weak’ partnerships

Our partnerships are limited and not well integrated into curriculum planning or delivery. The range of partnerships that we have are not of high enough quality or quantity to enrich our curriculum or reflect the needs of our setting. We do not engage families meaningfully as partners in learning. This limits the relevance and reach of the curriculum we provide.

'Very good' skills for life and learning

We provide very good opportunities to support the development of children’s skills for life and learning. This includes a knowledge and understanding of the world in which they live and grow. Children develop these skills through a broad range of experiences within motivating and relevant contexts.

Children ask questions, consider and make connections across learning to make sense of and care for the world around them. Digital literacy is embedded across our curriculum, enabling children to explore, create and connect with the world beyond their immediate experience.

Our nurturing approaches ensure that children develop positive attitudes towards change and show determination to succeed in their chosen experiences. All our children are supported to develop the skills, confidence and motivation to initiate and participate in improvements to our setting and community.

’’Weak’ skills for life and learning

Our curriculum does not provide sufficient opportunities for children to develop the skills and attributes they need to adapt, thrive and learn. Experiences are often disconnected from real-world or meaningful contexts.

Digital literacy and outdoor learning are not embedded, limiting children’s opportunities to develop essential skills. As a result, children’s learning lacks challenge, coherence and depth, and outcomes are diminished.

The following challenge questions can support your self-evaluation:

• How do we ensure the rationale for our curriculum is underpinned by children’s rights and informed by local and national guidance and evidence-based research?

• In what ways and how effectively do we involve staff and stakeholders to co-create the curriculum to respond to the needs and interests of individual children?

• In what ways do we share the purpose of our curriculum with children, parents/carers, staff, and partners?

• To what extent does the curriculum take account of and respond to potential barriers in learning?

• How well do we ensure continuity and progression in the curriculum at key points of transition including when children move onto another playroom, setting or school?

• How do our partnerships enhance and positively impact the design and implementation of the curriculum?

• In what ways does our curriculum foster creativity, enterprise, outdoor learning and learning for sustainability?

• To what extent does our curriculum promote equality and diversity?

• How well does our curriculum promote and support children’s skills for life and learning including learning with, through and about digital technologies?