SPTC recently asked the Scottish Government some key questions about Curriculum for Excellence like, for example, "how can pupils fit in more than five subjects into S4?". We're now pleased to make the Government's answers available.
The answers to these questions are the official response from the Scottish Government.
1) How do the Curriculum Level 4 and National4/SCQF Level 4 relate to each other?
I have heard variously that they are different - the Curriculum Level 4 is equivalent to SCQF 3 - and that they are the same.
ANSWER: Whilst Curriculum and SCQF levels serve different purposes, the fourth curriculum level was designed to provide for learning and teaching broadly equivalent to the requirements at SCQF level 4, enabling smooth progression for young people from their early learning through to qualifications. Experiences and Outcomes at this level tend to be more specific than those for earlier levels. National 4 qualifications willl be developed to assess performance at this level, which is why SQA were involved in drafting the Experiences and Outcomes at this level. This is designed to help facilitate a smooth transition between the experiences and outcomes and the qualifications framework. The specification for individual National 4 qualifications will be defined in terms of particular skills and content that are more detailed than the Experiences and Outcomes. Those performing well at Curriculum Level 4 in S3 will be well placed to progress to SCQF 5 and beyond in the senior phase.
2) Given that the new National Courses are designed to be 120 hours, how will it be possible to fit more than five into a single school year?
When we (senior government official and SPTC officer) met, you said that this point had been covered many times, but I am unaware of any answer beyond "it is up to individual schools to design their own programmes" and, whilst this may be a valid answer, it is not one that inspires confidence in parents because not all schools will make good decisions. What is the national/official take on this?
ANSWER: The design length of new National Courses gives a broad indication of the amount of time a typical student might take to successfully cover the entire course and it has been normal for schools to allocate that time to groups of young people. However, there is nothing in national policy that prevents that period of study from starting before the end of S3. Thus a young person, or class, who has been working confidently at level 4 during S3 in a subject area is likely to build on this earlier work when studying for qualifications. Thus they will need to study for less than the design length of the course during S4. As at present, that will allow schools to timetable able pupils to achieve seven or eight awards at level 5 during S4. It is for schools to consider how they structure provision in S1 to S3 to enable that to happen, but a substantial amount of supported work is going on this year to develop a range of models and advice for schools. It is, of course, for individual pupils to decide what mix of subjects and levels they wish to take in discussion with the school and their parents and they may, for example, choose to take a smaller number of new courses in S4 or start courses in S4 designed to last more than one year.
3) How will moderation of the National 4 course work such that parents and employers will have confidence in the qualifications?
I (SPTC official) am well aware that HNCs and HNDs are well regarded courses that depend on moderation for quality control. However the HN courses are well established, there are only 40+ colleges compared to 450+ schools and volume makes a great difference when it comes to effective moderation. If parents lack confidence in the National 4s they will put great pressure on schools to allow their youngsters to sit National 5s in the same way as parents put pressure on schools to let pupils sit Highers rather than Intermediate 2s.
ANSWER: SQA are required to ensure that qualifications at all levels have credibility based on robust, moderated quality assurance procedures whether these are based on internal assessment, external assessment or both. Higher National provision, for example, is internally assessed and we know that HNC and HND awards command the confidence of employers, learners or educational establishments.
SQA, Scottish Government and the CfE Management Board recognise that the internal assessment used to support the award of National 4 courses needs to be clearly defined and rigorously applied in all establishments so that schools have the confidence to steer learners to the level that is appropriate for them. That will require investment in specification, exemplification, CPD and quality assurance and moderation processes and Scottish Government recognises that time, support and resources will be needed to support this work, as well as a clear programme plan to ensure effective implementation.
4) The Q & A's on the LTS (Learning and Teaching Scotland) website suggest that the National 4s and National 5s will be common courses with the outcome/final qualification determined by the qualification that the youngsters take and achieve. In courses where content actually matters - where there is a need for sequential learning - what will youngsters who get a National 4 do next if they wish to continue in the same subject?
At present a mix of level 4 and 5 qualifications is the outcome for the majority of students, those who are "average". However, many youngsters want to continue with a subject that they got a level 4 qualification in and currently they can take Intermediate 2. What will they do in the future? It would be a good idea to establish how many (the proportion of) youngsters currently get a level 4 qualification.
ANSWER: SQA's qualifications design teams will focus on ensuring appropriate progression through the qualifications framework in each curriculum area and within subjects. National 4 is designed to provide progression to National 5. The focus on improving progression and providing a range of qualifications to meet the needs of all learners will continue as a priority throughout the development phase. For some learners this will mean progressing to the same subject at National 5, for others it may mean lateral/horizontal progression to related subjects at National 4 and 5 and/or through individual Units or National Qualifications Group Awards (NQGAs). At present, there are some courses where moving to the next level involves new content and new skills and there are others where moving to the next level is characterised more by the quality of performance. To progress to the next level in that second group of subjects probably requires a focus on new topics/content in order to keep the learning fresh. That is in the nature of the subjects and the qualifications system has to support that variety of subject type. That challenge for course designers is not made harder or easier by the move to National 4 and National 5.
5) Early messages around CfE have all focused on skills - skills for life, skills for work, etc. However, knowledge matters albeit in some areas it is more central than in others. What reassurance can you offer that important bodies of knowledge will still be covered under CfE?
ANSWER: While an emphasis has been placed on skills, knowledge and understanding are essential to the development and application of skills. This has been reflected in the curriculum and will be reflected in the make-up of the new qualifications. The balance between specifying skills and specifying a body of knowledge will vary across subjects and will, as ever, be a matter for the subject experts who design individual courses working with SQA officers and committees.
January 2010.
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