5-18 Curriculum

The National Guidelines of the 5-18 curriculum is designed so that all students, "regardless of age, gender, physical and social circumstances, enjoy an educational experience [...] that is coherent, continuous and challenging." (p.1) This is achieved by giving each area of study their own particular guidelines to follow. History place within Environmental Studies plays a big part in ensuring these goals are attained. Some of the key ideas of this 5 -18 curriculum are breadth, progression and continuity of learning. To ensure that these aims are met, they must be developed within the framework, course planning and attainment outcomes for History.

The curriculum is designed with many features to enable students to get the most out of their education. This framework is designed to offer students knowledge and understanding, and one the most important ways to achieve this is by offering a breadth to a students learning of history, which is varied and accessible. For the process to be successful, a wide spectrum of historical knowledge must be taught in a succinct manner. Students are given a variety of historical topics to choose from, starting in Standard Grade with Changing Life in Scotland and Britain, International Co-operation and Conflict and People and Power. As students move on into the Intermediate levels, the Higher Grade and then Advanced Higher, the courses, while remaining on the same topics, broaden and expand by offering students a more focused approach to these same subject matter. "The aims of the course are to acquire breadth and depth in the knowledge and understanding of historical topics and to develop skills of explaining developments and events, and evaluating sources (p.5, Intermediate 1 web site?) These courses are also studied across a wide breadth of places such as Scotland, Britain and Europe, as well as throughout historical times, such as Medieval, Early Modern and Later Modern periods.

The 5-18 Curriculum in History ensures progression for students at all levels of courses. Students are continuously given chances to work towards the next stage by developing needed tools such as planning, developing ideas, testing, analysing, evaluating and reporting in the study of history. In order to achieve this students must progress successfully through the four levels of study in secondary schools in Scotland, which are Standard Grade, Intermediate, Higher Grade and Advanced Higher. Each level is designed to ensure that students learn the knowledge and understanding appropriate to their needs, as well as to prepare them for the next level of study.

Standard Grade offers students three levels of courses or units. Access One is designed for students with needs for assistance with their learning, while Access Two offers moderate support if students should need it. Access Three is the regular Standard Grade level, and prepares students to continue on the Intermediate One and Two.

The Intermediate levels offer more challenging courses, which are useful steps for moving on towards Higher Grade. Students are also now offered the chance to go directly into Intermediate level if they are ready, but the curriculum states that it is important for the student to only attempt the course at their appropriate level in regards to their needs.

Tools gained in both the Standard Grade level and the Intermediate levels offer students an option to move on to Higher Grade, and Advanced Higher. These classes are developed to give student's the skills and knowledge that are needed to move forward into post-secondary education.

All these levels are designed to offer history in a hierarchical manner so as to allow students to progress to the next level so that their ability is more or less in line with their knowledge base. The attainment targets are set up to focus on a students progression, as students are expected to progress in their course level as well as the attainment levels A-F. Attainment outcomes are thus developed in order to offer students reasons for pursuing a higher level