Our Curriculum

Curriculum for Excellence

The principles and aims of a Curriculum for Excellence (Scotland's national curriculum), Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) and Developing the Young Workforce (DYW), underpin everything we do at Dalbeattie High School. Information on each can be found via the links to the right.

The Broad General Education (S1-S3)

Our S1-S3 students continue with the Broad General Education they began in Primary School. This ensures coverage of eight curricular areas:

 

  • English
  • Mathematics
  • Expressive Arts (including Art & Design, Drama and Music)
  • Health and Wellbeing (including Physical Education and Personal and Social Education)
  • Modern Foreign Languages (including French and Spanish)
  • Religious and Moral Education
  • Sciences
  • Social Subjects (including Geography, History and Modern Studies)
  • Technologies (including Home Economics, Administration & IT, Craft, Design and Technology and Computing)

 

Our curriculum aims to develop students' knowledge, skills and attributes. The content of courses is informed by national Experiences and Outcomes. Assessment of outcomes is informed by national Benchmarks.


To keep track of students' learning in each of the curricular areas, we think about their progress in terms of five Levels. In general, students work to achieve the Early, First and Second Levels in Primary school; in Secondary school, they are working to achieve the Third and Fourth Levels.


Assessment in S1-3 is designed by teachers in our school. We use this to collect evidence of each student's progress towards achieving a curriculum Level. Different students progress through the curriculum at different rates, but as a general guide it is expected that students should be:

 

  • achieving the Second Level by the end of Primary 7, meaning that they are starting to work at the Third Level in S1 ;
  • achieving the Third Level by the end of S3 , but many will achieve this Level before that point, meaning that they will be working at the Fourth Level.

 

A student's curriculum includes learning opportunities beyond traditional subject areas. e.g. via clubs, sports, school shows and performances, assemblies, wider achievement awards such as Duke of Edinburgh, volunteering, being on committees, and via our S1 and S2 skills programme.


Towards the end of S2, students begin to personalise their curriculum by choosing six subjects to study in S3. Choices must include at least one subject from each curricular area. All students continue with the study of English, Mathematics, RME and PSE.


Towards the end of S3, students personalise their curriculum further as they prepare for the Senior Phase of their education. They usually choose seven course to study in the Senior Phase. These courses are called "Nationals" and are offered at different levels e.g. National 3, National 4, National 5.

The Senior Phase (S4-S6)

The Senior Phase is the stage of the curriculum where students work towards achieving national qualifications and experiences that will prepare them for life post school. Usually, these qualifications are achieved by studying Scottish Qualification Award (SQA) courses. A range of different levels of qualification are available, including National 3, National 4, National 5, Higher, Advanced Higher. We also provide the option for Skills for Work (SfW), National Progression Awards (NPAs) and Foundation apprenticeships (FAs). Details about the different levels offered can be found at the Scottish Credit & Qualifications Framework website. 


National 5 or similar courses have four periods each week allocated and Higher or similar have five periods each week allocated as a part of the timetable.


For all of these courses, there is a significant amount of responsibility for young people to undertake independent out-with lessons.


Beyond SQA courses, a student's curriculum in the Senior Phase includes core provision sch as PE, PSE and RME, along with wider achievement opportunities e.g. through work placements, volunteering, committees and wider achievement awards. 

Options Information

Our Faculties

Organisation and management of subjects in the school is divided into four faculties. Further information about the specifics of subjects and courses can be found within each of the faculty pages linked below.

Dalbeattie High School Curriculum Model

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