Search by topic
New SQA liaison team to support CfE
To support the roll out of CfE in secondary schools and colleges, the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has created a team of specialists to visit centres to explain the initiative and respond to feedback.
Heading up the CfE Centre Liaison Team is manager Jacqui Murray who appreciates that some teachers will feel that CfE is a challenge.
She said: "In general, I think there is a great enthusiasm for CfE as it gives teachers the freedom to deliver teaching in a way that is in the best interests of their pupils - and who knows what children need better than their teachers?"
CfE has already been rolled out in primary schools. S1 pupils are the first cohort to be taught under the new curriculum - and will be the first to sit the new National Qualifications in 2014.
Overview of Qualifications Reports outlining the subjects and levels in which qualifications will be developed are currently available on the SQA website - www.sqa.org.uk/curriculumforexcellence
Jacqui said: "I believe teachers will find that the actual curriculum has not changed much - but the real change and challenge for them is the way they deliver their subjects.
"My team and I are visiting every school and college in Scotland to explain the development and delivery of the new national qualifications, answer questions that teachers have and collect feedback to gauge what further support centres need to deliver CfE."
In January 2011, SQA will publish the rationales and course summaries for National 4 and National 5 which will help teachers understand how the qualifications for each subject will look. These are currently being designed. Teachers also have the opportunity to submit feedback on all of the draft documents available on the website.
Jacqui added: "We've all seen how hard teachers have been working to prepare for CfE for the start of this 2010/11 session. It's worth remembering that schools will have to teach the new curriculum alongside the 'previous' one until the current S2 cohort leave school or go on to further education at 16.
"As CfE is rolled out we want to identify the hot topics and provide support around these areas. And it's not just teachers that are affected, as administration staff will have to understand aspects of the new qualifications, such as entering pupil data on the computer system.
"If we pick up general concerns about subjects we will feed this back to our Qualifications Design Teams for review."
But you don't have to wait until one of the CfE Centre Liaison Team visits your school to raise any issues. The SQA website has the facility to let you have your say - www.sqa.org.uk/haveyoursay
"We want to encourage everyone to get involved and have their say," said Jacqui. "It's all about working in partnership."
CfE Liaison Managers
Meet the Team
Donna Vivers
Background: Youth Education
Charlie O'Donnell
Background: Centre Manager
Scott Murphy
Background: Teacher
Annette McKenna
Background: Teacher
Kelly Milford
Background: Prince's Trust