Making Progress in Curriculum for Excellence
Curriculum Levels
There are five curriculum levels - Early, First, Second, Third and Fourth - in the broad general education from early years to the end of S3, plus the Senior Phase. The senior phase is for young people aged 15-18 and is designed to build on the experiences and outcomes of the broad general education, and to allow young people to take qualifications and courses that suit their ability and interests
Moving Through the Levels
This is a simplified guide as children will move through the levels (and different subjects) at their own pace. For example, a child can be in Primary 4 but progressing quickly, so would perhaps move on to a higher level ahead of other classmates. Children can be at different levels in different areas of the Curriculum and their progress may speed up and slow down throughout their time in school; for a whole range of reasons.
Achieving Early Level
When we talk about children's progress we are thinking about how well they are achieving compared to their own progress, and where that achievement would sit when thinking about the levels described above. So normally in ELC and p1 we would be talking about children working within Early Level, with most achieving Early Level by the end of p1....
Achieving First Level
...and similarly we would be talking about children working within First Level through p2,p3 and p4 ; with most achieving First Level by the end of p4...
Achieving Second Level
... which leads to p5, p6 and p7 working within Second Level and most achieving Second Level by the end of p7.