Practitioner Guidance
National Care Standards
The ‘National care standards: early education and childcare up to the age of 16’ contains information and guidance on 7 principles known as:
- Dignity
- Privacy
- Choice
- Safety
- Realising Potential
- Equality
- Diversity
There are also 14 standards within the guidance that each provision in childcare is expected to provide. For further information please refer to The Scottish Government’s National Care Standards (revised March 2005)
Curriculum for Excellence (CFE)
The Curriculum for Excellence is the new curriculum now being delivered in Scotland. The CFE aims to encourage children to become:
- Responsible Citizens
- Confident Individuals
- Effective Contributors
- Successful Learners
While covering the 8 curriculum areas of:
- Expressive Arts
- Health & Wellbeing
- Languages
- Mathematics
- Religious & Moral Education
- Sciences
- Social Studies
- Technologies
the curriculum should ensure that it takes account of the 7 principles of:
- Challenge & Enjoyment
- Breadth
- Progression
- Depth
- Personalisation & Choice
- Coherence
- Relevance
For further information and guidance on how to implement the Curriculum for Excellence in Early Years centres please refer to the supporting guidance available on the Education Scotland website.
Child at the Centre 2
Part of the work in Early Years involves regularly engaging in Critical Self Reflection on the service being provided, whilst also having resources available to support and evidence the reflection process.
To support practitioners with the reflection process the Child at the Centre 2 document has been developed by HM Inspectorate of Education. This guidance will further support the use of the additional guidelines for Child at the Centre 2.