Integral skills
Creativity and innovation
Learning in this Area should provide opportunities to experiment with and use languages creatively in order to give learners the confidence to take risks, to express opinions and to generate ideas across languages that can lead to innovative outcomes. They can develop their creativity through opportunities to create and perform literature. Creative expression can enhance learners’ understanding of the key concepts as well as the method of expression itself.
Critical thinking and problem-solving
In this Area listening, reading, speaking and writing should underpin the development of critical thinking and problem-solving. These skills can be honed by communicating with others in order to understand situations and articulate ideas and to develop responses to problems.
Personal effectiveness
Learners should develop their personal effectiveness and self-awareness when learning and using their languages, which will in turn support learning across the whole curriculum. Providing a language-rich environment should support all learners to reflect on their own strengths in language use, and identify their own areas of development in order to continuously enhance their language and communication skills.
Planning and organising
Learning in this Area should enable learners to develop the skills to select and use appropriate sources and information. This should allow them to organise ideas, to create effective plans and to develop creative works. Given the opportunity to use literacy skills to present plans and implement solutions with clarity, learners can reflect on their work and plan and implement further improvements.
Expressive Arts
Integral skills
Creativity and innovation
The creative process is the essence of this Area. The statements of what matters enable learners to develop knowledge, and creative and innovative skills. Learners are expected to consider influences and shape their own creativity. Learners use their creative skills and imagination, discover possibilities and refine ideas to produce their own unique artistic work. Creative thinking developed by exploring within and through this Area enables learners to investigate the unknown and make connections. Learners take creative risks to go beyond existing knowledge and accept failure as a learning experience.
Critical thinking and problem-solving
Refining work is encouraged throughout one of the statements of what matters in this Area, with the aim of building skills in self-evaluation and reflection. The evaluation involved in the creative process enables learners to develop reflective, questioning and problem-solving skills, as well as to challenge perceptions and identify solutions. Learners may demonstrate resilience in applying critical appraisal of their work and be expected to respond positively to critical feedback. Learners can develop problem-solving skills by experimenting with a variety of arts and artistic techniques.
Personal effectiveness
Through the statements of what matters in this Area, learners develop self-confidence, self-esteem, independence, communication skills and social and cultural awareness. Learners become enterprising, resourceful and resilient by managing themselves and their resources, and this in turn enhances their employability skills. They are encouraged to develop resilience through accepting failure and value its place in the creative process.
Planning and organising
Through this Area, learners are encouraged to plan, set their own goals and manage resources. They can apply reflective, critical and creative processes to make sense of ideas and experiences. The ability to generate ideas, develop curiosity, explore and bring ideas into action is fundamental to this Area.
Maths and Numeracy
Integral skills
Creativity and innovation
Mathematical working requires and develops creativity and curiosity which also transfer to other aspects of life. Frequently in mathematical problem-solving the learner does not immediately know how to approach the problem; it takes creativity and courage to explore different approaches before deciding how to proceed. Planning and modelling tasks within mathematics develops learners’ ability to turn ideas into action.
Critical thinking and problem-solving
The development of logical and critical thinking underpins learning in mathematics. Mathematics teaches us problem-solving skills which transfer to all areas of the curriculum, to life in general and to the world of work. Mathematics involves solving problems and begins by analysing the requirements, before then asking questions and evaluating information. In the development of solutions, learners identify potential approaches and develop arguments, justifying their decisions.
Personal effectiveness
Studying mathematics develops personal effectiveness. When studying mathematics everyone encounters challenges at some point, and overcoming these challenges requires and develops resourcefulness and resilience. Communicating about mathematical thinking and solving problems is a core aspect of mathematics. Mathematical communication is precise and logical and will be useful in life generally.
Planning and organising
Mathematical thinking requires learners to be organised and, as they progress through school, their organisational skills will develop, particularly as they plan and implement the sequential data-handling cycle. In their mathematical problem-solving, learners should be encouraged to predict and estimate solutions and then to check their answers, reflect on their results and evaluate their approaches. Increasing confidence in decision-making for mathematical problem-solving supports learners to be more aspirational in setting goals and challenges for themselves including planning how to achieve these.
Science and Technology
Integral skills
Creativity and innovation
In this Area schools can foster these skills through learners’ curiosity and inquisitiveness about the physical and digital world, helping learners question or challenge established knowledge to deepen their own understanding, and providing a foundation for product development and entrepreneurial actions.
Critical thinking and problem-solving
This enables learners to tackle misconceptions within this Area, and deeper conceptual understanding, greater independence and self-regulation, and stronger inquiry skills. Problem-solving is a key driver in the design and engineering of innovative solutions.
Personal effectiveness
These skills can be enhanced through reflection on scientific and technological processes and developments. Learners’ understanding of the world around them can help them work towards purposeful outcomes while developing resilience and perseverance, where failure is seen as a stepping stone to success.
Planning and organising
In scientific and technological processes these skills can allow learners to become increasingly independent when developing their ideas, implementing solutions, and monitoring and reflecting on results.
Humanities
Integral skills
Creativity and innovation
- Encouraging the presentation of information and findings in creative and innovative ways, and imagining possible futures based on the evidence.
- Encouraging openness to different ideas and ways of thinking, enabling the expression of reasoned opinions about these differences.
Critical thinking and problem-solving
- Developing the ability to think analytically and understand the past and present as well as to imagine possible futures.
- Collecting, reflecting and critically evaluating the use of sources and evidence.
Personal effectiveness
- Encouraging teamwork and being a reliable contributor by organising and carrying out enquiries.
- Evaluating, justifying and expressing considered responses in a variety of ways.
Planning and organising
- Encouraging the planning and organising of investigations, setting aims, objectives and success criteria, gathering and utilising a range of evidence, and reflecting on methods.
Health and Well-Being
Integral skills
Creativity and innovation
Learning in this Area provides learners with the opportunity to develop the confidence and openness to explore ideas, to consider the opinions of others, and the courage to express their own. Learners should be given opportunities to express themselves and develop creatively in physical activity including sport, and to generate ideas to create nutritious healthy meals. Learners will be encouraged to explore and pursue innovative thinking in respect of career pathways.
Critical thinking and problem-solving
Learning across the statements of what matters in this Area provides opportunities to develop critical analysis, evaluation and appraisal skills. Decision-making is heavily dependent on critical and logical processes such as analysing the benefits and risks of a course of action. Drawing on learning in this Area learners should be encouraged to develop responses and solutions to experiences they encounter and critically analyse the factors that influence decision-making, such as social influences, values, beliefs and biases.
Personal effectiveness
Learning in this Area should provide learners with opportunities to develop an awareness of, control over, and the ability to express their emotions: the skills required to develop emotional intelligence. Through gaining an understanding of the factors that impact on mental health and emotional well-being learners can be helped to manage their experiences and act with empathy, compassion and kindness for themselves and others. Learning should enable and support learners to develop good interpersonal skills, by providing an understanding of norms and attitudes, an ability to reject and challenge these and an understanding of differences and how these should be respected.
Learners should develop an understanding of the factors that influence decision-making, helping them to make considered, informed decisions that they are able to justify and explain while also understanding the risks and possible consequences of their decisions for themselves and others. This learning should help provide learners with the skills to critically evaluate learning and mistakes and identify areas for further development.
Learning and experiences within this Area should provide opportunities for learners to develop the skills and attitudes which allow learners to be independent, to have healthy relationships, to know their rights and the rights of others, to know how to manage conflict, to recognise unhealthy relationships, to be safe, and to understand when and how to seek support for themselves and others.
Knowledge and understanding drawn from across learning in the statements of what matters can support learners to develop confidence and independence.
Planning and organising
Learning in this Area specifically seeks to provide learners with opportunities to build an awareness of, and to develop skills in, decision-making and goal-setting. Drawing on learning in this Area provides opportunities for learners to understand and explore how decision-making affects them and others, to understand and develop the skills to make collective decisions, and to critically evaluate factors and implications of decision-making. Learning in health and well-being should provide learners with the opportunities to plan and set short-term and long-term goals and to take steps to achieve these. Learning should also support learners to plan and implement sustainable, balanced and positive behaviours to support physical health and well-being. Learners should be encouraged to develop an understanding of emotions, behaviours and social influences, skills essential to building strong relationships.