Primary education in Scotland
The education system in Scotland has traditionally focused on
providing a broad education for its students with low levels of
specialisation. The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework
exists in place of the GCSE and A-Level system found in the other
home nations.
In Scotland, the curriculum is not prescribed by statute and the
responsibility for its delivery and management rests with education
authorities and school managers. However, national guidelines on
the curriculum are provided by the Scottish Executive Education
Department and by Learning and Teaching Scotland. The non-statutory
5 to 14 curriculum is divided into five broad areas:
- language
- mathematics
- environmental studies
- expressive arts
- religious and moral education
In addition, there are a number of cross curricular areas in the
5-14 curriculum. These include: personal and social development;
enterprise in education; education for citizenship; the culture of
Scotland; and ICT. Moreover, promoting science education in schools
is one of the key elements of the Government's Science Strategy
which was launched in 2001.
It is important to keep in mind that soon Scotland will switch
to a new comprehensive 'Curriculum for Excellence' (CFE). First
introduced in 2008 in preparation for full implementation in 2010,
CFE has been reforming education for 3 to 18 year olds in
Scotland. A full national switch will not start before 2010,
with the first graduates of the new system receiving their
qualification in 2014.
Phases of primary education in Scotland
| Phase of
education |
Type of
institution |
Year/grade key |
Typical age |
| Primary Education |
Public Schools |
P7 |
11-12 |
| P6 |
10-11 |
| P5 |
9-10 |
| P4 |
8-9 |
| P3 |
7-8 |
| P2 |
6-7 |
| P1 |
5-6 |
| Pre-school |
. |
Nursery |
3-4 |
Learn more about the following curriculum areas in
Scotland:
Primary maths
Primary personal finance
education