ABSTRACT
Successive governments, concerned about the underachievement of British children and the detrimental effect of the underachievement on the economy, have been determined to raise academic standards in education. This aim has underpinned changes to the state education system since the early 1980s, in particular the introduction of the National Curriculum with its associated tests and the school league tables. To be an ethical community, schools must ensure that their ethos, curriculum, policies and practices are integrated and have a moral purpose. Scotland introduced a Curriculum for Excellence in 2010 and this was designed with the aim of transforming education across Scotland by providing a coherent, more flexible and enriched curriculum for children aged from three to eighteen. Secondary-aged children take General Certificate of Secondary Education exams (GCSEs) during Year 12 and can continue on to take A levels or the more vocational Advanced Level exams.
