Social studies – Early level (Curriculum for Excellence, Scotland): What to Teach (Scotland)

Your Teacher Information Pack for Social studies – Early level (Curriculum for Excellence, Scotland) in Scotland: the curriculum structure, our short summaries with links to the official wording, and key dates.

Plan the whole year: open this course in the Year Planner – every lesson dated around your term dates, with a coverage check. Free.

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What to teach

Below are the experiences and outcomes with their official codes, in our own short summaries. Each code links to the official document.

People, past events and societies

• SOC 0-01a Recognising that different evidence reveals the past.
• SOC 0-02a Making personal links through items tied to events.
• SOC 0-04a Exploring past lives through imaginative play.

Official wording

People, place and environment

• SOC 0-07a Discovering interesting features of the local environment.
• SOC 0-08a Appreciating nature and helping to care for it.
• SOC 0-09a Representing the world and journeys through drawing or modelling.
• SOC 0-12a Recording weather and how it affects feelings outdoors.

Official wording

People in society, economy and business

• SOC 0-15a Recognising that different evidence informs us about the world.
• SOC 0-16a Roles people play in the local community.
• SOC 0-17a Making decisions and caring for others in play.
• SOC 0-18a Choices about where, how, and with whom to work.
• SOC 0-20a How local shops and services meet daily needs.

Official wording

Assessments and key dates

Qualifications Scotland exams 2027: Mon, 26 April 2027 to Thu, 3 June 2027 (timetable). There are no national tests of curriculum levels; teachers judge progress using the Benchmarks.

Official documents

• education.gov.scot/Documents/social-studies-eo.pdf
• education.gov.scot/curriculum-for-excellence/curriculum-for-excellence-documents/experiences-and-outcomes

Trusted free resources

• Education Scotland – the official curriculum site.
• BBC Bitesize – videos and quizzes by nation and stage.

Links only: we don't copy their content and we aren't connected to these organisations.

More packs

Social studies – First level · Social studies – Second level · Social studies – Third level · Social studies – Fourth level · P1 Social studies · P2 Social studies · P3 Social studies · P4 Social studies · All Scotland packs · Find another TIP