The curriculum

The foundation programme curriculum sets out the framework for educational progression that will support the first two years of professional development, following graduation from medical school. The "Curriculum" portfolio menu item is the e-portfolio version of the '3.6 Higher Level Outcomes and the Foundation Professional Capabilities' section of the curriculum.

2021 Foundation Programme Curriculum

The syllabus is organised into three Higher Level Outcomes:

HLO 1: An accountable, capable and compassionate doctor
HLO 2: A valuable member of healthcare workforce
HLO 3: A professional, responsible for their own practice and portfolio development

2016 Foundation Programme Curriculum

The syllabus is organised into four sections:

Section 1: Professional behaviour and trust
Section 2: Communication, team working and leadership
Section 3: Clinical care
Section 4: Safety and quality

Learn more about the curriculum in Horus.

2021 Foundation Programme Curriculum

• There are 13 foundation programme training ‘outcomes’ to be achieved within the curriculum; these are termed ‘foundation professional capabilities’ (FPCs) and are fully explained in the curriculum (2021).
• The 13 FPCs are split into 3 Higher Level Outcomes, describing the key clinical and professional aspects of medical practice. FPCs are the outcomes of foundation training and indicate what the doctor in training is expected to be able to do.

2016 Foundation Programme Curriculum

• There are 20 foundation programme training ‘outcomes’ to be achieved within the curriculum; these are termed ‘foundation professional capabilities’ (FPCs) and are fully explained in the curriculum (2016).
• The 20 FPCs are split into 4 syllabus sections. FPCs are the outcomes of foundation training and indicate what the doctor in training is expected to be able to do.

In order to progress from F1 into F2 and from F2 into GP or specialty training the foundation doctor has to be signed off for each FPC as having met or exceeded the minimum levels of performance required for sign off.

Within the e-portfolio foundation doctors must provide evidence of how their achievements related to each FPC meet or exceed the expected minimum standard of performance for their year of foundation training. This is done by mapping relevant portfolio content to each FPC. Look out for the "map to curriculum" link by each completed form.

On the UKFPO curriculum webpage – there is guidance about the curriculum, meetings, assessments, supervised learning events and other activities foundation doctors and their supervisors need to engage with. The information on this page is updated regularly.

See the UKFPO website for detailed information about the purpose of curriculum mapping in the foundation e-portfolio.

Learn about mapping portfolio items to the curriculum and un-mapping portfolio items from the curriculum in Horus.

The curriculum is found in each foundation doctor's portfolio menu item called "Curriculum". Open this portfolio menu item to view the curriculum. 

Anyone who has access to the foundation doctor's portfolio has access to this section, which shows:

• The three Higher level Outcomes of the syllabus, broken down further into the 13 FPCs for those foundation doctor on the 2021 curriculum or the four sections of the syllabus, broken down further into the 20 FPCs for those foundation doctor on the 2016 curriculum.
• A list of any e-portfolio content that has been mapped as evidence to each FPC
• F1 and F2 descriptors for each FPC
• e-LfH courses that are considered particularly relevant to each FPC
  • Note that this section will not show which courses the foundation doctor has completed - it will show which courses they may consider completing to add to the evidence base for achievement of a specific FPC
• Educational supervisor rating for each HLO or section of the syllabus
• Summary narratives for each HLO for those on the 2021 curriculum

Learn more about

- the curriculum

- which e-LfH courses are relevant to each FPC

- who can view the data in Horus

- the portfolio menu

2021 Foundation programme Curriculum

• Portfolio items can be mapped as evidence to a maximum of 3 foundation professional capabilities (FPCs) - further information.

2016 Foundation Programme Curriculum

• Portfolio items can be mapped as evidence to a maximum of 5 foundation professional capabilities (FPCs) - further information.

The process for evidence mapping to the curriculum is:

1. Portfolio > Contents

2. Find the portfolio item (that is, the form) that you want to map

3. To the right of the form, underneath the date it was submitted, select "map to curriculum"

4. The curriculum will pop up, showing the three Higher Level Outcomes or the four sections depending on which curriculum your rotation is assigned to:

5. Select the HLO/section under which you want to map the portfolio item

6. Select the FPC against which you want to map the portfolio item:

7. The item is now mapped. Select more FPCs if required:

8. Select "close" in the top right-hand corner of the pop-up when you're finished.

Learn about how to "un-map" a portfolio item.

To remove a curriculum mapping from a portfolio item:

1. Follow the mapping process - selecting an existing mapping will un-select that mapping (see below for an example). 

2. Portfolio item mapped to the curriculum:

3. Select the highlighted FPC - this is now "un-mapped":

4. Select "close" in the top right-hand corner of the pop-up when you're finished.

Any evidence that has been mapped to the curriculum will show as a list of items in Portfolio > Curriculum Overview, when the "Mapped evidence" toggle is selected.

Next to each Foundation Professional Capability (FPC) is a count of the number of the items mapped to it, in [square brackets].

Forms that have been mapped to the curriculum can be identified by the blue bookmark icon next to them in the portfolio "Contents" page.

Foundation doctors can map:

2021 Foundation Programme Curriculum

• a maximum of 10 portfolio items to a foundation professional capability (FPC)
• each portfolio item to a maximum of 3 FPCs

2016 Foundation Programme Curriculum

• a maximum of 5 portfolio items to a foundation professional capability (FPC)
• each portfolio item to a maximum of 5 FPCs

Learn about

• mapping portfolio items to the curriculum
• un-mapping portfolio items from the curriculum
• the purpose of curriculum mapping

As of April 2024, a new report was introduced to Horus ePortfolio. This report allows a user with administrator permissions to run the report at site/trust level. The report displays all foundation doctors (NTG rotations will not be included) within the selected site/trust, grade and academic year and shows how their rotation is progressing towards the minimum requirements of the curriculum.

User will only be able to run this report containing the same filters (same trusts/site, same grade and same academic year) every 3 hours.

Please note this report cannot be run at foundation school level. It can only be run at site or trust level.

The curriculum progress rating form provides a simple and clear way for educational supervisors to support foundation doctors in monitoring achievement of the following ARCP requirement:

“Satisfactory completion of all FP curriculum outcomes” – “The F1/F2 doctor should provide evidence that they have met the foundation professional capabilities, recorded in the e-portfolio”

- UKFPO ARCP webpage

It is available to download as a blank form.

Learn about where the curriculum progress rating form is.

Educational supervisors, foundation training programme directors and ARCP panel chairs have access to the "Curriculum progress rating" form for each foundation doctor they're assigned to/have location-based access to.

It is expected that in most cases the educational supervisor will complete the rating.

Learn more about
- what the curriculum progress rating form is
- where the curriculum progress rating form is
- who can view submitted curriculum progress ratings
- how to rate the curriculum

The educational supervisor's completed curriculum progress ratings can be viewed by anyone who has access to the foundation doctor's e-portfolio.

The ratings can be viewed in 3 places:

1. Portfolio overview
2. Summary of evidence report
3. Curriculum

Learn more about
- who has access to a foundation doctor's e-portfolio
- what the curriculum progress rating form is
- where the curriculum progress rating form is
- how to rate the curriculum

It is expected that educational supervisors will rate each of the 3 higher level outcomes of the curriculum or each section of the curriculum (depending on whether the foundation doctor is on the 2021 curriculum or the 2016 curriculum) as either satisfactory, partially met or not yet met [requirements] as part of their evidence for the ARCP panel to consider.

This is the simplest and clearest way for educational supervisors to confirm that foundation doctors have sufficiently evidenced their FP curriculum coverage. 

Ratings appear in the "Summary of evidence report" for ARCP.

Learn more about
- what the curriculum progress rating form is
- where the ES rates an FD's curriculum
- what the "Summary of evidence report" is

Only assigned educational supervisors have access to the "Curriculum progress rating" form for each foundation doctor.

There are 3 ways to access the form:

1. Portfolio Overview

1.1 FD portfolio > Overview > Select the ‘Reports’ tab and Scroll to the ‘Curriculum’ section

1.2.1 [For those on the 2021 curriculum] Under the ‘Curriculum progress ratings by Educational Supervisor:’ title and the list of the 3 higher level outcomes, select the ‘curriculum overview’ link and select ‘Rate progress now’ against the appropriate HLO.

1.2.2 [For those on the 2016 curriculum] Under the "Curriculum progress ratings by Educational Supervisor:" title and the list of the 4 curriculum sections, select the ‘curriculum overview’ link and select ‘Rate progress now’ against the appropriate HLO.

2. Summary of evidence report

2.1 FD portfolio > Overview > Select the ‘ARCP’ tab

2.2 Select the ‘Summary of evidence’ link

2.3 Scroll down to the ‘REQUIREMENT: Satisfactory completion of all FP curriculum outcomes’ section

2.4.1 [For those on the 2021 curriculum] Under the ‘Curriculum progress ratings by Educational Supervisor:’ title and the list of the 3 higher level outcomes, select the ‘curriculum overview’ link and select ‘Rate progress now’ against the appropriate HLO.

2.4.2 [For those on the 2016 curriculum] Under the "Curriculum progress ratings by Educational Supervisor:" title and the list of the 4 curriculum sections, select the ‘curriculum overview’ link and select ‘Rate progress now’ against the appropriate HLO.

3. Curriculum

3.1 FD portfolio > Curriculum

3.2.1 [For those on the 2021 curriculum] Under each HLO heading you will see an ‘ES progress rating’ section - select the ‘Rate progress now’

3.2.2 [For those on the 2016 curriculum] Under each curriculum section heading you will see an ‘ES progress rating’ section - select the ‘Rate progress now’

The curriculum progress rating form is short and simple, it asks the educational supervisor to select one of the following four ratings:

• Not yet rated
• Satisfactory
• Partially met
• Not yet met

Select ‘Save changes’ when you have made your selection.

For those on the 2021 curriculum each HLO has a separate form and a rating needs to be provided for each HLO.

The form can be edited throughout the rotation (subject to the usual time limits).

- The date the form was last saved and by whom is shown next to each rating.

 Learn more about
- what the curriculum progress rating form is
- who can rate the curriculum
- where the curriculum progress rating form is
- who can view submitted curriculum progress ratings

The curriculum summary narrative is a form of written reflection that will help the foundation doctor to demonstrate to their Educational Supervisor that they have achieved the higher level outcomes of the curriculum.

Further guidance regarding the curriculum summary narrative can be found on the UKFPO website.

Learn more about how to add a summary narrative to a higher level outcome.

Please note: summary narratives can only be added by the foundation doctors themselves.

To add a summary narrative, you should:

1. Navigate to your curriculum overview page, Portfolio > Curriculum.
2. Select the ‘Add summary narrative’ link against the necessary HLO.
3. Type your narrative text into the text field.
4. Select ‘Save changes’.

Repeat the above steps for each individual HLO.

To expand on or edit a curriculum summary narrative you should:

1. Navigate to your curriculum overview page, Portfolio > Curriculum.
2. Select the ‘Edit’ link against the necessary HLO.
3. Add/edit your narrative text in the text field.
4. Select ‘Save changes’.

The curriculum summary narrative is a live/working document and foundation doctors should start/update the summary narrative towards the end of each post. It is for the foundation doctor to critically appraise their post/year. The summary narrative is not pass/fail but formative, it is another form of reflection.