RCPCH Progress+ curriculum and syllabi

RCPCH Progress+ is the curriculum for use by doctors undertaking postgraduate paediatric training in the UK, ensuring they develop their knowledge and skills across all key practice areas.

Read more and download the full curriculum and generic syllabi for the two paediatric training levels - core and specialty.

As of 1 August 2023, RCPCH Progress+ is the curriculum for use by paediatric trainees in the UK. The exception is trainees who will CCT (Certificate of Completion of Training) before 15 September 2024; these trainees continue on RCPCH Progress.

In consultation with trainees, consultants, children and young people, parents and carers, employers and other professionals, we redeveloped the curriculum and syllabi for general paediatrics and the paediatric sub-specialties. This continues the move away from the previous ‘tick box’ list of competences and builds on the higher learning outcomes developed with RCPCH Progress (2018).

We now have a framework that ensures trainees develop the full range of skills and knowledge required in their day to day work and for progressing to a specialist consultant post.

The curriculum

There are 11 curriculum domains, such as procedures, communication, leadership and team working.

There is a learning outcome for each domain and for each training level. This states the standard the trainee must meet to progress satisfactorily. It capture the skills, knowledge and behaviours required, including the General Medical Council’s (GMC) Generic Professional Capabilities for all doctors in training.

To gain access to the next level of the curriculum, you need to go through a progression point (Specialty Training 4, or ST4, and ST5). If you wish to start documenting evidence against the higher level before completing the previous level, speak with your educational supervisor and contact the College at training.services@rcpch.ac.uk.

There are a small number of key capabilities for each learning outcome, which trainees must evidence. These help ensure that the judgments made are consistent, fair and transparent.

The syllabi

There are generic syllabi for core and specialty training levels. There are syllabi for general paediatrics and paediatric sub-specialties (see our sub-specialties listing). 

The syllabi provide further requirements and guidance on how to demonstrate satisfactory achievement of the learning outcomes. They are flexible, allowing trainees to apply the curriculum to the context in which they are working. The emphasis is on quality rather than quantity of evidence.

There are illustrations for each learning outcome. These are examples of evidence that trainees may use to demonstrate their achievement of the outcome. You do not need to do any specific illustrations - they are simply there as prompts - and you may use other evidence.

There is an assessment grid, which suggests the assessment tools that may be used to evidence each key capability.

More information

You can read our FAQs, case studies, updates and other resources on our RCPCH Progress+ hub.

If you have any questions, email the team on progressplus@rcpch.ac.uk.