Connected Summer 2010

connected M o v i n g e d u c at i o n f o r wa r d

Summer 2010

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Constructive experiences How applying numeracy across learning reaps rewards

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michael russell mSP

Keep on glowing

healthy and happy

Hear his views on the future for Scottish education

New features added to Glow make it even more useful

Health and wellbeing is everyone’s responsibility

is changing . . .

You told us what you want from Glow and we’ve been developing exciting new features.

Available now: · increased storage · forums · enhanced Glow Mail · favourites Coming soon: · blogs · wikis · easier to use interface · improved search and more...

See page 18 and go to: Glowhelp.me/refresh

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Glow Science launches High-quality science resources in the form of short films are now available to support Curriculum for Excellence through Glow.

First in the series are the human body and the universe with more to follow soon.

See page 11 and go to Glowhelp.me/science Keep up to date by subscribing to the Glow e-bulletin: www.LTScotland.org.uk/glowscotland/updates/bulletin.asp

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24 The next stage of the journey From the start of the new session in August, schools will be working towards full engagement of Curriculum for Excellence.

All practitioners will have a responsibility to develop and promote numeracy, literacy and health and wellbeing across pupils’ learning. This issue’s cover feature on p20 showcases inspiring examples of the incorporation of numeracy skills across learning in an early years, primary and secondary setting. On p24 we look at the many benefits of introducing a whole school approach to health and wellbeing.

As staff and learners take the next step on the path to Curriculum for Excellence, a wealth of opportunities and challenges exist. Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, Michael Russell MSP, tells Connected why he is optimistic about the future of Scottish education – see p14.

Glow continues to be a key tool via which practitioners and young people share experiences. Read about the latest improvements to Glow on p18. I hope you find your Journey Through Glow poster useful and display it for others to see.

The countdown to the 2010 Scottish Learning Festival is well and truly under way. With an impressive selection of keynote speakers, including award-winning author Eric Booth, and a focus on enhancing experience and raising standards via Curriculum for Excellence, it’s set to be the event of the new session in Scottish educationalists’ diaries. Turn to p23 to find out more about what to expect from this year’s festival.

The second instalment of ‘Talking point’ features Learning and Teaching Scotland’s Developing Global Citizens team, who explain why helping young people to make connections between global and local issues should be a priority for everyone.

I hope that you find this issue of Connected interesting. We welcome your views on the issues tackled in the magazine and on which topics to cover in the future – please complete a readers’ survey at http://bit.ly/ auzOzi and post your feedback at www.LTScotland.org. uk/connected. Footage of interviews, transcripts and other bonus materials can also be viewed on the site.

Denise Brock Editor

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viewpoint Transformational change is possible upfront The latest education news michael russell MSP The opportunities for Scottish education Assessment Innovative practice revealed GLOW refresh Discover the new features

Issue #26 Summer 2010 Learning and Teaching Scotland Editor: Denise Brock Assistant Editor: Wendy Grindle Write: Connected Magazine, Learning and Teaching Scotland, The Optima, 58 Robertson Street, GLASGOW G2 8DU

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Numeracy Exploring interdisciplinary approaches Health and wellbeing It’s everyone’s responsibility talking point Developing global citizenship in our experience We make healthy choices a week in my shoes What keeps one Depute Headteacher busy

Contact us Telephone: 0141 282 5000 Email: connected@LTScotland.org.uk Web: www.LTScotland.org.uk/connected Twitter: Follow LTS on twitter.com/LTScotland Facebook: Become a fan of LTS on Facebook www.LTScotland.org.uk/facebook

Connected is published on behalf of Learning and Teaching Scotland by White Light Media – www.whitelightmedia.co.uk Connected has been printed on environmentally responsible paper manufactured using 50% recycled waste and 50% fibre from well managed forests, controlled sources and recycled wood. Learning and Teaching Scotland is a registered charity (charity number SC030217).

Editor: Charlotte McNeill | Creative Director: Eric Campbell Writer: Liz Longden Designer: Helen Berry Managing Director: Fraser Allen Photography: Allan Shedlock, Tom Muir, Rob McDougall All rights reserved. Material contained in this publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without prior permission of Learning and Teaching scotland (OR OTHER COPYRIGHT OWNERS). Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information given herein is accurate, no legal responsibility is accepted for any errors, omissions or misleading statements. NEITHER Learning and Teaching scotland NOR THE EDITOR NECESSARILY AGREE WITH THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THE MAGAZINE.

Viewpoint: “By implementing the principles of the Early Years Framework and Getting It Right For Every Child, we can bring about transformational change and tackle cycles of poverty and poor health”

Steve Halkett, Head of the Rainbow Family Centre, explains how the Early Years Framework is making a difference to families and communities

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t is my sincere belief that early years practitioners, together with colleagues from other agencies, have a real opportunity to impact on the future for families in Scotland. By providing innovative support and accessible universal services, we can encourage participation from the more vulnerable parents, carers and children in our communities.

At the Rainbow Family Centre, we aim to use the principles and philosophy of the Early Years Framework and Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) to bring about transformational change and tackle the cycles of poverty and poor health experienced by many of our communities.

We do this by developing services in partnership with other agencies, and tailoring them to community and family needs.

The centre caters for children aged 0–5 and offers many services to the community, including crèche support. Our services are at the heart of the community and we have connected | summer 2010

an ‘open door’ to all families. The centre is a gateway to more specialist services, with an emphasis on early intervention.

A good example of this in practice is our full-time Family Support Worker, who directly facilitates access to other support services for parents and carers, including community care and health services. We have also developed a ‘Baby Café’ to support infant feeding and weaning, while our health education and social work partners offer child behaviour classes and mellow parenting programmes.

These give parents and carers an opportunity to examine how they themselves were parented, and how that may impact on their own parenting skills.

Support is also on hand to help parents and carers ensure their child meets his or her developmental milestones, while a programme for adult learning – including health and wellbeing, skills for employment and confidence building – has been developed in partnership with our colleagues from community learning.

In keeping with the Scottish Government’s Play, Talk, Read strategy, we also run ‘Rhyme Time’ sessions, which give parents and carers, and their children, a chance to work together in areas of literacy and cognitive development. These sessions offer an excellent opportunity for children, parents and carers to learn from each other as positive role models in the universal services are of paramount importance. The centre also has an additional support needs worker to facilitate learning experiences, and staff work collaboratively with speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, health visitors and educational psychologists to develop jointly-planned learning experiences for children.

The ultimate aim of all these initiatives is to encourage positive parent-child relationships, confidence building and feelings of self value.

Building resilience, relationships and trust The key to building successful relationships is trust, and as families and workers move from

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service to service in our centre, transitions are carefully considered to support individuals along their learning journey.

Parents, carers and family members are encouraged to spend as much time as they can assisting staff to help them to get to know their child. I believe staff and management should be available to speak to parents and carers. It is a privilege to be invited to be a part of a family’s life, to celebrate achievement and to offer support during challenging times – and it is also important for children to know that staff have a positive relationship with their parents and carers.

Many pre-5 children experience a number of transitions and it is important that parents and carers are helped to realise the impact that these may have on their child. Every effort must be made to ensure a smooth transition from hospital to home, home to nursery, room to room, nursery to school and on to primary and secondary education, and beyond into young adulthood. These sensitive

and effective transition processes help to build resilience in children and families.

Children also learn resilience and empathy by observing others and testing their skills with other children and adults, and by realising that they can trust their environment and the people around them. It’s essential, therefore, that children are praised when they do well, and that skilled intervention by staff is at hand whenever support is required.

Another important element of the Rainbow Family Centre’s work is outdoor play.

Outdoors is where children develop their skills and learn to transfer their learning from play to making sense of their world. Children need the chance to practise and develop these skills using a combination of indoor and outdoor learning experiences. Outdoor play is also important to nurture children’s wellbeing and physical development, and to support the development of their gross motor skills. Consequently, all our playrooms, crèches and toddler sessions have planned daily outdoor play activities

and, since moving to a new purpose-built building, we are placing a great deal of focus on developing our grounds as an exciting learning experience for all.

The final essential aspect of everything we do is fostering a positive ethos – the level of care and trust developed among all stakeholders is fundamental to this. As the Head of Centre, supported by my local authority, I fully recognise the importance of my role in driving forward this agenda and strengthening the belief in our community that we can make a difference. cv

Steve Halkett has been Head of Centre at Rainbow Family Centre, in Port Glasgow, for 17 years. His previous roles include depute head of a children’s centre that integrates able bodied and children with additional support needs, outreach worker and resource worker in early years establishments. He has a total of 24 years’ experience in early years education.

www.ltscotland.org.uk/connected

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upfront

How do you use Glow?

Connected rounds up some of the latest comments posted by practitioners on the Glow Scotland blog: New to Glow “ I admit to being only a recent convert to Glow and now find myself dipping into this resource on a regular basis. A wealth of ideas are there at my fingertips. Now that’s what I call sharing and best practice. No more the Glow-phobe now part of the ‘Go-Glow’ team.”

Safe online communication “ Really enjoying using Glow! The pupils love having an area for themselves to post on and I feel it is a much safer way for them to communicate via the internet. I have already used it to support homework activities online.”

I love Glow

Building relationships

Learning and Teaching Scotland receives feedback from practitioners, explaining how much they like Glow, but it never heard from the pupils directly. That was until the ‘I love Glow’ campaign was launched. The competition asks schools and pupils to send Learning and Teaching Scotland video clips of their pupils revealing why they love Glow.

“ I have been using Glow to share my lesson resources for co-operative learning. I also used the forums to find another school in a different authority and have set up a Glow Meet.

I have been adding things on to my Glow calendar – star of the week etc – finding my way round it and really enjoying using it. I love the idea of a virtual learning environment and I’m keen to try out online homework next…”

“It’s proving to be a great way to gather pupil voice on Glow,” explains Neil Stewart, Glow Development Manager at Learning and Teaching Scotland. “Upon selection of a winner, their video clip is showcased on Glow Scotland and the winning pupils receive a certificate and an exclusive bendy Glow keyboard that lights up. A letter of congratulations is also sent to the Headteacher of the school.”

One winner is selected every month until the end of the summer session, and so far Cathedral Primary in Motherwell, Burravoe Primary in Yell, Shetland, and Kemnay Academy, Aberdeenshire, have submitted winning entries.

Full of potential “ I have been using Glow for a few months now and I find it very useful. It has a lot of potential and hopefully will become used more frequently within my organisation in the future.”

To find out more about Glow, visit: www.LTScotland.org.uk/glowscotland

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GET INVOLVED

If pupils at your school would like to tell Learning and Teaching Scotland why they love Glow, send a short video clip to glowadmin@LTScotland.org.uk. Remember to start the clip by saying ‘I love Glow because…’

Leave a comment… and win £50!

Learning and Teaching Scotland wants to hear your views on the issues raised in Connected. The star comment (as judged by Learning and Teaching Scotland) posted at www.LTScotland.org.uk/connected wins £50 of Amazon vouchers for their school.

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To view some of the clips already received, visit www.LTScotland.org.uk/glowscotland/ sharingpractice/iloveglow.asp

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Learning for life In April Learning and Teaching Scotland welcomed staff from Learning Connections, a former division of the Scottish Government, forming the new Communities team.

The new team has been created in response to Learning and Teaching Scotland’s expanded remit for lifelong learning. The team has responsibility for community learning and development, which includes adult learning, youth work and community capacity building, and brings with it specific responsibility for adult literacies and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).

Led by Anne Gibson, the team will broaden Learning and Teaching Scotland’s work in areas, such as Curriculum for Excellence, More Choices More Chances, lifelong learning and building the capacity of communities as active partners in change. The team will bring a community learning and development perspective to a range of Learning and Teaching Scotland’s work programmes, including literacy and numeracy, health and wellbeing, international education, inclusion, recognising achievement, global citizenship and sustainable development.

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To find out more, call Anne Gibson on 0141 282 5132

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The great outdoors

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On 20 April Keith Brown MSP, Minister for Skills and Lifelong Learning, launched the guidance document ‘Curriculum for Excellence through Outdoor Learning’ during a visit to the ‘outdoor classroom’ at Auchenblae School, Aberdeenshire. The document marks a significant shift in the landscape of Scottish education, and makes clear acknowledgement of the central role that outdoor learning should play in the delivery of Curriculum for Excellence.

The guidance, which will be provided to every school in Scotland, clarifies that children and young people should have regular and frequent access to the outdoors as a context for learning and how to involve parents and the local community.

“Outdoor education can be a fantastic tool for bringing learning to life, stimulating young people’s interest in a way that complements and enhances teaching in the classroom,” said Mr Brown.

Produced by Learning and Teaching Scotland in partnership with Scottish Government, HMIE, and SQA, under the guidance of the Outdoor Learning Strategic Advisory Group (OLSAG), the document

highlight the new guidance, and assist practitioners and managers with its implementation. Later in 2010, the focus will shift to the development of a national network for outdoor learning, which will engage key education professionals across all local authorities with a view to providing teachers and practitioners with support and opportunities for continuing professional development (CPD).

is supported by an online resource which provides a range of materials and tools for educational practitioners in all sectors.

It includes an interactive map with more than 600 outdoor learning destinations across Scotland, clear and concise health and safety guidance, and a collection of key contacts for organisations that are keen to work in partnership with education establishments and practitioners to deliver outdoor learning experiences for children and young people.

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upfront Design principles for National 4 and 5 are here

How to have a green school

The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has published the design principles for the new National 4 and 5 qualifications following their sign-off by the Curriculum for Excellence Management Board and SQA’s Qualifications Committee.

Ian Menzies, Development Officer in the Developing Global Citizens team at Learning and Teaching Scotland, shares his top five ideas for a sustainable school

The design principles provide the blueprint for developing the new qualifications, which will replace Standard Grade and Intermediate 1 and 2 qualifications, which currently sit at SCQF levels 4 and 5, and will be delivered in 2013/14. A summary document and a technical description are available for download from the SQA Curriculum for Excellence website www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/41236.html.

This is a major programme of work, and from May 2010 progress reports and development updates will be posted on the SQA website as they become available. The SQA MyAlerts service updates subscribers whenever content is added or updated on the Curriculum for Excellence web pages, so progress can be followed.

Scotland will be launching its new action plan for the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development in May, and is leading the world in tackling climate change and promotion of renewable energy. Schools have a big part to play in this as about 15% of public sector emissions come from the school estate.

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The key to being a sustainable school is to embed learning throughout the curriculum. Developing global citizens through sustainable development education is a key theme within Curriculum for Excellence, ensuring deep and effective learning takes place.

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The school’s sustainability agenda should be a team effort – parents, pupils, teachers, management and ancillary staff have to work together and show commitment. It should be part of the way of life in the school and rooted in its ethos.

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For further information and regular updates, visit www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/41236.html

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Listen to pupils

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Make connections

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Make your footprint smaller

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Use the pupil voice. They are passionate about global citizenship issues and it provides a rich context for their learning, giving them the chance to identify activities they’d like to implement and take responsibility for making it happen. Put your pupils at the heart of the changes and watch things take off!

Top recognition for teachers Information

Teachers who have used their skills to promote enterprise in education were recognised by GTC Scotland at the Scottish Parliament in May. In partnership with Determined to Succeed, more than 20 teachers were awarded ‘Professional Recognition’ status at the event.

Sustainable development education is about more than recycling and changing light bulbs. It is about nurturing our young people, so that they become global citizens. It’s important to make connections between biodiversity, energy use, climate change, social justice issues, human rights and interdependence.

Chief Executive of GTC Scotland, Anthony Finn, said that ‘Professional Recognition’ allows teachers to focus their continuing professional development in particular areas of interest, and to gain recognition for enhancing and sharing their knowledge and experience. “To be successful in gaining Professional Recognition, teachers need to develop their own skills and knowledge, and apply them very successfully in their school while showing a clear impact on the learning of their pupils as a result.

Encouraging enterprise in education is clearly crucial to the future development of the Scottish economy; it can help develop the business talent of tomorrow,” he said.

The Global Footprint Calculator is a great tool for reducing your carbon and ecological footprint. Making a building more energy efficient is great but even more important is ensuring that the attitudes and actions of its occupants promote sustainability.

Some schools have reduced energy use by over 50% and water use by over 90% through concerted action over a couple of years.

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Visit www.LTScotland.org.uk/ sustainabledevelopment/findresources/ globalfootprint/index.asp for more information

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To find out more about Professional Recognition, visit www.gtcs.org.uk/Publications/ GuidanceforTeachers/Professional_Recognition_ Registration.aspx

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mousewatch Learning and Teaching Scotland’s Numeracy team reveal their top sites for mathematics

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www.nlvm.usu.edu

A library of interactive learning and teaching activities for all ages from the UTAH State University.

2 Young Scots tackle racism Young people from across Scotland gathered in Glasgow recently for a prize giving ceremony as part of a national campaign against racism.

Students from schools and further education colleges from across the country were invited to participate in the Show Racism the Red Card Anti-Racism Creative Competition.

The competition, supported by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), encouraged pupils to submit art-work, posters, poems, short films and animations in an effort to send a clear message that Scotland’s young people want to be part of an inclusive and multicultural society, free from racism.

Ross Duncan, a graphic design student studying at Edinburgh’s Telford College, was named overall winner, for his design featuring a plant and its roots along with the strapline, ‘Get to the root of it’. The judges praised the design, saying, “Ross perfectly captures the campaign’s aim to eliminate racism.” Ross also won the Further Education College category.

Among other winners were Hannah Jennison from Straloch Primary School, near Blairgowrie, who won the P1–P4 category, Caitlin Carter, Beth Crawford, Scott MacAdie and Kyle MacGregor from Hillhead Primary School in Wick who won the P5–P7 category, and Sophie Floyd, Kelsie Greggan and Caitlin Hegney from Hermitage Academy in Helensburgh who won the S1–S3 category. Maxine Latinis from Madras College in St Andrews won the S4–S6 category and Michael Docherty, who attends Fairbridge in Edinburgh, won the prize in the Special Schools category.

Football stars, including Motherwell FC manager and former Scotland boss Craig Brown and Rangers striker legend Mark Hately, presented prizes and took time to congratulate each of the finalists.

www.teachers.ash.org.au/jeather/maths/ dictionary2.swf

An mathematics dictionary for pupils explaining, and giving examples of, mathematical terms and concepts.

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www.topmarks.co.uk/EducationalGames.aspx A range of interactive games for ages 3–14.

https://portal.glowscotland.org.uk/establishments/ nationalsite/Staffroom/Numeracy%20Teachers/ default.aspx A Glow group for early years, primary and secondary staff for sharing ideas and resources for numeracy and mathematics.

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www.bbc.co.uk/raw/numbers/help_kids_maths.shtml

Helpful site, useful across the age range, with good context for learning about numbers and applying that knowledge in motivating contexts. The BBC has a considerable amount of useful online content for maths.

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www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk

The Centre for Innovation in Mathematics Teaching has a wealth of material which presents maths in useful contexts eg carbon footprints, fair trade activities and lots of games, puzzles and resources.

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www.nrich.maths.org/public

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www.amblesideprimary.com/ambleweb/ numeracy.htm

Nrich website is hosted by Cambridge University and hosts a range of resources and activities for teachers and students across the education stages.

Award-winning Ambleside PS website. Loaded with resources, activities and tools, many of which were created by pupils.

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www.counton.org

Hosts a number of engaging activities, games and resources including codebreaking, Sudoku and Maths Circus among others.

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www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk

This school website has a really useful maths zone which incorporates many activities on shape, number skills, countdown and the Olympics.

www.ltscotland.org.uk/connected

LTS: Working with you Over the next four pages find out about the practical support LTS offers you

Reduce your footprint The Schools’ Global Footprint resource, developed in collaboration with the WWF, has been updated to improve the overall user experience. A popular resource, Global Footprint helps pupils and practitioners to understand the environmental impact of their school and how it can be reduced.

It comprises a range of calculators that measure an individual and a school’s ecological footprint. Following recent improvements to the resource users can now access the calculator via Glow and results are stored in a central database.

This data can then be used to make comparisons in the future.

Visitors to Schools’ Global Footprint can now also save a text file of their results to their computer and new mini calculators allow users to convert units to the required measurement.

Coming soon... Positive outcomes for Scotland’s children and families The National Guidance ‘Birth to Three – Supporting Our Youngest Children’, is currently being revised

by Learning and Teaching Scotland, in collaboration with key partners, to support and inform practice across Scotland.

The updated guidance will include important information on pre-birth and brain development, reflecting the principles and philosophy that underpin the Early Years Framework and Curriculum for Excellence. It will highlight practical case studies and make reference to current research to support improved evidencebased practice.

An accompanying new CPD resource is also being created to support all practitioners working with Scotland’s youngest children as they interpret and implement the revised guidance. This DVD

and CD will offer practitioners a fresh perspective, and new opportunities to take forward and enhance their practice, The DVD will bring the implementation sections of the national guidance to life by presenting film clips of ‘practitioners at work’ in a variety of settings across Scotland. Users will also be invited to explore and consider useful publications, websites and extended interviews on the CD. The revised guidance and accompanying CPD resource will be distributed to all pre-school settings, local authorities, colleges, universities and many other key stakeholders in autumn 2010.

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View the resource at www.LTScotland.org.uk/ sustainabledevelopment/ findresources/globalfootprint

10/11

Glow Science is here!

Two Scottish Government Ministers attended the launch of Glow Science in April at Hyndland Secondary School in Glasgow.

Jim Mather, Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism, and Keith Brown, Minister for Skills and Lifelong Learning, unveiled the new video-based resource, which will provide support to practitioners for Curriculum for Excellence.

a visual encyclopedia of clips that will support teaching and learning. “Science and technology are key to Scotland’s future economic growth; therefore it’s particularly apt that these films will help ensure pupils understand the relevance of science in the modern world.”

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Glow Science is a collection of videos that will be made available via Glow. The first batch is dedicated to the human body and will. Additional modules will cover the universe, chemistry, physics, biology, earth science, geology and weather, creating a visual encyclopedia of engaging video clips that will help to enrich the teaching and learning experience.

Keith Brown, Minister for Skills and Lifelong Learning, said: “As our schools take forward a new approach through Curriculum for Excellence, we need teaching resources that make learning more relevant, exciting and engaging for our young people. The videos will be a fantastic addition to the classroom resources available, building up in to

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Glow futures Glow is looking to the future to ensure that it equips practitioners with the tools they need today and tomorrow to support Curriculum for Excellence.

To help shape the future of Glow, a national consultation will take place to identify stakeholders’ views on Glow developments.

Information from the consultation will be used to develop the technical

enhancement of Glow’s services and to inform a longer term engagement with all key stakeholders.

Over the coming weeks every local authority will be contacted for input to the national consultation in a variety of ways. To ensure a broad perspective is taken, a range of staff from local authorities will be interviewed across Scotland.

The interviews will focus around a number of key themes, including: • Impact on learning • User preferences • Future proofing Glow • Safety and security • Technology The purpose of the consultation is to ensure Glow users will be driving the technology, putting ownership of Scotland’s online community into the hands of its users.

www.ltscotland.org.uk/connected

LTS: Working with you

“Glow is all about sharing and collaborating, so it is fitting that the Cabinet Secretary answered pupil questions about the importance of Scottish history to the curriculum via a Glow Meet”

Glowing from Copenhagen

Meet Mary Queen of Scots Earlier this term pupils had an opportunity to experience Scottish history literally being brought to life. In collaboration with Historic Scotland, a Glow Meet hosted by the National Archives in Edinburgh provided a valuable insight into the life of Mary Queen of Scots.

Michael Russell, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, participated in the live event, discussing with pupils what it means to be Scottish and share his views on learning about Scottish history. The Cabinet Secretary and the pupils relished the opportunity to meet ‘Mary’ (played by Jackie Lee of Artemis Cultural and Educational Services), and ask her questions about her last day in Scotland before fleeing to England.

During the Meet, ‘Mary’ reflected on her memories of both France and Scotland, and expressed her concerns about moving to England. The event helped upper primary and lower secondary pupils appreciate the impact of historic events on their lives today.

“I’m delighted that the Cabinet Secretary was able to join us,” said Andrew Brown, Head of Glow at Learning and Teaching Scotland. “Glow is all about sharing and collaborating, so it is fitting that the Cabinet Secretary answered pupil questions about the importance of Scottish history to the curriculum via a Glow Meet.”

Thrilling writing Not everyone can write in a way that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand on end but for Cathy McPhail, author of Option 1

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Granny Nothing, Run San Ran and Grass, among many other hit children’s books, it’s something that comes naturally. In her books, Cathy enjoys taking young characters of her creation into situations that would be challenging for adults. Her writing is high paced, witty and has readers sitting on the edge of their seats – enviable qualities in anyone’s writing. Cathy kindly agreed to share some of her trade secrets with Scottish pupils via a Glow Meet in the Writers’ Workshop Glow Group on 29 March.

Hundreds of pupils from across Scotland logged in to find out about using language to create atmosphere and grab the reader’s attention.

Visit www.glowscotland.org.uk for more information on Glow Meets

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Canadian connections

Glow is in the air ®

pictures: flickr - Ingo Meironke, Jinnah Naila, under creative commons licence

A new online resource exploring the rich historic and cultural links between Scotland and Canada went live in April. Launched by Education Secretary Michael Russell while on a visit to Arrowsmith School in Toronto, the Scots and Canada website provides a wealth of information to pupils and teachers either side of the Atlantic.

Mr Russell said: “There are strong social, cultural and economic connections between Scotland and Canada that date back to the Jacobite Risings of the 18th century and the Clearances of the 19th century. Canada’s first two Prime Ministers were of Scottish origin and Scots have continued to leave their mark on Canadian politics, business and education.

“It is vital that pupils in our schools develop a strong understanding of Scottish history and how it has shaped their lives and the lives of others around the world. Interactive, online resources such as this one can help achieve this in an informed and vibrant way.

“For too long Scottish history has been neglected in our schools. That’s why through Curriculum for Excellence learning about Scotland’s history, heritage and culture is embedded within the curriculum for the first time. This fantastic website will be an invaluable

addition to the teaching of history in our schools. I am sure it will also be of interest beyond teachers and pupils, both in Scotland and here in Canada.”

Bernard McLeary, Chief Executive of Learning and Teaching Scotland, said: “The Scots and Canada website, which sits within our Scotland’s History resource, offers a wealth of information and interactive activities for teachers and learners keen to know more about Scotland’s longstanding connections with Canada.

“Curriculum for Excellence places great emphasis on our young people having an understanding of their heritage.

Resources like this are a fantastic way to engage pupils and stimulate their interest in Scottish history.”

The Scotland and Canada website is available in both English and Gaelic, and is part of Scotland’s History, an online resource developed by Learning and Teaching Scotland.

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South Ayrshire has benefited from using Glow to enhance learning and teaching, but another positive by-product has also emerged from using Glow. In January 2009 two of the new South Ayrshire Glow mentors met for the first time at their two-day training session.

As mentors they began to test some of the tools within Glow, Glow Messenger and Glow Meet, from home.

This led to them working collaboratively on a number of innovative projects using Glow with their respective classes at Pinwherry and Dundonald primary schools: Homecoming presentations, writing lessons and reading groups etc.

In testament to the innovative practices by Avril and Richard, they were asked to present at the 2009 Curriculum for Excellence Festival in South Ayrshire and at the 2009 Scottish Learning Festival.

Avril and Richard continue to use Glow for work with and between their classes. They recently got engaged and their wedding is planned for July.

Connected wishes them all the best.

The big question is will Glow be involved on the ‘Big Day’?

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A world of opportunities Michael Russell, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, shares his views on the challenges and opportunities that will accompany full adoption of Curriculum for Excellence

D

uring every teaching day in Scotland there are hundreds of thousands of good pupils being taught by tens of thousands of excellent teachers in thousands of great schools. This is the reality of Scottish education, and no one should lose sight of it.

That said, some issues exist that must be addressed. If you look at the learning journey that each of us embarks on, some of us encounter problems at particular stages and for others the whole experience is difficult. We need to make sure that everyone has access to excellence in education and benefits from valuable learning opportunities. By doing so, and supporting each individual along their learning journey, the highest standards of education will prevail and we will fulfil our aspirations for Scottish education to be every bit as good as it can be.

The issues we face today are set within a challenging external environment.

The impact of the recession will put pressure on public finances for the foreseeable future, so we must become more imaginative. We must look at education outwith what you might call the Victorian construct of young people going into buildings to be taught. Learning and Teaching Scotland is fully aware of this issue and is responding accordingly.

As we look forwards to the full adoption of Curriculum for Excellence, recent surveys indicate that some connected | summer 2010

practitioners are not confident that they are fully prepared. But I have been very active in listening to and addressing their concerns.

The 10-point plan I put forward at the end of March has been specifically tailored to respond to these issues. Some practitioners do lack confidence, but we can give them confidence. Some lack information, but we can give them information.

Curriculum for Excellence will not alter the laws of physics or the grammar of French. What we are seeing is a change of methodology. If we can reassure practitioners and provide them with the correct support, I’m confident that Curriculum for Excellence will be just as successful in secondary settings as it has been in primary schools. Support as outlined in the 10-point plan, and support from Learning and Teaching Scotland, will be integral to making this happen.

Learning and Teaching Scotland has created a wealth of rich digital resources. I would encourage all practitioners to explore these resources and to take advantage of the practical materials that teachers can incorporate into their classroom learning.

Keeping parents informed is also a priority – and I’m happy to report that all these activities are under way.

The recent launch of the emerging examples of assessment materials is a prime example of the key support being offered to practitioners. The materials mark the start of the process of putting more detailed material into teachers’ hands. The more

resources we give teachers and the more they evaluate them, the better our future approaches to assessment will be.

I’m also a strong supporter of Glow. Work is already under way to improve the look, feel and user experience of Glow, and I’m impressed by what I have seen so far.

Glow is a great tool, but I think that there is more that can be achieved with it. It was the first of its kind in the world. But it

michael r u ssell

Young people expect access to a great variety of resources and teachers need access to a wide selection of support materials.

Glow makes that possible

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will not continue to be the best unless we keep investing in and promoting it.

Young people expect access to a great variety of resources and teachers need access to a wide selection of support materials. Glow makes that possible and brings pupils together through shared learning experiences.

Our young people are Glow’s most demanding customers. They already use tools, such as Facebook, that are better than Glow, so Learning and Teaching Scotland has a big challenge to face. It must strive to ensure that Glow is as good as anything else in the market, and do so with substantially fewer resources than its competitors. Great imagination is required but by continuing to listen to its users, and to grow and adapt, Glow will retain its relevance.

One of the huge benefits of Glow is its ability to reach out to the Scottish education sector. I have plans to attach my own website to Glow, so that I can talk directly to teachers and others involved in education – look out for confirmation of this early in the summer. I’m in the business of listening to people and the website will be another way for me, alongside my ministerial colleagues, to hear feedback on Curriculum for Excellence and respond to it directly.

I’m equally as excited about the opportunities that exist within gamesbased learning and the potential for that to grow – Learning and Teaching Scotland has been a leader in this field. My eyes are swiftly opening to the potential of ICT and social media in education. As to how wide the scope will be, I don’t yet know. No one can answer this definitively right now, but I sense that the opportunities are huge.

What I do know for sure is that practitioners and learners in Scotland have the drive to fully explore this potential and secure real benefits for Scottish education.

Michael Russell has just launched Engage for Education – a new website that gives you the chance to put forward your suggestions on how we can make Scottish education better.

Find out more at www. engageforeducation.org

www.ltscotland.org.uk/connected

Learning through

assessment A

sk any adult about their memories of assessment and the chances are that most will experience flashbacks of cramming sessions, exam halls and nervously awaiting results. But with the publication of Building the Curriculum 5 in January 2010 and the forthcoming launch of the National Assessment Resource (NAR) in autumn, a step change in approaches to assessment is under way.

The NAR (created in partnership

by Learning and Teaching Scotland, Scottish Qualifications Authority and the Scottish Government) will provide a bank of materials for assessment, National Qualifications and national monitoring connected | summer 2010

Curriculum for Excellence is paving the way for greater breadth and depth of learning in Scottish schools

arrangements. For those who cannot wait until the autumn, Learning and Teaching Scotland has launched an online resource called Emerging Approaches to Assessment (www.LTScotland.org. uk/assessmentexemplars), gathering inspirational examples of literacy, numeracy, and health and wellbeing assessment that gather evidence of learning.

Norman Emerson, Programme Director, Assessment at Learning and Teaching Scotland, is excited about the scope of the resource. “More than 170 schools and centres from all settings in every local authority have submitted examples of their assessment initiatives. Footage of pupils and practitioners discussing assessment experiences, pupils’ written work, audio

clips and assessment descriptors feature among the work-in-progress materials that will help to support understanding of how assessment may be tackled in practice,” he says. “Some of the materials will appear within the NAR following a process of national quality assurance.

They’re a great taster of what’s to come.”

All visitors to the website are encouraged to review the examples, reflect on how they might inform practice and respond by posting formative feedback.

Shared learning intentions

Glaitness School in the Orkney Islands has contributed its experiences of English Language assessment to the resource.

Taking a sample group of P1 and pre-school

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Quick facts on the National Assessment Resource

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The National Assessment Resource is a joint development between LTS, SQA and the Scottish Government.

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It is a single online solution to support assessment approaches for Curriculum for Excellence. Further developments of this resource will support National Qualifications and national monitoring (SSA).

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It will provide examples of assessment approaches and evidence

relating to experiences and outcomes across curriculum areas, ages, stages and levels.

college sector. NAR will contain materials which will be developed by SQA and others, including teachers.

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The NAR will support teachers’ development of shared understanding and expectations of standards for Curriculum for Excellence and how to apply them consistently.

In its first phase the NAR will support 3–15 assessment approaches.

Future developments will support the senior phase from 16–18 years and the

learners, Glaitness’s approach centred around the assessment of listening and talking skills, but with an interdisciplinary technology focus. “Hopefully, the evaluative comments and ideas for next steps planning and reporting to parents will be of value to other schools,” says Ingrid Rendall, Depute Headteacher at the school.

Assessment plays an integral role in planning at Glaitness School. “We have a wide variety of children from pre-school age to secondary stage, including supported classes of learners with profound and complex needs. We view the children holistically and as individuals – and a detailed planning process that incorporates insightful evaluation and assessment is at the heart of that,” explains Ingrid.

Raising awareness of pupils’ learning goals has reaped rewards. “Pupils aren’t simply completing tasks because they have been instructed to – they know why they are doing it, understand what they aim to achieve and help set the next steps in their learning,” says Ingrid.

Learning logs allow the pupils to evaluate their own (and each other’s) learning, set targets and assess their progress.

It will support CPD in assessment with opportunities to discuss assessment resources and approaches through Glow, SQA Academy and SQA Understanding Standards.

Access to the NAR will be via Glow authentication and via SQA for independent schools and colleges.

Pupils of Glaitness School in the Orkney Islands

In the pre-school, the logs are on display for parents and pupils to view at all times, and the older pupils’ logs are sent home regularly. “Parents and pupils can submit comments on how they feel the learning process is progressing,” says Ingrid. “Pupils have a much richer assessment experience compared to the task-led, tick-box approach favoured when I first started teaching.”

Spotting propaganda

Beeslack Community High School in Midlothian has also contributed to the Emerging Approaches to Assessment resource. A history project for S2 pupils looking at propaganda in World War II provided opportunities for self and peer assessment, and interdisciplinary learning, incorporating literacy and social studies into history lessons. “The premise of the project was to look at bias according to the history outcomes of Curriculum for Excellence, and match these with relevant literacy and social studies outcomes,” says Lisa MacKay, history teacher at Beeslack.

The pupils looked at

propaganda posters from the World War II period – and were asked to consider the source, the theme and the intended message of each poster. “I liaised with my colleagues in the English department and took the assessment criteria for persuasive writing, and features of language such as rhetorical questions and flattery, etc and then asked the pupils to identify these features in the posters.”

The next step saw the pupils create propaganda posters. “They were really taken by the opportunity to transfer what they had already learned in English to their History lessons. It helped them see the wider scope of their subjects, rather than thinking about them as separate compartments,” explains Lisa. “They enjoyed a good degree of ownership of their work.”

When the posters were complete, the pupils conducted a self-assessment. “I was impressed by the maturity with which they assessed their work and that of their peers,” recalls Lisa. “On top of the enriched learning experience, the joy was that the pupils didn’t feel like they were being assessed.”

Assessment is set to become a more meaningful experience for everyone.

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res u t a e f w o l g new ils r for more deta oste

See attached p

Glow your way You told us what you want, we listened and we’re improving Glow.

Now an exciting line-up of new features awaits visitors to Glow

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ince its launch at the 2007 Scottish Learning Festival Glow has grown from strength to strength. All 32 local authorities have signed up – benefiting from support to enhance the quality of learning and teaching in Scottish classrooms, and to implement Curriculum for Excellence.

Over the past few months Glow users have been invited to post comments on their views and experiences of using Glow. “We wanted to pinpoint areas for improvement identified by users, so we invited them to tell us about the adjustments they would like to see via an online discussion on Glow in December and January,” explains Neil Stewart, Glow Development Manager at Learning and Teaching Scotland.

“This discussion formed the basis of the new features currently being introduced,” adds Neil.

A visit to the Noticeboard on the national Glow site reveals the first signs of change. “The new approach means that it actually looks like a noticeboard and it’s easy to find the section you’re looking for,” says Neil. “For instance, signposting to the staff area looks like a photo stuck on the board and the ‘What’s on?’ section looks like a calendar pinned onto the board. It’s much simpler to navigate now.”

With increased portal storage for

connected |summer 2010

The main aim of the refresh is to make Glow more relevant in 2010 every school and local authority, and more Glow Mail space, users have more scope to upload documents, images and videos.

The new Glow Mail went live on 29 March and, thanks to its refreshed interface, users can expect a smoother look and feel. “New features include drag and drop, and it’s easier to organise your emails in folders,” says Neil. “Previously, text could not be formatted but now users can change fonts and colours, and it’s easier to navigate between emails.”

Other new features include an icon to indicate if emails have been replied to

Future improvements The Glow team is now making significant changes to improve Glow in line with what users want. So far this has seen the launch of Glow Forums and major improvements to Glow Mail. Over the next few months users will benefit from a range of additional enhancements, including: Blogs – to allow users to publish their writing Wikis – can be created and edited by any user Better and faster search functions An enhanced news service

glow refresh

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and simpler address book sharing. Two new Glow themes have also been created, making a total of 10 themes for users to choose between. The introduction of Glow Forums has made way for more efficient discussion groups. “The Glow Forums are designed to improve the manageability of discussions that users take part in. Rather than having to click back into each discussion thread, forum participants can view the board index that shows activity across all their discussion groups,” says Neil.

A forum for debate

In the experience of Mearns Castle High School, East Renfrewshire, the Glow Forums have proved to be an excellent tool to support learning. Andrew Hutchison, Geography class teacher at the school, used the Glow Forums with learners in his S3 Geography class, who took part in a field trip to Loch Lomond to look at the geology of the land, land use and conflicts between farmers and tourists in the area.

Having returned from the trip, Andrew posted five discussion areas for pupils, and used Glow Forums to evaluate and assess the knowledge they had gained from the trip. Among others, the discussion topics included ‘Imagine you are a farmer.

Use the Glow Forum to complain about tourism within the national park,’ and ‘Imagine you are park rangers reading the farmers’ forum. Post solutions to some of the farmers’ complaints in order to reduce conflict.’

The learners relished the opportunity to put forward arguments from both sides of the debate. Interestingly, those who tend to be reluctant to respond during class discussions were among the first to post a written response. The forum also facilitated peer assessment and the use of role-play scenarios whereby learners took on the role of park ranger, local councillor, farmer and tourist, and presented their views on the use of the national park. “When I posted a question the pupils were very keen to visit the forum and leave a response. They particularly liked the fact that they could reply to each other’s answers. It has been a great success,” says Andrew.

A recipe for success

Spring 2010 also marked the launch of Glow Cookbooks, which demonstrate how Glow is being utilised by practitioners to enhance learning and teaching. Following the traditional cookbook approach, they contain the ingredients (ie which Glow components have been used), advice on method, a quick ‘how to’ video, and the end product (a description of the impact from the teachers or pupils involved). Whether a practitioner is interested in finding out how to use Glow Meet to explore collaborative learning, how to create a new forum, or anything in between, there is a Glow Cookbook with the perfect recipe. Visit http://cookbooks.glowscotland.org.uk to sample the vast menu of Glow Cookbooks, which is growing every day.

Tom Gregory, Project Manager of the Glow Refresh at RM (the solution provider for Glow), explains that this latest series of improvements will help to maintain Glow’s popularity. “The main aim of the refresh is to make Glow more relevant in 2010. It needed an improved interface, so we have achieved this through the new themes, and

improved functionality, which has been introduced with the blogs, wikis and forums. As usage of Glow has grown, so too have users’ opinions on how things should change. Feedback on the new additions has been really positive so far,” he says.

“We held meetings with users to determine how the blogs, forums and wikis should work; we then documented the requirements and shared them with all users of Glow – providing an opportunity for them to get involved and influence the process. On release of each new feature, we visited schools to see the impact of the new functionality and share it with the wider Glow user base.”

In its latest guise, there’s no doubt that Glow is set for further developments that will provide valuable resources to practitioners and learners.

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To find out more about Mearns Castle High School, visit http:// cookbooks.glowscotland.org. uk/blog/2010/03/26/using-glowforums-to-support-learning

View the new and improved Glow at www.LTScotland.org.uk/glowscotland/index.asp and subscribe to the Glowing e-bulletin to receive regular updates

www.ltscotland.org.uk/connected

Making it all add up Making connections between numeracy and other curriculum areas is helping young people to make sense of life in the 21st century. Charlotte McNeill reports View footage of the interview with Shotts Nursery Centre’s Deputy Head, Michelle Torley at www.LTScotland.org.uk/connected Blog discussion

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M

anaging your finances, planning your diary or checking a restaurant bill – numeracy skills are an integral part of everyday life.

Preparing young people for life and work is a central goal of Curriculum for Excellence, and, with schools working towards full engagement from August 2010, numeracy will be embedded across learning in Scottish schools. “We’re delighted that numeracy has such a prominent position and that we have the opportunity to advance it even further by supporting practitioners,” says Joe McLaughlin, Numeracy Team Leader at Learning and Teaching Scotland.

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The numeracy team has developed a wealth of support for practitioners as they prepare to take on responsibility for numeracy across learning. Primary schools in every local authority have been asked to identify a numeracy leader to attend one-day seminars on development and progression. “We’ve taken the seminars to 29 local authorities and now we’re in the second phase, during which we follow up on what schools have been doing since the first seminar. It’s a great way to build capacity,” says Joe. “We’re also working on the followup phase of our seminars for secondary teachers from all curriculum areas.”

The National Numeracy Network met for the first time on 25 February. Made connected | summer 2010

up of representatives from all education authorities, universities and further education organisations, parents and community learning partners, the network shares ideas on how to promote numeracy across learning. “It’s building momentum and enjoying support from National Numeracy Network Steering Group, which brings together colleagues from the Scottish Qualifications Authority, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education, Learning and Teaching Scotland, and other stakeholders, including primary, secondary and early years heads,” explains Joe. The numeracy team has also contributed to the development of the examples of emerging approaches to assessment, available on the Learning and Teaching Scotland website, and worked closely with Learning Connections on pilots with classroom assistants and parents to help them have more confidence in their numeracy skills. The examples of numeracy approaches emerging from Scottish schools indicate that this work has already proved to be a valuable source of inspiration.

Having fun with numeracy

Dinosaurs, carrots and shopping – they may not seem like the most obvious tools with which to promote numeracy across learning, but at Shotts Nursery Centre in North Lanarkshire, they helped early years learners get to grips with counting, quantities and sequences. “The approaches that we use to promote numeracy within the nursery are

Pupils from Deans Community High School used their numeracy skills to build and sell dog kennels fun, active and engaging,” says Michelle Torley, Deputy Head of Shotts Nursery Centre. “I think it’s important that numeracy experiences are not compartmentalised.

Instead, they are embedded within our whole routine. From the minute the children walk in the door they are talking about numeracy – what time they got up and how many Weetabix they had for breakfast.”

During free-play sessions, the children spend time in their shoe shop where they measure each other’s feet to work out their shoe sizes and handle money. In the creative area they calculate how many scoops of paint they might need. Outside in the water zone, they discover the difference between heavy and light, and learn about volume.

“Numeracy really is everywhere. At the snack table, we discuss how many pieces of fruit they have and how much milk they need for their cereal,” explains Michelle.

“The children are extremely excited about their learning and ask lots of questions.

The majority of them have become peer mentors.”

pictures: rob mcdougall

tent

the sciences

Contributing to the emerging approaches to assessment examples helped the nursery to closely examine its numeracy work. “We focused our planning on numeracy across learning with an emphasis on counting learning intentions – counting vertically and horizontally,” says Michelle.

“We wanted to demonstrate how the

children could apply their numeracy skills using technology. Through our observations we were able to use the children’s interest in dinosaurs as a meaningful context to engage their learning.”

The children created a small-scale image of a dinosaur and used an overhead projector to enlarge it. “The children worked

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out that the dinosaur was now 10 times bigger. Then they proceeded to made a giant 3D model of it,” recalls Michelle.

“They gathered all the required materials and used a range of tools – including measuring tapes, saws and hammers – and demonstrated what they had learned through a digital learning story.”

Connecting numeracy to other curriculum areas ensures that the children are well prepared for the next steps in their learning and beyond. As Reece, aged 5, confirms. “I can count all the way to 109 and higher. I can count around the way on the clock, sideways on a measuring tape and up the way on a measuring jug,” he enthuses.

In Michelle’s experience the possibilities are limitless. “There is no ceiling on early years numeracy learning. In the nursery we’re equipping the children with skills for lifelong learning.”

The great outdoors

Numeracy in action at Schotts Nursery Centre

Burrelton Primary School takes full advantage of the stunning Perthshire

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countryside that surrounds it. “Our forest school activities initially began with a health and wellbeing and outdoor learning focus, but we wanted to tie it in with as much of the curriculum as possible, so we incorporated science and then introduced numeracy and maths,” says Paula Morrison, Principal Teacher at Burrelton Primary School. “Applying learning in a different environment has made numeracy much more meaningful for pupils. For example, with compass points we began developing their core skills in the classroom and then took the pupils to the forest to apply their skills in a real-life situation.”

Come rain or shine, pupils enjoy regular visits to the forest school, which is a short walk away from Burrelton Primary.

From counting and matching trees with the infants, to working on bearings and angles with older pupils, the opportunities to explore numeracy and maths are plentiful.

“A forest leader works closely with our teachers to ensure that the lessons are closely related to the numeracy experiences and outcomes,” explains Paula. “The children might be timing each other to complete an obstacle course or using equations to measure the circumference of a tree, and you can see them making links between what they have been doing in the classroom and practical tasks. Numeracy has come to life for them.”

In the doghouse

When the mathematics, and craft, design and technology (CDT) departments in Deans Community High School, Livingston, embarked on a collaborative project to develop numeracy skills, it produced impressive results. The ‘In the Doghouse’ initiative saw S3 pupils put their measuring, costing, calculating, design and technology skills to the test in order to build kennels.

“We wanted to steer the pupils away from

The initiative saw S3 pupils put their measuring, costing, calculating, design and technology skills to the test in order to build kennels their tunnel vision approach to subject areas and introduce collaboration across several departments,” says Elaine Cook, Headteacher at the school. “From the initial ideas to implementation, working together and building something was very motivating for the pupils. The dog kennels were of such a high quality that they attracted buyers, thereby introducing an enterprise element too.”

The depth of the pupils’ learning was also greatly enhanced. “Previously, the pupils learned about a concept in a maths class with fewer opportunities to join the learning with other subject areas. This project was different as the pupils had to think about what they were doing and why,” explains Elaine. “There was no delineation between the numeracy and CDT aspects of the project, with pupils doing maths work in the workshop and discussing craft and design techniques in the classroom.”

Elaine is excited about the possibilities being created by Curriculum for Excellence.

“Doing more interdisciplinary work and focusing on the needs of the students once they leave school is fantastic. The relevance of learning is very much at the forefront of our minds now – I’m not sure that it was to the same degree in the past,” she says. “Contributing to the emerging approaches to assessment examples was also a valuable experience. I really enjoyed helping to demonstrate that a multitude of ways exist to assess outcomes. As with Curriculum for Excellence and numeracy across learning, the best thing is that every school can use it as suits it best.”

connected | summer 2010

Pupils work on their dog kennels

S cottish learning festi v al 2 0 1 0

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Don’t miss the Scottish Learning Festival This year’s Scottish Learning Festival will provide a forum for thousands of practitioners and educationalists to share their knowledge and ideas on how to enhance experiences and raise standards via Curriculum for Excellence

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eptember 2010 will see the 11th annual Scottish Learning Festival (SLF) take place at Glasgow’s SECC. The SLF is firmly established as the largest annual national education conference and exhibition in Scotland. Last year’s event drew more than 7,000 education professionals to Glasgow.

This year, it is set to be just as popular, so add 22–23 September to your diary.

Key staff from the Scottish Government, Learning and Teaching Scotland, Scottish Qualifications Authority and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education will all be on hand to chat about all aspects of education and learning. As Curriculum for Excellence reaches full adoption, practitioners are exploring how they can develop relevant experiences for learners through planned

i

activities that lead to sustained, motivating learning and high levels of achievement for all. The SLF 2010 will help practitioners and educational establishments to further develop their skills, knowledge and creativity, and capitalise on the opportunities offered by Glow.

The theme of the 2010 festival is ‘Curriculum for Excellence: Enhancing Experiences, Raising Standards’. Bringing together examples of good practice, leadership and management strategies from across Scotland and beyond, it will provide opportunities to share successful approaches to learning and teaching, and showcase how practitioners and learners are taking advantage of Glow and other technologies.

Assessment is a key aspect of Curriculum for Excellence and the festival will explore how it can promote improved learning and teaching, greater autonomy and professional responsibility.

This year’s keynote speakers include Michael Russell MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, Eric Booth, an award-winning actor, author, entrepreneur and arts education specialist, Richard Gerver, author of Creating Tomorrow’s Schools Today and Professor Sugata Mitra, Professor of Educational Technology at Newcastle University.

Share experiences

Spotlight speakers will cover a variety of engaging topics, from meteorologist and former BBC weather presenter Heather Reid OBE discussing science and climate change within education, to Graham Donaldson, former HM Senior Chief Inspector of Education, talking about his wide ranging review of teacher training in Scotland.

Michael Russell, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, says: “The Scottish Learning Festival has gained international recognition as a leading UK education conference, which brings together teachers, pupils and others from right across Scotland to share experiences and best practice.

“I am very much looking forward to attending my first SLF in the autumn.

This year’s festival comes during a crucial phase in the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence, therefore it will offer an excellent platform for the exchange of creative ideas and approaches by everyone with an interest in driving forward the improvements to Scottish education that we all want to see.”

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Registration for the Festival is now open. For the latest news on the Scottish Learning Festival 2010, visit www. scottishlearningfestival.org.uk

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It’s up to

you!

Health and wellbeing is everyone’s responsibility

Connected profiles whole school approaches to promoting health and wellbeing across learning

T

he learning experiences of young people prepare them for adult life. Providing opportunities to enhance the physical, emotional and social wellbeing of children and young people at school, leads to improved health, social inclusion and achievement in the longer term.

But how is Curriculum for Excellence facilitating the exploration of the experiences and outcomes for health and wellbeing?

“We know that young people function, respond and learn better when their physical and mental health is in connected | summer 2010

good shape. For many years schools have been working with youngsters to develop the ‘whole person’ and ensure that their holistic health is a priority, but Curriculum for Excellence has now highlighted it as a curriculum area in its own right,” explains Maureen Sneddon, National Development Officer, Health and Wellbeing at Learning and Teaching Scotland. “All practitioners have a responsibility to embed aspects of health and wellbeing in their lessons, regardless of which subject specialism they are delivering. Schools across the country are developing imaginative ways of ensuring that health and wellbeing is high on their agenda and that young people are experiencing

approaches across their learning which are interactive and engaging.”

Hillside School in Aberdour, Fife, is a prime example. The residential school – which caters for young people from S1–S4 with additional needs relating to social, emotional and behavioural difficulties – has held ‘Health Promoting School’ status since 2008, building a strong partnership with NHS Fife and a health and wellbeing programme, including a series of workshops.

This includes the ‘Share’ programme, which focuses on sexual health and relationships. Aimed at S1–S4 pupils, it is delivered by the teaching team in conjunction with care staff. The ‘Move On’

H ealth & wellbeing

programme offers information for school leavers on finance, benefits and access to support. Other examples of partnership working include drop-in sessions provided

by Dalgety Bay Police and by NHS Fife, and a citizenship programme, also provided by the community police force.

One project, which typifies Hillside’s ambition – a whole school approach to health and wellbeing – is the redevelopment of the school’s walled garden. Pupils, teaching staff, and the care and domestic teams all contribute to the project, which involves redesigning the area, working the ground and, ultimately, cultivating vegetables. “It’s about giving the pupils an idea and experience of the process of growing food, so that when they leave school they’ll have an idea of how to grow vegetables themselves,” explains Headteacher Tony Cunningham.

Community involvement is central to the development of the garden scheme and of the pupils’ social wellbeing. “Our pupils come from all over Scotland, but they’re all resident in Aberdour,” he explains. “So Aberdour really is their community – this gives them an opportunity to experience citizenship and being part of a community, and investing some of their time in that community. To further encourage pupil involvement and a sense of ownership of the initiative, two pupils also sit on the project’s steering group.”

Future community involvement plans include tasking the pupils to design a mosaic for a sensory garden in the village. “It has presented opportunities for pupils to share in valuable experiences both within and outwith the school,” says Tony.

Everyone has a say

At Nethermains Primary School, in Denny, Falkirk, practitioners are also striving to create a positive physical environment and strong sense of community within the school. A key element of the Nethermains strategy is to involve parents and pupils in the everyday running of the school, and the Parent Council is an important part of this approach. Chair of the Council, Jane Miller, explains. “We work hard to engage parents to work jointly with the school and arrange events that will bring the school, parents and community together,” she says.

“Parents always turn out well for concerts or school fêtes, and events like open mornings,

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“It’s about giving the pupils an idea and experience of the process of growing food, so that when they leave school they’ll have an idea of how to grow vegetables themselves” where our Headteacher Mary takes the chance to talk for a few minutes about how we’re adopting Curriculum for Excellence, and other important issues.”

The social wellbeing of the children, staff, partners and parents of the Nethermains learning community was the catalyst to embed health and wellbeing in both policy and practice, bringing key stakeholders together. A road safety campaign for safe parking outside the school is just one recent success born from this example of partnership working. The Pupil Council has also done great work.

P7 pupil Briony Caitlyn, Chair of the Pupil Council, explains how the pupils get involved in the day-to-day running of the school. “Pupils in the school have lots of roles and jobs to do – we have buddies, prefects, uniform groups, junior road safety officers, and more,” she says. “Every class has two reps on the Pupil Council and we listen to everyone. Pupils feel important in Nethermains Primary School.” The value and importance placed on the pupil voice positively develops the mental and

emotional wellbeing of the children.

Headteacher Mary Connolly agrees, revealing that staff members have been pleasantly surprised by the commitment and enthusiasm with which pupils have taken responsibility for their school. “One surprising improvement throughout this journey has been the strength of the pupil voice,” she says. “Pupils come up with ideas and carry them through. There is a real feeling that pupils are in the driving seat.”

Other initiatives at Nethermains include breakfast walks that help to

Nethermains Primary School introduced a road safety campaign

www.ltscotland.org.uk/connected

Nethermains pupils on a breakfast walk build physical activity into pupils’ everyday lives and incorporate the local area into their learning environment.

At the heart of the school

St Luke’s High School in East Renfrewshire took part in the first Health Promoting School pilot in the early 1990s and, since then, health and wellbeing has always been high on its agenda. “Health and wellbeing has really been an integral part of everything that we’ve done in the school for a very long time – it’s been a continued evolution,” says Headteacher Patricia Scott.

“We have very clear and specific plans for health promotion, and we’ve got really robust structures in place with staff assigned particular roles and responsibilities, and working groups within the school that involve pupils, staff and parents.”

The strong culture of consultation and cooperation between pupils, parents, carers and staff is typified by the Health Action Team, which is developing a Health Improvement Plan for health promotion throughout the school.

Pupil input is welcomed via the Pupil

Health Group, which has representatives from every year group and two staff members. The group provides a forum for pupils to contribute ideas for health promoting activities – such as the school’s swimming gala, which involved all S1 pupils and inspired more pupils to swim regularly.

Meanwhile, a School’s Nutrition Action Group (SNAG) – which has recently relaunched the school tuck shop, so that it now offers healthier food choices for pupils – works with the Parent Council to help communicate health promotion messages to parents and carers, who are encouraged to take a proactive role in the wider health and wellbeing strategy.

“As well as in SNAG, we’ve got parents who sit on our Health Steering Group. In the past, we’ve had parents who come from health backgrounds work with us to deliver workshops to other parents,” explains Patricia. “Our parents are well informed, and they see the relevance of these initiatives to the lives and wellbeing of their own sons and daughters, as well as to themselves, so I think they really welcome these kinds of developments.”

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The Royal Marines put St Luke’s High School S3 pupils through their paces on a healthy eating and activity project

For pupils, topics in health and wellbeing are taught across the curriculum, with faculties working collaboratively to promote effective interdisciplinary work and ensure coherence and progression within health-related programmes. The school uses national, local and school awards systems to recognise pupils’ participation and contribution to the school and the wider community.

St Luke’s also has a long history of promoting staff health and wellbeing, believing that the improved health and happiness of staff has a positive impact on developing pupils’ health and wellbeing.

It has achieved Gold standard in the Scottish ‘Healthy Working Lives’ scheme – the first school in Scotland to do so – and offers a number of ways for staff to improve their wellbeing, including regular health checks, mental health support and activities such as tai chi, yoga and walking clubs, as well as a combined staff and pupils cookery club. The Health Action Team also produces a health newsletter and calendar of healthrelated events, which is sent to all members of staff at regular intervals.

Health and wellbeing is the responsibility of all practitioners across Scotland. Staff, parents and community partners are seizing the opportunity to help children and young people develop the knowledge and skills that they need to lead a healthy and happy life.

For more information, please visit www.LTScotland.org. uk/curriculumforexcellence/ responsibilityofall/ healthandwellbeing

knowledge of lang u age

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Mair Scots in schuils coo A new online resource will help bring the teaching of Scots and English in Scottish schools to a new level

T

hursday 18 March saw the launch of a new online resource by Learning and Teaching Scotland, which will support practitioners as they facilitate the development of literacy skills among all learners via Curriculum for Excellence. Officially unveiled at a meeting of the National Literacy Network in Stirling, the Knowledge of Language website will direct practitioners to useful information about the common features of English and Scots.

The Knowledge of Language site is poised to become a valuable resource as Curriculum for Excellence is implemented.

In fact within just three weeks of its launch, the site has attracted 32,000 page views.

Fiona Norris, Programme Director, Learning and Community at Learning and Teaching Scotland, says: “There is an expectation that literacy, along with numeracy and health and wellbeing, will now be the responsibility of all practitioners as part of the new curriculum, and this resource will help practitioners achieve this goal.”

The site will supplement practitioners’ knowledge and confidence of using Scots and improving pupils’ literacy skills. “The Scots language section provides an essential introduction to the Scots language with information on its history, dialects, role in education and how to incorporate it into teaching across the curriculum. Scots is increasingly being incorporated into lessons in schools the length and breadth of Scotland, but some practitioners lack confidence in their own knowledge of the language and how to use it in the classroom,” explains Fiona.

A one-stop shop

Matthew Fitt, a renowned Scots author, who worked with the Learning and Teaching Scotland Literacy team to create the Scots language section of the resource, says: “With the inclusion of Scots in Curriculum for Excellence in 2007, teachers wanted to know more about the Scots language. The new

Scots section available on the Knowledge of Language website provides all the information they need.”

So far, feedback on the resource has been very positive. “Scots has a place in Scottish education alongside English, Gaelic and Scotland’s other languages, and many teachers have already commented that the information on the website has boosted their confidence in terms of using Scots in their teaching practice,” explains Matthew.

“The site has received a great deal of praise from across Scotland and even from the Austrian-based European Centre for Modern Languages. Judging by the high quality writing in Scots by pupils posted on the site, the language has a bright future.”

The Knowledge of Language resource is also designed to provide users with a helpful checking point for elements of the English language, including parts of speech, punctuation, grammar and syntax, tricky spellings and common confusions.

“It will provide all practitioners with the tools they need to promote literacy for all pupils right across learning,” says Fiona.

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View the Knowledge of Language resource at www.LTScotland.org.uk/ knowledgeoflanguage

www.ltscotland.org.uk/connected Information

Klaus Mayer Development Officer, Sustainable Development Education

Prof Kay Livingston Director, International, Research and Innovation

Global citizens understand the links between global and local issues Connected meets four members of LTS’s eight-strong Developing Global Citizens team to find out about the vital link they provide to practitioners and local authorities, promoting citizenship, international education and sustainable development education

connected | summer 2010

people in Scotland as global citizens and we do this in a variety of ways, working with teachers to give all pupils from 3–18 opportunities to develop knowledge, skills and values so that they understand the world, and their role within it. Our development officers are out and about in schools and local authorities all the time,

so they know what’s happening and help to make connections between schools in different local authorities.

NM: My focus is on our international work. I coordinate the Scottish Continuing International Professional Development (SCIPD) programme, which enables Scottish

pictures: tom muir

How does your role help to promote Developing Global Citizenship (DGC)?

KL: I have responsibility for Learning and Teaching Scotland’s Developing Global Citizens team. I coordinate all of the team’s activities and ensure that we’re working around our set of core principles. Our whole raison d’être is to develop our young

talking point

Audrey Kellacher National Development Officer

Nick Morgan SCIPD Co-ordinator

education professionals to take study visits abroad to investigate innovative practice.

Over the last 2.5 years, 500 practitioners have participated in the programme. It has been very beneficial not only for the individuals involved, but their schools and pupils too. Dissemination opportunities help spread that learning across Scotland.

KM: My role is primarily focused on sustainable development education – developing web materials to support practitioners, providing a network for professionals to link up with each other, and supporting sustainable education initiatives by schools and local authorities.

AK: I’m responsible for developing themes across learning, for instance Homecoming and the Commonwealth Games. I spend a lot of time with schools and local authorities helping them to engage with Curriculum for Excellence. There

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have been many examples of innovative practice around Homecoming, so I’m gathering them together and encouraging practitioners to share their experiences via professional learning communities.

As a team we have been working on resources to support the development of global citizenship – looking at the themes of international education, sustainable development and education for citizenship.

Working alongside a group of practitioners from local authorities across Scotland has been very useful, allowing us to hear their views and respond to their needs.

Why is DGC such a key priority?

KL: Curriculum for Excellence is about our young people becoming successful and confident learners as they grow up in a global world. To be a successful learner they have to understand that global context. A responsible citizen understands that what they do locally has implications

globally and that global issues have local implications. To be effective contributors, young people need to feel confident that they can contribute to debate and communicate in a global world.

What approaches are being adopted to DGC across Scotland?

NM: An enormous amount of activity is taking place. Scottish schools have a long tradition of looking outwards to other countries and this has grown extensively to include a wide range of initiatives, such as links with China through Confucius Classroom Hubs and fair trade activities, for example.

KM: In addition to the international professional development opportunities created via SCIPD, we also provide a range of opportunities within Scotland, including national events around sustainable development, and pilot

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studies working with local authorities to build capacity within their schools and resources for pupils. Our professional learning communities also play a key role in encouraging teachers, headteachers and local authority officers to share ideas within all three strands of DGC. Glow groups, for example for SCIPD participants who went to Nova Scotia, help practitioners to keep in touch with each other and share information.

AK: That’s an important point as our initiatives are not intended as one-off activities. Rather they aim to embed DGC throughout Curriculum for Excellence, so that it becomes a natural way of thinking.

NM: And so that it becomes integral to how pupils learn. There are links to DGC virtually right across the curriculum.

KL: That’s correct. In fact, we recently organised a suite of one-day professional development activities looking at DGC. One day was dedicated to DGC through social subjects, other days looked at DGC through modern languages, literacy and expressive arts. The enthusiasm for those events was very encouraging – each one attracted 80–100 participants.

What makes DGC so popular among practitioners and pupils?

KM: There is quite a practical element to citizenship – it encourages people to take action. Initiatives range from eco activities, developing rights respecting schools, encouraging international links, and activities relating to fairness and justice.

AK: There’s a real-life context for young people and staff, so DGC is meaningful to them. Our resource due for launch in the new session will provide even more clarity.

KL: Our work on DGC focuses on the importance of the pupil voice. Involving young people in the thinking behind, and approaches to DGC, helps to fully engage them.

Can you share examples of pupil involvement?

KL: Last year, Audrey ran several national showcase days demonstrating pupils’ work on Homecoming.

AK: Based on Scotland’s history, culture and heritage, and using Homecoming as a theme to engage with Curriculum for Excellence, the showcase days provided an opportunity for all pupils to demonstrate the innovative ways they had explored DGC. The beauty of having a national event is that it brought together practitioners from all 32 local authorities, giving them the chance to make contacts and networks.

KL: We’ve also invited young people to be keynote speakers at our events. For example, at a major event at Hampden several pupil speakers gave their vision and message around global citizenship, and what it means to them, to an audience of more than 100. It was inspirational!

KM: Everyone sitting here has first hand experience of what is effective in learning environments and we know that giving young people ownership is important.

One particularly successful example of pupil leadership emerged from the Carbon Cutters project, which is based on an initiative called ‘Going Carbon Neutral

At a major event at Hampden several pupil speakers gave their vision and message around global citizenship, and what it means to them, to an audience of more than 100. It was inspirational! connected | summer 2010

Stirling’. A pupil decided that he would like to implement the project in his local authority and promote it among his fellow pupils and other schools. To help make this possible, we provided Glow training to three schools in the local authority and opportunities to promote his materials and thoughts online. Now the group of schools involved have made plans to reduce their carbon footprint, and discussions between them are ongoing via Glow. There is a real team approach among them, but at the

talking point

themes to contextualise learning is introduced, and many of them look towards secondary schools to provide more depth to their work.

What useful resources are available to practitioners?

AK: With the DGC working group we’ve created a range of good practice case studies, including photos, useful information and advice, and professional development materials.

One striking example is the materials being developed by Learning and Teaching Scotland and schools on JANEEMO, a community-led biofuel, food and medicine enterprise in Malawi.

From the early to fourth level, we’re using the JANEEMO theme to develop knowledge around sustainability and citizenship.

Early years learners are looking at visual literacy and cultural exchanges.

In primary settings pupils are exploring Scottish forestry with local partners and reflecting on home practices compared to Malawi. In secondary schools, learners are taking much more ownership. Pupils at Grantown Grammar have been working with the local Body Shop, looking into the crops used in its products, becoming more active in sustainability promotion in the community, and taking a co-operative learning approach. They have created games and film footage, and worked with WWF and Eco Schools.

core of the work is one pupil who planned, coordinated and drove the project forward.

KM: The great thing about projects like JANEEMO is that it allows pupils and teachers to develop a range of ideas and activities that exemplify all three areas of DGC. The model reflects an open education concept that could be approached differently by each school.

How can the approach to DGC vary across different settings?

AK: We develop personalisation and choice from the age of three, working with playgroup partners and managers, and this continues in primary and secondary levels.

In the early years, DGC can be approached from a transitions perspective. In primary settings interdisciplinary work and using

KL: The key thing is that we have made sure that links exist between everything we do. The principles are our starting point and our resources build on these, as do the professional learning communities and development opportunities. But these activities don’t stand alone – they are designed to increase interconnectedness among schools, practitioners and other

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stakeholders, creating a sense of continuity.

We recently provided an opportunity for groups of practitioners to complete study visits in a school in a different local authority. Seeing innovative thinking taking place in other parts of Scotland is inspiring.

What opportunities exist for DGC? KL: As we move into the next session and Curriculum for Excellence is embedded, we’ll be seeking opportunities to exemplify that DGC activities are integral to the curriculum.

In our team’s experience, it’s often only when there’s professional dialogue between a development officer and a school that the school realises that they are embedding DGC within the curriculum. We will work with practitioners to help them tailor the DGC principles to their pupils’ needs.

AK: We’ll also be further exploring the role of parents. Via the Homecoming theme, we saw the benefits of schools working with local communities and parents.

Pupils benefited from meaningful learning beyond the classroom, while parents enjoyed learning more about Scotland’s history and culture alongside their children.

KM: Often parents have a catalyst effect.

When they get involved, then suddenly the rest of the community gets on board too.

KL: Our sustainable development resource provides materials for parents and children to work on together. We’re interested in pursuing how we work with the teacher education institutions to create a sense of development from initial teacher education.

NM: We’ll also be focusing on promoting DGC among probationer teachers.

KL: We’re running four seminars in June for newly qualified teachers.

AK: We will also be using the Homecoming model to support DGC in the run-up to the 2012 Olympics and the 2014 Games.

KL: We aim to support practitioners in a variety of ways as they find their own pathways through DGC, and ensure that our young people emerge as successful, confident, responsible global citizens who contribute to society effectively.

www.ltscotland.org.uk/connected

In our experience: the healthy choice is fun

W

hen left to their own devices you might expect most young people to choose chocolate and cake for their midmorning snack. But at Kirktonholme Primary School, East Kilbride, pupils are swapping chocolate biscuits and crisps for fruit and cereal bars. How has this been achieved?

Sandra MacKenzie, Headteacher at the school, has the answers. “Once a term, we organise a healthy tuck shop. The Pupil Council decides what healthy snacks they’d like to have available and parents come in to help sell the produce around the classes,” she says. “Rice cakes and raisins are very popular. We double check to make sure that everything is as healthy as it claims to be.”

The Pupil Council and the Health Promoting Schools Committee (made up of pupils, staff and parents) also run sessions to make smoothies and healthy popcorn, which are then sold around the school. “It’s fantastic because it promotes an enterprising attitude. It’s Curriculum for Excellence personified,” explains Sandra. connected | summer 2010

All pupils at the school regularly enjoy opportunities to don their aprons and try out healthy recipes. “Today a group of the P7s are making healthy pizzas. Of course, close supervision is a must, but it’s encouraging to see how quickly they pick up the health and safety messages,” says Sandra.

The key benefits of incorporating cooking and baking into lessons is that pupils have so much fun that they do not feel as though they are doing schoolwork. “When the pupils are measuring flour, for instance, they are practising their numeracy skills and seeing practical applications of the importance of accuracy. It’s fascinating to watch them making these connections.

Doing so has proved to be particularly beneficial to some of our less academic pupils. It makes numeracy, for example, more meaningful and helps

them to understand why the lessons they learn in maths are important,” says Sandra.

A system called ‘Healthy Passports’ has proved to be very popular among the P1–3 pupils – each of them is issued a passportstyle card and it is stamped every day that they bring in a healthy snack. “This is very motivational for the pupils as they are keen to collect enough stamps to receive a reward,” says Sandra.

“Across the entire school we also have what we call the ‘Food Police’. Once a week the children take turns to visit all the classes and check what everyone is having for a snack; the class with the most healthy snacks enjoys an extra five minutes of play at lunchtime on Fridays. It has really brought out their competitive spirit.”

Pupils have the option of bringing a packed lunch or having

pictures: allan shedlock

At Kirktonholme Primary School healthy eating is a top priority, as Charlotte McNeill discovers

in o u r e x perience

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What the pupils say

lunch that is cooked on the premises, in line with Hungry for Success. “Those opting for school meals pre-order what they are going to have. The teachers encourage them to make healthy choices and to discuss what they are going to eat and why it’s good for them,” says Sandra. “Since we’ve increased our focus on health and nutrition, the children are much more aware of what’s in their food and that healthy choices are available to them.”

By Sandra’s own admission, there is a limit on what can be achieved in the classroom, so parental involvement is key.

“We’re lucky to have a very supportive Parent Council, which recently part-financed the purchase of a Cookit Box, containing every piece of cooking equipment you can think of. Activities such as Health Promoting Week, which will take place in June, are a great way to get all parents involved,” explains Sandra.

“They are invited to all the activities that take

“Cooking is enjoyable.

Making pizza was not as easy as it sounds. Cutting up the food was quite difficult.”

“Making healthy pizzas was fun.

We learned how to compare prices and it tasted good in the end.”

Lewis Peers, P7

Abigael MacKenzie, P7

place that week, including sports day and inter-house netball and football competitions.

It’s great for the parents to come along and see how ingrained healthy eating and nutrition is across the school.”

A glowing example

Kirktonholme Primary’s efforts have already earned it a Health Promoting Schools Silver Award and it has submitted its portfolio for a Gold Award. It was also the location from which a Glow Meet to improve practitioners’ confidence around food preparation was broadcast in April 2010. “I found the Glow Meet extremely helpful. It has given me the confidence to teach food preparation skills to my pupils,” says Valerie Miller, Principal Teacher and Glow mentor at Kirktonholme.

“Claire Theobold of the British Nutrition Foundation was an excellent teacher, giving clear instructions and helpful advice, and

discussing interdisciplinary links.

“I think safety is a major worry, but Clare showed us how to hold different foods using the ‘bridge’ and ‘claw’ techniques to minimise fingers getting in the way. She also showed us the versatility of kitchen scissors.

This made me more confident to try new healthy recipes,” adds Valerie.

The school has many exciting plans to continue empowering its young people to make responsible food choices, while bearing in mind the ‘everything in moderation’ mantra. “We wouldn’t dream of banning the odd sweetie or piece of chocolate as a treat.

But under Curriculum for Excellence, we do have a responsibility for promoting good nutrition messages,” says Sandra. “These children are learning so much more about food than we ever did, and hopefully they will put this knowledge into practice when they have their own homes and families.”

www.ltscotland.org.uk/connected

A week in my shoes:

Anne Harkness

connected | summer 2010

S

t Stephen’s High School is a School of Ambition. With a school roll of 570, we are presently planning a move towards a shared campus with Port Glasgow High School in 2013, with a decant to our campus in 2011.

As a depute head, my remit includes responsibility for the pastoral care and welfare of S4, several link departments, the development of learning and teaching, and Curriculum for Excellence. I joined St Stephen’s in January 2009, having previously taught maths in another authority. Since then, the developments within Curriculum for Excellence have been a major part of my work, both with staff and pupils. Information, support, advice and discussion have formed the basis of our preparation for August 2010 ­– using timelines from Learning and Teaching Scotland, from the local authority and from within our school.

Monday My morning starts in the same way each day: coffee at 7:45. I have three classes today: S2, S3 and S4, and I make sure I am well prepared for them. This is a part of my job that I still thoroughly enjoy. It provides me with an opportunity to try new approaches and technology, and gauge the success of them. The benefits to my pupils are that they (and I) learn new skills all the time.

Together we have learned how to use the interactive whiteboard software and even the activexpression handsets. It is good for them to see an adult learning to do new things – and not being afraid to mess up from time to time.

After school I have a Senior Management Team (SMT) meeting. The agenda includes self-evaluation, a school improvement plan audit and discussing our recent HMIE inspection.

pictures: tom muir, PacificCoastNews.com

Depute Headteacher at St Stephen’s High School, Port Glasgow, Anne Harkness takes time out at the end of a hectic working week to share what keeps her busy

a week in my shoes

Wednesday

Tuesday I spend the day out and about with my year group. Having taken them on midway through S3, I have tried to establish good relationships with the pupils and their parents. This involves informal classroom visits, asking their teachers how they are working, participating in discussions with them in class and having a high profile around the school. Their teachers have worked very hard to prepare them for their forthcoming examinations and I want the pupils to be aware of that.

As part of my learning and teaching remit, it is also a chance to identify good practice.

This can then be shared during staff development days, on the learning wall in the staffroom, or through SMT at our link department meetings.

As always, my lunchtime is spent walking the corridors and engaging in lively discussions with my S4. Today we discussed the respective merits of Twilight’s Robert Pattinson (pictured – their choice) and the Killers’ Brandon Flowers (mine)!

Inverclyde Council’s Inform panel meet every two weeks. As I’m a member of this multiagency group drawn from education, social services, health and psychological services, I read case notes in preparation. We consider educational provision for the most vulnerable children in our care. I’m a new employee to the Council, so it has been an excellent way of gaining access to facilities that I can then use for my own year group if necessary.

After school I attend a meeting with the Curriculum for Excellence working group.

Our agenda covers draft learning and teaching and homework policies, the use of learning walls (literacy, numeracy and thinking skills prompts are displayed in almost every room), sharing good practice and the use of Learn 2 Learn materials in personal, social and health education courses.

Thursday Mass is held by our School Chaplain every Thursday before school. Then we have the S4 assembly, which begins with the school prayer. We celebrate achievement by announcing the Connect leadership group winning the Diana Award, some very successful performances by the debating team, and several musicians enjoying success at local authority competitions.

At 1.15pm the maths departmental meeting takes place.

We are planning our course to reflect Curriculum for Excellence and the discussions are lively to

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say the least. Recently the department has introduced more active learning and ICT. It has also organised an interdisciplinary activity, Space Week. Pupils built and launched their own rockets with input from all departments.

We are also taking surveys to allow us to meet pupils’ needs and improve their learning experiences through changes to timelines, feedback, homework and assessment.

So far, the feedback has been positive, so next year we’ll encourage even more pupil involvement.

In the evening we hold the S4/5 options choice evening for parents.

Friday Our staff bulletin is published on Friday mornings, so I check the Scottish Qualifications Authority and Learning and Teaching Scotland websites for updates and highlight them to staff.

To prepare for Curriculum for Excellence, we have undertaken several information gathering visits to other schools.

For example, we looked at interdisciplinary working and curriculum planning. Apart from a day out, these visits allow us to engage with other schools, understand their experiences, consider other options, and provide us with examples on which we can base our own decisions relevant to our school. To continue to develop, we need to collate departmental progress from time to time. In line with our timeline, departmental returns are due today on “Where are we now?” in terms of readiness for August.

That’s my weekend reading sorted.

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LTS: Supporting implementation of Curriculum for Excellence LTS has worked with schools and centres across Scotland to facilitate the development of a wide range of materials to support you in using the experiences and outcomes, developing curriculum structures and assessment approaches. This support is ONLINE NOW!

Go to www.curriculumforexcellencescotland.gov.uk for: 1

Support in using the experiences and outcomes More than 40 examples of how schools are implementing the experiences and outcomes.

2

Support with curriculum planning Find a wide range of case studies and over 50 curriculum plans.

3

Support with approaches to assessment Around 100 examples of emerging approaches to assessment relating to the experiences and outcomes across curriculum areas, stages and within levels.

Learning and Teaching Scotland

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