posted by:  Trish Torz Service Manager, Schools and Learning

………An Exciting Opportunity for those Working in the People Directorate of Angus Council 

Are you interested in becoming a primary teacher?  Would you like to find out how to train as a teacher through distance learning while you work?   

If you are a University graduate currently working in any part of the People Directorate of Angus Council and would like to find out more about this exciting opportunity please come along to our drop-in awareness raising session any time between 4p.m. and 6 p.m. on Tuesday 22 September 2015 at Carnoustie High School.   

I look forward to seeing you there!

posted by Les Hutchinson, Head of Quality and Performance

Within the People DIrectorate we have a consultative group (imaginatively called the People Consultative Group). The PCG brings together unions, staff representatives and managers to look at issues that affect our workforce. We also look at some wider aspects of service delivery. Generally meetings are held every two months. The minutes of the meetings are  published on our Intranet sites (we’ll let staff know when they’re available), but we’d also like to let you know about some of the highlights as soon as possible.

So, yesterday’s highlights included:

• As previously mentioned, we will be visiting staff groups (during the working day) to explain our budget position and to seek input to our future planning.
• We had lively conversations about improving support for staff during service reviews – especially in the implementation phase –  and the level of uncertainty surrounding Health and Social Care Integration.
• We have established a group to look at the key messages from our recent Investors in People assessment. This group will produce an action plan and set of commitments about how managers will support and engage with staff.
• We will be consulting on a set of values that we will all use in our daily work. More details to follow.

posted by Trish Torz, Service Manager, Schools & Learning

Target Audience – Angus school leaders involved in the RAFA programme

Just a wee reminder that our national Improvement Advisor, Kirsty Ellis, will be back in Angus on the morning of Monday 14 September 2015 to help us develop greater confidence and awareness in using data to measure the impact of our small step tests of change.  This session will take place at 9.00 a.m. in Webster’s Theatre, Arbroath. 

At her recent workshop, Kirsty worked with 23 primary schools staff (HTs / DHTs/ PTs) to ensure the cycle of the improvement model was well understood and that our school leaders felt confident to articulate to all staff how to translate actions from school improvement driver diagrams into small step tests of change.

If you plan to come along to the follow-up session on measuring impact on Monday 14 September please ensure you let Morna Duncan (Duncanmh@angus.gov.uk)  know by email no later than Wednesday 9 September 2015.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Trish Torz
Service Manager, Schools and learning

reposted by Rodger Hill, Service Manager

Tayside and Fife Teacher Education Partnership
Local Legacy Event
Date: Saturday 12^th September 2015
Time: 10am -1pm
Venue: Dalhousie Building, University of Dundee http://j.mp/UoDDalhousie

The Tayside and Fife Teacher Education Partnership will host this event to share information about the partnership projects (Early Phase and Masters Level learning) that teachers have been engaged in over the past year. There will also be an opportunity to hear about the exciting new developments planned for the coming session and how you can become involved.

Angus Council have been allocated 50 places for this free event. A hot breakfast of bacon rolls with tea and coffee will be provided to welcome you on the day.
If you would like to attend, please email Morna Duncan, Admin Assistant (DuncanMH@angus.gcsx.gov.uk). Places will be allocated on a first-come, first served basis. 

Hope to see you there. 

Rodger Hill
Service Manager Schools and Learning

The Carnoustie High School STEM club led by Dr K Mustard have been up and running now since January. The club have tackled a diverse range of exciting projects including purifying their own DNA, hatching brine shrimps, building monorail trains, constructing steam powered boats and creating fruit batteries!

The dedication and enthusiasm of the club members recently paid off when they were announced winners of the prestigious Junior Saltire Competition 2015.  This competition was open to all primary and secondary schools across Scotland. It was funded by the Scottish government and managed by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) in partnership with SCDI’s Young Engineers and Science Clubs Scotland. Working in teams of four, pupils had to design and construct a floating energy converter. The CHS STEM club team ‘The super Scientists’ (Ragnall Simmons, Maya O’Connor, Hamish Bartle and Glen Byars) were short-listed as finalists from a selection of over 200 schools. They were invited to test their device at the FLOwave research facility at Edinburgh University before being announced the S1-S3 Scottish Junior Saltire Winner 2015. Fergus Ewing MSP, Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism and Dr Heather Reid OBE presented our pupils with £600 and the Junior Saltire medal at an awards ceremony held at Glasgow Science Centre.

Photo : Proud winners of Junior Saltire Medal and £600

From L to R, Neve Walker, Imogen Crozier, K. Mustard, Kirsten Ireland, Fergus Ewing MSP, Glen Byars, Heather Reid OBE, Ragnall Simmons, Maya O’Connor.

posted by Pauline Stephen, Head of Schools & Learning

Some of you might remember that we started work on looking at our values last year as we came together as a People Directorate.  A task that stemmed from this original work was to explore what our core business is, what we are all here to do.  The focus of this commitment is to the children and young people of Angus as we anticipate changes to working arrangements following the health and social care integration.     Here is what a group of us have come up with so far:

Our Commitment to the Children and Young People of Angus

Our job is to help you grow safely and happily.  We will listen to you and hear what you have to say.  If things go wrong, we will help you.  We will support you to make a difference.

This is a first attempt.  Does this  truly reflect our shared core purpose and aspirations for our children and young people?  It’s really important that we get your input.  Please leave your suggestions in the comment boxes.