posted by Alita Spink, Schools and Learning Support Officer, Schools and Learning

NEWS
Register for new series of Education Scotland LfS Practitioner Network events.
• Free British Council CLPL course for teachers in Scotland – Learning for Sustainability: Connecting Classrooms.
• Your views are needed to improve UNICEF’s Rights Respecting Schools Programme.
• Global citizenship and children’s rights CLPL courses in Glenrothes and Perth.
• Create richer learning environments with the Loose Parts Play Toolkit.
• Explore the Scottish food system through this CLPL opportunity at Whitmuir Farm Field of Enquiry 2000m2.
• Recognising and realising children’s rights in youth work resource now available.
• OWL Gardening and Woodland CLPL session for teachers coming up.
• Game of cones – tree health and survival strategy game & app now available for download.
• Sign up for the Royal Horticultural Society’s school gardening courses.

PROFESSIONAL READING
• Natural connections research shows outdoor learning can lead to a variety of improved outcomes.
• Making Gains report shows outdoor learning residential experiences can help raise attainment.

posted by Alita Spink, Schools and Learning Support Officer

The experience of having a mother, father, brother, sister, other family relative or even a friend go to prison can be incredibly traumatic for a child. Families Outside works with children and families affected by imprisonment across Scotland and has done so for the last 25 years.  With our awareness of the difficulties these often marginalised children face, Families Outside has produced My Diary aimed at addressing the difficulties experienced by young children in such distressing circumstances.

Book Version                                      Video Version

As a consequence of imprisonment, children with a family member in prison can become isolated from their community, including school, and may become the victims of bullying or display bullying behaviour themselves as they struggle to manage their anger and confusion. These children are more likely to have problems at school, with increased risk of school exclusion and disengagement from education. Often children are not told what is happening, which is confusing and worrying, or they are asked to keep it secret, which puts an enormous strain on them.

Children affected by imprisonment suffer from serious mental health issues at up to three times the rate of other children and are at higher risk of offending and, therefore, of ending up in prison themselves. The experience of a family member’s imprisonment puts children and young people at a serious disadvantage and makes engaging positively in society extremely challenging. 

My Diary is available to download from our research and publications page.  For copies of the diary, please email admin@familiesoutside.org.uk

The video version of the diary is also available which may be more suitable for the child or for training of professionals working with children affected by imprisonment.  The video can be downloaded from our Vimeo account.

Jonathan

Families Outside Support & Information Helpline: 0800 254 0088

posted by Carol Lyon Support Officer, Schools and Learning

Important changes are taking place to Education Scotland’s websites. Find out more>>

Preparations are underway for a major update to the Education Scotland websites to ensure we continue to meet the needs of practitioners as Scotland’s education system evolves.

By November, four sites will be available, which will be search-driven to help users quickly access the information they seek.

Corporate website – with information about Education Scotland, policy and legislation, news, Scotland’s education system and our role in it.

The National Improvement Hub – the dedicated source of education improvement materials and resources for education practitioners.

Parentzone Scotland – the dedicated information site developed for, and with, parents.

National Qualifications site – providing practitioners with support materials for qualifications.

In preparation, we have been reviewing the content on our current sites.  Education improvement materials and resources that remain relevant are being moved to the National Improvement Hub  some topic-specific content is being moved to partner organisations and will appear on their websites.  Other content is being archived for future consideration, and may be deleted or re-worked and used again.  Where content has already been moved, site visitors will find a relevant link or message.

The websites with sciences and learning for sustainability content will be affected as follows:

STEM Central – core content is being migrated to the National Improvement Hub. The site in its current format will no longer be available beyond the end of October 2016.
Weather and Climate Change – core content is being migrated to the National Improvement Hub. The site in its current format will no longer be available beyond end of October 2016.
Exploring Climate Change – core content is being migrated to the National Improvement Hub. The site in its current format will no longer be available beyond end of October 2016.
NQ Higher Sciences – content is being migrated to the new National Qualifications site. The site in its current format will no longer be available beyond end of October 2016.
Giant Pandas – the site in its current format will no longer be available beyond end of October 2016. In time, some of the content will appear on the Beyond the Panda website developed by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.
Schools Global Footprint – this website is being deleted and will no longer be available beyond the end of October 2016.
Ready for Emergencies – the site in its current format will no longer be available beyond the end of October 2016. The content is currently being migrated to Scottish Government’s Ready Scotland website.
NQ Course Material Glow site – materials that have been developed for NQ Sciences by Education Scotland will appear on the new National Qualifications site. Most of the other material developed and shared by local authorities will not be available beyond the end of October 2016.
Sciences and Learning for Sustainability pages on Education Scotland’s Corporate site – core content will remain but there will be a significant reduction in content in the resources and sharing practice sections. Some content will be migrated to the National Improvement Hub.
National Assessment Resource – sciences content will no longer be available beyond the end of October 2016.

Due to the volume of content being migrated there may be a period of time at the end of October where some of content which is being retained or migrated may not be available on the National Improvement Hub or partner websites. We will be endeavouring over the coming weeks to minimise any loss in continuity of access to this material.

If you have any further questions then please email: nih@educationscotland.gsi.gov.uk

posted by Andy Garnett Active Schools Lead Coordinator, Schools and Learning

We are delighted to share with you brand new resources that will help you make growth mindset real in your own class or school for early years, primary and secondary pupils.

These were designed to help you unlock the potential of every pupil and take into account the Scottish context.

We will be adding new materials regularly, so please bookmark our site.

We’re also currently piloting our mindset champions online learning programme. For more info, please contact John Paul Fitzpatrick, Mindset in Education Lead.

We would love your feedback!

Do you have any resources you would like to share? What is your education growth mindset story? Any comments?

Please get in touch johnpaul.fitzpatrick@winningscotlandfoundation.org

posted by Mrs Lynsay Jukes, Teacher of PE at Arbroath High School

Wednesday 21^st September saw Arbroath High School S1’s play their first ever football match with an emphatic 11-0 win away to local rival Arbroath Academy. It was looking promising for the season head. The following week saw two home fixtures as they prepared to face Montrose academy and Monifieth High School. A routine 9-0 victory over Montrose put pressure on the other team in the league. The following fixture, on Wednesday 28^th September, promised to be a tougher game. A depleted squad of only 11 players forced several to play out of position. With a slim 3-2 lead at half time the boys showed great attitude and character to step up a gear and win 11-2. Three resounding victories with plenty of goals have left Arbroath High an early favourite for the league and hoping for a strong Scottish Cup run.

Top Scorers (so for): Ryan Hutton-9;

Jack Bledowski- 6;

Logan Coull- 4;

Kaden Houghton- 3;

Tuesday 27^th September, Arbroath High School S3 girls had their first netball match against Brechin High School.  They started off with an outstanding first quarter with the score at the end of it being 22-1. Top scorers in this quarter were Kezia Adam and Kerys Swankie. The girls maintained this high performance throughout the whole game. Rachel Lorimar, Rebecca Hay, Jade Hunter made their first debut in the second quarter. The final score was 41-3. A great effort from the whole team, which also included:  Olivia Mader, Leigh Beresford, Jade Reid, Holly Bennett, Megan Watson.