Author: J. Jackson

Working in Partnership – Scotdec

Our LfS partners are an essential part of our LfS Framework in Falkirk and there are so many great resources out there to support schools and ELCCs with the LfS bundles.

One of our key partners – Scotdec continues to offer brilliant courses and resources to support our practitioners.

Click here   to see the wide range of CLPL courses which Scotdec are offering in September and October 2022. October is Black History month, and this link shares excellent resources for anti-racist education. The image headlining this post also gives details of our upcoming LfS celebration and showcase event in November. Please sign up to attend, or get in touch if you have practice you’d like to share.

Over the years we have also had several Falkirk teachers taking part in a year long CLPL opportunity which is accredited by GTC Scotland and the feedback has been really positive.  More information can be found in this flyer but be quick as the closing date for applications is 19th September!

 

An exciting new initiative this year has been the development of a resource which will allow staff to access a wide range of materials which have been mapped by Scotdec to our 5 LfS bundles.   This canva is an excellent resource which assist planning our LfS bundles.

Dandelion Project

All Falkirk secondary schools, and their associated primaries,  have been invited to take part in this exciting, fully funded, food growing initiative.  The Dandelion Schools’ Growing Initiative (DSGI) will take place between April and September 2022 across Scotland and will involve 500 invited schools.

There are free resources, including a specially designed vertical growing cube, tattie growing packs, training materials and support packs.  More information can be found in the  Dandelion Schools Brochure. 

 

Falkirk schools have until the 10th February to register. 

This would be a great transition project and could be led by a secondary faculty, LfS lead, ECO or similar pupil led group, or maybe a team of secondary staff whose subject areas link with the project aims.

If anyone would like to discuss this further contact jane.jackson@falkirk.gov.uk  or  yvonne.mcblain@falkirk.gov.uk

Useful links and further reading

As an integral part of our ‘LfS in Falkirk Framework’ we have started a series of CLPL courses aimed at practitioners and managers.  These courses will be introducing what we hope will be a useful framework for schools and practitioners to put LfS at the heart of planning, teaching and learning.

There are lots of other resources and materials which will help in this process, some of which are signposted below:

More information about the Falkirk LfS framework can be found here

Self evaluation tools:

The General Teaching Council for Scotland have a really useful, simple self evaluation wheel which very quickly helps you to identify what you are currently doing and where there might be potential gaps.

Self-evaluation Wheel: Learning for Sustainability | General Teaching Council for Scotland (gtcs.org.uk)

 

Education Scotland have produced a comprehensive self evaluation framework

There is also a summary version which can be accessed here

 

Professional responsibilities

The GTC for Scotland have produced a guide “to help you understand your responsibility to embed Learning for Sustainability in your practice, inspiring and motivating learners to address the challenges of learning to live within the environmental limits of our planet and to build a just, equitable and peaceful society.” Find out more via this link:

GTCS Professional Guide – LfS

Learning for Sustainability is integral to the GTCS Professional Standards Framework. Further information about this can be found on the link below.
What does LfS mean for me?

National guidance and further reading

There is a really useful summary of LfS resources on the The National Improvement Hub which can be accessed here

Exemplars 

There are some useful videos showcasing individual inspirational projects in schools linked to LfS. Click here to access them.

Scottish Government commissioned Edinburgh University to review literature relating to the educational impact of LfS.  The result was published in March 2020 and can be accessed here

“The findings are significant for both policy and practice as they position LfS as an excellent context through which all aspects of CfE can flourish, enabling learners to develop and display the values and dispositions outlined in its ‘four capacities’.”

 

 

In 2015 LfS was the subject of one of Education Scotland’s ‘Opening up Great Learning’ documents.  It is a great introduction to what LfS is all about as well as showcasing some examples of good practice and providing ideas for taking LfS forward.  The PDF can be accessed here

 

Learning for Sustainability in Carron Primary School

We all know how effective learnng can be when it is related to real life, especially when young people can direct further learning and see where/how they can contribute and make an impact.  The subject of  energy usage and climate change was brought to life when  Jenny Deacon, class teacher at Carron Primary School,  worked closely with Brenda Roddy (Climate Change and Sustainability Officer) to explore these issues.

Brenda is able to provide statistics for every Falkirk Council establishment which show how much energy is being used on a daily and annual basis.  These statistics can be used in a range of ways with many opportunities for pupils to influence what they do with that information, where they take their learning and how they link this with global issues like climate change.

carron elec day use

Jenny and Brenda planned two lessons, the first one focused on energy and usage in Carron Primary School but the second lesson involved using heat sensitive cameras.

thermal imaging

The pupils appear to have had an interesting time taking images throughout the school as well as of themselves!

thermal imaging 2We look forward to finding out what Jenny Deacon and her class did with the information they gained from the sessions.

Brenda Roddy is keen to help other schools with issues related to Climate Change and Sustainability and further CPD sessions will be programmed to explore how she can work in partnership with schools.  In the meantime Brenda can be contacted via email brenda.roddy@falkirk.gov.uk.

Useful HGIOS 4 summary relating to LfS/Outdoor Learning

HGIOS 4 front coverWillie White – a colleague from East Ayrshire has collated     the statements from HGIOS 4 which are linked to LfS and Outdoor Learning. You can access the document here.

Establishments will increasingly be expected to be able to demonstrate progress being made towards a whole school approach to LfS with  outdoor learning and global citizenship being key features.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Global Citizenship resources from Inspire Aspire

Inspire Aspire have new and refreshed  project templates for their Global Citizens in the Making programme ready to send to all primary and secondary schools. They are also operating the WW1: Inspiring Purpose project which was piloted in schools last year. Both resources are free and can be covered with a class or entire year group.

The Inspire Aspire programme is a perfect starting point for helping young people have the educational experience that will best prepare them for their future life and employment prospects. The aim of the programme is to give young people the opportunity to think about some of the things that make them who they are: their values, character strengths and who or what inspires them. Reflection in this manner helps an individual to set goals for their future and also helps to discover how an individual’s strengths can be used to take action on the things that matter most to them.

Visit the Inspire Aspire website to take part in either the Global Citizens in the Making or WW1: Inspiring Purpose projects. They have teacher resources available to help introduce and deliver the project in the classroom.