Category: Global Citizenship

LitterLotto and LitterLotto Leagues – update

Young people from Falkirk High School have made very successful use of the LitterLotto app launched last November by Falkirk Council waste services. They are participating very effectively in the inter-schools competition enabled by this app (read more about the competition here).

A group of pupils binned so much litter that they won the autumn term prize for Falkirk HS – earning £200. Individually, Susie Hoggan and Ross Hamilton each won £20 for binning the most litter over these two months. Logan Marshall was even more successful – winning £100 in the Falkirk competition prize draw, AND £1000 in the UK draw. 

LitterLotto is not only for school pupils, the app is available to all members of the public – click here to find out more.

 

Spring 2025 LfS Update

National and Falkirk Learning for Sustainability News

The National Learning for Sustainability action plan aims for every 3-18 learning setting in Scotland to become sustainable by 2030 so that all learners receive their Learning for Sustainability entitlement. There are many resources available to support schools in embedding LfS across their curriculum including a self-evaluation and improvement framework which can be found here. Education Scotland has established a peer mentor programme to support all educational settings in developing their whole school approach to LfS. Our Falkirk LfS peer mentor is Samantha Wilson-McCaw, and she can support school or centre LfS leads one on one and/or work with larger groups of staff to support LfS in your curriculum. 

National Curriculum Review Developments – impact on LfS Audit Plans

Click here for updates on our Scottish Government’s review of Curriculum for Excellence. Education Scotland colleagues are leading the co-creation of our updated curriculum framework and Learning for Sustainability remains a core element of CfE. In the light of these developments, the audit of Learning for Sustainability within Falkirk  schools and centres has been postponed. Please use the following links to learn more about the scope and focus of this national review:

Falkirk Pupil Climate Summit

This year’s Falkirk Pupil Climate Summit will be held in early June at Falkirk High School. Each secondary school is asked to send up to ten delegates to represent their school at the summit. Further information about the event should reach you in the upcoming weeks. Read all about the 2024 Falkirk Climate Summit here, and click here to view the Falkirk Agreement reached by the young delegates who attended. At the instigation of our elected members, officers across Falkirk Council Services are working with staff and pupils in schools to realise the articles within the agreement. Progress made with this work will be shared at the 2025 Summit.

Rights Respecting Schools Accreditation and the UNCRC

We are delighted to report that Fiona Malcolm, Faculty Head of Humanities at Braes HS is currently seconded one day per week (Tuesday) to support schools and centres with their Rights Respecting Schools Accreditation process. She will also continue her valuable support and guidance for the UNCRC and Children’s Rights.

Social Enterprise Academy – 2025 Falkirk Dragon’s Den

We are liaising with colleagues in the Social Enterprise Academy(SEA) to prepare for our 2025 Falkirk Social Enterprise Dragon’s Den event. We hope to confirm a late September date for the event and SEA colleagues will lead a professional learning event on 20th March for Falkirk staff wanting to learn more about how to support pupils with their social enterprises. Falkirk schools and centres have completed many social enterprises within their communities and some have received national Social Enterprise Academy Awards. Please click here for more information via the flyer and register for the online introductory training session by emailing sarahrogerson@socialenterprise.academy.

Professional Learning Opportunities:

The International Sustainability Diploma will be available to all schools across Scotland for the upcoming 2025-2026 session. The Diploma, designed and run by The Futures Institute at Dollar Academy, is credit-rated at SCQF Level 6 and is worth 24 tariff points. More information is available here. To register, contact Smith-JA@dollaracademy.org.uk.

Development in Education Centre (DEC)S’ Learning for A Better Future fully-funded, year-long GTCS accredited Professional Learning programme applications for the next cohort beginning in April 2025 close 29.2.25. More information here: Learning for a Better Future 

Keep Scotland Beautiful: Learning for Sustainability / Eco-Schools (register here): 

  • 06/03    16.00-17.00       Exploring Litter and Waste from a Global Citizenship perspective 
  • 12/03    16.00-17.00       Learning for Sustainability & Systems Thinking 
  • 08/05    16.00-17.00       Eco-Schools & Your School Improvement Plan 

SCQF courses (Climate Emergency Training and Biodiversity Action, register here) 

19/03    16.00-16.45       Information session 

Facing History and Ourselves/Scotland’s Development Education Centres & other organisations: 

  1. Taking a Global Citizenship approach to primary science, Thurs, 27th Feb 
  2. Addressing Sexism and Gender-based Radicalisation Online, March 4th 
  3. Using Scotland’s new anti-racism resource (second and third level), Mon 10th March 
  4. Discussing Race & Racism in the Classroom, March 18th  
  5. Approaching the Israel-Palestine conflict in the classroom one year on 20th March
  6. A’Adam’s Bairns: exploring Scottish identity & diversity through music education 27th March

Live Lessons for Learners delivered by Keep Scotland Beautiful: 

  1. 17/03 -21/03/25    Spring Clean Week Live Lessons (including one lesson in Gaelic on 20/03) register 
  2. 12/05-16/05/25    Natural Scotland Week Live Lessons (including one lesson in Gaelic) register 
  3. 20/05/25    (13.30-14.15)   Live Lesson: Sustainable Celebrations register 

Teaching Resources – primary and secondary sectors unless otherwise noted: 

  • Facing History & Ourselves – Resource collection – Wide range of social justice-related lessons Teaching Resources | Facing History & Ourselves 
  • Development in Education Centre collection – resources relating to eco-anxiety – useful during Children’s Mental Health Week Climate Signposts Guide, Tackling Climate Anxiety, Exploring Climate Justice (secondary) 
  • 20th February World Day of Social Justice – selection of resources for use in the classroom: Respect for Diversity: antiracisted.scot, Empowering Young People as Active Citizens for primary and secondary , Equality and Human Rights from Amnesty 
  • International Mother Language Day celebrates linguistic and cultural diversity, These Clothing and Sustainable Food planners explore the intersection of language, culture, and global justice, helping students understand the importance of cultural respect. (scroll towards the bottom of the page to access the planners)  
  • The Sustainables Academy: Free Sustainability and Circular Economy Curriculum 
  • RHET (Royal Highland Education Society) range of professional learning here 
  • Outdoor Learning Directory 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.