Category Archives: Curriculum for Excellence

CPD, Creative Partners, Early Years, Health and Wellbeing, Primary schools, Science, Secondary schools

The RHS and Growing Schools Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Courses for Spring 2014

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Available to teachers, support staff, school governors and others who are involved in teaching and inspiring children about plants gardening and keeping animals in school. A wide range of topics is available, encompassing the use and development of school grounds, thus providing practical experience, activities and ideas for utilising horticulture in all areas of the curriculum.

The aims of this Programme are:

  • To enthuse and support adults in developing and using gardens in school.
  • To support progression through the RHS Campaign for School Gardening benchmarking scheme, levels 1 to 5.
  • To encourage and advise teaching of the curriculum both inside and outside the classroom using, plants, gardens, animals, school grounds and environmental areas.
  • To improve knowledge and understanding of plants, gardening and raising animals in school.

For further details about the courses and to register your school for the RHS ‘Campaign for school gardening’ visit: rhs.org.uk/schoolgardening

Creative Partners, Creative practitioners, Literacy and English, Primary schools, resources, Secondary schools

Making Makars

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The Scottish Poetry Library has launched our shiny new blog for teachers!  Here you can find resources for poetry teaching in primary and secondary schools. Plus in our Over to You category you can share your own resources and examples of class work. Clyde Valley High in Wishaw have already sent us a photo and poem. By the time you read this, there’ll probably be more!

Click here to read Making Makars

CPD, Creative practitioners, Health and Wellbeing, Scotland Colleges

Free Webinar Series: Gonnae no dae that!

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‘Gonnae no dae that’ is a series five of webinars focusing on positive behaviour management strategies for working with younger students in college.  There is an expectation that there will be increased numbers of younger students working and learning in colleges and this series of webinars will focus on strategies to promote a positive response from and self-regulation in student behaviour.

Please click on the links below to view the programmes and book online:

Art, Art and Design, Creative Partners, Creative practitioners, Dance, Drama, Glow TV, Music, Primary schools, Secondary schools

Glow TV – Puppetry Workshop for teachers – linked to War Horse

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Join us for this exciting behind the scenes look at puppetery as teachers work with Finn Caldwell who is one of the original War Horse puppeteers. Finn has directed the puppetry for productions of War Horse in the West End and in Australia.  He has also just directed the puppetry in The Light Princess at the National Theatre and is directing a children’s puppetry show called Elephantom in The Shed.

For more information click here.

CPD, Science, Secondary schools

Astrobiology Summer Academy 13-16 July 2014

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The Astrobiology Summer Academy is a four day CPD programme (Sunday to Wednesday) for Biology AND Physics teachers to learn about the science of Astrobiology and work with researchers and lecturers to develop CfE lesson plans for topics such as ‘extremophiles’ (CfE Higher Biology) and ‘life in the Universe’ (SCN-3-06a, SCN 4-06a). There are 20 places available for teachers and you can register your interest at www.astrobiologyacademy.org

Competition, Creative practitioners, Creativity, Drama, Literacy and English, Music, Technologies

Get pupils excited about reading with Book Trailers

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Creating Book Trailers is a fantastic way to enthuse your learners about reading and develop their critical skills. This year, Scottish Book Trust are running their first ever book trailer competition for the Scottish Children’s Book Awards, and have published a wealth of resources to help you get creative with trailers. Closing date for entries is 7 February.

Art, Art and Design, Creative practitioners, Creativity, Dance, Drama, Expressive Arts, Music

Expressive Arts Conversation Day 1

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The first Expressive Arts Conversation Day was held on 25 November 2013 at the Raploch Community Campus in Stirling. The event featured several stimulating practitioner inputs and lively discussion throughout.
The main themes we explored (identified during the morning session) were:
• developing appropriate expressive arts CPD
• providing appropriate support
• developing an effective model that balances creative space with skills development
• creating sustainable partnerships.
A second Expressive Arts Conversation Day is in the planning phase and we intend that it will probably take place in Inverness in February or early March to provide greater opportunity for our colleagues from further afield to attend. For more information, please read the blog post.
Art, Art and Design, Creativity, Dance, Drama, Education Scotland, Expressive Arts, Health and Wellbeing, Literacy and English, Music, Numeracy and Maths, Science, Social Studies, Studying Scotland, Technologies

Resource Calendar (January 2014)

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The events in this calendar are celebrations, awareness days and action weeks all covering topical issues relevant to schools. Each of the events includes details of websites and support materials to help plan activities for learners.
The January events include:
· World Religion Day (19 January)
· Martin Luther King Day (20 January)
· RSPB Big Schools’ Birdwatch (20 January – 14 February)
· Burns Night (25 January).
Click here for the calendar.
Curriculum for Excellence, Expressive Arts, Secondary schools

New web based materials for National 1 and National 2 (Glow log-in required)

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Education Scotland has published new materials for National 1 and National 2.  Materials are currently available and more will publish later in the week on the dedicated area for support for new National Qualifications on Glow.

National 1 – Learning and teaching advice has been published to support practitioners who are delivering programmes of learning at National 1 level. The advice and guidance provided covers all units which fit into one of the following five broad areas: Personal Development; Physical Education; Food for Health; Food Preparation; and Independent Living Skills.

National 2 – Learning and teaching advice has been published to support practitioners who are delivering programmes of learning at National 2 level. The advice and guidance provided covers all courses as outlined below:

Expressive Arts – Creative Arts, Performance Arts

Health and Wellbeing – Physical Education, Food, Health and Wellbeing

Languages – English and Communication, Modern Languages: French, German, Italian and Spanish (one generic set of advice)

Mathematics – Lifeskills Maths

Sciences – Science in the Environment

Social Studies – Business Practice, Social Subjects

Technologies – Information and Communications, Practical Craft Skills