http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/46852.html

SQA announces that school pupils and college students from across Midlothian took their place alongside the great and good of contemporary Scottish art at The Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh in recognition of their work as part of a community art competition, organised in partnership by SQA and Midlothian Council.

The Midlothian Art Challenge encouraged primary and secondary school pupils and college students to take ownership of one of the 25 meeting rooms named after famous Scots at SQA’s new offices at Shawfair Business Park and create a piece of art inspired by that individual.

SQA’s new offices at Shawfair Business Park will open later this year.

Creative Scotland was delighted to present the Partnership for Learning Award to Cathkin Community Nursery yesterday, 14 June 2011, at the Scottish Education Awards.  The awards celebrate the hard work and success which takes place in Scottish education.

The partnership for Learning category recognises the partnerships within the education sector that work together to make an outstanding contribution to children and young people’s learning through Curriculum for Excellence

Creativity plays a vital role in the development of Scotland’s learners; it stimulates imagination and innovation whilst building confidence, co-operation and focus. We are working closely with Learning and Teaching Scotland to deliver the Education and the Arts, Culture and Creativity Action Plan which aims to provide exciting learning experiences to ignite children’s imaginations and develop their creative skills.

Joan Parr, Portfolio Manager for Education, Learning and Young People, Creative Scotland, said; ‘Creative Scotland is delighted to support the Partnership for Learning award. We believe that creativity is an essential skill for learning, life and work and we are committed to working with partners to ensure that arts and creativity are embedded into education and to delivering the Scottish Government’s education, arts culture and creativity action plan’.

Liz Merson, Head Teacher at Cathkin Community Nursery, said; ‘It’s a community nursery but it’s a community without walls.  There are no barriers to getting involved’

The Enterprise Practitioners Association welcomes individuals from across education, and employers, who are interested in enterprising practice. It aims to bring together educators alongside partners in the public, private and third sector who have an interest in both education and skills development. This new association will be running a series of CPD events. The first is on 27 August in Edinburgh, for programme details visit: http://events.scotlandscolleges.ac.uk/events/show/4003
Web site:–  http://epa.e.scotcol.ac.uk/ <http://epa.e.scotcol.ac.uk/>
Twitter:– @EPAScot

Scottish Education Awards 2011 http://www.creativescotland.com/news/scottish-education-awards-2011-150611

Creative Scotland was delighted to present the Partnership for Learning Award to Cathkin Community Nursery on 14 June 2011, at the Scottish Education Awards.  The awards celebrate the hard work and success which takes place in Scottish education.   The Partnership for Learning category recognises the partnerships within the education sector that work together to make an outstanding contribution to children and young people’s learning through Curriculum for Excellence.

Youth Scotland, the network of youth clubs and groups in Scotland, recently awarded the 10,000th Dynamic Youth Award to a young person from Inverness.

Dynamic Youth Awards is an award scheme for 10–14 year olds. The Awards recognise young people’s involvement in a range of activities that they are already doing, including helping out at youth groups, supporting others to learn new skills and community arts projects.

The 10,000th Dynamic Youth Award was awarded to Liam Bell from Smithton-Culloden Youth Centre in Inverness, who achieved his award for designing and painting the cupboards at his youth club, as part of a group project to improve his youth centre.

Youth Scotland
http://www.youthscotland.org.uk/news/10,000th-dynamic-youth-award.htm

The Highland Council reports that P7 pupils from six feeder primary schools have helped to create an eye-catching mosaic which will go on display at Charleston Academy. 122 pupils from Kinmylies, Muirtown, Dochgarroch, Kirkhill, Tomnacross, Teannassie and Beauly primary schools have worked with ceramic artist Kira Brown and the Highland Council’s Youth Development Officer, Nicola Rasdale to produce a new piece of artwork.

The Highland Council
New mosaic for Charleston Academy unveiledhttp://www.highland.gov.uk/yourcouncil/news/newsreleases/2011/June/2011-06-15-02.htm

East Lothian Council
The Bronze Age residents of Haddington have inspired pupils from King’s Meadow Primary to get creative – and their artwork is going on display at John Muir House.

Primary four pupils from Kings Meadow researched the different people who have lived in Haddington over thousands of years. Through working with Archaeology Scotland and the Council’s Museum Service, the classes discovered more about the lives of Romans, Celts and Bronze Age people. The pupils also visited Traprain Law and discovered more about Celtic hillforts.

http://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/site/scripts/news_article.php?newsID=885

Michael Russell, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, announced on 14 October 2010 that HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) and Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS) would be brought together into a new executive agency. Mr Russell has decided that the agency will be known as Education Scotland.

This exciting development will ensure that the best possible national-level systems are in place to support practitioners, pre-school centres, schools, colleges, local authorities and others as we move forward with Curriculum for Excellence.

As a key national body, it will support quality and improvement in Scottish education by:

• leading and supporting the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence
• increasing the capacity for self-evaluation and self-improvement amongst education providers and practitioners
• promoting high quality professional learning and leadership
• identifying and stimulating innovation, sharing successful approaches widely with others
• providing independent external evaluations of the quality of educational provision at individual provider, local authority and partners, and national levels
• supporting the development and implementation of policy at national level.

In February 2011, the Cabinet Secretary agreed the remit and purpose statement for the new agency which will help to shape the more detailed work to be carried out between now and 1 July 2011, when Education Scotland will be operational.

On 19 April Dr Bill Maxwell, Senior Chief Inspector of Education for Scotland, was appointed the transitional Chief Executive Officer of Education Scotland.

Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS) is building on its strong partnership with Creative Scotland to support the development of Creative Learning Networks (CLNs) in local authority areas across Scotland.

Local authorities have been invited to apply to LTS for funding of £5,000 – £10,000 to help establish, or further develop a CLN in their area. A total fund of £192,000 is available to support local authority areas to build on the legacy of the national Cultural Coordinators in Scottish Schools Programme. The deadline for applications is Friday 10 June and awards will be made in July.

This initiative, together with the creation of a National Creative Learning Network, aims to champion the arts, culture and creativity in schools and communities within the overarching context of Curriculum for Excellence, bringing long-term benefits to children and young people. The development of CLNs is a key strategic initiative in the Scottish Government’s ‘Education and the Arts, Culture & Creativity: An Action Plan’ which is directed at developing the role and impact of creativity within and across the curriculum. (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education/Schools/curriculum/ACE/expactionplan)

“Our vision is that all children and young people will be empowered as well-rounded individuals to develop their imagination, demonstrate capacity for original thought and understanding of meaningful innovations, contributing effectively to the world at large.”

Education and the Arts, Culture & Creativity: An Action Plan (Sept 2010)

It is hoped that every local authority in Scotland will take part in this initiative –  as a higher order skill for learning, life and work, creativity is an essential element that runs across all curriculum areas and themes and is central to the achievement of the four capacities.

Local authority CLNs will be supported to develop a presence on Glow and the Creativity Portal through which members can communicate, share learning and resources.

For information on how the fund was used in 2010/11 see Children in Scotland’s Evaluation Report which can be accessed in the Research section of Articles and Links.

If you have any questions about the initiative, or if there are any opportunities you’d like promoted to the CLNs please contact Julia Fenby, Development Officer Creative Learning, Learning and Teaching Scotland, email j.fenby@ltscotland.org.uk

Creative Learning Networks are funded through a partnership between Learning and Teaching Scotland and the Creative Scotland National Lottery Fund

Kids can explore the past this summer http://www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/corpres/news/showNews.asp?p=4608

East Ayrshire Council announces that the Council’s Creative Minds team is running a series of hands-on activity days for primary school children in Kilmarnock, Cumnock and Dalmelllington – and all activities and materials are provided free. Activities take place in July and August in The Dick, Dean Castle and Burns Monument in Kilmarnock; in The Baird, Cumnock; and in Doon Valley Museum, Dalmellington.