Category Archives: Education News

Education News, Resources

Senior Phase Benchmarking Tool and GTCS’s Professional Standards

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By Ken Muir, Chief Executive, GTC Scotland

‘At their meeting on 30 January, the GTCS’s Education Committee received an excellent input on the Senior Phase Benchmarking Tool (SPBT) from Project Manager, Eileen Gill, and Professional Advisor, Colin Sutherland.

Read the full GTCS article here:http://www.teachingscotland.org.uk/education-in-scotland/the-standards/news-senior-phase-benchmarking-tool-and-gtcs-professional-standards.aspx

OK, so the SPBT isn’t the catchiest of titles or acronyms, but it masks one of the most important developments taking place just now in Scottish education – one element of several (CfE; GIRFEC; Professional Update; new NQs; GTCS’s revised Standards to name but a few) that align closely with each other and which, taken together, are inter-related elements designed to improve and “future proof” the Scottish education system for all current and future learners.

The SPBT also helpfully focuses on wider aspects of learner achievement and not solely narrow attainment, as used currently by the Standard Tables and Charts (STACS) which it replaces, and much-beloved of press and media in constructing the much-dreaded school “league tables”.’

Read the full GTCS article here:

Senior Phase Benchmarking Tool and GTCS’s Professional Standards

GIRFEC, Self Evaluation

GIRFEC self-evaluation guide now online

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This guide has been developed for leaders and staff teams in pre-5 establishments and schools to support self-evaluation. It looks specifically at developing the ‘Getting it right for every child’ (GIRFEC) approach within an education setting, but fits within the overall self-evaluation framework familiar to education professionals.

An interactive resource, based on the GIRFEC Wellbeing Wheel, the self-evaluation guide can help practitioners reflect on, and plan for, how they can make a positive difference for children and young people.

The guide can be used with a wide range of audiences:

  • all staff or groups of staff
  • whole establishment or teams
  • cluster/learning community level.

The materials and process can be adapted to use with:

  • children and young people
  • parents/carers
  • partner agencies.

Click here for further information and to download the guide:

A guide to evaluating wellbeing in schools and nurseries

See also other GIRFEC resources.

Education News, Partnerships, Research

School Improvement Partnership Programme

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The School Improvement Partnership Programme (SIPP) is a solution-focused approach to Scotland’s attainment issues with a focus on innovating to tackle educational inequality. It draws on the wealth of international educational research and practice demonstrating that the most effective school improvements are locally owned and led by teachers and school leaders working in partnership and collaboration with like-minded professionals.

There are currently nine different kinds of partnerships developing within and across education authorities. The programme aims to encourage staff to learn from each other, experiment with their practice and monitor and evaluate change. A key feature of the SIPP is the evaluation support being provided by researchers from The Robert Owen Centre for Educational Change. For more information click on the following link:  The School Improvement Partnership Programme

or contact enquiries@educationscotland.gov.uk

CPD, Education News, Teachers

Radio Edutalk – Professional learning for teachers channel

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Radio Edutalk (http://edutalk.cc) is an online radio station and free professional learning resource, organised by teachers David Noble and John Johnston. There are no costs to listeners and shows can be streamed, downloaded or subscribed to anytime, anywhere via most web-enabled devices, including mobile phones and tablet PCs. Shows are broadcast every Wednesday and Thursday evenings at http://www.edutalk.cc/listen.

Forthcoming shows:

Wednesday 2 April, 8 pm: John Connell on ‘Developing World, Developing Education’. Link: http://iamlearner.net

Wednesday 9 April, 8 pm: Miles Berry on the new English Computing curriculum. Link: http://iamlearner.net

Thursday 17 April, 7.45 pm: Mike Brown, Chartered Teacher in Dumfries and Galloway.

Thursday 24 April, 7.45 pm: Donald Gillies, new Head of School of Education at the University of the West of Scotland: ‘The differences between current educational policies in England and Scotland’.

Assessment, Education News

Route maps through assessment for National 4 & 5

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Minister for Learning, Dr Alasdair Allan recently put in place a package of support for secondary schools to help deliver the new National Qualifications. This support included new route maps through Assessment and these are now being published on the Education Scotland website.

Click here for more information: route maps through assessment

Developed by Education Scotland, in partnership with the SQA, these provide sequenced list of main messages and links for National 4 and National 5.  These guides will provide reassurance of the key documents and the sequence they should be used in. This can help teachers to reflect on their approaches this year, ensure they’ve done all they need to do and prepare for next year.  They are step by step  guides and will help practitioners ensure they have referred to the key guidelines and advice for learning, teaching and assessment in the new qualifications. The route maps are being developed for all subjects for the new National Qualifications.  They will also be developed for the new Higher courses and these will be available from the start of the new session.

Education News, Opportunities

5 days to nominate – Creative Learning Award – #SCOTEDAWARDS

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The Scottish Education Awards celebrate the hard work and success which takes place in Scottish education. They recognise the achievements of people who dedicate their lives to children and young people and showcase the valuable work and innovation in Scottish classrooms and this year you can make nominations for the Creative Learning Award:

http://www.scottisheducationawards.org.uk/nominate/categories/creativelearning.asp
The deadline for submitting nominations is Friday 21 February 2014.

Education News, Events, Opportunities

SLF 2014 – call for seminar proposals now open

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The Call for Participation in the Scottish Learning Festival 2014 is now open and importantly there is a focus on employability skills – including creativity.

The festival will once again host around 100 seminars over the 2 days and you are invited to submit a proposal to be part of the programme. Deadline for receipt of submissions is 28 February. SLF 2014 will take place on Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 September in the SECC, Glasgow.

The Scottish Learning Festival 2014: raising achievement and attainment for all will focus on maximising educational outcomes through:

  • early intervention and prevention – for children, young people and adult learners in order to maximise educational outcomes
  • health and wellbeing – ranging from physical education and sport to the full  range of health and wellbeing subjects which are the responsibility of all  practitioners
  • employability skills – to secure a highly educated, well prepared and well-motivated young workforce able to compete in a global market.

Full details of the theme are available on the SLF website.

Careers and Pathways, Education News, news, Teachers

Scottish College for Educational Leadership website launched

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The Scottish College for Educational Leadership website is now live at www.scelscotland.org.uk.  The site will be regularly updated over the coming months as developments progress.

As a core part of Teaching Scotland’s Future, the College will support leadership development at all levels for education practitioners across Scotland. The College’s vision is to support teachers and practitioners to make a difference through access to innovative and quality leadership programmes and services.

Website: www.scelscotland.org.uk

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeamSCEL

Blog: http://engageforeducation.org/2013/06/margery-mcmahon-blog-the-scottish-college-for-educational-leadership/