Category: Adult Learning

Supporting children with numeracy

National Numeracy Day is fast approaching (17th May!) and this week we are highlighting information and resources for supporting parents and carers with children’s numeracy.

Numeracy and Mathematics Glossaries

This glossary has been developed for parents and carers of children and young people in the broad general education in Scottish schools. It provides clear definitions of some of the most commonly used terms in numeracy and mathematics.

https://education.gov.scot/parentzone/learning-at-home/supporting-numeracy/numeracy-and-mathematics-glossary/

Videos to Support Parents with Numeracy and Mathematics Methods and Approaches

The National Parent Forum of Scotland (NPFS) worked in partnership with Count On Us and Education Scotland to create eight ‘Learning Together’ videos.

The videos outline a range of methods and approaches including early numeracy foundations, addition and subtraction, and fractions, decimals and percentages.

https://education.gov.scot/parentzone/learning-at-home/supporting-numeracy/support-for-parents-on-numeracy-and-mathematics-methods-and-approaches/

National Numeracy

National Numeracy have lots of ideas for parents and families to support children with maths along with lots of free activities. The site also offers resources to help educators support family engagement with children’s maths learning.

Supporting children | National Numeracy

I am a Mathematician

We use maths every day, at work, leisure and at home. Parents and carers can play a vital role in reinforcing the importance of maths to their children, promoting a positive attitude towards it and making it a fun activity to do together as a family.  This resource will help parents to support their children’s learning with fun activities to do at home.

https://education.gov.scot/parentzone/Documents/IAmAMathematician270417.pdf

National Numeracy Day 2023. Will you be a numbers champion?

Sign up for National Numeracy Day: National Numeracy Day sign up | National Numeracy

National Numeracy Day will take place on Wednesday 17th May 2023.  Education Scotland and the Scottish Government will again participate as lead supporters of the #NationalNumeracyDay campaign in the hope of encouraging all adults in Scotland to become more confident in using numbers in every day life.

This year National Numeracy will celebrate numbers by hosting a mainly virtual campaign, packed full of practical advice from celebrities and experts, inspirational stories from real-life learners and a host of free online events and resources.  The campaign will focus on three key themes; numeracy for work, managing money and supporting children.  “The impact of the economic [Covid-19] crisis has been disproportionately felt by those with low numeracy skills”  (Counting on the Recovery, 2021). It is particularly important at the moment, as households continue to face financial challenges, that we highlight the importance of being number confident and knowing how and where to get help to improve maths skills.

If you sign up for National Numeracy Day you will receive free, fun materials and resources to use and share, and join over 4,800 organisations helping the nation to feel good about numbers.  All participants will have access to an online number skills checker called ‘The National Numeracy Challenge’ that will help signpost to resources to improve number skills.

What can you do? As an individual or an organisation you can run an online event, you can circulate resources to learners/parents or you can just simply promote the campaign via social media to your partners and stakeholders.

To find out more visit National Numeracy Day – 17 May 2023

The Numeracy Challenge is a fun interactive tool to find out how confident you are using numbers, and it flags up how easy it is to get support and learn if you want to. Take the Numeracy Challenge, and encourage your staff/colleagues and learners too.

Since 2018, Scotland has had record numbers of community organisations, adult learning providers, schools and businesses signing up to be numeracy champions:

  • An estimated 7,554 people took action on the National Numeracy Challenge from Scotland, which is a 25% increase on last year and around 9% of the total Challenge actions
  • The average Challenge Quick Check score in Scotland was 12.3 out of 20, in line with the average UK score of 12.4
  • The average confidence score in Scotland was also higher than the UK average (7.0 compared to 6.8 out of 10)
  • 18% of all official Champions organisations supporting National Numeracy Day were from Scotland

 

Maths Week Scotland “Playing with Pattern” Online Workshop 2nd October

A gentle workshop for anyone interesting in making patterns using  art and a little bit of maths. Funded by Maths Week Scotland, this workshop will be run by Lucy Rycroft-Smith and take place 11-12.30 on Sun 2nd Oct. Described as a gentle introduction to mathematical art, the workshop is suitable for adults and children (8 yrs+). 

Playing with pattern making Tickets, Sun 2 Oct 2022 at 11:00 | Eventbrite

Becoming a Numeracy Champion- free online training available for CLD practitioners and STEM Ambassadors

Following on from the success of Phase 1 of a STEM grant, this training programme is being offered free to CLD practitioners in the South East (Oct-Nov), Northern Alliance (Sep-Nov) and Tayside (Nov-Dec). There is also a “mop up” session for all areas (Dec). The programme consists of 3 x 2hr workshops and was highly valued by previous participants.  Use the links below to find out more and to book a place:

Dyslexia Scotland Update

Dyslexia Scotland is a national charity dedicated to enabling people with dyslexia in Scotland to realise their potential.  They have been very busy, working away developing events that support and inspire learners, volunteers and staff.  They have a range of activities and opportunities on offer at the moment:

Dyslexia Scotland’s website is changing. Here’s how we’re improving it:

Dyslexia Scotland’s website is changing | Dyslexia Scotland

Dyslexia Education Conference – bookings now open

ONLINE Dyslexia Education Conference 2022 Registration, Sat 1 Oct 2022 at 09:30 | Eventbrite

Dyslexia Scotland Helpline:

Helpline | Dyslexia Scotland

You will find more information on all upcoming events here:

Dyslexia Scotland |   

https://twitter.com/DyslexiaScotlan?s=20&t=AQ3tqOymqy1cKPTW1b0tLg

National Numeracy Day 2022- Are you a Numbers Champion?

National Numeracy Day will take place on 18th May 2022.  Education Scotland and the Scottish Government will again participate as lead supporters of the #NationalNumeracyDay campaign in the hope of encouraging all adults in Scotland to become more confident in using numbers in every day life.

This year National Numeracy will celebrate numbers by hosting a mainly virtual festival, packed full of practical advice from celebrities and experts, inspirational stories from real-life learners and a host of free online events and resources.  The festival will focus on three key themes; supporting children’s numeracy, managing your money and numeracy for work.  “The impact of the economic [Covid-19] crisis has been disproportionately felt by those with low numeracy skills”  (Counting on the Recovery, 2021). It is particularly important at the moment, as households continue to face financial challenges, that we highlight the importance of being number confident and knowing how and where to get help to improve maths skills.

If you sign up to be a National Numeracy Day Champion you will receive free, fun materials and resources to use and share, and join over 2,800 other Champions helping the nation to feel good about numbers.  All participants will have access to an online number skills checker called ‘The Challenge’ that will help signpost to resources to improve number skills.

To be a champion you could run an online event, you could circulate resources to learners/parents or you could just simply promote the campaign via social media to your partners and stakeholders.

Sign up to be a Champion by clicking the link below:

To find out more visit National Numeracy Day ​

The Numeracy Challenge is a fun interactive tool to find out how confident you are using numbers, and it flags up how easy it is to get support and learn if you want to. Take the Numeracy Challenge, and encourage your staff/colleagues and learners too.

Since 2018, Scotland has had record numbers of community organisations, adult learning providers, schools and businesses signing up to be numeracy champions:

  • 6,054 people took action on the National Numeracy Challenge from Scotland, which is around 11% of the total Challenge actions
  • The average Challenge score in Scotland was 12.5, slightly higher than the average UK score of 12
  • The average confidence score in Scotland was also higher than the UK average (7 compared to 6.7)
  • 13% of all official Champions organisations supporting NNDay were from Scotland

Digital CLD Programme Investment

Announcement from Jamie Hepburn MSP on the new Scottish Government funded Digital CLD Programme being rolled out over the next few months

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When Scottish Government has been engaging with Community Learning & Development (CLD) stakeholders, the issue of digital upskilling for CLD practitioners has been a consistent topic on everyone’s mind. Indeed, Working with Scotland’s Communities 2018, a workforce analysis of CLD in Scotland, reported that digital skills were one of the most common development needs of the workforce and are the skills that employers most often struggle to find when recruiting staff.

Even though this was a topic at the forefront of our minds before the pandemic, stakeholders have told us that COVID-19 has only exacerbated the need for digital upskilling. The message has been clear: CLD practitioners need investment to help them build their digital capabilities in order to better support CLD learners.

With the need for skills development in mind, I was only too pleased that – earlier this year – the Scottish Government committed £500,000 to support the development of CLD practitioners. This funding sought to develop digital skills and capacity among CLD practitioners, ultimately ensuring that better CLD provision is delivered to those who need it most.

Three great projects have been awarded over £400.000 so far and I wanted to take this opportunity to share information on those projects with you.

 

The Open University in Scotland

The Open University in Scotland (OU) has been funded to develop a workforce offer for the CLD sector. With more than 50 years’ experience of widening access, the OU understands the adult learner journey and the barriers people face in accessing higher education, and are committed to the vision that ‘Adult learning in Scotland will develop better skilled, educated, confident and empowered people contributing to connected and inclusive communities.’

The OU’s project will work with partners to develop an online portal with free, online learning resources for the CLD workforce and it will offer CLD practitioners at least 200 funded places on Open University micro-credentials (short courses) through its FutureLearn platform. To help roll out learning workshops to local authorities and third sector providers all over Scotland, they are creating a network of Regional Champions to roll out learning workshops to every region of Scotland. These champions will also facilitate learning clubs for practitioners undertaking workshops,  courses and other learning opportunities.

With a social mission is to make education accessible to all, and a commitment to partnership working to enhance the offer, Scottish Government believes that partnering with the OU is a good opportunity to offer a range of development opportunities to the CLD workforce.

 

CLD Standards Council

The Community Learning and Development Standards Council (CLDSC) is supporting the development of a CLD digital framework for the sector. As the professional body for CLD – including adult learning, community development and youth work – they are supporting the development as part of their responsibility to support the professional learning of its members and to quality assure CLD related learning programmes.  Funding from Scottish Government will allow the CLDSC to appoint a new member of staff to support the creation of a coherent space for CLD digital support.

The CLDSC will work closely with CLD sector leaders to develop new and relevant digital competences in line with the professional CLD competences, ethics and values.

 

Digital Schools Award

A new Digital Award programme for CLD is now under development through an education-industry collaboration led by tech companies working closely with various partners, including national CLD partner organisations and learners themselves.  The Digital CLD Award will be shaped by these partners to highlight the ways digital technologies are stimulating innovation and improving learning opportunities.  As a national Award, it will promote and build capacity in effective uses of digital technologies by organisations.

The Award will recognise the many planned and ongoing improvements that organisations are making in developing the skills of their staff to improve the ways they can reach and support learners through digital technologies. It will have a key focus on sharing practice and strengthening skills in using digital technologies across the CLD sector. That will include through the important promotion of strong cyber resilience and internet safety practices, and digital wellbeing.

The CLD Award will also highlight how well these increasing uses of digital approaches are impacting on the experiences and skills of learners themselves.  Together, CLD practitioners and learners are helping to build the digitally literate and inclusive young people, adults and communities of the future.  This national Digital CLD Award, backed by the education-industry partnership, will play a significant role in acknowledging and celebrating these important digital achievements of our CLD workforce and learners.

 

The remaining funding

I hope you’ll agree that the projects funded to-date will help begin to advance the digital skills of CLD practitioners all over Scotland, and I hope you’ll engage with them when given the opportunity. I’m delighted that Scottish Government is supporting this work and I look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have.

Officials in the CLD policy team at Scottish Government are currently working on plans to invest the further c.£100,000 remaining in the investment and are scoping projects that will help get digital devices direct into the hands of CLD practitioners all over Scotland.

 

Jamie Hepburn MSP

Minister for Higher Education and Further Education, Youth Employment and Training

Adult Achievement Awards

Adult Achievement Awards

Adult Achievement awards give learners the opportunity to gain a qualification for the learning they have undertaken in a variety of places:

  • In the community
  • At work
  • In the home
  • In college
  • Through volunteering

The awards are currently available on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) at Levels 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. There are no entry requirements for the awards. There are a range of organisations delivering the awards including local authorities, colleges and third sector organisations. The Adult Achievement Awards have been developed during Covid-19 to be delivered and assessed online so learners can still complete qualifications in spite of restrictions.

Newbattle Abbey College is the national accreditation centre for the Adult Achievement awards. The college produces Learner Guides, Reflective Journals and Tutor Guides and organises training programmes for tutors. It also provides administrative support and quality assurance advice. We recently had Sandra Grieve from Newbattle present to our Adult learning webinar in March 2021 to highlight the relevance of Adult Achievement Awards through an online approach– see her slides here: https://share.wakelet.com/doc/vW1kFQZVX-8i_0MnzCOkQ

For more information on Newbattle Abbey College: Adult Achievement Awards | Newbattle Abbey College

Case Study

Recently we highlighted the work of The Adult Achievement Award Partnership in Dundee and Angus as they creatively adapted the learning to be delivered online. There have been a number of learners who have completed the qualification through distance learning supporting their Health and Wellbeing during lockdown as well as allowing them to complete a qualification. The partnership consists of a number of partner agencies who work together to support and develop the delivery of the award, including a tutor network. The organisations include Dundee Volunteer and Voluntary Action, Dundee Carers Centre, Dundee City Council CLD, Angus Council Planning and Communities, LEAD Scotland and Alexander Community Development.

See our national Improvement Hub for more information on how the delivery of Adult Achievement awards has been adapted through Covid-19 by Dundee Carers Centre and Brechin and Montrose Communities Team. Adult Achievement Awards – Covid-19 response, developed for online delivery | Practice exemplars | National Improvement Hub (education.gov.scot)

 

 

What Scotland Learned – Inspiring Stories from the South West Region CLD Sector

The COVID-19 pandemic led to the sudden closure of community venues, schools and other learning sites across Scotland. CLD practitioners responded by developing new and flexible ways to deliver key services with, by, and for vulnerable and marginalised learners in schools, colleges and communities. The Scottish Government recognises not only the role of the CLD sector across public and third sector in providing invaluable support to Scotland’s learners and communities during the pandemic, they also recognise that CLD approaches will be key to planning for a full recovery and renewal to active civil society across Scotland.

“The rapid shift in ways of working brought about new and strengthened relationships between school and local authority staff, CLD practitioners and allied professionals. The common goal and shared commitment to identify and target support to the more vulnerable children, young people and families in our communities ensured vital services were available to those who needed them most.”

John Swinney, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills

During the early days of the pandemic, there were many examples of the extraordinary work of CLD practitioners to support learners and communities. Practitioners and volunteers responded in a variety of creative and stimulating ways and What Scotland Learned aims to capture, and celebrate, some of the stories of lockdown learning between March and August 2020.

This post highlights the stories of CLD Practitioners in the South West of Scotland (Dumfries & Galloway, North, South and East Ayrshire). The stories highlighted below have been curated from a selection submitted from practitioners, local authorities, establishments, leaders, parents, learners, partners, volunteers and others. The words are their own and unedited.

CLD ESOL, South Ayrshire

Find out how CLD, South Ayrshire changed their methodology to support learning and sustain learner engagement during lockdown.

Follow the team on Twitter to find out more @CLDSouthAyr

 

CLD Literacy, South Ayrshire

Find out how CLD, South Ayrshire, delivered literacies support for learners during lockdown.

Follow the team on Twitter to find out more @CLDSouthAyr

 

Community Learning and Adult Education, North Ayrshire Council

Community Learning and Adult Education delivered 7 Gaelic Language Classes, a Clarsach and a Fiddle class for adult learners during lockdown.

Follow North Ayrshire’s Adult Learning Team on Twitter to find out more @NAAdultLearning

 

North Ayrshire Council’s Youth Work Team

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, North Ayrshire Councils Youth Work Team were fast in creating a full interactive digital programme under the branding of #DigiDReam. The programme gave the team and partners a platform to engage and work with young people and families throughout lockdown.

Follow them on Twitter to find out more @NAYouthServices

 

Redburn Community Centre, North Ayrshire

Redburn Community Centre encouraged many of Irvine’s older residents to learn how to use video-meeting technology to help address loneliness and social isolation.

Follow North Ayrshire’s Adult Learning Team on Twitter to find out more @NAAdultLearning

 

The Usual Place, Dumfries and Galloway

The Usual Place in Dumfries and Galloway enabled trainees to develop their I.T. literacy skills to reduce individual digital exclusion, promote competency and confidence in online learning and reduce social isolation.

Follow them on Twitter to find out more @TheUsual_Place

 

Vibrant Communities, East Ayrshire

Vibrant Communities engaged learners in weekly music performance sessions on Zoom.

Follow them on Twitter to find out more @VibrantEAC

 

Vibrant Communities, East Ayrshire

Vibrant Communities distributed learning resources and made weekly phone calls to ensure learning continued throughout lockdown.

Follow them on Twitter to find out more @VibrantEAC

 

Vibrant Communities, Lifeskills & Inclusion Team, East Ayrshire

Vibrant Communities, Lifeskills & Inclusion Team continued teaching and learning digitally, which has allowed Community ESOL learners to go for their accreditation assessments.

Follow them on Twitter to find out more @VibrantEAC

 

Youth Work Dumfries and Galloway

Find out how the youth work team in Dumfries and Galloway developed a wide-ranging, creative response to meet the diverse needs of young people through lockdown and the summer.

Follow them on Twitter to find out more @YOUTHWORKDG

 

Do you have a story to share from the South West Region? Please contact Dehra Macdonald if you do – Dehra.Macdonald@educationscotland.gov.scot

Community Learning and Development (CLD) COVID-19 recovery guidance webinar series 

Community Learning and Development (CLD) COVID-19 recovery guidance webinar series

  • In partnership with the Scottish Government, leaders from key national CLD organisations are collaborating to provide a series of webinars focussed on the recently updated CLD COVID-19 recovery guidance, and other relevant government guidance and related third sector advice on assessing risk and planning for re-opening safely.
  • The series is designed to address a range of audiences in the CLD sector, both generic and practice specific. The webinars will be of most interest to managers and practitioners in the public, and third sector including community representatives planning the recovery of services, or adjusting recovery plans in light of ongoing changes in local circumstances.
  • The webinars will offer a walkthrough the latest Scottish Government CLD guidance, highlight other related guidance, and provide an opportunity to learn from others’ experiences of interpreting and applying guidance in their context. Insights to the webinars will inform ongoing Scottish Government monitoring and review of the guidance.
  • Delegates are invited to contribute a question in advance of the session, and we will aim to respond to as many of the emerging themes as we can.
  • Please sign up  to the event of most relevance to your area of focus at the link below.

 

20th November, 3-4pm – CLD COVID-19 recovery guidance webinar for universal CLD audience  [additional places now available]

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cld-covid-19-recovery-guidance-for-universal-cld-audience-registration-128243396451

 

24th November, 5.30 – 6.30 pm – CLD COVID-19  recovery guidance webinar for youth work

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cld-covid-19-recovery-guidance-webinar-youth-work-24-nov-530-630pm-registration-128597016137

 

25th November, 3-4pm – CLD COVID-19  recovery guidance webinar for adult learning

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cld-covid-19-recovery-guidance-webinar-adult-learning-25th-november-tickets-128616895597

 

26th November, 10-11:30am – CLD COVID-19  recovery guidance webinar for Community development [Session full – waiting list in operation]

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/covid-19-recovery-guidance-webinar-for-community-development-tickets-128838239643

***New additional date for adult learning added***:
27th November, 10-11am – CLD COVID-19  recovery guidance webinar for adult learning