Daily Archives: August 20, 2014

Health and wellbeing, Literacy and English, Technologies

Calling all Bookworms in Edinburgh and Glasgow!

Leave a comment

To celebrate the tenth year of sponsoring the Edinburgh International Book Festival, the ScottishPower Foundation is offering one lucky primary school in Glasgow and one in Edinburgh and the Lothians the chance to win the ultimate library makeover and their very own book festival.

We love books and we know how important reading is to schools; that’s why we’ve launched the Library Energiser competition. Whether your school has a library, reading room or poetry corner, this is your opportunity to turn that space into the ultimate bookworm’s haven.

To enter the competition, simply email a photo of your current space and 100 words on how you’d like to transform it into your perfect reading area to – libraryenergiser@stripecommunications.com.

The winning school will be given a makeover worth £2,000 to help create the perfect reading space, whether that be with a lick of paint, new furniture or a stash of the latest books. The revamped library will be officially opened by a renowned Scottish author at the school’s very own mini book festival.

Closing date is 26 September 2014. For full terms and conditions please visit the website – Library Energiser.

CfE, CLD, Community Capacity Building, Community Resilience, Early Years, Health and wellbeing, Health and wellbeing, Outdoor Learning, Responsibility of All, Sciences, Skills, Social studies, Young people, children & families

Free Community Resilience Conversation and Networking Event

Leave a comment

Community Resilience Education – Free Conversation Day and Networking Event

09:30 (for 10:00 start) – 15:00, Tuesday 7th October 2014

Venue: Thistle Hotel, Millburn Road, Inverness, IV2 3TR

Education Scotland is excited to be hosting a second community resilience conversation and networking event with a view to developing a shared, partnership approach to provide 3-18 resilience education opportunities.

The day aims to bring together members of the Scottish Government, emergency planning and civil contingencies teams from local councils, representatives from local education authorities, and members of other key organisations to consider the potential of community resilience as a rich and exciting context for teaching and learning. Key contexts for focus include flooding, severe weather and pandemic flu and the impact they can have on communities and how we can take steps to mitigate against their impact through educating learners.

We would also like to extend this event invite to school representatives (members of management teams, or teachers who have been, or are interested in engaging in community resilience education) to explore how we can take forward resilience education. Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Conversation activities will provide delegates with opportunities to network and engage in professional dialogue in relation to developing more resilient individuals, families and communities. Selected examples of good practice will be shared through engaging presentations delivered by Education Scotland, Scottish Government, local councils and schools.

All interested delegates should register online by Friday 29th August 2014 at the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/N2F3TWC to confirm attendance and inform us of any special dietary or access requirements you may have.

If you have any further questions or your school is/has been involved in community resilience projects or initiatives and you would be interested in presenting at the event to share your practice with others, please contact Jennifer Moore at: Jennifer.Moore@educationscotland.gov.uk

CfE, Professional Learning, Sciences, Senior Phase

Future Learn – Inside Cancer: How Genes Influence Cancer Development

Leave a comment

Inside Cancer: How Genes Influence Cancer Development

An ideal introduction for those interested in understanding how genetics influences the development and spread of cancer.

As an ‘Inside Cancer’ student, you will learn about the fundamental biological concepts that inform our current understanding of the molecular genetics of cancer development and its spread within the body. The course will be delivered by some of the University of Bath’s leading cancer researchers and clinical oncologists.

Cancer cells form part of complex tissues, containing different cell types, each with their own unique set of rules of behaviour. As a class, we will explore this unique genetic landscape of cancer cells. We will introduce the concept of DNA mutations and the emerging area of epigenetics and identify how they confer a selective advantage to cancer cells with unstable DNA, leading to uncontrolled cell division and tumour growth.

For more course information follow the link

CfE, Early Years, Health and wellbeing, Outdoor Learning, Professional Learning, Responsibility of All, Sciences, Technologies, Uncategorised

HSE publishes sensible risk guidance for schools

Leave a comment

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published new web resources designed to support school managers in adopting a sensible and proportionate approach to health and safety risks. The resources will also interest anyone who provides advice or direction to schools or education providers, including local authorities.

The guidance draws on the work of HSE’s Myth Busters Challenge Panel.  Some of the Panel’s cases raised concerns about over-protective approaches to health and safety in school activities. School managers themselves called for more support in developing rational approaches to risk management – particularly when dealing with risks to children.

HSE has used the experience of people working in education, so the guidance addresses the issues faced by schools on a day-to-day basis –  illustrating the balance between overly cautious risk aversion at one extreme and failing to manage the significant risks at the other.  In summary the guidance aims to:

  • clarify which activities are covered by health and safety law;
  • expose common health and safety myths;
  • identify the key health and safety roles in schools; and
  • advise school managers on how to make sensible and proportionate arrangements for health and safety.

The guidance tackles activities in the classroom and at school premises, and extends to the challenges and benefits presented by school trips and other outdoor learning activities – with links to case studies on sensible risk management outside the classroom

HSE hopes the new resources will help schools to strike a balance and prioritise and target the real risks while enabling pupils to experience learning opportunities to the full.