I came across this interesting video from a 1947 classroom which gives teacher tips on managing pupil behaviour. Have a wee look:
Some questions to reflect on:
Following the publication of its 3-18 Curriculum Impact Report for Sciences in September 2012, Education Scotland organised a series of conversation days, where priorities for action to secure improvements in science education nationally were identified.
Key aspects for development emerged, which included:
“In the primary sector and at the early stages of secondary school, there is generally less emphasis in the key area of Topical Science than on the other four organisers……. In these cases, children and young people do not have enough opportunity to discuss and debate a range of ethical issues.”
To address this aspect the Sciences team hosted a “Topical Science and Partnerships” Glow Meet .
To Watch Again : https://meet.glowscotland.org.uk/p5rd5cx8od8/
Each glow meet is complimented by a series of professional learning twilight sessions.
Please register through: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TwilightSessions2015
Breakout sessions will be provided by Dynamic Earth, The Royal Society of Chemistry, Glasgow City of Science, Stem Ambassadors and The English Speaking Union.
Education Scotland will also be delivering sessions on Citizen Science, Community Resilience, Food and Science and Social Studies and Science.
Making your space work harder:
Using your school grounds as an outdoor learning resource
Free twilight professional review and development opportunity facilitated by Architecture + Design Scotland.
Venue: Delivered in your school.
Audience: Secondary teaching staff teams from all curriculum areas or cluster teaching staff.
Cost: Free
Date: Dates are available in March 2015
Are you using your school grounds effectively? Have you considered the outdoor learning opportunities on your doorstep? This session will provide you and your team with a space to develop creative ideas for outdoor learning using your current immediate outdoor environment.
Designed to address the GTCS Standards for Career Long Professional Learning the workshop will support participants to develop confidence and capacity in the delivery of outdoor learning.
Workshops will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
To book a workshop or for more information please contact Samantha.macdonald@ads.org.uk .
Another phase of funding has been announced as part of The Food for Thought Education Fund to support schools across Scotland to develop and improve learning and teaching around food education.
Schools are also required to identify and work in partnership with a local business to enhance their project and to develop skills for learning, life and work. In Phase One, 176 different businesses engaged with schools. The value of their time, resources, advice, expertise and volunteering was estimated by Scottish Business in the Community to be worth £300,000, which is very close to match funding the £358,618.61 awarded to schools as part of Phase One.
Now in its third year, the aim of the Food for Thought Education Fund is to support schools to use food and health as a context for learning across Curriculum for Excellence, to improve teacher confidence in delivering food education and as a way to engage with parents and the wider community.
The Fund allows schools to apply for grants individually or in a joint application as part of a cluster of schools from their education authority. More information about applying for funding can be found on the Education Scotland website.
Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment, Richard Lochhead, said:
“In Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink I want to see more young people engage with the journey of their food and drink – but not only that: I want them to look to the future and think about the potential careers they could have in an industry that is full of promise – they can learn about business management and how to plan and promote events in the sector.
“I’m delighted that the Food for Thought funding has entered its third phase, with another £300,000 going towards developing and improving both teaching and learning around food education. Scotland’s food and drink industry is booming, and interest in what we have to offer has never been greater. This is a successful sector which Scotland can be – and is – proud of, and it’s really fantastic to see schools getting involved.
“This third round of funding is now open through the Education Scotland website and I would encourage more schools across the country to look at possible projects and get involved in helping Scotland to become a Good Food Nation. I’m also keen to see the private sector support this project – both to increase the funds available and to develop productive relationships between schools and local firms.”
Suzanne Hargreaves, Senior Education Officer for Health and Wellbeing at Education Scotland, said: “We are thrilled to be able to give schools the opportunity to apply for the third phase of the Food for Thought Education Fund, which is having such a positive impact in schools across Scotland already. Since the fund started we have helped support 9,143 learners get involved in new and exciting food education projects.
“One very interesting project we have supported is at Charleston Academy, Inverness where the school has had the help of world-renowned chef Albert Roux over the last five years with both culinary and financial support. The Food for Thought Funding combined with funding from Highland Council and the school’s own fund raising activities has allowed them to open The Albert Roux Training Kitchen at the school. We wish them all the best with this project and would encourage all schools to consider the great opportunities this funding could bring to their learners.”
A total of 232 schools were involved in the first phase of the fund, amounting to an average spend of around £1,532 per school across 25 local authorities, with 20 per cent of the fund targeted at schools to help learners from disadvantaged backgrounds
To enquire about applying for funding or to read a copy of the full evaluation report from Phase One of the Food for Though Education Fund, please contact the Food for Thought team. Schools who were awarded funds in Phase Two are currently evaluating the impact of their projects, and schools who have applied for funding in Phase Three will be notified if their application has been successful by June 2015.
Additional information:
•£358,618.61 of funding was granted in Phase One and £649,006.41 in Phase Two.
•232 schools were involved meaning an average spend of £1,532 per school in Phase One.
•A total of 9,143 learners were involved in Phase One.
•There were 61 successful applications across 25 Local Authorities, with 20% of the fund focused on the least advantaged areas in Phase One.
•There were 124 successful applications across 30 Local Authorities in Phase Two.
•176 different businesses engaged with schools, some with more than one school in Phase One.
•The value of the time, resources, advice, expertise and volunteering provided by the business who were engaged with schools in Phase One is estimated to be worth £300,000 according to Scottish Business in the Community.
•In Phase One 100% of schools reported that learners, staff and the local community benefited as a result of receiving funding.
Education Scotland has been working in partnership with a number of organisations and food education partners to embed food and health in the curriculum and produce resources, host career-long professional learning events and to provide guidance and support to schools developing their food education programmes. These partners include the Royal Highland Education Trust, Crofting Connections, Scottish Food and Drink Federation, Food for Life Scotland, Healthier Scotland Cooking Bus, Seafood Scotland, Chefs@School, Dumfries House, Young Engineers and Science Clubs Scotland, Quality Meat Scotland, Food Standards Agency Scotland and Eco Schools Scotland.
The Scottish Youth Parliament today launched their new campaign “Poverty – See It / Change It” from the innovative Fuse Youth Cafe in Shettleston in Glasgow.
Louise Cameron, the Chair of SYP, spoke eloquently and passionately about the overwhelming support from MSYP (Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament) constituents to back and support a campaign seeking to eradicate child poverty in Scotland, where 1 in 5 children are growing up in poverty. Read the facts about child poverty in Scotland from Save the Children. Louise said that:
“Scotland could be the best place in the world to grow up” and that child povery was an “issue that transcends party politics” and that “together let’s do more!”
Supporting the event were many MSPs and MPs, including the MSP for Shettleston, John Mason (SNP) and the MP for Shettleston, Margaret Curran (Labour). John Mason said that, “challenging stigma to poverty and raising awareness to poverty” were key parts of the campaign. Margaret Curran stated that young people should be able to “fulfill their potential and make their own decisions of the life they want to live.” And that “life shouldn’t be determined by the postcode in which you were born.”
MSYP Nairn McDonald set out the aims for the campaign:
The campaign is already in full swing and thoughout the day MYSPs have been meeting with various charitable groups to learn more about what they do to alleviate child poverty and how the MYSPs can support their efforts. To find out more and chart the progress of the campaign follow the hashtag #seeitchangeit on Twitter.
To find out more about the Scottish Youth Parliament and how the MSYP are elected look here: http://www.syp.org.uk/about-syp-W21page-94-
If teachers wish to explore some of the issues around child poverty there are some thought provoking archive films from Scotland On Screen that can be used as great lesson starters.
Tam Trauchle’s Troubles (1934) is a fundraising film for the Glasgow Necessitous Children’s Holiday Camp Fund, which raised money to help send poor children on a holiday during the summer break.
Man Without A Wife (1970) is about a man whose wife left him to bring up six boys on his own and the difficulties he experienced.
Children of the City (1944) is a dramatised study of child delinquency in Dundee during World War II.
The Health of a City (1965) describes the foundation of day nurseries in Glasgow for children with missing parents.
Glasgow Today and Tomorrow (1949) outlines the Glasgow Corporation’s plans for the redevelopment of Glasgow, including the removal of slum housing and overcrowded tenemants.
Now open for applications!
Scotland’s Finest Woods (SFW) and the Outdoor & Woodland Learning Scotland (OWLS) (formerly Forest Education Initiative Scotland) have once again teamed up to run an annual Schools Award in Scotland.
The Award is to encourage and reward schools that increase young people’s understanding and appreciation of the environmental, social and economic potential of trees, woodlands and forests and of the link between trees and everyday wood-based products.
Prize money and prestige to be won! Closing date for entry – 31st March 2015
For further information click on this link – www.sfwa.co.uk/
On Saturday 22nd of November we hosted a further ‘Risky Behaviours’ event, mainly aimed at primary, secondary and further education practitioners but also attended by representatives from our Health and wellbeing (HWB) partner organisations. The event took place in the Dalhousie Building at University of Dundee and was attended by over 100 delegates from across Scotland. In keeping with the spirit of the day, we took a risk in beginning with a flash mob style performance by students from Dundee & Angus College. Working in partnership with NHS Tayside, the dance/drama project is piloting support in mental and emotional wellbeing for secondary school pupils. Some of our delegates identified this as a highlight, which provided an “uplifting” start to the day.
The day was organised into three sections using the following HWB curriculum organisers:
~ Mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing
~ Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood
~ Substance Misuse
Each part of the day was introduced by a key note speaker. Firstly, Brian Donnelly (Directory of Respectme) presented a common sense approach to anti-bullying in schools with powerful messages on the nature, intent and impact of bullying. He also offered suggestions on how schools might re-think their anti-bullying policies and approaches, including online bullying. Many of our delegates stated that Brian’s speech was ‘inspirational’ and that his messages will have an impact on their future practice.
The second part of our day saw an excellent presentation from John Naples Campbell from Knightswood Secondary School on LGBT, which took delegates on an emotional journey as John gave insights into his personal experience. He called for a change in the way that homophobia is addressed in schools and offered resources and strategies to support children and young people.
Finally, Emma Hamilton from the Scottish Drugs Forum provided a very informative presentation on drug use in Scotland, with a particular focus on drugs that young people are accessing and using. Bringing us right up to date with the issues that need to be tackled, Emma offered suggestions on what schools can do and provided links to further sources of information and support.
Throughout the day 15 workshops took place showcasing examples of innovative practice, resources and strategies from a range of schools and partner agencies. Many of the workshops highlighted how partnership working has helped learners to become better informed and to develop the skills and confidence to make informed choices about risky behaviours. Details of all the workshops which took place can also be downloaded here: WorkshopDescriptors
A special thank you must also go to the range of peer educators, including those from Kirkcaldy High School, The Corner (Dundee) and LGBT Youth who gave up their time (on a Saturday of all days!) to present at this event. This was praised as a particular strength of the day, as it was felt that the contributions of the young people added depth to inputs and gave learners a voice. Many of the young people have commented on what a valuable (if a little nerve wracking) experience this was for them also.
Feedback from the event has been very positive with many participants already making use of the contacts, resources and ideas they gained from the day. Participants have also had the opportunity to put forward suggestions for future ‘Risky Behaviours’ events which will be of great use in our planning. Our next ‘Risky Behaviours’ event is due to be held in Inverness on 28th of February 2015.
Further information on this event including presentations and materials from the workshops and links to all of the partner organisations that took part can be found on the new Glow HWB Learning Community which can be accessed here: hwbrisky by searching for ‘HWB events’.
Many thanks to the representatives from University of Dundee, Dundee and Angus College, Respectme, Knightswood Secondary School, Scottish Drugs Forum, International Futures Forum, University of Dundee College of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing, Dundee City Council, Fintry Primary School, North Ayrshire Council, NSPCC, Sexpression, LGBT Youth, Angus Council, Perth and Kinross Council, NHS Tayside, Kirkcaldy High School, The Corner, Medics Against Violence, ASH Scotland, Police Scotland and Tayside Council on Alcohol. An additional thanks goes to the Education Scotland staff who supported with presentations at this event.
Nominations for the Scottish Education Awards 2015 awards are now open. Celebrating the hard work and success in Scottish education, the awards recognise the achievements of people who dedicate their lives to children and young people.
There are 17 awards available across a range of categories covering all areas of education. New awards for this year include learning for sustainability, making languages come alive and transforming lives through partnerships.
If you know of a school or teacher that deserves to be recognised for their hard work visit the Scottish Education Awards website for more information and to submit a nomination.
Nominations must be submitted by Monday 16 February 2015, good luck.
On Saturday 15th November the second of our ‘Supporting Outdoor Learning in Secondary Schools’ events took place at Speyside High School in Aberlour. The day began with an opening presentation from Nigel Engstrand, Head Teacher, Speyside High School who shared his thoughts on the relevance and importance of learning outdoors and discussed the commitment that Speyside High School has made to outdoor learning.
Throughout the day 12 workshops ran offering participants a variety of practical ideas on how to use outdoor learning approaches across the curriculum. Examples included using the outdoors to develop literacy skills, outdoor learning through physical education and physical activity, creativity in the outdoors, taking science outdoors and progression in outdoor learning from S1-S6. Many workshops also highlighted how partnership working had also helped enrich outdoor learning experiences. Details of all the workshops which took place can also be downloaded here: Workshops – Detailed descriptors
Representatives from 11 partner agencies also took part in the market place providing a wealth of information on further resources available to support outdoor learning.
But the undoubtable highlight of the day was the captivating keynote speech delivered by S4 Speyside High School pupil Zeki Basan. Zeki, a junior ‘Ray Mears’, provided a fascinating talk on bush craft (or the term he has coined ‘Bushology’) in which he shared his vast knowledge of the medicinal properties and practical uses of the wild plants and trees which exist in the local Speyside countryside. Most inspiring was Zeki’s candid account of how a meeting with Ray Mears together with his own passion for the natural world and thirst to learn more about it helped him to overcome his own personal barrier to learning.
Many thanks also to the other Speyside High School pupils Lee Tarling, Annemiek Daggert, Connel Laing and Elliot Gould who kindly gave up their Saturday to help meet and greet the participants and to share their experiences of outdoor learning at Speyside High School.
Feedback from the event has been very positive with many participants already making use of the contacts, resources and ideas they gained from the day:
“It was good meeting such positive teachers and outdoor learning providers. Seeing a school being successful in incorporating OL in the curriculum and not making it an add on.”
“Having young people involved and sharing their passion was the most engaging part of it.”
“I have already discussed using the local farming community with a geography colleague who wasn’t sure where to start.”
“I have an increased awareness of the value of outdoor learning within school and will work with others to improve, increase, support good practice.”
Participants have also had the opportunity to put forward suggestions for future outdoor learning events which will of great use in our planning.
Further information on this event including presentations and materials from the workshops and links to all of the partner organisations that took part can be found on the new Glow Outdoor Learning Community which can be accessed via: http://bit.ly/1umiCug. From here click on the tile ‘Previous events’ to access the sites for the Supporting Outdoor Learning in Secondary Schools events.
Many thanks to staff from Moray Council, Speyside High School, Banchory Academy, Kemnay Academy, Grantown Grammar School, Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET), The National Trust for Scotland, Horseback UK, Cairngorms National Park Authority, The John Muir Award, Field Studies Council, OPAL, Grounds for Learning, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Adventure Aberdeen, Classroom Outdoors, The Outward Bound Trust, Abernethy and Angus Education Service.
15 primary schools from the Oban area have taken part this year in an Outdoor Learning Programme delivered by Stramash, the Oban based social enterprise and charity. 
“The programme uses the unique environment of the west coast of Scotland to help inspire the next generation to enjoy and engage with all the great outdoors has to offer. The programme offers a range of outdoor experiences for children & young people that challenge and inspire, enrich the learning that takes place inside the classroom and supports the personal, social and emotional development of each individual. This supports Curriculum for Excellence, providing experiences which stimulate learning, connect to the natural environment and encourage active, healthy lifestyles. The programme is varied and tailored to suit each school. We have delivered the programme in forest, woodland and coastal environments and the children have participated in a variety of activities including hillwalking, orienteering and sea kayaking as part of the programme.” Outdoor Learning Manager, Stramash
Stramash have created a film to tell the story of the programme. To view the film click on this link http://vimeo.com/110570839
The Forestry Commission Scotland offers training for early years’ staff in developing forest kindergartens. The training consists of a one day taster course for Heads and Managers of nurseries and a three day training course for nursery teachers and early years practitioners.
One Day Taster Course – The taster course gives promoted staff an introduction to the philosophy of Forest Kindergartens, an opportunity to consider controlled risk taking and discussion of the value of learning in nature using natural materials in woodlands or other green spaces. The content of the course consistently refers to the Early Years Framework and Curriculum for Excellence. This course gives promoted staff the opportunity to consider their role in supporting staff in developing forest kindergartens and sharing information with parents and the wider community. Part of the day is held indoors and the remainder outdoors.
Three Day Course – This course is designed to support staff in embedding forest kindergarten as part of their Pre-Birth to Three and Curriculum for Excellence practice. The course gives staff the opportunity to share their hopes and concerns, discuss controlled risk taking and understand how this approach embraces the Rights of The Child. Participants learn about the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, challenging outdoor experiences that can be offered and ways that the Curriculum for Excellence supports experiential outdoor learning. The course gives staff a theoretical overview and the opportunity to engage in practical outdoor activities. Staff also visit an established forest kindergarten and discuss practice with staff who have completed the course and are now experienced forest kindergarten leaders. Part of the course gives staff opportunities to consider responsive planning approaches and ways in which woodland experiences can impact on indoor practice and the nursery outdoor environment.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed the past three days. All my inhibitions and fears about taking children off site are well and truly gone. The course was delivered to a very high standard and I know I’ve learned a lot”
“I was not really a fan of getting outdoors and getting dirty but now I understand the benefits it has for the children and I am motivated and excited to get started”
Forestry Commission Scotland Support – Forestry Commission Scotland offers this course to all staff delivering the curriculum for Excellence at the Early Level in nurseries and schools. Ongoing on-site support continues from FCS to assist staff in identifying suitable woodland or green space and involve staff teams, parents and carers and the local community. FCS can also participate alongside staff to support them in developing the quality of their session. Each participant receives a training pack and pen drive loaded with essential information. This includes awareness raising materials and activities to engage children, staff, parents, carers, and the local community.
A new Training for Trainers course is being prepared so that existing forest kindergarten leaders can deliver training alongside forestry commission staff within their own local authorities. North Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire staff are currently co-presenting the 3 day course.
There is an opportunity for staff to continue developing their knowledge and skills through supplementary courses lasting one and a half days each to learn how to use ropes, fire and tools. In future a course on The Pedagogy of Forest Kindergartens will be offered
Forest Family Bags are also being created to support families using woodlands with their children and a Transition pilot programme is about to be developed to support the continuation of forest kindergarten into primary one.
For further information on any of the above please contact: Marian Cairns, Acting Central Scotland Education Officer, Central Scotland Conservancy Email: marian.cairns@forestry.gsi.gov.uk Tel: 01698 368553, Mob: 07747474790
Developing the Life and Ethos of West Barns Primary School
Over the past 12 months at we have been working with pupils, families and the wider community to help us develop a clear rational for our curriculum based on shared values of respect, happiness, confidence, responsibility, safety and friendliness. The school continues to develop open and supportive relationships with children and their families. We are now beginning to see the impact of many months of hard work on the life and work of the school.
This year we have introduced Learning Journeys which will support pupils in reflecting on their learning and identify their next steps as well as recording their wider achievement. We are sharing these with parents and families on a regular basis and encourage them to add their own comments, photos, certificates etc. and help their child set health and wellbeing targets. This will provide parents with a great opportunity to become more involved in their child’s learning and achievements. By the end of this first term we are already seeing pupils engaging more in discussing their learning, identifying their strengths and next steps, thinking of strategies to help them move forward and evidencing their achievements.
Parents and families also recently helped our Primary 4-7 pupils understand the importance that literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing skills will play in their adult lives. Pupils interviewed adults as part of the Family Homework task (download parents survey). Pupils then worked together to process and present the information. This gave our children a greater understanding of why it is important to master these basic skills during their school years. Younger pupils have been thinking about what jobs they would like to do when they are older and which skills they will need. Staff continue to make the links between the children’s learning and skills for learning, work and life.
This year we felt it was essential that we looked at how we could better promote emotional resilience in our pupils. We are using a whole school approach to health and wellbeing through using Edinburgh City’s ‘Creating Confident Kids’ resources (http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/20075/information_for_professionals/383/learning_publications ). The Headteacher is working with all classes to develop a whole school approach through active learning and school assemblies. The Playground Committee has also been looking at ways that we could better support pupils during break times through developing games and activities and have introduced their own Playground rules.
The whole school community are now working together to develop an ethos of positive behaviour to promote effective learning and wellbeing across the school. This year, before choosing new House Captains, pupils were asked what attributes they valued most in a leader. The results were unanimous – pupils wanted role models who showed respect, kindness and responsibility. Candidates then used these findings to inform their election campaigns and now have a clear remit of what the school community expects from them in their new roles.
Our recent pupil survey showed us that our children wanted to contribute more to the life and work of the school. We are now giving all our pupils the opportunity to exercise their responsibilities through playing an active part in one of our 4 school committees. We have timetabled quality time and invested in resources to ensure that pupils have real opportunities to participate responsibly in decision-making, contribute as leaders and role models and offer support and service to others through meaningful projects that will benefit the school and our wider community.
Although we have an open door policy here at West Barns and welcome communication from parents, we were keen on trying to involve our parents more in the day to day running of the school. Our Parent Council have recruited many volunteers through the West Barns Helping Hands scheme which involves parents, families or neighbours offering their help in a variety of different ways from creating resources, digging the garden, mending toys, making curtains and helping organise events. We are seeing many more parents and families becoming involved in the school and we are making headway with many new projects thanks to their help.
Next month see how our curriculum rationale is being developed.
Supporting Outdoor Learning in Secondary Schools
When: Saturday 15th November 2014
Where: Speyside High School, Aberlour
Time: 9:30am-4pm
In the revised GTCS Standards for Career Long Professional Learning teachers are required to “understand and develop the most appropriate contexts for learning including outdoor learning and be able to apply appropriate pedagogies for these environments”. This event aims to support this and build confidence and capacity in the delivery of outdoor learning in secondary schools.
Throughout the day participants will have the opportunity to attend a variety of practical outdoor workshops delivered by teachers and outdoor partners. These workshops will showcase outdoor learning approaches and will demonstrate how these can be incorporated into practice.
A market place and other networking opportunities will allow practitioners to meet with outdoor partners and find out more about the range of resources available to further support outdoor learning.
This is a free event open to secondary staff in Scotland – in particular those who are starting out on their outdoor learning journey and wish to develop their confidence in taking the curriculum outdoors. There is an expectation that those who attend this event will be willing to share their learning with colleagues in their establishment.
Registering for this event:
If you wish to attend this event please register online by Wednesday 29th October @ https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7P9PS8R
Early registration is advised as this event is likely to be very popular. Workshop choices will be sent out at the start of November.
If you would like further information about this event please contact:
Fiona Cruickshanks, Development Officer, Outdoor Learning Fiona.Cruickshanks@educationscotland.gov.uk
Welcome to the first post from West Barns Primary School in East Lothian. The school community will be telling their story via monthly posts on the Primary section of the Learning Blog. They will be describing the process they are using to develop their curriculum together…
West Barns Primary School is a small village school situated on the outskirts of Dunbar. We have 71 primary pupils split between 4 classes and 13 children in our Nursery. The school is well supported by our families and the local community. Our pupils enjoy the wonderful school grounds and the opportunities offered by the outstanding local environment.
This year the school has been working with the whole school community to build a curriculum that provides our children with relevant, motivating and challenging experiences that meet the needs of all our learners. Children and their families, staff and the wider community are helping us create a new vision for West Barns Primary School, identify what we need to do to get there and plan how we are going to bring this about.
Together staff, children and their families have begun to examine the different elements of the curriculum and have embarked on a journey to find out how we would like it to look in our school.
We used a button vote to find out the views of parents and carers.
Some of the questions and statements the children used with the parents included:
Download the full list of parent questions here.
The results gave us a clear picture of what we were doing well and the areas we needed to improve.
From the start we wanted to encourage our children to contribute more to the life and work of the school and exercise their responsibilities as members of our learning community. We began by involving our children in a series of workshops designed to build a picture of how they saw our school. All pupils filled in an ’ How good is our school?’ survey. Older pupils supported younger children by explaining the questions and helping them traffic light their answers.
Download the children’s survey here.
The children analysed the results and collated them so that everyone could see what was working well and what needed to be improved. We used this information to help us develop our School Improvement Plan.
To help develop our next steps we also asked all our children some important questions, including:
Download the template with all the questions here.
Pupils from across the school worked together to gather their ideas.
You can see what came out as important in the Wordles pupils created with the results.
We thought it was great that the words ‘good’, ‘helpful’ and ‘responsible’ came out as important for both our teachers and our learners.
Pupils, parents and staff then worked together by using a button vote to choose new values for our school.
It was interesting to see that respect, happiness, confidence, responsibility, safety and friendliness were our outstanding choices. This has given us a clear direction for the future and has informed our health and wellbeing programme for this year.
Come back in October to see what the West Barns school community do next as they develop their curriculum together.
1 day – Thursday 25th September 2014 from 09.30-16.00
The Lighthouse, Glasgow
Delivered by Made-by (www.made-by.org) on behalf of Zero Waste Scotland
This event is suitable for individuals and companies involved in the design and manufacturing of apparel as well as academic and education professionals interested in the wider issues of clothing and environmental sustainability.
Event detail
The days training will provide you with an overview of:
Alongside the global case studies you will also hear from our speakers working within Scotland
For further information and to book onto this event please visit here.
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
Blake Stevenson and consultant Dr Suzanne Zeedyk recently undertook a year- long evaluation of the Bookbug for the Home training, which aims to expand the reach of the Bookbug programme (this encourages families to read with their children from a young age) to vulnerable families and those living in deprived areas. Professionals who work in families’ homes, such as social workers, are provided with the knowledge and resources to introduce the principles of Bookbug Sessions – talking, singing, cuddling and book sharing. 1,145 professionals have been trained over the last two years and 800 more from 8 local authorities in Scotland are signed up to take part this year.There was a noted impact on professionals who undertook the training, with 99% saying it was relevant to their role and a good use of their time and 71% stating that it had positively impacted on their professional practice.
Researchers found that parents who took part in Bookbug for the Home had developed closer bonds with their children, and felt more equipped to play, interact and read with them, with the number of people reading daily with their children increasing from 41% to 78%, and the number of people singing or rhyming daily with their children increasing from 53% to 78%. This in turn has had a beneficial effect on children’s confidence, social skills, speech and language development and positively impacted on parent and child attachment, with 98% of the professionals who undertook the training noticing a positive impact on the families involved in the programme. To read more about this positive evaluation and to learn more about the Bookbug for the Home programme please see link below.
http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/learning/early-years-professionals/assertive-outreach-evaluation
Bookbug is run by Scottish Book Trust and funded by the Scottish Government.
Playday is the national day for play in the UK, traditionally held on the first Wednesday in August.
Playday 2014 is on 6 August.
On Playday thousands of children and their families get out to play at hundreds of community events across the UK.
Playday is a celebration of children’s right to play, and a campaign that highlights the importance of play in children’s lives.
Click here to find out more about Playday.
Play ‘boosts children’s development and happiness’
A report out today, for the Children’s Play Policy Forum, found play improved children’s physical and mental health, as well as their emotional well-being. It also helps boost children’s language development, problem solving, risk management and independent learning skills.
Passionate about good care?
The Care Inspectorate is looking for people to help them carry out their work. They would like people with first-hand experience of care to help make sure care in Scotland continues to improve, by becoming an inspection volunteer. Inspection volunteers are members of the public who use a care service, have used a care service in the past or care for someone like a family member or friend who has used a care service.
Volunteers help the Care Inspectorate get the views of people using care services. They work closely with the Care Inspectorate’s teams of specialist inspectors and together they help spot where things need to improve, help keep people safe and ensure that the rights of people receiving care are respected and their needs met.
Interested?
To find out more please click the link below
http://www.scswis.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7731&Itemid=757
The Young STAND Award Scheme (Scots Tackling Alcohol and Drugs) recognises and rewards innovative work across Scotland to prevent alcohol and substance misuse in young people.
STAND aims:
Eight project finalists from across Scotland will step into the limelight at the Lyceum Theatre on the 10th June for the chance to become the stars of STAND 2014! Finalists have been asked to present their work creatively using any format – e.g. video, performance, artwork – with young people playing a key role. Project award winners will be selected from each of the following categories:
• Schools
• Communities
Schedule:
13:00 – 13.15
Welcome, including opening by Tam Baillie, Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People
13:15 – 15:00
Finalist presentations: Schools
15:00 – 15:15
Break
15:15 – 17:00
Finalist presentations: Communities
17:00 – 17:15
Break
17:15 – 17:30
Awards and closing
To book please visit our Eventbrite page: http://stand2014.eventbrite.co.uk
2014 has seen John Muir leap to prominence, with a Way, a Festival, a Conference…not to mention a recent trend for beards (coincidence?!).
But what does the younger generation make of a man who left Dunbar, East Lothian for America aged 10, became an adventurer and conservation visionary, helped set up the National Parks movement, and died 100 years ago?
The John Muir Trust asked them – and found out some fascinating facts, interesting insights, and whether Muir’s message has relevance to young people today.
Watch a 5 minute film created by the John Muir Trust at http://vimeo.com/95260067 .
“The film captures young people’s thoughts and integrates John Muir’s life story fabulously.” Koren Calder, Young Adult Project Manager, Scottish Book Trust
“A lovely evocation of the roots and the meaning of Muir set into teen parlance.” John Beatty
On 15 May, school pupils from across Scotland will be inspired to ‘be their personal best’ by meeting and learning from dozens of Scotland’s top athletes, including Olympic and Commonwealth medallists.Two world-famous Scottish sporting heroes will also be revealed and will take part on the day!
Through a series of workshops, the event aims to inspire young people to be successful in life and show them that everyone has it in them to succeed. The athletes will help the pupils understand how to learn through failure and how success comes from sustained effort.
No matter who you are, where you’re from or what you’re good at, everyone has it in them to be their personal best.
The session will include the following components:
9.30 – 10.00: Meet the Athletes – Introduction
10.35 – 11.10: “Success through effort” – an active workshop session
11.20 – 11.50: “Athlete Lounge” – Q&A session with an exclusive slot for Glow participants
Register for or join this unique Glow Meet here.
CPD session 
Lynn Wilson, Key Accounts Manager (Textiles), Circular Economy Team at Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) will deliver a GLOW TV session introducing circular economy textiles and clothing industry models and how examples could be applied to class project work. It will also cover ZWS current work with the clothing industry – Sustainable Clothing Action Plan 2020 and the consumer side of this work – Love Your Clothes (www.loveyourclothes.org.uk) as well as Circular Economy Business Models in clothing retail.
ZWS is commissioning a series of master classes for textile and clothing industry experts, academia and education practitioners to up skill in areas such as zero waste pattern design; assembly for disassembly; fibre processing and dry dyeing and printing, to be delivered from January – December 2015. Four places per master class (there will be 16 in a class) are offered to teaching staff responsible for national curriculum development. Those wishing to attend must apply by preparing a proposal identifying how it will contribute to their professional development and how they will disseminate the learning. An introductory one day event introducing the topics will be hosted by the Scottish Textile and Leather Association in partnership with Zero Waste Scotland in September and the date will be announced shortly.
This session and the master classes proposed will be of interest to teaching professionals across disciplines from Science to Design and Technology as well as more traditional textile and clothing curriculum areas such as Home Economics and Art and Design.
Click on the link below to sign up for this session.
Forestry Commission Scotland is encouraging young people to feel the benefit of the Commonwealth Games with a new Woodland Workout pack. Targeted at 3-14 year olds the pack promotes opportunities for quality, fun and safe physical activity in the outdoors and includes ideas for games, physical activities and staging ‘adapted’ Commonwealth sports in the woodlands. The pack, complete with teachers’ guide, encourages young people to have fun but to also be
responsible for their well-being and consider risk. As well as considering potential hazards in their activity space and taking risks with solving problems, it also allows children the chance to learn how to manage ‘failure’ through reflecting on performance to set new challenges.
The Woodland Workout, with Commonwealth Games supplement has been issued to schools across Scotland and is available to download.
For information, resources, support, key organisations and national guidelines on taking learning outdoors click on the link below to access the Education Scotland outdoor learning online resource:
Education Scotland Outdoor Learning online resource
Key documents available on this resource include:
A downloadable word document highlighting all these links is available here: Education Scotland Outdoor Learning online support materials
The RSPB Nature of Scotland Awards are designed to recognise and celebrate excellence, innovation and outstanding achievement in Scottish nature conservation. The Youth & Education Award celebrates a school or youth group who can demonstrate how they have made a real difference to the conservation and sustainability of Scotland’s wildlife and habitats.
This could be through fundraising for a conservation-related project, a school grounds development, partnership working or best practice in hands-on delivery of learning for sustainability, connecting young people to the natural world.
The awards are now open for entries.
Click here for further information: http://www.rspb.org.uk/thingstodo/natureofscotland
Sustrans, the British charity which promotes sustainable transport, has developed a learning and teaching resource for P6-7 and S1-3 called The Big Street Survey. It is designed to get pupils thinking and learning about their local environments, how they make them feel and how they can go about developing a manifesto for changing their streets and making them healthier and safer places.
A series of free downloadable resources can be viewed here:
http://www.sustrans.org.uk/change-your-travel/children-and-families/schools/big-street-survey
These resources deliver various Experiences & Outcomes across Health & Wellbeing, Social Studies, Expressive Arts, Literacy and Numeracy.
It is anticipated that this event will attract large numbers so please book early to be guaranteed a place.
Please return your completed registration form by either post or email to:
Post: RCPCH, 12 Queen Street, Edinburgh, EH2 1JE
Email: Lorna.porter@rcpch.ac.uk
For further information contact Lorna at the email address above or on 0131 247 3657Agenda and booking form FASD 16 June 2014
Place will be allocated and confirmed on receipt of booking form.
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are permanent lifelong developmental disabilities caused by maternal use of alcohol during pregnancy. Worldwide incidence is estimated at 9/1000 live births.
As part of a programme of events over the last 3 years, to coincide with the Scottish Government funded FAS Surveillance Study, this year an event for nursery, primary school and educational psychologists has been arranged.
The events keynote speaker is Jo Egerton, Schools Research Consultant & Educational Writer, who has a teaching background and a wealth of practical experience to share on:
– The impact of FASD on learning
– Helpful teaching and learning strategies
– Supporting social skills
– Promoting mental health and wellbeing
– Encouraging positive behavior
– Working with families
We will also have parents talking about both positive and negative experiences.
If you would like to book a space on this event, please contact RCPCH.admin@rcpe.ac.uk
The value of peer mentoring in developing health & wellbeing for your pupils – gaining inspiration from Lead 2014
Lead 2014 recognises the potential of young people to contribute to the development of future generations through engaging teams from secondary schools in a peer mentoring approach to the organisation and delivery of Commonwealth Games themed festivals in their school cluster.
This Glow meet on will highlight the successes of the Lead 2014 programme, analyse the value of the experiences for young people in relation to health & wellbeing and will explore the scope within schools to organise peer mentoring programmes with physical education, physical activity and sport as a central focus.
Join members of the Health & Wellbeing team and the Lead 2014 delivery team on Tuesday 18th March at 4pm and be inspired by this informative and thought provoking look at a highly successful programme.
Sign up and join us or Watch Again if you miss the live event!
There are still places available at Education Scotland’s Community Resilience Conversation and Networking Event on Monday 17th March.
The day is aimed at 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 community resilience as a rich and exciting context for teaching and learning.
Conversation activities will provide delegates with opportunities to network with one another and engage in professional dialogue in relation to preparing for emergencies and developing resilient communities. Selected examples of good practice will also be shared through engaging presentations delivered by government, local council and school representatives.
We would like to invite you to take part in the event at the Glasgow Hilton Hotel on the 17th March 2014 to explore how we might take forward resilience education in schools and consider important developments in teaching and learning.
We would be grateful if you could register online at http://svy.mk/Mb8ZM7 by end of day Thursday 13th March 2014 to confirm your attendance and inform us of any special dietary or access requirements you may have.
Last in the series!
With just over 20 weeks to go before the biggest multi-sport and cultural event ever to come to Scotland, we invite practitioners to find out more on how the Commonwealth Games may provide a unique opportunities to create stimulating learning across the curriculum and beyond.
What will be delivered?
The event will showcase inspirational initiatives from schools across the spectrum and highlight a vast amount of resources and opportunities available to teachers ensuring that, together, we are able to deliver a lasting legacy for learning.
Addresses will be delivered by a wide range of inspirational speakers covering topics from international programmes to physical and Games related education.
A variety of engaging workshops delivered by practitioners and organisations will provide practical, hands-on exemplification on the impact of using the Games as a context for learning. Workshop sessions will include:
View the Game On Scotland Event DRAFT programme – 26 March, Dundee.
Who should attend?
Teachers, lead staff and those with a whole school responsibility for Games Legacy, including cluster initiatives and wider curriculum remits related to the Games (e.g. active schools coordinator, health and wellbeing).
This is the third event of our CPD series, following events in Glasgow and Inverness. The previous two events were considered useful by over 98% of delegates attending.
How to register:
We invite you to join us for an inspirational day of sharing and collaborative thinking around a variety of exciting opportunities by registering for the event online or directly with Diane Carson: Diane.Carson@educationscotland.gov.uk
‘I learned not to be scared to talk about cancer’
A really exciting day on Friday 7th February when we welcomed P7 pupils to Dundee Science Centre to work with world-leading scientists from Dundee Cancer Centre. Through hands-on activities, developed and delivered by scientists, researchers and nurses from Dundee Cancer Centre, children learned about cells and cancer.
Children said:
I can’t choose one thing, I loved it all!
I learnt about how the different bloods get ready for scientists! It was fun!
That you should be careful with what you wear outside and that if you eat broccoli it helps a lot.
I learnt that cancer travels faster than normal cells.
There are 200 types of cancer cells
I enjoyed making play-doh drugs
Very easy to understand and was fun
I enjoyed meeting a real scientist
I learnt that strawberries have DNA and what our cells look like! It was fun!
I learnt today about cancer and how it can be stopped.
Teachers were equally positive in their feedback:
Hands on activities are great. Brilliant to see the kids engaging so well.
The people who were doing the explaining, explained very complex concepts in a very understandable way for the children. It’s something that we will pick up on when we go back to school and share what we have learnt with the rest of the school and try to find out more.
This is the first part of a bigger piece of work, the next steps of which are to work with teachers from secondary schools and Dundee Cancer Centre to develop a workshop to support the broad general education in the secondary setting, or the Senior Phase. This will provide opportunities for learning for teachers involved, and the pupils in the 10 secondary schools we work with, when we bring our funded outreach to them between September and December 2014.
If you’re interested in being part of this exciting project, and connecting your learners with cutting-edge, world-leading sciences happening in Dundee, please contact Lauren Boath, Science Learning Manager for more information (lauren.boath@dundeesciencecentre.org.uk)
‘Game On Scotland’ Special:
Holly Cram – the Game On Scotland Ambassador live on Glow
30 January, 10.00
Join here: http://bit.ly/1eDHCnt
Holly, a Scottish International Hockey player with over 140 caps, has join the Game On Scotland Team as official ambassador to assist schools in making the most of the exciting opportunities the 2014 Commonwealth Games offer young people.
Holly will tell you about her exciting career as a international hockey player and share some of her insights into what makes a successful team player. She will also answer any questions you always wanted to ask a top athlete!
See you all on Thursday! Game On!
Education Scotland would like to invite practitioners and partner agencies working with young people in all sectors around Scotland with an interest in raising young people’s awareness of future choices and goals to the following event.
Planning for Choices and Changes
When: Friday 28th February
Where: Radisson Blu Hotel, Edinburgh
Time: 9.30 / 10.00 am to 3.30 pm
This event will be of value to practitioners with responsibility for supporting young people through transitions with the vision of achieving a positive and sustained destination. This event will focus on skills for work, life and learning, supporting learners to develop their understanding of, employability skills, future choices, profiling, youth achievement and personal development awards and enhancing college partnership working and making connections across Curriculum for Excellence and into the world of work.
Keynote speakers will provide an opportunity for inspirational dialogue for the day and provide up to date information about good practice. Participants will have the opportunity to select from a varied choice of workshops and have ample time to network with colleagues. Participants will be provided with the latest information and practice to support young people develop the skills required to make positive choices to prepare them for the next stages of their lives.
Workshop choices will be sent out late February.
Sign up here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/P86DY6N
for further details contact: john.higgins@educationscotland.gov.uk
Supporting Outdoor Learning in Secondary Schools
When: Saturday 1st March
Where: St Joseph’s Academy, Kilmarnock
Time: 9.30am – 4pm
In the revised GTCS Standards for Career Long Professional Learning teachers are required to “understand and develop the most appropriate contexts for learning including outdoor learning and be able to apply appropriate pedagogies for these environments”. This event aims to support this and build confidence and capacity in the delivery of outdoor learning in secondary schools in particular within Broad General Education (S1-S3).
Throughout the day participants will have the opportunity to attend a variety of practical outdoor workshops delivered by teachers and outdoor partners. These workshops will showcase outdoor learning approaches and will demonstrate how these have been incorporated into practice.
A market place at the event will allow practitioners to meet with outdoor partners and find out more about the range of resources available to further support outdoor learning.
This is a free event open to secondary teachers in Scotland – in particular those who are starting out on their outdoor learning journey and wish to develop their confidence in taking the curriculum outdoors. There is an expectation that those who attend this event will be willing to share their learning with colleagues in their establishment.
Registering for this event:
If you wish to attend this event please register online by Wednesday 19th February @ https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VSCB9NP
Early registration is advised as this event is likely to be very popular. Workshop choices will be sent out mid-February.
If you would like further information about this event please contact:
Fiona Cruickshanks, Development Officer, Outdoor Learning Fiona.Cruickshanks@educationscotland.gov.uk
It’s time to start planning for Climate Week – eight weeks from now on 3-9 March 2014. It is Britain’s largest climate change campaign, with half a million people attending over 3,000 events each year.
Climate Week is about how people can live and work more sustainably, and you can run any kind of event or activity you wish. Here are some ideas:
Enter the Climate Week Challenge, a competition for small teams in schools and workplaces. It needs no preparation, is free and helps develop innovation and teamwork. There are one-hour and one-day versions – register here.
Enter the Climate Week Awards for professional achievement that is helping to create a more sustainable society – click here to find out more. Deadline – February 14th 2014.
Run a Climate Week Swap event at which people can exchange clothes, books or children’s toys they don’t want any more – find out more here.
Please remember to register your events and activities with Climate Week – they will then be listed as an official part of Climate Week, encouraging others to take part and so growing the movement for environmental change.
Over the festive period, persistent rain across Scotland has taken its toll on communities throughout the country. Areas such as Ayrshire, Borders and Dumfries and Galloway have been hit particularly hard, requiring people having to be evacuated from properties or rescued from areas where rising river levels have placed people in immediate danger.
A number of emergency meetings were been held by the Scottish Government resilience team before the new year – many involving ministers. Local multi-agency response arrangements have since been initiated in a number of places across Scotland to support those worst affected and to mitigate the impact.
The Scottish Government newsroom has released several articles in relation to the extreme weather. The following links can be used to access more information:
Flooding response continues: http://bit.ly/197P775
Latest Weather warnings: http://bit.ly/JDuPGX
Vigilance urged as flood threat continues: http://bit.ly/1dIDnqW
Flood Threat Continues: http://bit.ly/KvSCcF
Weather – Scotland’s Response: http://bit.ly/1cT46AY
More information can also be found from BBC news footage:
UK weather report – Sever warnings: http://bbc.in/1lvUobr
High tide in Ardrossan: http://bbc.in/KsWnim
Dumfries and Galloway flooding: http://bbc.in/1klRzeY
A full account of 2013’s global weather and links to climate change can be also be found at: http://bbc.in/KsNC81
For teaching and learning ideas related to extreme weather, flooding and climate change, visit the resources section of Education Scotland’s ‘Ready for Emergencies website’.
Also be sure to sign up for free flood warning in your local area through the SEPA (Scottish Environmental Protection Agency) website: http://bit.ly/1cCJ2uB
Severe weather has caused disruption through utility failures and signifiant flooding in various areas throughout Scotland.
Winds of up to 90 mph hit parts of the country last night causing power cuts, rough seas and heavy swells. Those regions partcularly badly affected include Glasgow, Aberdeen, the Western Isles, Shetland, Orkney and Dumfries and Galloway among others.
For further details go to: http://bbc.in/1klW9Yb
The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) has been issuing regular flood warnings urging the public to take immediate action against the predicted flooding.
The ‘Ready for Emergencies’ website contains free teaching resources to help young people and their local commuitites to prepare and cope in extreme weather situations like these. For severe weather learning journeys go to: http://bit.ly/1gmTEml
Make sure you are signed up for SEPA’s free flood alert service. Register at: http://bit.ly/1cCJ2uB
PAHA is delighted to announce that the Physical Activity and Health Alliance Awards are being offered for a fourth year.
We are seeking nominations for physical activity programmes from your setting, sector and profession.
NHS Health Scotland is committed to sharing practice that improves health and reduces health inequalities across Scotland. More specifically, the Physical Activity and Health Alliance (PAHA) is focused on supporting the ongoing implementation of the National Physical Activity strategy ‘Let’s Make Scotland More Active’ (2003) and encouraging others to embed inequalities into their work.
PAHA are seeking nominations of physical activity programmes from a range of settings, sectors and professions in Scotland. This is the opportunity to raise the profile of local work, as well as help build capacity by sharing inspirational practice and experiences with others.
The awards will be celebrated at the Annual National PAHA Conference on 24 April 2014. Award winners will be given the opportunity to hold a stall at the marketplace of the Annual National Conference and will also feature as case studies on the case study section of the PAHA website.
This year, there are 6 categories covering the broad range of people, activities and environments pertinent to physical activity in Scotland.
Anyone can nominate a person, programme or organisation for a PAHA Award. The nomination form and supporting guidance note can be found on the PAHA website.
If you have any questions, send us email at nhs.healthscotland-paha@nhs.net or call us on: 0131 313 7527
All nominations must be received by noon 20 December 2013 (noon).
Scottish Water is reminding teachers and learners of the importance of playing safe this winter.
In recent years Scotland has witnessed some of the coldest winters for generations, so there’s no telling what the coming weeks may bring. Scottish Water is advising customers that they should remain vigilant and should not take any risks around freezing cold watercourses.
While it’s important that youngsters enjoy their school holidays and that people across Scotland take pleasure in the country’s beautiful lochs, rivers and reservoirs, it is also vital that they stay safe. Latest figures show 22 people died accidentally or from natural causes around water in Scotland last winter, but there are easy ways to prevent tragedies, and equipping yourself with the knowledge of what to do in an emergency can save a life.
For further details of Scottish Water’s recent release and advice on how to stay safe around water this winter, go to: http://bit.ly/1b4agsG
The number of people confirmed dead in the Philippines from Typhoon Haiyan now stands at in excess of 4000, and a further 4 million people have been forced to leave their homes since the storm hit.
At a recent conference at the Royal Society in central London, the Prince of Wales claimed that the typhoon is a ‘direct result’ of climate change and that ‘the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events has increased, and is set to increase even further’.
In the face of global warming and it’s possible impact closer to home, Scotland has set world-leading greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, and has plans in place for how to reduce further by 42% by 2020.
Adaptation Scotland provides advice and support to help ensure that Scotland is prepared for, and resilient to, the impacts of climate change. Find details of key messages, climate information and adaptation suggestions in light of climate change in Scotland.
Not to be missed! Heriot Watt University still have availability for schools interested in receiving a visit from the interactive flood model and flood experts.
For a flavour of what you can expect, see the flood model in action at: http://bit.ly/1dNfNIa
What is it?
An interactive, free workshop has been developed to explain the processes involved with urban flooding and flood prevention. It also introduces the concept of community resilience and the role that individuals can play in protecting themselves and their neighbours.
The main element of the workshop is an interactive physical model, representing a typical town with a river, houses, shops, industrial units, roads and parks. The model simulates rainfall, with water being fed to sprinklers and the river via a system of pumps. Workshop participants are able to change certain elements of the urban fabric to help reduce the severity of flooding.
Is it any good?
Since 2009, over 5000 people have participated in the workshop, most of whom were young people. Independent evaluation of the workshop “…yielded strong evidence for the learning that took place during audiences’ interaction with the project”.
Work with the Scottish Government and SEPA has supported on-going flood risk awareness raising, and again the feedback has been very positive.
Can it come to my school?
Sure. The Scottish Government have commissioned Heriot-Watt University to take the workshop to Scottish schools in 2013/14.
We can visit you to run our interactive workshop for your pupils for free; all you have to do is provide us with some space to run the workshop and some interested children. We will also leave you with a follow up lesson plan to reinforce some of the key workshop messages
Contact Grant Wright to arrange a visit (Tel: 0131 4518261, Email: g.b.wright@Hw.ac.uk)
For more information go to http://urbanfloodmodel.wordpress.com/
What is it?
An interactive, free workshop has been developed to explain the processes involved with urban flooding and flood prevention. It also introduces the concept of community resilience and the role that individuals can play in protecting themselves and their neighbours.
The main element of the workshop is an interactive physical model, representing a typical town with a river, houses, shops, industrial units, roads and parks. The model simulates rainfall, with water being fed to sprinklers and the river via a system of pumps. Workshop participants are able to change certain elements of the urban fabric to help reduce the severity of flooding.
Is it any good?
Since 2009, over 5000 people have participated in the workshop, most of whom were young people. Independent evaluation of the workshop “…yielded strong evidence for the learning that took place during audiences’ interaction with the project”.
Work with the Scottish Government and SEPA has supported on-going flood risk awareness raising, and again the feedback has been very positive.
Can it come to my school?
Sure. The Scottish Government have commissioned Heriot-Watt University to take the workshop to Scottish schools in 2013/14.
We can visit you to run our interactive workshop for your pupils for free; all you have to do is provide us with some space to run the workshop and some interested children. We will also leave you with a follow up lesson plan to reinforce some of the key workshop messages
Contact Grant Wright to arrange a visit (Tel: 0131 4518261, Email: g.b.wright@Hw.ac.uk)
For more information go to http://urbanfloodmodel.wordpress.com/
Choices for Life Online is pleased to announce its first event for the 2013 – 2014 school year!
The live broadcast is aimed at all P7 pupils and their teachers in Scotland with a focus around the risks and dangers of alcohol, negative peer pressure and substance misuse.
Choices for Life provides credible information to our young people on a range of important issues facing them in 21st Century Scotland in an inclusive, engaging and thought-provoking manner, to help them make positive lifestyle decisions and maximise their future potential.
Join us to see drama, video clips, music and have the opportunity to join a Glow Chat where pupils can comment on what they have seen in relation to key themes (drugs, alcohol and tobacco).
Watch ‘Liam’s Story’ which explores the issues around negative peer pressure and smoking. After this specially commissioned film there will be a chance for you to ask questions to a panel of studio guests examining the range of issues,including family,negative peer pressure, substance misuse, aspirations and regret.
There are also teaching resources available on the website to help you have a classroom discussion about Liam’s Story or do some further activities around the drama – Teaching Resources
The event will be live and presented by Mark Martin and Laura Marks from our very own Choices for Life TV studio and will also include some other fantastic video clips and messages from other inspirational role models and sporting stars.
The event will be delivered twice on the same day, to maximise and facilitate as many pupils as possible to view. Sign up for Wednesday 20th November – Morning Event at 10.30am OR Wednesday 20th November – Afternoon Event at 1.30pm.
We look forward to hearing from you on the day!
Thursday 12th December, 10am- 3.30pm, IET Teacher Building, Glasgow This event is aimed at those with an interest in supporting improvement in children and young people’s mental health and reducing inequalities which impact on their mental health. The event will combine presentations with workshops, leading to opportunities for discussion and debate. Key note presentations will raise awareness of a variety of national developments in the field of children and young people’s mental health and showcase illustrations of innovative projects being taken forward by local area partnerships. Workshops and the market place will provide an opportunity for discussion and debate about emerging developments and issues. Speakers will include – The current picture of Children and Young people’s Mental Health in Scotland – Dr Jane Parkinson and Elaine Tod (NHS Health Scotland) The impact of Mental Health and Wellbeing within the Curriculum for Excellence – Lesley Kirkwood and Suzanne Hargreaves (Education Scotland) Building capacity and confidence to address Young people’s needs – Erica Stewart-Jones (NHS Health Scotland) Support for Young People – Pathway development – NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Project 99 – Youth Mental Health and Social Media – Young Scot/Snook/NHS GG&C To register for this event, please visit the eventbrite website.
In response to the newly launched Play Strategy Action Plan, Inspiring Scotland has launched a Play Strategy implementation fund to support Scottish charities bring the strategy to life for Scotland’s children.
Inspiring Scotland has played a key role in supporting the development of the Play Strategy for Scotland and will continue to support the sector through this small focused implementation fund which will become available in 2014.
Speaking at the launch of the Play Strategy Action Plan, the Minister for Children and Young People, Aileen Campbell, MSP said:
“Children need to be active and playing regularly sets the foundations for a healthier lifestyle as they grow older and contributes to brain development. Research has also shown how vital play is in encouraging imagination, coordination and confidence to get youngsters ready for nursery and school and the new experiences that holds.
“I have been lucky enough to have visited many events supported by Inspiring Scotland and its partners and it is wonderful to see parents and children, ranging from the very young to teenagers, really having fun together. What comes across so strongly is that often time and a little imagination are all you need to have an excellent time together and get active.”
The Play Strategy Action Plan highlights the long term physical, social and educational benefits of inspiring youngsters to play. In launching the Plan, the Minister committed to the establishment of the £90,000 implementation fund to help charities deliver play opportunities.
Speaking following the launch event, Head of Funds at Inspiring Scotland, Celia Tennant, said: “The Go2Play Play Strategy Implementation Fund builds on our commitment to support the Play Sector, helping to develop and nurture play opportunities and ideas which will ultimately help to deliver the Play Strategy Action Plan. We are delighted to be able to build upon the success of our Go2Play capacity building fund and respond to the needs of the play sector. £90,000 will be available in 2014 from this fund which we are confident can lead to significant social impact when supported by our unique venture philanthropy model.”
Inspiring Scotland will launch the process for applications at end of 2013 which will consist of three funding rounds during 2014.
Inspiring Scotland, in partnership with the Scottish Government, have been developing the capacity of the Play Sector since 2009 and significantly increased free play opportunities for vulnerable children across Scotland.
If interested in this fund, please contact Julia Abel Julia@inspiringscotland.org.uk or Paul Dickson paul@inspiringscotland.org.uk to register your interest in the fund.
SUSTRANS works with communities across Scotland to help people improve their local areas through a number of exciting and innovative projectshttp://bit.ly/Hpu9Um
Possible projects include:
Sustrans Scotland also has 120 expert officers working across Scotland to encourage young people to get active through cycling. Further details of their work with schools can be found at: http://bit.ly/16JKw9U
Further online resources are also available:
Sign up for the Maternal and Early Years Newsletter and find out about up to date information and resources such as:
Early Years Image Bank CD NHS Health Scotland has developed a photo bank of images for use across early years publications. The images include representation of parents from across Scotland from all the equalities strands. A CD is available containing a selection of these images for use by the early years and children and families workforce. The images are vibrant, expressive and appealing and include images of babies, children and their families, as well as of the early years professionals who work with them.
Themes include:
If you would like a copy of the CD, email lynn.soutar@nhs.net and include your postal address.
In recent years, a number of Scottish primary schools have developed innovative approaches to enabling child-led outdoor play in morning and lunchtime breaks.
This new training resource has been created with support from Education Scotland to share the learning from these schools. Its aim is to demonstrate how outdoor play in schools can support the curriculum and nurture happy, healthy children and to share practical, tested ideas and approaches to providing richer play experiences in primary schools.
This resource has 11 sections, each of which is based around a short film with accompanying discussion questions and links to useful online resources. It’s designed for anyone who is interested in pupil health and wellbeing but will be of particular relevance to playground support staff. In each film clip you’ll hear from support staff about why they have developed these new approaches and how they deal with the various practical issues that arise.
The films are on the Education Scotland website while further support is available at www.ltl.org.uk/playtimerevolution.
The 2013/2014 ‘Ready for Winter’ campaign will be launched by the Scottish Government on the 21st October. Key messages for this year include: ‘Thinking Ahead’ and ‘Taking an Hour’ to prepare for severe winter weather in the community, at home, on the move and in the workplace. With the clocks moving back one hour on the 27th of October, let’s use this extra time pro-actively! Education Scotland are therefore working in partnership with the Scottish Government to ensure that Scottish schools are as ready as possible for winter.
To promote the launch of ‘Ready for Winter’ and its rich links to resilience education, teachers are being asked to run health and wellbeing sessions (21st to 25th October) ranging from simple class lessons to larger projects. Web links and free downloadable activities will soon be made available for schools to access from Education Scotland’s ‘Ready for Emergencies’ website http://bit.ly/GJ8CWz
Further details and links to activities will follow shortly. In the meantime, general information about ‘Ready for Winter’ and resilience education can be found at http://bit.ly/1gmTEml and http://bit.ly/1aiEZnp
Have you ever been affected by difficulties such as severe winter weather, flooding, utilities failures or pandemics (amongst others)? What would you do if you were? Would you know how to cope in an emergency situation and what procedures to follow? How could you ensure that you and your community were fully prepared for times of crisis?
The ‘Ready for Emergencies’ website provides information on all of the above and is a valuable resilience education resource to help develop resilient attitudes and pro-active strategies among young people to prevent and deal with emergency situations.
The site contains a wide range of links to free downloadable teaching and learning materials http://bit.ly/1gmTEml including learning journeys, challenges and media files covering numerous real-life emergency contexts linked to the experiences and outcomes of Curriculum for Excellence.
For further details – visit: http://bit.ly/GJ8CWz
The Scottish Water organisation provides a range of educational resources through their website http://bit.ly/GKSF1Z These include:
Scottish Water Volunteer Programme – Launched in Spring 2011, Scottish Water has a team of enthusiastic volunteers located across different locations in Scotland to deliver a range of talks and presentations to schools and organisations. http://bit.ly/1bGKYYB The programme is highly rated and praised by local communities who have benefited from its input to date.
Teaching and Learning Modules – Recently developed teachng ideas in relation to experiences and outcomes from Early to Fourth level of CfE, covering topics ranging from water safety to climate change and pollution. http://bit.ly/1gpAJaG
All About Water Factfiles – Teaching notes to help practitioners deliver learning around water themes. These contain useful links to other relevant websites, downloadable posters and other resources to enhance practice. http://bit.ly/18Otp4m
Discover More Section – Further edcuational resources including water films and links to the Water Ways exhibit at the Glasgow Science Centre.
Partnership Work with Go Safe Scotland
Scottish Water has also been recently working in partnership with Glasgow City Council and Go Safe Scotland to launch an education programme and resources in conjunction with members of the emergencies services. Find out more at http://bit.ly/1bYDRaH
What does the national ‘Getting it right for every child’ approach to children’s health and wellbeing mean to parents?
‘Getting it right for every child’ (GIRFEC) is the national policy for improving the lives, health and wellbeing of all children and young people and for ensuring that services such as education and health work together, focussing on the needs of children and young people. The wellbeing of children and young people is at the heart of GIRFEC which asks whether children are safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible and included.
We have been asked to help in gathering parent views on their current understanding of GIRFEC and would be very grateful if you could encourage parents to take a couple of minutes to complete the short questionnaire.
This survey is anonymous. Individuals and individual responses will not be identified in the reporting of these findings
Parents will find the survey at https://response.questback.com/scottishgovernment/girfec/
The survey will close on 1 November 2013 .
