If you are looking for support with STEM learning and teaching, below are the key people who are available to help you in South Ayrshire;

 

Lorraine Ross, Education Officer for STEM, Education Scotland

“I support the local authorities in the South West as part of the STEM team at Education Scotland.  Our work is guided by both the commitments outlined in the STEM Education and Training Strategy and the needs, priorities and contexts of the Regional Improvement Collaboratives which we support.

I support the South West through:

• the development, coordination and delivery of professional learning to meet the STEM needs of practitioners and technicians.
• identifying and sharing interesting practice and expertise within authorities through open days, mentoring programmes, collaboration activities and networking events.
• and supporting the development of STEM leaders within establishments to lead on the development of whole school, setting and cluster-based approaches to STEM outlined in the STEM self-evaluation and improvement framework.

I come from a creativity background of drama and creative digital media in the secondary sector as both a teacher and Principal Teacher.  I have also worked across all sectors as an Employability and Enterprise Officer supporting a secondary school, associated primaries, nurseries and ASN establishments within a cluster.  Latterly, I was the Head of Programme for Scotland’s Enterprising Schools, a national programme supporting colleagues across Scotland to develop enterprising approaches to the curriculum and learning and teaching whilst embedding DYW and Career Education Standards. I am very much enjoying supporting a creative approach to STEM with Scotland’s practitioners.”

Lorraine can be contacted on lorraine.ross@educationscotland.gov.scot

 

Gayle Duffus, Strategic Lead and Programme Coordinator for RAiSE, Education Scotland 

“I am employed by The Wood Foundation, and based within Education Scotland.  I manage the team of Primary Science Development Officers, working closely with local authority partners to develop the ambitions of their primary STEM strategies.  I lead on the cultivation of relationships with interested local authorities, creating resources, learning materials and professional learning opportunities.

My background is in secondary education, initially as a biology teacher and then as a Curriculum Lead for Science.  I have also been a member of the Qualification Design and Verification Team within the SQA.”

Gayle can be contacted on gayle.duffus@educationscotland.gov.scot

 

Amy Johnson, Improving Gender Balance and Equalities Development Officer, Education Scotland.

“I engage with schools and Early Years Centres across the South West to co-create and assess interventions to address gender imbalances in participation, curricular preferences and learner pathways at every stage.  My priority is supporting young people to feel empowered to make choices based on their genuine preferences, rather than stereotypes or societal pressures.  I work closely with practitioners, schools and partners to continue to promote equality of opportunity and address unconscious bias.

Prior to starting with Education Scotland, I worked as a Policy Officer for Zero Tolerance, a Scottish charity working to prevent gender based violence and promote gender equality.  Alongside policy work, I led on gender equality projects in schools and early learning and childcare settings.  Before that, I spent five years working in counter human trafficking, gender equality and education across the Middle East, North, and East Africa.”

Amy can be contacted on amy.johnson@educationscotland.gov.scot

 

Jenn McEwan, Primary Science (and STEM) Development Officer, South Ayrshire Council

“My role is diverse and is constantly evolving to meet the changing STEM needs of our learners and practitioners.  

I can support you with:

• ensuring learners develop skills for learning, life and work, and that their progress and achievements are assessed, tracked, monitored and reported on effectively.
• building the confidence, skills, knowledge and enthusiasm of your practitioners in relation to the teaching of science (in terms of both content and pedagogy) through high quality professional learning, including experiential learning, to build the capacity for the effective delivery of practical investigations.
• co-coordinating sustainable science and STEM-based initiatives which will provide long-term improvements to science delivery of in your learning context.
• raising attainment and achievement in primary science with particular emphasis on learners within lower SIMD deciles and those who are most in need of support.
• raising engagement with primary science education, including sustaining and extending the impact of our Local Authority’s participation in SSERC’s Primary Cluster Programme.
• ensuring that learning and teaching in our learning contexts, reflect the principles of curriculum design to improve outcomes for learners, ensuring that they are challenged and and motivated by their learning experiences, understanding the relevance of science to both themselves and society.
• promoting effective progression in learning in the sciences across all of our learning contexts.
• building the social capital of practitioners by ensuring they have effective opportunities to network, share, collaborate, mentor, and co-create with their peers.”

Jenn may be contacted on anne.mcEwan@south-ayrshire.gov.uk