The Inclusion & Wellbeing Service have funding to organise a 3 hour session on Breaking Up Fights which will be facilitated by Crisis Prevention Institute.
The session would be for 24 people and we would like to register interest of staff before we secure a date and venue with the provider.
If you would be interested in attending this session please complete this form. iws
We are organising training for the second SBC cohort of the Massage in Schools programme.
It has strong, evidence-based outcomes including reductions in negative physical touch behaviours and is widely used across Scotland and the rest of the world.
Feedback from schools in the Borders already using this in session 2024 – 25 has been very positive. Please see attached and below.↓
Target Audience: Pupil Support / Support for Learning /ASN / Nurture staff iws
Training Dates: It will be delivered over two days on Fri 19th and Mon 22nd of September 2025. Attendance at both days is required. Dougie Mirfin, the trainer, is looking at a way he can condense input on Friday 19th. .
Venue: Council Headquarters
TO BOOK – if you are interested speak to your HT/Cluster Lead then email Emma Auty, Headteacher, Inclusion and Wellbeing Service – eauty@scotborders.gov.uk
Attendees will be expected to deliver this program in schools and will be licensed to deliver this program for life after completion of the course.
Potential attendees should be aware that the training does involve direct, positive, physical contact before they agree to attend or participate
This programme can be delivered
There are 20 places so we can offer two places per cluster.
Please let me know names of staff in your cluster who would like to attend with name, email address and the name of the school/s they will deliver to. I will send a reminder in the new session.
Find out more:
See attached and via link below.
Scottish Borders Teacher Feedback:
P1/2 Teacher
‘The massage within P1/2 has been very beneficial for the children. They love doing it, very motivated and engaged, they are very respectful of each other and show great listening. The massage helps to regulate and relax the children. I have been doing it after break everyday and I feel my maths lessons are much more settled. I would like to do it after lunch as well but at the moment the timetable is a bit hectic. I plan to move things about to allow me to do it 2 times a day.’
Primary 2/3 Teacher
‘Massage worked really well with Primary 2/3. They all looked forward to massage on a Monday and loved taking part. I had two pupils who did not want to take part at the beginning of the block. After watching their peers for a few weeks, they decided to join in and I feel these children are the ones that have benefitted the most. They never liked anyone in their personal space but because massage is focused on giving consent, I think the children like that they are in control and can say stop if they don’t like it.
I have started introducing massage at the start of Circle time as it calms them down and relaxes them ready for a quiet activity. I have used it a couple of time after break time to bring them back down after a busy playtime outside. They are all now better at listening and doing the massage with their partner. At the beginning of the block, they were a bit excitable and I didn’t think it was very relaxing for them. However, now that they know all the moves and they know what to expect it is having a positive impact. After massage they are ready to learn, their listening is better and they stay engaged with the learning task longer’
This webinar showcases how schools actively promote a sense of belonging for newly arrived refugees and asylum seekers.
The theme of Refugee Week 2025 is “Community as a Superpower” and in this webinar a panel of speakers will share their experiences and reflections around how schools and other settings are helping to nurture communities in which refuge-seeking learners feel a real sense of belonging.
Speakers from Schools of Sanctuary, Warwickshire Local Authority and a secondary school will consider practical examples of how they have achieved meaningful social inclusion, and will share their recommendations for other schools welcoming refugee and asylum-seeking learners.
After a short presentation from each of the panelists, Radha Chakraborty, Director of Trustees at The Bell Foundation, will pose questions from the audience to each of the speakers. If you would like to ask a question around social inclusion, please email webinar@bell-foundation.org.uk.
Host: Radha Chakraborty, Director of Trustees at The Bell Foundation.
Panel:
If you have any questions that specifically relate to the webinar topic, which you would like answered during the live session, please send them to: webinar@bell-foundation.org.uk.
This public lecture will be delivered by Dr Rebecca Wood, Senior Lecturer in Inclusive Education, University of Glasgow.
Please see below for our Inclusion, Wellbeing & Equalities March Newsletter March 2025 News – Inclusion, Wellbeing and Equalities
We would appreciate if you are able to cascade this link to colleagues across your local authority and sectors to make them aware of a number of forthcoming events and updates relating to IWE.
We are also gathering feedback on the format of this newsletter. We’d be very grateful if you could share your thoughts and recommendations (by end of March 2025) via this form: https://forms.office.com/e/rTcEzHU41V
HOW CAN SCHOOLS WORK EFFECTIVELY WITH FAMILIES OF MULTILINGUAL LERNERS?
THE BELL FOUNDATION FREE SESSION THURSDAY 13TH MARCH 4-5 PM
Multilingual families are a diverse group whose geographical, social, and economic backgrounds vary significantly. Families speak different languages, have different levels and types of education and may have experienced dislocation from their home because of conflict. Added to this mix is a range of expectations and understanding about their involvement in their children’s learning, not to mention their rights as a parent regarding their child’s education.
In this webinar, a panel of speakers will consider how schools can be responsive to that diversity, and how to be welcoming, inclusive, and affirming, so that all families can give their children the best possible support to flourish at school.
The webinar will include:
Panel:
Who should register for the webinar:
Click here for more information: Webinar with Jeffrey Boakye: Race, Gender, and Power in Education Tickets, Wed 26 Mar 2025 at 16:00 | Eventbrite
Join us for an engaging online webinar with educator, author, and broadcaster Jeffrey Boakye, as he explores the intersection of race, gender, and power in education. Drawing from his acclaimed books, including Black, Listed and I Heard What You Said, Jeffrey will discuss how identity and systemic bias influence the classroom experience for both students and teachers, offering vital insights for building more inclusive educational environments.
This session is run by Education Scotland for educators and education professionals seeking to understand the nuanced dynamics of race and gender. It is part of a series of Building Racial Literacy+ and Leadership+ webinars. The talk will be followed by a live Q&A session, offering educators a unique opportunity to engage directly with Jeffrey’s work and insights.
Please note that there is a code of conduct for participants joining this session.
Target Audience – Please be aware that the target audience for this event is for professionals within the Education Sector in Scotland. To register, please enter either a school/establishment/local authority or Glow email address. If you work in Scottish education and would like to attend but do not have a glow or work email address, please email esevents@educationscotland.gov.scot with the name of your setting or service, to request a place. Thank you for your understanding.
Ticket Allocation – It is not possible to transfer your booking to anyone else. If you are unable to attend, please cancel your booking to free up a space for another participant. Please remember that for security purposes it is very important that you do not share event information with anyone else to provide them access to this event.
Joining Instructions – Joining instructions will be sent out 48 hours before the event. Attendees are advised to double check they received a confirmation email from Eventbrite to the email address they registered with as this may result in not receiving these instructions and could obstruct you from attending the event. Please contact us if you have still not receive joining instructions by one hour before then event time. We would advise you to check your junk files for emails about the event.
Request for advance information – If you have specific accessibility requirements (e.g. you need slides/more information to be sent to you in advance or need breaks at specific intervals) we would welcome more information about this in advance. Whilst it is your choice to disclose this information, doing so will help us to better understand your needs and plan how to best support your engagement. Our aim is to make appropriate adjustments to our programme delivery to ensure the best possible experience for our delegates.
We are delighted to announce that due to popular demand, we are running a second cohort of our Aspiring Principal Teacher of Guidance programme. This programme offers a valuable opportunity for professional development, and we encourage you to share this email with colleagues who may be interested in learning more about becoming a Principal Teacher of Guidance.
Full Disclosure:
Please be advised that full attendance commitment is necessary to participate. This requires attending five in-person events at the University of Glasgow and five online sessions. Detailed information about the programme is outlined below:
Before confirming your participation, please ensure you have obtained permission from your line manager to attend the in-person events.
Here’s what some of the current cohort have to say about the programme:
“Great presentation by all staff, great to have realistic overview of the post and balance.”
“Helpful module, good to know I wasn’t far off in my understanding of the role of the guidance teacher.
Meeting other colleagues was great to build understanding.”
“I thought the session was really helpful & organised really well. It’s very relevant to the guidance role today. Thank you so much & I look forward to the upcoming sessions.”
“I thoroughly enjoyed today. I feel that the training was high quality and well thought through. It felt like we were truly being invested in. I agree with it being an in person experience and I think the way your involved guidance colleagues and their views makes it very relevant. Absolutely brilliant. Looking forward to the next session!”
If you wish to apply for a place in this cohort, please click here to complete the application form no later than 11:59pm on Wednesday 4th December 2024. We aim to notify successful applicants by 13th December.
If you have any questions about this programme please contact tracy.johnston@educationscotland.gov.scot
Conference 2024: How we create change for children – Rights Respecting Schools Award (unicef.org.uk)
The online event will explore school leadership within the framework of child rights education, aimed specifically at school leaders and those leading RRSA work in their setting.
The half day event will take place on 3 October from 930 to 1230.
9:30 – Welcome: with Martin Russell, Programme Director RRSA
9:45 to 10:25 – Leading Change for Children: Find out how the RRSA creates change for children. In this session we will explore our theory of change, a methodology that outlines how we create change for children across the UK through child rights education. With Research, Evaluation and Participation Manager, Charlotte Fielder, teacher and RRSA Lead at Colgrave Primary School Nelson Ganeshwaran and RRSA Professional Adviser Steven Kidd.
10:30 to 11:10 – Child Rights Leadership for Today’s Challenges: with Dr Kulvarn Atwal. This session will explore the major challenges facing school and education leaders today and how incorporating children’s rights into management, policy, teaching and learning can help address these issues.
11:15 to 12:15– Leaders in Conversation: Join us to hear leaders in education from local authorities, and secondary, primary and trusts school settings across the UK talk about the successes and challenges in their roles and the place of children’s rights and RRSA within the educational landscape.
12:20 – Closing remarks
This year we will come together on October 3 to explore how we create change for children through child rights education. We will celebrate our shared journey to embed children’s rights into school life and to celebrate the work we do each day to empower children and young people through their rights.
The conference is open to teachers and other staff from schools already involved in RRSA but will be particularly relevant for those working in a leadership roles or those leading RRSA work in their setting. It is also suitable for those as well as those looking to find out more about the programme and professionals in the field of rights-based education.
The conference will be held on 3 October 2024. It will be running from 09:30 – 12:30 (UK time). Attendees can join for the whole event or only attend slots of their choice. Please check the website for more details on speakers and the full timetable. The programme is subject to change.
The conference will be run as a Microsoft Teams Live event. Attendees can participate via live Q&A chat function with speakers and UNICEF UK RRSA staff available on the call to respond.
For any questions please contact rrsa@unicef.org.uk.
Nelson Ganeshwaran – Nelson Ganeshwaran is an Assistant Headteacher in East London, where he holds several key roles including Designated Safeguarding Lead, Behaviour Lead, Wellbeing and Senior Mental Health Lead, SEN Phase Leader, and Rights Respecting Schools Lead. With over a decade of teaching experience, Nelson has demonstrated a commitment to both educational excellence and the holistic development of students. His career includes a notable two-year tenure as Key Stage 2 Lead and Curriculum Lead at an international school in Shanghai, China. Nelson embarked on his journey with his current school in 2014, initiating its path towards becoming a Rights Respecting School. The school is now on the cusp of achieving reaccreditation as a Gold Rights Respecting School. In 2022, Nelson completed a Master’s degree in Education and Leadership, with his dissertation exploring the links between behaviour and oracy, and highlighting the significance of the child’s voice in the educational process.
Dr Kulvarn Atwal – Dr. Kulvarn Atwal has spent his entire career teaching and leading in East London schools, and is currently Executive Head Learning Leader of two large primary schools. He has been a Head Teacher of three different schools and his first action in each school he has led is to become a UNICEF UK Rights Respecting School. His doctoral thesis investigated the factors that impact upon teacher engagement in professional learning in schools. His findings were published in 2019 in his first book, ‘The Thinking School’ and he has just released his second book, ‘The Thinking Teacher’.
Rukhsana Ahmed – I have worked in Manchester for over 25 years. I was born and raised in Longsight and so have a deep understanding of the needs and wants of our local community. I also lead three local children centres and a daycare provision. I sit on a number of influential boards, including Manchester Start Well and the GM School Readiness Board. We started our RRSA journey a number of years ago, and are proud to be a Gold Rights Respecting School. It has enabled our children to find their voices, shape our school, not accept injustice and be loud, clear and very proud.
Rebcca Wheelan – Rebecca is Deputy CEO for Horizons Specialist Academy Trust. Prior to taking on the role of Deputy CEO, Rebecca had two successful headships, the most recent being the Principal of Abbey Hill Academy, a secondary school for young people with a range of learning difficulties and disabilities. Previous to that Rebecca was the Principal of Green Gates Primary Academy, a school for children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties. Having worked with children and young people with a range of needs across a range of school phases, Rebecca is passionate about ensuring that all children and young people achieve their full potential. Rebecca has seen the impact of taking a whole school approach to putting children’s rights at the heart of school policy and practice and for that reason has encouraged all schools within the Trust to become a Rights Respecting School.
