Category: Inclusion

Dyslexia Scotland Call for Applications

Support for Learning teachers, Additional Support Needs teachers, Pupil Support teachers and local authority Inclusion Education Officers are encouraged to apply, as well as others such as classroom teachers and Principal Teachers who can work in partnership with their support teachers.

Applications for cohort 6 of the programme (deadline 25 May):

Call for applications: Dyslexia and Inclusive Practice GTCS Professional Recognition programme | Dyslexia Scotland – Dyslexia Scotland

 

CPI – Breaking Up Fights

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

Massage in Schools

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 – sign up via Business World

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

  • for targeted groups
  • as a modelled whole class offer. In this instance the class teacher will be expected to continue with delivery after the programme has been delivered to their class.

There are 20 places so we can offer two places per cluster.

Find out more:

See attached and via link below.

https://misascotland.org.uk/

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’

Community as a Superpower: Celebrating schools working with refugee families

Wednesday, 18 June

Community as a Superpower:Celebrating schools working with refugee families

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: 

  • Megan Greenwood, School Coordinator, City of Sanctuary UK;
  • Nikki Ajibade, EAL Senior Lead, Warwickshire’s EMTAS Team;
  • Claudia Lopez, EAL Raising Achievement Coordinator, Saint Gabriel’s College, Lambeth.

Who should register for the webinar?

  • School leaders, including those responsible for EAL and inclusion;
  • EAL Coordinators, or those responsible for EAL in their school;
  • Pastoral leads and Year leaders.

Why you should register for this webinar:

  • One-hour intensive session with Q&A
  • Access to session recording;
  • First to hear about future webinars and how to sign up.

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.

Community as a Superpower:Celebrating schools working with refugee families Tickets, Wed 18 Jun 2025 at 16:00 | Eventbrite

March Newsletter – Inclusion, Wellbeing and Equalities

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 Learners

HOW CAN SCHOOLS WORK EFFECTIVELY WITH FAMILIES OF MULTILINGUAL LERNERS?

THE BELL FOUNDATION FREE SESSION THURSDAY 13TH MARCH 4-5 PM

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-can-schools-work-effectively-with-families-of-multilingual-learners-tickets-1241967310659

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:

  • What research tells us about the role schools play in supporting families to settle, integrate and succeed;
  • The importance of building parental relationships and supporting parental engagement in learning;
  • How one school builds meaningful and empowering relationships with multilingual families.

Panel: 

  • Heather Rolfe: Director of Research at British Future, a think tank focused on immigration, integration, race and identity.
  • Gemma Davis: Programme Director, Learning with Parents.
  • Soofia Amin: Specialist Lead in Education for EAL, Tapscott Learning Trust.

Who should register for the webinar: 

  • Staff with responsibility for EAL in primary and secondary schools;
  • EAL coordinators;
  • Pastoral leads and year leaders;
  • Staff with responsibility for induction;
  • Staff with responsibility for working with families.

 

Webinar with Jeffrey Boakye: Race, Gender, and Power in Education

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.

Applications open for Aspiring Principal Teacher of Guidance – Cohort 2

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:

  • The programme consists of five in-person modules delivered at the University of Glasgow.
    • Thursday 9th January 2025 (10:00 – 14:00)
    • Friday 7th February 2025 (10:00 – 14:00)
    • Tuesday 18th March 2025 (10:00 – 14:00)
    • Wednesday 23rd April 2025 (10:00 – 14:00)
    • Wednesday 4th June 2025 (10:00 – 14:00)
  • Each module is followed by ‘take away’ tasks to implement in your setting, with an online session before the next module to share learning outcomes.
    • Monday 3rd February 2025
    • Tuesday 11th March 2025
    • Monday 21st April 2025
    • Thursday 29th April 2025
    • Tuesday 24th April 2025

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