An introduction to anti-racist education – 24/02/2026 4.00-5.30pm on TEAMS

This session will provide a space for educators to explore anti-racist approaches to education and provide tools and resources to support both professional learning and classroom approaches.

We will share the Anti-racist Curriculum Resource for educators and demonstrate a selection of tools to explore five key themes in the classroom: Challenging Bias, Identity and Intersectionality, Power and Privilege, Race and Racism and Taking Action for Anti-Racism.

This interactive session will highlight practical guidance, offer space for personal refection and build confidence in delivering an anti-racist curriculum.

Building an Anti-Racist Curriculum through literacy – 30/04/2026 4.00-5.30pm on TEAMS

Join us to explore how to take an Anti-racism approach to reading, writing, listening and talking at First to Fourth Levels. Learn about the new Anti-racism Literacy (ARL) Framework, and how this can be applied to different genres to explore identity, power, race and racism. Reflect on ways in which anti-racism learning in literacy can move outside the classroom and to taking social action and civic participation in the wider community. Explore classroom-ready teaching materials, including materials for SQA Level, and consider ways in which the ARL approach can be applied to any text in your setting.

Further information for both sessions:

Is this for me?

This course is perfect for

· Teachers who are committed to developing their own racial literacy, whether at the beginning of their journey or building on previous professional learning

· Primary and secondary teachers looking for engaging, practical ways to build anti-racism into lessons

Why should I attend?

· Anti-Racist education is a national priority, and this session supports the wider work of Scotland’s Anti Racist Education Programme

· The resources link to Education Scotland’s Anti-Racist Curriculum Principles

· Leave with classroom-ready practical resources to use in your setting

What should I expect?

🧠 Interactive activities to deepen professional understanding and explore the new materials

🧰 Classroom Tools and methodologies to use in your context

🔗 Links across the curriculum and to current frameworks and policy agendas

📝 Signposting useful resources to support your journey

👥 Time to reflect and discuss with colleagues

Book via Business World or contact clpl@scotborders.gov.uk

I’m writing to share an updated overview of the curriculum support currently available to schools from our SBCway curriculum team. While the team’s remit is broad, the current offer is focused on key identified priorities and is designed to be responsive to your school’s specific needs. This support is not about imposing solutions, but rather about engaging in consultation and discussion to understand your context, followed by tailored time to provide support.

📚 Literacy – Elaine McHendry

• Availability: Tuesday to Thursday
• Support Areas:
  • Planning for writing
  • Assessment across all literacy strands
• Contact Elaine directly > gw09mchendryelaine@glow.sch.uk

💙 Health & Wellbeing – Rachel Scott

• Availability: Monday to Wednesday
• Support Areas:
  • HWB planning
  • Content delivery support
• Contact Rachel directly > gw09wilsonrachel2@glow.sch.uk

🔢 Numeracy & Maths – Jenny Archbold

• Availability: Monday to Wednesday
• Support Areas:
  • Magma Maths (with a particular focus on Cheviot schools)
  • Planning, using, and resourcing a CPA (Concrete–Pictorial–Abstract) approach
• Contact Jenny directly > gw15archboldjennifer@glow.sch.uk

If your school would benefit from support in any of these areas, please reach out to arrange an initial conversation. The team is keen to work collaboratively to ensure the support provided is meaningful and impactful.

James Bewsey

Quality Improvement Officer

Scottish Borders Council

Our final two sessions for this year respond to current and relevant global citizenship themes. These sessions include: the launch of a new section of the A’ Adam’s Bairns? website, ‘exploring Scottish identity + diversity through music’ on the 27th March, and a follow-up session from last year exploring ‘approaching the Israel-Palestine conflict in the classroom’ on the 20th March.

Come along if you would like to get more out of Sumdog by learning or revisiting how to set Teacher Work which allows for differentiation across groups or for individuals.

Date – Monday 3^rd February

Time – 15:45

Duration 45 mins to an hour

Focus – Setting teacher work

Link:     Sumdog training link.

20% Discount for SBC Staff if booked through SBC (School budget code required to book) – Please pass names to clpl@scotborders.gov.uk by 4pm on Thursday 28^th November

Power Up Your Pedagogy Conference

The inaugral Power Up Your Pedagogy Conference is taking place at the Hilton Doubletree, Edinburgh Airport, Saturday 30th November, for teachers and school leaders (primary and secondary).

The day will be led by Bruce Robertson, the author of ‘The Teaching Delusion’ trilogy and ‘Power Up Your Pedagogy: The Illustrated Handbook of Teaching’, published by John Catt Educational. Of Power Up Your Pedagogy, Professor Rob Coe of Evidence Based Education says: ‘To all teachers I would say: study this book, learn from it and act on it’.

Themes covered across the day will include:

• The science of learning
• Questioning
• Feedback
• Differentiation
• Formative assessment
• Student-led learning
• Inclusive pedagogy
• …and more!

Bruce has been working in education for over 20 years, having trained as a chemistry teacher at The University of Edinburgh in 2002. As headteacher, Bruce’s leadership of Berwickshire High School has been instrumental in turning around a school rated ‘weak’ and ‘unsatisfactory’ in an HMIE inspection, to one that is now widely recognised as sector-leading in its approaches to teaching & learning improvement, ethos, and staff professional development. As a consultant and trainer, Bruce is widely praised for his passion, clarity and the practicality of his messages.

• The content of the conference is aimed at teachers and school leaders in both primary and secondary sectors.
• Delegates should arrive from 9am onwards for a 9:30am start.
• Each ticket includes tea/coffee on arrival and lunch.
• Delegates will receive a PDF copy of the slides used following the event.
• Delegate parking is £5 per day and £16 overnight.
• For further details, contact Bruce directly: bruce@nextleveleducational.com