Sadly as we work with such high numbers of children and their families so we are often at the front end of supporting bereavement and managing the trauma of sudden loss.

Glasgow City Council have produced resources to support schools through these times.

The UK trauma council offers training on how to support Bereavement or sudden loss in schools and can be booked via the link below.

Traumatic Bereavement: Supporting CYP at School or College

 

Suicide and autism awareness training launch – Zero suicide Alliance

There is a higher risk of suicide in young people with Additional support needs.

This date is in the holidays but there may be other options if you sign up for alerts for future events by becoming a member (free).

IWS

 

Check out all of the latest Professional Learning opportunities.

What’s New Bulletin – March

Please find below links to Scottish Government’s funded initiative regarding health and wellbeing coaching tailored for the education workforce:

Online Coaching for Education Scotland Workforce Support

Fully funded 1:1 online coaching programmes to leaders across the education system. This includes coaching for Headteachers, Deputes and Teachers with pastoral or child protection responsibilities, Middle Leaders, CLD Managers and ELC Managers.

Online Coaching for Wellbeing for Education Practitioners

Education Practitioners includes all staff that work in schools, CLD and ELC in Scotland

Emma Sowerby

Headteacher, Inclusion and Wellbeing Service.

Leadership Matters are delighted to be partnering with the World Education Summit for the largest gathering of educational minds in the world. The Future of Learning: Connecting teachers and leaders across the world. Revolutionise the way your school approaches learning with the World Education Summit 2024, boasting a mouth-watering line-up, with over 400 sessions led by professors, futurists, and practitioners. Leadership Matters are delighted to provide a 20% discount to all members. Tune in online to hear from our very own Andy Buck, featured speakers Professors John Hattie, Viviane Robinson, Sugata Mitra, Michael Fullan, Alma Harris, and lots more, all from the comfort of your own classroom. See the full line up in the brand new WES24 Programme. The Summit includes unmissable special features: Living Legends: Unpick 3 key concepts with the living legends of education. Cambridge University Press & Assessment: Delve into The Future of Assessment. The Training Stage: Create a culture of learning with these practical sessions. Plus so much more… Enhance your teaching methods, stay abreast of the latest educational research and book now for an unparalleled learning experience. To book your ticket and claim your exclusive discount, use LM24 at the checkout. We look forward to seeing you there.

 

Latest STEM Newsletter

Scottish Borders MARAC are holding a series of awareness sessions to enable a wider range of professionals to understand the process, be able to make referrals and work effectively with their MARAC representatives.

The sessions are aimed at any professional in Borders who works directly with adults/families and may have a role to play in identifying domestic abuse and utilising the MARAC process. They are not designed to support staff to take up the role of MARAC representative for their agency.

Session 1: Thursday 21 March, 9.30-11.00am, MSTeams (link below)

This short session is the first of two and will provide an overview of the MARAC process and the benefits of this multi-agency approach to risk management of high risk cases of domestic abuse. The aim is to:

• provide context and function of the MARAC process
• update on the Scottish Borders MARAC
• explain the process from referral to feedback
• describe your role in the MARAC process
• provide support for making MARAC referrals.

Click here to join the meeting

We would be grateful if you could circulate this invite to your staff teams/networks and partnerships to enable a wide range of staff the opportunity to attend.

The second session is being planned for Autumn 2024 – details to follow in due course.

Any questions about the sessions, please contact the MARAC Coordinator on marac@scotborders.gov.uk

child protection

Detailed below is our upcoming  ‘Working with the Parent Council’ session.

Please share with your Head Teachers and SMT’s, that may find it useful.

As always booking is essential.

Working with the Parent Council 21 March 2024, 4.30-6pm Places are free, booking is essential. Bookings

Learn about the positive and effective ways a Parent Council can help engage with families and the community to support learning.

For further information visit Connect or email membership@connect.scot

An Introduction to Duty of Candour

This module is aimed at employees who care for others in their job and will enable you to learn the key features of the Duty of Candour together with related terminology and good practice.

Please ensure that all Headteachers of ELC settings, Senior Early Years Officers and Early Years Officers complete this training by 31 March 2024.

Hello and a Happy New Year! We hope you had a good break over the festive season. In our first newsletter of 2024, we are highlighting the following continuing professional development oppportunities:

• Returning to Teaching (10-week course)
• Technology for Additional Support Needs (10-week course)
• Intermediate Timetabling (One-day course)
• Rewilding Education (webinar)
• Froebelian Futures National Conference 2024

Return to Teaching Course 

In this 10-week online course, participants will be thoroughly briefed on Scottish education policies, priorities and issues and will also receive guidance on applying for teaching posts.

Please note, participants must be eligible for registration with the GTCS (General Teaching Council for Scotland). If you are not already registered, please contact the GTCS directly.

Comments from previous participants:
“I thoroughly enjoyed the course and feel motivated and enthusiastic about returning to teaching. The clips and presentations were excellent, and extremely helpful.”

“The course was well lead, very supportive and manageable despite working full time and having a family. I wholeheartedly recommend anyone considering a return to teaching to complete this course.”

“The course has given me much more confidence than I previously had. I feel secure in my knowledge of current policies and practices.”

• Course dates: Fri 23 February 2024 – Sat 11 May 2024
• Course fee: £450
• Delivery: Online

Booking deadline: Fri 9 Feb 2024

Technology for ASN – Last Chance to Book

This innovative and exciting 10-week online course, delivered by CALL Scotland, is aimed at educators who would like to increase their knowledge of how technology can expand educational opportunities for learners with Additional Support Needs (ASN), ie arising from conditions such as dyslexia, sensory impairment, severe and complex learning needs, autism, and communication difficulties.

The course will highlight and explore a range of assistive technologies and resources for pupils who require additional support within an educational context to address barriers to learning. You will learn about strategies and processes to help you make the most of technology, either specialised software or tools that are built into the operating system of devices, eg Windows, iPads (iOS) and Chromebooks.

Comments from previous participants:

“The variety, range and quality of materials was excellent. It was also great to have the opportunity to hear from others who are working in this area.”

“The course content was excellent including the extensive knowledge and experience of the CALL Scotland team, the opportunity to read so extensively, and the access to so many online resources. The overall course has had a very positive impact on the development of our service going forward.”

“The opportunity to discuss best practice, ask questions of various professionals contributing to the course. I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to undertake professional reading. I really enjoyed the course.”

• Course dates: Tues 6 Feb – Tues 9 April 2024
• Course fee: £450
• Delivery: Online
• Booking deadline: Fri 2 Feb 2024

Find out more about CALL Scotland (Communication, Access, Literacy and Learning)

Please note that the weekly workshops for this course will now be held on Tuesdays at 4pm

Intermediate Timetabling

This one-day course is for those who have completed the Introduction to Effective Timetabling Course or who already have prior knowledge/experience of timetabling.

Course participants will:

• Look at the parameters within which a curriculum is designed and constructed: eg teacher contracts, structure of the school day, SQA subjects offered, length of teaching units, etc.
• Meet with colleagues to share different school curricular arrangements across all age groups of learners and share timetabling experiences delivering different designs
• Look at some examples of different approaches to timetabling the senior phase in Curriculum for Excellence. eg single cohorts of pupils from S4 to S6
• Learn how to use computer software to allow pupils to make free subject choices at key transition points in their education
• Consider ways of delivering pupil entitlement subjects across all the year groups.

Practical exercises will complement the techniques and ideas examined during the day.

• Date: Wed 28 Feb 2024
• Delivery: In person, central Edinburgh venue
• Cost: £139
• Booking deadline: Fri 16 Feb 2024

Note: Our next introductory courses on Effective Timetabling will run Nov 2024, Dec 2024 and Jan 2025. If you wish to be notified when bookings open, please register your interest on the professional learning website.

Rewilding Education 

This online session will explore the concepts and metaphors of ecology and discuss how an understanding of complex ecosystems can help us to better manage and steer change in our own education work.

Speakers Dr Graham Thomson and Dr Hannah Grainger Clemson will discuss their own interactions with these ideas, coupled with different images and graphics as food for thought. Participants will have the opportunity to complete voluntary interactive tasks, engage in Q&A, and share their own ideas.

• Date: Tues 13 Feb 2024: 4.30-6.00pm
• FREE

Delivery: Online (MS Teams)

Froebelian Futures National Conference 2024: Repositioning power in early childhood

This national gathering of Froebelian educators will offer a wide selection of discussions, debates, films and research on topics including:

• Froebelian understandings of inclusion and additional need
• Froebelian Leadership
• Anti-racism through a Froebelian lens
• Froebel in schools – how can we go further?
• Music and song in contemporary Froebelian practice
• Learning with families
• The Froebel Play Café Project
• Reimagining the children’s garden
• Froebelian affordances in our governing bodies (SSSC, Care Inspectorate, etc)
• Filming with young children – purpose, ethics and practice

Keynote speakers:

• Professor Alison Clark, Senior Research Fellow, University College London – author of Slow Knowledge And The Unhurried Child
• Professor Kay Tisdall & Dr Lynn McNair, University of Edinburgh + child/family contributors
• Dr Sacha Powell, Chief Executive, The Froebel Trust

• Date: Sat 25 May 2024
• Cost (includes lunch and refreshments): Sliding scale £15-£40 / Early bird discount for bookings before 29 Feb 2024

Venue: John McIntyre Conference Centre, Edinburgh

With less than two months left to access the 2023 World Education Summit Resources before the site closes to make way for WES 2024, it’s time to pack in your professional learning. Do you have in-service days coming up or staff meetings? Could you use part the WES 2023 content available to inform your presentation or add to staff discussion?

Whether you are looking at develop your school practices to embed the UNCRC and develop Rights Respecting Schools (Goves & Thom  – Enabling Young People to be the Voice of Tomorrow Today), considering learning & teaching (Hattie – Visible Learning: The Sequel) or focussing on leadership (Harris – Leading Schools in a Time of Change: What matters most and why), then there’s something here for you. Go to the SEIC WES 2023 Padlet for more suggestions and the WES 2023 Summit Central to see the full listing.

SEIC World Education Summit – Top Picks Made with Padlet padlet.com

As you will know, as part of Education reform in Scotland, Regional Improvement Collaborative funding is to reduce over the coming year. As a result, the SEIC Board has agreed that much of the current SEIC work will be scaled back over the course of this session and within this I can confirm that the SEIC will not provide funding for colleagues to access WES 2024. To help us provide local authorities and schools with information as to the value of the WES 2023 licences, I would ask that you complete the following short survey to inform this process. The survey takes a very short time to complete but your feedback is highly valuable.

World Education Summit 2023 Feedback