Caring for Our Outdoor Spaces guidance, outdoor learning and learning for sustainability.

It is taking place between 4:30 – 5:30 pm on Tuesday 29^th October 2024.

 You can sign up here

 Through this session we aim to strengthen awareness of our Caring for Our Outdoor Spaces practitioner guidance and to share simple and practical methods to embed Learning for Sustainability (LfS) in Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) settings.  early years

We will hear from practitioners across the sector about how they have been using the guidance within their settings to extend children’s active engagement with the natural world and to reduce the impact on biodiversity as a result of increasing children’s time outdoors. Education Scotland will also contribute, helping to strengthen our understanding of place based outdoor learning and cross-curricular approaches to Learning for Sustainability.

In October 2023 we launched ‘Caring for our Outdoor Spaces’, a resource that was been developed by practitioners in response to feedback from the sector. It complements the current ‘Out to Play’ series that aims to support ELC and School Age Childcare practitioners to provide high quality outdoor play experiences for children.

In this latest chapter we focused on supporting practitioners to create safe, nurturing and inspiring outdoor learning experiences which help foster a true love of the outdoors in our young people that stays with them for a lifetime.  In so doing, the guidance assists practitioners to embed Learning for Sustainability in everyday play and learning which makes an important contribution to the Target 2030 Action Plan. Through the guidance we consider ways to reduce the impact on biodiversity as a result of increasing children’s time outdoors when in ELC or school age childcare and we promote children’s exploration of the natural world.

We hope that practitioners have found this document a useful resource to ‘dip into’ when outside with children.  During the webinar we will shine a light on ways to get the most out of the resource and answer questions from attendees. Please share the information about this webinar widely with colleagues and if you have any feedback then we would welcome your views at outdoorelc@scot.gov.

 

Venue: The Roxburgh Suite, SBC Headquarters

Date:     Tuesday 12^th November 2024

Time:     10am – 1pm or 2pm – 5pm

Please join us for a morning or afternoon session to learn more about what is currently happening to develop trauma informed approaches to care in the Scottish Borders.

The aims of these sessions are to:

• learn about national and local trauma action plans,
• learn about local services supporting people who have experienced psychological trauma,
• hear from individuals with lived experience of trauma, and
• find out about current training opportunities in the Scottish Borders.

To book your place please click here – Nb please ensure you chose a time when prompted.

We welcome anyone living or working in the Scottish Borders who works for a service that comes into contact with people who may have experienced Trauma in their lives!

For any enquiries, please email: traumatraining@scotborders.gov.uk

 

Talking about poverty at school – new activities for Challenge Poverty Week

Do you know of any schools looking for something great to do this Challenge Poverty Week (7-13 October)?

We have a brand-new set of Cost of the School Day activities designed to get school communities thinking and talking about poverty . Your help to share them with the schools and teachers you work with would be really appreciated.

 Why we want to get everyone talking about poverty

Last year, over 5000 children and young people shared their views in the Cost of the School Day Big Question. They said that it’s important we talk more about poverty to help remove stigma and raise awareness of help that’s available at school – so that’s what we’re doing this Challenge Poverty Week.

Activities

We’ve got four Talking about Poverty activities to try out. Each activity works well on its own or as part of a set.

1. Talking to politicians and the government Work together to come up with a question or something you would like to tell politicians and the people in charge of education – we’ll pass everything along.
2. Talking to each other about costs at school Find out what other pupils in your school think about school costs and the help people can get with them. What are things like, and what could be better?
3. Talking to your headteacher Interview your headteacher to find out what your school is doing to challenge poverty, then work together to come up with a Cost of the School Day pledge for your school!
4. Talking to your school community Create some eye-catching posters to help everyone in your school community understand what support is on offer and how to access it.

All of these Challenge Poverty Week activities can be found on our website – please share this email throughout your networks.

If you would like to share this information on social media then please feel free to repost: https://x.com/CPAGScotland/status/1838543707022176592.

early years

Supported learning opportunities
Pre-recorded Core Input Training Session	Online follow up – Supported sessions		Play COP
A series of pre-recorded sessions for professional learning, to support teachers to take an enquiry-based approach to positive planned action to change in your classroom. These sessions are codesigned with colleagues across the Borders and include examples of practice across SBC. Opt in based on your own professional needs – timeline given fits in with focused follow up – supported sessions.	These sessions follow on from suggested timeline Core Input Training Sessions. EYTT colleagues facilitating group discussions for colleagues to support reflections and developments made through Core Input Training Session. Teachers signing up to watch the pre-recorded sessions will be required to attend these to ensure professional engagement and reflection.		An opportunity to connect with others, share practice and collaborate with teachers across the borders on various stages of their play journey. Focus led by practitioners.
Pre-recorded; available through Business World – date given on timeline is the date they should be accessed by to give time to engage with the follow up activity See below for full details of each available session.	Teams Online Meeting 4-5pm		In person – various locations across SBC to give opportunity to see Play classrooms in school. Dates: Term 2: Tuesday 26th November 2024 Term 3: Tuesday 4th February 2025 & Tuesday 25th March 2025 Term 4: Tuesday 3rd June 2025
Independent learning opportunities
SBC Play Pedagogy Toolkit Available at all times for all practitioners		Play for learning the #SBC Way (padlet.com)

 

Term	Core Input	Date	Delivery method
1	Play pedagogy session by Catriona Gill Education Scotland This session is designed specifically for those who are leading play pedagogy across primary schools	Friday 4th October	In person
1	Introduction to Play Pedagogy ·         What is play? ·         Why play? ·         Planning and developing Play Pedagogy through our Spaces, Experiences and Interactions	Please watch the pre-recorded session by week beginning 30th September
	Follow up session to Introduction to Play Pedagogy An opportunity to discuss the key messages from the core input session, share progress with the follow up activity and reflect on practice.	Tuesday 8th October	Online Teams
Term	Core Input	Date	Delivery method
2	Quality Learning environments ·       To understand the need for clearly defined learning spaces, indoors and outdoors, and to be able to recognise the key learning in each • ·       To recognise the key features which should be evident across all spaces ·       To become familiar with a range of audits to support self-evaluation	Please watch the pre-recorded session by week beginning 28th October	Pre-recorded
	Follow up session to Quality Learning Environments An opportunity to discuss the key messages from the core input session, share progress with the follow up activity and reflect on practice.	Tuesday 5th November	On Teams
3		Date	Delivery method
	Balance of the day/role of the adult ·       How to facilitate learning through play using a balanced approach	Please watch the pre-recorded session by w/b 13th January	Pre-recorded

early years

early years

early years

John Muir Award – alternative programmes

With the current stoppage on the John Muir Award, schools may be looking for alternative Outdoor Learning and Learning for Sustainability based programmes for their pupils. The following may be of interest to all schools;

Join in Award Scheme – previously the Junior Award Scheme for Schools, this programme is an inclusive, stand-alone award, and an ideal foundation for progressing to other awards.

Junior Duke Award – similar format to, but not associated with, the Duke of Edinburgh award, but is targeted at younger pupils. Age relevant programmes for pupils from 3yrs – 13yrs old.

National Outdoor Learning Award – free OL specific programme with main themes of development of self, others and the environment.

Junior Rangers and Wildlife Champions – Junior Ranger award for 11-18yr olds, Wildlife Champion award aimed at 8-11yr olds

RSPB Wild Challenge – series of challenges based around experiencing nature, and helping nature

Keep Scotland Beautiful Eco Schools and Learning About Forests programmes – national programmes with good resources and support, including teacher training and examples of the awards in action

The Tree Council is looking for 70 new schools or youth groups to work with us this year to deliver a Young Tree Champions Trees and More Project, to make a difference to your young people and to the planet! We will provide free trees (fruit or hedgerow), a digital microscope camera, related educator training opportunities, online curriculum-linked resources and the chance for in-person workshops delivered by us and our partners.

• Find out all about it HERE.
• Join our webinar 4pm on 26 September to hear from educators who have first-hand experience of delivering tree-mendous projects to understand the benefits, considerations and also to ask questions.
• Applications close on 25 October and I would love to see your school or youth group apply.

If you have any further questions or would like a chat, please drop me an email on luisa.brown@treecouncil.org,uk