University of Edinburgh Professional Learning Newsletter – August

We hope you have had a good summer and that you are feeling relaxed and refreshed and ready to pursue some professional development opportunities.

In this edition of our newsletter we:

  • announce the opening of bookings for our Introduction to Effective Timetabling and Intermediate Timetabling courses
  • highlight CALL Scotland’s autumn training programme for those supporting learners with additional support needs
  • share an invitation to contribute to a research project exploring how education policy is helping or hindering secondary teachers in their work
  • offer a final chance to join 2 courses starting in September – our  Froebel in Childhood Practice Course for early years practitioners and our Returning to Teaching Course.

Professional Learning Courses and Events

Introduction to Effective Timetabling
This intensive 3-day course has been designed for staff who are new to constructing a secondary school timetable.

The tutor, Grant Whytock, will share his wealth of timetabling knowledge and experience, and course participants will have the opportunity to engage with a range of practical exercises based around a real school timetable and real curriculum designs.

The course aims to:

  • Give participants the basic skills and techniques required to produce a secondary school timetable
  • Promote efficiency within timetabling
  • Provide an opportunity to share curriculum structures and development ideas with fellow timetablers
  • Introduce techniques that can widen curricular offerings to learners
  • Demonstrate software that supports the timetabling process.

This course is always popular and early booking is recommended.

Dates:
-Wed 1 – Fri 3 November 2023 (Online)
-Wed 6 – Fri 8 December 2023 (In person, central Edinburgh venue)
-Wed 17 – Fri 19 January 2024 (In person, central Edinburgh venue)

  • Cost: £550

Intermediate Timetabling
This one-day course is for those who have completed the Introduction to Effective Timetabling Course (see above) 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 February 2024

  • Delivery: In person, central Edinburgh venue
  • Cost: £139

LAST CHANCE TO BOOK: Froebel in Childhood Practice Academic Year Course 2023/24

 

The University of Edinburgh’s Froebel in Childhood Practice Course is one of only two courses in the UK endorsed by the Froebel Trust.

Our annual online course will start on 9 Sept 2023, with teaching delivered in 10 x 3 hour sessions on Saturdays.

Grants of up to £428 towards the course fees are available from the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) for applicants who earn no more than £25,000 per year (gross) and who meet the SAAS residence conditions.

  • Teaching starts: Saturday 9 September 2023 (see our website for full list of dates)
  • Location: Online
  • Cost: £850
  • Booking/payment deadline: Friday 18 August 2023
LAST CHANCE TO BOOK: Returning 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.

Date: 22 September – 9 December 2023

  • Delivery: Online
  • Cost: £450
  • Booking deadline: Friday 8 September 2023

Call for Research Participants: Secondary School Teachers in Scotland and Wales

 

What makes a good teacher? Are you being supported to develop as a good teacher in the current educational climate? How can you be better supported to develop as the teacher you want to be?

These are some of the questions that Moray House PhD student Amy Auckland will be considering in a research project exploring the extent to which recent education policy in Scotland and Wales is helping and/or hindering secondary school teachers to do their jobs well.

Amy is currently looking for practising secondary school teachers in Scotland and Wales to give voice to the profession. She is seeking teachers who are willing to participate in a 1-hour interview that will engage with questions such as what you think makes a good teacher, how you understand and experience teacher professionalism, and the support you feel you need to do your job well.

Interviews will take place between now and December 2023 and can be either in-person or online. Following the interviews, participants will be invited to join a professional development workshop in which these issues will be discussed in more depth.

For full details and to sign-up, visit: www.spotlightonteachers.co.uk or contact Amy on amy.aukland@ed.ac.uk.

CALL Scotland Courses and Webinars

 

Communication, Access, Literacy and Learning Scotland (CALL Scotland) helps children and young people to overcome disability and barriers to learning created by their environment.

Between Sept-Dec 2023, CALL will be offering a series of 1-hour online courses on subjects such as:

  • inclusive learning environments
  • assistive technologies to help autistic learners to access the school curriculum
  • making the most of Word and Word Online’s built-in tools to support learners with literacy difficulties

Full list of courses

CALL’s autumn programme also includes a series of 20-minute webinars, with topics including:

Full list of webinars

Developmental Language Disorder Training

Developmental Language Disorder

18 October – 4.00-5.30pm – Microsoft Teams

Find out about the common, but frequently hidden Neurodevelopmental condition DLD (Developmental Language Disorder). This training led by Leader Valley’s Language and Communication teachers and NHS Speech Therapy staff will introduce school staff to what DLD is, how it impacts on learning, how to identify when a child is having difficulties and how to set up a DLD friendly classroom. We will also look at the referral process for the Language and Communication Service and what support can be provided. This will be a stand-alone training opportunity since October is DLD Awareness month and delivered over Teams.

The Target Audience is all teachers and support staff, especially those with an interest in or working with children with Speech Language and Communication difficulties.

 Course aims are for attendees to find out: 1. What is Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) 2. What impact does DLD have on learning 3. How to spot DLD in the classroom 4. How to set up a DLD friendly classroom 5. What support is offered by the Language and Communication support service.

MSc Enhanced Practice in Education – Funded

MSc Enhanced Practice in Education

Fully Funded Masters Programme University of Glasgow | Dumfries Campus.

We’d like to tell you more about how you can secure one of the fully funded places for teachers in Scotland, on the MSc Enhanced Practice in Education programme.

This programme is hosted at the University of Glasgow, Dumfries Campus, and offers both Full-time and Part-time options, with classes and assignments designed with flexibility for working professionals in mind.

  • 12 months full-time / 24-36 months part‑time
  • Limited number of fully funded places for Scottish domicile students – all tuition fees covered!
  • Weekend and evening classes mean greater flexibility for those at work
  • Gain knowledge and skills to progress into leadership roles within your organisation
  • Places still available for September 2023 entry.
  • If you would like more information about this opportunity for a fully-funded Masters in Enhanced Practice in Education, please visit: MSc Enhanced Practice in Education

 

Inclusion: Belonging In School Resource

Our colleague at Moray House from the LEANS project, Dr Alyssa Alcorn, has been conducting a research visit at Cambridge this summer with Professor Duncan Astle, working on a new, small-scale project called Belonging at School. This project builds on some 2022 stakeholder workshops and policy outputs, and has been developing guidance to assist schools in planning inclusive policies, with a focus on including neurodivergent pupils. The resource documents will be free and downloadable, starting in early September.

All are cordially invited to the online resource launch celebration on September 20th, at 18:00. The event is targeted towards education professionals, and people in academia and charity who are working with educators/schools. All welcome and all places are free, but you are asked to please register. More info about the Belonging at School resources is on the Eventbrite page, link below. Alyssa hopes that you might be able to join the launch celebration, and also share the event info with colleagues and students http://bitly.ws/RSKL

Even if you can’t make the event, please do join the mailing list to receive a notification about when the free resources are released. Just send a message to inclusive-education-subscribe@mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk

Important – Update Your Details

Reminder – GTCS Records

It is the responsibility of all teachers to ensure that their details are up to date on MyGTCS. Please ensure all details including name changes, email addresses, base and Local Authority are completed and correct

Business World

It is important that we have the correct contact details for you on Business World so that we can ensure you will receive all communications e.g. course joining instructions. Please check your Business World records and if your email address is incorrect please email the Business World team to update. BusinessWorld@scotborders.gov.uk