Booking for the next cohort is now open!!!

Please register your interest via Business World.

Coaching for Success Programme Aims

Enhanced capability and desire to:

• engage in self-evaluation and personal reflection and learning
• coach in a way that enables higher levels of performance
• enable others to be more accountable for their role and responsibilities
• truly listen and to empathise with another person’s view
• give and receive effective behavioural feedback
• reflect on ways in which relevant literature has informed thinking and practice
• greater confidence and commitment to engage in self development and learning and to contribute to others personal development

All sessions will be held at Inspire, Tweedbank:

Calling all upper primary teachers!

Love Music are inviting applications for qualified upper primary teachers to take part in our FREE Sing for Wellbeing CPD programme, starting in September 2026 on 8 x Friday afternoons across the academic year, in central Edinburgh.

This will be the second year of our fully funded primary teacher CPD, which is designed for and with teachers who feel a lack of confidence of skills in leading singing with pupils in their classrooms. No prior singing or music experience is necessary!

We worked with 26 teachers in our 2025-26 cohort, they said:

“I’ve absolutely loved the course, the resources and using them in my class, the children love them.”

“I’ve really enjoyed the Friday afternoons…my confidence in my singing has increased – I hope my tuning has improved, I feel it has.”

Sing for Wellbeing is both a training, and a community of practice, where professional teaching practitioners have a voice and co-design to meet the needs of our learning cohort. Our material and approach is aimed at Upper Primary P4-7, however, teachers working in other year groups or across all year groups are also welcome to join us.

For full details, FAQs and to sign up, visit our website:

https://lovemusic.org.uk/portfolio/sing-for-wellbeing

Teachers will:
– Receive 10x more music training than offered in typical Initial Teacher Education training
– Work with music inclusion and education specialist and Love Music’s artistic director Stephen Deazley, and other consultant specialists in education, inclusion and music

– Develop skills and confidence to use singing inclusively in their teaching practice.
– Develop a deeper understanding of the impact of inclusive group singing on their own and pupils’ health and wellbeing.
– Become part of our growing ‘Community of Practice’ where teachers will meet others taking part, support their peers, share learning, resources, and ideas.

-Receive a year of training for FREE thanks to Creative Scotland and William Syson Foundation, alongside access and travel support where needed

Applications are open from now until our first session on 18 September 2026.

Please ask questions via the sign-up form, or by emailing hello@lovemusic.org.uk and we’ll be happy to help.

Mae Murray MBE

Do you have experience and expertise utilising best practice community led support? Are you looking to diversify your knowledge and skills? We are seeking nominations for the Community Led Support ‘Cascade’ program, this work is integral to the services commitment to embedding CLS into strategy and person-centred practice that will benefit our service users.

Nominations are welcome from staff at all levels that have experience using CLS, including paraprofessionals and social workers. Practitioners will have the opportunity to:

• Become a certified CLS cascade trainer, with the ability to deliver 3 training sessions (What is Community Led Support, Good Conversations and Outcome Based Solutions and Strength Based Reviews training)
• Develop your own skills and understanding of CLS
• Develop your role confidence, communication, and facilitation skills
• Contribute to shaping the services practice and learning culture

Nominees would be asked to commit to a full day of ‘train the trainer’ training, followed by shadowing with more experienced training delivers over a few months before delivering 1-3 training sessions with a fellow CLS trainer annually.

The development and integration of Community Led Support is fundamental to Adult Services strategic plan and objectives going forward. The success of CLS practice and the ‘What Matter’s Hub’s’ has been exceptional in generating person centred outcomes to benefit the service users within Scottish Borders. To continue this positive enhancement of practice, learning and skills development will be crucial for all Adult Social Work employees. Those that take forward the ‘Cascade’ role will be allocated appropriate time within their role to prepare for and deliver training in accordance with the course frameworks.

Participation in this training and the progression of the CLS initiative is supported by Chris Myers, Director of Adult Social Work and Social Care.

If you are interested in this opportunity and would like more information, please contact Shirley Cumming (scumming@scotborders.gov.uk) and Kerry Ferguson (Kerry.Ferguson@scotborders.com)

Self-Harm and Suicide Prevention for Children and Young People training This is a bespoke half day facilitated training session covering Self-Harm and Suicide Prevention for Children and Young People. It is aimed at anybody working with children and young people who are likely to have direct and/or substantial contact with those who may be at risk of self-harm or suicide. The content is drawn from the NHS Education for Scotland Skilled Level Learning Bytes 3 and 4 (see above). The session covers: Facts and trends associated with self-harm and suicide in young people; common risk, protective and stress factors related to self-harm and suicide in young people; an awareness of the impact a sensitive, compassionate approach can achieve when discussing self-harm and suicide (using the principles of Time, Space and Com passion); the links between self-harm, suicidal thoughts and trauma informed practice and; approaches to support including the steps involved in safety planning.

 Anyone attending this training must first complete the Informed Level e-module ‘Promoting children and young people’s mental health and preventing self harm and suicide’.

• Thursday 22^nd October 2026
• Thursday 19 November 2026
• Thursday 4^th March 2027 – looks fine
• Thursday 13th May 2027

We can also offer the opportunity to deliver the course for a specific staff group.

Contact health.improvement@borders.scot.nhs.uk for course information and dates.

The School Nursing Team are going to provide an information session in each cluster. This will cover the information from the modules on SBLearn – Asthma, Anaphylaxis and Epilepsy.

Unfortunately there will not be an input from the diabetic team.

It will still be a requirement that the staff attending complete the modules online prior to this session as the team will provide additional support and answer any queries which staff may have.

Agreed dates are below:

17 August 2026 – Philiphaugh Community School (1:30pm – 2:30pm)

17 August 2026 – Priorsford Primary School (2:30pm – 3:30pm)

18 August 2026 – Eyemouth High School (9am – 10am)

18 August 2026 – Edenside Primary School (1:30pm-2:30pm)

25 August 2026 – Earlston Primary School (4pm – 5pm)

Spaces can be booked through Business World. Private & Voluntary Nurseries or Childminders are welcome to join these sessions.

The Pre-School Home Visiting Teacher (PSHVT) Service would like to offer mainstream Primary 1 teachers a series of 3 online workshops on TEAMS. These are aimed at supporting children who are currently on our PSHVT caseloads who will be transitioning to Primary 1 after the summer. These workshops will introduce a strategy called ‘Teacher Time’.

This course aims to support teachers with:

Building relationships with pupil(s)

Building confidence

Planning of learning activities

Tracking/monitoring of pupil progress

Enhancing relationships/communication with pupil’s parents/carers

Promote relationships with support staff

Networking with other Primary 1 teachers to share ideas

Providing opportunities to ask questions and engage in professional dialogue

Target Audience – Primary 1 Teachers with pupil(s) on PSHVT caseloads

Dates:

2 June 2026, 3:30 – 5pm

16 June 2026, 3:30-5pm

22 September 2026, 3:30 – 5pm

Places can be booked through Business World.

A 6 part, Professional Learning Activity (PLA) for Early Learning and Childcare practitioners

Individual learning, or group facilitated versions available

Let’s explore

The PLA will explore:

• Child development
• Pedagogy and play
• Observation, interpretation, and documentation
• Facilitation
• Responsive and intentional planning
• Transitions

Quote from previous participant. “I found the sessions built on existing knowledge, and cemented a lot of aspects of child development and pedagogy. It sparked discussions and a lot of reflection.”

A Professional Learning Activity (PLA) is a self-directed module of learning that you can access and complete at your own pace and at a time that suits you.

There are two versions of the Pondering Pedagogy PLA available.

Version 1: Individual approach

The Professional Learning Activity will be hosted on the Professional Learning and Leadership section of the Education Scotland website. In order to access the PLA, you will need to register with an email address. This does not need to be a work email. This is designed to be completed by individual participants, at your own pace and at a time that suits you. This is a self-directed learning opportunity for individual practitioners. The PLA will take around 9 hours to complete in total.

Version 2: Group facilitated sessions, e.g. Led by setting leaders or local authority leads, as part of a professional learning offer.

The materials offered as part of the Professional Learning Activity, will also be available to download in presentation format. This will allow leaders to be facilitators of small or large group learning sessions as part of a wider professional learning offer. These materials include all notes, presentations and videos used during the Professional Learning Activity. There will be a form to complete on the Education Scotland Professional Learning and Leadership part of the website from August 2026, to request access to download the materials.

Aims of the PLA

Section 1– Child Development
Participants will:

• Explore child development and key messages that underpin practice
• Engage with practitioner perspectives and reflect on existing knowledge
• Consider how child development knowledge supports children in everyday practice

Section 2 – Pedagogy, Play and Learning
Participants will:

• Explore early years theory, pedagogy, play and how children learn
• Learn from practitioners’ experiences of child‑centred pedagogy
• Reflect on how pedagogical understanding supports children’s learning

Section 3 – Observation and Assessment
Participants will:

• Explore the purpose, role and methods of observation, including ethical and practical considerations
• Apply the observation cycle and learn from practitioners’ experiences
• Reflect on how observation supports the recognition of significant learning

Section 4 – Facilitation and Learning Environments
Participants will:

• Explore facilitation, learning environments, and features of high‑quality provision, including sustained shared thinking
• Learn from peers’ experiences of developing learning environments
• Reflect on how interactions, experiences and spaces are shaped by child development theory

Section 5 – Responsive and Intentional Planning
Participants will:

• Explore responsive and intentional planning and how both approaches work together
• Connect observation insights to planning decisions and learn from practitioners’ approaches
• Reflect on how responsiveness and intentionality guide everyday practice

Section 6 – Transitions
Participants will:

• Explore horizontal and vertical transitions, including the Scottish Early Childhood and Families Transition Statement
• Learn from other practitioners’ approaches to supporting transitions
• Reflect on how child development, observation and transition knowledge inform effective transition planning and practice

For more information please contact:

ESTeamELC@educationscotland.gov.scot

Making Outdoor Learning and Play Inclusive

Date: Wednesday, 17th June 2026

Time: 4pm – 5pm

Platform: Teams

Cost: Free (Registration required)

Learning through Landscapes (LtL) is the UK’s leading outdoor learning and play charity. Join Jane Mackenzie (Early Years Lead, Scotland) and Niki Cooke (Training and Development Officer) as they explain how to make outdoor inclusive play work!

They will outline the benefits of being outdoors in nature for learning and some of the climate and sustainability work the charity undertakes in partnership with schools. Of particular interest to the SSC audience will be Nicola’s role in the development of outdoor sensory circuits.

Jane is the Early Years Lead in Scotland for LtL, and delivers training, advice and guidance to support colleagues working at the Early Level to build confidence in their approaches to outdoor learning and play and to best support their children’s connection to nature. She coordinates the Forest Kindergarten and Nurturing Nature projects and has a keen understanding of both the benefits and challenges of getting outdoors with children and young people.

Niki is a Training and Development Officer for LtL. She is a qualified teacher who has worked in education for many years, championing time spent outdoors as an essential part of a child’s education experience. She brings a wealth of knowledge of working with children with additional support needs and a deep understanding of how to connect children to the natural world in meaningful and achievable ways.

This webinar will be suitable for Early Years teachers, Primary teachers, Secondary teachers, Teachers of Outdoor Learning, Complex Needs teachers, Specialist teachers and support staff.

More information and register for this session

Sheila Mackenzie, Scottish Sensory Centre