Accessibility for All
25 February, 4-4:45pm – Online
Target Audience – SfL staff, ANAs and all teachers who work with 1:1 iPads
Run through of many of the built in accessibility features available on iPads.
Discover what features are available and how to set them up for individual users.
Places can be booked through Business World
New Digital Opportunities for Enhanced Provision Staff
Sounding Board App Training – 4 March 2025, 4-5pm
This session will guide teachers and support staff on how to create, edit and share communication Boards using the Sounding Board App. Staff will need to have access to their iPad for this session.
Staff should have access to their ipad and the Sounding Board app. Please email rebecca.smith@scotborders.gov.uk if you don’t have the app. Ideally the training would be viewed on an laptop so that the ipad can be used throughout the session but this is not essential.
Staff attending the course will be able to create, share and edit boards in Sounding Board.
Staff should have access to their ipad and the Sounding Board app. Please email rebecca.smith@scotborders.gov.uk if you don’t have the app. Ideally the training would be viewed on an laptop so that the ipad can be used throughout the session but this is not essential.
Boardmaker Training – 11 March 2025
Session 1 – Creating Symbolised Resources – 11 March, 4-4:45pm
Session 2 – Accessing and editing Boardmaker Community Resources – 18 March, 4-4:45pm
Session 3 – Boardmaker Interactive Resources – 25 March – 4-4:45pm
Staff should ideally have access to Boardmaker software on their laptop.
Staff will develop confidence in creating, editing and accessing online resources in Boardmaker.
Digital Literacy Supports for Pupils with Complex Needs – 1 April 2025, 4-5pm
Teachers and support staff will be guided through a range of digital tools which could be used to support literacy development in pupils with complex additional support needs. Staff will be aware of a range of digital tools which can be used to support the development of literacy skills in pupils with complex additional support needs.
Places for all of the above courses can be booked through Business World.
The importance of skills & intro to metaskills
Thursday 27 February, 4-5pm
The session will explore what skills are considered important for the future. You will be introduced to the meta-skills framework and discuss ways to embed skills in your practice. We will also highlight resources available to support this.
During the session we will use menti.com to share feedback from participants.
Target Audience – NQTs & Early Career Teachers
To book please email CLPL@scotborders.gov.uk
Senior Leader National Events – Attendance
As part of the forthcoming package of attendance support materials from ES we have co-designed a series of Senior Leaders National Events on this topic. We are looking for your support in communicating these professional learning discussion opportunities with the school leaders in your linked authorities.
The sessions are running over three consecutive Monday’s from 24 February to 10 March, all from 3.30pm to 4.30pm
Session 1 – 24 February 2025
Improving attendance: Systems (Senior Leaders in Primary Schools)
This session will take a look at improving attendance and engagement within primary schools, with a focus on ‘systems’. It has been planned with senior leaders in schools and will include presentations from Loch & Cairns primary schools from South Lanarkshire. They will highlight their learning community approaches towards creating and sharing policy and procedures. The session will also build in time for discussion on engaging learners online to support improving school attendance.
Improving attendance: Systems (Senior Leaders in Secondary Schools)
This session will take a look at improving attendance and engagement within secondary schools, with a focus on ‘systems’. It has been planned with senior leaders in schools and will include presentations from Duncanrig secondary school, South Lanarkshire, highlighting their engagement in collaboration with the West Partnership, and evaluation tools used to support focus on developing a school policy. Dunoon Grammar school, Argyll & Bute, will focus on their partnership with Education Psychology Services as well as other partners, including third sector. The session will also build in time for discussion on engaging learners online to support improving school attendance.
Session 2 – 03 March 2025
Improving attendance: Culture
This session will take a look at improving attendance and engagement within primary and secondary schools, with a focus on ‘Cultures’. It has been planned with senior leaders in schools and will include a presentation from Greenwood Academy, North Ayrshire, and will focus on their approaches to improving learning engagement, recognising ‘push & pull’ factors experienced by young people at home and at school. This cross sectoral session will also build in time for discussion on embedding change in school at all levels to support improving school attendance.
Session 3 – 10 March 2025
This session will take a look at improving attendance and engagement within primary and secondary schools, with a focus on ‘Practices’. It has been planned with senior leaders in schools and will include a presentation from Dunoon Grammar School, Argyll & Bute, and will focus on their approaches to using current and historic data to support transitions, recognising that the use of data at all levels in school informs planning and the effective use of resources. This cross sectoral session will also build in time for discussions on early interventions at transition periods, mental wellbeing support and parental partnership practices.
Education Scotland Leadership+ – summary videos and next webinar
We hope this finds you well and looking forward to the February break (or having enjoyed it, depending on when you read this!)
We’re pleased to let you know that two 15-minute summary videos are now available from our first two Leadership+ webinars. These feature Dr Karen Edge on Leadership for Capacity and Wellbeing and Dr Simon Breakspear on the Art of Strategic Subtraction.
We are developing a dedicated webpage for Leadership+ which will include any additional resources highlighted by the speakers and some ideas about how you might use the videos with your teams. We’ll let you know when this is ready.
Four of our five winners have now claimed their copy of Simon Breakspear’s new book, for being the top chat pane users during the session. We have a few extra copies to give away and will draw these at random from those who attended his session. We’ll be in touch with those lucky recipients in due course!
Our next Leadership+ session will be held on Monday 24th February with Dr Paul Bloomberg: From People to Process: Advancing Agency through Complex Change. You can sign up here.
How Can Schools Work Effectively With Families of Multilingual Learners
HOW CAN SCHOOLS WORK EFFECTIVELY WITH FAMILIES OF MULTILINGUAL LERNERS?
THE BELL FOUNDATION FREE SESSION THURSDAY 13TH MARCH 4-5 PM
Multilingual families are a diverse group whose geographical, social, and economic backgrounds vary significantly. Families speak different languages, have different levels and types of education and may have experienced dislocation from their home because of conflict. Added to this mix is a range of expectations and understanding about their involvement in their children’s learning, not to mention their rights as a parent regarding their child’s education.
In this webinar, a panel of speakers will consider how schools can be responsive to that diversity, and how to be welcoming, inclusive, and affirming, so that all families can give their children the best possible support to flourish at school.
The webinar will include:
- What research tells us about the role schools play in supporting families to settle, integrate and succeed;
- The importance of building parental relationships and supporting parental engagement in learning;
- How one school builds meaningful and empowering relationships with multilingual families.
Panel:
- Heather Rolfe: Director of Research at British Future, a think tank focused on immigration, integration, race and identity.
- Gemma Davis: Programme Director, Learning with Parents.
- Soofia Amin: Specialist Lead in Education for EAL, Tapscott Learning Trust.
Who should register for the webinar:
- Staff with responsibility for EAL in primary and secondary schools;
- EAL coordinators;
- Pastoral leads and year leaders;
- Staff with responsibility for induction;
- Staff with responsibility for working with families.
Inclusive PE Workshops
Scottish Disability Sport are offering a limited number of free Inclusive PE workshops this year to Local Authorities .
Preference will be given to LA’s that didn’t have a funded workshop in 2024, and otherwise, they’ll be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.
Any interested Local Authorities should email Alison Shaw with their preferred dates/times/venue. Contact details below
Alison Shaw
Scottish Disability Sport
alison.shaw@scottishdisabilitysport.com
OH LILA: A PRACTICAL RESOURCE FOR BUILDING RESILIENCE AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS IN YOUNG CHILDREN
COURSE FULLY BOOKED – NEW DATES WILL BE ANNOUCED SOON
VENUE: Virtual
DATE: Friday 21st March 2025
TIME: 1pm – 4pm
WHO: Early Years Settings
Oh Lila is a child friendly resource suitable for use with children aged 3 to 6 years and aims to build resilience and protective factors in young children, helping them to develop social skills and encouraging them to communicate. Oh Lila can be linked to the Curriculum for Excellence, particularly around Health & Wellbeing but other areas too, such as Creative Arts.
Two members of staff from each setting should attend this training.
Please note that there is no supply cover available for this training.
On completing training, learners will have:
- An increased awareness of the key themes of Oh Lila and how they relate to building resilience in
- Increased confidence, skills and knowledge to use the Oh Lila resource and to manage disclosures from children in line with organizational
- An enhanced awareness and understanding of the problems caused by alcohol and that by strengthening the foundation (early years) of life can prevent problems later as young
- An increased awareness of local and national strategies and
The Oh Lila resource pack does not talk about alcohol or any other substances.
How to book a place:
- Scottish Borders Council staff can sign up via Business World
All Early Years Settings have been supplied with the Oh Lila resource pack.
Please have your centre’s pack to hand for the session.
You can also attend this as a refresher session.
For more information on training and resources http://www.ohlila.org.uk
This course is free to attendees; however there is a charge to Borders Alcohol & Drugs Partnership. Please ensure you have confirmed your availability before requesting to attend.
Recruitment – Into Headship
Recruitment to Into Headship Programme 2025
Into Headship is Scotland’s national programme for teachers with relevant leadership experience, who are aspiring to a headteacher post within the next 2-3 years. The purpose of the Into Headship programme is to further develop the skills, knowledge and understanding, professional values, abilities and commitment for participants to move into headship with the confidence to lead a dynamic school community. Successful completion of the programme leads to the award of the Standard for Headship which is a mandatory requirement for all newly appointed permanent headteachers in publicly funded schools in Scotland.
The updated national guidance document will be made available within the coming weeks.
We are pleased to confirm that recruitment for the next cohort of the Into Headship programme is now open. The interview date for Scottish Borders Council applicants will be Wednesday 26 March and the closing date for applications will be Wednesday 19 March.
Application Process
Applicants should submit a completed form, and an endorsement form from their line manager to CLPL@scotborders.gov.uk by Wednesday 19 March. Applicants will then by invited for interview on Wednesday 26 March to confirm that they can demonstrate appropriate experience and professional learning in leadership, relevant to local context.
Application and endorsement forms can be accessed by following this link: https://professionallearning.education.gov.scot/learn/programmes/into-headship/
Programme Funding
It is anticipated that funding to support the fees will continue for the 2025 cohort, however this is subject to the outcome of the budget bill process in Scottish Parliament and subsequently Scottish Ministers’ agreement. Travelling expenses are not included as part of the funding.
If you have any queries or would like a chance to speak to a past participant please contact CLPL@scotborders.gov.uk and we will be happy to help.
