SCOTDEC March PL Events

Our final two sessions for this year respond to current and relevant global citizenship themes. These sessions include: the launch of a new section of the A’ Adam’s Bairns? website, ‘exploring Scottish identity + diversity through music’ on the 27th March, and a follow-up session from last year exploring ‘approaching the Israel-Palestine conflict in the classroom’ on the 20th March.

Education Scotland Leadership+ webinar with Dr Karen E Bohlin

Education Scotland’s Leadership+ offer launched late last year. Leadership+ is a series of one-off bespoke webinars which complement the work of Education Scotland’s leadership programmes. We started this offer in December with webinars from Dr Karen Edge and Dr Simon Breakspear, and we were joined by Dr Paul Bloomberg at the end of February.

We can now announce the speaker for our next session, and we’re delighted to share that it is Dr Karen E Bohlin! Se will be joining us on Tuesday 18th March, 4pm-5pm to share her webinar Practical Wisdom for Agile School Leadership.

School leaders are confronted with stress tests daily: fires to put out, unanticipated student, parent and staff needs, conflicts and problems to resolve, challenges to their mission. Do you know what to dowhen you don’t know what to do?

In this workshop, Dr Karen E.Bohlin EdD will introduce a proven leadership compass, a simple but powerful tool to help you navigate the inevitable stress tests with grace and purpose. The Practical Wisdom Framework (PWF)™ is a shared approach to wise decision-making that activates 3 leadership dispositions key to prudential judgment and action. Learn the 4 Rs at the heart of the PWF, simple but powerful practices that bring out the best in you, your team, and the school communities you serve. Explore one application of the Practical Wisdom Framework in your own work and learn to build more trust, inspire shared leadership and promote greater unity within your school community.

We anticipate high demand for this event, so would encourage you to sign up quickly. If a number of you in your establishment want to sign up, then why not watch together, learn together and take forward your post-event plans together?

Please click here to register for a place at the webinar. Registrations will close on Friday 14th March.

Please note this session will not be recorded.

Leadership+ is offered to anyone in a leadership role in Scottish education, across sectors (this includes classroom practitioners, ELC and CLD practitioners, middle leaders, and school, setting and system leaders). The aims are:

  • to enhance leadership learning across pertinent themes
  • to encourage critical thinking in leaders at all levels.

The summarised videos from two of our previous sessions (Dr Karen Edge and Dr Simon Breakspear) are now available to view on the Leadership in Education page – click here to view.

We request that everyone registering to attend an online event via Eventbrite take a moment to review our Online Code of Conduct.

Kind regards

The Professional Learning and Leadership Team

March Newsletter – Inclusion, Wellbeing and Equalities

Please see below for our Inclusion, Wellbeing & Equalities March Newsletter March 2025 News – Inclusion, Wellbeing and Equalities

We would appreciate if you are able to cascade this link to colleagues across your local authority and sectors to make them aware of a number of forthcoming events and updates relating to IWE.

We are also gathering feedback on the format of this newsletter. We’d be very grateful if you could share your thoughts and recommendations (by end of March 2025) via this form: https://forms.office.com/e/rTcEzHU41V

Education Awards Ceremony 2025

SBC will be hosting an Education Awards Ceremony on 11 June 2025 at Inspire, Tweedbank.

We are aware that there hasn’t been the opportunity in recent years to celebrate these successes in person and we hope to be able to recognise the achievements of the following individuals:

  • First Steps into Leadership & Management
  • Next Steps into Leadership & Management
  • Coaching
  • Education Scotland Leadership Programmes (e.g. MLLC, Into Headship)
  • University of Edinburgh – PG Cert Qualifications

Additional Staff Nominations

We are very aware that there will be a number of staff who have worked very hard to gain qualifications that we are not aware of and with this in mind we would be grateful if you could take a few minutes to complete the nomination form below to make us aware of any staff within your school / setting who have gained professional recognition / qualifications over the last two years.

Click here to nominate

 

Recognising Whole School Achievement

We would also like to recognise whole school achievements at this event. If your school has received an award over the last two years we would be grateful if you could take a couple of minutes to complete the information request below:

Whole school award information

Neurodiversity: All behaviour is communication

Looking at meeting all children’s needs across Early Level, through embracing and supporting neurodiversity.

Course content:

Developing our universal provision through the lens of neurodiversity. Exploring strategies to support children, with a needs based approach. Ensuring educators’ knowledge of policy and procedures for effective documentation.

Aims:

Session 1. Wednesday 23rd April 4:00 – 5:30

To develop our understanding of:​

  • What neurodiversity is and the range of different ways that the brain works​
  • ​How all children communicate their needs through their behaviours​
  • ​’Ableism’ and how to be more neurodiversity affirming:​

“I accept you and like you for who you are!”

Session 2. Wednesday 14th May 4:00 – 5:30

Aims:

To see how we can strengthen our neurodiversity affirming, universal support approaches through:​

  • Our role as the adult ​
  • The learning environment we offer

Session 3. Wednesday 28th May 4:00 – 5:30

Aims:

  • Developing targeted interventions for our children​
  • Creating a Care Plan+​
  • Working in partnership with families​
  • Seeking advice and help​

Target Audience – ELC practitioners, Primary 1 teachers, 0.1s, teachers and support staff

Participants must attend all 3 sessions and complete follow on tasks

Places can be booked through Business World

LGBT Inclusive Education Webinar

Following the launch of the new National Guidance on LGBT Inclusive Education we are partnering with Time for Inclusive Education and Scottish Government on our next LGBT Inclusive Education webinar.

 

LGBT Inclusive Education: Guidance, Practicalities and Planning

LGBT inclusive education is for everyone. It is needed to foster a safe and supportive environment for all children, young people and adults

 

Details: Wednesday 30th April 2025 16.00-17.30 GMT

 

Eventbrite link here: LGBT Inclusive Education: Guidance, Practicalities and Planning Tickets, Wed 30 Apr 2025 at 16:00 | Eventbrite

 

This webinar will explore: