Upcoming Ed Scot Offers

Equity

The second online information session regarding the national Equity: Mitigating the impact of poverty on Scotland’s children and young people professional learning programme, will be taking place on Monday 1st June. This session is for school leaders, ELC or CLD managers or LA leads.

 

Further information/sign-up link included in the flyer attached.  National Comms will follow after the pre-election period.

 

Attendance – 19th May – A new report ‘Improving Attendance in Scotland: 2024-2026: Evidence, Impact and Actions for Consideration’ will publish on 18th March 2026. This session will share the key messages, what attendance data over the last two year tells us and practice which is having a positive impact to improve attendance.

 

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/improving-attendance-in-scotland-tickets-1988484537781?aff=oddtdtcreator

 

10th June

This session builds on the previous webinar on 19th May which provided an overview of the key messages from the Education Scotland report ‘Improving Attendance in Scotland: 2024-2026 – Evidence, Impact and Actions for Consideration’. This session will further explore the key findings from the report through sharing effective practice from schools. Examples will be shared from a primary and a secondary school.

 

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/improving-attendance-in-scotland-2024-2026-effective-practice-in-schools-tickets-1988486756417?aff=oddtdtcreator

 

P1 Play Pedagogy

The events team has brought to our attention that some local authorities have not been receiving the registration information for the leading play pedagogy in primary one resource. We have had lots of emails from people who did not receive the first or second email attempt to pass it on.

We have now put everything in to a padlet and this has been sent out and we think that most LAs are receiving this now.

 

I thought I would send on to you all so you have it as a simple padlet link. We have also extended the sign up to the 13th May as a result of the email problems.

 

There are currently over 100 schools signed up so far which is fantastic but I think there will be others who just may not have the information they need to do so due to their LA email blocks.

 

Play Pedagogy in P1 – Information Session Padlet

 

PIRLS 2026

Dear Colleagues,

 

I am writing to let you know of a new Education Scotland web page developed to support those primary schools participating in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2026.

 

The web page brings together key information and guidance to help the sample of schools involved prepare for the study, which is due to take place between 6 May and 19 June.

 

The resource includes:

  • A class lesson aimed at introducing the purpose of PIRLS to P5 learners.
  • Practical guidance and information for schools, learners and their parents/carers.
  • Exemplar video demonstrations of reading passages and assessment questions from the IEA.
  • Information on the four questionnaires designed to gather insights into reading in Scotland.
  • Support and information from Pearson UK, the National Research Centre charged by the Scottish Government to deliver the assessment.
  • Short information films for learners, parents/carers and schools.

 

The web page can be accessed here: https://education.gov.scot/resources/progress-in-international-reading-literacy-study-pirls-2026/

Equity: Mitigating the impact of poverty on Scotland’s children and young people

This information session, to be held online on Monday 1st June 2026 at 4.00 to 5.00pm, will provide information to potential facilitators about the new national professional learning programme: ‘Equity: Mitigating the impact of poverty on Scotland’s children and young people’.

The programme has been developed by Education Scotland and The City of Edinburgh Council, along with a range of other key partners, including four pilot local authorities.

Potential facilitators are school leaders, ELC or CLD managers or Local Authority leads. All the resources required to lead the programme will be provided by Education Scotland, including online resources for participants and facilitator slides and notes. The programme uses a flexible, hybrid model, with both individual and group learning elements, where the group learning can be online or in person. It can be delivered at establishment, team, cluster, or local authority level.

Register for this information session if you would like to find out more about delivering the programme with your team, cluster or local authority (or wish to share or delegate this task). The programme is suitable for delivery with ELC and CLD participants, as well as those working in schools. Please note this session repeats the one held on 18/3/26.

The learning outcomes of the programme are:

  • To know and understand the theory, data and evidence base around poverty both locally and across Scotland
  • To know and understand the impact of poverty on learning, achievement and attainment both locally and nationally
  • To reflect on and critically examine personal leadership attitudes, values and beliefs within a social justice and equity context
  • To know and understand the practice and approaches that can improve outcomes for children and young people impacted by poverty
  • To develop and apply knowledge and skills to effectively plan for equity and ensure measurable impact.

Coaching in Education – self-directed learning

Coaching in Education is an open access resource designed to support all educators to learn about the far-reaching benefits of coaching which can have a significant impact on how we learn and develop within Scottish education.

This resource is designed to support those working in education to:

  • build an understanding of coaching in education and how it can benefit our workforce
  • build skills in using a coaching approach across different contexts
  • develop an understanding of how a coaching approach can be applied in education.

These self-directed professional learning activities (PLAs) are designed to support you to use a coaching approach and to learn and develop your coaching practice.

1. Introduction to Coaching in Education

This resource will introduce you to the practice of coaching in education and will support you to reflect on how coaching has the potential to impact you in your role.

2. Coaching Skills: Building the Coaching Relationship

Explore how to build effective and supportive coaching relationships through developing key coaching skills such as contracting, listening, and questioning.

3. Coaching Models and Tools

Explore tools and techniques to support you to use a coaching approach in your education setting.

A key feature of these professional learning activities is reflective learning and applying learning to practice. We have developed a reflective journal to accompany these self-directed professional learning activities that you may find helpful.

There are also versions of these modules which have facilitator notes for leading sessions with colleagues: Facilitating professional learning on coaching | Coaching in Education | Self-directed professional learning | Professional Learning | Education Scotland

Coaching in Education – Reflective Journal

Before accessing the PLAs, you may wish to check out our guide to creating an account on our website.

We have designed this Reflective Journal (Word) to be used with the Coaching in Education self-directed learning activities.  It is intended as an optional support and is not for submission.

Please note there are corresponding workshops on these topics that can be used to facilitate professional learning in your setting.

Leadership Academy Offers 26-27

Leadership Academy 2026-27

Are you interested in leadership professional learning for next session? 

Have a look at the opportunities which will be available through the SBC Leadership Academy:

Aspiring to Middle Leadership (Education Scotland Programme facilitated by SBC

The AML programme is accessed online with additional facilitated sessions with SBC  

Leading their own learning, participants will: 

  • increase their knowledge of recent and emerging research around the roles of middle leadership 
  • enquire into their own strengths and areas for development as an aspiring or new middle leader 
  • increase their knowledge and understanding of the roles of middle leadership and the skills and abilities required to carry out key aspects of these roles 
  • increase their knowledge and understanding of an aspect of wellbeing, inclusion, equity or equalities, with a view to leading a change in this area. 

The programme starts with four short introductory activities including a self-evaluation activity (‘self-evaluation wheel’) which you can complete through your Reflective Journal. This will act as both a planning tool and a record, with spaces for reflections on your learning. Your Reflective Journal is just for you. If you wish to receive a certificate when you complete the programme, you will need to submit a Learning Summary. 

Programme Induction – Friday 25th September – Inspire Learning, Tweedbank 

Touchpoint Session – Friday 6th November – Inclusion, Wellbeing & Equalities – Doug Crabbe, Targeted Pupil Support Team 

Touchpoint Session – Friday 26th February – Middle Leadership in SBC – How to put your learning into practice  

Applying Your Learning – individual practice in school/setting  

Sharing Event – May 2027 

The introductory session will take you through the programme content, share the research that underpins the programme, and support you to start the process of planning your learning pathway, using the self-evaluation wheel to enquire into and identify your areas of strength and interest and areas for development. We will also explore how we will work as an SBC cohort and access SBC specific leadership support. 

You will then undertake individual, self-directed learning, using online self-directed Professional Learning Activities (PLAs), based on your completed self-evaluation wheel. 

A set of eight PLAs, each exploring one of the Roles of Middle Leadership identified in the research, is available. You should select two as a minimum. You can expect to spend 2-3 hours on each PLA. 

You should then select at least two PLAs from a list based on the Inclusion, Wellbeing and Equalities themes. You should base your selections on areas of interest, identified learning needs, school or setting improvement plans or an area you are leading on or are likely to lead on in the future. You might also consider any recent professional dialogue with your school leadership or manager, e.g., as part of your Professional Review and Development (PRD), and /or your professional standards, competences or code, e.g., the General Teaching Council (Scotland) (GTCS) Standard for Middle Leadership or the CLD Competent Practitioner Framework. 

Remember the importance of applying and integrating what you have learned online into your practice, or the practice of your wider setting. This is why we suggest 8-12 months for programme completion. This timeframe takes in completion of a minimum of four PLAs, time to apply your learning, and to identify any actual or potential impact on you, your learners or your colleagues. 

Middle Leaders Leading Change (Education Scotland – facilitated by Scottish Borders Council) 

This programme is suitable for current Middle Leaders. 

This programme is structured around four pillars: 

  • Self-awareness: develop awareness of individual areas of strength / development needs and how this awareness can inform improvements to leadership 
  • Anti-racism:  develop an understanding of identity, privilege and power and how to actively encourage and celebrate diversity 
  • Leadership of change: develop knowledge, understanding and confidence in the use of different models to lead and scaffold change 
  • Coaching as a model of practice: enhance awareness and knowledge of coaching approaches for leadership and increase confidence in practising these. 

These themes are explored using self-directed professional learning activities (PLAs). There are six discrete PLAs that can be completed in any order to best suit participant needs. This allows participants to dip in and out of different areas of learning during the programme. 

MLLC offers opportunities for exploring research and reflecting on each of the four pillars. The learning has been carefully chosen to allow you to draw conclusions that will better equip you in your role of leading change. Although there is no set timeline, as a rough guide each of the PLAs can take between two and four hours with options for further reading. Past participants have tried to set aside time each month during term time to complete one of these PLAs. 

Once you have completed the PLAs, you are then encouraged to apply your learning as part of the programme.   

This is a flexible online programme consisting of five core self-directed professional learning activities (PLAs) and one optional. To complete the programme, you will undertake all 6 PLAs and submit a template related to your learning from the programme. 

  • Self-awareness for middle leaders 
  • Understanding middle leadership 
  • Change Models 
  • Using data to lead change 
  • Engaging others in change  

Choice of: 

  • Curriculum/CIC 
  • Anti-Racism 
  • Coaching  

Key Dates

Programme Induction – Friday 18th September – Inspire Learning, Tweedbank 

Touchpoint Session – Friday 30th October 2026

Touchpoint Session – Friday 29th January 2027

Applying Your Learning – individual practice in school/setting  

Sharing Event – May 2027

 

Senior Leadership Pathway (Scottish Borders Council) 

This programme is aimed at those in any post/level who aspire to Headship 

The programme takes a full academic year to complete 

Phase 1 – Values Based Leadership (Columba 1400) – January – April  

Phase 2 – Leading an Inclusive School – May – July  

Phase 3 – Evidence Based Strategic Leadership – August – October  

Phase 4 – Project Based Learning – October – Dec 

Together Type 1 Education Webinars – Hosted by young people with lived experience

4 of our young leader volunteers are hosting two webinars targeting education staff in schools.

 

Thursday 28th May (Primary education): https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/supporting-young-people-with-type-1-diabetes-in-schools-primary-education-tickets-1984381671999?aff=oddtdtcreator

 

Thursday 5th June (Secondary Education): https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/supporting-young-people-with-type-1-diabetes-in-schools-secondary-tickets-1984384651912?aff=oddtdtcreator

 

Feel free to register yourself as a healthcare professional or if you can please send this onto any local schools or education staff you work with, that would be appreciated!

 

It will be recorded on the night, so if you’re interested in the webinar but can’t attend, please register anyways and you’ll be sent a link to the recording afterwards.

 

If you would like to stop receiving emails from me about Together Type 1 updates and opportunities, please let me know.

 

 

Róisín O’Donovan
Youth Coordinator Together Type 1 (TT1) Scotland Team
07469154828

 

Boardmaker & Sounding Board App

Boardmaker

This course will guide you through how to create symbol supported resources using Boardmaker software.

Aims:

  • Staff will be able to use Boardmaker to create basic symbolised resources.
  • Staff will be able to use templates within Boardmaker.
  • Staff will be able to use Boardmaker Online to search for pre-made resources.
  • Staff will be able to edit pre-made resources.

12 May, 3:45pm to 4:45pm – bookings can be made through Business World

 

Sounding Board App

This training will cover how to use the Sounding Board app to support pupils with communication and choice making.

Aims:

Staff will understand the purpose of the app and how it can support communication.
Staff will be able to create a basic board.
Staff will be able to save and share boards with other staff/pupils.
Staff will be able to access some shared pre-made boards.

13 May, 3:45pm to 4:30pm – bookings can be made through Business World

 

Developing your use of Insight

During May and June 2026 the Insight Advisors will deliver Cohort 3 of “Developing your use of Insight”, a series of webinars designed to upskill participants in the use of Insight.

 

The content of the course is targeted at senior school leadership and those with a whole school raising attainment role.  Local Authority attainment leads are also very welcome to attend. Over 450 school leaders signed up for Cohort 1 (delivered following the February 2025 Update) and over 150 participated in Cohort 2 (following the September 2025 Update) with very positive feedback.

 

Participants can book onto the webinars through the Insight Padlet.

Parental Engagement: Evaluate practice and build workforce capacity 

This live session will take place on Thursday 30 April, 4.30-5.30pm. This free session, available to all educators across our member local authorities provides an overview of how partnership working can support schools to strengthen parental engagement – so please share across your networks.

We recommend signing up for the session, even if you can’t attend, as all registrants will receive the presentation slides and recording afterwards.

Please note: Sessions will be held via Zoom which does not require any log in and can be viewed on a device of your choice. Registration through Eventbrite does not require to be completed with a local authority email address and email details are only used to send communication linked to this session.

Booking is essential!

I’ve also included a link to our Professional Learning survey Connect Professional Learning Feedback Survey 2026 – Fill in form

We rely on feedback from our members to support continuous improvement and ensure we are meeting your needs, so we would really appreciate you taking a few minutes to complete it.

For those who have not yet signed up to MyConnect Professional Learning, you can do so here:

MyConnect Registration Request

https://connectscot.tfaforms.net/f/myconnect

Educators: Professional Learning Hub

Connect Members: Parental Engagement: Evaluate practice and build workforce capacity

30 April 2026, 4.30-5.30pm

Online via Zoom. Places are free, booking is required

Book here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1985813520697?aff=oddtdtcreator

 

 
A practical professional learning session focused on strengthening parental engagement through collaborative evaluation.

 

Session overview

Live Professional Learning Session (presented and facilitated)

This professional learning session explores how schools can work collaboratively with parents, families and the Parent Council to evaluate and strengthen workforce values and skills in parental engagement. Grounded in national guidance, the session supports educators to take a reflective, partnership-based approach to improvement.

 

Participants will consider how meaningful co-evaluation can enhance relationships, build staff confidence and professional development, and support ongoing school improvement.

 

Who is this session for?

Head Teachers, Depute Head Teachers, and Senior Leaders in Scottish Schools

 

Key Themes:

  • Workforce values and skills in parental engagement
  • Collaborative co-evaluation with families and/or the Parent Council
  • Professional reflection and capacity building
  • Use of evidence to inform improvement (parental engagement)
  • Alignment with national frameworks

 
Please note: Sessions will be held via Zoom which does not require any log in and can be viewed on a device of your choice. Registration through Eventbrite does not require to be completed with a local authority email address and email details are only used to send communication linked to this session.