PINS Theme: Curriculum for Excellence
Major changes are happening in Scotland’s schools. Under the banner of A Curriculum for Excellence the Government aims to ensure that wherever learning takes place it reflects and meets the needs of all pupils. PINS keeps you up to date.
NEW - Marks on the Landscape resource: inspiring creativity in the curriculum
This interdisciplinary learning resource helps develop creative learning and teaching experiences across the curriculum. The resource can be incorporated into planning for art and design, social studies, religious and moral education, technologies and sciences, and the themes of sustainability and global citizenship. More HERE
Curriculum for Excellence Supporting Learners: Practical approaches to delivering the entitlement to (personal) support in an evolving landscape
Saturday 3rd March 2012, Stirling
This free conference is for secondary pupil support/guidance teachers and practitioners. The event will include a national update from Education Scotland and a choice of practitioner led workshops on developments relating to key aspects of the supporting learners entitlement. More HERE
Supporting learner’s information leaflet
Education Scotland has produced a leaflet providing an overview of the entitlement to (personal) support. More HERE
New literacy materials
New reading support materials for first and second levels and new Literacy across learning materials to support the third and fourth levels are now available on Glow. More HERE
Truth, Lies and the Internet: A Report into Young People’s Digital Fluency
The report examines the ability of young people to critically evaluate information they consume online. The report recommends that teaching young people critical thinking and scepticism online must be at the heart of learning. More HERE
Pupils urged to get creative for conservation
Conservation charity the National Trust for Scotland is asking secondary schools pupils to design an interactive, environmentally-themed game to take out on the road next summer. Deadline February 10th 2012. More HERE
Building your Curriculum: Developing your secondary curriculum
Education Scotland has just published a new resource to support staff in secondary curriculum planning. The toolkit that can be used selectively to focus professional dialogue on particular priorities for development. More HERE
Advice and guidance on new National Qualifications
Education Scotland is developing advice and guidance for practitioners on the delivery of courses within the new National Qualifications (NQ) framework. More HERE
Developing skills for learning, life and work
Six case studies, from a variety of primary and secondary settings around Scotland, demonstrate the development of skills for learning, life and work as outlined in Building the Curriculum 4. More HERE
Entrepreneurial skills across the curriculum
This group of case studies highlights the positive impact that developing entrepreneurial skills has had on the confidence and self-esteem of young people. More HERE
Engage for Education blog: Attainment group established
A group of Head teachers will share their experience of raising attainment to generate new ideas and the best approaches to drive up attainment across Scotland. More HERE
Health and wellbeing: a cluster approach
Several school clusters have developed ways of delivering health and wellbeing experiences and outcomes which promote effective partnership models. It is hoped that these support materials for staff will provide a practical starting point which will encourage clusters to work together. More HERE
New resources on outdoor learning
Some new resources on outdoor learning have been added to the Education Scotland website. More HERE
Online materials to support community learning and development practitioners
Education Scotland has published materials to support community learning and development practitioners. The material reflects three national priorities for CLD in Scotland: achievement through learning for adults, achievement through learning for young people and achievement through building community capacity. More HERE
STEM Central resource for learning sciences, technologies, engineering and maths
This new resource is packed with ideas and resources and links to help create learning experiences that bring STEM subjects to learners. Using the focus of engineering, the website offers stimulating and challenging experiences for sciences, technologies, engineering and maths based around topical contexts. Go HERE
Supporting Learners
Every child and young person is entitled to support to enable them to gain as much as possible from the opportunities which Curriculum for Excellence can provide. The new Supporting Learners Resource considers what this means and downloadable self reflection documents contain links to further information on the Supporting Learners website. Go HERE
Learning in Scotland’s Communities
In this report HMIe argues that we need a clearer focus on our communities as ‘learning communities’ and that we need to strengthen and extend the connections between providers including voluntary sector providers. One of the reflective questions posed includes: To what extent are we considering fully the potential and actual contribution of voluntary sector partners to achievement and inclusion? Go HERE
Supporting Learners
This self reflection resource is now available on the Learning and Teaching Scotland website. This resource supports implementation of the Supporting Learners national framework. It draws together the key themes of the entitlement to support within Curriculum for Excellence. Go HERE
What is excellence?
Excellence Groups were established to consider what makes for excellence in subjects, and in skills development, across learning. There are 15 reports on subjects and curriculum areas, alongside an overarching report on health and wellbeing, and a report on Higher Order Skills. Space Unlimited worked with young people to offer a learner’s perspective. Go HERE
Evaluation of the 20:20 Programme
This programme aimed to facilitate transformational change in schools particularly amongst the lowest performing 20%. The programme has made a significant difference where schools have taken risks and experimented with their curriculum, learning and teaching methods and infrastructure. It seems that particular strands of the 20:20 programme that have focussed on literacy have clearly made a positive difference. Go HERE
The Journey to Excellence
The website provides examples of excellence in Scottish education and other children’s services. Go HERE
Guidance for Recognising Achievement
The guidance recognises that there are clear links between personal learning planning and the processes of recognising achievement, profiling and reporting. It is expected that schools, other establishments and partners will build on their effective practice in promoting and celebrating achievement and in providing a wide range of opportunities for children and young people to progress and achieve. Download the pdf HERE
Supporting learners from early years to positive, sustained destinations: National Framework
The framework supports the planning, design and provision of universal and targeted support for all children and young people towards the delivery of the entitlement that: ‘Every child and young person is entitled to support to enable them to gain as much as possible from the opportunities which Curriculum for Excellence can provide. This framework is for all practitioners and partners, in every setting. Read more HERE
Literacy Action Plan
The Plan includes a range of actions from early years through to employment, aimed at eradicating poor literacy across the country. Key actions include: Curriculum for Excellence supporting literacy from a child's early years and new National Qualifications to support the development of literacy skills. Read more HERE
Principles of Supporting Children’s Learning
These CPD materials are aimed at supporting practitioners in evaluating their inclusive practices for pupils with additional support needs, in line with the values and aims of The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009. Read more HERE
The National Assessment Resource
An online resource designed to support assessment in practice; supporting practitioners in developing a shared understanding of standards and expectations for Curriculum for Excellence. Go HERE
Supporting Learners
Learning and Teaching Scotland has launched a new site. Curriculum for Excellence sits at the heart of the new website alongside a wealth of other, high-quality support materials. Supporting Learners brings together information on Universal and Targeted Support, Inclusion and Equality, Additional Support Needs, Supporting Wellbeing, 16+ Learning Choices and MCMC. Go HERE
Community Learning and Development
A new Communities team has been established at Learning and Teaching Scotland which aims to lead policy implementation and practice development across community learning and development (CLD) in Scotland. Core strands of CLD work include community based lifelong learning and youth work. The role of the Communities team is to work with all these sectors to enable individuals and communities to achieve positive change in their lives. The team will build the capacity of CLD practitioners to engage in Curriculum for Excellence. Go HERE
Curriculum for Excellence Parent Toolkit
This is an online and print resource designed to help practitioners speak to parents with confidence. To read more, go HERE
Engage for Education
This Scottish Government site is described as a new, direct conversation between the Scottish Government and parents, young people, school staff and the wider education community. Mike Russell comments: “In a sense, this is electronic brain-storming. Together, we can share ideas about what is working well, make suggestions and build consensus about what needs to change”. For more go HERE
Support in using Curriculum for Excellence experiences and outcomes
Innovative examples of how the experiences and outcomes are being delivered across Scotland. For more go HERE
