Welcome to Scotland Learns. We’ve revised this fortnightly e-bulletin to provide you with an easy to access, single source to news from Education Scotland. You can hear more about this from our Chief Executive, Gayle Gorman. Just click on the thumbnail to watch the video or follow this link.
National e-Learning Offer
Visit the National e-Learning Offer webpage for information on the range of live, recorded and supported resources available.
e-Sgoil
e-Sgoil continues to offer support during this period of remote learning, including:
• Dug’s Discovery Den and Primary Learning Spaces with a renewed focus for P4-7.
• For S1-3, e-Sgoil are working with West OS and partners to deliver a cross curricular learning programme, ‘Sustainable Scotland’ from March.
• For Senior Phase, a Learning Space will be in place in March and an Easter study support programme will run from 6-16 April.
West OS
West OS is now available in all 32 Local Authorities across Scotland. With over a thousand recorded video lessons across the curriculum, West OS aims to ensure that all children and young people are able to access high quality learning experiences regardless of circumstances. Find out more in these webinars.
Supported resources
As part of the National e-Learning Offer, the supported resources blog is available with links to content created by educators, for educators. Over 16,000 supported resources across 16 subjects are now available. Visit the blog to find out more.
Professional learning and leadership
Public Health Big Blether series
We are working in partnership with COSLA, Trade Unions and Professional Associations to offer school support staff and practitioners an opportunity to hear from leading public health professionals, including Professor Jason Leitch CBE, National Clinical Director of the Scottish Government. Sign up here for the first of three sessions on Friday 26 February. Further sessions will take place Tuesday 2 March and Friday 5 March.
Leadership award for teachers in the Gaelic sector
This free online bespoke leadership programme, endorsed by Education Scotland, assists teachers and educational professionals in gaining confidence in being effective, progressive and self-aware leaders. Further details are available here.
Languages Leadership Programme 2021
The award winning Languages Leadership Programme (LLP) is open to post-probationer teachers working in primary, secondary or special education settings and is aligned to the GTCS Professional Standards. Registration opens Friday 26 February.
Teacher Leadership and Headship programmes – recruitment open
Recruitment for the Teacher Leadership Programme (TLP), Towards Headship, Into Headship and In Headship is now open. To find out more about all of these programmes, and to apply, visit the Education Scotland website.
Curriculum Support
Where to find support for curricular areas
We have published a number of documents, pointing the way to support for specific curricular areas. These can be found here.
Delivering modern languages NQs remotely
We hosted a webinar on 17 February with guidance and support for delivering National Qualifications for modern languages online. A recording of the webinar along with links to resources and practitioner presentations can be accessed from the ES ML teams site, code: 2h9owe9.
Computing Science webinars
If you’re embedding Computing Science across the nursery and primary curriculum, there are two webinars on offer over the coming weeks – Create, Design and Build with Barefoot Programming Workshop, 4 March and Creativity and Curiosity in the Early Level computing science curriculum, 16 March.
Digital learning and teaching
Updates from DigiLearnScot
• You can book to attend live webinars offered to practitioners and if you’ve missed any previous webinars you can access our YouTube Watch Again channel.
• We have refreshed our YouTube channel and grouped playlists on the home page.
• New on the blog – Digital Quality Assurance of National Qualifications – using PLC Teams and OneNote.
• Our brand new blog page has all the info, slides, videos and links that you could need to develop your practice to support learners’ needs.
Supporting Learners
Scotland Learns – resource bank of learning activities
In May 2020 we launched a resource bank of straightforward, open-ended learning activities in Scotland Learns, which are planned to be engaging, and develop children’s and young people’s independence in learning. Whilst we are not producing further learning activities, all activities published previously continue to be available to support the planning for children’s and young people’s remote learning. This supplement provides links to these activities.
Supporting the quality and delivery of remote learning – phase 3
HM Inspectors have now published six national overviews of practice reports, to support the quality and delivery of remote learning. This Friday we will publish the first report in phase three, which focuses in more depth on areas identified through the earlier phases, working with a sample of local authorities each week. Reports and examples of what is working well for children and families can be found here.
Signposting Equity
The latest edition of Signposting Equity is now available. This latest edition includes current equity insights, a podcast with Senior Regional Advisor Paul Fleming, considering social justice leadership and the latest think pieces and blogs.
Place and collective impact – think piece
In this ‘think piece’ from Policy Scotland, Professor Chris Chapman considers a range of issues around inequality and disadvantage, discussing the merits of a place-based approach with a focus on collective impact approaches.
Inclusion
Are you trauma informed?
Using nurture and trauma informed approaches to support children and young people is vital as children and young people return to school buildings. This new page on the National Improvement Hub provides a one stop shop to support the resilience and wellbeing of children and young people.
Survey on Trauma Informed Practice as part of the National Trauma Training Programme
This short anonymous survey will help us to learn more about current levels of understanding of psychological trauma across the workforce, and to what extent trauma informed practice is currently embedded and where additional support may be required in future. The closing date is Friday 5 March.
News and Resources
National Teaching Awards
Scottish schools can enter the 2021 National Teaching Awards. There are 14 award categories to enter and we know there’s loads of great work happening across Scotland, so be sure to get your nominations in before 12 March. Find out how to apply on the awards website.
Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) Week
SCQF Week is taking place from 15-19 March and is dedicated to recognising the skills and experience of all learners and individuals in Scotland. Discover the range of activities on the website. You can also join in on twitter using the hashtag #RecognisingSkills #RecogniseMySkills.
Gaelic Medium Resources
• Fèisean nan Gàidheal (FnG) are offering a free training day on Saturday 6 March to inspire tutors working with Fèisean nan Gàidheal (FnG) in Fèisean, school or community settings. Book your place here.
• New wellbeing resources are now available including a Gaelic version of the resilience alphabet.
• A range of Gaelic materials is available from Dynamic Earth.
Remote learning examples and materials
Materials for supporting remote learning have been collated by the Educational Institute of Scotland and School Leaders Scotland. There are timetable examples for primary practitioners and a range of support materials from Forfar Academy collated in a wakelet for secondary practitioners.
RSNO National Schools Concert Programme 2021
This free programme is for primary school pupils in P3-P5 and provides access to a suite of learning resources and an animated digital concert. Sign up here.
Scottish Gambling Education Hub
Scottish Gambling Education Hub provide free online training sessions to practitioners in Scotland who work with young people. The current training calendar can be found here.