Features
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Literacy levels falling in Scotland’s schools
Literacy levels in Scotland’s schools have dipped, according to a new report. Compared to 2012, fewer Scottish school children are good at reading and writing. The 2014 Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy, published this week, shows that performance in reading has dropped in primary schools, as well as in second year of secondary school.…
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Graphic novel changes pupils’ environmental behaviour
A graphic novel based on the life of conservationist John Muir has proven to shift young people’s attitudes towards and connection to the natural world, according to a recent study. The novel, free copies of which were sent to every secondary school in Scotland last year, was intended to help S1-3 pupils develop a deeper…
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Understanding Autism
With the number of young people being diagnosed with autism on the rise, it’s crucial that teachers get a solid understanding of what the condition entails and what they can do to support learners to achieve their full potential – but where do you start? We find out more about one online resource that’s pointing…
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Edinburgh school joins forces with Edinburgh International Festival
Edinburgh City Council has teamed up with the Edinburgh International Festival to create a unique new arts programme for pupils at Castlebrae Community High. The project, which launched last week, will see artists come into the school to work in a range of different medium. Through arts education, the aim is to increase opportunities, inspire…
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A quarter of pupils face prejudice-based bullying
By Lindsay Duncan A report published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has shown the level of prejudice-based bullying in Scottish secondary schools. The research, conducted by LGBT Youth Scotland and respectme, spoke to 1,250 pupils and 330 teachers throughout Scotland. The research uncovered that one in four pupils were aware of prejudiced-based bullying taking…
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Teachers still held back by ‘red tape’
A new report from the Curriculum for Excellence Working Group on Tackling Bureaucracy in schools has shown that Scotland’s teaching staff are still being held back by ‘pointless’ red tape from assessment, self-evaluation and planning relating to CfE. A follow-up from the November 2013 initial report from the Working Group, made up of a range…
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“It’s important that our pupils are informed citizens”
Teacher Mary Penderleith, of Hazlehead Primary School in Aberdeen, shares her summer experience of teaching and mentoring in Rwanda with the Wood Foundation’s Global Learning Partnerships programme I’d always wanted to teach abroad. Global Learning Partnerships offered the chance to go abroad for a period of time and it was in the summer holidays. Rwanda is fantastic. For four weeks, I…
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Learning languages
With the introduction of the Scottish Government’s ‘1+2 approach’ to language learning from primary one, the spotlight is back on languages in school – but as it’s no longer compulsory for students to take a language in secondary, how are schools encouraging pupils to keep going with French, Spanish, Gaelic and beyond? We caught up…
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Real life: “Love was my catalyst for teaching abroad”
Ian Robertson is a mathematics teacher from Glasgow. He has just started his second year of teaching at Harrow International School in Beijing. Here, Ian talks about his experiences teaching internationally and what led him to Beijing… I’d often thought about teaching internationally. I taught mathematics at a secondary school in Glasgow for eight years.…
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Teacher numbers protected
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed that teacher’s jobs in Scottish schools next year are protected as all 32 councils have signed a deal ensuring their current numbers of teachers will not drop. Many have welcomed the new deal to provide the proper number and best quality of teaching in Scotland’s schools hoping it will result…
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