Curriculum Offering and Career Pathways - Progress Update
North Lanarkshire Council · 13 September 2022
Back to Education, Children and Families Committee — 13 September 2022 and its agenda
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PO79 A Progress Update on Curriculum Offering and Career Pathways North Lanarkshire Council Report Does this report require to be approved? ☒ Yes ☐ No Ref JON Date 13/09/22 From Janie O’Neill, Head of Education (South) E-mail oneillja@northlan.gov.uk Telephone 01698 812336 Executive Summary Significant progress has been made in reviewing the curriculum offering for children and young people since the initial Review of Curriculum Arrangements (RoCA) was published in May 2020, aligned to the Plan for North Lanarkshire (PoW79). The work which has been undertaken has led to improved outcomes for children and young people and in particular, those with the greatest barriers to learning and employment. The overarching theme remains Pathways, Packages and Partnerships and this report highlights progress and achievements made in this area since the previous reports of May and November 2020. It focuses particularly on progress in the following key areas of work: • A refreshed North Lanarkshire Council Curriculum Rationale and Toolkit for schools • Progressive Curriculum Pathways in the Broad General Education (Literacy and Numeracy) • Career and Employability Pathways • Health and Wellbeing Recovery Map • Improved outcomes for children and young people As well as providing updates on progress along with supporting data, this report also provides two case studies illustrating the impact this work is having on individual children, young people and families. Recommendations It is recommended that the Education, Children and Families Committee: 1. Endorse the contents of this review report 2. Approve next steps as outlined in the report Education, Children and Families Committee
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The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority Support all children and young people to realise their full potential Ambition statement (6) Raise attainment and skills for learning, life, and work to enhance opportunities and choices Ambition statement (7) Enhance collaborative working to maximise support and ensure all our children and young people are included, supported, and safe Ambition statement (10) Engage with children, young people, parents, carers, and families to help all children and young people reach their full potential 1. Background 1.1 In May 2020, following on from and, as a result of the council’s Employability Review, a review of curricular arrangements was conducted by Education and Families staff, and which also included staff from across council services. This would ensure all children and young people would benefit from coherent curriculum planning and high quality learning and teaching across all educational establishments, ensuring the key entitlements of Curriculum for Excellence are delivered for all. An important focus of the review was to strengthen and create progressive, bespoke career pathways to ensure positive and sustained post- school destinations for all young people, to allow them to flourish and enjoy the many benefits of employment, whilst making valuable contributions to the local, national and global economies. A report was published and presented to Education and Families Committee in May 2020. 1.2 In November 2020 a Progress Report was published and presented to Education and Families Committee highlighting progress made in progressing this area of work and specifically highlighted: • Realignment and additional opportunities provided through the Scottish Attainment Challenge and how this contributed to revised curricular practice • The collaborative work led by senior officers and head teachers in improving curricular pathways in clusters and localities • Creative approaches being taken to provide career and employability pathways for young people • Significant development work undertaken in implementing a digital strategy • Impact on curriculum and learning and teaching of new operating model eg empowering clusters and establishing wellbeing teams and bases • Plans for a reconfigured secondary school week incorporating a four and a half day model with an enrichment afternoon focusing on wellbeing and career pathways on the fifth day. This report outlined the challenges faced and creative ways of overcoming these to deliver a relevant curriculum during the COVID-19 pandemic and importantly cited lessons learned from the work done across schools. 1.3 The review of the curriculum is ongoing. Recent council attainment reviews of school data have established the central importance of curriculum in tackling issues around attendance, inclusion, engagement and attainment as we emerge from the pandemic, and recommendations and reflections from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) report, Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence:
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Key Drivers for Curriculum DRAFT Into the Future (June 2021) and the Sir Ken Muir report Putting Learners at the Centre: Towards a Future Vision for Scottish Education (March 2022), demand that school staff and local authority teams provide a ‘strong, fresh narrative’ when looking at the curriculum offer at all levels; a single framework that is clear to follow, succinct and in plain English with practitioners as its principal audience. 1.4 The Curriculum Implementation Strategic Leads Group has been established and is chaired by the Head of Education (South locality). The group has focused on refreshing our curriculum rationale and vision and supports the work and curriculum developments highlighted in this report. 2. Report 2.1 Curriculum Rationale & ‘Curriculum Content Creation’ Toolkit 2.1.1 A sub-group of the Curriculum Implementation Strategic Leads Group was established and tasked with putting together an overarching curriculum rationale for all education establishments in North Lanarkshire (appendix 1). 2.1.2 An additional objective was agreed, namely, to compile a toolkit for establishments to flesh out their bespoke, universal curriculum offer from the rationale (appendix 2). Consultation was undertaken with a group of heads of establishment, and key drivers were agreed for the process (below). The Curriculum Content Creation Toolkit was developed and will be launched at Heads of Establishment meetings in August 2022 and supported at authority level via CLPL through session 22/23 (below). Vision & Values • Tackling poverty & Inequality • Person centred approaches • Promoting inclusion & Involvement • Promoting positive well- being • Raising attainment • Rights Respecting • Trauma informed • Strengthening cultural capital • Creating pathways to employment • Environmental concerns National Policy • UNCRC • The Promise Scotland • GIRFEC • Curriculum for Excellence • Developing the Young Workforce • Scottish Attainment Challenge • OECD Report • Sir Ken Muir Report • HGIOS4? • Learning for Sustainability • Digital Learning & Teaching Strategy • A Blueprint for ELC • NIF Local Policy • The Plan for North Lanarkshire • Education and Families Improvement Plan o SAC plan o West Partnership Regional Improvement plan o Mental Health, Wellbeing and Resilience Delivery plan • Gaelic Language Plan 2021 -26 • Workforce for the Future Strategy • Developing the Young Workforce plan
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Curriculum Pathfinder Training • Opportunity for schools to nominate a ‘Curriculum Pathfinder’. • This could be a head of centre, a depute head or principal teacher with responsibility for curriculum building in the establishment • Bi-Monthly meetings will follow the calendar of curricular activities and will focus on suggested activities from the calendar • There will be input from the council curriculum and implementation leads and tasks related to curriculum building • There will also be an opportunity to share good practice and to ask questions about what other establishments are finding. 2.1.3 Refreshed curriculum narratives should be considered by establishments throughout session 22/23 with the process concluded through school improvement planning frameworks in session 23/24. DRAFT 2.1.4 Measures and outcomes for attainment, attendance and positive post-school destinations will then be used to inform evaluation and future planning of the process to revise the curriculum offer going forward. 2.2 Progressive Curriculum Pathways - Broad General Education (Literacy and Numeracy 2.2.1 Progression pathway resources have been developed and designed to be flexible, to build on effective practice, highlight knowledge and skills and exemplify pace and progression through a level. Whilst aspects are sequential, learning is not linear, and learners can move within and between pathways. Each pathway is split across three levels to highlight progress through a level. 2.2.2 The pathways will be available to establishments on a web-based platform, as well as a downloadable version. Each pathway has the same layout and format, ensuring consistency in planning. The pathways highlight higher order thinking skills to be taught and built upon and are not linked to a resource. This allows staff to have autonomy in selecting the most appropriate resource and contexts to suit learners needs and interests. 2.2.3 In session 2022-23, further work will be progressed into other curricular areas to create pathways in social studies, expressive arts etc. This will be a collaborative process with working groups of staff established to take this forward. 2.2.4 Digital Literacy Skills and Computing Science progression pathways, launched in August 2022, are designed to be flexible and build on effective practice, highlighting knowledge and skills and exemplifying possible pace and progression. The current Optional ‘Curriculum Pathfinder’ training
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pathways provide progression from Early to Second Level with Third Level added by January 2023. 2.2.5 The progression pathways will provide establishments with a consistent approach to how these areas can be embedded into the curriculum. This will ensure we have a strong, digitally skilled workforce with a particular focus applied to supporting girls into computing science career pathways. 2.3 Career and Employability Pathways – Developing the Young Workforce 2.3.1 Developing the Young Workforce continues to be a whole-council, cross party priority which extends beyond the council to include key partners. All of this work is informed by and feeds directly into the council’s Workforce for the Future Strategy. We have a strong track record in offering a curriculum which provides meaningful and relevant work-related learning opportunities which equip children and young people with the skills, qualifications, and experiences they require to flourish in life beyond school into the world of work. This aspiration towards a first-class education and a skills-based curriculum, enables young people to maximise their talent and realise their full potential and contribute to the local and national economy. 2.3.2 Work has been undertaken across council services to ensure our structures are now better aligned to support this area of work with Employability, Supported Employment, the award-winning ROOTS programme, Active and Creative Communities, Community Learning and Development and the Social Inclusion and Wealth Team all sitting within the Education and Families Service and feeding into this important area of work. 2.3.3 Developing the Young Workforce, Pathways Programme, Future Fridays/Enrichment Afternoon and Vocational Education now sit within one team overseen by one Education Manager and one Head of Education (South). This realignment is strengthening links and creating synergies which are already leading to improved outcomes for children, young people, and families as the range of opportunities from this improved connectivity are built upon. 2.3.4 In session 2020/2021 we saw our highest percentage of young people leave school and enter a positive post-school destination. However, we will continue to set ambitious targets to ensure all our young people enter a positive post-school destination and this goal underpins all of the work in progress, as highlighted within this report. 2.3.5 The revised DYW Delivery Plan 2022-2025 (Appendix 3) will be published and formally launched in September to coincide with a planned DYW/Employer Engagement Conference. The Plan, aligned to The Plan for North Lanarkshire will be shared with the Education and Families Committee at a future date. 2.4 Pathways Programme 2.4.1 Pathways Programme – in 2019/2020, to support those winter leaving young people most at risk of entering a negative post-school destination and subsequently at risk of experiencing the negative impact of long-term unemployment, a temporary team was appointed to pilot delivering a full-time, employability focused curriculum to a targeted group of 90 young people. For the young people who attended and engaged there was the guaranteed offer of a relevant post-school destination of employment or an intervention that would lead to employment. These young people would also receive a minimum of six months follow-up support. This programme has attracted national interest and in the three years since its inception has gone from strength to strength.
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To date, there has been 331 young people registered on the full-time programme – all identified as having multiple barriers to learning and employment. Of this number, 251 young people from S4-6 across all schools have entered a positive post-school destination including modern apprenticeships, employment, further education on their leaving date or within six months. Of the remaining 80, a small number chose to return to school with the rest of the young people receiving continued support until such times as they are ready to enter a positive destination, or an appropriate job or college place comes up. 2.4.2 Due to its success and the support received, we now have a full-time and permanent Pathways Team who continue to work with schools, New College Lanarkshire, Skills Development Scotland, Routes to Work, employers and training providers to ensure young people with the greatest barriers to learning and employment are supported to leave school and enter a positive, sustainable, and progressive post school destination. Two case studies, ‘Abbie’s Story’ (Appendix 4) and ‘Kayleigh’s Story’ (Appendix 5), highlight the successful career pathways of two Pathways young people with multiple barriers to learning and employment. 2.4.3 The Pathways Team now work with around 150 young people in the senior phase of learning on a full-time employability focused curriculum. In addition, a further 230 young people from across all secondary schools are supported on a five-week programme delivered during the Future Fridays enrichment afternoon. As an additional part of its intensive offer, the team is currently working on a proposal to deliver a construction/employability and life-skills curriculum to targeted groups of P7 children at risk of disengaging from learning. This innovative pilot will be delivered during academic session 2022/2023, across three clusters, as part of the Empowering Clusters model and will then be evaluated to measure impact. 2.5 Vocational Education 2.5.1 Senior phase curriculum pathways have changed considerably over the last four years with the implementation of Skills Development Scotland led Foundation Apprenticeships and Pre-Foundation Apprenticeships being introduced alongside other National Qualifications. The ‘hands-on’ practical work-based nature of these courses allows young people to gain practical experience and at the same time gain an SCQF level 6 qualification. 2.5.2 Since 2017 to date, the Vocational Education team has worked with schools to support more than 1,500 young people to achieve a Foundation Apprenticeship across 12 frameworks. In the pre-covid period between 2017 and 2019, the total pass rate of young people completing the full award was 68% compared with a national pass rate of 59%. Vocational learning programmes are offered to young people in all 23 secondary schools and 9 Additional Support Needs schools. The impact of COVID-19 and the restrictions which prevented practical delivery has required a renewed and refreshed focus to be placed on the importance of vocational training in schools. The ambition and hard work of the team has resulted in a sharp increase in the total requests for Foundation Apprenticeships in schools. 2.5.3 In partnership with New College Lanarkshire and University of the West of Scotland (UWS), session 21/22 saw the introduction of an HNC pilot programme, whereby young people would embark on year 1 of the course during S6. This HNC leads to year 2 of the HND with New College Lanarkshire and then on to year 3 of a degree within UWS, effectively allowing young people to achieve a degree one year earlier. The pilot was offered in cyber security, computer assisted design and construction management. 32 young people completed the HNC, and results have still to be confirmed by New
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College Lanarkshire. 38 young people have been recruited for the HNC starting in August 2022. There are plans to extend this offer to include an HNC in Healthcare and Social Services, linking to the Workforce for the Future Strategy. 2.6 Future Fridays 2.6.1 In line with guidance set out in the national publication, 15-24 Learner Journey, we delivered on our commitment to create better opportunities and pathways to success for young people through the introduction of a new curriculum model. In August 2021, against the backdrop of a global pandemic Education and Families began an ambitious programme with the goal of providing additional opportunities for Secondary School young people outwith the classroom setting on a Friday afternoon. 2.6.2 The aims of the programme are: • Improve opportunities and outcomes for young people post-COVID 19 • Support all children and young people to realise their full potential • Raise attainment and develop skills for learning, life, and work to enhance opportunities and choices • Improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people through a range of social, cultural and leisure activities • Improve North Lanarkshire’s resource base 2.6.3 The Future Fridays programme is co-ordinated by a Curriculum Manager who supports Principal Teachers with responsibility for the programme. Considerable progress has been made in the first academic year and ambitious targets have been set and plans put in place for session 2022 23. 2.6.4 Attendance levels have risen to almost 20%, with a number of schools seeing more than 25% of the school roll attending on a voluntary basis on a Friday afternoon which reflects the success of the programme thus far. During April to June a greater emphasis was placed on advancing equalities and targeting specific groups of young people. 25% of young people in attendance are from SIMDs 1-3, 30% are care experienced, 45% are girls and 15% have additional support needs across the small sample of schools. This targeted approach is a key aim for session 2022-23. 2.6.5 Wider achievement opportunities have led to accreditation and the development of new skills through saltire, Duke of Edinburgh, and Dynamic Youth Awards. Work-related learning opportunities are enhancing employability skills and enabling young people to gain industry recognised qualifications such as CSCS cards, coaching certificates and REHISS qualifications. 2.6.6 Future Fridays is supported by a number of council services and partner organisations. 2.6.7 An evaluation has been undertaken with young people, principal teachers, and parents with very positive feedback on year 1. However, there is a recognition that there is significant scope to enhance the programme to include universal, additional and intensive offers to best meet the needs of young people. Ambitious plans for next session are underway and progress will be reported to a future meeting of Education and Families Committee. 2.6.8 As part of the Future Fridays programme the NL Digital School has provided young people with weekly virtual learning experiences in computing science. In session 2022/23 staff will continue to deliver practical computing science lessons, focusing on Scratch coding and building to the Python programming language. The priority for the
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NL Digital School is to keep the content fresh and relevant to current practice in industry and will provide an in-school digital leadership offer as part of the Future Fridays programme. 2.7 Digital School 2.7.1 The NL Digital School will continue to enhance our STEM careers focus, building on the success of the Virtual STEM Careers Fair with a spotlight on women in STEM. Plans for this year include further workshops with Tech She Can, Smart STEMs as well as input from former NL students in the world of ethical hacking and coding. 2.7.2 Over 4000 pupils took part in our live code-along last year, promoting computing science across all 23 clusters in the primary sector. This will increase in size in session 2022/23 with ASN and secondary sectors including in the sessions. 2.7.3 This year will see a pilot with 8 Secondaries working in collaboration with New College Lanarkshire at the Smart HUB based in NCL Motherwell. This project will focus on introducing S2/S3 pupils on Industry 4 level CoBot robotics and their potential uses. The introductory 4-week block will give young people a taster on how these machines can be programmed and used across all industries and will introduce pupils to the variety of FE opportunities available in the sector. The other 15 secondaries will have access to this resource in future sessions following the pilot 2.7.4 In working with business partners, young people will continue to be offered experiences in digital environments and workplaces. 2.8 Virtual School 2.8.1 The Virtual School also provides bespoke curricular pathways for care experienced children and young people across Primary and Secondary Schools. These are tailored to meet the needs of this group of young people and includes programmes and interventions including vocational education, wellbeing programmes, outdoor learning, literacy and numeracy programmes, transition support, volunteering and mentoring opportunities as well as direct support with National Qualifications. The curriculum is delivered on a one-to-one or a groupwork basis at a venue preferred by the children and young people. 2.8.2 The Virtual School provides opportunities for formal and informal learning including the development of workplace skills and works in partnership with the Pathways Team to provide an employability-focused curriculum to care experienced young people. Through joint planning and regular review meetings, higher levels of support are provided to support these young people into positive post-school destinations. 2.9 Health and Wellbeing Recovery Map 2.9.1 Health and Wellbeing (HWB) underpins all other priorities. In keeping with this and, being mindful of the impact of the global pandemic on our services, a planning document, ‘The Roadmap to Recovery,’ has been prepared for all schools and early years settings. It is anticipated that establishments will use this document to evaluate their current position and to plan their next steps to recovery. 2.9.2 The Roadmap to Recovery sets out a way forward in developing the health and wellbeing of our learners over the next three years. It recognises the importance of developments in relation to health and wellbeing, including the Empowering Clusters model and the GIRFEC pathway. It looks at high level outcomes that can be improved,
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linking into the Integrated Children Services Plan and The Plan for North Lanarkshire. It also looks at improvements in day-to-day operations and presents a format intended to assist schools and establishments to improve health and wellbeing in line with quality indicators currently used in improvement plans. 2.9.3 The roadmap sets out areas for development and associated targets to evidence improvement. It also categorises actions in the levels of GIRFEC intervention, setting out areas for development at each level, underlining the fact that GIRFEC is underpinned by health and wellbeing. It also recognises the importance of developing integrated approaches based on family support models. Given that partnerships are central to much of its success, a HWB conference took place in June 2022, to launch this roadmap and to highlight our integrative service approaches. 2.10 Improved Outcomes for Children and Young People 2.10.1 The programmes and developments outlined above have been central to the education recovery process in North Lanarkshire schools and have given schools a refreshed focus on closing the attainment gap and in striving for excellence across all BGE measures. 2.10.2 Education Managers have supported Head Teachers in planning improvement through session 21/22 in ACEL data through focused attainment review discussion. 2.10.3 The following data tables provide information on successes and strides forward in improving attainment outcomes and post school destination in the senior phase. 2.10.4 It is worthy of note that the exam results data in the tables below are subject to change at the end of October 2022 at the completion of the 2022 SQA appeals process. North Lanarkshire schools are reporting a large number of candidates at all levels who are eligible for this process and anticipate that this may and perhaps will result in a shift upwards in their attainment data. S4 - % of Pupils with 5 or more awards at Nat 3 100.0% 90.0% 80.0% 70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Total 88.1% 88.0% 85.0% 75.3% 72.3% 84.1% 81.5% 78.3%
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S4 - % of Pupils with 5 or more awards at Nat 4 90.0% 80.0% 70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% S4 - % of Pupils with 5 or more awards at Nat 5 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% S5 - % of Pupils with 1 or more awards at Higher 62.0% 60.0% 58.0% 56.0% 54.0% 52.0% 50.0% 48.0% 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Total 81.7% 83.1% 79.7% 70.3% 67.9% 79.6% 77.8% 74.2% 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Total 38.0% 41.5% 41.8% 41.4% 39.4% 48.9% 47.8% 42.4% 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Total 52.6% 53.5% 53.9% 54.5% 57.0% 60.8% 61.0% 57.1%
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S5 - % of Pupils with 3 or more awards at Higher 45.0% 40.0% 35.0% 30.0% 25.0% 20.0% 15.0% 10.0% 5.0% 0.0% S5 - % of pupils with 5 or more awards at Higher 18.0% 16.0% 14.0% 12.0% 10.0% 8.0% 6.0% 4.0% 2.0% 0.0% S6 - % of Pupils with 1 or more awards at Higher 80.0% 70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Total 30.7% 32.2% 32.9% 32.3% 32.9% 38.1% 41.9% 36.3% 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Total 11.7% 11.7% 12.5% 12.3% 11.9% 16.1% 16.8% 15.3% 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Total 56.5% 58.0% 58.1% 58.7% 67.4% 72.7% 67.1% 65.3%
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S6 - % of pupils with 3 or more awards at Higher 50.0% 45.0% 40.0% 35.0% 30.0% 25.0% 20.0% 15.0% 10.0% 5.0% 0.0% S6 - % of Pupils with 5 or more awards at Higher 40.0% 35.0% 30.0% 25.0% 20.0% 15.0% 10.0% 5.0% 0.0% 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Total 39.8% 41.0% 41.9% 42.0% 41.3% 44.7% 47.6% 47.5% 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Total 26.0% 26.7% 27.1% 27.5% 27.3% 29.6% 33.8% 30.6% 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 Negative Destination 8.2% 6.6% 5.7% 7.8% 5.5% Unemployed Not Seeking 1.5% 1.4% 1.6% 1.6% 1.8% Unemployed Seeking 5.7% 4.6% 3.6% 5.4% 2.8% Unknown 0.9% 0.5% 0.4% 0.8% 0.9% Positive Destination 91.8% 93.4% 94.3% 92.2% 94.5% Activity Agreement 0.6% 0.6% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% Employed 20.8% 22.7% 24.9% 17.0% 24.4% Further Education 25.4% 26.6% 25.7% 24.8% 20.9% Higher Education 42.5% 41.1% 39.9% 46.0% 45.6% Personal Skills Development 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
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Personal/ Skills Development 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.4% 0.1% Training 2.2% 2.0% 3.5% 3.6% 3.3% Voluntary Work 0.4% 0.3% 0.2% 0.4% 0.2% 2.11 Next Steps • Launch Curriculum Content Creation toolkit and support delivery through session 22/23 • Progress BGE curriculum pathways and extend to include other curricular areas. • Publish and launch the Developing the Young Workforce Delivery Plan 2022-25 at September 2022 DYW Employer Engagement Conference • Extend the Pathways Programme to deliver a pilot curriculum for upper primary children. • Increase the number of young people accessing, and achieving, Foundation Apprenticeships. • Extend the vocational education programme to include young people in S3 and S4 • Increase the percentage of young people engaging in Friday enrichment afternoon with a focus on targeting those young people most at risk. • Deliver priorities set out in the Road to Recovery plan. • Deliver the Smart HUB pilot in collaboration with New College Lanarkshire 3. Measures of success 3.1 Improvement in attainment across BGE and Senior Phase 3.2 Increased attendance figures 3.3 Improved and sustained positive destinations 4. Supporting documentation 4.1 Appendix 1 - Curriculum Rationale for All Education Establishments 4.2 Appendix 2 – Toolkit for Establishments 4.3 Appendix 3 - DYW Delivery Plan 2022-2025 4.4 Appendix 4 – Case Study ‘Abbie’s Story’ plus additional case studies 4.5 Appendix 5 – Case Study ‘ Kayleigh’s Story Janie O’Neill Head of Education (South)
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5. Impacts ( http://connect/report-template-guidance ) 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The work highlighted in this committee report focuses on advancing equalities and closing the poverty related attainment gap. This work supports all children and young people with an emphasis on removing barriers to learning and employment. An equality impact assessment has been initiated and will be updated as this work progresses. If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality-and-fairer- scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☒ No ☐ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts have been discussed and agreed with Financial Solutions? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Financial impact information will be ratified through the curriculum board. 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☒ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts have been discussed and agreed with People and Organisational Development? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? This work pertains to the national and local priority Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce and its links to the Plan for North Lanarkshire. 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts have been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic Solutions? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☒
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5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The report contains an update on advances in digital pathways and the curriculum. Where the impact identifies a requirement for technology, has an assessment been carried out (or scheduled) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☒ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Greater awareness of environmental issues will be built into curriculum planning for all young people, keeping in mind UNCRC articles. 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The work outlined in the report is promoted through various corporate communication channels. 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? A risk register has been produced for specific aspects of this work and is reviewed through the Curriculum Board. Closing the attainment gap is a corporate risk further reports on this will be brought.
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Curriculum Rationale – Template “The curriculum is the totality of experiences which are planned for children and young people through their education, wherever they are being educated. It includes the ethos and life of the school as a community; curriculum areas and subjects; interdisciplinary learning; and opportunities for personal achievement.” Building the curriculum 3: A framework for Learning and Teaching NLC Curriculum Vision – We Aspire to support all children and young people to realise their full potential by giving them the tools to make their way in life through quality, exciting, and challenging learning opportunities resulting in improving attainment and closing the poverty-related attainment gap. School/Cluster – space for school/cluster vision Values CfE wisdom justice compassion integrity NLC fairness respect equality excellence School/cluster NLC Aims - All learners will have access to quality learning and teaching and we will ensure that our schools are inclusive, energetic places which take into account the needs of all our young people, giving them experiences which last a lifetime and a voice in their own learning. Learners of all ages will be given the skills to take advantage of the employment opportunities our growing economy brings, creating a flexible, resilient and skilled workforce for the future. The Big Ideas- All NLC establishments use the seven principles of curriculum design to build around the curricular areas, including literacy numeracy, HWB and digital skills, to develop the four capacities. School/Cluster - please include information under the headings below. What are your ‘drivers’? 1. school/cluster context, including employment opportunities 2. school/cluster data, including consultation with staff teams 2. robust community data & employment profiles to inform curriculum design Understanding the Learners and Learning Partners: (give evidence and/or explanation on below) 1. Learner contribution to curriculum design? 2. Collaboration with parents, carers and the community? 3. Colleges, employers, universities and the third sector collaboration? 4. Cluster, local authority and regional improvement collaborative connections? 5. Opportunities for outdoor and heritage learning links? Appendix 1
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Practical Approaches (give evidence and/or explanation on below) 1. clear progression pathways from 3-18 2. clear strategies for delivering equity and excellence 3. consistently applied, high quality pedagogical strategies for learning and assessment 4. links to the world of work 5. embedding creativity and learning for sustainability 6. building a nurturing rights-based learning environment 7. links to future skills. Eg. Meta-skills 8. opportunities and approach to interdisciplinary learning 9. wider achievement and its place in the curriculum Curriculum Diagram: “a content-rich curriculum which is knowledge based, skills-orientated and experiences infused.” – Bruce Robertson, The Teaching Delusion 2 This can be a mind map, a table or prose. Please explain the broad mechanics of your curriculum and courses for the stages your establishment serves. It may be that you also incorporate the info from the practical approaches section to this mind map. For secondary schools, you should ask faculty teams to create one of these for their courses and subjects, giving detail on the knowledge for the courses offered and progression pathways. Primary and Early Years may also add detail for stages. This should be displayed on the appropriate page of the school website and does not need to be included here. Planning of Curriculum Self-Evaluation, Review & Refresh NLC staff teams are committed to: • career-long professional learning based around high quality, rigorous professional standards • meaningful professional review and development • Belonging to communities of practice and enquiry • Developing collaborative practice locally, nationally and globally • Self-evaluation of the work of the school with reference to HGIOS4? Quality indicators • Annual review of the curriculum offer ‘Our curriculum is regularly reviewed and refreshed by an informed awareness of current education thinking and evolves through ongoing debate within the school community. We work well with partners to ensure creative and innovative approaches to curriculum development are encouraged and support positive outcomes for learners. The development of our curriculum is underpinned by a coherent whole school approach to learning for sustainability.’ How Good is Our School 4, Education Scotland, 2019 How Good is Our Early Learning Centre, 2016
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. LITERACY WHAT INFORMS OUR CURRICULUM Scotland’s curriculum – Curriculum for Excellence – helps our children and young people gain the knowledge, skills and attributes needed for life in the 21st century. EDUCATION SCOTLAND, 2019 HEALTH AND WELLBEING Curriculum for Excellence has an important role to play in promoting the health and wellbeing of children and young people and of all of those in the educational communities to which they belong. NUMERACY Using meaningful learning networks • Planning, enquiring and reflecting with othe practitioners to optimise impact • Collaborating with parents, carers, families community • Developing and maximising the opportuniti from partnerships across clusters, local authorities and Regional Impro Collaboratives TRANSITIONS / • Building partnerships with colleges, employe SELF PATHWAYS A learning pathway is your journey through education and learning. You can choose courses, qualifications and learning experiences at any age or stage of your life Being numerate helps us to function responsibly in everyday life and contribute effectively to society. It increases our opportunities within the world of work and establishes foundations which can be built upon through lifelong learning. Numeracy is not only a subset of mathematics; it is also a life skill which permeates and supports all areas of learning, allowing young people access to the wider curriculum. DIGITAL Digital learning aims to ensure all learners and educators are able to benefit from digital technology in education. It is structured around universities, the third sector and others to co-design the curriculum • Using the outdoors and our built and cultura to support learning • Sharing, celebrating and reflecting on succ LEADERSHIP Young people four essential and interrelated objectives: Develop the skills and confidence of educators in Literacy is fundamental to all To improve what you do, you need the right the appropriate and effective use of digital areas of learning, as it unlocks SOCIAL information - information which tells you to what extent an activity is having a positive impact. technology to support learning and teaching. Improve access to digital technology for all learners. Ensure that digital technology is a central consideration in all areas of curriculum and assessment delivery. Empower leaders of change to drive innovation access to the wider curriculum. Being literate increases opportunities for the individual in all aspects of life, lays the foundations for lifelong learning and JUSTIC “close the gap in educa achievements between most disadvantaged and investment in digital technology for teaching work, and contributes strongly children…and the avera PARTNERSHIPS Empowerment and collaboration for improvement happen at all levels in an empowered system. Partnerships are therefore a key cornerstone of this approach. It is essential that partners play a full role in an empowered system to improve outcomes for children, young people, families and communities and learning. to the development of all four capacities of Curriculum for Excellence. CASE STUDY do. We share our ambitions with them. We have big ideas and the vision to achieve them NL council’s values: fairness, respect, equality, and excellence. to promote equality, inclusion and diversity” INTERDISCIPLINARY LEARNING Interdisciplinary Learning (IDL) is a vital component to achieve all 4 capacities, and needs a concerted effort from everyone in the profession to understand what it is, and how to engage with the planning, pedagogy and mindset that will open up greater opportunities for learners. The rationale is further amplified by the increasing complexity and interdisciplinary nature of the way the world works ss and in public affairs EMPLOYABLITY There is a particular focus on supporting skills development and helping young people aged 3-18 prepare for the world of work as expressed within 'Building the Curriculum 4: Skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work’. However it also acknowledges more recent research and developments such as the development of ‘Skills 4.0., a skills model to drive Scotland’s future’ or the Career Review. ‘Our curriculum is regularly reviewed and refreshed by an informed awareness of current education thinking through ongoing debate within the school community. We work well with partners to ensure creative a approaches to curriculum development are encouraged and support positive outcomes for learners. The devel curriculum is underpinned by a coherent whole school approach to learning for sustainability.’ How Good is Our School 4, Education Scotland, 2019 communities in what we we in people and this, achieve involve NLC VISION and VALUES A shared ambition for inclusive growth and prosperity for all - where North Lanarkshire is the place to Live, Learn, Work, Invest, and Visit. This is our vision, and our shared ambition. It’s what We Aspire to achieve. We work in partnership to NORTH LANARKSHIRE CURRICULUM AIMS ‘ EVALUATION
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The School Year – Nursery Toolkit for Planning Curriculum Content Creation Activities August September October November Nursery head analyses attainment/attendance data. Nursery Head prepare the WHY of the Curriculum rationale in a describe/Reflect/Speculate activity Staff meeting to present timeline of events and responsibilities along the journey. Nursery staff audit curriculum offer against NLC Infographic Establishment prepare employment data analysis for local area and nationally. Professional reading group/Short Life Working Group tasked with collecting curriculum rationale research from suggested sites on the NLC toolkit to prepare presentation for November INSET Questionnaires distributed to all pupils/staff/parents on content of curriculum the proposed WHY of the new rationale, wish list etc. Professional reading group rep takes standing item on curriculum research at all staff meetings this session. Nursery head collates the following information: • Nursery data analysis • Employment data • Professional reading group research • Pupil/staff/parent questionnaire info Nursery head presents curriculum planning information to NLC rep INSET Day: Presentation to all staff on data collated for curriculum. Launch of the WHY and exploration of the HOW and the WHAT Professional reading group rep presents to nursery team Staff partners engage in activity to build meso/micro curriculum skeleton content taking account of OECD recommendations. Eg. Adopt, Adapt, Abandon activities/ Dotmocracy NLC toolkit used to design INSET day activities from suggested Ed Scotland links. Action and development plan written that will run through spring and summer term. Appendix 2
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The School Year – Nursery Toolkit for Planning Curriculum Content Creation Activities December Staff begin work on the curriculum action plan. January Critical Friend/ cluster group to present curriculum planning documentation using self- evaluation HGIOELC? challenge questions with EFM Nursery head presents curriculum info to focus group/self- evaluation group of parents and children. Parent newsletters to include communication on progress for curriculum planning. Digital comment box open for children and parents. February Adjustments made to planning where necessary to take into account mid-session consultation comments. Continued development work by staff to update or to develop course content as required. Timetabling work running in parallel to curriculum planning work and course content development. March Continued development work to prepare content for launch of curriculum in August.
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The School Year – Nursery Toolkit for Planning Curriculum Content Creation Activities April Finalised curriculum plans to be audited against the NLC Infographic for a second time by nursery staff and presented to nursery head. Nursery Head to agree on finalised content of whole school curriculum offer. Documentation issued to all staff. May SMT/Professional reading group launch the finalised curriculum at the May INSET day and present ongoing curriculum self- evaluation plans for annual refresh. Curriculum launched on nursery website. June Updated and refreshed curriculum will be launched at timetable change. July
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The School Year – Primary Toolkit for Planning Curriculum Content Creation Activities August September October November SMT analyse ACEL/attendance/exclusion data. SLT prepare the WHY of the Curriculum rationale in Describe/Reflect/ Speculate activity Staff meeting to present timeline of events and responsibilities along the journey. Stage partners audit dept curriculum offer against NLC Infographic PT/working group prepare employment data analysis for local area and nationally. Professional reading group/Short Life Working Group tasked with collecting curriculum rationale research from suggested sites on the NLC toolkit to prepare presentation for November INSET HT to bring curriculum WHY to HoE Mtg Questionnaires distributed to all pupils/staff/parents on content of curriculum the proposed WHY of the new rationale, wish list etc. Professional reading group rep takes standing item on curriculum research at all staff meetings this session. Curriculum added as standing item on cluster group meetings. SMT collate the following information: • School data analysis • Employment data • Professional reading group research • Pupil/staff/parent questionnaire info Critical Friend/ Cluster group to present curriculum planning documentation using self-evaluation HGIOS4? 2.2 and 2.3 challenge questions at cluster meeting with EFM INSET Day: Presentation to all staff on data collated for curriculum. Launch of the WHY and exploration of the HOW and the WHAT Professional reading group rep presents to faculty team Stage partners engage in activity to build meso/micro curriculum skeleton content taking account of OECD recommendations for BGE. Eg. Adopt, Adapt, Abandon activities/ Dotmocracy NLC toolkit used to design INSET day activities from suggested Ed Scotland links. Action and development plan written that will run through spring and summer term. Appendix 2
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The School Year – Primary Toolkit for Planning Curriculum Content Creation Activities December Staff begin work on the curriculum action plan. January Critical Friend/ Cluster group to present curriculum planning documentation using self-evaluation HGIOS4? 2.2 and 2.3 challenge questions at cluster meeting with EFM SMT present curriculum info to pupil focus group/self-evaluation group and to parent council for comment Pupil assemblies/ parent newsletters to include communication on progress for curriculum planning. Digital comment box open for pupils and parents. February Adjustments made to planning where necessary to take into account mid-session consultation comments. Continued development work by staff to update or to develop course content as required. Timetabling work running in parallel to curriculum planning work and course content development. March Continued development work to prepare content for launch of curriculum in August. Curriculum rationale brought to HoE mtgs
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The School Year – Primary Toolkit for Planning Curriculum Content Creation Activities April Finalised curriculum plans to be audited against the NLC Infographic for a second time and discussed with SMT/staff team. SMT/staff team to agree on finalised content of whole school curriculum offer. Documentation issued to all staff. May SMT/Professional reading group launch the finalised curriculum at the May INSET day and present ongoing curriculum self- evaluation plans for annual refresh. Curriculum launched on school website and at pupil assemblies. Critical Friend/ Cluster group to present curriculum planning documentation using self-evaluation HGIOS4? 2.2 and 2.3 challenge questions at cluster meeting with EFM June Updated and refreshed curriculum will be launched at timetable change. July
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The School Year – Secondary Toolkit for Planning Curriculum Content Creation Activities August September October November Faculty teams and SLT analyse SQA performance data at attainment review meetings. SLT prepare the WHY of the Curriculum rationale in a Describe/Reflect/Speculate activity ELT meetings to present timeline of events and responsibilities along the journey. Faculty Teams audit dept curriculum offer against NLC Infographic DYW PT/working group prepare employment data analysis for local area and nationally. Professional reading group/Short Life Working Group tasked with collecting curriculum rationale research from suggested sites on the NLC toolkit to prepare faculty presentations for November INSET HT to bring curriculum WHY to HoE Mtg Questionnaires distributed to all pupils/staff/parents on content of current curriculum, the proposed WHY of the new rationale, wish list etc. Professional reading group rep takes standing item on curriculum research at all DMs this session. Curriculum is a standing item at cluster group meetings. SLT collating the following information: • SQA data analysis • Employment data • Professional reading group research • Pupil/staff/parent questionnaire info SLT present curriculum planning information at NLC Attainment Review with HoS INSET Day: Presentation to all staff on data collated for curriculum by SLT. Launch of the WHY and exploration of the HOW and the WHAT Professional reading group rep presents to faculty team Faculty Head guides faculty teams to engage in activity to build meso/micro curriculum skeleton content taking account of OECD recommendations for BGE/Senior phase. Eg. Adopt, Adapt, Abandon activities/ Dotmocracy NLC toolkit used to design INSET day activities from suggested Ed Scotland links. Action and development plan written by all faculty teams completed that will run through spring and summer term. Action plans brought to HoE mtgs 20th June version Appendix 2
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The School Year – Secondary Toolkit for Planning Curriculum Content Creation Activities December Staff teams begin work on the curriculum action plan. Faculty Head liaises with SQA link and advises DHT curriculum/timetable of any new courses for session 23/24 January Critical Friend/ Curriculum trios with family group SLT & EFM to present curriculum planning documentation using self- evaluation HGIOS4? challenge questions 2.2 and 2.3 SLT present curriculum info to pupil focus group/self-evaluation group and to parent council for comment Pupil assemblies/ parent newsletters to include communication on progress for curriculum planning. Digital comment box open for pupils and parents. Faculty Head liaises with SQA link and advises DHT curriculum/timetable of any new courses for session 23/24 February Adjustments made to planning where necessary to take into account mid-session consultation comments. Continued development work in Faculties to update or to develop course content as required. Timetabling work running in parallel to curriculum planning work and course content development. March Continued development work in faculties to prepare content for launch of curriculum in June. Curriculum rationale brought to HoE mtgs 20th June version
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The School Year – Secondary Toolkit for Planning Curriculum Content Creation Activities April Finalised faculty curriculum plans to be audited against the NLC Infographic for a second time and discussed with link depute. SLT to agree on finalised content of whole school curriculum offer. Documentation issued to all staff. May SLT/Professional reading group launch the finalised curriculum at the May INSET day and present ongoing curriculum self- evaluation plans for annual refresh. Curriculum launched on school website and at pupil assemblies. Critical Friend/ Curriculum trios with family group SLT & EFM to present curriculum planning documentation using self- evaluation HGIOS4? challenge questions 2.2 and 2.3 June Updated and refreshed curriculum is launched at timetable change. July 20th June version
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Appendix 2 Curriculum Content Creation
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Why now? • COVID impact on pupils, staff and families. (HWB) • New start/beginning- good time for all to be engaged in conversations about Curriculum Rationale across NLC establishments. (Early Years, Primary Secondary, ASN, Cluster and beyond) • Time to refresh and update in light of COVID- new approaches, new initiatives- Cluster Attainment Teachers, Pedagogy Practitioners, Digital Pathfinders, Transition Teachers, Empowering Cluster Model • Digital Impact- how this has shaped the curriculum • National Landscape changing – OECD/Ken Muir etc
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Using meaningful learning networks • Planning, enquiring and reflecting with other practitioners to optimise impact • Collaborating with parents, carers, families and the community • Developing and maximising the opportunities derived from partnerships across clusters, local authorities and Regional Improvement Collaboratives • Building partnerships with colleges, employers, universities, the third sector and others to co-design the curriculum • Using the outdoors and our built and cultural heritage to support learning • Sharing, celebrating and reflecting on successes Curriculum Design Toolkit (education.gov.scot) Maximising opportunities that develop the four capacities for learners, making clear links to future skills, for example meta-skills • Understanding and sharing the pleasure and benefits that come from learning • Being clear on the knowledge and skills that underpin individual curriculum areas • Being informed by shared vision, values and aims, locally and nationally • Understanding drivers for improvement and how they align at national and local levels • Being responsible for the development of literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing across the whole curriculum for all learners. This includes digital literacy skills https://www.gtcs.org.uk/professional-standards/standards-for- registration.aspx https://www.sssc.uk.com/knowledgebase/article/KA-01548/en-us https://www.cdn.ac.uk/professional-standards/ http://cldstandardscouncil.org.uk/resources/standards-and- benchmarks/ Having clear strategies for delivering excellence and equity for learners • Agreeing the pedagogies that are best for purpose and the development needs of learners • Reviewing and refining the curriculum against the seven design principles. • Ensuring learners have clear progression pathways • Making clear links between learning and the world of work • Embedding Creativity and Learning for Sustainability in curriculum design • Using knowledge of the local community and robust data to inform the curriculum offer • Articulating and sharing curriculum rationale and narrative
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Local & National Guidance “The curriculum is the totality of experiences which are planned for children and young people through their education, wherever they are being educated. It includes the ethos and life of the school as a community; curriculum areas and subjects; interdisciplinary learning; and opportunities for personal achievement.” - Building the curriculum 3: A framework for Learning and Teaching
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Seven design principles • Challenge and enjoyment • Breadth • Progression • Depth • Coherence • Relevance • Personalisation and choice
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Curriculum areas The eight curricular areas: • Expressive arts • Health and wellbeing • Languages (including English, Gàidhlig, Gaelic learners, modern languages and classical languages) • Mathematics • Religious and moral education (including Religious and moral education and Religious education in Roman Catholic schools) • Sciences • Social studies • Technologies. Literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing are recognised as being particularly important – these areas are seen as being the ‘responsibility of all’ staff.
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CfE Values • Wisdom • Justice • Compassion • Integrity
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NLC VISION and VALUES A shared ambition for inclusive growth and prosperity for all - where North Lanarkshire is the place to Live, Learn, Work, Invest, and Visit. This is our vision, and our shared ambition. It’s what We Aspire to achieve. We work in partnership to achieve this, and we involve people in SELF WHAT INFORMS OUR CURRICULUM Scotland’s curriculum – Curriculum for Excellence – helps our children and young people gain the knowledge, skills and attributes needed for life in the 21st century. EDUCATION SCOTLAND, 2019 TRANSITIONS / PATHWAYS A learning pathway is your journey through education and learning. You can choose courses, qualifications and learning experiences at any age or stage of your life HEALTH AND WELLBEING Curriculum for Excellence has an important role to play in promoting the health and wellbeing of children and young people and of all of those in the educational communities to which they belong. NUMERACY Being numerate helps us to function responsibly in everyday life and contribute effectively to society. It increases our opportunities within the world of work and establishes foundations which can be built upon through lifelong learning. Numeracy is not only a subset of mathematics; it is also a life skill which permeates and supports all areas of learning, allowing young people access to the wider curriculum. DIGITAL Digital learning aims to ensure all learners and educators are able to benefit from digital technology in education. It is structured around Using meaningful learning networks • Planning, enquiring and reflecting with other practitioners to optimise impact • Collaborating with parents, carers, families and the community • Developing and maximising the opportunities derived from partnerships across clusters, local authorities and Regional Improvement Collaboratives • Building partnerships with colleges, employers, universities, the third sector and others to co-design the curriculum • Using the outdoors and our built and cultural heritage to support learning • Sharing, celebrating and reflecting on successes LEADERSHIP Young people EVALUATION To improve what you do, you need the right information - information which tells you to what extent an activity is having a positive impact. PARTNERSHIPS Empowerment and collaboration for improvement happen at all levels in an empowered system. Partnerships are therefore a key cornerstone of this approach. It is essential that partners play a full role in an empowered system to improve outcomes for children, young people, families and communities four essential and interrelated objectives: Develop the skills and confidence of educators in the appropriate and effective use of digital technology to support learning and teaching. Improve access to digital technology for all learners. Ensure that digital technology is a central consideration in all areas of curriculum and assessment delivery. Empower leaders of change to drive innovation and investment in digital technology for teaching and learning. LITERACY Literacy is fundamental to all areas of learning, as it unlocks access to the wider curriculum. Being literate increases opportunities for the individual in all aspects of life, lays the foundations for lifelong learning and work, and contributes strongly to the development of all four capacities of Curriculum for Excellence. CASE STUDY communities in what we do. We share our ambitions with them. We have big ideas and the vision to achieve them NL council’s values: fairness, respect, equality, and SOCIAL JUSTICE “close the gap in educational achievements between the most disadvantaged children…and the average, to promote equality, inclusion and diversity” INTERDISCIPLINARY LEARNING Interdisciplinary Learning (IDL) is a vital component to achieve all 4 capacities, and needs a concerted effort from everyone in the profession to understand what it is, and how to engage with the planning, pedagogy and mindset that will open up greater opportunities for learners. The rationale is further amplified by the increasing complexity and interdisciplinary nature of the way the world works: in life, in business and in public affairs excellence. ABLITY There is a particular focus on supporting skills development and helping young people aged 3-18 prepare for the world of work as expressed within 'Building the Curriculum 4: Skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work’. However it also acknowledges more recent research and developments such as the development of ‘Skills 4.0., a skills model to drive Scotland’s future’ or the Career Review. ‘Our curriculum is regularly reviewed and refreshed by an informed awareness of current education thinking and evolves through ongoing debate within the school community. We work well with partners to ensure creative and innovative approaches to curriculum development are encouraged and support positive outcomes for learners. The development of our curriculum is underpinned by a coherent whole school approach to learning for sustainability.’ How Good is Our School 4, Education Scotland, 2019 NORTH LANARKSHIRE CURRICULUM AIMS ‘
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·o, c NORTH LAN RKSMIRE COUNCIL urriculum IRa,tionale -Template e curricul m is ltie 0-tality o experiences which are pie ned children and young people ltirough heir educstioo, wherever they are being educated. II includes the eltios and e of the school as a oomm · , currioolum areas an subjects;· terdisciplinary lea ·ng; andopportunities personal achievemen• Build.' g the curriculum 3: A framevlOlk kx Leaming and Teaching Practical Approaches (give evidence and/or explanation on below) 1. clear progression patlnnys from 3- 8 2. c .ear mate·g es fur delivering equjfy· and excellence 3. consistently applied, hipiquality pedagogical sha.tegia fur ea.ming and asses:sment links to e world of work 5. embedding creativity and learning for rustamab• · : 6. buildling a llllltmmg rights-ba!e_d learning ,.:ironmmt links fo future sblls. M.erta--ilills NlC Curricu'lum Vision-we Aspire to support a I ·1dren and y ng peep to realise their 8. opportunities and approach to inta-cliscipfuwy emring full pot tial giving t e the to • t a e - ir way i life through q ity, exciting, an hollengi learni resulting in im oving atta· mc,nt an cl ·ngthe poverty-relate att;;.inment ga . School/ uster-space for school/duster visio wisdom justice compassion integrity NlC fairness respect equality excellence School/duster - cesstoquar le;;m·ngandtea ingandWewillensurethat our scho or .ces •hi take into he needs of ;;II our y ng people, giving :!=:': !== a life,time and th· , a ing. Lea ners of a I ;;,g,;;s will be ntage o the e o ies o r growing ceoncr. y brin t an s led v. r The Big ldea<S-40 LC esta ishmen.s use the s.: en ri iploof design o b ild aroun the curri ler areas, includ·ng lh;racy numeracy, HWB an digitals ills, to develop - four capaci school/duster• P'@ase include information under the head· below. What are your 'd ivers'? 9. wid'eir .achie.-ement and iu p a-ce in cuniculum curriculum Diagram: Na content-rid, curricvfum w h·, is knowledge bi,sed, skifls-odentated and expll·e ces infused.• - Broce RobeftSan, The Teaching Delusion 2 1his can be a mind ma , a ta le °'prose. Please expf·a the broad mechanics of your amiculum and courses: for the stages your establistiment serves. tt may be that you also ino:irpOl'ate the i o fro the pr..ctic approaches section to is mind map. FOi' secondary schools, you should ask faalty teams to ere.rte one of these for their coi.nes - d subjects, giving detail on the knowledge for the coc.ses offered and progression pathways. Primary and Early Years may also add detail for stages. This should be displayed on the appropriate page of the school website and does not need to be· eluded here. Planning of Qmioulum Self Evaluation, Review & Refresh NLC staff teams are committed to: • care -I "' professi nal l..arning sed aroun high rofess' n;.I st.m ards • me;;ningful pr ·-· · - d nt • f!e nging to c ·.c uiry • oe11elop·ngcol I Delh.an balliy 1. schoo c er oontext, incl ding enploymem opportunities 2. schoo·c er data.. inclu.dine conmltttion with staff te.ams 2. rob st community data &loymi!lrtprofiles to infotm curriculmn design Understanding the learners and lea ming Partners:(give evidence and/or explanation on below) earner comnl> tion to cwric design? Collaboratio \· pa.ren 5 and the oom:muruty? 3. Colleges, emp oyers, uruvenrties and the third sector co aboration. 4. Cl ster, local •0un: and regional improvement collaborative co:imectiom? 5. Opporhmitie3 for ontdoor and heritage earning links? • self-eval tic sc reference to GIOS4? Q.uar;tyind· ators r:glfiar,y eview!:d and re ed awareness of c 'rt?nt go evo/1/e:. n" escho co . We wotK. rrne.rs, er.s e ooc es ro cum'c devei encoc.xc:ged o es f, Jeame.rs. medeve pment of is nderpin ed e I appn en re ir;g fot How Good is our scnooJ 4,. EC1ucotion scottonct.
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Activity 1- Developing a Sketchnote In groups discuss and share (Tabletop) 1. What is the vision for the establishment? How do we share this and would all staff, pupils and parents know them? 2. What are our values? Would all stakeholders know them? 3. What additional aspects do we offer pupils and families. 4. How innovative are we in our curriculum design? 5. How does our locality/ surroundings support our curriculum design? 6. Does our curriculum meet the needs of all? How do we know? Where is the evidence?
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rovides O safe, onl,ne env,ronl'\en+ f Mono.9ed by Educaf,on ><o-llond. Gl D "Oefln P\lss.Jon" fur .-.+,-pW.-, #i whoseore rrn.....t.lrfjsd ihe off,clodby powrly• .,.j,,.,,. whoa.-I ...+off,clod by;J - !argtled •"fl"'"-lo 2. ,= -lar9ffl<l -loOll addl+tooaf q I.Pa,f """1orttl1& wtlh-11,e hl9'-s+ l...tsofdeprlvaft°" 73 &<'-Is ou+ wllh ..,.,._ qCl,alenge ou+i-t+y o...,. 3.· • , - f....t1og... ,,..,...-lo oil &d-t. wllh s. Pl-53 pupilsi,._law._...f°"'tllo& (<l'I" of sc/,oojs) 'l ' far9ffl<l &upp<>n -lo l"'f'"""-lhe ed..,cofJ-1 of #us group of >""'"9f'O"f'I• -0 ........................... i-o.fo-11ona1y fuodo,j f"'oYOm<M& whJd, ...,,..,. l/,o xof+Jsh Af+olo,,,oof Choii-.go educational and social justice reforms '1 Funded by+ 0 0 heSco-1-1,shGovernMentand 0 PIHU011lJ Additional Support for learning learning legislation ngela Morgan's Report Plans to enhance (Jl th thevo lume Work to c ose e . p and quat,ty of early years provision . attainment gap ...,.......,_..,,, .... ow or The COO\Mumca-1,, and colloboro-le 2 o oran RevI ew • 1 [:""II \ Natlonal funding to the valueof £!!million, for .,,., -•-.... nn . -- ,. · - • }, =- V U 2i • -..:::.- G.low occowits o"' ovoJloblo to oflscliools and edU(oflon es¼obllshr,,efrtS oa-oss xo+la,d,1ndud 91ndepe,,deot scliools ond ¾eocher ed1.ACof101c1ofleges/wiiversl4ies. co#Jsh educo¾l011porlners whoore Jnvotvtdlh fhe.kllvery of +he 3-13curr)cwu"' con also90in occtss fo Glow • I. W 1 J!!llL 2. -'nationalsttategicplanningand commissioningprocess should be developed for <hildren with complex ASN COSLA I'""'"..,.,_ - e)) YoungPeoplew•th Complex Addttt0!1al S\lpport Need::. 3. The-ewasrecognition of the continuingne-ed ◄.The revenuegrant provided to the Grant Aid Special Schools should continuefor lJP to fiv years 1' for,pecialists.,.vices n,.ngh,A,IJI> All 3 ;o c011-sider fhe eo11clusJons cf +he O £ ASL RtvJew ond ogrtoodtons +o o<ldress #le findln_gs o recol"l'\tf'lettdoflol\,S. 'The R, t Help at the Rtg t ,.unem theRight p ac.,. Stra:eg,cRev f!W of Lear"ling Provision for Children and • 2009 Aligns with other 0 1111 refurbish 117 schools implementation of the additional support for Educational Policies that complement curriculum in Scotland OECD Curriculum Review Evidence Pack 2021 So°'1la ti ,d ;-,, first< _.. extended fundtn9 foe -lhe '><o-l-lish AffoinMen-1 Chollen9e- co..,....,..;-1..,...n-1of £J Billionfoe -lhe life-liMe of <uecen-1 poc/io..,...n-1 Investment in adcHtlonaf st.a.ff such u tea.c:hen Investment InCOl'ltlnulng professt0nal d opment for staff FamUgy aB@t'"entsuppon Homelinlr -iorker andcounseUors Cla.:Ssroorn re,sour,es Speed\ and language therapists Scottish Attainment Challenge fl • rs ,n place,&. er ", lftc.<lautllofitl T'"'Y ., 11 J>lh)ft and c.,. llen,,., e lclleOlS and •u!hor,tre, aero -dtecountry10 hel11 Siemclose me 11-1¥ related &ttalAmEnt gap Independent Advisor on Poverty and Inequality <lG) Schocls for the Fu;- ire Programme o higher educatio (f' glow ; : :::;"'"' LI.0J launched Scottish Ministers commissioned an in 200<! fo cons+ruc+ or independent review of the 1
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What do we want to achieve? • Develop a content-rich curriculum which is knowledge based, skills- orientated and experiences infused. - The Teaching Delusion 2, Bruce Robertson
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Curriculum Rationale Template • NLC’s Vision, values & aims • School vision, values & aims • What do we want to achieve? What are our ‘drivers’? • Purposes & Principles of CfE oSeven principles oLocal & national guidance • Stakeholder views & involvement • Flexibility: Regular review through self-evaluation (HGIOS4 challenge questions) and research
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NLC’s Vision, values & aims • A shared ambition for inclusive growth and prosperity for all - where North Lanarkshire is the place to Live, Learn, Work, Invest, and Visit. • This is our vision, and our shared ambition. It’s what We Aspire to achieve. • We work in partnership to achieve this and we involve people in communities in what we do. We share our ambitions with them. We have big ideas and the vision to achieve them • NL council’s values: fairness, respect, equality and excellence.
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NLC Learn - Support all children and young people to realise their full potential • All young people in North Lanarkshire can achieve their full potential. They have the tools to make their way in life through quality, exciting, and challenging learning. That means improving attainment and closing the poverty-related attainment gap. • Learners of all ages have the skills to take advantage of the employment opportunities our growing economy brings. We have a flexible, resilient and skilled workforce for the future. • Everyone has access to quality learning and teaching. We make sure our schools are inclusive, energetic places which take into account the needs of all our young people. Young people have experiences which last a lifetime and a voice in their own learning.
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How is your school unique? ‘Drivers’ • Seven principles/ curricular areas • Knowledge of the community • Main sources of employment • Knowledge of your data • SIMD • CfE • Staff team • Partners
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• Time: approx 10 mins • Who: staff team working in groups • Resources: One blank sheet of A3 or A4 paper per group • What: Divide the sheet of paper up as follows. Ask groups to record as many responses as possible. • Share, discuss and follow-up as appropriate. •
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Understanding the Learner & Learning Partners What is the........ ? 1. Learner contribution to curriculum design? 2. Collaboration with parents, carers and the community? 3. Colleges, employers, universities and the third sector collaboration? 4. Cluster, local authority and regional improvement collaborative connections? 5. Opportunities for outdoor and heritage learning links? Can you evidence this?
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Activity 2- Developing your Curriculum Rationale 1. Who would you include in the design of the curriculum? 2. Why would you include each of the highlighted groups? 3. How often would you engage each of these groups in the consultation? (Calendar of events?) 4. How and who would evaluate the new curriculum design? 5. Do you think you would consider a cluster curriculum design- what would be the benefits?
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What do we want to achieve? What are our ‘drivers’? Resources • scotlands-curriculum-future-implementation-framework- oecds-2021-review-curriculum-excellence.pdf • our-best-future-1-briefing-sheet.pdf • At A Glance – Creativity Toolbox Activities (education.gov.scot) • Curriculum Design Toolkit (education.gov.scot) • cferefresh_a5booklet.pdf (education.gov.scot) • Curriculum Design Toolkit (education.gov.scot) • four-capacities.pdf (education.gov.scot) • four-capacities-templates.pptx (live.com) • IDL: Ambitious learning for an increasingly complex world (education.gov.scot) • West Lothian Design Thinking Session 21/01/22 – YouTube • CFE Scottish Curriculum Framework (education.gov.scot) • Meta Skills Toolkit | Skills Development Scotland • A framework for thinking skills | Practice exemplars | National Improvement Hub (education.gov.scot) • dyw37-personas.pdf
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Practical Approaches/Curriculum Diagram
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◄ ◊ Curriculufl\for El\Cellence (Cfl:) ? t - - Include:! : Act.Ve@ us , (I, .. 0000 l'! paao f !Y, Depth 0 • , Olallenge& Enjoyment Progression R evance Scotland's Cu rricu lum C..rria.lu"' Is defl•ed os the folof;ly of oU fhof Is plGMed for chikl,.. ood>"""9 pe"f'le ti-<>"' early l<on,101o,,.jchlldcore, +h school ood beyond. ihof f<>fotily coo be ploooedfor cod e,cper.. oced by learners acrossfaur c<>irl<xtsc the e-11,os ood life cf #iesd,ool osocofYll'\un;fy;oPPoriun>ffesfor personal odileve"'e,yt; Thevalueof outdoors & . c.un,cu\ufC\ tl(,(J PenonaUsation & Choke Jtderdlsclpllnory learn! oMI rurrlculum areas ond subjecls IndrvlduoJ se-Hlng.sand procfltl<>oers ore•"'powered t<> .-.ake fhedeclsl<>•s needed t<> provide a coherent, ,.. ,. -Oex,bi. and enricl,ed currlculu"' -11,of Is odop+abJe and responslYO fo th•diverse I naturat world needs of l.dMduol leorners ood wl,kh re-Oec+s fhe '41\l •••s of their <""'~•ltles. . ".,..,o OECD Independent Review Of Curriculum For Excellence er•t-11' 2020-2021Initial Evidence Pack w•"-c,\J\\.• Pothwoys le l"S& prodi+ionerS Po,e,rl-s& Co,-e,-s L,ode,-s l'..pPori %,ff . local A..jl,o,.;J;es L oi-Mr-S Parll\t8r-s !:.-.bedding t=:;::::::;;- 2'Si""ol I.-f,,,,e...mColloboca!i,.. ""'Pl r G,o,e,..,,.m a_od en90.9e"'en¾in educali<>• aod creaf.111n9ew woelc based ,og-• Jeorf'II cffer& // attributes for 1/ learning. lifeand work
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Essential Reading • Putting Learners at the Centre: Towards a Future Vision for Scottish Education (www.gov.scot) • Outdoor Learning (education.gov.scot) • whatarecreativityskills.pdf (education.gov.scot) • A summary of learning for sustainability resources | Learning resources | National Improvement Hub (education.gov.scot) • Curriculum, Learning, Teaching & Assessment – The West Partnership • Children's rights | What is my child entitled to? | My child | Parent Zone (education.gov.scot) • Engaging parents and families - A toolkit for practitioners | Learning resources | National Improvement Hub (education.gov.scot) • Career Education Standard (3-18) September 2015
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Essential Reading • Positive mental wellbeing - resources to support children and young people | Learning resources | National Improvement Hub (education.gov.scot) • Assessment - what is working well? | Resources for practitioners | Scotland Learns | National Improvement Hub (education.gov.scot) • Learner Pathways: A key to successful curriculum design (education.gov.scot) • Scotland Learns | National Improvement Hub (education.gov.scot) • Early learning and childcare (ELC) | Scottish education system | Education Scotland • Senior phase | Senior phase and beyond | Scottish education system | Education Scotland • Broad general education | Scottish education system | Education Scotland
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Using meaningful learning networks • Planning, enquiring and reflecting with other practitioners to optimise impact • Collaborating with parents, carers, families and the community • Developing and maximising the opportunities derived from partnerships across clusters, local authorities and Regional Improvement Collaboratives • Building partnerships with colleges, employers, universities, the third sector and others to co-design the curriculum • Using the outdoors and our built and cultural heritage to support learning • Sharing, celebrating and reflecting on successes Curriculum Design Toolkit (education.gov.scot) Maximising opportunities that develop the four capacities for learners, making clear links to future skills, for example meta-skills • Understanding and sharing the pleasure and benefits that come from learning • Being clear on the knowledge and skills that underpin individual curriculum areas • Being informed by shared vision, values and aims, locally and nationally • Understanding drivers for improvement and how they align at national and local levels • Being responsible for the development of literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing across the whole curriculum for all learners. This includes digital literacy skills https://www.gtcs.org.uk/professional-standards/standards-for- registration.aspx https://www.sssc.uk.com/knowledgebase/article/KA-01548/en-us https://www.cdn.ac.uk/professional-standards/ http://cldstandardscouncil.org.uk/resources/standards-and- benchmarks/ Having clear strategies for delivering excellence and equity for learners • Agreeing the pedagogies that are best for purpose and the development needs of learners • Reviewing and refining the curriculum against the seven design principles. • Ensuring learners have clear progression pathways • Making clear links between learning and the world of work • Embedding Creativity and Learning for Sustainability in curriculum design • Using knowledge of the local community and robust data to inform the curriculum offer • Articulating and sharing curriculum rationale and narrative
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NLC VISION and VALUES A shared ambition for inclusive growth and prosperity for all - where North Lanarkshire is the place to Live, Learn, Work, Invest, and Visit. This is our vision, and our shared ambition. It’s what We Aspire to achieve. We work in partnership to achieve this, and we involve people in SELF WHAT INFORMS OUR CURRICULUM Scotland’s curriculum – Curriculum for Excellence – helps our children and young people gain the knowledge, skills and attributes needed for life in the 21st century. EDUCATION SCOTLAND, 2019 TRANSITIONS / PATHWAYS A learning pathway is your journey through education and learning. You can choose courses, qualifications and learning experiences at any age or stage of your life HEALTH AND WELLBEING Curriculum for Excellence has an important role to play in promoting the health and wellbeing of children and young people and of all of those in the educational communities to which they belong. NUMERACY Being numerate helps us to function responsibly in everyday life and contribute effectively to society. It increases our opportunities within the world of work and establishes foundations which can be built upon through lifelong learning. Numeracy is not only a subset of mathematics; it is also a life skill which permeates and supports all areas of learning, allowing young people access to the wider curriculum. DIGITAL Digital learning aims to ensure all learners and educators are able to benefit from digital technology in education. It is structured around Using meaningful learning networks • Planning, enquiring and reflecting with other practitioners to optimise impact • Collaborating with parents, carers, families and the community • Developing and maximising the opportunities derived from partnerships across clusters, local authorities and Regional Improvement Collaboratives • Building partnerships with colleges, employers, universities, the third sector and others to co-design the curriculum • Using the outdoors and our built and cultural heritage to support learning • Sharing, celebrating and reflecting on successes LEADERSHIP Young people EVALUATION To improve what you do, you need the right information - information which tells you to what extent an activity is having a positive impact. PARTNERSHIPS Empowerment and collaboration for improvement happen at all levels in an empowered system. Partnerships are therefore a key cornerstone of this approach. It is essential that partners play a full role in an empowered system to improve outcomes for children, young people, families and communities four essential and interrelated objectives: Develop the skills and confidence of educators in the appropriate and effective use of digital technology to support learning and teaching. Improve access to digital technology for all learners. Ensure that digital technology is a central consideration in all areas of curriculum and assessment delivery. Empower leaders of change to drive innovation and investment in digital technology for teaching and learning. LITERACY Literacy is fundamental to all areas of learning, as it unlocks access to the wider curriculum. Being literate increases opportunities for the individual in all aspects of life, lays the foundations for lifelong learning and work, and contributes strongly to the development of all four capacities of Curriculum for Excellence. CASE STUDY communities in what we do. We share our ambitions with them. We have big ideas and the vision to achieve them NL council’s values: fairness, respect, equality, and SOCIAL JUSTICE “close the gap in educational achievements between the most disadvantaged children…and the average, to promote equality, inclusion and diversity” INTERDISCIPLINARY LEARNING Interdisciplinary Learning (IDL) is a vital component to achieve all 4 capacities, and needs a concerted effort from everyone in the profession to understand what it is, and how to engage with the planning, pedagogy and mindset that will open up greater opportunities for learners. The rationale is further amplified by the increasing complexity and interdisciplinary nature of the way the world works: in life, in business and in public affairs excellence. ABLITY There is a particular focus on supporting skills development and helping young people aged 3-18 prepare for the world of work as expressed within 'Building the Curriculum 4: Skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work’. However it also acknowledges more recent research and developments such as the development of ‘Skills 4.0., a skills model to drive Scotland’s future’ or the Career Review. ‘Our curriculum is regularly reviewed and refreshed by an informed awareness of current education thinking and evolves through ongoing debate within the school community. We work well with partners to ensure creative and innovative approaches to curriculum development are encouraged and support positive outcomes for learners. The development of our curriculum is underpinned by a coherent whole school approach to learning for sustainability.’ How Good is Our School 4, Education Scotland, 2019 NORTH LANARKSHIRE CURRICULUM AIMS ‘
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Background Reading • Curriculum: concepts and approaches – Professor Mark Priestley (wordpress.com) • Curriculum Development – Professor Mark Priestley (wordpress.com) • How clear is your school curriculum? | Tes Magazine • What Should We Include In Our Curriculum? – The Teaching Delusion • A 5-Minute Guide to: Curriculum Planning – Macro, Meso & Micro – The Teaching Delusion • consultation-analysis.pdf
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Appendix 3 Developing the Young Workforce Delivery Plan 2022-2025 Partner Logos SDS DYW LED New College Lanarkshire Routes to Work UWS Foreword Convener of Education and Families Developing the Young Workforce is a whole-council, cross party priority which extends beyond the council to include key partners. We are extremely proud of our strong track record in providing a curriculum which offers meaningful and relevant work-related learning opportunities which equip children and young people with the skills, qualifications and experiences they need to flourish in life beyond school in the world of work. This first class education and skills based curriculum enables young people to maximise their talent and realise their full potential and contribute to the local and national economy. Derek Brown, Deputy Chief Executive, North Lanarkshire Council This delivery plan builds on the previous edition and highlights the great gains made in this area of work in recent years and including during the covid-19 pandemic. • We are proud that in 2020-2021 we saw our highest percentage of young people leave school and enter a positive post-school destination. • Our Pathways Team are now permanent and have expanded and increased their reach to support 380 young people with multiple barriers to learning and employment and are seeing positive post-school outcomes as a result of their work. • Our Future Friday’s/Enrichment Afternoon has been running successfully for a full academic session with numbers increasing and more targeted interventions being provided for young people most at risk of entering a negative post-school destination. • Our vocational education offering is increasing both in terms of the number of young people participating and the range of qualifications and subjects being offered. • Active and Creative Communities, Employability, Supported Employment, Community Learning and Development and Financial Inclusion now sit within the Education, Children and Families Service and continue to support this work. This ambitious plan sets out how as a council, along with schools and partners we will continue to work together to improve employability experiences and increase the number of young people entering positive and sustained post-school destinations. Developing the Young Workforce and employer engagement remain a council priority with our Workforce for the Future Strategy setting out ambitious aims aligned to the Plan for North Lanarkshire.
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National/Local Policy Context Name and Quotes (spread throughout the plan) No One Left Behind “We want to ensure we have the right support in place for people making their first steps into the labour market; for disabled people and other equality groups experiencing disadvantage. We believe this is vital to ensure a more diverse and inclusive workforce.” Education Working for All! Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce “A focus on preparing young people for employment should form a core element of the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence with appropriate resource dedicated to achieve this.” “Support for young people at risk of disengaging from education and for those who have already done so should focus on early intervention and wide ranging sustained support. This should relate to labour market demand and should be focused on helping young people engage in labour market relevant pathways.” 15-24 Learner Journey Review “We want a school curriculum that works for all young people. We want to see a better aligned system which provides genuine choice and enables smooth progression for learners.” National Improvement Framework “..making sure our young people are better prepared for the world of work… striving for excellence and equity… improvement in employability skills and sustained positive school leaver destinations for all.” Career Review Skills Development Scotland “A key part of the Young Perso’s Guarantee, the Career Review aims to ensure that career services are fit for purpose and future proofed to meet the demands of a changing world of work.” Workforce for the Future Strategy “It is essential that our education, employability and skills provision is underpinned by a clear, co-ordinated and informed understanding of current and future business needs… We need to gain a clear picture of the types of roles, pathways and skills that are anticipated to meet future business requirements. This will in turn enable us to align, develop and deliver our curriculum. to meet the demand…” “Our in-school employability has made great strides over the last 3 years as part of the Plan for North Lanarkshire. The provision is underpinned by a number of well established initiatives… improving employability outcomes for children and young people…”
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The Plan for North Lanarkshire “All young people in North Lanarkshire can achieve their full potential… Learners of all ages have the skills to take advantage of the employment opportunities our growing economy brings. We have a flexible, resilient and skilled workforce for the future. Young people have experiences that last a lifetime and a voice in their own learning.” Governance Developing the Young Workforce is a national and North Lanarkshire priority. Alongside Getting it Right for Every Child and Curriculum for Excellence, it is one of just three pillars which drive improvement across all parts of the curriculum and Scottish education system. As such it requires strong governance structures to bolster effectiveness and ensure accountability. Work in the area is reported to the following council teams and groups: • Education and Families Senior Leadership Team • Corporate Management Team • Workforce for the Future Steering Group • Curriculum Design Board • Education and Families Committee Developing the Young Workforce Delivery Plan 2022-2025 Our Developing the young Workforce Delivery Plan is organised within three discrete but linked sections: the universal guarantee, the additional offer, and the intensive offer to improve outcomes for all children and young people and ensure no one is left behind. To assist in the successful delivery of the plan, in addition to strong and effective partnership planning and delivery across council services and with key partners, every school will have: • A designated DYW Champion with responsibility to lead on the development of DYW related activity across the school • A principal teacher responsible for the development of the Future Fridays offer (Secondary schools only) • Increased links with other council services, employers, training providers, third sector organisations and other key partners who will provide curriculum support to develop skills for life and work • Increased access to a range of ongoing career long professional learning opportunities around DYW and STEM hosted on the innovation and improvement hub • Access to robust and up to date labour market intelligence. This offer is for teaching and non-teaching staff and will extend to include staff from across council services, as well as to partners. • Increased access to data through the launch of 16+data hub pivot table to help target appropriate opportunities to individual young people. Where appropriate this data will be shared with Higher and Further Education establishments and employers to ensure smooth and relevant curriculum and career pathwaysl.
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The overarching aim of this work is to transform the curriculum to improve outcomes for all children and young people and to equip them with the skills, knowledge, qualifications and experiences to allow them to flourish, thrive and achieve their full potential in life beyond school, making effective contributions to the local, national and global economies. The Universal Guarantee For all children and young people focusing principally on the entitlements set out in the Career Education Standard, Work Placement Standard and School/Employer Partnership Guidance as well as the 2021 Skills Development Scotland Career Review: All children and young people from Early Level through to the Senior Phase of Learning are entitled to: • a new and simplified career development model • experience a curriculum through which they learn about the world of work, job possibilities, and the strengths and skills needed to take advantage of these opportunities • access to a curriculum which is aligned to the needs of our key growth sectors and meets the skills required by employers • develop skills and habits for learning, life and work as an integral part of their education and be able to articulate how their achievements relate to these • opportunities to engage in profiling that supports learning and development of skills for work and future career choices • a learning environment that recognises and promotes diversity and supports them to understand their responsibility to challenge discrimination • develop an understanding of the responsibilities and duties placed on employers and employees • develop an understanding of enterprise, entrepreneurship and self-employment as a career opportunity • know where to find information and access online resources such as My World of Work • develop Career Management Skills as an integral part of their curriculum • further develop Career Management Skills through groupwork and individual sessions with SDS careers advisers • have access to a broad range of pathways throughout the Senior Phase of learning including learning leading to work related qualifications • benefit from meaningful school/ employer partnerships which will enhance the curriculum offer by improving learning and teaching and bringing real-life contexts into the classroom. This could include learning on STEM, labour market intelligence, more creative careers information, advice and guidance sessions, providing references and recommendations of employment, offering internships and holiday employment • dedicated curriculum time for meaningful, flexible work placement(s) and work- related learning experiences in the senior phase of learning. This should lead to an understanding of what fair work is. • curriculum opportunities and experiences which will encourage and develop an interest in, and enthusiasm for STEM that is reinforced throughout their lives.
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Enhanced digital services will be developed that present information in an inspiring and accurate way • be involved in identifying what they need in terms of career support. This entitlement will be supported by: • the identification of early years and primary school DYW Champions in addition to those already in place in schools to create a cluster based approach to DYW • Increased career long professional learning opportunities for staff to increase knowledge of DYW across our schools and educational establishments • Digital Education Support Officer, Digital Pedagogy Teachers and Digital Champions, supporting all clusters. Their primary focus will be to contribute to the universal offer of the Digital School, Virtual Classroom, Progression Pathways and Curriculum Resources. They will support the Empowered Cluster system by offering CLPL, in class digital pedagogy support and advising on how to access local and national e- learning offers. Upskilling and empowering staff to deliver high quality digital pedagogy will provide our young people with progressive and relevant digital experiences that help prepare them for FE, HE or employment. • Access to the NLC Virtual Classroom with resources, activities and events that focus on improving digital skills, an increased range of digital and tech workshops and STEM and DYW careers focus events. • Digital Literacy Skills and Computing Science progression pathways launched in August 2022 that are designed to be flexible and will build on effective practice, highlighting knowledge and skills and exemplifying possible pace and progression. The current pathways provide progression from Early to Second Level with Third Level added by January 2023. The progression pathways will provide establishments with a consistent approach to how these areas can be embedded into the curriculum. This will ensure we have a strong, digitally skilled workforce with a particular focus applied to supporting girls into computing science career pathways. The Additional Offer Allowing targeted groups of young people to experience a wide range of opportunities and work-related learning experiences and qualifications to best meet their needs and prepare them to succeed in life beyond school. In addition to the entitlements set out in the universal guarantee the additional offer includes: Future Fridays Aligned to local and national policies referenced throughout this delivery plan, we delivered on our commitment to create better opportunities and pathways to success for our pupils through the introduction of a new curriculum model in 2022 creating space on Friday afternoons for secondary pupils to participate in a range of additional curricular opportunities and designed to develop skills for learning, life and work, health and wellbeing, leadership, personal and social development, which will give targeted groups of young people the best possible chance of success in life beyond school. This work will continue to expand both in terms of uptake and opportunities provided as part of this delivery plan and to address inequalities and advance equalities for targeted groups of young people.
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Vocational Education and Work-Based Learning Young people will have access to a wide range of vocational learning opportunities, experiences and qualifications linked to growth employment sectors and sectors with predicted skills shortages including Early Education and Childcare, Health and Social Care, Construction, and Hospitality. These will be delivered through consortium arrangements on school campuses by Higher and Further Education Establishments, Training Providers and school staff themselves. This will be supported by a digital learning approach that will offer a higher range of opportunities in the senior phase. Collaborative digital learning in this format will also help further prepare learners looking to continue their studies in college or University environments. The Apprenticeship Family Young people will have access to opportunities available at every level within ‘The Apprenticeship Family.’ This includes a proposal to offer Pre-Apprenticeships in key sectors – hospitality, automotive engineering, construction crafts and early education and childcare young people in S3/4, as well as the delivery of Foundation Apprenticeships in S5/6 covering all 12 frameworks available in Scotland, and Modern Apprenticeships and Graduate Apprenticeships as post-school programmes combining work and study Widening Access and Participation to Higher Education As part of our ongoing commitment to closing the poverty-related attainment gap, developing our young workforce and widening access and participation Education & Families is developing a range of innovative new employability pathways, packages and partnerships such as the recently launched HNC pathways with New College Lanarkshire and the University of the West of Scotland. Creating an opportunity for S6 pupils to undertake the first year of a recognised degree while still in the senior phase. This innovative curriculum development will expand during the period 2022-2025. Academy NL Under a single Academy NL concept, branded under our “Work Here” theme our academy programmes will focus on mapping current and future labour market demand in each sector, as well as building strategies to stimulate further job growth and opportunities for apprenticeships and other work placements that are aligned to our priority employment growth sectors; Health & Social Care; Construction and Digital Skills. Each programme is being taken forward by a separate integrated working group, with the engagement of relevant external partners, including key employers, our schools and young people and other stakeholders who are focused on developing a range of sustainable and relevant employability programmes and qualification pathways which will enable employers to fulfill their most critical workforce needs within North Lanarkshire Wider Achievement In addition to working on national qualifications and awards, children and young people will have access to a wide range of nationally and internationally recognised qualifications and awards linked to the world of work and endorsed by the Confederation of British Industry. These will include Prince’s Trust Achieve, Duke of Edinburgh, Introduction to Workplace
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Skills, Certificate of Work Readiness, Sports Leadership, Employability, Hi5, Dynamic Youth Awards, Youth Achievement Awards. Wider Achievement will be tracked and monitored alongside national qualifications and we will increase the range of wider achievement opportunities available to young people as part of the curriculum Leadership Academy To enhance the existing leadership opportunities available in school a new leadership academy programme will be introduced that will allow young people in the senior phase to achieve additional qualifications while developing skills for life and work. Delivered by a range of council services this programme will provide training and support to allow young people to become leaders in areas such as sport, dance, drama, enterprise, digital and STEM. Leaders will then put their learning into practice by delivering activities for younger pupils within their school or cluster primaries further enhancing opportunities in our schools and providing positive role models for younger pupils. Employability Mentoring Targeted young people will be matched with a mentor from within the council or a local employer who has been recruited and trained by council staff to act as an employability mentor building a one to-one supportive relationship that encourages personal growth, nurtures talent and helps build networks that will help lead to a relevant positive and sustained post-school destination. Digital School In addition to the universal offer the digital school will provide a range of targeted opportunities including: • The introduction of a progressive coding programme, giving high school pupils experiences of a variety of programming languages that are related to current areas of job growth. • The launch of SmartHUB CoBot pilot project in collaboration with New College Lanarkshire. This project will focus on introducing S2/S3 pupils to Industry 4 level CoBot robotics and their potential uses across all industries and will introduce pupils to the variety of Further Education opportunities available in this growth sector. • Working collaboratively with the NHS to create immersive content that will help to highlight key roles and career opportunities available to young people within the healthcare centre. The content created will also be available on the Virtual Classroom and will have detailed support materials on each pathway into each career. Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) More young people will access high quality STEM opportunities and experiences as part of their 15-24 learner journey including via The Apprenticeship Family. As part of DigitalNL, digital literacy and its application to the world of work will be a DYW focus area across all educational establishments. Gender imbalance and other inequalities within STEM will be addressed through the implementation of a Programme of Positive Action.
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Widening to access to DYW Information and Support To ensure all the key influencers involved in supporting a young person on their journey through education into employment have access to information that will help them make informed decisions relating to option choices and post school pathways there will be • Introduction of a series of digital event and in person events to target key influencers highlighting opportunities within NLC schools relating to Pathways, Packages and Partnerships, vocational education and career choices • The launch of an NLC Workforce for the future website to allow quick and easy access for parents, young people and school staff to information relating to their future choices within education and employment • Increased content hosted on NL Digital School providing information and resources on STEM careers, the apprenticeship family and other DYW related resources for use in school Creativity, Enterprise and Employability Our successful Dragons’ Lair initiative is open to S3 young people from all Secondary Schools. This allows young people, supported by Lanarkshire Business Gateway to work in groups to identify a product/ service they want to promote and sell, create a business plan, and pitch their idea to a team of dragons – local entrepreneurs. Increasingly, with support from partners, young people have taken this process to the next level and developed their products to sell/use locally. The Intensive Offer Ensuring all young people have access to a rich curriculum where there is excellence and equity leading to positive outcomes for every child and young person, leaving no-one behind. The reasons why children and young people may require additional support and interventions to enjoy a meaningful and relevant curriculum which best meets their needs are many and varied. To support young people at greatest risk of disengaging from education and entering a negative post-school destination, earlier and more intensive support and interventions are required. These include: Pathways Programme Following the success of the 2019 pilot phase of the Winter Leavers programme, Education and Families committee approved the continuation and development of what is now the Pathways Programme. Pathways provides a curriculum offer for young people at risk of labour market marginalisation, including statutory winter leavers (who are three time more likely to enter a negative post school destination than their summer leaving peers) care experienced young people and those with Additional Support Needs in the final six months of school The Pathways Programme curriculum is delivered outwith the school campus and is designed to develop key employability and life skills, focus on personal development and growth, and provide work-based learning in a range of sectors aligned to labour market
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intelligence with the ambition of supporting each young person into employment or other relevant post-school pathways leading to long term sustainable employment. This programme is a whole council intervention and includes delivery from key partners, Skills Development Scotland, DYW LED, New College Lanarkshire and Routes to Work. Since its inception the programme has grown to support more at-rik young people S4-6, and plans are in place to extend this work into upper Primary Schools in a pilot proposed to begin in September 2022. This is in recognition of the value of earlier intervention for those most at risk of disengaging from education and potentially entering long-term unemployment. The Virtual School The Virtual School is an intensive service working across primary and secondary, highlighting and supporting the educational needs of care experienced children. The Virtual School provides tailored packages of support through a wide range of activities including well-being programmes, literacy and numeracy programmes, outdoor learning, transition supports, volunteering/mentoring opportunities, vocational learning opportunities and direct support for SQA qualifications. The Virtual School has continued to develop vocational opportunities with a wide range of partners that allow for formal and informal learning including the development of the workplace skills. Where possible, vocational learning is accredited, and young people achieve qualifications to support future career choices. The Virtual School works in partnership with the Pathways Team and provides budget to support a coordinator post which has a specific focus on care experienced participants. Through joint planning and regular review meetings, a significantly higher level of individualised support is provided ensuring the needs of this vulnerable group of learners are recognised and appropriate supports around transition are in place. Routes to Work in Schools Routes to Work, one of the council’s ALEOs will engage with targeted groups of young people through a digital creativity and employability project, the winter leavers’ pathways programme and by working directly with targeted groups six months prior to their school leaving date Supported Employment The council’s Supported Enterprise Team work in partnership with young people from Additional Support Needs Establishments and mainstream schools to engage young people in employability programmes, supported work placements and supported post-school employment. This work has expanded to include care experienced young people with programmes offered including: Sunnyside Training Café @ Volvo: This innovative programme provides a 6-week placement (2 days per week) in Volvo Construction’s staff restaurant where young people will gain valuable work experience in all aspects of catering. Young people will be supported
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by job coaches from North Lanarkshire Council and staff from New College Lanarkshire to build skills and confidence in a real work setting and gather qualifications in catering/hospitality. ROOTS: Opportunities for Growth: Winner of COSLA’s Chairperson’s Award for 2022 our ROOTS: Opportunities for Growth programme supports care experienced young people to gain and sustain a positive post school destination. This 12 month flexible paid placement programme creates a bespoke learning and development package that ensures looked after young people and care leavers are ready for the world of work and reach their full potential. No Limits: The No Limits programme will provide paid work experience placements for senior pupils leaving ASN schools to give them the support they need to start their journey into the world of work. Project Ability: is a one year paid training programme to support young people with disabilities to enhance their skills prior to moving into employment. Placements are offered with council services and local employers and are matched to their skills and aspirations of each young person. Digital School/NLC SmartHUB Targeted Offer The SmartHUB CoBot pilot project in collaboration with New College Lanarkshire will target S4/S5 pupils at risk of leaving school into a negative post school destination. This project will introduce pupils to Industry 4 level CoBot robotics and their potential uses across all industries and will introduce pupils to the variety of Further Education opportunities and employment opportunities available in this growth sector. Case Studies Case studies will be hosted online at NL Workforce For The Future (glowscotland.org.uk) https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/nl/workforceforthefuture/ Get Involved All young people in North Lanarkshire can achieve their full potential. They have the tools to make their way in life through quality, exciting, and challenging learning. That means improving attainment and closing the poverty-related attainment gap. Learners of all ages have the skills to take advantage of the employment opportunities our growing economy brings. We have a flexible, resilient and skilled workforce for the future. Everyone has access to quality learning and teaching. We make sure our schools are inclusive, energetic places which take into account the needs of all our young people. Young people have experiences which last a lifetime and a voice in their own learning.
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If you are an employer in North Lanarkshire and you would like to work in partnership with the council to Develop our Young Workforce, please click here (Add link to contact us form) or email INSERT CONTACTS for more information
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Appendix 4 Abbie’s Pathways Journey North Lanarkshire Council’s Pathways Programme is a programme for young people in S4-6 supporting them into positive post school destinations through a focused curriculum based on a practical employability-based approach focusing on: • Personal and Social Development • Work Based Learning • Industry Recognised Qualifications • On the job training • Continued Support from a range of organisations. Abbie participated on the Pathways Programme in 2020 as part of the Winter Leavers cohort referred onto the programme through her school. As part of Abbie’s Pathways Plan she attended the Catering School in Motherwell, learning catering and life skills. From the very start she showed a natural flair for catering/hospitality. After completing the Pathways Programme Abbie had a few jobs but was not happy with the jobs she was doing so she reached out to the Pathways team to support her once again. Through partnership working with Routes to Work Abbie secured an apprenticeship in Hospitality and Catering in Mondo’s hotel/restaurant Coatbridge and is working through her City and Guilds qualifications with the Catering School in Motherwell. Below is an interview with Abbie on her journey which was conducted at Mondo’s and includes feedback from the Head Chef and Abbie’s boss Jimmy. “The Pathways Programme was amazing. I didn’t like school but couldn’t leave because I wasn’t 16 so I really didn’t know what my future would look like. Pathways was the best thing I had ever done. It helped me with my confidence, I learned to have patience and handle situations in a better way and helped me become calmer when situations arise. The Pathways team opened my mind up to different possibilities and helped me see my potential. I had always thought about joining the army and nothing else, then I was introduced to the Catering School. I loved it. I was treated as an equal and an adult, which I was really not used to. When I finished the Pathways Programme I had a few jobs, working in retail, cafes, and a couple of others but I really wasn’t happy with any of them, so I contacted the Pathways team and they set up an interview with the Catering School manager for me. I could not believe it when I was offered an apprenticeship at Mondo’s and even better, I am back doing my qualifications at the Catering School. I never ever thought I would be standing here today, working in a professional kitchen in Mondo’s. My boss and Head Chef Jimmy is amazing, he’s a great guy who has so much patience when teaching me. The whole team are amazing. I know I would not be here today if it wasn’t for the Pathways Programme and all the people who work on it. I cannot thank them enough for the support and belief they had in me”. Jimmy Head Chef feedback: “Abbie is an amazing young girl. She has fitted into the team quickly and works hard. She wants to learn every day and is a quick learner. She handles the pressure in the kitchen really well and is very respectful. She is a joy to have as part of my team”
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Appendix 4 - Case Studies Young Person Information CG – Looked After at Home C had not engaged in school-based learning nor online provision during either lockdown periods. Her home situation was chaotic and despite efforts of school staff and Social Work, there was very little likelihood that she would complete the required amount of work or assessments for the subjects she was undertaking in S4. C had decided she was not going back to school but was worried about her future. Since linking with the Virtual School in March 2021, C’s attendance at support sessions has been excellent as was her level of engagement. C has been working with Virtual School teaching staff to achieve three subjects at N4 level. She was also supported to apply for a college course for which three N4’s are the entry requirements - this gave her a target to aim for. C has applied and been successful in gaining a place at New College Lanarkshire on a Beauty course commencing August 2021. She continues to link in with Virtual School staff for support around student entitlements and recently commented on how proud she was of her achievements and for gaining a place at college. AP – Residential Placement A has been working with Virtual School teaching staff to achieve N4 English (she previously achieved N3 English and Maths). A did not attend school from the start of S3 and had very little idea of what she wanted to achieve or what she would do upon leaving school. Working in partnership with residential staff supporting A, Virtual School provided a number of learning opportunities to help A consider her future (including a possible return to school). Ultimately A decided she was interested in working with younger children. Utilising professional contacts, opportunities were sought to provide some experience in this area and A was linked into a work programme where a mentor was able to guide A. Her work experience/work trial went well – A has demonstrated a natural ability within the area of early years childcare and has been offered a modern apprentice training post. C McD – Looked After at Home C lives at home with his parents and had been granted a day placement at an out of authority specialist school as it had been felt that his specific needs could not be met within North Lanarkshire. He had been on the roll of the school for two years but had not engaged and had barely ever attended. As a S4 pupil he was worried about his future but felt that for a variety of reasons, he could not go to school. Virtual School staff met with C and his parents to find out his interests and any career areas he would be keen to explore. He struggled to engage in these early meetings however, a package of support was created around his interests and with a focus on building his confidence and self-esteem. Initially he was highly supported with Virtual School staff transporting and accompanying him to activities. Within a short period of time C was able to speak about what he would like to do in the future and his wish to achieve some qualifications before leaving school. He has subsequently managed to achieve N3 English and Maths and as a Christmas 2021 leaver, will be part of the Positive Leavers Pathways Programme commencing August 2021. Virtual School will continue to support him and whilst the
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programme will provide opportunities for work experience and employability qualifications, he is hoping to achieve N4 level in Maths and English. LL - Foster Placement L suffers from severe anxiety and has not attended school in over two years. He has however engaged regularly (one afternoon per week) with one of the VS teachers. His foster parents have struggled during lockdown periods to motivate him to engage on any online learning and as a S4 pupil he was at significant risk of complete disengagement and leaving school with no qualifications. The VS teacher has continued his link with L even in the most difficult periods of the pandemic. Upon the phased removal of restrictions L was able to meet with the teacher within a SW building (would not go into school) ultimately completing the work he was doing to achieve N4 English and N4 Applications of Maths. L has also received significant input from Positive Leavers Pathways and although he felt unable to attend the larger group, a bespoke package and individual work has hugely increased his confidence and belief in having a positive future. L was supported with SDS meetings and he has decided he would like to attend college. Again, support was provided for applications and interviews and L is now in the position where he has been offered a place on two courses in different colleges and has a choice to make. Support is currently in place around managing his anxiety and working out travel arrangements etc and links have been made with student services to support his transition to college. He is pleased with himself in what he has already achieved and looking forward to what his future career will be. He is a far happier and confident young man. RB – Residential Placement R currently resides in a children’s house. He was having great difficulty settling to full time education in his school, which is a SEBN placement. As a result, the school expressed their concerns for this young person’s health & wellbeing as he was having regular outburst at school which often resulted in him being extremely aggressive and threatening towards staff. He was at significant risk of exclusion. Working in partnership with the school and residential staff, Virtual School created a bespoke timetable, based on his interests, to engage R in alternative learning experiences which also reduced time his physical time in school. A two-day weekly construction placement was offered which aligns with R’s future aspirations of working in this sector. VS also provided access to a personal fitness coach which supports his mental and physical wellbeing two afternoons per week. R has reported that he is enjoying all aspects of the courses. His engagement and attendance are reported to be excellent. He aspires to become a scaffolder when he leaves school. School have advised that he has developed a renewed vigour for learning, and he is enthusiastic to complete his national qualifications this session. His time in school is focused on learning as he can see how this links to a positive future.
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Appendix 4 - Case Studies Young Person Information L – Looked After at Home Support was requested from Virtual School due concerns about L’s behaviour both in school and in his local community. He was struggling to cope within his mainstream school placement. He had been excluded a number of times which resulted in his involvement in incidents involving the Police. School staff had significant concerns about L’s behaviour escalating to the point where he was becoming criminalised and increasingly at risk in the community. L had expressed an interest in practical activities and chose to link in with a Bike Maintenance group offered by Virtual School. L quickly developed a positive relationship with the tutor. He demonstrated an interest and aptitude for bike mechanics work and offered to take on additional responsibility which allowed him to mentor other young people. L has moved schools to a placement at an SEBN establishment where he has now settled well. L has now re-engaged with school and learning. This has had a positive impact on his health and well-being. Over the summer holiday L has been involved in a community project organised by Virtual School. He has demonstrated excellent leadership skills and has really grown in confidence. As he enters S4, he is in a position to achieve a number of qualifications which would have seemed impossible a year ago. B – Looked After at Home B has been disengaged from school since S1 following transition to secondary. Out of school, distressed and at risk of exploitation, B was placed on a Restriction of Movement Order following a Children’s Hearing. A request for support was made to Virtual School and B began to engage with a VS support worker. Initially input was provided around well-being. After a period of time B expressed an interest in vocational learning opportunities offered by Virtual School - Hair and Beauty. B has been attending and engaging in this course which has had a positive effect on her engagement in learning and social skills. Virtual School facilitated introductions with Barnardo’s staff and she is currently engaging with the support offered by this partner organisation. Life is more settled for B. S - Kinship Placement S is 16 and initially worked with Virtual School whilst in S2. At that point S was disengaging from mainstream school – only sporadically attending due to difficulties around family relationships. Attendance was less than 20%. Working in partnership with the team around S, the VS support worker developed a trusting relationship with S. Eventually S was able to be supported to re-establish links with school, in particular with the Home School Partnership Officer. Through this, S began to make links with the CLD youthwork team and started to volunteer at a local community project. S successfully completed a Saltire Award for volunteering – a real achievement and confidence boost! S started to think about re-engaging with in- school learning and was supported by both Virtual School and school staff to make a plan which work allow a phased, supported return for S4. S still links with Virtual School and has completed a work experience with the team over the summer holiday. Direct input is no longer required. S has now achieved six N4 qualifications, is moving into S5 and has great plans for her future.
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Appendix 4 Pathways Programme Construction Case Study John is a care experienced young person who joined the Pathways Cohort 1 (S5 Winter Leavers) in 2021. John was struggling with his mental health, with school having a negative impact on this. John made it very clear to his school that he no longer wanted to attend and wanted to leave at the earliest opportunity. With no clear pathway post school John was at an increased risk of leaving school and entering a negative post-school destination. John joined the Pathways programme with the hope of progressing into an apprenticeship within engineering, but due to the challenges he faced at school John did not achieve the qualifications required to progress directly into employment in this sector. John made it clear to the Pathways team that college was not a viable option due to his experience of formal education and the impacts it had on his mental health. At the beginning of the programme John was quiet and lacked confidence when asked to engage with others and found activities and group sessions challenging, which sometimes resulted in him becoming frustrated and angry. As the programme progressed John started to engage in work-based learning at construction training providers. Through these opportunities John’s career aspirations developed and his willingness to consider alternative pathways increased. By engaging in an alternative curriculum with the Pathways team, Routes to Work and New College Lanarkshire, Johns interpersonal skills and self- confidence increased and by the middle of the programme John was able to engage more confidently with staff and other young people. John continued to enhance his CV through work based learning and other activities to enhance his skills for life and work and was successful in gaining additional vocational and industry qualifications. Working with Routes to work and Skills Development Scotland John realised that moving into employment straight after the programme was not the correct step for him. By participating in college modules within the Pathways programme John’s attitudes towards attending college changed. With the support from the Pathways team to apply and gain interview experience John was successful in gaining a place in New College Lanarkshire’s six-month kitchen fitting course starting in January 2022. Whilst attending college the Pathways team continued to stay in contact regularly with John to provide any additional support required. In the middle of April John made the team aware that he was confident and ready to gain employment. The Pathways team re-engaged John with Routes to Work to source and apply for job opportunities. John successfully completed his college course in June and continued to apply for Jobs and in August 2022 was offered an apprenticeship with Mears. The Pathways team and Routes to work will continue to engage with John as he takes the next step on his journey providing any support, he requires to sustain employment.
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Kayleigh’s Pathways Journey to Catering and Hospitality Summer Leaver 2022 North Lanarkshire Council’s Pathways Programme is a programme for post school leavers to gain a positive destination through a focused curriculum based on a hands-on practical industry-based approach focusing on: • Personal and Social Development • Work Based Learning • Industry Recognised Qualifications • On the job training • Continued Support from a range of organisations. Kayleigh participated on the Pathways Programme in 2022 as part of the Summer Leavers cohort, being referred onto the programme through her school. As part of Kayleigh’s Pathways Plan Kayleigh attended the Catering School in Motherwell, learning Catering and Life Skills. At the beginning Kayleigh would not make eye contact with anyone and was extremely quiet. After a couple of weeks Kayleigh started to engage more with others in the kitchen and showed a passion and natural ability for catering. As the weeks went on a visit to the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow was arranged by the Catering school, in order to meet the Executive chef and have a tour of the kitchens and other areas of the hotel. This visit was integral to Kayleigh’s decision in wanting to work within the catering and hospitality industry. After the visit, standing outside the Hilton hotel, Kayleigh had the brightest, widest smile. Kayleigh had made her mind up on what she wanted to do. Below is an interview conducted with Kayleigh over a lunch meeting on the 26th of July 2022 at Mondo’s Coatbridge. “Before I came onto the Pathways Programme I was not in a good place. School just wasn’t doing it for me anymore. I don’t know why but my confidence was really low, and I just couldn’t concentrate or see a future for me.” “I thought that if I ever made it to 16 then I would have to go to college or something I just couldn’t bear to think about that. To be honest I really didn’t think I would make it to 16, my anxiety and mental health was really bad.” “The best part of the Pathways Programme was going to the Catering School at the Bentley Hotel in Motherwell. I had this idea of working within the prison service as my aunt and uncle both work in prisons, so I thought that’s what I would do. Once I settled into the catering school, I started to feel more confident. I never once thought about hospitality and catering but here I was, learning to cook in a professional kitchen and I was actually really good at.” Appendix 5
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“The visit to Hilton Hotel in Glasgow and meeting the Executive Chef made my mind up, I decided there and then that that was what I wanted to do, not just in the catering side, I want to know everything about hospitality.” “The belief in me that I got from the Catering school and the Pathways team has been amazing, the support from both has given me so much strength.” “I know I will succeed and be successful and that is down to the Pathways Programme.” “Even my family are amazed. My mum said, “I never thought I would see the day where you have an apprenticeship in a hotel, have a relationship and are always smiling and happy.” “The best part? “Earning a wage and being able to buy new clothes. Being independent and being able to give money to my mum, it feels good to be able to do that” “I am glad I made it to 16. I can see a future for myself now.” “Words will never be enough to thank everyone for the help, belief and support that I have received.”