Tag: education

Primary 1 assessments: what do you think?

Independent review team call for views.

Views are being sought on the use of standardised assessments for Primary 1 (P1) children as part of the independent review led by David Reedy.

The review is seeking views from interested parties including teachers, councils, professional associations and parent groups.

Mr Reedy is being supported by a small review team including Dr Eve Bearne and two members of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education.

Work is already underway and a programme of school visits and engagement with practitioners and other stakeholders is being developed.

David Reedy said: “I encourage anyone with an interest to get in touch with the review, particularly those with experience of the assessments during the 2018/19 academic session.” 

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “It is crucial that we have the appropriate approach to assessment in our schools and that is why I commissioned this independent review into the use of P1 assessments.

“The review will consider the evidence gathered and be led by what is best for pupils. I look forward to receiving the review’s conclusions later this year.”

School children in P1, P4, P7 and S3 complete online standardised assessments in literacy and numeracy as part of everyday learning and teaching.

The assessments are designed to help identify children’s progress, providing diagnostic information to support teachers’ professional judgement.

The review will consider and provide recommendations on the following issues:

  • the compatibility of the assessments with the play based approach in the early level of Curriculum for Excellence
  • the alignment of the assessments to the benchmarks for the early level
  • the effect of taking an on-line assessment on P1 children
  • the usefulness of the diagnostic information provided to teachers and how it supports their professional judgement
  • the implications of the review for the ongoing development of the national Gaelic Medium Education standardised assessments
  • the future of the assessments. In particular whether they should continue in line with the current continuous improvement model, be substantially modified, or be stopped.

The review will be asked to provide conclusions and recommendations on each of these issues by the end of May 2019. The recommendations of the review will then be brought back to Parliament for consideration.

If you would like to contribute to the review please email p1review@gov.scot

Independent review of P1 assessments remit.

Continue reading Primary 1 assessments: what do you think?

Improving Personal and Social Education

Consent education to be part of updated teaching resources.

New resources to address sexual harassment and updated consent education guidance have been recommended as part of a review of Personal and Social Education (PSE).

The PSE recommendations will ensure schools and teachers have the resources and support needed to ensure a more consistent approach in responding to the issues young people face today.

Updated guidance for schools to strengthen the delivery of age and stage appropriate consent education will be taken forward and new resources to address the issue of sexual harassment, both in schools and online, will be developed.

The review also recommends updating guidance on mental health support available to pupils and staff and says schools should engage with pupils in the design and delivery of PSE classes.

Speaking at Queen Anne’s High School in Dunfermline, Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “Personal and Social Education is critical to giving young people the knowledge, skills and resilience to navigate the various stages of their lives and reach their full potential.

“Pupils have told us that PSE needs to be more relevant, empathetic and informative and must reflect the issues facing young people today. Updated consent education will be stage and age appropriate, will involve young people in the design and delivery of classes and will deliver more consistent teaching at all levels.

“The recommendations will also ensure a high standard of learning and support in mental, physical and emotional wellbeing and will give pupils greater access to mental health support.”

An implementation group, jointly chaired by Cosla and the Scottish Government, will take forward the review’s recommendations.

COSLA’s Children and Young People Spokesperson, Councillor Stephen McCabe, said: “COSLA welcomes the publication of this report and the recommendations it contains – we look forward to working with Scottish Government, Education Scotland, teaching unions, representative third sector organisations and others, to ensure these are implemented appropriately.

“Personal and Social Education is an important element of the work schools across Scotland are involved in everyday to ensure that children and young people develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need now and in the future for mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing.”

Find out more on the review of PSE and read in full the recommendations report.

 

City schools make the grade in delivering school sport

Gold status for Oaklands, Blackhall, Trinity and Royal High 

Local schools are among 35 from across the capital to have been awarded a prestigious national award from sportscotland, the national agency for sport, for this academic year.

Continue reading City schools make the grade in delivering school sport

Unions call for action as surveys show level of violence towards staff in Edinburgh schools

UNISON and EIS surveys published today paint a bleak picture of the violence in Edinburgh’s schools and classes suffered by teachers, nursery nurses and pupil support assistants. Many staff report experiencing violence daily at work and a third of support staff say they do not feel safe at work.  Continue reading Unions call for action as surveys show level of violence towards staff in Edinburgh schools