Tag: learning

Nurseries rewarded for innovation

New awards recognise Early Learning and Childcare success

A nursery where children built a car out of old tyres and recycled wood is among the inaugural winners of a new awards scheme to boost the quality of childcare.

Other winners of the Scottish Government’s Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) Innovation Award include a nursery where children set up a café for parents and a nursery where children now grow their own food for lunch.

All six winning nurseries set up new creative experiences to challenge children and improve their social and language skills and self-confidence.

The six are:

  • Clober Nursery, East Dunbartonshire
  • Menstrie Nursery, Clackmannanshire
  • Village Nursery, West Linton, Scottish Borders
  • Bowhouse Early Learning and Childcare, Falkirk
  • Treetop Family Nurture Centre, Fife
  • Innerwick Early Years Setting, East Lothian.

All of the winning nurseries will receive £5,000 to further develop their innovative ideas.

Children’s Minister Maree Todd visited Clober Nursery and said: “Every winning nursery has gone above and beyond to give their children outstanding opportunities to learn and develop.

“Staff have come up with amazingly creative and fun ways to develop children’s understanding of the world around them, with great results already for the children, their families and staff.

“As quality is at the heart of our expansion plans, the awards will showcase best practice and encourage nurseries to share success with each other.”

Louise McHugh, an ELC practitioner from Clober Nursery, said: “Outdoor learning is an exciting and daily part of Clober Nursery.

“We strive to provide children with opportunities to learn and develop their risk-taking strategies, educate them to understand where food comes from as well as providing them with the opportunity to use their imagination with loose part play.

“We are only at the beginning of our outdoor learning journey and we cannot wait to see where the children’s investigations take us.”

Lose, lose: Scottish state schools cut number of exams pupils are allowed to sit

Reform Scotland says sharp reduction in National 4s and 5s available in many schools is narrowing educational opportunity for children.

New research released today by Reform Scotland, the independent think tank, exposes a disturbing decline in the number of National 4s and 5s school pupils are being allowed to sit. Continue reading Lose, lose: Scottish state schools cut number of exams pupils are allowed to sit

Better outcomes for children who need additional support

New tools to assist learners 

Councils and teachers are being given extra help to improve outcomes for young people with additional support needs.

The Scottish Government’s new guidance on mainstreaming provides clear, updated information to help decide the best learning environment for a young person. For the first time, it includes a Scottish definition of inclusion and practical guidance to deliver inclusion in schools. Continue reading Better outcomes for children who need additional support

Language learning in primary school can help reverse 18-year low

 

Language learning in primary school can help reverse 18-year low in GCSE Modern Foreign Language (MFL) entries.

The BBC last week released a report showing steep decline in the number of UK teenagers learning a language. The analysis shows drops of between 30% and 50% since 2013 in the numbers taking GCSE language courses in the worst affected areas. Most schools said the reason for the decline was the perception among pupils of languages being a difficult subject.

This follows the Labour government’s decision in 2004 to reverse the “Languages for All” policy and no longer making a languages GCSE a requirement. In 2010 the Westminster government attempted to reverse the decline by making language learning compulsory in English primary schools.

This coincided with the launch of Lingotot.

Lingotot founder, Angela Sterling, had been a secondary MFL teacher and was concerned about the decline so decided to throw herself into making primary languages provision of a high standard in a bid to help boost the numbers of children taking GCSE and A Level languages.

Since 2016 Lingotot teachers across the country have been delivering their bespoke qualifications in primary school languages accredited by NCFE. They are benchmarked at entry level, one step before GCSE which sets children on the right path for progression in language learning. This is a first for the UK.

NCFE is the UK’s longest established awarding body and is respected for its professionalism and quality.

Christine Paxton, Head of Accreditation and Employer Services at NCFE, said: “We’re pleased to have accredited Lingotot’s modern foreign language programme for primary schools.

“It’s great news for pupils – for the first time they receive formal, external recognition of their achievements. Learning modern foreign languages at a young age is important and Lingotot will help many primary schools to deliver high quality MFL programmes, so we’re delighted to be able to support this by providing recognition to those who complete these courses.”

Nick Gibb, the minister with responsibility for school standards at Westminster, says the overall picture in Great Britain is improving.

“We are taking a range of measures to do this, such as creating a new network of schools that excel in the teaching of languages to share their expertise and best practice with others and setting up a new mentoring project to encourage pupils’ interest in languages.”

Angela Sterling, former foreign languages teacher and founder of Lingotot added: “If the government is serious about reversing this decline through engaging children at a younger age – which language professionals fully endorse – it is essential that there is an obvious pathway for progression.

“Having official qualifications will help secondary schools to ensure progression continues from the outset which will go a long way to fulfilling the government’s pledge to make MFL a priority. We are seeing this in action as our children move from primary to secondary school.”

Giselle Dominguez from Lingotot North Edinburgh commented: “I am sad to see a decline in MFL exam entries. Having studied languages myself I know the immense benefits which are more than linguistic.

“As well as speaking a foreign language, increasing young people’s cultural awareness and their ability to work with people from around the world is just as important.”

The multi award winning business, which was established in 2010, provides pre and primary school aged language classes in French, German, Italian, Spanish, ESL, Welsh, Arabic and Mandarin and now teaches more than 15,000 children each week through its growing franchise network.