FAQ

What does IDES stand for?
Innovation and Development in Education in Scotland

Any connection with the Ides of March?
Yes, as it happens we were founded on 15 March 1988.

The IDES Network seems to have been involved in a lot of things over the years. Is there any underlying strategy?
Everything we do is ultimately connected to innovation and developments in education. Frequently we explore the links between curricular areas (for example, design, technology and enterprise), or how the approaches which they embody can inform the whole of education. Creativity in education is a good example of that.

Who actually runs the IDES Network?
The IDES Network is an independent educational charity (Charity number SCO24194). We have a Management Committee, whose members are elected at our AGM and who serve for a period of three years. We are supported extensively by and work closely with LTS.

How much influence does the IDES Network really have?
IDES is an organisation without offices or full-time employees, and we depend heavily on our members' enthusiasm. Because of this, we can be fast moving, we can take a few risks, we can fly kites. Our most valuable assets are the ideas we generate and we can frequently influence the national agenda. In the early 1990s, we did a lot of the thinking on design and technology education. In the mid-1990s we set the pace on enterprise education and in the late 1990s and early 2000 we led nationally on creativity in education. More recently we have focused on innovative ideas in integrating the curriculum and our next project will see IDES move into a new area looking at personalisation of education and building learning communities.

What's next?
IDES tends to reinvent itself and take on a major new initiative every five years or so. There are already ambitious plans being developed for our next five-year phase. But we're also looking for your ideas and input. Now is the perfect time to join.