Curriculum for Excellence Personal Support event - 22 June, 2009

This event brought together the key personnel from local authorities, Scottish Government, HMIE, SQA, universities, colleges and the voluntary sector who have strategic responsibility for development to support delivery of the Personal Support entitlement within the context of Curriculum for Excellence.

Purposes of the event

To develop policy to support delivery of the Personal Support entitlement within the context of Curriculum for Excellence
To provide an update on national developments of the principles of Personal Support
To explore what Personal Support might look like for all children and young people
To illustrate, through a case study, how one learning community (Balfron High School) has developed an innovative and successful support structure
To seek views on the future direction of a National Personal Support Network

Presentations on current national developments provided the focus for the following workshops:

Workshop 1 - Roles and responsibilities of all staff and those with specialist remits in supporting learners within the context of Curriculum for Excellence.
Workshop 2 - How structures support a joined-up approach and reflection on current practice to inform future planning.

Core issues

The importance of leadership to ensure that ethos is a priority to create a climate in which children feel happy, safe, respected, nurtured, included and achieving
A need to be more specific with regard to everyone’s role and responsibility
Real partnership working is essential - shared vision/values/common language and acceptance of partners as equal supporters of children and young people
Good multidisciplinary CPD and support
Structures – illustrative examples would be helpful
Variation in quality of delivery across the country is a concern
Capacity issues – a need for creative community solutions
AifL is integral
A need to connect all strategies, policies and what they contribute to effective learning and teaching within Curriculum of Excellence
A need to find ways for the learner to be more involved in identifying his/her own progress and articulating this

Next steps

A Network Steering Group has been convened and will meet in early September.
Minutes of this meeting will appear in an updated National Network area on this website.
Information relating to ongoing developments, engagement activities and sharing practice will be added to the website during the coming session.