East Lothian Council's Support for Learning training week
Background to the event
In June 2006, East Lothian’s support for learning (SfL) teachers gathered in Musselburgh to participate in a new training initiative. Building on the success of the 2005 event for primary SfL teachers, East Lothian Council (ELC) decided to extend the invitation more widely. Both secondary and primary SfL teachers, colleagues from the outreach teaching service and from health services, and guests from two neighbouring authorities attended. Headteachers gave the event positive backing by agreeing to release their staff for the event. Over 100 professionals attended the event over the week, with more than 70 attending some sessions.
Aims
The focus for the training week was to promote collaborative links within clusters, across schools and in particular between different sectors. It was also an excellent opportunity to develop inter-agency and cross-authority partnerships. Many SfL teachers in East Lothian work part-time, some in small rural schools which have limited SfL staffing. Teachers can feel isolated from SfL colleagues with few opportunities for collaborative work. To be able to participate in discussions, workshops and activities would prove to be invaluable for everyone.
Programme
The Additional Support for Learning Act (Scotland) (2004) has great significance for SfL teachers and issues arising from its implementation were at the heart of the programme. Feedback from the 2005 event, and development needs identified by teachers themselves, were also taken into account by the planning team. The resulting programme was varied in both content and delivery – and included a number of speakers, group activities, workshops, poster sessions and sharing good practice.
Speakers
The opening address was given by Don Ledingham, Head of Education, who welcomed the delegates and emphasised the importance of the event for East Lothian Council. The keynote speaker was Julie Owen from The Inclusion Consultancy, who had all the delegates embracing the challenges of differentiating text, including reading The Sun newspaper.
Pat Campbell and Veronica Kirk, Development Officers from Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS) delivered a session on the LTS website with a particular focus on curricular resources online. They led the delegates through the website and answered individual queries. Teachers welcomed the opportunity to explore these online resources. The ICT theme continued with a virtual tour of the Exc-el website (Excellence in East Lothian), an interactive teaching and learning website for all.
The sessions
East Lothian practitioners led sessions on a variety of topics including dyslexia, autism, transition planning, consulting with others, planning for individual learners and updates of new ELC policies and guidance. East Lothian’s Enterprise Co-ordinator challenged delegates to the Great Egg Race, complete with advertising jingle, and by doing so introduced teachers to motivational and team-building activities for pupils.
Another inspiring and very practical session was led by Yvonne Binks, Positive Behaviour Officer, and Fraser Parkinson, Principal Officer Inclusion and Equality. Together they showed delegates strategies to develop positive behaviour in the classroom through discussion, video clips and a very entertaining presentation. Teachers commented that they would be able to implement these classroom strategies immediately.
Meeting others and sharing ideas
Lunchtimes were particularly busy. Delegates visited the Market Place, where a range of educational suppliers demonstrated new and innovative materials to support pupils with additional support needs. Colleagues used the time to network and to visit the informative displays set up by East Lothian’s outreach services.
The aim was not simply for delegates to listen to a series of talks: an important aspect for the organisers was the creation of a relaxed and safe climate for open and honest exchange. The added value of interacting with colleagues over a cup of coffee cannot be overestimated. Daily feedback collected on flipcharts and Post-its allowed delegates to raise any issues or concerns and to highlight good ideas, and enabled organisers to respond promptly to these. An impact assessment will be completed over the coming months to inform future practice and identify training needs.
Feedback on the training week
The success of this event is best summarised by the delegates. Here are some extracts from their feedback comments.
‘Great for morale and affirmation of our profession – left each day feeling motivated and proud of what we do.’
‘Relevant and informative – invaluable!’
‘Impressed with the wealth of knowledge and positive attitude of the delegates – reassured that ‘unconditional positive regard’ appears to come naturally to SfL teachers in East Lothian.’
‘A great way to build effective teamwork – an invaluable experience.'
Contact details
If you would like any further information, please contact:
Morna Macdonald
Email:Morna Macdonald (mmacdonald@eastlothian.gov.uk)
Linda Gaughan
Email:Linda Gaughan (lgaughan@eastlothian.gov.uk)