Leadership of global citizenship

Global citizenship is at the heart of Curriculum for Excellence. Leaders are increasingly seeking to develop global citizenship as a whole school approach built in to day-to-day active learning opportunities permeating and joining up the curriculum, allowing learners to connect learning and transfer skills.

During 2010-11, the Developing Global Citizens team at LTS offered senior leaders in secondary schools the opportunity to take part in a series of ‘Open Day’ study visits to working schools and to become part of a professional learning community taking forward developments in their own context. They were able to discuss and share their journey and to show how they have used global citizenship to develop a whole school approach to Curriculum for Excellence. The schools did not claim to have all the answers but were committed to engaging in dialogue and recognised that they had reached a certain ‘tipping point’ where the vision had become established in the life of the school.

While things are still challenging, it is a challenge faced together rather than of the lone champion struggling against the odds. This workshop will enable participants to share in some of the learning that has emerged from this process: how it has influenced approaches to interdisciplinary learning and curriculum planning, how assessment has been incorporated, how it has helped to establish the ethos of the school and how the use of Glow to share ideas and intentions has helped to provide encouragement and a sense of commitment and community amongst the participants.

Michael Farrell, Development Officer, Education Scotland

Michael Farrell is currently seconded from his post as Depute Headteacher as a Development Officer for Developing Global Citizens at Education Scotland with responsibility for Games Legacy and Leadership of Global Citizenship. He is particularly interested in using integrated approaches to international education, sustainable development education and citizenship education to develop innovative ways of driving forward Curriculum for Excellence.

Eric Summers is Headteacher of Webster's High School in Kirriemuir.  He has been in the forefront of promoting a coherent whole school approach to global citizenship in his school as the main driver for Curriculum for Excellence.  A clear, shared vision of the school as health-promoting, eco-aware, enterprising and globally-aware is well-established and is supported by a well-established partnership with a high school in Kenya.  Eric's personal commitment to this vision is a key element of the success in embedding global citizenship across the curriculum.

Additional speaker: Eric Summers