Aberdeen Learning Festival
Tuesday 16th February 2016
Main Event Programme
Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre
Inspired by diversity; Insisting on equity; A fairer community
Hosted by Kenny Luke
08.00 – 08.40
Registration & Coffee
08.45 – 08.55
Aberdeen Music Centre Jazz Band & Banff Academy Pipe Band
(Held in the Boyd Orr)
08.55 – 09.00
Welcome to the event (Gayle Gorman, Director of Education and
Children’s Services, Aberdeen City Council)
09.00 – 09.05
Introduction (Cllr Angela Taylor, Convener of Education &
Children’s Services, Aberdeen City Council)
09.05 – 09.35
Opening Keynote Address from Angela Constance MSP
09.35 – 09.50
Thanks from Cllr Angela Taylor.
Gayle Gorman and Maria Walker, Director of Education &
Children’s Services, Aberdeenshire Council; Thanks and welcome
to staff attending.
10.00 – 10.45
Session 1 Seminars/Workshops/Discussion Forums
10.55 – 11.40
Session 2 Seminars/Workshops/Discussion Forums
11.55 – 12.00
Big Noise – Music from S3 pupils (Held in the Boyd Orr)
12.00 – 13:00
Keynote (Loretta Giorcelli)
13.00 – 14.00
Lunch served (Aberdeen Music School Jazz Band in the Arena)
14.00 – 14.30
Networking and dedicated Exhibition time
14.30 – 15.15
Session 3 Seminars/Workshops/Discussion Forums
15.30 – 16.00
Keynote (Who Cares? Scotland)
16.00 – 16.15
Summary, final words and close (Gayle Gorman)
Exhibition is open throughout the day. Please take an opportunity to see what is on
offer.
Event Information
This booklet is 12 pages long – please don’t print it unless absolutely necessary!
All the information you need on the day will be available for you when you arrive.
Keynote Speeches
The Festival will be opened with a main opening keynote address for all delegates, and details of the keynote speaker
can be found overleaf. All delegates attending the event in the morning will be given a place at this keynote.
Further keynote presentations will follow later on in the day, again, for all delegates to attend.
All keynotes will be held in the Boyd Orr. There will be entertainment preceding the first two keynotes by pupils from
Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire schools.
Exhibition
An extensive exhibition of educational equipment, resources, and innovative practice will be available throughout the day.
Over 50 different exhibitors will be taking part, representing a range of commercial suppliers, some of our key partners,
and colleagues and establishments from across the whole of Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray Councils.
The exhibition will provide valuable opportunities for delegates to find out about products and services available to
support their work, to share practice, and to explore new ways of working in partnership with others. The exhibition will be
open from 8.00am until 4.30pm
Seminar Programme
Delegates are invited to select from our wide ranging programme of over 50 seminars, which will be running throughout
the day. Details of these can be found on pages 5 to 12 of this booklet.
Places at the seminars are limited, so early booking is recommended.
The seminars will run over three sessions, each lasting for 45 minutes. Networking time has been allocated and this will
allow you time to browse the exhibition!
Registering your place at the Festival
To take part in any element of the Festival you must register online, at http://alf2016.eventbrite.co.uk (If you have
difficulties booking using Internet Explorer please retry using a different browser, eg Google Chrome)
Please note that where a seminar choice appears faded on the online form and cannot be selected, this means it is
already full – please select an alternative choice.
If you wish to attend the event for the exhibition only, please select the appropriate choice when registering.
Please note we are unable to accept any applications by telephone or email
Your booking will be confirmed with an automated email sent to the address you provide on the registration form. Please
ensure you enter your address correctly and check your inbox for your confirmation email. Your confirmation email will
include your festival ticket - please print this and bring it with you on the day, as it will speed up the registration process
when you arrive.
Welcome and Introduction
The event will be officially opened by
Gayle Gorman
Director of Education & Children’s Services
Aberdeen City Council
Opening Keynote Address
(09:05 – 09:35)
Angela Constance MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning
Hear the Cabinet Secretary, Angela Constance, deliver the opening keynote address at
Aberdeen Learning Festival 2016.
Keynote (12:00 – 13:00)
Professor Loretta Giorcelli
The Challenge of Change; Leadership of Inclusion
Professor Giorcelli trained as a primary and special education teacher and for over 27 years
worked in segregated and integrated settings in both the UK and Australia as a teacher,
support teacher and Head of several schools. Over the last 20 years, Dr Giorcelli has worked in
the tertiary sector and between 2004 and 2007 was involved in one of the largest national
research projects investigating the inclusion of students with vulnerabilities in mainstream
classrooms in Australia. She now works to several national governments and to the United
Nations as a specialist consultant on Inclusive Schooling Practices, in schools as an Educatorin Residence and for parent/charity organisations as an advisor, keynote speaker, staff
developer and long-range strategic planner.
From 2013-15, she worked for the Queensland government providing equity training for the
leadership teams of 927 schools, writing a comprehensive eBook on Inclusive Schooling
Practices (2013). In 2015 she began work for the Northern Territory government on a 3-year
leadership development program aimed at enhancing inclusive schooling practices for some of
Australia’s most disadvantaged children. Her work The Invisible Needs of Learners is part of a
two-pronged approach aligned with John Hattie’s Visible Learning parallel project in the same
jurisdiction.
Dr Giorcelli enjoys the support of a retired engineering husband Kevin Robinson (of fine
Scottish descent) and the challenges of 7 lively grandchildren..
Her keynote will address both types of leadership considering everyone’s roles and
responsibilities when it comes to the inclusion and participation of all learners in our schools.
She will refer, not just to the role of ‘positional’ leaders in this particular change agenda (e.g.
principals, middle managers, etc.) but also to the work of ‘functional’ leaders which may be
exercised by each and every member of a schools’ staff.
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Page 3
Keynote (15:30 – 16:00)
Who Cares? Scotland
Introduced by Andrew Griffiths
Head of Education – Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council
Who Cares? Scotland” works with care experienced people across Scotland. Decades of their
advocacy work has shown that accessible education is hugely important to young people in
care.
At this keynote, you will hear from care experienced young people, from Aberdeen and
beyond, about;
•
•
•
The challenges care experienced young people face in education
Examples of better practice that is in place to ensure care experienced young people
have the support they need
How national changes in legislation and policy can help you identify partners and
opportunities to change care experienced young people's lives
All delegates attending will have a place on all the keynotes – there is no need to book.
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Page 4
Session 1 Seminars (10.00 – 10.45)
https://alf2016.eventbrite.co.uk to book
Please select one seminar from the choices below for Session 1 on your online registration form, or choose “Not
Required” if you are not attending a seminar in this session.
[1A] Widening the circle: Inclusive [1E] Mental Agility (Numeracy)
[1K] Role of the named person &
This session will focus on the importance
Schooling Practices in Action
Lead professional
of developing mental agility skills within
This session will focus on the roles of
Dr Loretta Giorcelli, Professor of
Special Education
(NB: This is a double session and
runs from 10.00-11.30. Please do
not book anything in session 2 if
you book onto this one)
[1B] Substance Misuse
A Workshop designed to examine current
practice and issues associated with the
teaching of substance misuse within the
School curriculum. This will include an
interactive element and provide vital
evaluation/feedback for the authors of the
Grampian Health Promoting Schools
Teaching Guidance pack for Substance
Misuse
Heather Wilson, NHS Grampian &
Fraser Hoggan, Aberdeen City ADP
[1C] Developing Listening and
language through nursery
/classroom routine
Some children come to nursery/P1 with
delayed language. An enormous amount
of language learning can take place when
children are involved in daily classroom
routines and activities. These daily events
are very important as they provide
opportunities for repetitive learning of
language in a natural and enjoyable way.
In this seminar we will model and share
some of the methods we use to help
develop language. We will show video
clips of some of the sessions with pupils.
Alison Buchan, Head of Sensory
Support Services, Aberdeen City
Council.
[1D] Attachment and Classroom
Practice
This seminar will provide an introduction
to the principles of attachment and
trauma, then explore its implications for
understanding and managing behaviour
positively in the classroom. The session
will be activity based, designed to engage
participants in drawing upon their personal
strengths and experiences.
Matthew Musset & Nicki Morris, Depute
Principal Educational Psychologist,
Aberdeen City Council.
the curriculum area of mathematics. It will
include examples of mental agility across
the broad general education and the
importance of progression to build on
previous
learning.
There
will
be
opportunities for professional discussion
and sharing of effective practice.
Lorna Harvey, Senior Education Officer
& Nicola Henry, Development Officer,
Education Scotland
‘Named Person’ and ‘Lead Professional’
and the responsibilities that come with
each role. There will be a particular focus
on the Children and Young People
(Scotland) Act 2014 and what this means
in practice for professionals working to
Get It Right For Every Child.
Gillian Laird, Multi Disciplinary GIRFEC
Training Officer, Aberlour Futures
Aberdeen
[1G] Balanced to Learn
[1M] Let’s Focus on Their Future
All learning takes place in the brain, it is
the organ that acts as a receptor for
information and then becomes the vehicle
through which knowledge is processed
and
expressed.
In
this
respect
MOVEMENT lies at the heart of learning.
Learning, language and behaviour are all
linked to the function of the motor system
and control of movement. Before children
are able to talk and walk they express
themselves through gesture, change in
posture, rhythm of movement, pitch,
volume and tone of voice.
Most academic learning depends on basic
skills becoming automatic at the physical
level. If a child fails to develop automatic
control over balance and motor skills,
many other aspects of learning can be
affected negatively, even though a child
has
average
or
above
average
intelligence. (Reflexes, Learning and
Behaviour – Goddard, Sally 2002).
The inhibition and retention of reflexes
during a child’s early development is
critical to their lifelong learning. This
session will explore how these reflexes
effect pupil’s learning.
Jayne Glover, Aberdeen City Council
We engage young people through
physical, emotional and social challenges;
taking them out of their comfort zone
where powerful learning can occur and
how this can be adapted to work in their
classes, home lives and communities. We
will explain and discuss Apex Scotland’s
Inclusion service before handing over to
the students of Harlaw Academy. The
interactive part of the seminar will hear the
voices of students from the school who
have accessed the Inclusion service and
ask questions to delegates on the topic of
Inclusion. A representative from Harlaw
Academy will also speak about their
experience of working with Apex Scotland.
Julia MacKay, Apex Scotland
[1H] Development of numeracy &
literacy in Early Years
This workshop will look at supporting the
development of literacy and numeracy
skills in the early years focusing in on a
meaningful and purposeful context.
Fiona Thomson, Education Support
Officer, Aberdeen City Council
[1N] Engaging Families in Learning
- What is it good for?
Our parent partners and family learning
staff will show how engaging in family
learning activities and programmes can
support parents to support their children’s
learning. Hear from the parents
themselves about how they feel the
programmes have impacted on their
confidence to support their children and
ultimately how they wish to pursue their
own learning journeys in the future.
Shona Foreman, Family Learning
Manager, Aberdeen City Council
**Session 1 continues overleaf...**
[1J] Developing a sensory
curriculum
An introduction to providing sensory
experiences across the curriculum and
creating multi-sensory environments.
Sheila MacGregor, Head Teacher,
Aberdeen City Council
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Page 5
[1P] Supporting Learners with
Down Syndrome
In this session, we will cover:
•What is Down’s syndrome?
•Associated characteristics and health
issues
•The development of a child with Down’s
syndrome and their learning profile
•Exploring possible strategies to support
inclusion.
Victoria Blake, Down’s Syndrome
Scotland
[1Q] Getting the most from your
EducationCity subscription.
Mapped to the Curriculum of Excellence
and already used in 65% of primary
schools in Scotland, EducationCity is
designed to be accessible and inclusive to
all learners, regardless of learning ability
or style.
The seminar will show schools how they
can get the most out of an EducationCity
subscription in their classroom and use it
to improve learning outcomes for students
of all abilities. We will focus on how
teachers can use the varied content for
both whole class teaching and also to
create personalised learning pathways to
help all students engage with their
learning in some way. We will also explore
the time-saving teacher features to help
schools understand how they can use
EducationCity for planning and marking.
Lucy Elson, Education City
[1R] The Learning Cloud: Engage
Learners, Support Educators &
Involve Parents
This seminar will include a demonstration
of The Learning Cloud (TLC) and how it is
being used in classrooms across Scotland
today for delivering literacy, reading and
language learning. There will be a focus
on digital texts, cross-curricular resources
and of course German, Spanish, Italian,
Scots, Doric and Gaidhlig.
The Learning Cloud is currently being
used by 20,000 learners internationally
including the Stonehaven and Westhill
School Clusters in Aberdeenshire.
Craig Johnstone, Giglets Education
[1T] The Global Goals for
Sustainable Development Are for
Everyone!
The Global Goals for Sustainable
Development launched in September. The
Scottish Government has committed to
meeting these goals in Scotland, as well
as working to improve life for people all
over the world. Ending inequality and
injustice is one of the main aims of the
goals, alongside reducing poverty and
fixing climate change.
Getting young people involved in making
the world a better place is at the heart of
what we do at the Montgomery
Development Education Centre (MDEC).
Come along and find out about the Global
Goals for Sustainable Development and
how they are the ideal catalyst for pupil
engagement on issues that matter.
In this session we will focus on Goal 5,
Gender Equality, and Goal 10 Reduced
Inequalities, and explore what these
issues mean for young people in Scotland
compared with young people globally.
This seminar will include participatory
learning activities for teaching Global
Citizenship and Learning for Sustainability
that teachers can easily replicate in their
school.
Global Citizenship is at the heart of the
Learning for Sustainability agenda, and
links to the following GTCS standards.
Claire Needler, Aberdeen for a Fairer
World/MDEC
[1U] Supporting Learners with
Dyslexia and Inclusion
This presentation looks at the current
legislation for pupils with dyslexia and
identifies sources of useful information to
help meet a range of needs within an
inclusive setting. It will include information
relating to the Addressing Dyslexia Toolkit
and the Aberdeen City Council Learning
Together Guide -Meeting the needs of
pupils with dyslexia.
Yvonne Taylor, Teacher, Aberdeen City
Council
[1V] Corporate Parenting
We aspire to Aberdeen being the best
place in Scotland for children and young
people to grow up and we are committed
to all our children, including those who are
looked after or care experienced, reaching
their full potential. As Corporate Parents
all of us who work in public services strive
to do the very best for our children and
young people and part of our commitment
is to ensure that our care experienced
children and young people have the same
opportunities and outcomes as their peers
who haven’t shared the experience of
being looked after. We want our children
and young people to thrive in our care and
be supported and encouraged to go on to
be the best they can be. This workshop
will inform delegates about their corporate
parenting duties and responsibilities as
well as about our local Champions Board.
This is a forum where children and young
people can see that their views are heard
and can influence the future direction for
change in the city and one which allows
them to challenge us and to look at ways
we can improve the functioning of our
organisations to make things better for
children and young people and their
families.
David Bliss, Practice Improvement
Officer, Aberdeen City Council
[1W] Conduct Disorder in the
CAMHS Context
A chance to explore the term 'Conduct
Disorder' and its complexities in a multiagency context. Case studies will be
utilised to inform discussion around
planning for children and young people
who display extremely difficult and defiant
behaviour.
The common co-morbid
diagnoses will be explored in terms of how
these impact on the child or young
person's presentation. Resources will be
identified in helping staff to think about
how they work with these young people
and to plan effectively as a multi-agency
team.
Lizzy Dixon, Specialist Occupational
Therapist in Adolescent Mental Health,
Young People's Department, Royal
Cornhill Hospital
[1S] National Improvement
Framework
The recently published first National
Improvement Framework sets out clear
priorities and key areas for improvement
in Scottish education. This workshop
provides an opportunity to hear more
about the implementation of the
Framework and engage with the key
drivers for improvement.
Fiona Robertson, Assistant Director,
Education Scotland
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Page 6
Session 2 Seminars (10.55 – 11.40)
https://alf2016.eventbrite.co.uk to book
Please select one seminar from the choices below for Session 2 on your online registration form, or choose “Not
Required” if you are not attending a seminar in this session.
[2B] Promoting Diversity: Tackling
Homophobia in Schools
Stonewall’s 2012 research, The School
Report, found that 55 per cent of lesbian,
gay
and
bisexual
young
people
experience homophobic bullying, and only
half have been told that homophobic
bullying is wrong in their school. More
than half of gay young people don't feel
there is an adult at school who they can
talk to about being gay.
Homophobic bullying is commonplace in
Britain's secondary schools. But nine in
ten primary and secondary school
teachers have received no specific
training to prevent and respond to it.
Which means that homophobic bullying is
frequently going unchallenged and young
people are missing out on much needed
support.
But homophobic bullying doesn’t only
affect lesbian, gay and bisexual secondary
school students. It also affects those who
are perceived to be gay, those who have
gay friends and family members and those
who are thought to be ‘different’ in some
way or don’t ‘fit in’.
Secondary school teachers need to tackle
homophobic bullying and support young
people who come out to them as lesbian,
gay or bisexual.
This
presentation
will
introduce
participants to the issue of homophobic
bullying and make sure they know where
to find further resources.
Caroline Hastings & Ellie Hepburn,
Aberdeen City Council
share feelings to achieve intimacy through
trust.
5. Critically engage with the TA philosophy
'I'm OK, You're OK which reflects the
belief system that 'each of us is of value'.
Dr Salma Siddique, Director of
Counselling and Psychotherapy, & Ms
Rosee Elliott CTA, School of
Education, University of Aberdeen
[2D] Mindfulness
This workshop looks at promoting our own
and others’ emotional resilience utilising
energy that helps us recognise the
conditions of happiness that are already
present in our lives.
Alison Mathers and Lynn Murphy,
Educational Psychologist, Aberdeen
City Council.
[2E] Effective Differentiation
All children access differentiated learning
as part of our universal provision. Schools
most skilled in differentiating learning
generally prevent large numbers of
children escalating to the ‘targeted
stage’. This session will explore different
approaches to differentiation and will allow
you to share practice with colleagues.
Eleanor Sheppard, Inclusion
Implementation Manager, Aberdeen
City Council
[2F] Introduction to Restorative
Practice
[2C] Crossed Words: Why Don't
You Just Say What You Mean?
This interactive seminar for educators
using Transactional Analysis principles,
will explore the participants desire to
recognise the need to value each person
irrespective of background. This will
encourage the individual's need for
contact for self-development, growth and
resilience to enable change. Participants
will explore their own thoughts, feelings
and behaviours with a reasonable degree
of objectivity to identify specific learning
opportunities and actions to:
1. Support the increase of the participant's
interpersonal skills.
2. Recognition of their own strengths and
challenges
3. Understand why we say what we say
after 'you say hello'?
4. Realise greater autonomy through
'being in the here and now' awareness;
the freedom to choose 'how to be in the
world' with spontaneity; being able to
“Restorative Practice acknowledges the
central
importance
of
effective
relationships in schools and promotes the
school’s role in developing these. It places
particular
emphasis
on
developing
respect, empathy, social responsibility and
self-regulation.
People
trained
in
Restorative Practice have an approach, a
structure and a set of skills for putting
beliefs into practice. A central belief of
Restorative Practice is that peoples’
behaviour can change and that we have
the opportunity and ability to influence
other peoples’ behaviour.
This session will provide a quick
introduction to some of the key ideas,
principles, skills and language associated
with Restorative Practice. Further training
is required to become a “Restorative
Practitioner.” Format will be power-point
presentation
with
some
interactive
questions/activities.
Barry Mitchell, DHT, Aberdeen City
Council
[2G] Digital Inclusion – Breaking
Boundaries
In 2016, technology plays an increasing
role in everyday life with much of our
interaction taking place in the digital world.
The Internet, social media and instant
messaging
in
particular,
have
revolutionised the way in which we
communicate. Digital inclusion is about
using technology to remove barriers to
participation. For children and young
people, it’s about ensuring that nobody is
left behind and that learners can engage
with communities around them and can
access the tools and resources they
require. The Learning Technologies Team
will give an overview and brief
demonstration of online tools available in
Aberdeen City to enhance and increase
pupil participation and to overcome
perceived barriers to learning.
Learning
Technologies
Team,
Aberdeen City Council
[2H] Using CEM’s monitoring
systems to evaluate the impact of
educational interventions in
secondary schools
This session will look at a range of
educational interventions which have been
found to enhance the outcomes of young
people in secondary schools and support
inclusion. We will explain how teachers
can use the data from CEM’s monitoring
systems to track their impact on their own
students. This will include a discussion of
educational
interventions,
CEM’s
assessments and reports, and how the
data can be used to evaluate progress.
Christine Merrell & David Martin, CEM
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**Session 2 continues overleaf...**
Page 7
[2J] What is the Rights Respecting
Schools Award?
The Unicef UK Rights Respecting Schools
Award (RRSA) supports schools across
the UK to embed children’s human rights
in their ethos and culture. The award
recognises achievement in putting the UN
Convention on the Right of the Child
(UNCRC) at the heart of a school’s
practice to improve well-being and help all
children realise their potential.
The award is based on principles of
equality,
dignity,
respect,
nondiscrimination and participation. The
initiative started in 2006 and schools
involved in the Award have reported a
positive impact on relationships and wellbeing, leading to better learning and
behaviour, improved academic standards
and less bullying.
This workshop will provide you with
support and guidance to help you on your
journey to becoming a fully accredited
UNICEF Rights Respecting School.
Gerry McMurtrie, UNICEF
[2K] Children’s Rights
What exactly are children’s rights, and
how do they impact on the work of
educators?
Using
material
from
‘Recognising and Realising Children’s
Rights’, Education Scotland’s professional
learning resource, this session will affirm a
clear definition of children’s rights as
described by the UN Convention on the
Rights of the Child and allow participants
to consider how this impacts on the life
and work of schools.
The outcomes of this session will be:
1. Participants will know and understand
what children’s rights are;
2. Participants will have considered the
importance of improvement planning in
‘making rights real’ in schools;
3. Participants will have considered the
importance of children and young people’s
participation in schools.
Paul McWatt, Development Officer,
Education Scotland
[2M] Behaviour as communication
Why are some children unsettled in
school? We need to understand the pupils
to understand their behaviours.
We are aware distressed and distressing
behaviours are forms of communication.
This session aims to look at some of the
reasons why some children may display
these behaviours and how we can support
them in school.
The needs of each pupil are different and
can be dependent on various factors. We
look to consider attachment issues,
learning styles, consistency of approach,
early childhood experiences and some
mental health issues as possible reasons
for distress.
Cliff McKay and Louise MacDonald,
Education Support Officer, Aberdeen
City Council
[2N] A Lens on Autism
Personalising learning can be a daunting
process given the ‘spikey’ profiles of many
young people with autism. Engaging
these learners in positive interactions can
prove challenging. Video Enhanced
Reflective Practice (VERP) has proven to
be very effective in guiding adults to
attune their understanding and practice. It
is a very powerful tool to help practitioners
deeply reflect on how their learners learn
best; understanding the significant ‘yes’
cycle of pupil initiative and adult response.
This interactive workshop will introduce
VERP and share some of the outcomes of
the approach through practical
applications. Participants will be
introduced to the ‘Principles of
Attunement’ framework and will be
encouraged to apply this whilst micro
analysing live film. In doing so
participants will experience how this
valuable intelligence can become the
basis of the individuals profile particularly
in more complex situations.
Karen Gebbie-Smith, DHT, Aberdeen
City Council
[2P]
Additional
Support
for
Learning: 10 years on - 4 years
reported
Scotland's additional support for learning
legislation has led to support needs being
identified for a wide range of learners.
In four years of reporting to Parliament the
outcomes for those with support needs
are showing signs of improving. This
seminar considers how well Scotland
accounts for improvements in this area
Laura Meikle, Scottish Government
[2Q]
Effective
Meetings
Multi-agency
The Children and Young People’s Act
advocates that we effectively engage with
children/young people and families when
we are taking decisions that will affect
them. This places great emphasis on our
ability to run effective multi-agency
meetings to ensure that we comply with
the legislation and make best use of time.
This session will explore different
approaches to running multi-agency
meetings and provide an opportunity for
colleagues
to
share
successful
approaches.
Lesley Stopani, Service Manager,
Aberdeen City Council
[2R] YPI Scotland: A vital context
for learning
Our seminar will explore the Youth &
Philanthropy Initiative (YPI Scotland); the
flagship education programme at The
Wood Foundation; currently delivered in
partnership with 195 Scottish secondary
schools, representing in excess of 26,000
participating students this academic year.
We will highlight how YPI strongly aligns
with a great many priorities and values
within Scottish Education, alongside the
programme’s broader relevance across
the whole school. Through case studies
we will share how YPI provides a unique
context for learning that encapsulates the
four capacities of curriculum for
excellence. In addition, we will detail how
the programme provides the opportunity
for young people to utilise and develop
skills for learning, life and work; supporting
meaningful engagement and outcomes
across the wider community. Alongside
the educational merits of YPI, we will also
explore how the programme fosters
significant and lasting community
partnerships. The programme’s strength
is centred on our commitment to YPI
being an inclusive and equitable
programme, delivered as a core feature of
the curriculum across a full participating
year group of secondary students.
Jonathan Christie, The Wood
Foundation
[2S] Closing the attainment gap
The attainment gap between affluent and
poor children has been stubborn to
change for many years. Poverty has a
corrosive negative impact on our
children's learning and this root cause has
to be tackled. However, there are things
that we can do now which can mitigate the
overall impact of poverty and we need to
know what these are and get on with it.
Tam Baillie, Children and Young
People's Commissioner Scotland
**Session 2 continues overleaf...**
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Page 8
[2T] Personalising learning
Looked After Children
for
A chance to have a look at the specific
challenges experienced by some of our
Looked After Children and how a highly
personalised approach can help improve
ultimate outcomes.
The session will
clarify:
• What is personalisation
• What is early intervention
• How partnership working can support
LAC
• How HGIOS 4 support schools
Larissa Gordon, Virtual School Head
Teacher, Aberdeen City Council
[2U] Developing Young Workforce
This workshop will help show the
relevance of Developing the Young
Workforce (DYW) in the context of
Curriculum for Excellence, How good is
our school? and national priorities. It will
give teachers and practitioners some
practical ways to explore the Career
Education Standard (3-18) and Work
Placements Standard including time for
discussion
with
colleagues.
More
information
can
be
found
at
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learn
ingandteaching/thecurriculum/dyw/index.a
sp
Mairi Thomson, Development Skills
Officer, Education Scotland
[2V] Together we are … Reclaiming
Social Work
The session will inform participants about
how children's social work services are
being re-designed to reduce bureaucracy
and giving our staff the confidence and
expertise to work as effectively as
possible with our service users.
Introduction of the model will enable our
staff to work systemically and
collaboratively in small social work units
and to allow them to focus on their work
with children and families.
David Bliss, Practice Improvement
Officer, Aberdeen City Council
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Page 9
Session 3 Workshops (14.30 – 15.15)
https://alf2016.eventbrite.co.uk to book
Please select one seminar from the choices below for Session 3 on your online registration form, or
choose “Not Required” if you are not attending a seminar in this session
[3A] Discussion session on
HGIOS4, enabling thoughts to be
shared and how to take selfevaluation for self-improvement
forward
Patricia Watson, HMI, Education
Scotland
[3B] How do we ensure The Duke of
Edinburgh's Award is accessible to
all?
One of the DofE guiding principles is that
it is “accessible by all”. This seminar will
explore how this is possible giving
examples of how DofE can be used to
support young carers, Looked after and
accommodated young people, those on
activity agreements as well as those with
additional support needs.
Mark
Pain,
DofE
and
Wider
Achievement, Aberdeen City Council
[3C] Additional Support Needs
Mediation within Education in
Aberdeen City
The aim of the workshop will be for
participants to gain awareness and a clear
understanding of what mediation is, what
it can achieve and the type of situations in
which it could prove most beneficial.
Even in the most challenging situations
and relationships, collaborative working is
still possible in order to de-escalate
conflict situations and achieve positive
and constructive outcomes. Mediation is
a practical and effective tool, which helps
families and educators re-establish
positive working relationships where
communication has broken down.
Linda
Paterson,
The
Mediation
Partnership
[3D] Equality Act 2010 – Legal
Implications
for
Education
Authorities
Delegates attending this Seminar will be
introduced to the duties on schools and
Education Authorities under the Equality
Act 2010 including who is protected, what
is prohibited, direct and indirect
discrimination, disability discrimination,
reasonable adjustments and the
relationship between the 2010 Act and the
Education (Additional Support for
Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 with an
emphasis on practical and real-life
scenarios.
Elaine Falconer, Team Leader,
Aberdeen City Council
[3E] Effective use of resources to
promote equity
This session will explore the three themes
of looking inward, outward and forward in
whole school approaches to supporting
children and young people. This will
include awareness of the range of needs
presented, building a profile of learning
needs, looking at whole school trends and
use of data to support learning and
teaching. In looking outwards from the
school an understanding of the staged
intervention framework can give an
overview of the support required for pupils
and who is best to provide this. The
workshop will also look forward to capacity
for improvements and next steps.
Theresa MacVarish, Service Inclusion
Manager, Aberdeen City Council
[3F] Support Manual
This session will give you the opportunity
to explore how the Aberdeen Support
Manual can help support Inclusive
practice
Win Wood & Lorna Walker, Aberdeen
City Council
[3G] Speech and Language
Therapy - Raising awareness of
speech, language and
communication needs in the
classroom
The presentation will include information
and activities about SLT services and
ways to support children
and young people within their classroom:
•
What are speech, language and
communication needs – nature,
prevalence, and impact
Follow us on Twitter: @ablearnfest
•
Information on how to access SLT
services and principles of SLT
support (including evidence base).
Delegates will have an increased
understanding of resources available
to support at different levels of service
input: universal level, targeted level
(training, information sessions and
workshops), and direct support
available for children from SLTs
(including models of service delivery).
•
Information highlighting key principles
of support to enrich classroom
practice and language/communication
development (linked with relevant
legislation and policies).
•
Promote training opportunities
providing by the SLT department to
support children’s development of
skills and participation in the
classroom such as Talk Boost, SLT
workshops, tailored twilight/in-service
training, P1 training opportunities,
Elklan.
•
Information on online signposting
resources (e.g. ICAN, The
Communication Trust).
•
Opportunity to provide feedback on
SLT services in order to influence and
support SLT service improvements
and partnership working.
Lorna MacPherson, Speech and
Language Therapy, NHS
[3H] Using CEM’s monitoring
systems to evaluate the impact of
educational
interventions
in
primary schools
This session will look at a range of
educational interventions which have been
found to enhance the outcomes of
children in primary schools and support
inclusion. We will explain how teachers
can use the data from CEM’s monitoring
systems to track their impact on their own
students. This will include a discussion of
educational interventions, CEM’s
assessments and reports, and how the
data can be used to monitor progress.
Additionally, examples of research
conducted by CEM will be given, including
strategies to help severely inattentive,
hyperactive and impulsive young children
to succeed in the classroom.
Christine Merrell & David Martin, CEM
**Session 3 continues overleaf...*
Page 10
[3J] Blasting off with Child Rights
Launchpad
Raising awareness of children’s rights is
the responsibility of all who work with
young people, never more so than in the
wake of last year’s Children and Young
People’s Act. Evidence demonstrates that
where children and young people are
aware of their rights and advocate for
them, their experiences, and outcomes,
dramatically improve. So, how do we
make that happen?
Within the session, you’ll hear about Child
Rights Launchpad, an award-winning
interactive resource from Unicef UK,
designed to help children and young
people explore their rights. You’ll find out
all about this free resource, how it works
and see what practitioners who’ve used it
have to say. Before the session ends,
there’ll be plenty of opportunity for you to
ask questions and get you and your
learners signed up!
Stephen Kidd, UNICEF
[3K] Are you an Advantaged
Thinker?
Are you a Named Person engaged in
planning for children and young people?
Are you an Advantaged Thinker? Do you
adopt a Strength-Based Approach?
Would you like to meet some allies,
connect with partners?
Recognising that the world we live in is
sometimes surrounded with negative
language and beliefs that stop change
from happening, Advantaged Thinking
gives us a lens to flip things the other way
round.
Whilst we sometimes need to describe
people in terms of their experiences
(disadvantaged, disengaged, at risk…..)
and refer to stereotypes ( young offender,
care leaver, truant) should we allow the
negatives to be at a higher ratio than the
positives? And how does this effect
learning outcomes?
In this workshop we would like to explore
with you:
How we TALK to people
How we UNDERSTAND people
How we WORK with people
How we INVEST in people
How we BELIEVE in people
How we INVOLVE people
How we CHALLENGE ourselves and
others
In our experience - when children and
young people and those around them
(including educators) appreciate and
understand the child or young person’s
strengths, then the child or young person
is better able to learn and develop.
Adopting a Strength Based Approach
has encouraged us to look for
• What children and young people can
already do
• What they can do when provided with
support from a range of people
• What children and young people will one
day be able to do
Inclusion is strongly linked to the
strength-based approach. Strength based
services promote development and
belonging for all learners by creating high
expectations for every one of them and
building from the strength of families and
young people to ensure access,
engagement
and
the
meaningful
participation of all children and young
people in their learning and development.
Kathleen Singer, Aberdeen Foyer
[3M] Supporting Families Affected
by Imprisonment
Every year an estimated 27000 children
and young people in Scotland experience
the imprisonment of a close relative. The
imprisonment of a family member can lead
to significant challenges for learners
including trauma (making it hard for them
to learn) and stigma (which can lead to
behaviour problems and bullying). In
many circumstances though schools may
not be aware that learners are going
through these experiences, whilst those
affected may not know how to access
support. This workshop enters into the
stories of children affected and offers
practical ways in which teachers and
school communities can help learners and
families. The workshop will be delivered
by Families Outside, an independent
charity, who have been helping prisoners’
families for over 20 years.
Tim Haines, Families Outside
[3N] Skills for Learning, Life and
Work.
Why should we teach a skills rich
curriculum…?
This seminar will look at why schools need
to focus on skills in learning and teaching
to prepare their pupils for the world of
work and an ever-changing world. It will
identify links to BTC4, HGIOS 4 and
Developing Young Workforce and will
exemplify what skills for learning, life and
work might look like in your school in
terms of planning and assessment. Real
examples of skills in practice in schools
will also be used to show the impact a
skills rich curriculum is having on pupils.
Christine McLennan, Enterprise
Development Officer, Aberdeenshire
Council
Follow us on Twitter: @ablearnfest
[3P] The Autism Toolbox
Scottish Autism was commissioned to
develop a web-based version of the
Scottish Government’s Autism Toolbox,
initially introduced across Scotland’s
schools in 2009. The seminar will provide
a practical demonstration of the website
and navigation through its themes and
features.
Moira Park, Scottish Autism
[3Q] Collaborative Learning for
Pupils with Additional Support
Needs
Very little research has been undertaken
which looks at what collaborative learning
looks like for students with ASN. We have
begun to develop this within the school
and also involved local mainstream
schools. We would like to share our ideas
in order to highlight ways around this and
how it can facilitate inclusion and raise
attainment.
Maggie Macaskill, Capability Scotland
[3R] Create Learn Inspire
From basic but great classroom pedagogy
to developing a ‘blended brave curriculum’
to
teacher
coaching,
leadership
development
and
mentoring,
to
wonderfully innovative and life-changing
strategies such as ‘Mantle of the Expert’,
Hywel covers – and practices - a whole
variety of approaches that make learning
real for young people and delivers his
work with an energy and a humour that is
quite, quite infectious.
Top creative teacher Hywel Roberts
approaches classroom strategies that
really do switch on all young children to
learn, to think, to participate, to take
responsibility and to enjoy the whole
wonderful
process.
http://www.createlearninspire.co.uk/
Hywel will be delivering CPD for teachers
later in the year, so this is your opportunity
to wet your appetite.
Hywel Roberts, Creative Educational
**Session 3 continues overleaf...**
Page 11
[3S] Leadership at Every Level
In this seminar we would propose to focus
on our online Framework for Educational
Leadership which is intended to support
improvements in Scottish education by
developing high performing leaders
equipped to tackle the significant task of
leading and managing in challenging and
changing times. We will focus on the
different elements of the Framework
including resources and support for
teacher, middle, school and system
leaders, identify the main aspects of the
Framework including the Model of
Professional Learning and links to GTCS
standards and encourage engagement
with the Framework for leaders at every
level
Lesley Whelan, Scottish College for
Educational Leadership
[3T] Meares-Irlen Syndrome &
visual stress
It is estimated that between 10-30% of
learners experience visual stress or
meares-irlen syndrome which can impact
significantly on their learning.
It is
important to identify learners’ needs as
soon as possible and use strategies to
support their learning. This seminar is
aimed at PTs SfL and ASN teachers to
help them identify children who might be
helped with adapted texts and coloured
overlays and those who should be
referred on for specialist help. This is a
practical workshop to demonstrate how
the Vision support Service can help
practitioners
meet
the
needs
of
approximately 20% of their learners in
accessing reading & raising attainment.
Alison Price, Head of Vision Support,
Aberdeen City Council
[3U] Supporting Literacy across
Learning
This session will introduce the Literacy
Across Learning Resource available on
Education
Scotland
website
giving
practitioners practical advice, support and
the opportunity to discuss current
approaches with a look at strategic
planning for future practice.
Helen Fairlie, Education Officer &
Madelaine Baker, Development Officer,
Education Scotland
[3V] Mini-Regensburg: Large-scale
Interdisciplinary Learning in
Aberdeen’s Twin City of
Regensburg
Mini-Regensburg is a biennial event for
children aged 8-14 years. The project
lasts for 3 weeks, during which time over a
thousand children participate in the
development and running of a play city:
Mini Regensburg. Set in the halls and
grounds of a secondary school, MiniRegensburg
provides
relevant,
challenging and enjoyable learning
experiences and stimulating contexts to
meet the varied needs of children and
young people. Children can develop a
vast number of skills through the context
of the play city that simulates many reallife processes and experiences. Come
along and be informed, impressed and
inspired with Mini-Regensburg organisers,
Rosemarie and Reiner, as they tell you
about their large-scale IDL project that
exemplifies so many principles of A
Curriculum for Excellence.
Rosemarie Wöhrl, Mini-Regensburg
Project
[3W] Staged Intervention and the
Role of the Educational
Psychologist
Aberdeen City's Staged Model of
Intervention has recently changed to an
inclusive model of 'GIRFEC Support
Stages'. Aberdeen City Educational
Psychology Service have brought in new
ways of working to better support targeted
ways of working with schools and partner
agencies. This workshop aims to be an
informal interactive look at how Aberdeen
City EPS deliver our five key functions and
how best we can support GIRFEC working
in schools.
Emma Powell and Stephanie McNicol,
Educational Psychologist, Aberdeen
City Council
Follow us on Twitter: @ablearnfest
Page 12