CfE Management Board - 11 June 2013 - Paper 5.1
Curriculum for Excellence Management Board Paper
Community Learning and Development (CLD): Progress and Future
Development
The purpose of this paper is to:
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Provide a progress update on the part being played by CLD in the delivery of
Curriculum for Excellence.
Consider, challenge and eliminate the barriers that prevent CLD from being a
full part of the implementation of CfE.
Set out a series of proposals for the future development of CLD in CfE.
1. Progress
Inspection evidence over the pilot learning community inspections has shown good
progress in the strengthening of partnerships to implement CfE across schools, CLD
and other partners. This is more evident during the senior phase where CLD is
increasingly contributing to the learner journey and flexible pathways for young
people in their post school transition. CLD is playing a key role nationally in the
delivery of Activity Agreements and supporting ‘Opportunities for All’.
This also includes delivering accreditation and award programmes, supporting young
people to take on volunteering, work experience and opportunities to contribute to
their communities. Through these valuable experiences, young people are
developing their skills for life, learning and work and enhancing their employability.
There is further potential for CLD to play a significant role in planning and delivering
positive learning and development experiences for those young people who have
decided to stay on at school for 6th year but are not following an academic
programme.
CLD is also contributing to young people’s broad general education supporting
literacy and numeracy and health and wellbeing. In addition, CLD can contribute to
other curricular areas including social studies through citizenship programmes. CLD
has a significant role to play in preparing young people as global citizens and
increasing their awareness of political democracy. This will support local authorities
in taking forward plans to support young people aged 16-18 in taking up their
opportunity to vote in the referendum for independence. CLD supports young people
in developing important life skills through programmes that enhance their financial
awareness for example. Although CLD practitioners are starting to increase their
understanding and use of experiences and outcomes, they require further support to
develop their confidence in their use and application.
Further opportunities for teachers and CLD practitioners to plan and deliver
programmes together should be developed. This provides important opportunities to
share skills and learn from each other. Teachers who deliver programmes including
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and youth achievement awards report that they are able
to build more positive relationships with young people which results in enhancing the
learning experience in the classroom. Opportunities for joint training and shared
CfE Management Board - 11 June 2013 - Paper 5.1
professional development should be further encouraged through in-service days for
example.
As the new senior phase benchmarking tool develops and is introduced, partners
including CLD will find it easier to evaluate the impact they are having in relation to
improving literacy and numeracy, positive destinations, closing the gap and
improving overall attainment including young people’s wider achievement. It will be
important therefore, that the new tool has the capacity to include partner and CLD
contributions.
Although CLD and CfE partnerships are strengthening, inspection evidence
highlights a need to improve joint planning and approaches to shared self-evaluation.
The CLD strategic guidance for community planning partnerships highlights the role
of CLD in early intervention and prevention. There is very good evidence of CLD
supporting young people, parents and families to remove the barriers they may face.
Positive intervention, where young people receive the right support at the right time,
can often help young people to re-engage in their learning. Family learning can help
to build relationships, encourage parents to play a more active role in their children’s
learning and raise their aspirations for their children and themselves. CLD can often
help young people experiencing difficulties to make positive choices in their lives
through personal development programmes and building positive relationships. It is
important to recognise the application and use of Curriculum for Excellence as a
framework to support lifelong learning with CLD practitioners increasingly making
use of the experiences and outcomes in family learning and adult learning.
The CLD and Curriculum for Excellence briefing paper, recently published by
Education Scotland explores the important contribution that CLD is making to CfE
outcomes for learners through partnership working in educational establishments
and communities. In particular it looks at:
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What is Community Learning and Development (CLD) and partnership
working
How does CLD and partnership working contribute to CfE?
How might CLD and partnership working further promote CfE?
This paper is a useful tool for the CLD sector but it would be helpful to gain an
understanding of how it has been received and used by other practitioners involved
in the delivery of CfE
2. Future Developments
The previous Management Board paper on CLD and CfE (attached as Annex A)
acknowledged the need for a more strategic and co-ordinated approach to
supporting CLD. It would be helpful to establish a CfE stakeholders group which
would act as an advisory group for Education Scotland and others in taking forward
their role to support practice improvement. The group should be linked to Education
Scotland’s CLD Strategic Implementation Group and would help to ensure the
following:
CfE Management Board - 11 June 2013 - Paper 5.1
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an effective professional development programme for practitioners
co-ordination, planning and production of relevant support materials and
resources
support for the implementation of the CLD communications strategy
(attached)
sharing of good practice and development of case studies
support the role of the CLD representative on the CfE Management Board
provide an effective forum for discussing and addressing live issues
review progress
feed into the CfE Implementation Group as appropriate
consider the role of CfE in lifelong learning by gathering evidence of practice
and engaging with the broad range of interests concerned with this issue."
Further discussion with Education Scotland on the development of this group at this
stage would be helpful. We would expect this group to provide six monthly updates
on progress to the CfE Management Board.
A priority is to raise the awareness of parents on the significant role that CLD can
have on improving life chances. The recent publication of the CLD and CfE Briefing
paper has been a positive step in raising awareness and the profile of CLD in
relation to CfE. We now need to build on this and have a series of publications
which will focus on different themes to further raise awareness across the range of
key stakeholders.
Our communications strategy (attached separately as paper 5.2) will help to have a
planned approach to the above.
The revised Government strategy for CLD’s work with young people will be important
in setting out the outcomes we are trying to achieve and the roles and
responsibilities of Education Scotland and our national agencies in relation to these.
It is important that the strategy recognises developments that are already underway
and links to this.
We must ensure that our approach is as integrated as possible to avoid CLD
provision being seen as a ‘bolt on’. It is important that we review communication
plans and ensure as far as possible that CLD and the role of other partners is
included. The recent senior phase events run by Education Scotland are a positive
example of a range of practitioners coming together to share their practice and
discuss live issues. We need to continue to build on this.
In conclusion, I recommend that the Management Board notes:
 that a CLD and CfE stakeholders group supported by Education Scotland and
linked to their CLD Strategic Implementation Group will be established to
support the priorities outlined in this paper.
I recommend that the Management Board approves:
 the attached communications strategy, recognising the importance of raising
the awareness of parents and other key stakeholders
CfE Management Board - 11 June 2013 - Paper 5.1
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the continued involvement and integration of CLD into CfE developments
support for a professional development programme for CLD practitioners
increased opportunities for teachers, CLD and other partners to work and train
together
Duncan Simpson
June 2013
CfE Management Board - 11 June 2013 - Paper 5.1
ANNEX A:
Curriculum for Excellence Management Board
Community Learning and Development and Curriculum for Excellence Paper
January 21st 2013
1. Purpose
The purpose of this short paper is to:
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highlight areas for development in relation to community learning and
development (CLD) and Curriculum for Excellence (CfE)
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propose the development of proposals to address these, for consideration at the
Management Board’s April meeting
2. Background and current context
The national development programme for youth work and schools ran from January 2008 April 2011 with the aim of building schools and youth work partnerships in the
implementation of CfE. The Bridging the Gap report highlighted the critical contribution of
CLD to CfE and made future recommendations. This programme, supported by a national
group, was a key driver in raising the profile of CLD in relation to CfE. Since that programme
ended, the pace and profile of CLD developments have slowed although there has been
increasing recognition of the contribution that CLD can make to improving outcomes for
Scotland’s young people In addition, the policy context for CLD has further developed
through the national strategic guidance on CLD for community planning partnerships
published in June 2012, the post-16 reform programme and the forthcoming strategy relating
to CLD’s work with young people (the current draft Youth Work Strategy).
3. Current development areas in relation to CLD and CfE
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There is a need for a more co-coordinated and strategic approach to CLD and CfE
developments, with clearly defined roles for Scottish Government, Education
Scotland, the national agencies, local authorities and the CLD Standards Council
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The requirement for a comprehensive CLD and CfE communications strategy has
been recognised and is being developed by Education Scotland. This will help to
ensure that CLD is included and increasingly integrated into all CfE communications
and activities
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Workforce development of the broad and increasing range of CLD practitioners and
partners who now contribute to CfE needs to be addressed to enable the potential
role of CLD to be fully realised
.
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The developing policy framework for CLD provides potential opportunities for
promoting synergies and cohesion across the work of delivery partners, who may
require support to maximise the benefits
CfE Management Board - 11 June 2013 - Paper 5.1
4. Next Steps
The Management Board is invited to:
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Note the development areas raised in this paper in relation to CLD’s contribution to
CfE; and
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agree to the development of proposals to tackle these, to be produced in consultation
with relevant partners (eg Scottish Government, national bodies and the new
Strategic Implementation Group for the CLD Strategic Guidance) and discussed at
the next Management Board meeting.
Duncan Simpson
January 2013
CfE Management Board - 11 June 2013 - Paper 5.1