CfE Management Board – 15 January 2014 – Paper 4.2
Update from Communications Group: September to December 2013
Summary
This period has seen the continued demand for communications and engagement
with stakeholders over a range of complex issues that has required close
collaboration and coordination across delivery partners. The main focus has been:
•
Increased collaboration on Parental communications with the launch of the
Great Learning Leaflet in partnership with NPFS. This is now being delivered
to every parent of school aged children. Additionally, NPFS are planning
additional materials for January 2014 as part of the popular “Nutshells” series.
Partners will support the launch and communications of these resources.
Distribution of a package of parental materials is anticipated in January 2014.
It is recognised that parental engagement across the country is widely
variable and there continues to be a very high need to co-ordinate national
and local communications and engagement with parents across the partners.
The main areas that require further communications centre around the senior
phase, new qualifications and the appeals process.
•
Communicating the policy on the introduction of the new Highers to set out
the expectation that the new Highers are the natural next step for pupils
progressing from National 5. There is scope for local flexibility to continue with
the existing higher where the teacher consider it to be in the best interest of
the learner and has the agreement of the senior management, local authority
and parents. This was initially communicated via a letter to Directors of
Education and subsequently through the CfE E Bulletin. There was significant
media interest arising and ongoing communications are planned to ensure
that all that the policy is communicated as widely as possible.
•
The ‘Tackling Bureaucracy’ group concluded and a report has been published
online and will be sent in hard copy to all teachers in the New Year. Partner
organisations will then implement their own plans to support tackling
bureaucracy. Significant communications to support this across the partners
•
Continuing to communicate through all partner channels the availability of
support materials for the new qualifications, events planned by delivery
partners to support implementation and Q&As to aid understanding. Feedback
CfE Management Board – 15 January 2014 – Paper 4.2
from practitioners suggested that finding all the relevant support materials was
challenging. To address this a dedicated web tool to search and find key
resources across all partners has been developed and launched. This is
called “Key Curriculum Support” and is being heavily promoted.
•
Continuing to promote CfE in action through collaboration with local
authorities, schools and Ministers to achieved publicity through local media.
Issues
o None
Actions Required by CfE Management Board
•
To note the communications activities that have taken place and consider
whether the key issues and actions are in line with where they see the main
communications priorities;
•
Agree that the planned actions as detailed in Appendix A should proceed as
planned.
Denise Brock
Head of Communications
Education Scotland
CfE Management Board – 15 January 2014 – Paper 4.2
CfE Management Board – 15 January 2014 – Paper 4.2
APPENDIX A
Detailed communications activities by stakeholder group
Current focus for CfE communications and engagement activity with different
stakeholder groups
Background
Key audiences for CfE communications work remain as parents/carers, practitioners,
head teachers, local authorities, education professional associations, the CLD
sector, employers, colleges and the HE sector, as well as learners themselves.
For
Leaders/Managers/Practitioners
within
the
system,
the
key
communications objectives are to support them in the following areas:
Current Activity
•
Clarifying the policy on new highers through stakeholder communications,
media response handling and engagement with practitioners.
•
A survey to measure the impact of the CfE briefing series received 759
responses and found that more than 80% of the intended recipients were
familiar with the series and found them to be useful, including for engaging
with parents. A review of the CfE Briefing series has taken place and a new
approach will be adopted from Spring 2014.
•
A CLD-focussed addendum to the CfE Implementation plan was published.
•
A variety of media engagement took place, both proactively and reactively,
including;
- An interview with Dr Bill Maxwell’s in Holyrood Magazine.
- Various coverage on SLF
- Various pieces relating to the new Highers
- Advertorials through “Friends of the Scotsman” published by SQA and
in a number of other publications
CfE Management Board – 15 January 2014 – Paper 4.2
•
Positive article by BBC around the Better Movers and Thinkers project (PE
initiative at primary school in Falkirk)
•
‘Key Curriculum Support’ a web search tool has been developed to assist
practioners in searching for CfE-related materials across delivery partners
websites.
Planned Actions
•
Continuing to reinforce the policy on new Highers
•
New leaflet detailing available and the timeline for planned support over the
next year to be published. Including publication of materials to support N1, N2
and New Highers
•
Promoting the Assessing progress and achievement professional learning
resource.
•
SSLN professional learning resource on reading promotion.
•
“New to NAR” quarterly promotional campaign.
•
Publicity events surround the start of the prelims, vocational training and
employer engagement will all take place.
•
SQA’s CfE webpages and suite of information leaflets (school, college,
universities, parent/carer, learner and employers) will continue to be
refreshed.
•
SQA will continue to place advertorials in relevant professional journals, as
appropriate.
Parents
Current Activity
•
The Great Learning leaflet launched in September, awareness raising
continues around the availability of this information.
•
SQA & NPFS are working together to provide a pack for parents of S3 &S4
pupils on the new national qualifications.
•
SQA continues to provide monthly updates to its customers, partners and
stakeholders.
CfE Management Board – 15 January 2014 – Paper 4.2
•
A consultation is ongoing on Parentzone to assess how it is being used and
how it can be developed further to meet parent needs.
Planned Actions
•
Education Scotland continues to work with NPFS to support delivery of their
communications activity.
•
Continue to work with the NPFS to fully understand parental attitudes and
progress, and provide Parent Councils with helpful and relevant information.
•
Identify and utilise all SG and partner channels (existing and new) that can be
used to reach more parents.
•
SQA
and ES will continue to inform parents and carers about the
development and delivery of the new National Qualifications through their
channels.
•
SQA’s CfE webpages and suite of information leaflets (school, college,
universities, parent/carer, learner and employers) will continue to be refreshed
•
SQA will continue to place advertorials in relevant professional journals, as
appropriate.
Employers
Current Activity
•
A series of business breakfasts are taken place with Dr Allan in attendance to
help engage with employers and build confidence in the new curriciulum.
•
SDS are now represented on the weekly CfE Communications call between
SG, ES and SQA with the aim of strengthening joined up working.
•
SQA proactively engaging with employers and business as part of their wider
engagement programme around development of the new qualifications.
Employers are directly involved in the development process.
•
SQA has a dedicated member of its CfE Liaison Team to engage with
employers and stakeholders.
•
SQA Advertorials continue to appear in the IoD Scotland magazine.
•
The SCQF Partnership and Skills Development Scotland are actively
engaging with employers to enhance their understanding of existing and new
CfE Management Board – 15 January 2014 – Paper 4.2
qualifications and certification. New materials e.g. qualifications online readyreckoner, employer toolkit on comparing existing and new qualifications, the
My World of Work resource and the new Career Factsheets are all available
on www.employersandyoungpeople.org .
Planned Actions
•
A group has been set up which includes SG, SDS, SQA and ES to coordinate
employer activity, the first meeting will happen in January.
•
Continue to work with employers' organisations directly around these issues
via 6-monthly meetings and more regularly via updating the employers and
young people web site and sending email alerts around this.
•
Promote the new 'Developing Skills in Practice' interactive resource which will
support teachers to embed skills development within their day to day
professional practice.
•
SQA will continue to engage with employers and keep them informed about
the new qualifications, what skills they will help develop and how they are
different from the current system.
•
SQA’s CfE webpages and suite of information leaflets (school, college,
universities, parent/carer, learner and employers) will be refreshed
•
SQA will continue to place advertorials in relevant professional journals, as
appropriate.