An A Curriculum for Excellence Seminar

. Link to Presentations Made To Delegates
. An “A Curriculum for Excellence” Seminar Workshop Sessions
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.	Libby Curtis - Gray’s School of Art It is argued that the over-crowded curriculum and the attainment driven agenda in our secondary schools mitigate against the provision and development of creativity and thinking skills in the curriculum. Yet these might be the very qualities that we need to develop in our young people if we are to contribute and compete in the increasingly competitive global market. “A Curriculum for Excellence” perhaps gives us an opportunity to address the above. The purpose of this workshop is to make the case for the need to do it, to explore the opportunities that might exist and to identify potential barriers that might lie in our way.
	A ‘creative’ curriculum for excellence Journey (PDF file)

	Paul Sherrington - Banff & Buchan College Schools are charged with increasing the range of vocational opportunities for all pupils and in particular devising strategies designed to prevent young people from falling into the NEET category when they leave. What role can be played by FE Colleges, acting in partnership with schools, in meeting the above two challenges. The purpose of this workshop is to present the current and developing provision to schools by Banff and Buchan College and to explore ways of enhancing and improving the quality of current provision.
	School College Provision

.	Pam Slater - ACfE National Team Session 2006/07 has been designated as the Year of Reflection. The purpose of this year is to further engage staff in discussion about the principles and purposes of ACfE and how this relates to their current and future work. Head Teachers and other promoted staff will be required to encourage, enable and facilitate these discussions. The purpose of this workshop is to support promoted staff in this facilitation. Delegates participating in this workshop will themselves take part in a reflective exercise and discuss with colleagues ways of replicating such discussion with staff back at school.
	ACfE Presentation Aberdeen Staff Activity Activities on rationales August 06 Questions template

	Peter Eavers, LTS Area Adviser HM Inspectorate of Education is fully up to "A Curriculum for Excellence" and will expect schools to be in a position to answer the following questions: How has your school or centre begun to consider the implications of the outcomes of the four capacities for its own aims and for school Improvement plans? Are staff beginning to think about the implications for learning and teaching, both generally and in relation to particular curricular areas? What are the percieved implications for CPD? How well placed is your school or centre to fulfill the aim of a continuous experience of high quality 3-18? Where schools are engaged in curricular innovation, to what extent are the four capacities contributing to the process? The purpose of this workshop is to support schools in answering the above questions and share current good practice
	A Curriculum for Excellence - Responding to HMIe

	Gill Scott & John MacBean, National Development Officers A partnership agreement between Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and The Moray Councils supported by the Scottish Executive has led to the establishment of a national development team to address and support schools in the implementation of the National Review of Guidance, ‘Happy, Safe and Achieving their Potential' . The purpose of this workshop is to introduce the team, give a background to the project, present an update on the project's progress and identify what contributions you can make. It will also look at the close links with ACfE and Health and Well-being. During the workshop we will look at the ten standards for Personal Support in schools that are in the document and explore the present methods of delivery and the areas that may need further support.
	Personal Support in Schools

	J Sherret, Hazlehead Academy & S Mennie, Aberlour Trust This presentation will illustrate how an SFW course in Early Education and Childcare has been delivered by Hazlehead Academy, in partnership with Aberlour Child Care Trust, are delivering Int 1 and 2 courses to S3/4 pupils as part of the SFW Pilot Scheme which began in June 2005. Staffing and accommodation constraints faced by our FE Colleges can prevent them from delivering the increase number of vocational courses required by schools. This mode of delivery may be of interest to schools who are seeking an alternative to the school/college partnership delivery.
	Working in Partnership with a Training Provider

	Heather Aitken, ASDAN National Coordinator The development of personal skills and effectiveness is an integral part of the A Curriculum for Excellence Agenda. ASDAN, ( A ward S cheme D evelopment and A ccreditation N etwork) provides a menu of programmes, awards and qualifications, which facilitates the development of personal and social skills within a variety of educational contexts. The purpose of this seminar is to introduce delegates to the range of provision available from S1 to S6 and indicate where these contribute to the four capacities. ASDAN can be tailored to a school's current curricular and extra-curricular activities and delegates will be invited to explore opportunities.
	ASDAN Aberdeen conference

	Mrs Sandra Ewen, DTS Operational Director The purpose of this workshop is to explore the relationship between Enterprise in Education, the HMIe document, “Journey to Excellence” and the “A Curriculum for Excellence” agenda. The workshop will also explore the potential for Determined to Succeed to support the delivery of the four capacities and how school practice can be evaluated using the HGIOS Enterprise in Education QIs.
	Determined to Succeed

	Irene Ross, Moray AifL Co-ordinator It is recognised that Assessment is for Learning lays a strong foundation for engagement with A Curriculum for Excellence. All schools are now beginning to implement AifL strategies to varying degrees. The next step is to ensure that the principles of AifL become embedded across the curriculum. This workshop offers a chance to explore and discuss: Strategies for embedding AifL and making links with ACfE How AifL can help schools with ‘The Journey to Excellence'
	Assessment is for Learning and the Journey to Excellence Teacher Success Criteria Outcomes 21.06.06 Towards ACE and the JtE 20.06.06

	Catherine Reilly, PTG, Lossiemouth High School “Learning and health go hand in hand. Good health of children and young people is a prerequisite for educational achievement. Good health of teachers is important to the development of effective schools.” (Education and Health in Partnership: European Conference, 2002) Improving health within school communities has a high priority locally and nationally, with the Scottish Executive requiring all schools in Scotland to be Health Promoting Schools by December 2007. ‘Ambitious, excellent schools' and ‘ A Curriculum for Excellence' (Scottish Executive 2004) set out four aspirations for children and young people; health promotion is very much part of the vision of what makes an excellent school. This workshop will present a case study of how one school is working towards being a health promoting school, most notably in the field of mental health. Opportunities will be given to discuss the role of health in schools and to share good practice.
	A Curriculum for excellence

.	Ken Lowson / Marion Davidson, L&T Officers Pupils who are high order thinkers are able to take responsibility for their own learning because they can: Make connections between different ideas Understand links between cause and effect Look for patterns in information and manage abstract ideas, which exist only in the mind, to build mental models of how the world around them functions. Their thinking is also characterised by their ability to hold and manipulate several factors in mind at once to reach opinions and judgments and by their confidence to take risks and be innovative. The workshop will explore four key areas for the promotion of higher order thinking: Questioning to promote higher order thinking Creating and managing groups for effective social construction Developing pupil's metacognitive faculties Designing cognitively challenging learning activities There will be an opportunity for delegates to consider what these would look like and sound like in a class.
	Thinking Skills

	David Macdonald, Rector, Arbroath Academy Arbroath Academy is one of the first twenty schools to be selected for the “ School of Ambition ” programme. Under this programme, Arbroath Academy aims to foster ambition in the school and its community. Its vision is to transform pupil motivation in order to improve attainment, and to create a critical mass of motivated pupils who embody a positive new ethos for the school. The school will transform through integrated action to 'reach for the stars'. Actions will include: developing staff morale and confidence, improving the environmental ethos of the school, supporting pupils through engagement between pupils and staff across the school, and increasing vocational opportunities. The school will work in partnership with the local authority, enterprise links and Angus College.David Macdonald, Rector of Arbroath Academy, will inform participants on the processes involved and the progress thus far of his school's involvement in this initiative.