MULBUIE and FERINTOSH PRIMARY SCHOOLS

School Improvement 2016-17

SUSTAINABLE LEARNING

SKILLS FOR LEARNING, SKILLS FOR LIFE, SKILLS FOR WORK

School Improvement Priority 2

OUR VISION

Our schools are at the centre of school communities working together in strong partnership to provide an inclusive learning environment in which children feel a strong sense of belonging. We encourage

our children to recognise their talents and build on their strengths, by actively challenging their thinking through engagement in meaningful learning and teaching. We embrace ambition, innovation and enthusiasm, and create opportunities for our children to take pride in what they do and be the best

they can be, both now and in the future. We support our children in moving forward socially and academically and in learning from life, for life.

What is sustainable learning?UNESCO, 2014"Education for Sustainable Development allows every human being to acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values necessary to shape a sustainable future.It … requires participatory teaching and learning methods that motivate and empower learners to change their behaviour and take action for sustainable development. Education for Sustainable Development consequently promotes competencies like critical thinking, imagining future scenarios and making decisions in a collaborative way.”

The report of the One Planet Schools Group, 2012For a school it is 'a whole school approach that enables the school and its wider community to build the values, attitudes, knowledge, skills and confidence needed to develop practices and take decisions which are compatible with a sustainable and equitable world.'

What does this look like in our schools?Sustainable learning is embedded across our curriculum. Pupils are encouraged to try things out, to share their ideas with others and to solve problems. This depth of reflective learning promotes a strong sense of self and raises attainment in literacy and numeracy as pupils develop critical thinking skills and their understanding is deepened through questioning and enquiry. Attainment has risen in maths as a result of the work we have done over the past years. Improvements this session in reading has also resulted in raised attainment. Almost all children in P1, P4 and P7 at Mulbuie and Ferintosh are achieving at the expected standard or beyond for their age. Our topics are designed around learning about our world and activities designed to make the learning meaningful. These skills

can then be transferred to future learning.Fairness and our role in society forms our assembly themes and we provide experiences to develop both personal and interpersonal skills, exploring our role in the community and how we can influence it.

Collaborative learning and learning from others. Workshops this year have included delivery by Eden Court, Glasgow Science Centre and Skills development Scotland. We also have specialist subject teachers at Mulbuie from Dingwall Academy delivering lessons in PE and modern languages, and a specialist teacher of music.

What does this look like in the schools?

Learning to think creatively for the future through problem based learning and real world enquiry.

Having a go and finding solutions independently and in a group.

Critical reflection through discussion groups and learning journals.

Systemic thinking and analysis with the use of real-world issues as a stimulus.

Learning in and about the outdoors.

Peer learning, researching and learning to act through leading assemblies and classwork.

School Improvement Priority 2Skills for Learning, Life and Work

This session we have:o Developed a 3 year programme in sustainable learningo Made improvements to learning and teaching in readingo Identified expertise and partners in the community to support learning and teachingo Produced a policy statement for our work in sustainable learning (available on request from

the school office)o Conducted our annual audit of activities that children take part in out of school. From this,

we identify areas and aspects for priority within school and adapt our programme.

What the children in P5-7 think of sustainable learning

Skills for Learning, Life and Work - What Next?Short termExplore Rights Respecting Schools initiative Develop skills in digital literacy with the introduction of the Chromebooks.Continue to develop links with the STEM hub and Skills Development Scotland to access high-quality science and technology experiences for our children, making use of their specialismContinue to improve learning and teaching in literacy, including early reading and also skills for writing across a range of genres at second level Longer TermConsider links with businesses and developing a work experience type opportunity for senior pupilsEngage with the My World of Work online platform May 2017

Working things out for myself helps me to think and then I know what to do the

next time.

Discussion helps me learn different ways to do things which I can then use next time. If I learn lots of methods, I

can decided which is best for me.

I like talking with others as sometimes I learn a different point of view.

I like doing the citizenship groups because we get to

do real things and help people in our community.

I like working towards a goal. I am very competitive. Learning like this develops my teamwork skills and responsibility.

Learning in a real situation helps me think and ask questions

rather than just answering from a textbook. I learn more.