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Out of primary teaching in Scotland for 5 years. What have i missed?

14 replies

ferriswheel · 26/05/2018 00:18

Ive posted here because im hoping to get information from everyone, not just teachers.

Im due to go back after having time off for having a family.

Last i heard it was all Big Writing and GLOW.

What do i need to find out about? Help me fill in the gaps, please...

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insertcoolusernamehere · 26/05/2018 07:47

Scottish Primary Teachers Facebook page is a great source of information for teachers. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) are a hot topic at the moment, as is health and wellbeing generally. Closing the attainment gap and PEF funding in schools (pupil equity funding is directed by the school/HT not the council) benchmarks give CfE far more clarity than the original experiences and outcomes. National testing/SNSA controversial P1 testing. And a move as a profession to a child centred play based approach to learning in early years. Upstart scotland are the advocates pushing it forward.
All that is off the top of my head (teacher and parent in Scotland!)

Mistressiggi · 26/05/2018 07:51

What have I missed?
The further disintegration of Scottish education. A continue real-terms pay cut.

I believe there are return to teaching courses available in some teaching colleges here.
There is also a Scotsnet forum.
Good luck

unlimiteddilutingjuice · 26/05/2018 07:54

Just a Mum here sp take with a pinch of salt but....
Forest schools seem to be quite trendy right now. "Mud kitchens" in particular are a panacea for littlies.
SHANAWI and GIRFEC
According to my son's teacher the LA suggested she remove all the tables in the P1 classroom. She removed one and kept the rest. Grin

ferriswheel · 26/05/2018 09:25

This is very helpful. Thank you. Anymore anyone?

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ferriswheel · 26/05/2018 09:26

Whats the Scotsnet forum called?

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museumum · 26/05/2018 09:29

Far as I can see p1 is becoming far more free-flow and free play. Some schools are removing the different classes for most of the day and letting kids choose which learning group to be in with different projects in each room.
And yes, far far less sitting at tables in p1.
The idea here is kids go up to school in p1 but the learning is like nursery, then in p2 when they’re settled in the building and routine the learning style starts to change.

ferriswheel · 26/05/2018 09:42

Museumum

Are they doing handwriting in your p1 set up?

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Mistressiggi · 26/05/2018 10:46

The Scotsnet forum on here is just called that - it’s under Other Stuff in the talk list

ferriswheel · 26/05/2018 10:56

Oh, on mumsnet. Now i see. Thanks.

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ChristmasEnthusiast · 26/05/2018 11:25

I was a probationer in 2012, I'm just thinking about changes since then - some of these might be authority dependant not universal.

SHANARRI not SHANAWI! The wellbeing indicators: Safe, Healthy, Active, Nurtured, Achieving, Selected, Responsible, Included.

Requests for Assistance, Single Agency Assessments, and What I Think tools for any referral you want to make. Adverse Childhood Experiences, and SIMD data. ASPs are now GIRFME (Getting It Right For Me, off shot of Getting It Right For Every Child GIRFEC). CSPs are now GIRFME with an extra page.

Glow still exists, and is much better, but most teachers still moan about how it was 7 years ago because they haven't looked since.

Big Writing has gone. NLC Active Literacy is spreading.GL assessments have gone, replaced by CEM, then by INCAS.

Significant Aspects of Learning being replaced by Benchmarks (not really, they still exist but in that "oooh! Forward Plans need to have these!" Way- like the principles, the four capacities etc all died off).

Restorative Justice Practice. Anything you display to remind yourself of sanction applied to child's behaviour is now embarassing/humiliating and the reason they won't behave. Children now show distressed behaviour, not challenging behaviour (might just be our HT).

No classroom assistants. No annexe E in contracts. (So do all your own displays, data entry, filing, potential for lunch/break duty (although haven't seen this happen yet) cash handling and lunch counting, giving out lunch bands) and no small group or 1-2-1 support in class. In some schools there's an active push on closing the gap by holding back the most able kids - stay out of these!

Principles and Practice published for all curricular areas. Big Maths not matching any of these but being in. Heinemann Active Maths dying a death, despite being much more flexible and easy to use than other crap. Number Talks.

Lots of PT posts have gone. You need over 300 pupils to keep a DHT. no longer any council level curriculum support (No ICT officers, literacy base, or co-ordinator support meetings.. hence the revival of Glow)

1+2 Languages. Someone high up has finally read the paperwork published. It's now a whole school L2 from P1, then an experience of languages from P5 - not teach one language P1-P7 and a second P5-7.

PRD and CPD are now professional update and Career long Professional Learning. GTCS review your PRD/CLPL every 5 years, based on your registration year - I think this year is those ending 7 or 2. ( Your GTC number starts with year of registration).

PE is centred around SALs and contexts, were now teaching with exploration eg 'possession games' - challenge kids to keep ball to themselves, to pass to partner to get ball from partner. When kicking, bouncing, running etc... then progress to football, basketball, rugby... but you're teaching the skills of blocking, passing etc then generalising to other games, not just doing 'ball skills' or 'basketball' for 6 weeks at a time and giving drills (aesthetics, central net games, athletics, target games, outdoor and adventure are the other contexts).

The proposed amalgamation of Education Scotland, HMIe, and GTCS.

Removal of nursery teachers in lots of councils, replaced by either a DHT/PT overseeing or visiting teacher every 4 weeks. No learning support bases or support for learning teachers.

Big push on cooking. Children are expected to do 2 blocks of cooking from P1. Lots of schools have custom built cooking rooms, no baking sweets/cakes allowed!

IDL is still in, but very squashed into 2-3 hours a week.

Curriculum Rationale and School Visions and Values all being updated in our authority just now. HMI expect Children, Parents and Staff to be able to talk about vision and values.

ferriswheel · 26/05/2018 13:12

This is brilliantly helpful. Keep it coming please. Thank you so much.

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charityhallet · 26/05/2018 13:16

Gosh @ChristmasEnthusiast, brilliant info but I don't think I've ever read a post with so many acronyms!

ChristmasEnthusiast · 26/05/2018 14:06

Blush I really tried to stick to well known ones! It's scary that there are so many are in every day usage, I didn't even register that there's a real word for that! Oops.

(Also just noticed that Respected in SHANARRI corrected to Selected. That'll teach me to use Swype predictive text!)

Groovee · 26/05/2018 14:08

Building the ambition is a good document to read. It helped me through my recent nursery interview. Early years becoming quite play based too.

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