Aims of today: To highlight Links key areas of work

1. Aims of today: • To highlight Links key areas of work • To encourage clustering between schools in Edinburgh with school partnerships • To promote good practice and effectiveness and sustainability of partnerships • To introduce the environment themed resource • To begin to set in motion mutual support between schools

3. Where does Link work?

4. How do we do it?

5. What does Link do? School Performance Review

6. Aims of the Link Schools Programme • The Link Schools Programme is LCD’s initiative to link schools from Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, South Africa and Uganda with counterparts in England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, so that schools can • work in partnership to learn from one another • support quality education • inspire a desire to make a difference locally and globally • enhance the ethos and life of the school; • bring a global dimension to teaching and learning • enrich the curriculum and • help improve pupil achievement. • enhance other whole school initiatives

7. Clustering Aims • to provide opportunities for teachers to exchange experiences • to help share and promote good practice in linking • to raises awareness of issues relating to linking • to increase support by joining up with other teachers in your authority • to increase opportunities for engagement and action on global development and justice issues • to keep you up to date on project materials, activities and events

8. Session 4: Unpacking the term ‘development’

10. Development is more than material wealth: • An improvement in access to all basic needs such as food, water, shelter and health • A stable political, social & economic environment • The ability to make free and informed choices • Freedom to have a say in one’s own future • Possession of the full potential for human development

11. Development Education and the Global Dimension

12. What is Development Education and the Global Dimension ? • explores the links between the local and the global. • gives learners an awareness of the wider world and their place in it.

13. 2 Skills 1 Knowledge Four key elements to Development Education and the Global Dimension: 3 Values 4 Attitudes

14. 1 Knowledge

15. 2 Skills • Critical thinking • • Ability to argue effectively • • Ability to challenge injustice and inequalities • • Respect for people and the environment • • Cooperation and conflict resolution

16. 3 Values • Sense of identity and self esteem and empathy • Commitments to social justice and equity • Value and respect for diversity • Concern for the environment & commitment to sustainable development • Belief that people can make a difference 4 Attitudes

17. I am developing an increasing awareness and understanding of my own beliefs and I put them into action in positive ways. Curriculum for Excellence Outcome RME 1-08a, RME 2-08a I am becoming aware that people’s beliefs and values affect their actions. Curriculum for Excellence Outcome RME 1-09c Impact of the Link Schools Programme Themed resources support pupil’s learning on specific development issues faced by their partner’s schools and how they can take direct action in response to their learning about these issues. Aberuthven Primary School made a ‘big book’ about children’s rights and the responsibilities of children, parents, teachers and the government to ensure these rights are realised. They sent this to their partner school with photos of how they carried out the research to help their partners take action on children’s rights.

18. Session 7: School Linking is a tool for exploring the Global Dimension “These links benefit all the children, not just in terms of their education, but of their personal and social development too.” Fiona Leishman, Link Schools Coordinator, quoted in the Times Educational Supplement, Scotland (2010)

19. The Link Schools programme offers schools the tools, guidance and support to enable pupils to enhance their values and attitudes and increase their skills and understanding: - Joint curricular projects encourage pupils to learn together - Interaction with your partner school reinforces learning across subject areas “Partnerships offer a first hand, direct, ‘live’ resource for schools to explore and discuss world issues and events.“ HMIE, 2010

20. In line with HMIE good practice guidance the Link Schools Programme • Gives children the chance to participate responsibly in decision making – via pupil linking committees, engaging in the resources materials - investing and sharing their learning with their partner schools • Gives children the chance to contribute as leaders and role models – Many link schools ask pupils to choose linking topics or share their new found knowledge with others within their community. For example lobbying parents to choose fair trade chocolate! Or writing to their MPS. Their actions inspire others. • Gives children the chance to offer support and services to others and play an active part in putting the values of the school community into practice.

21. Activity:Use the handout to brainstorm how school linking can be used to transform: • Skills? • Values? • Attitudes? • Knowledge? • In relation to the 3 definitions that appeared at the top of your diamond ranking in Session 5. (Individually - 20 Mins)

22. Resourcing your link Think about what you already have: Your partnership is already a great resource! What else is available to you? • Mailings • The new link schools website • Organisations • People in your community • Link’s 6 themed resources

23. Learning outcomes