ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THROUGH EDUCATION
Ambitious, Excellent Schools 44 sets out the Scottish Executive's agenda for the most comprehensive programme of modernisation for a generation or more. It ranges across actions to heighten expectations; to give more freedom for teachers and schools; greater choice and opportunity for pupils; and better support for learning; and to create tougher, intelligent accountabilities.
The Standards in Scotland's Schools etc. Act 2000 enshrines a legal right to an education designed to fulfil a child's potential in the widest possible sense. The purpose of school education was clearly defined as encouraging; 'the development of the personality, talents and mental and physical abilities of the young person to their fullest potential'. The Act signalled a commitment to school education as a key priority and responsibility and established a framework for school improvement. The long-term, strategic direction for that improvement is set out in the National Priorities in Education, which ensure that improvement is not merely about academic attainment but encompass the whole needs of the young person and the whole life of the school. Determined to Succeed, by offering a clear framework for effective programmes of enterprise in education, makes a vital contribution to all five of the National Priorities.
The economic imperative
The attitudes and expectations of citizens are changing - not just in Scotland, but across Europe and the world. At the same time, new opportunities and challenges emerge in relation to society, the environment and the global economy.
We are bearing witness to an unprecedented growth in the global economy - expected to be as much as 80 per cent larger in 2020 than it was in 2000. 45 And, with the enlargement of the European Union, we are seeing an increase in the movement of labour across borders across our continent.
The stories are familiar: graduates failing to live up to employers' expectations; young people feeling disappointed and downtrodden by life after university; the education system trying to bridge the gap. Despite rising academic attainment, somehow the traditional 21-year cycle of learning and preparation for the world of work is not quite preparing people for the reality of life in modern organisations - resulting in lower productivity for business and frustrating false starts for young people. 46
The characteristics developed by Determined to Succeed are a prerequisite of economic development. Young Scots must be ambitious, confident, creative and enterprising if we are to compete effectively in this expanding global economy. In 'Life Through Learning; Learning Through Life', 47 the lifelong learning strategy for Scotland, we recognised the need to ensure young people were better supported to make successful transitions from the classroom to life beyond the school gates.
The stories are familiar: graduates failing to live up to employers' expectations; young people feeling disappointed and downtrodden by life after university; the education system trying to bridge the gap. Despite rising academic attainment, somehow the traditional 21-year cycle of learning and preparation for the world of work is not quite preparing people for the reality of life in modern organisations - resulting in lower productivity for business and frustrating false starts for young people. 46
The characteristics developed by Determined to Succeed are a prerequisite of economic development. Young Scots must be ambitious, confident, creative and enterprising if we are to compete effectively in this expanding global economy. In 'Life Through Learning; Learning Through Life', 47 the lifelong learning strategy for Scotland, we recognised the need to ensure young people were better supported to make successful transitions from the classroom to life beyond the school gates.
These transitions are not always positive for some young people. Scotland has one of the highest rates of youth employment in the OECD and a world-class education system which serves most young people very well. But, despite this, there are around 20,000 16-19 year olds not in education, employment or training ( NEET) who need some additional support if they are to progress. These young people represent a wealth of undeveloped talent, a waste of human potential, and a missed opportunity for our economy. Enterprise in education can engage young people in their learning and so help stem the flow of young people into NEET.
A Curriculum for Excellence - and in particular, the four capacities therein - provides the backdrop from which Determined to Succeed is delivered. A Curriculum for Excellence ( ACE) presents the framework around which authorities can expand and develop current provision; its aims - enabling all young people to become successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors - defines a context in which schools can deliver education that is more meaningful to pupils, including in respect of the choices they make for life beyond compulsory education.
The development of ACE leaves authorities in a much stronger position to enable schools to embed existing enterprising teaching and learning practices in all areas of the curriculum, ensuring appropriate connections with the world of work, within all subjects. This approach is promoted by HMIE in its guide: 'How good is our school at enterprise in education?'; teaching and learning policies based on enterprising approaches are more likely to fulfil the expectations set out as Principles for Curriculum Design in ACE, not least where that teaching raises levels of enjoyment, challenge and relevance for young people. Successful learning will more likely ensue.
Aberdeenshire Council's Determined to Succeed team decided to play a lead role in the local authority's year of engagement on A Curriculum for Excellence ( ACE). Education staff, at all levels, were given the opportunity through CPD style activities to become engaged in debate and discussion on ACE. The focus of these discussions centred on the good practice that existed in enterprise in education to support the four capacities of ACE. Headteachers were given materials and resources which they could adapt for use in their own schools but were also encouraged to work together across clusters to deliver joint presentations.
Supporting the profession
Teachers are at the core of what we are trying to achieve in schools. Enterprising teachers mean enterprising young people. Determined to Succeed is a modern approach to teaching and learning which empowers young people to develop and learn in a style that meets their needs. It is not about teaching enterprise as a subject, but an approach where teachers deliver their subject lessons in an enterprising way contextualising the learning that follows. This involves, wherever possible, employers to help make learning relevant in the context of a competitive global economy and Scotland's place therein.
This is not an argument that education should be reduced to a conveyor belt, which simply 'delivers' young people to organisations with the right skills. But giving young people the opportunity to apply their learning beyond conventional settings, in creative and expressive ways, connecting to real-life issues, points to a richer experience of learning, rather than a narrower one. Neither should a new approach signal a content-free curriculum, concerned solely with working in teams or role playing at office life. 48
Scotland's teachers have embraced Determined to Succeed. The second phase of the National Evaluation 49 found that 86% of teachers surveyed were confident the strategy was having a positive impact on pupils. Those interviewed thought Determined to Succeed was most obviously having a positive effect on pupil enthusiasm, confidence and engagement with the school and learning. Consultation with local authorities indicated that many schools were using Determined to Succeed as a mechanism to support the transition from primary to secondary school. The evaluation also found that the strategy was generally very positively received by all Headteachers: was not perceived in their schools to be an 'add-on' to the existing curriculum. Furthermore, there had been notable improvements in pupil-teacher relations, that teachers thought were influenced by involving pupils in the life and day-to-day 'management' of the school. But most encouragingly, teachers expected that Determined to Succeed would support pupils to achieve success in school and beyond.
Initial teacher education
Our new teachers are a vital resource. A review of initial teacher education ( ITE) published in May 2005, 50 recognised that demands for ITE to give emphasis to particular interests, cannot all be accommodated. However, much could be appropriately addressed during the induction year or by targeting CPD post-induction. ITE needs to be seen as only the first stage of a continuous process of career development. In particular, the new induction arrangements, and the recently established CPD framework, mean ITE can now be seen in a different context. Initial professional development can now be scaled and tailored across a teacher's first few years in the profession, rather than it being addressed as part of a crowded ITE curriculum.
Against that background and the partnership with The Hunter Foundation, the Scottish Executive is helping the University of Aberdeen to lead 'Scottish Teachers for a New Era' ( STNE). Teacher educators, students, teachers, pupils, parents, local authority staff and national agencies are working together to share ideas and experiences, engage in research activity and explore new approaches in learning and teaching that will better equip teachers to embrace a changing global society.
Meanwhile the Faculty of Education at the University of Strathclyde continues to develop the enterprise in education related components of its ITE course. The content has been developed and as well as a half day session for all students on the main teaching courses (B.Ed (Hons); PGDE(P); PGDE(S)), there are option modules of 24 or 48 hours which consider this area in depth. The nature of the delivery varies from course to course but it is generally a mix of lecture, tutorial, workshop, peer presentation and practical activity. Input is provided by faculty staff (Enterprising Careers), members of the Executive's central Determined to Succeed team, Learning and Teaching Scotland, local authority personnel and Careers Scotland staff. The Centre for Studies in Enterprise, Career Development and Work (based in the faculty) offers a portfolio of one day CPD courses for local authorities, teachers and other school staff. The University also offers a Postgraduate Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma in Enterprise in Education, with further study to masters level.
A number of local authorities have run courses in enterprise for newly qualified teachers ( NQTs). These include an 'Enterprise for Probationers' course run by City of Edinburgh, Glasgow City and Stirling Councils, enterprise awareness sessions run by Moray Council and enterprise in education specific training for all 220 probationary teachers in South Lanarkshire Council.
Continuing professional development
Through Determined to Succeed, opportunities to participate in training and development in enterprise in education have significantly increased and directly contribute to teachers' continuing professional development ( CPD). Some 22,000 teachers have so far received such development opportunities.
Many local authorities have provided sessions for teachers that make the links between Determined to Succeed and both AifL-Assessment is for Learning and A Curriculum for Excellence. These sessions have explored how teachers can develop enterprising teaching and learning in the classroom and have included: a focus on teachers sharing their formative assessment practice, (which Dumfries and Galloway Council run on an ongoing basis for both primary and secondary teachers); training from the Critical Skills Institute, (which Angus Council ran for 50 teachers); a self-empowered learning course, (run by East Ayrshire, Fife and North Lanarkshire Councils); and collaborative talking and listening (in East Dunbartonshire Council). With a multi-faceted programme of CPD, Highland Council has run courses focusing on understanding vocational qualifications and networking for work experience co-ordinators.
Through Determined to Succeed Innovation Funding and in partnership with UNICEF, Learning and Teaching Scotland and Enterprising Careers, Inverclyde and East Lothian Councils developed and piloted the Enterprising Global Citizen programme in their respective local authority areas. The pilot programme involved training teachers from primary, secondary and special education needs schools to help their pupils start a sustainable, profitable ethical business. Schools were encouraged to act locally but think globally, through the development of an enterprising approach to teaching and learning. The latest critical skills techniques to develop entrepreneurship with an international and ethical focus were employed. The pilot proved so successful that the Enterprising Global Citizen programme has been rolled out across Scotland and through International Development Funding from the Executive 'exported' to Malawi.
The CPD provided through Determined to Succeed also includes work placement opportunities, through the Excellence in Education through Business Links programme ( EEBL), where teachers have experienced different working environments, enabling the knowledge and experience gained to influence subject delivery in their respective classrooms.
Caroline Taylor of Bridge of Don Academy in Aberdeen City Council experienced a five day placement with AVC Media in Aberdeen. As an English teacher, Caroline was keen to develop her skills and knowledge of media to enable her to develop materials and resources for teaching Film and Media in accordance with the department's development plan.
Caroline described her placement as inspirational and said; "The range and diversity of the benefits are overwhelming. The different working environment has provided experiences which can be developed and implemented in the classroom. The placement was extremely relevant and will change the way I teach the media course. The quality of the placement went beyond anything I had anticipated. In fact, I gained so much from the placement that it will form part of my development work over the next year."
AVC media felt the benefits of the placement were, "Giving something back to the school and challenging the way media companies are perceived. Ensuring the media subject is real life."
North Lanarkshire Council and Cardinal Newman High School in Bellshill worked with Determined to Succeed Division to produce a self-evaluation toolkit for the classroom. 'A Tool for Teachers Developing an Enterprising Culture in the Classroom through Self-Evaluation', works both as a guide to measuring pupils' learning experience and as a support tool. Teachers also have access to an online toolkit, which provides a range of valuable management and leadership resources. Both toolkits are available via the Determined to Succeed website. 51
Leadership
Effective leadership has been acknowledged for some time as a key factor to successful delivery of enterprise in education and particularly embedding enterprise into the curriculum and ethos of a school. The innovative Columba 1400 Headteacher Leadership Academy piloted a new form of leadership training with 90 Head and Deputy Head primary and secondary school teachers, in academic year 2003/04. The one-year programme aimed to enthuse and support Headteachers in the development and leadership of their schools, in the context of Determined to Succeed. As a result of successful evaluation, 52 the programme has been developed into a wider educationally led programme of building leadership capacity through CPD and coaching at school level.
Leadership for an Enterprising Classroom' is a key resource which has been designed to enhance capacity for leadership development at school and local authority levels. Focusing on distributed leadership, the resource aims to further develop and unlock latent leadership potential in teachers and pupils. As a result of a successful pilot, it has now been rolled out across all 32 local authorities.
"Teachers need professional development that builds on good practice in areas such as Assessment is for Learning and Determined to Succeed, where schools introduce teaching approaches which minimise disruptive and disengaged behaviour. These initiatives help teachers maintain a consistent focus on pupil learning, internalising accountability for every learner. The programmes have worked by offering a clear strategy and good leadership - creating a culture where staff feel supported and valued as they deliver the curriculum in new ways, supported by creative and relevant CPD." 53
Margaret Alcorn, National CPD Co-ordinator
Essential skills for Teachers for Excellence
Headteachers clearly have a critical role to play in Determined to Succeed. And as the strategy develops, we hope they continue to improve positive outcomes for young people by developing and leading an enterprising ethos in their schools, and across all curricular areas; and by supporting all teachers to develop and deliver enterprising teaching - supported as appropriate by the expertise of partners across the public, voluntary and private sectors. We hope that these Headteachers will support teachers in seeking opportunities to make connections across curricular areas to improve the outcomes for young people, especially where these opportunities underline enterprising approaches.
Celebrating success
The first national awards ceremony to celebrate excellence in enterprise in education took place in June 2004. Entry was open to all businesses and schools in Scotland and focused on changing attitudes towards enterprise and ensuring young people have the confidence and creativity to succeed in the jobs market.
To raise the profile of the awards, enterprise in education categories were, from 2005, incorporated into the annual Scottish Education Awards ( SEAs), sponsored by the Scottish Daily Record, in association with BT Scotland and with support from the Scottish Executive and the Confederation of British Industry.
"Our schools are great places and I want you, your staff and your pupils to add your voice so that we can shout about the good work that is going on in our schools every day and celebrate our success." 54
Hugh Henry, MSP Minister for Education and Young People
The Determined to Succeed categories in the SEAs recognise the most enterprising primary, secondary and special education needs schools; the best enterprise; and the best business partnership. Over the past two years, there has been an encouraging 17% increase in the number of schools and businesses entering the awards.
Details of the winning schools and businesses, for all three years, are found at Annex 4.