Additional support for learning: action plan (updated October 2021)

5.1 Teacher Education and Development

Recommendation

Teacher recruitment, selection, education and professional development and learning processes must align with the changed and changing profile of children and young people in Scotland, ensuring: (see 5.1.1 - 5.1.8 below)

Response

Accept

Actions to be taken forward - Oct 2020

The selection of those applicants who wish to train to be teachers is for initial teacher training providers to determine. However, the actions set out below seek to ensure that teacher education and development supports teachers to meet the needs of children and young people with additional support needs.

The Scottish Government will seek to work with Local Government and partners to ensure that we build on and develop the suite of resources that are already available to teachers to support them to meet the needs of children and young people within their schools.

Delivery Timescale

As set out at 9.1, as part of its on-going commitment to monitoring progress of the ASL Action Plan, ASLIG will review the reporting cycles and provide an update in Spring 2022.

Status Oct 2021

On-going / on track

Progress made:

Aligned to actions being taken forward elsewhere in this action plan, the Scottish Government are actively exploring with partners, including Education Scotland, the development of additional resources to support teacher education and development. This will include the creation of resources to support children and young people with complex additional support needs.

The Scottish Government and Local Government have collaborated with partners to deliver the actions within the Autism Action Plan. This has included development of resources aimed at establishing a common baseline of autism content within Initial Teacher Education (ITE) which seeks to aid greater standardisation of this content across ITE programmes across Scotland.

As part of the work of the Autism in School Working Group, Education Scotland have published a range of resources for practitioners to support inclusive practice in Schools.

Since October 2020, Education Scotland have attended the Scottish University Inclusion Group (SUIG) for Initial Teacher Education to share national updates, examples of practice and freely available professional learning on Inclusion, Wellbeing and Equality applicable for ITE.

5.1.1

Recommendation

All teachers hold and enact professional values of inclusion and inclusive practice and see this as a core part of their role.

Response

Accept.

Actions to be taken forward - Oct 2020

The Standard for Provisional Registration (SPR) and the Standard for Full Registration (SFR) are underpinned by professional values including social justice and trust and respect. Professional actions outlined in the SFR include "identify effectively barriers to learning and respond appropriately. Seeking advice in relation to all learners' needs as required". GTCS are currently updating the full suite of professional standards and these will have an enhanced focus on additional support for learning and come into effect from August 2021.

The Scottish Government will discuss with the GTCS how they intend to reflect the findings of this report in the revised Standards.

Local authorities are represented by ADES on the group which GTCS has established to take the recommendations forward and will engage with these discussions.

Delivery Timescale

Updated professional standards for teachers were published in January 2021 and enacted in August 2021.

Status Oct 2021

Complete

Progress made:

The updated Professional Standards for Teachers 2021 were published in January 2021 and enacted on 2 August 2021. These have an increased emphasis on additional support needs and are complemented by a range of professional guides for teachers.

5.1.2

Recommendation

All teachers understand what additional support needs are, and are clear about their role in supporting the identification of additional support needs and the need to adapt their teaching to ensure a meaningful learning experience for all their learners.

Response

Accept

Actions to be taken forward - Oct 2020

The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) publish the Guidelines for Initial Teacher Education (ITE) Programmes in Scotland. This states that the overall aim of ITE programmes is to prepare student teachers to become competent, thoughtful, reflective and innovative practitioners, who are committed to providing high quality teaching and learning for every learner.

The Guidelines also confirm that student teachers should develop their understanding and practice in key areas such as additional support needs including ADHD, autism, dyslexia and adverse childhood experiences; and that programme design and delivery should develop and promote equality and diversity and empower student teachers to adopt

GTCS are currently updating the full suite of professional standards and these will have an enhanced focus on ASL and come into effect from August 2021. Linked to these revised Standards an Autism Guidance booklet will be issued by the National Autistic Society Scotland.

ADES will support this work through its representation on the GTCS group and through continued local authority career long professional learning (CLPL) plans.

Delivery Timescale

Updated professional standards for teachers were published in January 2021 and enacted in August 2021.

Status Oct 2021

Complete

Progress made:

As noted above, updated professional standards for teachers were enacted in August 2021.

Guidelines for Initial Teacher Education programmes remain current. Student teachers are expected to demonstrate an understanding of additional support needs before reaching Standard for Provisional Registration.

5.1.3

Recommendation

All teacher education and development includes nationally specified practice and skill development in supporting learners with ASL needs as a core element.

Response

Accept

Actions to be taken forward - Oct 2020

The GTCS publish the Guidelines for Initial Teacher Education (ITE) Programmes in Scotland. The Guidelines state student teachers should develop their understanding and practice in key areas such as additional support needs including ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and adverse childhood experiences; and that programme design and delivery should develop and promote equality and diversity and empower students to adopt these principles.

GTCS will continue to refresh the guidelines.

The Scottish Government are also currently considering how best to support teachers in the early phase of their career. This work is new being considered as part of our response to Covid-19 but we fully expect any new framework of professional learning to help develop teachers' skills in respect of additional support for learning.

Delivery Timescale

As set out at 9.1, as part of its on-going commitment to monitoring progress of the ASL Action Plan, ASLIG will review the reporting cycles and provide an update in Spring 2022.

Status Oct 2021

Complete: ITE guidelines

On-going / on track: Stepping Stones

Progress made:

Guidelines for the accreditation of ITE programmes in Scotland were revised in September 2019 and include an increased focus on additional support needs requirements.

A Covid-19 response workstream is in progress to support the professional learning of post probation (early career) teachers focused on a range of learning opportunities including meeting leaners' needs.

Education Scotland and GTCS, together with post-probation teachers, have developed the Stepping Stones new professional learning programme for recently qualified teachers in the first four years of their career post probation. This programme allows participants to choose from a variety of professional learning opportunities, including online workshops, webinars and networking. The programme includes professional learning on relationships, communication and Equality and diversity and aims to increase the confidence, skills and knowledge of early career teachers to support their thinking, reflection and engagement with the Professional Standards.

5.1.4

Recommendation

Response

Practice learning and development at local level must include where and how to access specialist expertise and support.

Actions to be taken forward - Oct 2020

Accept.

Delivery Timescale

The Framework for Inclusion has been designed to ensure that all students and teachers are appropriately guided and supported from the outset and throughout their careers towards gaining the required knowledge and understanding of inclusive education. The Scottish Government, through the Council of Deans, set up a Working Group to develop the Framework for Inclusion. The Framework includes values and beliefs for Inclusion, professional knowledge and understanding for Inclusion and skills and abilities for Inclusion.

The Scottish Government will seek to work with Local Government and other partners to ensure that teachers can access support and expertise from other professionals when this is required. We will also encourage and support whole school and inclusive classroom approaches to support improved impact and outcomes We will seek to support this through the refresh of the Code of Practice.

As set out at 9.1, as part of its on-going commitment to monitoring progress of the ASL Action Plan, ASLIG will review the reporting cycles and provide an update in Spring 2022..

Status Oct 2021

On-going / on track

Progress made:

The Scottish Universities Inclusion Group (formally Scottish Teacher Education Committee Inclusion Group) are continuing to explore ways in which they can support schools in maintaining and extending inclusive practice in light of Covid-19. They are also considering an update to the Scottish National Framework for Inclusion in response to the updated GTCS Professional Standards.

The Scottish Government has re-established a working group to refresh the statutory Supporting Learners' Code of Practice. As part of its work, the group will consider how to build on the guidance on the Presumption of Mainstreaming to further embed whole school and inclusive classroom approaches to support improved impact and outcomes for children and young people.

Education Scotland have developed and provided engagement and professional learning opportunities which draw together the common themes of 3 national drivers of the ASL Review, The Promise and UNCRC. They are: Relationships; Rights and Participation; Inclusion and Universal Support; and Wellbeing and Care.

5.1.5

Recommendation

Communication, relationship building and positive mediation skill development is incorporated and embedded into teacher education and development, supported by coaching and mentoring opportunities.

Response

Accept.

Actions to be taken forward - Oct 2020

The Standard for Provisional Registration (SPR) and the Standard for Full Registration (SFR) are underpinned by professional values including social justice and trust and respect. Professional skills outlined in the SFR include "communicate effectively and interact productively with learners, individually and collectively".

GTCS are currently updating the full suite of professional standards. These will have an enhanced focus on additional support for learning and come into effect from August 2021.

The Scottish Government and Local Government are also currently considering how best to support teachers in the early phase of their career. This work is at mid-point but we fully expect any new framework of professional learning to help develop teachers' skills in respect of ASL.

The Scottish Government are also continuing to invest in values based leadership through Columba 1400 Headteacher Leadership Academies and through recent pilot work with student teachers at the University of Strathclyde.

Delivery Timescale

Updated professional standards for teachers were enacted in August 2021.

Status Oct 2021

Complete

Progress made:

The updated Professional Standards for Teachers 2021 were published in January 2021 and enacted on 2 August 2021. These have an increased emphasis on additional support needs and are complemented by a range of professional guides for teachers

As noted at 5.1.3, Education Scotland and GTCS, together with post-probation teachers, have developed the Stepping Stones new professional learning programme for recently qualified teachers in the first four years of their career post probation. This programme allows participants to choose from a variety of professional learning opportunities, including online workshops, webinars and networking. The programme includes professional learning on relationships, communication and Equality and diversity and aims to increase the confidence, skills and knowledge of early career teachers to support their thinking, reflection and engagement with the Professional Standards.

5.1.6

Recommendation

Parity of career progression and pathway structures and opportunities for specialist teachers of ASL:

• There should be a first teaching qualification in ASN available at Initial Teacher Education
• The career path proposal under consideration by the SNCT to develop new career pathways should have an additional strand for ASL

Response

Partially accept^[4].

Partially accept^[5].

Actions to be taken forward - Oct 2020

The Scottish Government will explore with GTCS and SCDE the viability of a new qualification. Initial discussions have taken place between GTCS and SCDE.

SNCT Lead teacher Working group is ongoing. The SNCT was due to issue an interim report in August 2020. However this has been postponed due to the COVID-19 crisis. It is hoped that SNCT can pick this work up a soon as possible with the aim of considering an interim report in December 2020. Following that the SNCT will decide on an implementation date. However their ambition remains that it will still be August 2021.

Delivery Timescale

As set out at 9.1, as part of its on-going commitment to monitoring progress of the ASL Action Plan, ASLIG will review the reporting cycles and provide an update in Spring 2022.

Status Oct 2021

On-going / on track

Progress made:

The new post of Lead teacher was introduced in August 2021. This pathway will provide career progression for all teachers, including those that specialise in ASL.

The Scottish Government will work with partners, including the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers, to ensure there is appropriate career progression and pathways for teachers looking to specialise in Additional Support for Learning, with particular emphasis on ensuring that the Lead Teacher structure delivers on this outcome.

5.1.7

Recommendation

The focus and methods for teacher education and practice learning are directly informed and developed by the feedback of teachers.

Response

Accept.

Actions to be taken forward - Oct 2020

A new self-evaluation framework to support universities to demonstrate the quality of their existing ITE provision has been developed by Education Scotland and the SCDE. This Framework is supported by analysis from the MQuITE project which is tracking teachers through ITE and into the early years of their teaching career.

The Scottish Government have also recently surveyed all teachers in year 1- 5 of their careers to assess their professional learning needs. Over 50% of respondents expressed 'education for all' as their key area of need. We will reflect on this as we consider new PL provision designed to support teachers at this stage their careers.

The Scottish Government will continue to support the Measuring Quality in Initial Teacher Education (MQuITE) project and ensure ongoing analysis is shared with Education Scotland and SCDE.

Delivery Timescale

As set out at 9.1, as part of its on-going commitment to monitoring progress of the ASL Action Plan, ASLIG will review the reporting cycles and provide an update in Spring 2022.

Status Oct 2021

On-going / on track

Progress made:

Findings from application of the framework in relation to numeracy have been published, following a symposium event held on 8 October 2019 involving all 11 ITE institutions. A further symposium event, was held on 8 June 2021 and considered diversity and health & wellbeing. The next event is scheduled for October 2021 and will focus on literacy.

The Measuring Quality in Initial Teacher Education ( MQuITE) team continue to move the project forward. Plans for the next stage of their work in FY 21/22 include:-

• structured group activity designed to gather both range and strength of opinion. Participants will include headteachers and teacher mentors, and will be asked about their views about ITE. Themes arising from analysis of the Nominal Group Technique (NGT) data will then be shared and discussed with LA Induction Managers during one of their regular GTCS seminars in order to gain additional perspectives.
• Draw on expert advice from longitudinal specialist as part of plans to develop MQuITE Self-Audit Toolkit

5.1.8

Recommendation

Innovative and partnership approaches to practice learning should be developed including delivery and participation of children and young people, parents and carers.

Response

Accept

Actions to be taken forward - Oct 2020

GTCS commissioned Children in Scotland to report on the views of children and young people's experience and expectations of teachers. This will feed into the refresh of the suite of professional standards.

The importance of partnership working with learners, parents and carers is also made clear in the guidance on school empowerment which has been published in draft form on the Education Scotland website.

These issues will be raised with the School Empowerment Steering Group to allow the group to consider as part of its future work on school empowerment.

Delivery Timescale

As set out at 9.1, as part of its on-going commitment to monitoring progress of the ASL Action Plan, ASLIG will review the reporting cycles and provide an update in Spring 2022.

Status Oct 2021

Complete: Professional Standards.

On-going / on track – school empowerment

Progress made:

GTCS commissioned Children in Scotland to engage with children and young people on their experience and expectations of teachers. This report informed the refresh of the suite of professional standards.

Consideration of the draft guidance on school empowerment is on-going. The School Empowerment Steering Group will consider these issues as part of its future work on school empowerment.