Don Ledingham’s Learning Log

20 Responses to “Any Questions?”

1. on 06 Mar 2007 at 8:46 pm1 Debbie

   Standard Grade/Intermediate/Highers

   My daughter’s school is taking the traditional route of Standard Grades in 4th year, Highers in 5th (with a smattering of Intermediates but I’m really not sure what these are yet!) I see from guineapigmum that Ross High are doing Standard Grades in 3rd year, giving students 2 years to study for Highers. Are decisions such as these left to individual schools, or do you, as a local authority give any guidance. Must admit I liked it when it was a level playing field - I feel different schools doing different things can be better/worse for individuals depending on how bright(or not) they are. Is a flexible system the best when to a large extent your secondary school is dictated by where you live, not when you’d prefer to sit the exams?

   
   
2. on 07 Mar 2007 at 2:25 pm2 guineapigmum

   Can I add a couple of questions:-

   How many Highers do children generally take and are Maths and English usually compulsory in East Lothian schools? (I know the number of Highers will vary with the individual - just looking for a ball park answer.)

   How many East Lothian schools do SVS as a compulsory Standard Grade?

   Thanks!

   
   
3. on 07 Mar 2007 at 7:32 pm3 Don

   Reply to Debbie and Guineapigmum

   As you know we are working towards our 5Cs - of which Consistency is number 1. It’s a fine balance between leaving schools enough autonomy to make decisions appropriate to their own context and providing enough guidance to ensure parents and pupils are not compromised by a wide variety of disparate practice.

   I think we’ve learned from experience that issues such as the curriculum and presentation policies that there is a need for consistency - that’s why we we will be holding a major conference in May for head teachers, other senior school managers, parents, pupils, teachers, councillors and local business people to shape our curriculum policy for A Curriculum for Excellence.

   Maths and English in S5 are not compulsory across all of our schools. Only Ross High make SVS compulsory. The average number of Highers is more difficult as you need to take into account how many pupils stay on at school from S4 - however, I’d guess 3.5 (if that’s any help?)

   
   
4. on 09 Mar 2007 at 3:44 pm4 Lillian McMahon

   I’ve been in contact with Lynne Lewis and she said that you would be interested to know more about our new Teaching Expertise website at ww.teachingexpertise.com
   There are 100s of free articles available for teachers and we are following Phil Avery’s exciting expedition to Antartica: http:/www.teachingexpertise.com/articles/teachers-expedition-to-antarctica-1185
   There will be new and free resources available soon at ww.teachingexpertise.com - like assemblies for primary schools, worksheets, blogs etc.
   Please take a look and let me know what you think.
   Kind regards,
   Lillian

   
   
5. on 13 Mar 2007 at 8:06 am5 Don Ledingham

   Lillian

   Thanks for the link to your new website. It looks to be a useful source of information for teachers - although it doesn’t seem to be particularly different from the growing number of such sites.

   I’d be looking for that something which would keep bringing me back to the site again and again.

   I wish you all the best with its development.

   Don

   
   
6. on 28 Jun 2007 at 11:41 am6 Anonymous

   how do you have the time to blog!!

   
   
7. on 28 Jun 2007 at 7:52 pm7 Don Ledingham

   Time to blog?

   Firstly I enjoy it and it enables me to make sense of my job.

   I try to finish up my work at home every evening by spending 12-30 minutes completing my log. It’s better than watching telly!!

   Longer posts have probably been taking shape in my mind for a few days - so it comes quite quickly.

   I suppose it’s become a habit which I really miss if I don’t get chance to post.

   
   
8. on 21 Oct 2007 at 5:13 pm8 Dorothy Coe

   Don,
   Have you now developed templates for your Extreme Learning Project? If so, are they available to look at online?
   Thanks
   Dorothy

   
   
9. on 21 Oct 2007 at 5:34 pm9 Don Ledingham

   Dorothy

   We are working on them at the moment. I’ll post something soon when we have a concrete example.

   
   
10. on 21 Oct 2007 at 9:20 pm10 Dorothy Coe

    Great thanks. Any idea of timescale?

    
    
11. on 06 Nov 2007 at 1:23 pm11 Paul D Smith

    What can you tell me about the “predictable needs formula”? There seems to be almost nothing on the web so start at the basics and work up please.

    Thanks,
    Paul D Smith.

    
    
12. on 06 Nov 2007 at 1:53 pm12 Don Ledingham

    Paul

    You can access the reports which describe the Devolved School Management policy which includes the predictable need formula here - http://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/CMISWebPublic/Binary.ashx?Document=3555

    Don’t hesitate to come back to me for clarification or queries.

    
    
13. on 13 Jan 2008 at 1:35 am13 Gill Robertson

    Hello Don

    My daughter who I held back a year ( so will be 5 and 8 months when she starts school) starts East Linton primary this year. As the Primary 1 intake is too large she will probably go straight into a P1/2 composite class. If the information is correct she will go into a class of mainly P2s and 3-5 P1s. I feel saddened by this news and frustrated that the education authorities can support composite classes at the start of a child’s experience of school. I have no problem with composite classes further up the school but having a child begin school with a handful of others and joining an established class makes no sense to me.

    Of course I understand the pressures of school budgets and changing school roles but I think that we are not giving children the best start in education by offering this as a solution.

    What do you think and have I got any alternatives?

    All the best

    Gill

    
    
14. on 13 Jan 2008 at 11:14 am14 Don Ledingham

    Hi Gill

    I understand your concerns but over the last year I’ve been spending a day and half a week visiting schools to observe teaching. I’ve learned a huge amount, particularly about early years. In East Lothian we have many schools which have composite P1/2 classes. The quality of learning which takes place in a P1/P2 composite class is of exactly the same quality in a straight P1 class.

    I’ve copied links to some of the observations I’ve undertaken. In addition I can throw in my experience as a parent where both my own children were taught in composite classes - to no detriment to their development.

    http://edubuzz.org/blogs/donsblog/2007/12/13/reading-jotters/

    http://edubuzz.org/blogs/donsblog/2007/10/15/storybags/

    http://edubuzz.org/blogs/donsblog/2007/09/27/independence-continuity-and-confidence/

    http://edubuzz.org/blogs/donsblog/2007/09/05/school-visit-dirleton-primary-school-differentiation-in-action/

    http://edubuzz.org/blogs/donsblog/2007/12/12/active-learning-and-high-standards/

    
    
15. on 14 Jan 2008 at 10:30 am15 Gill Robertson

    Hello Don

    Wondering if the school could create a larger P1 class ( as they could have before the number’s changed from 30 to 25 for P1s) and use a classroom assistance to support the teacher. This would mean that every child who started P1 this year would have the same experience instead of a handful of kids who have to join a P2 class and thus do not have the opportunity to start school afresh with their peers.

    Best

    Gill

    
    
16. on 05 Feb 2008 at 10:56 pm16 Bryan Gregg

    Hello don,

    Always intriguing to read your blog. Just wondered if you might be interested in one I’ve recently started - all around “evidence gathering” in AiFL and ACfE. Very much “in beta” as the techies might say but I’m trying to link “We are learning to” type work with evidence of the cross-curricular and generally “unseen” bits of ACE.

    http://aceinaction.blogspot.com

    Thoughts and comments appreciated…

    Thanks,

    Bryan Gregg

    
    
17. on 16 Feb 2008 at 11:38 pm17 MG

    To Whom it May Concern,

    I am currently taking an entrepreneurship course and I wanted to ask permission to use the image that is posted under the article titled “Entrepreneurial Leadership in schools”.

    Thank you.

    Sincerely,

    MG

    
    
18. on 04 May 2008 at 1:16 pm18 Alison

    Hello Don
    Am busy writing an article on ‘engaging creativity’. Busy writing has involved making numerous phone calls, gardening, food shopping at the local supermarket etc, etc, all wonderful displacement activities!! Anyway have just watched a brilliant talk from Sir Ken Robinson online. Here’s the link http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/66. Maybe you have already watched this but I thought it seemed like something you would enjoy. Any tips on completing the task at hand would be welcomed!

    
    
19. on 14 Jul 2008 at 8:38 am19 Shirley

    Hello Don

    Having read through your blogs, I wonder if you might be interested to help our family with a question on sixth form education?

    The short question is ‘In England, can a sixth form college withdraw a pupil’s place, half way through a course, for not being well enough to attend over 50% of the time, if the pupil has medical reports to back up his absences from his specialist and if the college did not tell the pupil, before starting the course, that this rule existed and could be applied at any time? If not, then to whom and how should we appeal?’

    Our son’s college is threatening dropping his place if he cannot attend more than 50% of his course hours. Unfortunately he suffers from ME/CFS and, although in attendance for 100% when well, he suffered a relapse at Christmas, resulting in low attendance for the rest of the year. It seems very unfair to me that this could be allowed. Surely the college are not acting lawfully or morally?

    
    
20. on 14 Jul 2008 at 9:23 pm20 Don

    Shirley

    I’d love to be able to help you but I’m afraid any answer I gave would be guess work as the system in England is very different from Scotland.

    My advice, as it would be to any parent, is to communicate - face-to-face with the school about your concerns and try to agree some form of compromise.

    All the best

    Don

    
    

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