Learning together

Learning Together:Opening up learning

www.hmie.gov.uk

© Crown copyright 2009RR Donnelley B57200 04-09

This document is also available on the HMIE website: www.hmie.gov.uk

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Opening up learningLearning Together:

HM Inspectorate of Education 2009

© Crown copyright 2009

ISBN: 978-0-7053-1149-6

HM Inspectorate of EducationDenholm HouseAlmondvale Business ParkAlmondvale WayLivingstonEH54 6GA


Produced for HMIE by RR Donnelley B57200 04/09

Published by HMIE, April 2009

This material may be copied without further permission byeducation authorities and education institutions in Scotland for use in self-evaluation and planning.

The report may be produced in part, except for commercial purposes, or in connection with a prospectus or advertisement, provided that thesource and date therefore are stated.

The text pages of this document are printed on recycled paper and are 100% recyclable.

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Contents Page

Foreword:Graham HC Donaldson, HM Senior Chief Inspector 02

1. Introduction: Learning together, opening up learning 06

2. Opening up learning through exploring and 14using people’s views

3. Opening up learning through sharing learning 28and teaching in action

4. Opening up learning through exploring and 42using information and data

5. Reflective questions: annexes 52

6. Acknowledgements 64

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1 Improving Scottish Education: A report by HMIE on inspection and review 2005-2008.

2 The four capacities of Curriculum for Excellence are: successful learners; confidentindividuals; responsible citizens; and effective contributors.

Foreword:Graham HC Donaldson, HM Senior Chief Inspector

In Improving Scottish Education,1 I said that HMIE will assistnational and local bodies as they consider the implicationsof that report for their work. I am pleased to provide animmediate follow up for teachers with this first instalment ina new series of Learning Together guides which will drawon effective practice identified in inspection to stimulatewider thinking and development.

This guide is published as Curriculum for Excellence movesinto a new and intensive phase. Staff in all sectors and allsettings will be considering how they will construct acurriculum for each learner which meets the values,purposes and principles of Curriculum for Excellence2 andprovides the range of experiences to which he or she isentitled. Following the publication of the experiences andoutcomes for learning from age 3 to 15, teachers will beconsidering how they will plan activities which will leadto sustained, motivating learning and high levels ofachievement for all.

This guide is intended to support the process of turningthe aspirations of Curriculum for Excellence into reality.It explores how teachers, by working together and withlearners, parents and members of their communities, canincrease the impact of learning. It illustrates existing goodpractice in ‘opening up learning’ – that is, gatheringevidence on learning and its outcomes, engaging inprofessional development with colleagues, and planningimprovements in response.

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3 The term parents should be taken to include foster carers, residential care staff andcarers who are relatives or friends.

4 The term headteacher refers also to centre managers and other heads or managers ofestablishments or services.

‘Learning together’ is one of the hallmarks ofprofessionalism and will be essential if the aspirations ofCurriculum for Excellence are to be achieved. Learners’success in developing high levels of skills, knowledge andunderstanding depends upon them experiencing effectiveand engaging learning and teaching. The greater emphasison developing learners’ confidence, discernment, resilience,teamworking skills, creativity and personal responsibility,for example, means that teachers will need to work togetherto identify successful approaches which can be developedand reinforced across the curriculum.

Curriculum for Excellence is dependent upon skilled andcreative practitioners who are able to capitalise on theflexibility of broader guidance to develop exciting andrelevant experiences for learners. It needs reflectiveteachers with a commitment to their own development,learning collaboratively and sharing effective practice witheach other, improving their work through self-evaluationin partnership with learners, their parents3 and theircommunities. Our evidence shows that such sharing isbecoming a growing strength in Scottish education. It willbe fundamental to the successful realisation of Curriculumfor Excellence.

HMIE recognises that self-evaluation which leads to effectiveaction can be a powerful way of improving learning. We alsorecognise the part which inspection can play in the processof professional learning. With this in mind, we have‘opened up’ the inspection process in a number of ways.Inspections start from and build on self-evaluation evidence.HMIE inspection teams include associate assessors whoare practising teachers, headteachers4 or education authority

staff, as well as lay people who do not have a professionalbackground in education. Inspectors spend a highproportion of their time in lessons, with learners, and inprofessional dialogue with staff. Inspectors use the sameevaluation tools as teachers, which helps them to developa shared understanding with teachers as they evaluate theimpact of learning activities.

Scottish children, young people and adults faceunprecedented, uncertain and as yet unrecognisedchallenges posed by fast and far-reaching change. Inparticular, much more needs to be done to improve lifeopportunities for those from disadvantaged backgrounds.I have no doubt that collaborative professional learning hasan essential part to play in achieving our aspirations for alllearners. HMIE will continue to gather examples of goodpractice and share these through our website and throughcase studies as part of The Journey to Excellence. We willpublish further reports in this new series of LearningTogether guides which will focus on different aspects oflearning. I hope that you will find these resourcesstimulating, informative and helpful.

HM Senior Chief Inspector

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Section 1: Introduction

Learning together, opening up

learning

The aim of this guide is to stimulate professional reflection,dialogue and debate about learning and how to improve it,at this time of important curriculum change. It drawstogether themes, features and characteristics of effectiveimprovement through self-evaluation,5 and descriptions ofgood practice. It is a reference point for teachers who areworking together to improve the impact of their work andplan for the changes which will be necessary asCurriculum for Excellence is adopted. It can be usedalongside the many examples of good practice published atwww.journeytoexcellence.org.uk, the quality indicatorsand illustrations described in How good is our school?, TheChild at the Centre, and How good is our community learningand development?, and the series of self-evaluation guidesand portraits published at www.hmie.gov.uk.

Teachers have been making substantial progress inimproving learning and teaching by sharing practice witheach other and by involving children, young people,parents, adults and communities.6 Staff are reviewing theirclassroom practice in the light of the Curriculum forExcellence experiences and outcomes in order to identifyapproaches to learning and teaching which will lead todeeper, more sustained learning. Opening up learning inthese ways can lead to more confident, effective teaching7

and better and broader outcomes for learners.

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5 For further advice refer to Improving outcomes for learners through self-evaluation:HMIE 2008 and Improving the curriculum through self-evaluation: HMIE 2008.

6 In this guide, the terms learners, children, young people or adults are used to describe allof those engaged in the learning process as appropriate to sector or service, as distinctfrom practitioners or professionals who provide the service.

7 The term teaching is used in this guide to describe the act of leading and/or facilitatinglearning experiences and activities in all educational environments, as appropriate tosector, establishment or wider service provision, including learning in the community.

One of the reasons that learning improves is because staffat all levels have taken greater ownership of improvementthrough self-evaluation, involving learners and their parents.Headteachers and senior staff recognise their accountabilityfor the overall impact of the learning they lead. They have akey role in ensuring professional development of learning.Their leadership establishes the climate for professionallearning in their establishments.8

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‘When groups of teachers get together to discuss howto improve learning for children, young people andadults, the conversation often revolves around coursesand programmes of work. For example, they might talkabout structure and sequence, whether of topics orsections or modules, or the texts or worksheets used.All of these considerations are very important.However, there is often less discussion about whatlearning is and how it takes place or, adopting thelearners’ perspective, how learning can be organisedfor the best possible outcomes – the professional craftof teaching. In schools and pre-school centres, youmight sometimes hear people say, ‘that was a goodlesson’ or ‘that was a good activity’. How did theyknow? What did the learners think about thatparticular lesson? Are we sure it was a successfullesson from the learners’ point of view?’

How good is our school? The Journey to Excellence.HMIE 2006

How well do teachers explore their understanding oflearning together?

8 The terms establishment or school are used in this guide to refer to all pre-school centres,schools, community learning contexts or other places where learning happens, asappropriate to sector or service.

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How do they achieve this focus on learning?

A headteacher leading learning

The headteacher interviews whole year groups everyyear. Some young people take part in small groups andothers are interviewed individually. The headteachershares the findings with all staff, describing thethoughts of particular year groups or classes to informprofessional dialogue across the school. Theheadteacher makes whole-day learning visits tosubject areas to triangulate young people’s views withevaluations of learning and teaching in action, whichleads to the sharing of good practice. Teachers shareaspects of their work in learning and teaching teams,and the team leaders share this practice more widelyacross the school.

For self-evaluation to give an accurate, rounded view, itmust triangulate evidence from people’s views, directobservation of learning and teaching, and quantitative data,as illustrated in the following diagram from How good isour school?.

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Improving the how and

what of learning

Direct observation

Info

rmat

ion

and

data People’s view

s

Opening up learningthrough exploring

and usinginformation and data

Opening up learningthrough exploring andusing people’s views

Opening up learningthrough sharing learning

and teaching in action

A rounded view of self-evaluation

The pre-school centre’s approaches to improvementthrough self-evaluation were excellent. The staff used arange of highly effective methods to involve children,staff and parents in evaluating the quality of provision.They evaluated learning regularly and constructiveprofessional dialogue ensured consistently highstandards. The staff worked closely together to monitorchildren’s progress and learning experiences. A rangeof committees and focus groups, which also involvedchildren and parents, examined areas of practice. Staffimplemented improvement priorities effectively andsecured continuing improvement in children’s learning.They were committed to continuous professionaldevelopment, and a coaching culture had beenestablished amongst them.

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The following sections of this guide take each of the threesources of evidence in turn, exploring the ways in whichteachers are working together to improve learning. Section 2explores how teachers use information on learning drawnfrom a range of people’s views. One of the most powerfulmeans of professional learning is through direct observationof teaching and learning between colleagues andsubsequent debate and reflection. Section 3 thereforeoffers advice on good practice for such ‘learning visits’ toclassrooms, and how these visits can be blended withother processes to bring about improvement throughself-evaluation. Section 4 considers how other sources ofevidence can be used to illuminate the experiences oflearners and contribute to development and improvement.

Reflective questions: Annex 1 contains reflectivequestions for headteachers and their staff, exploringfurther the issues covered above.

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Section 2

Opening up learning through

exploring and using people’s views

Staff, children, young people and adults, parents, educationauthority personnel, and colleagues in partner agencies allhave important perspectives on learning. Individually, eachperspective is valuable and can contribute to successfulchange. Taken together, people’s views can be a majorforce for innovation and improvement.

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Improvingthe how and

what of learning

People’s views

Asking young people about learning

Staff have developed a whole-school approach toevaluating learning, including the use of electronicquestionnaires. Young people from S1–S6 completeindividual questionnaires about their experience ofschool and specifically about the learning that takesplace in each of their subjects. Results are collated sothat the information can be discussed by individualteachers, departmental heads and senior managers tohelp improve learning and teaching. Teachers sharethe findings within their departments and with otherdepartments. A school-wide analysis is undertaken andthe results are used in departmental and whole-schoolimprovement plans as part of the annual cycle ofimprovement. Staff feel this helps them to exercisetheir professional responsibilities for improvementand contributes to their professional development.

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What do learners think?

Children, young people and adults have daily, first-handexperience of learning and teaching and can be responsiveand perceptive when encouraged to express their views.The best contributions emerge when they feel confidentthat their views are valued. Learners generally want to besuccessful. They have a distinct view of how their teacherand school is helping and challenging them to learn, and aclear view about how learning and teaching builds theirconfidence and skills.

Children improving learning and behaviour

Children in this special school have very goodopportunities to express their views, leading directly toimprovements. Together, they have made up a schoolBill of Rights and Responsibilities to help them becomemore responsible citizens. This has helped children tounderstand what is expected of them and leads togreater fairness and equality. Children’s views contributeto improving the learning environment in different ways.For example, they discuss behaviour and how it can beimproved, and also contribute ideas for improvingtheir own and their peers’ learning experiences.

Teachers use both informal and formal ways to elicit andshare learners’ views: informally as they work withindividuals in lessons or in learning experiences outwiththe classroom; or by gathering views more formallythrough daily, weekly, monthly or longer-termarrangements.

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Children evaluating learning and teaching

Teachers involved children in a variety of effective waysto help them evaluate learning and teaching. Theyasked children what they looked for in a challengingand enjoyable lesson and analysed the results. Somechildren carried out an end-of-unit self-evaluationexercise where they indicated what they thought theyhad achieved. They were asked what should be doneto make it a better experience, what had challengedthem, what they had enjoyed, and what they had notenjoyed. As a result, the learners increased theirunderstanding of the complex relationships betweenchallenge and enjoyment of learning.

Using views to focus support

Each young person worked with their teacher torate what they had achieved in knowledge andunderstanding, organising their own learning,behaviour and cooperation with others, and theirattendance. Teachers used the information as the basisfor focusing support.

The findings of such conversations can be used to help toimprove learning and teaching. The process helps learnersto reflect on their own learning and so develop their learningskills as well as their communication skills and confidence.

Encouraging learners to discuss their views about learningwith each other and with their teachers, including theirsuccesses and disappointments, can provide powerfulevidence for self-evaluation.

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Blending of learners’ individual and collective views withother information can help to ensure high-quality andimproving experiences for them.

Young people’s views improving learning

Young people talk regularly about and reflect on theirlearning in classes through discussions, questionnairesand peer assessment. The school is also developinginnovative ways of engaging young people inunderstanding their own learning through applying forclass ‘Enterprise Awards’. In order to achieve theseawards, young people have to demonstrate that they areengaged in enterprising and creative learning activitiesin which they play an active role, learn independentlyand are developing their skills, confidence andcontributions. Together with their teacher, they plan andreflect on learning. They supply evidence which mayinclude, for example, film of their learning activities.

Young people informing professional dialogue

Teachers used feedback from young people to informtheir dialogue with colleagues, leading very quickly toimprovements in learning and teaching approaches.Interactive whiteboards had been introduced to helpimprove learning across the school and cluster.Teachers and young people enjoyed using them todevelop and try out new ideas. Young people gavefeedback to their teachers on how the boards hadhelped them to learn, informing professional discussionsamongst teachers and leading to improved practice.

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Reflective questions: Annex 2 provides some question forstaff to reflect on when considering engaging children, youngpeople and adults in evaluating their learning experiences.

What do parents think?

Gathering parents’ views on their children’s learning helpsto strengthen the partnership between school and home andreinforces the key role which parents have in their children’slearning. Not all parents are confident about being involved,but by involving parents in all aspects of their children’slearning, seeking out their views and aspirations, andenlisting their help, advice and support, the likelihood ofsuccessful outcomes for their children is increased.

Parents provide a distinct perspective on learning andteaching which can help staff to improve learning for youngpeople and also, in some cases, for the parents themselves.Some parents will have regular involvement in encouraging,supporting or sharing their children’s learning, at home orin the community. Some will have an astute understanding

Involving parents and children in making decisionsabout learning

Staff evaluated their approaches to involving parents inthe life of the centre. They set out to engage parentsand children much more in making decisions aboutwhat happens in the centre. Staff made innovativechanges, including setting up a web forum for parentsto talk directly with other parents. Parents and childrennow take part in discussing changes in curriculumprogrammes, staff child interactions, and in designingspaces. Parents and children have benefited throughlearning together, being more reflective and beingable to ask questions about learning.

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of their children’s progress. They will know exactly whatthey want for their children and what their children expect,and will have a keen interest in homework, assessments andall other indications of progress. Other parents’ perspectivesmay rely on varying degrees of informal feedback from theirchildren following a day at school, or from formal reportsfrom teachers. Some parents will have faced considerabledifficulties themselves as learners and may not feel wellplaced to engage with their own children’s learning.

Wherever parents are starting from, it is important forteachers to engage with them to discover and share theirviews to help the parents to support their children’slearning and foster success.

Engaging parents on home study

Following an effective consultation with parents,homework was redefined as home study. The librariancompiled a home-study TV guide and home-studyplanning calendars, which avoided clashes of subjectdeadlines, and shared these with parents. At an‘Engaging Parents’ afternoon, staff presented a rangeof home-study approaches including the use of websearch, looking at art, the cinema and TV.

Parents’ views are further informed and refined when theyare shared with other parents. Parent groups, forums,councils and associations rightly want to discuss and debatelearning and their children’s highs and lows. As groupsthey have the potential to engage in important dialoguewith staff. By combining parents’ individual and collectiveviews with those of learners and their teachers, togetherwith information from other sources, teachers can gain afuller understanding of how successful learning is.

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Reflective questions: Annex 3 contains some reflectivequestions for you to use when considering how to engagewith parents to find out, share and use their views inself-evaluation for improvement.

What do staff think?

Curriculum for Excellence defines the curriculum as thetotality of experiences which are planned for each child andyoung person. The Getting it right for every child approachplaces increased emphasis on child-centred partnershipsand collaborations. The curriculum and support for somechildren may involve contributions from a wide range ofstaff. It is important that all contributors to a child’s or youngperson’s education are fully involved in self-evaluation andimprovement. This will include staff from health and policeservices, other council services, colleges and othereducational establishments, youth work and communitylearning and development services, voluntaryorganisations, businesses, and employers.

Effective operational planning from self-evaluation

The community resources manager and other staff useapproaches to operational planning that enable staff toengage fully in planning and self-evaluation. Thesystematic approach they take to developingprogrammes and projects leads to more effectivetargeting of resources and operational delivery basedon reflective practice. Staff at all levels are confidentabout their roles and have a strong understanding oflinks between national and local policy and practice.Self-evaluations and analysis are used well to informfuture practice, and staff and partners have high levelsof trust which enable them to be clear about aspectsof work which have not been good as well as torecognise success.

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Teachers have a detailed knowledge about the quality oflearning and teaching based on their professional expertiseand day-to-day experiences. Some members of staff have aparticular role in improving an establishment’s or service’soverall performance. Other colleagues may be responsiblefor improving specific aspects or for an individual learner’sprogress. At all levels, teachers have a key responsibility forevaluating the impact of learning and teaching and applyingtheir findings as they develop their practice further to meetthe expectations of Curriculum for Excellence. They need tobring their professional knowledge and skills to bear toensure that the methodology chosen is appropriate for theoutcomes to be achieved and, collectively, they need toensure that each learner experiences coherence andprogression across all learning.

A culture of improvement through self-evaluation

The school has developed a culture of innovationthrough self-evaluation for improvement, involvingall staff and young people. A clear, well-plannedprogramme of self-evaluation activities is wellestablished, including learning visits to class, samplingof coursework, detailed analysis of attainment data,evaluations carried out by young people, and themedaudits. This evidence is combined to informdevelopment priorities across the school, andcontributes to a continuous process of improvementin learning and teaching throughout the school year.

It is important to capture and combine all of theseperspectives and use them to inform development. Someestablishments and services use a combination ofquestionnaires, meetings, workshops and working groups to:

• explore strengths in learning and teaching approachesand the ways particular learners and groups of learnersrespond to different approaches;

• plan changes to learning and teaching required topromote the higher order learning skills embedded inthe Curriculum for Excellence experiences andoutcomes and, for example, in planning to developliteracy and numeracy across learning;

• gather detailed evidence from staff to help evaluateestablishment-wide approaches to improve learningand teaching, such as analysing data about learners’progress;

• establish and collate staff views on aspects of the lifeof the school such as ways of promoting health andwellbeing;

• explore the impact of different kinds of support, includingaspects of pupil support or other resources deployed tohelp meet learning needs; and

• identify examples of effective practice for sharingmore widely.

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Sharing best practice with colleagues

Staff share best practice in learning and teaching withtheir colleagues as a key aspect of the school’simprovement agenda. Departmental meetings, whichare held every two weeks, focus on this agenda.Valuable face-to-face discussions at departmentalmeetings focus on what teachers are learning fromseeing one another in action, and from trying newapproaches themselves to improve learning andteaching. Staff report regularly on the progress they aremaking and their feedback is gathered into a regularschool-wide report on progress.

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The combination of staff views together with those oflearners and their parents, and a range of other information,enables staff to gain a better understanding of a school’sstrengths and aspects where changes are needed.

Cross-sector professional dialogue

In the light of an important emphasis on continuity inthe 3-18 curriculum, education authority staff gatheredteachers from all sectors to work alongside each otherto develop advice on curriculum areas. They created‘Experiences and Outcomes’ teams for differentcurriculum areas. Each team consisted of professionalsfrom different sectors. They discussed the draftCurriculum for Excellence outcomes and experiences,recognising through that process just how much theyhad to learn from dialogue with colleagues working inother sectors. They planned tasks to try out in theirclassrooms. After eight weeks, they met again to sharetheir experiences and to develop changes to subjectcourses and multi-disciplinary studies. The strengthof this approach was in the richness of professionaldialogue stemming from the combination of pre-school,primary and secondary expertise to plan a curriculumwhich was based on key principles which otherpractitioners could use.

What does the community think?

Members of the community can be both learners themselvesand supporters of learning. Their perceptions can add afurther important dimension to the process of evaluation.

A community’s approach to learning can have a directeffect on the attitude, commitment and ultimately successof learners. Learning experiences that take place incommunities can be supportive of each other, and of formalor statutory learning. For example, in disadvantaged areas,successful regeneration work can create more aspirationalcommunities and aspirational learners. Communitycapacity building work helps communities to providelearning opportunities for themselves, such as throughgroups of young parents or adult evening classes.

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Widening perspectives

The headteacher and staff worked together to leadimprovement, using effective professional andinterpersonal skills. Staff had engaged with parentsand community leaders to support the work of theschool. The headteacher joined members of the localpolice force on their beat to better understand the homecircumstances of some of her learners. A programmeof sampling parents’ views was in place. Learners’views were sampled bi-monthly. Teachers regularlyvisited each others’ lessons, other learning activitiesand the associated nursery.

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Reflective questions: Annex 4 contains some reflectivequestions for you to use when considering how peoplelearn together in their community, sharing and using views to contribute to self-evaluation for improvement.

Annex 5 contains examples of reflective questions for staff who are evaluating the impact of the curriculum and innovations.

Drawing the strands together – identifying priorities

Contributions to decisions about priorities are an important part of professional practice for all staff. The process of establishing priorities for development is more effective when it is based on a clear picture of current practice, drawn from a range of sources ofevidence. It also requires a shared understanding of the purpose and expectations of learning and thecurriculum. It should always have a focus on the impact of decisions on learners’ progress and achievement.

Section 3Opening up learning through sharinglearning and teaching in action

In this section we consider approaches which focus onimproving learning and teaching through direct observationof learning and teaching in action.

Increasingly within Curriculum for Excellence it will beessential for teachers to understand how their work relates tothe whole curriculum experienced by each learner and howthe learning and teaching approaches which a child or youngperson experiences fit together. For example, the extent towhich the expectations and best features of children’slearning experiences are maintained and built upon as theyprogress into the next stage of their learning. Working withcolleagues enables teachers to share and reflect on theseaspects, consolidate innovations and sustain improvement.

Teachers can increase the depth of their understanding ofwhat makes for successful teaching and its impact onlearning through evaluating the quality of learning directly ineach other’s lessons and learning activities. They can developshared expectations, increase their own expertise in the artand craft of teaching, gain a deeper understanding of howpeople learn, and contribute to a collegiate purpose byreflecting with each other on what they learn from seeinglearning in action.30

Direct observation


what of learning

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Sharing findings from learning visits

Senior staff sampled learning across the school. Theheadteacher then shared the findings with all staff tobuild on the identified strengths in learning and to openup reflection. Here is a summary of the headteacher’sfindings, shared with staff.

“The focus of the visits was to sample learningexperiences and the extent to which pupils’ needswere being met. A strongly positive picture emerged.Class teachers were clearly committed and genuinelyinterested in the wellbeing and development of pupils. A range of professional skills were clearlyevident and being used to good effect to supportpupils. In the vast majority of lessons, aims wereshared with pupils in line with the principles ofAssessment is for Learning ….. The vast majority oflessons offered direction and instructions to pupilsto good effect. Explanations and expositions werepresented clearly. In a high number of instances therewas a highly skilled use of questioning to supportpupil learning. ……. Lessons were generally wellpaced. Most pupils were fully engaged in theirlearning. ….. Some pupils would have benefited fromincreased challenge from activities, and questioningthat demanded a more evaluative response. Pupils’written work showed a mixed picture in terms of thelevel of correction. The use of formative commentswas inconsistent. ….. Some pupils had the opportunityto show their ability to work independently or incollaboration with others. Relationships in class werevery good. Pupil behaviour was also consistentlygood. Class teachers modelled positive expectations.

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The headteacher then invited departments to reflect onthe following and respond as appropriate – the extentto which: the sharing of learning outcomes isembedded in classroom practice; prior attainmentis being taken into account in planning lessons;questioning encourages pupils to think for themselvesand make judgements; class teachers are makingconnections between what is being taught andprevious learning; pupils understand the relevanceof the curricular content and learning activities;tasks/activities are planned in such a way as to meet allpupils’ needs; differentiation reflects the ability levelsand learning needs of all pupils; target setting is in use,with pupils having an understanding of what they areaiming for and what is expected of them; and formativecomments are supporting pupil learning.”

Visits to lessons should be part of a formative approach toimprovement in learning and teaching and for evaluatingthe impact of changes in practice. Successful approachesto direct observation of learning depend upon carefulpreparation and discussion about sensitivities or potentialmisunderstandings.

It is important that learning visits are constructive and havea positive impact. Professional dialogue is essential in allcases and it needs to be both exploratory and formative.It is important to focus a learning visit clearly on outcomesfor learners and to avoid becoming overly engaged byprocesses.

Before a learning visit, teachers will find it beneficial to havediscussed the purpose and intended outcomes of the visit,and may have explored how the visit will be carried out,for example:

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Making a learning visit to class

“The teacher is in the lead in their classroom so I try tobe as unobtrusive as possible and as supportive as Ican of the learning that is taking place. When theteacher is talking to the class, I show that I am listeningattentively. When the learners start working onactivities, I move around and join in, talking to them,looking at what they are working on, observing howthey are responding and how well they work together.Do I help someone who is struggling? Yes. Althoughthis might distort a little what would normally happenin the lesson, it goes against the grain for a teacher torefuse to help a learner needing help and it shows weare a professional team all committed to supportinglearning. I wouldn’t, however, take over the teachingof a group unless it was understood in advance that Iwould work cooperatively with the teacher.”

• how they will manage the visit and engage in constructiveprofessional dialogue that leads to improvement;

• how the visit might be complemented by future learningvisits, perhaps with visits to and from the teachersinvolved to other classes or subjects;

• whether the nature of the lesson will enable the visitor towork alongside a colleague, for example in a cooperativeteaching approach; and

• ensuring a shared understanding and expectation aboutkey aspects of teaching, such as recognising andaddressing learning needs.

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Starting a learning visit to class: ‘what is it like to be alearner in this lesson?’

Initially, staff visiting lessons may find it helpful to identifyand consider the likely impact of important contextualfeatures which can influence the quality of learners’experiences; features such as the environment for learning,or ethos. Then, by moving quickly to focus directly onlearners themselves, they can recognise the extent towhich each is engaged in learning, perhaps autonomousin learning or, on the other hand, when they might havewithdrawn from learning.

As an example of the kind of things staff may want toconsider in an initial lesson visit, here are a few promptsthat might be used in a visit to a lesson in mathematics.Not all of these features are straightforward, and staffwould want to ensure they focused directly on the impacton learners of each of these aspects.

• The classroom is well managed, with resources that arereadily available, well organised and appropriate to theactivities being carried out.

• The lesson has a clear objective. It is well structured withan introduction to share the objective with young people,and explain the main points clearly, and an ending toreview the key ideas and issue any homework.

• The pace of work is brisk. Young people’s interest andattention is sustained through interactive teaching andgroup and individual work.

• Young people are well motivated and workconscientiously.

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• Teachers use questioning effectively to: involve as manyyoung people as possible; give young people time tothink before providing an answer; seek extendedexplanations rather than one-word responses; allow timeto explore reasons for wrong answers; and take accountof prior learning when questioning individuals.

• Teachers set high standards for young people’s work.

• Where appropriate, teachers take opportunities to ensurethat learners develop skills in mental calculation and insolving problems, practise and apply mathematical skillsin real life contexts and situations across the curriculum,and use ICT effectively.

• Teachers listen carefully to young people’s answers toquestions and modify their teaching accordingly. Theygive constructive feedback on oral and written work.

• Young people are supported according to their needs,groupings are appropriate, the work is sufficientlychallenging for all young people and they are helpedwhen they experience difficulties.

As staff visit each other’s classes, they will be analysing howwell learning and teaching is leading to the developmentof the skills, attributes and capabilities embedded withinthe experiences and outcomes. They will want to consider,for example, how the learning activities are addressing thedevelopment of: skills in literacy and numeracy; beingcreative; learning independently and in groups; evaluating;reasoning; self-awareness; assessing risk; critical thinking;developing informed, ethical views; applying learning innew situations; problem solving; using technology; takingthe initiative and leading; and understanding their own andothers’ cultures.

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Sometimes staff may identify the need to look at the impactof learning on longer-term outcomes, perhaps related tothe school improvement plan. In that case, they may focusa learning visit and related discussions with learners onareas such as:

• how literacy and numeracy are being developed,extended and reinforced across all learning;

• how learning activities promote the aspects of healthand wellbeing which are the responsibility of all staff;

• how learning in upper secondary education can addressboth examination requirements and wider aims;

Professional development through learning visits

The very strong culture of professional dialogue, trustand collegiality ensures that learning and support foryoung people are at the heart of the school’s work. Stafffocus strongly on developing their own understandingof the craft of teaching and current educationalthinking through well-structured professionaldevelopment sessions on the practical application ofeffective learning and teaching strategies. Thesestrategies provide the focus for learning visits to classby peers and managers. Because of the positiveclimate for improvement through teamwork, staff feelcomfortable about supporting and challenging eachother’s ideas. They feel empowered to take risks andtry new approaches in making curriculum changes andimprovements in classroom practice, and they aresupported to take on leadership roles of working inpairs and teams.

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• the extent to which learning currently addresses abroad or narrow range of outcomes and how to extendthis to cover the broader range of outcomes intendedwithin Curriculum for Excellence; and

• whether learning is sufficiently active, practical andapplied.

The areas being explored should be shared and discussedin a climate of trust and professional partnership.

Senior managers making learning visits

The regular presence of the headteacher and othersenior managers in classes, supporting andchallenging the work of learners, helps them to keepup to date on the progress being made. They are thenbetter placed to direct resources where they are mostneeded, and where teachers can use them to takelearning to a higher level.

It is important for teachers to both undertake learningvisits to others’ classes and to have others visit their class.By doing both they learn from and with those around them.All involved need to know the intentions of the lesson orlearning activity to be observed, to enable them to discussthe extent to which the experiences led to the intendedoutcomes for learners.

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This collective commitment to the positive impact of learningvisits to colleagues’ classes is a growing strength in manyeducational establishments.

The following examples feature in effective approaches tolearning visits.

• Learning visits take place with a shared understandingof purpose and in a climate of professional respect.

• Learning visits vary in format, are proportionate tocircumstances, range from short episodes or‘walk-throughs’ to more extended stays, and help staffto gain a fuller picture of the strengths in learning andteaching on which to build improvement.

• Learning visits involve teachers from different stages,subjects or levels of responsibility, and teachers learnfrom each other by observing and discussing practice.

Focused learning visits combined with otherperspectives

The headteacher had established a wide range ofrigorous and systematic approaches to evaluating theeffectiveness of the school’s provision. The views ofparents, learners and all staff were regularly sought.Their contributions were valued and improvementshad taken place as a result. Members of the seniorleadership team regularly visited classes to observelearning and teaching. Visits had a clear focus andevidence gathered was shared with staff clearly andconcisely. Teachers visited classes across the school tobuild on examples of best practice, and shared thispractice widely. Most teachers also reflected frequentlyon their own practice.

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• Visits are regular enough to provide ideas forimprovement and then to follow these up to assess impact.

• Professional dialogue is interactive, constructive andeffective, and results in a shared understanding ofstrengths and steps for further consideration and followup. Visitors reflect on the extent to which their learningvisit has had a positive impact and created a climate forongoing professional dialogue.

• Learning visits focus on outcomes and on how lessonsconsolidate and develop confidence in learning.

• Senior staff use information from learning visits to guideand support improvement planning, for example throughidentifying the need to increase the scope in lessons fora wider range of learning skills.

• Visits help ensure that resources are deployed effectivelyto meet learners’ needs, for example through using theInternet, interactive whiteboards or computers.

• Professional dialogue helps teachers to take personalresponsibility for planning how to meet their owndevelopment needs.

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A full departmental review

The school’s team approach to departmental review isconstantly being improved. Initially, the review teamwas made up of a member of the senior managementteam, a principal teacher from another department,and an unpromoted teacher. Each had a defined roleand was given specific tasks. They made visits tolessons over a period of one week and discussed themwith the department staff. To date, five departmentshave taken part and the school intends to carry out onereview per term as part of its cycle of improvement.The review reports provide a very detailed and accurateevaluation of the quality of education provided by thereviewed departments with detailed individualfeedback being offered to all teachers following alearning visit. More recently, the review team has beenextended to include a newly qualified teacher and, insome cases, a subject specialist from a neighbouringschool. In addition, all link members of the seniormanagement team are included in the team unless theyteach in the department being reviewed. A greaterdegree of flexibility has also been introduced, allowingdepartments to identify a focus for the review on yeargroups, teaching and learning, classroom management,departmental organisation or other specificdevelopments. Through this exercise, principalteachers and unpromoted teachers feel they are nowmaking an enhanced contribution to the managementof the school, and all of the staff involved as reviewersor reviewees learn a great deal about self-evaluation.

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More generally, when planning learning visits, staff mayfind helpful the following selection of prompts used inlearning visits by HMIE.

• Learning climate and teaching approaches

• Curriculum content

• Teacher-pupil interaction, including learners’engagement

• Clarity and purposefulness of dialogue

• Judgements made in the course of teaching

• Equality and fairness

• Pupil-teacher interaction

• Lesson aims shared with pupils

• Explanations and instructions

• Skilled use of questions

• Pace

• Resources

• Praise and feedback

• Use of ICT

• Expectations of staff and pupils

• Pupil involvement in learning/decision-making

• Behaviour and motivation of pupils

• Homework

• Pupil responsibility

• Independent learning skills

• Group/collaborative working

Reflective questions: Annex 6 contains somequestions that you might reflect on when consideringthe priority areas being explored through the contextof learning visits.

Section 4Opening up learning through exploringand using information and data

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what of learning

Info

rmat

ion

and

data

The next aspect of the self-evaluation triangulation processinvolves the use of a range of information and data. Evidenceabout learners’ progress and their success in undertakingthe experiences and achieving the outcomes withinCurriculum for Excellence will be gathered from varioussources. It will comprise information from wherever thelearning takes place and across all aspects of learning.Such information is particularly valuable when combinedwith the other perspectives covered in this guide, namelyfrom people’s views and learning visits. It forms animportant backdrop to enable staff to identify prioritiesfor development within Curriculum for Excellence.

Much of the information and data that schools have willcome from assessment practice. Assessment is an integralpart of learning and teaching and flows from the plannedcurriculum. It provides an emerging picture of a youngperson’s achievements and can be a motivation to do betterand progress further in learning.

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Across all areas of the curriculum, teachers will gatherevidence of progress as part of children’s and youngpeople’s day-to-day learning. Evidence can be drawn, forexample, from discussions with learners, and observationsof their skills in communicating in different ways andsettings, solving problems creatively, and justifying theiropinions of their own and others’ work. Children and youngpeople can demonstrate their progress in skills,knowledge and understanding as, for example, theydevelop their practical skills, express increasinglycomplex concepts and ideas, apply their creative skills toproduce more complex pieces of work and demonstrateincreasing skills and confidence in presentations.

Assessment should apply to learning outside the classroom.Schools have information about success in an increasinglywide range of achievements. They may be working todevelop resilience through aspects of health and wellbeing.They may be striving to ensure that every young person isengaged in some form of out-of-class learning, club, sportor activity and that they progress in such activities as theylearn and mature. Monitoring such a wide range ofachievements can be new to schools and is not withoutchallenges. However, information about engagement inactivities beyond the classroom can help to supportdiscussions with individual young people about theirlearning and development across the attributes andcapabilities of Curriculum for Excellence. All of this in turncan lead to greater success.

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For the individual teacher, information on learners’ successsupports reflection on their own practice and planning thenext steps for learners and groups, curriculum experiencesand teaching approaches. Collectively, the information canprovide insights, for example into how particular groups,such as vulnerable young people, are achieving. In turn theinformation allows teachers as a team to reflect on issuessuch as the school’s level of aspirations and expectations.Having access to a wide range of data and informationprovides schools with the opportunity to give parents andothers an open and transparent account of their success inmeeting their planned objectives for the school and itsyoung people.

Information and data about learners’ success and progresscan be gathered at different points. Some will come fromthe day-to-day interactions during learning and teachingthat help to build up a picture of learners’ knowledge,understanding and developing skills. Teachers have a greatdeal of experience in these aspects through developmentssuch as assessment for learning. The information can alsocome from periodic monitoring of coursework such asthrough specially-designed assessment tasks used at theend of a topic or on the completion of a project. Or it cancome from periodic reflection on success in activitiesbeyond the classroom.

Benchmarking

The headteacher considered teachers’ forward plansand analysed learners’ attainment data, giving writtenand oral feedback. The headteacher also used clusterarrangements to share ideas and expertise with otherheadteachers, and to closely benchmark her school’sattainment against that of other schools and pre-schoolcentres.

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Data and information on progress and achievements atpoints of transition such as transfer from class to class, stageto stage, or school to school are particularly important.Through being rich in information and data about learners’progress at these times, and basing judgements onknowledge of individuals, teachers can ensure that learningtakes full account of prior achievements and of individualneeds. Improvements in progression across transitionsbring about real and lasting improvements to learning.

Comparative information can be particularly helpful forteachers. It can help them to ‘benchmark’ aspects of theschool’s achievements. Benchmarking involves learningfrom others. It helps to identify strengths and aspectswhere levels of success might be improved. Often, suchcomparisons are made using data about learners’ successshared across schools, perhaps schools with learners ofsimilar needs and backgrounds and sometimes usingnational data. Using information in these ways helps teachersto learn from others who may be facing similar challengesin meeting learning needs, and allows them to learn from arange of different solutions and approaches. Increasingly,staff are making effective use of sophisticated data whichcan help them to reflect, for example, on how well learnersare achieving in one area of the curriculum compared withhow well the same learners perform in other areas, or howwell learners progress from one course to another at ahigher level.

Any such approach is most powerful when it focuses onimproving the outcomes of learning and teaching.Evaluation of learners’ coursework can help to:

• show the rate of learners’ progress over a given periodof time;

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• indicate how successful the learning experiences havebeen in achieving the intended outcomes, and at whatpace;

• show the degree to which learning and teachinginnovations and policies are being implemented andhow they may be impacting on learning; and

• indicate the level of personalisation that needs to beplanned for learners.

The nature of information will be different in, for example,a pre-school setting, a secondary school and a communitylearning context. To achieve maximum impact from usefuldata, it is important that staff share the same language andexpectations about learning. For learners aged 3 to 15these will be based upon the experiences and outcomes.Staff may use:

• baseline or entry achievement information to identifylearners’ strengths and needs and identify the next stepstowards realistic but challenging outcomes, and to ensurecontinuity of learning across key transition pointsparticularly in literacy and numeracy;

Using recorded evidence of progress in children’slearning

Staff were already recording evidence of progress inchildren’s learning, but further training helped them tothink much more about the principles behind theapproach and to debate the pedagogy of early yearseducation. The recorded evidence made children’ssuccesses and achievements more visible to parentsand, most importantly, to the children themselves. Thisapproach also engaged children in the planningprocess and allowed many opportunities to revisitlearning, making play more relevant and purposeful.

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Targets to guide learning

All primary class teachers set individual targets forthe children in their classes. Children helped to settheir own targets, linked to personal learning plans,monitored and evaluated by a working group ofteachers. Regular assessment was used to trackprogress. Children’s jotters and class work weresampled each month.

• statements of achievement developed by learners;

• negotiated targets with learners to inform teachingapproaches;

• information about onward progress, including futuresuccesses as learners move from stage to stage,including post-school leavers’ destinations;

• discussions about learners’ progress with colleaguesand with learners themselves, exploring progress inlearning and the full range of their achievements, acrossall aspects of the curriculum;

• comparative assessment information from: internal orexternal assessments or other sources; learners’performance in other subjects; other schools whichserve children and young people with similar needs andbackgrounds; national performance information; and

• data about attendance, exclusions from school or lessons,and referrals for achievements and behaviour and forparticular achievements.

Many teachers find it helpful to assess jointly or comparetheir marking and feedback approaches with colleagues.Such approaches help them to agree and confirm standardsand to clarify expectations and take steps to promoteimprovement. They can also use external assessments toreflect on their establishment’s internal assessments of thelevels achieved by learners. Overall these approacheshelp to share and set standards across the profession.

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Setting personal goals

Learners at all stages were beginning to be involved inregularly setting their own targets in consultation withclass teachers. The headteacher engaged effectivelywith teachers to discuss examination data and toidentify areas for improvement.

No single source of information can give a full or accurateaccount of the impact of learning and teaching on learners.By combining information on what people think aboutlearning, information about the quality of learning andteaching in action and information from assessment and othersources, teachers can reach a secure foundation on whichthey can build sustained improvement for their learners.

Reflective questions: Annex 7 provides examples ofreflective questions for discussion about using achievementinformation and data.

Conclusion

Successful establishments and services recognisesustained improvement in learning as their corebusiness.

By opening up learning, parents and staff have grown inconfidence about preparing children, young people andadults for a changing world. By learning together, webecome more confident, open, objective and transparentabout our work. Establishments build momentum inwhich key outcomes relate to high motivation andsuccess for all learners and staff. An atmosphere andethos in which teachers readily share their experienceswith colleagues and have a hunger for growing theirown learning, has now become one of the hallmarks ofmature self-evaluation in Scottish education.

The aim of this guide has been to stimulate professionalreflection, dialogue and debate about the how and whatof learning, and how, by learning together, we willcontinue to improve them as the means of achieving theaspirations of Curriculum for Excellence. As we worktogether to do this we will explore what it means to‘open up’ learning. We will increasingly recognise what‘opened-up’ learning looks like through its impact onchildren’s, young people’s, and adults’ learning and lifeopportunities.

Learning together

In a new shared campus, children from the specialschool, primary school and secondary school formeda learning community. They joined together to form a‘rights respecting group’ in which representatives fromeach school supported each other to share views andmake suggestions about learning together in the future.

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Section 5

Reflective questions:

annexes

Section 5:Reflective questions: annexes

The following annexes provide, for reflection, examples ofkey questions, issues and features of opening up learning.They cover some of the issues and ideas raised in sections1 to 4 of this guide. They are intended to be used as a startingpoint to stimulate and inform discussions and raise debate,with a view to increasing shared understanding andpromoting improvement. Some of the questions may alsohelp to inform discussions with learners, their parents andother members of the community.

Annex 1 (see page 12)

Examples of key reflective questions for headteachers,managers and staff

• How do we explore together what effective learning is?

• As headteachers, managers and senior staff, how do wedemonstrate leadership for learning through our dailyactions, including through visiting learning activitiesand leading subsequent professional dialogue?

• In what ways do we track improvements in learning andteaching over time and ensure high quality across theschool, including in inter-disciplinary contexts?

• In what ways do we explain the purpose of exploringlearning, and offer ready means by which all views canbe communicated?

• To what extent do we use a range of approaches forexploring views, including through parent groups andcouncils, focus groups, individual meetings, workinggroups, electronic media and written questionnaires?

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• In what ways do we address the communication needs ofthose whose views we seek, including where confidence,disability, language, motivation, understanding or otherdifficulties may be barriers?

• How do we build on the creative ideas which may emergefrom the views we gather?

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Examples of reflective questions for staff on exploringlearners’ views

• To what extent do learners understand how learningtakes place?

• How do we encourage learners to comment on the qualityof their experiences?

• How well do learners understand the objectives orintended outcomes of a given task, and can they evaluatetheir own progress towards them?

• What do learners think about the quality ofteacher-learner and learner-learner interactionsand relationships?

• How confident do learners feel about influencingdecisions about the management and structure of theirlearning experiences? What choices do they haveabout lesson priorities and their preferred approachesto learning?

• How effectively do we make use of learners’ viewsabout pace or challenge, active learning or learningindependently, to improve learning and teaching?

• How confident do learners feel about identifying otherissues which may impact on learning such as behaviour,home study, teachers’ empathy and expectations, or ethos?

• In what ways do we ensure our pupil councils and youthforums discuss learning, its strengths and how it mightbe improved?

• To what extent are youth forums exploring the relationshipbetween learning in the community and school?

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• How do children, young people and adults withrepresentative roles stimulate discussion about learningamongst their peers, for example by using focus groups,assemblies, displays, debates, or class time?

• To what extent do learners feel that discussions aboutlearning are open and transparent, inclusive, rigorous,influential, and carried out in a trusting environment?

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Examples of reflective questions for staff on exploringparents’ views

• How do we value and use views and contributions fromall parents?

• What do we do to provide the means for all parents tocommunicate their views, irrespective of any barriersthey may face?

• How wide a range of media do we use for exploringviews, including discussion groups, individual meetingsand questionnaires?

• To what extent are the views that parents offer informedby their understanding of children’s learning, as mighthave been explained to them through open evenings,curriculum events, information leaflets, or the school orservice website?

• To what extent do parents’ views match theestablishment’s own view of learning and teaching?

• How well does consultation help to identify wider issueswhich affect learning, including aspects of ethos oraccess to opportunities for wider achievement?

• How confidently can we show how we have usedparents’ views constructively to improve learning?

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Examples of reflective questions for staff to use whenconsidering how they learn together

• To what extent do we value the views of thecommunity about the learning opportunities andinstitutions in their area?

• How extensively is our school involved in itscommunity, for example through local communityplanning?

• To what extent do we consider all learning providersas part of a learning community, and involve them fullywhen we are evaluating progress?

• How well do we involve partners in learning indeveloping local learning plans such as schoolimprovement plans?

• How well do we recognise and value the learningexperiences that children and young people achievein their community?

• To what extent do we consider how learningopportunities in the community can support learningin school?

• How well do we recognise the value of familieslearning together, and the positive benefit this canhave on children and young people’s learning, and onall other family members?

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Examples of reflective questions for staff who areevaluating the impact of the curriculum and innovations

• To what extent do parents feel encouraged to broadentheir children’s curriculum out of school, complementingthe work of the school?

• Do we fully involve all learners, their parents and staff in reviewing the extent to which changing curriculumarrangements meet learners’ needs?

• Have all views been gathered, shared and used to informa shared rationale for curriculum change, with clearlydefined outcomes?

• What measures of success do we have to monitorimprovements in achievement following innovationsand change?

• Do we know who misses out on out-of-class learningactivities, how they feel, and to what extent they may bedisadvantaged as a result?

• What evidence is there that our curriculum motivates,promotes self-esteem, and encourages good attendanceand discipline?

• How well do permeating aspects of the curriculum suchas enterprise and citizenship impact on learning?

• How well do we use partnerships to enhance thecurriculum we offer and ensure effective support foridentified learners?

• How effectively do our curriculum and partnershipsdeliver our shared vision and values?

• To what extent does our teaching pedagogy andcurriculum promote equalities for all?

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Examples of reflective questions for learners andstaff, relating to learning visits and longer-termissues in an establishment’s or service’simprovement plan

• What variety is there in learning over the course of alesson, day, or a week? To what extent is learningactive, challenging and enjoyable?

• What opportunities do learners have to think andreflect?

• To what extent do learners have choices in what andhow they learn? Do they make good use of thechoices?

• Is learning made practical, applied and relevant?

• Do teaching approaches encourage individuals totake responsibility for organising their learning withothers, working collaboratively in groups and teams,and giving presentations to their peers?

• In seeking to improve achievement, how well do weknow how deeply learners are engaged in learning?

• How well does the balance of whole-class directteaching, questioning and interaction, group work,thinking time and other approaches meet all learners’needs?

• How well do learning experiences challenge learnersand involve thinking skills such as designing,constructing, producing, inventing, hypothesising,critiquing, experimenting, and judging?

• How well do learning experiences build on priorlearning and use assessment information to helpinform progression?

• What have learners gained from the lesson orlearning activity? 61


Examples of reflective questions for teachers exploringinformation and data

• To what extent do we seek out and use benchmarkinginformation to help to evaluate outcomes?

• How well, and how often, do we ensure all staff understandhow to interpret assessment information and data?

• Are all of our staff confident in their own professionaljudgements and ability to assess learners’ progress toshared standards?

• How well do we assess progress in cross-curricularlearning, such as literacy and numeracy?

• Are the approaches we use to report learners’ progressconsistent in referring to strengths and areas forimprovement?

• How well do we use assessment information to planimprovements?

• How effectively do we use learners’ self-assessments toinform next steps?

• How effective are our arrangements for informing allteachers about the prior learning of individuals andgroups of learners?

• Does the information we gather from assessment coverall key outcomes?

• Does the assessment information we use combine thecontributions of teachers and learners?

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Section 6Acknowledgements

Section 6:Acknowledgements

This publication draws from inspections of establishmentsand services during the period 2000 – 2009. HMIE wouldlike to thank all learners, parents and staff who contributedto these inspections, along with those from the followingestablishments which were visited to gather some of thespecific examples of good practice included in this guide.

Canmore Primary School Fife Council

Livingston Village Primary West Lothian CouncilSchool

St Joseph’s RC Primary School Fife Council

St David’s RC Primary School Edinburgh City Council

Castle Douglas High School Dumfries and GallowayCouncil

Cathkin High School South Lanarkshire Council

Culloden Academy Highland Council

Dunbar Grammar School East Lothian Council

St Thomas of Aquin’s Edinburgh City CouncilHigh School

St Luke’s High School East Renfrewshire Council

Cumnock Academy East Ayrshire Council

Balfron High School Stirling Council

Our Lady and West DunbartonshireSt Patrick’s High School Council

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We would also like to thank Anne Mulgrew, SouthLanarkshire Council, for gathering many of the examples ofgood practice, and the following colleagues who took partin focus group meetings to inform the contents of this guide:

Pauline Allison, Douglas Angus, Adrienne Armstrong,Debbie Beveridge, Kevin Boyd, David Clark, Bill Cook,Mary Fox, Eleanor Gavienas, Anne Haxton, Ross Jamieson,Eleanor Jess, Lynda Jones, Sheena Liddell, Jennifer Logue,Mary McKenzie, Anne Milburn, Bary Mochan, Gillian Norquoy,Jan Smith, David Thomson, and Peter Wood.

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Learning Together:Opening up learning

www.hmie.gov.uk

© Crown copyright 2009RR Donnelley B57200 04-09

This document is also available on the HMIE website: www.hmie.gov.uk

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