Learning Communities

 

There are 26 Learning Communities in Glasgow.

 

Each Learning Community comprises of:

  • at least one secondary school
  • associated primary schools
  • local early years establishments
  • where appropriate, local ASL school(s)

Link to Education Directory

Contact details of all establishments have been collated into this e-Directory

 

There are also contact details of Councillors, MPs, MSPs and MEPs, other Education Authorities and Further Education establishments


The priorities for Learning Communities are:

  • Raising attainment and achievement for all children and young people
  • Inclusion
  • Transition
  • The development of a curriculum 3-18 in line with the principles of Curriculum for Excellence
  • Working in partnership with other agencies to improve outcomes for families

All heads of establishment within a Learning Community will meet as a group at least once per year.  The meeting will be chaired by the Education Officer or by a delegated person.  Additional meetings are likely to be held by groups of heads of establishment within the Learning Community to take forward agreed priorities for improvement.  For example, early years centres could work with primary schools on the development of a literacy and numeracy profile for transition.  Primary schools could work with the secondary school to improve the continuity of children's learning in science.

Joint Support Teams will be based in the 26 Learning Communities.  Attendance Councils will continue to meet matched to local needs.

Joint Support Teams (JSTs) are multi agency groups which meet together to develop strategies to meet the needs of children and young people experiencing difficulties.  JSTs will refer individual children and young people to the local Integrated Support Group (ISG) when additional Support is required.


Learning Networks
Across the city, there are exanples of networks of establishments already working together to share good practice and provide staff development efficiently and effectively.   These Learning Networks will be developed further and every establishment will be part of at least one Learning Network by June 2011.

Learning Networks can be a grouping within a Learning Community or can be across Learning Communities.  The focus of a Learning Network should be the improvement of learning and teaching.

Examples of Learning Networks
On the morning of the in-service day of 2 June 2010, four primary schools, Annette Street, Cuthbertson, Holy Cross and St Bride's, from the Govanhill area held a Sharing Learning Conference.  Throughout the morning 14 seminars were held, each with a focus on learning and teaching.  They were led by teachers or members of the authority's Leaders of Learning Team. 

Examples of the seminars were:

  • Thinking Skills
  • Home writing project
  • Teaching language through topics
  • Quality feedback
  • Effective questioning


The evaluation of the day by teachers was very positive.  Further shared activities are being planned which include the sharing of improvement plans.

During 2010-11, four secondary schools, Bannerman and St Mungo's in the East and All Saints and Springburn in the North, are collaborating on a Teaching for Effective Learning initiative.  The plan to use the September/October and May in-service days which are on different days in each area to share practice in each others' schools.

Teachers from a group of primary schools in the East of the City have a visiting speaker and workshops called 'Teachmeet' on a Saturday morning.  The focus of the morning is improving learning and teaching and sharing good practice.