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Learning for Sustainability

The Scottish Government’s response to

the Report of the One Planet Schools

Working Group

March 2013

Scottish Government response to Learning for Sustainability report

CONTENTS

1. Ministerial foreword

2. Introduction

3. Summary response

4. Response to recommendations of Learning for Sustainability

Scottish Government response to Learning for Sustainability report

Ministerial foreword

Scotland has a distinguished history and international reputation recognised by

UNESCO and others for sustainable development education, global citizenship and

outdoor learning, which are firmly embedded within Curriculum for Excellence.

Learning for sustainability encompasses all of these themes and approaches and

sets out recommendations to build on successful practice in Scotland. The approach

being recommended complements the General Teaching Council Scotland's new

Professional Standards which affirm the importance of values and learning for

sustainability.

I am very appreciative of the careful consideration and hard work of the members of

the One Planet Schools Working Group, chaired by Professor Pete Higgins, in

preparing the Learning for Sustainability report and would also like to acknowledge

all those who have informed the Scottish Government’s consideration of the

response to the report.

As we approach the end of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable

Development and celebrate the Year of Natural Scotland, it is timely that we take a

strategic approach to build on successful practice and help ensure that great

learning for sustainability which helps young people develop as responsible global

citizens is the experience of all.

Learning for Sustainability provides a strategic agenda which needs leadership at all

levels to remove barriers and enable a coherent whole school approach that

encompasses the curriculum, campus, culture and community of the school.

As the report makes clear, it does not ask anything of educators that is not already

implied by Curriculum for Excellence, the new GTCS Professional Standards and

Teaching Scotland’s Future which set the direction for professional learning.

I am pleased to welcome the report and, on behalf of the Scottish Government,

accept all the recommendations, almost all in full. A Learning for Sustainability

Implementation Group will be established in collaboration with the new Regional

Centre for Expertise in Education for Sustainable Development and a range of

partners to drive forward the recommendations on behalf of the Scottish

Government.

Dr Alasdair Allan

Minister for Learning, Sciences and Scotland’s Languages

Scottish Government response to Learning for Sustainability report

Introduction

Learning for Sustainability, the report of the One Planet Schools Working Group was

published on 17 December 2012. The Group, chaired by Professor Pete Higgins,

was established by Scottish Ministers to take forward a 2011 manifesto commitment:

“We welcome proposals for the creation of One Planet schools, and will look

at ways of developing this concept. This will include action to continue the

development of professional standards around sustainability education and

leadership within our schools on environmental issues”.

The approach recommended supports a whole-school approach, encompassing the

curriculum, campus, culture and community of the school and is intended to

complement and strengthen wider changes in education.

Language around learning for sustainability is consistent with the new GTCS

professional standardsand highlights the value of a holistic approach to sustainable

development, global citizenship and outdoor learning. The Group has defined

Learning for Sustainability as:

A whole school approach that enables the school and its wider community to

build the values, attitudes, knowledge, skills and confidence needed to

develop practices and take decisions which are compatible with a sustainable

and equitable society.

The report contains 31 recommendations, including 5 overarching recommendations,

which cover the main sections of the report. Those sections relate to learners,

practitioners, a whole-school approach, school estates and policies and developing a

strategic national approach:

1. All learners should have an entitlement to learning for sustainability

2. In line with the new GTCS Professional Standards, every practitioner, school

and education leader should demonstrate learning for sustainability in their

practice

3. Every school should have a whole school approach to learning for

sustainability that is robust, demonstrable, evaluated and supported by

leadership at all levels

4. School buildings, grounds and policies should support learning for

sustainability

5. A strategic national approach tosupporting learning for sustainability should

be established

In informing the Scottish Government’s response, we are grateful toall those who

have contributed and recognise the importance of ensuring that developments in

education are taken forward in a way which is mindful of capacity and resourcing

pressures as well as opportunities.

Scottish Government response to Learning for Sustainability report

Summary response

All of the recommendations have been accepted – almost all in full – as the Scottish

Government supports the ambition and potential to build on Scotland’s excellent

track record in areas of sustainability, global citizenship and outdoor learning.

The entitlement to learning for sustainability complements the purpose of Curriculum

for Excellence and sends a clear message that in the context of the broad general

education and the totality of children and young people’s experience through their

education, sustainability and developing as responsible global citizens should be an

expectation for all.

This is not a new demand on teachers and is consistent with Curriculum for

Excellence and work to improve the full spectrum of teacher education further to the

recommendations of the Teaching Scotland’s Future including the new GTCS

professional standards.

Sustainability and global citizenship are embedded in the experiences and outcomes

and outdoor learning has been promoted consistently and strategically as an

approach to learning. Young people can develop skills, confidence, knowledge,

attitudes and values through learning for sustainability which help equip them for

jobs and life. A growing body of research points to benefits for health and wellbeing

as well as motivation and attainment and it is important to take forward education

with a strong commitment to fairness, equity and social justice with responsibility for

our social, economic and environmental impact.

There are a variety of existing programmes and resources to support Learning for

Sustainability such as Eco-Schools and Rights Respecting Schools as well as

support through local authorities, the work of the GTCS, Education Scotland,

Forestry Commission, Scottish Natural Heritage and other governmental and non-

governmental organisations. The Scottish Government has also committed funding

to co-finance EU development education projects being delivered by Scotland’s

Development Education Centres.

A whole school approach, with leadership is at all levels, is key and the Scottish

Government supports the approach recommended and looks forward to working with

partners to support implementation. The Learning for Sustainability Implementation

Group will have a key role in taking forward and supporting progress on the

recommendations and making connections with the work of the National

Implementation Board on teacher education, support for the new GTCS professional

standards and the delivery of Curriculum for Excellence.

The Learning for Sustainability Implementation Group will be formally established in

the coming months and will involve strong collaboration between the Scottish

Government, the Regional Centre for Expertise in Education for Sustainable

Development (who represent wide range of non-governmental organisations) and

partners including Education Scotland, the GTCS, ADES, SQA, representatives of

local authorities and teachers as well as establishing arrangements for wider

Scottish Government response to Learning for Sustainability report

engagement.To support the work of the Implementation Group in taking forward the

report some additional funding has been identified and this will be kept under review.

Response to recommendations of Learning for Sustainability

Recommendation

Response

1 All learners should have an

entitlement to learning for

sustainability

Within Curriculum for Excellence, all children

and young people are entitled to a curriculum

that includes a range of opportunities and

experiences at different stages of learning.

These include a coherent curriculum, a broad

general education, a senior phase, skills for

learning life and work and positive

destinations. An entitlement to learning for

sustainability is supported and can be further

strengthened within these entitlements,

through the development of the four capacities,

themes and approaches to learning across the

curriculum and opportunities for personal

development. Education Scotland will

consider, with input from the Implementation

Group, guidance and communications to

support this.

1.1 As part of this entitlement, outdoor

learning should be a regular,

progressive curriculum-led experience

for all learners

Outdoor learning is a key approach to learning

within the curriculum and practitioners are

encouraged to make outdoor learning a natural

and normal part of practice. The frequency with

which outdoor learning activities take place in

schools should be determined by the needs of

the curriculum and learners. The Learning for

Sustainability (LfS) Implementation Group

should consider an appropriate and

proportionate means of capturing practice.

1.2 As part of this entitlement, learners

should have opportunities within their

curricular experiences to engage with

democratic processes and to connect

and contribute to their communities,

locally, nationally and internationally,

as active global citizens.

Supporting young people to develop as

politically literate, responsible, active global

citizens is a key principle of the curriculum.

This should be supported by the development

of resources and professional development

opportunities, led by Education Scotland.

Scottish Government response to Learning for Sustainability report

Recommendation

Response

1.3 As part of this entitlement, learners

should have active curricular learning

experiences that develop their

understanding of the inter-relationship

of environment, society, economy and

inequity, of the ecological limits to

development and the interdependence

of ecological and human wellbeing.

Supporting young people to develop as

environmentally aware, active global citizens is

a key principle of the curriculum. This should

be supported by the development of resources

and professional development opportunities,

led by Education Scotland.

1.4 The Scottish Government and

Education Scotland should put in place

mechanisms to determine how well the

learning for sustainability entitlement

of learners is being met.

Arrangements are in place to evaluate

progress on Curriculum for Excellence and the

four capacities, which will include some

evidence relating to learning for sustainability.

Education Scotland’s curriculum impact reports

also provide snapshots of practice as

demonstrated by recent reports on Science

and Social Studies, which featured strong

evidence on aspects of learning for

sustainability. Education Scotland is

considering a curriculum impact report relating

to learning for sustainability themes.

2 In line with the new GTCS

Professional Standards, every

practitioner, school and education

leader should demonstrate learning

for sustainability in their practice.

Learning for sustainability has been embedded

within the suite of Professional Standards that

will become effective from August 2013.

Guidance, resources and support will be

provided by GTCS, Education Scotland and

partners to build capacity and confidence

among practitioners and leaders in the new

Standards.

TheProfessional Review and Development

(PRD) process should be the vehicle through

which teachers have dialogue with line

managers about their practice and professional

learning, taking account of the Standards.

Scottish Government response to Learning for Sustainability report

Recommendation

Response

2.1 Education Scotland, in partnership

with key stakeholders, should continue

to develop a coordinated national

strategy for professional learning and

peer collaboration relating to learning

for sustainability and accomplished

teaching.

Education Scotland is taking a lead role in

promoting a strategic approach to professional

learning, which supports the implementation of

Teaching Scotland’s Future. This includes

close working with local authorities and support

for strategic priorities, which are expected to

include learning for sustainability given its

status in the new Standards. In addition, the

LfSImplementation Group will include

Education Scotland and will work the work of

the National Implementation Board which is

providing strategic lead on professional

learning.

2.2 Learning for sustainability should be

included in the self-evaluation of all

practitioners, school and education

leaders through the Professional

Review and Development (PRD)

process.

Learning for sustainability has been embedded

within the suite of Professional Standards to

support teachers in actively embracing and

promoting principles and practices of

sustainability in all aspects of their work. The

Professional Review and Development (PRD)

process provides an opportunity for teachers to

reflect on their practice, encompassing

learning for sustainability themes and evaluate

their practice against the relevant Standard.

2.3 Under National Partnership Group

Proposal 9, Education Scotland should

include learning for sustainability in the

online resources produced to support

effective PRD.

Guidance on PRD is being prepared by

Education Scotland in partnership with other

organisations and this will be made available in

spring 2013. Online resources to support

effective PRD should reflect the place of

learning for sustainability.

2.4 In line with the new GTCS

Professional Standards, learning for

sustainability is a core responsibility of

every teacher educator and a

programme of professional learning

and peer collaboration relating to

learning for sustainability for teacher

education should be established.

GTCS are responsible for accreditation of all

courses of initial teacher education and this

includes satisfying themselves that the staff

involved in course delivery are appropriately

qualified and equipped to do so.

2.5 Learning for sustainability should be

embedded in the GTCS’s frameworks

and procedures for programme

validation and revalidation.

GTCS accepted.

Scottish Government response to Learning for Sustainability report

Recommendation

Response

3 Every school should have a whole

school approach to learning for

sustainability that is robust,

demonstrable, evaluated and

supported by leadership at all

levels.

A whole school approach to learning for

sustainability is vital.

Education Scotland and partners will continue

to support and promote the adoption of a

whole school approach through professional

learning programmes, publications and

resources.

3.1 Education Scotland, in partnership

with stakeholders and other education

bodies, should develop resources,

guidance and support for schools, and

those that support them, to enable

schools to develop a whole school

approach and self-evaluate the

progress they are making towards

implementing this approach. See also

5.4

National guidance on self-evaluation of schools

and reflection tools on global citizenship and

outdoor learning strengthen the place of

learning for sustainability within schools.

Consideration will be given to future resources,

guidance and support to reflect these

developments.

3.2 A national strategy should be

developed to build the capacity of

school leaders in establishing and

sustaining a whole school approach to

learning for sustainability. See also 5.8

The National Implementation Board is currently

overseeing a project that will establish the

Scottish College of Educational Leadership. It

is envisaged that the College, once

established, will take a strategic view of

leadership development and issues such as

this should be considered by the new body.

Education Scotland will work with the college

and other partners to consider how to

maximise the opportunities through the

Leadership Framework for leadership

development in relation to learning for

sustainability.

3.3 Scottish Government, ADES and

CoSLA should encourage local

authorities to maintain high

expectations in relation to learning for

sustainability and the adoption of a

whole school approach.

The LfS Implementation Group will work with

national partners to support this.

Scottish Government response to Learning for Sustainability report

Recommendation

Response

4 All school buildings, grounds and

policies should support learning for

sustainability

The Scottish Government’s national school

building programme, Scotland’s Schools for

the Future is already in part delivering this

aspiration and will continue through to the end

of 2017/18. Benefits and lessons learned are

being embraced by local authorities and rolled

across the school estate where appropriate.

For new and existing school estates, many

local authorities have developed outdoor

learning strategies which support the

development of school grounds and have

taken concerted action to improve the energy

efficiency of the school estate.

4.1 Every learner should have the

opportunity for contact with nature in

their school grounds on a daily basis

and throughout the seasons through

the provision of thoughtfully developed

green space foroutdoor learning and

play.

Every school should be encouraged to utilise

their school estate to support contact with

nature. The frequency should be driven by the

needs of the curriculum and learners.

4.2 The Scottish Government should

develop a framework to ensure that

local authority school estate

management proactively develops

campuses that support learning for

sustainability.

The joint CoSLA/Scottish Government school

estate strategy sets out the aspirations for

Scotland’s school estate. Among those

aspirations is the desire for a sustainable

school estate whose design, construction and

operation is environmentally and energy

efficient. The school estate should contribute

directly to year on year reductions in

greenhouse gas emissions introduced by the

Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, be

resilient to the impact of climate change and

lead by example in matters of environmental

performance.

The role of School Estate Management Plans

is significant and the importance will be taken

forward through on-going engagement with all

local authorities.

Scottish Government response to Learning for Sustainability report

Recommendation

Response

4.3 Scottish Futures Trust (SFT)

release of Scottish Government

funding for new schools should be

conditional on submission of a

strategic design brief that meets the

guiding principles of Building Better

Schools.

As part of the Schools for the Future

Programme, projects must demonstrate to the

Scottish Government and the SFT how all nine

guiding principles of Building Better Schools

are met.Each project is also designed in

accordance with the Building Research

Establishment’s Environmental Assessment

Methodology (BREEAM).

4.4 The principles outlined in any

users’ guides for the sustainability

labelling scheme should be adopted

for existing school estates.

As part of the forthcoming Scottish

Government’s Sustainability Labelling for new

schools, a non-technical users guide is being

prepared which will allow pupils, teachers and

other school occupants a greater

understanding on controlling their internal

environment in an energy efficient manner.

The broad principles of this document could be

adopted for existing schools.

4.5 The Scottish Government should

commission a study to identify PPP

schools that have been able to

significantly develop their campuses to

support learning for sustainability and

to identify principles that would support

the process of change in other PPP

schools.

Local authorities have a key role and the

Learning for Sustainability Implementation

Group should work with the ADES Resources

Committee, which includeskey individuals

responsible for managingtheschool estate

across Scotland, to identify and examine

available information and examples of good

practice in management of PPP schools to

inform the scope of a future study. It is

recognised that due to the contractual

relationships relating to PPP schools, some

local authorities and schools have scope to

influence practice more than others.

5 A strategic national approach to

supporting learning for

sustainability should be established

The report provides a strategic agenda to

enable a step change to happen. To ensure a

coherent and coordinated approach, the

establishment of the LfS Implementation Group

is required to take forward the report and its

recommendations.

5.1 The Scottish Government should

ensure a coherent approach across

Directorates in relation to learning for

sustainability.

Building on existing links within the Divisions

and Directorates of the Scottish Government,

awareness of the report and recommendations

will be maintained among relevant staff.

Scottish Government response to Learning for Sustainability report

Recommendation

Response

5.2 The Scottish Government should

convene a National Implementation

Group to drive forward the

recommendations of this report, to

encourage research on the

relationship between learning for

sustainability and key educational

performance indicators, and to monitor

and evaluate progress and impact.

The Group and potential sub-groups, will be

established to take forward the report and its

recommendations. This will be taken forward

in collaboration with Scotland’s newly

established Regional Centre of Expertise in

Education for Sustainable Development.

5.3 Education Scotland and the

Scottish Qualifications Authority

should identify learning for

sustainability as a key organisational

priority which is reflected in their

corporate strategies and work plans.

Education Scotland and SQA have already

taken steps to embed learning for sustainability

into their corporate plans, strategies and

workstreams. Further consideration will be

given to explore the possibility of making it an

organisational priority within its both

organisations.

5.4 Education Scotland, through the

inspection process and other

functions, should further encourage a

whole school approach to learning for

sustainability.

Education Scotland has consistently promoted

the concept of a whole school approach

through all of its professional learning activities

and has given significant profile to learning for

sustainability within the curriculum impact

reports for sciences and social studies.

Further consideration will be given by

Education Scotland as to other opportunities

for promoting whole school approaches within

forthcoming resources and developments.

5.5 Education Scotland should

consider undertaking an aspect review

on learning for sustainability.

A full programme of curriculum impact reviews

is currently underway. Education Scotland will

consider how best to take forward curriculum

impact reviews relating to learning for

sustainability themes within the current

programme.

Scottish Government response to Learning for Sustainability report

Recommendation

Response

5.6 The Scottish Qualifications

Authority should further embed

learning for sustainability within the

new qualifications.

SQA recognises the role that qualifications

play in raising awareness and deepening

understanding of the need to focus on learning

for sustainability. A greater emphasis on skills,

on flexibility and on personalisation and choice

has been central to the development of the

new National Qualifications. This approach

enhances the opportunities to promote the

values, attitudes, knowledge, skills and

confidence needed to develop practices and

take decisions which are compatible with a

sustainable and equitable society and the

qualifications will continue to be developed

with this approach in mind.

5.7 Learning for sustainability should

be identified as a key priority for

professional learning by the Teaching

Scotland’s Future National

Implementation Board.

Accept in principle

National Implementation Board has been

charged with publishing key priorities for

teacher learning and issues related to

sustainability will be considered as part of this

process.

5.8 The College for Educational

Leadership should identify learning for

sustainability as a key organisational

priority.

Accept in principle

Once established, the Scottish College for

Educational Leadership will identify the key

aspects of leadership development needed

across the sector. If appropriate, this will

include sustainability as a priority area of

learning.

5.9 The National Implementation

Group should seek to work closely

with the UN University accredited

Scottish ‘Regional Centre of Expertise

in Education for Sustainable

Development’ on research and

innovation.

The Regional Centre of Expertise in Education

for Sustainable Development offers a unique

opportunity to support research and innovation

associated with learning for sustainability. The

LfS Implementation Group will give

consideration as to how best to work in

partnership with the Regional Centre of

Expertise to take forward shared objectives.