Yvette Taylor, University of Strathclyde

Price:  £40.00

Date:  Friday 10 October

Time:  0900 – 1200 (online)

Register:  Online or via our Application Form - Creating Feminist Classrooms

What makes a feminist classroom? What forms can a feminist education take? Gender inequalities have been an enduring and central focus of equalities legislation, in part as a result of sustained feminist efforts. This session is for anyone interested in advancing their understanding of gender inequalities and feminist politics in relation to education, across compulsory and post-compulsory education contexts.

Securing women’s and girls’ access to education has a long history as an emancipatory feminist project, and while there is a contemporary success story we can tell about women’s and girls’ educational achievements, entrenched inequalities remain. This is particularly so when it comes to educational leadership, pay differentials among educators, the ways that credibility and authority are conceived and ascribed, and the gendering of particular subject disciplines as masculine or feminine.

Drawing on research and teaching expertise, this session introduces a range of feminist perspectives, and will provide the opportunity for participants to work creatively and collaboratively to develop ideas about what feminist classrooms might look like, enquiring into the possibilities and limits of feminist education. Thinking with feminism about education also involves asking critical questions about the intersecting forms of inequality that education can reproduce, challenge and change. 

This course is suitable for the following participants: primary teachers; secondary teachers; headteachers; third sector/NGOs, equality and diversity practitioners, and LGBT+ community organisations; academics; policy makers; pupils; and students.

Jackie Marshall, University of Strathclyde

Price:  £20.00

Date:  Tuesday 28 October

Time:  1630 – 1800 (online)

Register:  Online or via our Application Form - Differentiation

The General Teaching Council for Scotland (2021) highlights differentiation as central to effective planning to meet learners’ needs (Standard 3.1.1). 

But here’s the big question many teachers quietly ask themselves: 
“How can I teach a diverse range of learners in my class?” 

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. For over four decades, research has shown that differentiation remains one of the biggest challenges teachers face – whether newly qualified or highly experienced. 

At its heart, differentiation is about belief. The belief that all children can succeed. Like inclusion, it is a philosophy as much as practice, and it asks us to think deeply about how we plan, adapt, and respond in ways that bring every learner into the centre of the classroom experience. 

This short online course will:

• Explore the advantages and limitations of a range of differentiation models
• Support reflection and professional dialogue on what truly inclusive differentiation looks like in practice
• Offer practical tools to help you plan and adapt without overwhelming your workload
• Encourage critical thinking around whether our choices include or unintentionally exclude learners 

Join me for an evening of fresh ideas, reflection, and practical strategies to help you meet the diverse needs of your learners – while keeping teaching sustainable and inclusive. 

This course is suitable for the following participants: primary teachers  

Deirdre Grogan, University of Strathclyde

Dates:  10 November and 17 November

Times:  3.30pm-5.00pm

Cost:  £40.00

Online:  Teams

Register:  Online or via our Application Form - Slow Pedagogy

This course explores ‘slow pedagogy’ based on the research of Professor Alison Clark (2023) Various examples will be shared to examine the ‘unhurried child’ within the early years.

Where do we start?

How do we establish time for children to fully explore their own ideas?

What could the rhythm of the day look like?

The role of the adult will also be a focus through examining key occupations to support educators within the setting. What interactions are effective, and which interactions hinder children’s thinking. A model of implementation will be shared with participants on how this may be adapted to support our own teaching and learning.  This presentation is solely based on work within the field of early years.

This course is suitable for the following participants: anyone who works in early years or who has an interest in early years. 

Nova Lauder-Scott, Gillian Francis-McNeil, University of Strathclyde

Date:  6 December

Times:  1000 – 1500

Cost:  £65

Online:  University of Strathclyde

Register:  Online or via our Application Form - Leadership

This course will be suitable for early years leaders, primary and secondary school leaders, and headteachers who are considering progression into more senior or strategic roles. It will be particularly valuable for those preparing to apply for Into Headship or those seeking to strengthen their readiness for senior leadership. The course can be adapted to different levels depending on the audience.

Delivered by the leaders of Strathclyde’s Into Headship programme, this one-day professional learning opportunity provides participants with the tools and insights required to lead strategically. Participants will explore what it means to move beyond operational leadership to shaping culture, driving improvement, and leading learning, communities, and change. The course situates strategic leadership firmly within the Scottish education policy landscape, ensuring participants understand the expectations and responsibilities of senior roles.

In addition, the session provides space for critical self-reflection, enabling participants to analyse their own leadership journey, identify strengths, and recognise areas for growth. Time is dedicated to peer networking, offering opportunities to build supportive professional connections that can extend beyond the session itself.

This course is suitable for the following participants: Early years practitioners; primary teachers and secondary teachers. **Participants will be in school/early years leadership roles and considering progression to a more senior role. **

Jane Catlin, Dr Zinnia Mevawalla, Dr Yuchen Wang, University of Strathclyde

Dates:  5 June

Times:  10.00am-3.30pm

Cost:  £80 (including lunch)

Online:  University of Strathclyde

Register:  Online or via our Application Form - Inclusion

This session is for all educators who wish to deepen and extend their thinking around working with and for an increasingly diverse learning community. We will move beyond deficit framing of children’s capacities by exploring concepts from key scholars in the field of inclusive education. We offer an opportunity to unpack what ‘inclusion’ and ‘additional support needs’ should mean for practice. We share how to develop strengths-based perspectives in ways that dismantle systemic barriers and identify positive actions to bring about more socially just, equitable and inclusive learning for all.

 Aims:

• Consolidate an understanding of inclusive education and pedagogy (what it is and what it is not)
• Recognise learner diversity as an asset and understand strengths-based working in classroom practice
• Be able to draw on disability theory to reframe our relational working and recognise the rights of the child under both the UNCRC and UNCRPD.
• Use creativity and arts-based methods to develop practical strategies for building a sense of belonging, inclusion, and community cohesion.