Presented by Professor Sue Ellis, Co-Director, Centre for Education and Social Policy, University of Strathclyde
On Thursday 13 February, the NCSEHE partnered with Curtin University School of Education, Centre for Aboriginal Studies and the Centre for Human Rights Education to welcome Professor Sue Ellis for a public lecture.
Overview
Professor Sue Ellis is co-author of the influential Joseph Rowntree Foundation report on Closing The Attainment Gap In Scottish Education.
Her work begins with literacy as social practice, recognising that families and communities are the first shapers of learning. Learning is not a linear process but schools often treat it as such, which can negatively impact students, depending on what is familiar/unfamiliar to them. Therefore, bridge-building with community is an essential component of educators’ work.
In this lecture, Professor Ellis drew on her work with teachers and communities in some of Scotland’s most deprived areas to explore how the coordination of policy, practice and pedagogy can make a profound difference to the educational achievement of students in communities that are traditionally not noted for academic success.
Lecture recording:
Lecture slides:
NCSEHE visit with Alistair Wilson and Sue Ellis
The NCSEHE was also very pleased to welcome Alistair Wilson from the University of Strathclyde on Wednesday 19 February to exchange international perspectives on widening participation and learn about the Intergenerational Mentoring Network.
Alastair’s work is focused on different aspects of inequality — identifying and challenging the processes that create and sustain it. Along with Katie Hunter, he has led the development of an intergenerational mentoring program that supports children and young people in terms of early literacy development and access to, and progression through, higher education. This work has created the Intergenerational Mentoring Network which is an independent social enterprise supporting different aspects of school and community development and focused on building relationships in, and across, communities. He is currently leading a research and development project (with Sue Ellis and Katie Hunter) aimed at understanding local council understandings and responses to Scottish Attainment Challenge (SAC) and Pupil Equity Funding (PEF) funding initiatives in education. The direction of this work is to look at the ways in which community development can occur alongside educational intervention in ways that support and sustain change in communities.
We look forward to bringing you more information on the Intergenerational Mentoring Network later in 2020.