e-Sgoil National Offer for Scotland Goes Live

Young people from across Scotland are being offered access to a national, on-line education resource providing the opportunity to:

• participate in an extensive series of live early-evening study support webinar lessons from their own homes
• benefit from specialist teacher input during the live, real-time webinar lessons
• access subject specific resources in advance of the webinar lessons

This offer seeks to complement the education provision being provided by schools and local authorities across Scotland. The e-learning National Offer will provide free, live, interactive webinar lessons in an extensive range of subjects for Level 5 and Higher courses.

e-Sgoil Study Support webinar lessons are scheduled to run for a period of eight weeks in the first instance and employ a ‘flipped learning’ approach, where participants undertake prior learning using supplied resources before attending a real-time 45-minute webinar, hosted in Glow. All e-Sgoil webinar lessons are delivered by subject specialists, assisted by a second teacher. 

The following courses are on offer: Business Management, Chemistry, Computing Science, Eachdraidh, English, French, Gaelic, Gàidhlig, History, Mandarin, Maths, Music, Physics, RMPS and Spanish. Digital study skills lessons are also offered.

This study support provision is a key strand of a comprehensive National e-Learning offer which includes vacancy and supply cover to meet the staffing requirements of schools across the country, a programme of remote learning opportunities for interrupted learners – including accredited courses in Literacy and Numeracy -  and a diverse range of curriculum enrichment activities, involving a number of external partners.

Angus Maclennan, Head Teacher of e-Sgoil commented:

“e-Sgoil is delighted to work in partnership with Scottish Government, ADES, Education Scotland, Regional Improvement Collaboratives and Local Authorities to offer senior phase pupils from across Scotland this opportunity to participate in a wide-range of webinar lessons that will reinforce school-based learning. Sessions will start week commencing Monday, 7 September 2020, so I would encourage prompt registration via the e-Sgoil website at www.e-sgoil.com”. (Pupil Glow login details and Scottish Candidate Number (SCN) are required as part of the registration process and are available from local schools.)

Gayle Gorman, HM Chief Inspector and Chief Executive of Education Scotland, said:

“This is an important addition to opportunities for learning and teaching in Scotland, and I want to thank teachers, local authorities, parents, children and young people for the incredible work they have been doing to adapt to the ever-changing situation with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Whilst blended learning is a contingency that may still need to be enacted, we are aware of growing interest from practitioners, and learners themselves, in continuing key aspects of remote learning.  This will also help where some learners require to self-isolate or schools close.  Senior phase pupils will be able to access the e-Sgoil study support webinar lessons and younger learners can experience enrichment to their learning via Glow, our online learning environment, which continues to support learning outside of the classroom.”

Carrie Lindsay, President of ADES said:

“ADES is delighted to be working in partnership to deliver a range of courses through e-Sgoil to support our young people. e-Sgoil provides opportunities to enhance learning where young people may feel that in these unusual times their learning may have been interrupted. It also offers learning to extend what might already be on offer in some schools. By working with all local authorities and using a range of expertise we will be able to reach many more young people than only what can be offered by each individual school”

Education Secretary John Swinney said:

“Our experience during the Coronavirus pandemic has reminded all of those involved in the education system of the value of investing in digital and distance learning. This exciting new work by e-Sgoil will play an important role in the coming academic year and beyond, in supporting parents as well as teaching staff and pupils by providing high quality lessons for senior phase pupils at Level 5 (National 5) and Level 6 (Higher).

I am delighted to see e-Sgoil embark on the next phase of the project – and I am delighted to see this work being rolled out at the same time as the Scottish Government’s investment of £25 million to support digital inclusion for schools, which is expected to benefit around 70,000 children and young people.”