Full Job Information

Ref: 604989
Salary Range: £32,709 to £40,560
Location: Holyrood, Edinburgh
Contract: 1 year fixed term. We would also consider this as a secondment opportunity

Working Pattern: This is a full time post. Our normal working week is 37 hours but we currently operate a wide variety of work patterns within the Outreach team, successfully balancing lifestyle choices with business requirements. All requests for part time or flexible working hours will be seriously considered.

Closing date: midnight on 6 May 2018

Open the doors! Light of the day shine in. Light of the mind shine out.

These inspiring words from Edwin Morgan were written to mark the opening of the Scottish Parliament building in 2004. We feel they capture the essence of the education service here at the home of Scotland’s democracy. If they stir your spirit too, perhaps you might like to join us in inspiring the next generation of voters.

We are looking to recruit a suitably qualified secondary teacher for a year-long contract to join our Education team. The team delivers services to more than 22,000 pupils a year in both the Scottish Parliament building and in the classrooms of Scotland. We also offer resources for use by teachers as well as CPD sessions.

You’ll be joining us at an exciting time. The Education service is delivered through a busy and varied programme of educational activities which aim to contribute to pupils becoming successful learners and confident individuals. We are working to further develop our services demonstrating the Parliament’s relevance to the curriculum, supporting Parliamentary engagement and to supporting pupils becoming responsible citizens and effective contributors.

We would value the input of a teacher’s recent experience of both the curriculum and school life as we do this.

As well as being a qualified teacher, we’re looking for someone who is an innovative thinker and who can lead and manage an experienced and skilled team on this journey.

The post holder will need to work collaboratively with the wider Parliamentary Services staff and liaise with teachers, pupils and Members of the Scottish Parliament to ensure the services we offer continue to be relevant, accessible and enjoyable.

Purpose of the role:

1. Manage the effective delivery of a programme of inward education visits by 6 staff members to more than 11,000 pupils through 2 education rooms.

2. Work with the existing Outreach Education Manager to collaboratively and creatively deliver the overall education service goals as outlined in Annex A.

3. Work with the Head of Outreach Services and the wider Education team to review the structure of the Education service.

4. Contribute to the wider work of the Outreach Services team and its support of the Parliament’s public engagement strategy aim: Promoting engagement and participation to support and strengthen the work of the Parliament and to enhance parliamentary democracy. See Annex B.

Experience

• Applicants must have a minimum of 2 years’ classroom based curriculum experience, gained within the past 3 years in a secondary level school.

Essential Knowledge and experience

• Class based knowledge and experience:
  • Current knowledge of relevant areas of the secondary Curriculum, preferably with a social studies background. Whilst most of our secondary school participants come from Modern Studies, we have a goal of expanding our reach into other subject areas. 
  • Experience of designing educational sessions that are interactive, engaging and inclusive.
  • Desirable Knowledge: Experience of scheduling / timetabling as the role requires the post holder to manage a busy programme of visits and requirements. 
• Presentation knowledge and experience:
  • Experience of developing sessions using Microsoft products and working with other ICT communication tools. 
  • Strong presentational skills, able to think and respond positively in an interactive environment, including managing challenging behaviour calmly.

Essential Abilities / Behaviours

• Leadership
  • Demonstrable commitment to the team’s values: creativity, collaboration, effectiveness.
  • Demonstrate ability to be a trusted leader capable of motivating staff and colleagues.
• Management
  • Able to empower and involve colleagues in thinking, planning, delivering and evaluating our work including collaborative problem solving.
  • Commitment to supporting the inclusion of all learners and the positive engagement of young people with political participation.
  • Acts responsibly to continue own development and is committed to the development of their team members and colleagues.

ANNEX A: EDUCATION SERVICE

The Education Manager will play a key role in leading and managing the education service, working alongside the Outreach Education Manager. During the year, we will be reviewing the team structure to ensure our resources continue to be matched to the future requirements of the service. Alongside this realignment activity, the core education programme will continue to be delivered. This programme aims to:

• Deliver formal education experiences for 22,000 school pupils as well as teachers both on site at Holyrood and off site in the community and include a programme for MSPs at Holyrood and in their local area.
• Support teachers and MSPs in teaching about the Parliament and democracy in the classrooms across Scotland in line with curriculum requirements including through provision of resources for use in classroom.
• Demonstrate Parliamentary relevance to the curriculum including supporting Committee scrutiny work and creating opportunities around the Parliament’s events and exhibitions.
• Proactively manage our relationships with teachers and pupils to support wider relationship building and engagement work by the Parliament.

To do this during Session 5 (i.e. until the election in 2021), we will work to:

1. Ensure parity of service offer for those who can travel to Edinburgh with those who cannot. This includes offering education sessions, committee engagement opportunities, MSPs sessions, CPD for teachers and activities that support identified events and exhibitions at the Parliament projects in a way that is suitable for both circumstances.
2. Extend our reach in secondary schools beyond Modern Studies to ensure all pupils have an opportunity to learn about their Parliament and understand the relevance of the Scottish Parliament to all aspects of life in Scotland.
3. Ensure Gaelic Schools are aware of our services and work with them to design a programme that engages with Gaelic pupils in Scotland.
4. Develop demand led resources in partnership with teachers and pupils that align with the curriculum. This includes getting feedback on our resources, developing our Teacher Focus Group, exploring online engagement, and working with colleagues who produce resources for the public.
5. Support participation in Committee engagement from those participating in our education programme on an ongoing basis.
6. Raise awareness of the services we offer during the session by delivering an effective communications campaign targeted at teachers.
7. Develop resources (presentations, print outs and online) that can be used outside of the formal education setting with young people and those that support them – as well as considering use by visitors to Holyrood.
8. Consider how best to develop our relationships with and services for Further Education colleges and universities where we have most opportunity to contribute to professional development.

Annex B: PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH SERVICES

Public Engagement and the Scottish Parliament

Purpose of the Scottish Parliament

• Representing the people of Scotland by debating issues of national importance, passing legislation and holding the Scottish Government to account

Aim on public engagement

• Promoting engagement and participation to support and strengthen the work of the Parliament and to enhance parliamentary democracy

Priority on public engagement

• Deliver public engagement activities that improve the quality and visibility of the work of the Parliament

Public Engagement Strategy Goals

1. Implement engagement recommendations from Commission on Parliamentary Reform
2. Effective public participation in the work of the Parliament
3. Improving awareness of the relevance and accessibility of the Parliament, particularly in under-represented groups
4. Staff with the capacity, knowledge and skills to meet changing needs and expectations

Outreach Services office

The outreach services team is a key public facing office of the Scottish Parliament. We work closely with colleagues across the Parliament, including our colleagues in Clerking, Visitor Services, Events and Exhibitions, Public Information and Web and Online.

A team of 20 people, our purpose as an office is to provide advice and deliver services that:

1. Educate the people of Scotland as to the role, relevance and work of the Scottish Parliament 
2. Engage the people of Scotland in the business and non-business work of the Scottish Parliament 
3. Lead on enhancing the status and visibility of Gaelic in the work of the Scottish Parliament.

We do this through 3 areas of work:

1. Community Outreach – helping Committees engage with ‘hard to reach’ audiences and supporting those audiences in the process; community capacity building and networking.
2. Education programme – visits to schools in their communities as well as welcoming schools here (22,000 pupils pa); online resources and Continuous Professional Development support for teachers; opportunities to provide views into Committee business. 
3. Gaelic development – supporting engagement in Gaelic; supporting MSPs and staff in using Gaelic; integrating Gaelic into thinking of the Parliament.

Our work is:

1. Collaborative – with staff, MSPs and the people of Scotland 
2. Creative – we seek to grow and improve our ways of working and embrace new ideas. 
3. Effective – we deliver meaningful engagement in a way that meets the needs of our participants and the Parliament.