In January, we launched our new Limitless Learning programme in partnership with Renfrewshire Council.

In light of the ongoing disruption to education caused by the pandemic, Limitless Learning is designed to ensure every child can progress in their learning without any lasting negative effects from school closures and restrictions.

The need for Limitless Learning is clear. The Scottish Government’s recent ‘equity audit’, a broad study of literature alongside a detailed survey of 54 Scottish schools, identified that:

• the mental and physical health and wellbeing of children and young people may have been negatively impacted during school building closures
• the closures are likely to have had a negative effect on pupil progress and attainment, and socio-economically deprived children and young people are amongst those who may have been most negatively affected
• Additional training for staff, parents and pupils increased user confidence and knowledge and this remains an important ongoing focus

​
Limitless Learning uses growth mindset principles and practice to provide teachers with access to a series of e-learning modules that offer practical learning and pedagogy to support the return to formal education.

The modules are supported by a complementary series of ‘live’ virtual seminars to allow collegiate discussions between teachers, where they can share ideas and best practice, and embed learning. 

A group of 124 teachers have become the first in Scotland to achieve a qualification in the widely acclaimed ‘growth mindset’ approach to education.

Education professionals from schools across 19 Scottish local authorities and one university (Edinburgh Napier) completed a 12-month blended learning programme as part of our Mindset in Education programme.

The teachers developed a deep understanding of how to integrate growth mindset practice into their day-to-day teaching and classroom culture.

Having a growth mindset in school helps young people approach tasks with the intention to try their hardest, learn from mistakes, develop strategies to solve problems and to persevere when faced with challenges – all critical to successful learning and attainment.
​
The education professionals gained 15 accreditation points at Masters Level 11 in ‘applied growth mindset’ from Glasgow Caledonian University.

Between November 2020 and January 2021, three new ‘Mindset Teams’ cohorts were launched, all with a STEM oriented focus.

Mindset Teams is our flagship growth mindset professional learning programme, supporting 700+ teachers across Scotland.

Mindset Teams invites groups of three school staff or more to form an ‘implementation team’ to apply and embed growth mindset across their learning community. Visit our Mindset page for more information.

In November, we kicked off with 38 teachers and school leaders from schools across Scotland on our ‘secondary maths’ programme.
​
This was followed in January with 33 teaching professionals joining our new primary science course, and a cohort of 63 mindset maths learners from North Lanarkshire.

Our executive director Morag Arnot reflects on the challenge of rebranding during a pandemic….

In 2020, despite the global health, social and economic crisis, Winning Scotland undertook a brand refresh - new logo, new name, new narrative, new website - it was no small undertaking and I learned a lot from the process.

I’ve been reflecting, as you tend to at this time of year. I was thinking about what was occupying my mind last January. We were in the midst of trying to discover more about our organisation, its perception, positioning and offering. With my background in communications and marketing, this was something which had been an ambition of mine for some time.

Having undertaken research with our present customers and partners earlier in October 2019, in January 2020 Winning Scotland was just about to commission focus groups to start the process of understanding how we were perceived among audiences that didn’t know us. 
​
It was the first formal market research we had commissioned for years. 

Positive Coaching Scotland Plus (PCS Plus) is Winning Scotland’s national programme that uses sport and physical activity to help young people develop confidence and resilience.

​PCS Plus is widely used in formal sports like football and rugby. However many young people enjoy their sport more informally, through local charities and community groups

The coaches and volunteers in these settings do not have access to PCS Plus development and training.

In 2019-20, we piloted PCS Plus in a range of community sport settings to test its effectiveness. The pilot was funded by the Baillie Gifford sponsorship committee