Conference Chair : Lachlan MacCallum
HMIE

08.30 - 09.20		Registration and coffee
09.20 - 09.30		Welcome by Michael Kellet, Deputy Director , Schools: People and Places Division, Scottish Government
09.30 - 09.35		Chairs opening remarks by Laclan MacCallum
9.30 - 09.45		Annette Bruton Looking Back; Looking Forward
09.45 - 11.15		John Seddon A Systems View of Public-Sector Reform Over the last ten years the Westminster government doubled investment in local authorities and trebled investment in the health service. Improvement has not been commensurate. Public-sector reform has meant the promulgation of targets, standards, specifications and other requirements. The architects of reform believe these things will deliver change; they also believe in economies of scale; that bigger is better. John Seddon believes in none of these things. Instead he argues the reform regime has made public services worse and if we are to improve public services it is the regime itself that needs to change.
11.15 - 11.45		Coffee & networking
11.45 - 12.30		Laurie O'Donnell System wide change in the Scottish education context Scottish Education has embraced many changes over the years and the evidence seems to suggest that our schools are continuing to improve. However there is also growing concern that, despite improving, our medium-term trajectory is one of decline relative to other countries and regions. In common with many successful organisations, our education system has proved capable of innovation and improvement along a linear and incremental path but is finding it difficult to adapt to an external environment that demands a more radical approach. This challenge has been called the ‘innovators dilemma’ – whether to keep improving on the model that has worked in the past with the likelihood of eventual failure, or to take a new approach that will carry more short-term risk but greater potential for future success. This presentation offers some thoughts on how Scottish Education can learn lessons from research on innovation and escape from the usual fate of those who fail to adapt.
12.30 - 13.30		Networking lunch
13.30 - 16.30		Mick Waters Working together to build better futures We are working hard to create the best outcomes for learners. Which outcomes matter? How do we raise the possibility of achieving them? What gets in the way and how do we overcome challenge? What can we do differently? Do we measure the right things, practise the right things? Are we using the right people in the right places? Do we trust and support each other? It is all questions! The big question is how we encourage everyone to look again at the thing they know so well and see a different angle, a different approach, a different starting point, and a better outcome. How do we encourage the best…especially from the learner? This session will explore the way learning can unfold; on paper, in teachers’ thinking, in management structures at every level and in outcome measures. There will be short talks, video extracts and guided group discussion. We will explore how we can help young people to unfold the best of futures before them.
19.00 for 19.30		Summer School Dinner Oran Mor, Byres Road