A Multi–Agency Approach to Teacher Secondment

The RMS Education Committee was asked to develop a strategic plan for the years 2003 - 2008. One of the areas identified was the enhancement of the service we already provided to schools. This was further refined as a two part initiative beginning with primary education.

There was an acceptance of the fact that many initiatives take place that are top-down, producing highly expensive packs of materials that gather dust on bookshelves because they are pitched at inappropriate levels, involve too much adaptation, or involve resources out-with the reach of most teachers. Involving serving teachers would not only keep our feet firmly on the ground in respect of any suggestions we might make, it would add authenticity and classroom relevance and perhaps ensure acceptance by the wider body of the teaching profession. Our strategy document therefore provided for the secondment of teachers to work alongside professionals and academics in the production of new and updated resources for the teaching of meteorology.

A primary-school teacher (Victoria Aldridge) was seconded from the City of Edinburgh Education Authority to the University of Edinburgh for the academic year 2004/2005. Her task was to write teaching materials that would enhance the teaching of earth science in primary schools. The work has been collated in a book entitled "The Science of Weather". These materials have been tested in ten Edinburgh primary schools and are now published by City of Edinburgh Council. Careful consideration was given to matching these materials to the requirements of the National Curriculum for England and Wales. Several members of the Scottish Centre RMS kindly advised on the technical accuracy of the materials. We are at the beginning phase of rolling this resource out to teachers through continued professional development.

The Royal Meteorological Society, the Scottish Earth Science Education Forum and the City of Edinburgh Education Authority funded the secondment. Edinburgh University provided infrastructural support.

The extension of this work to the secondary level is being carried out during the current academic year, with Oliver Bray, a teacher from Dunbar Grammar School, acting as project leader. The aim of the initiative is to produce a DVD containing high-quality, adaptable, copyright-free and user-friendly educational material which will be distributed free of charge to all Scottish schools and also made available on-line. The Royal Meteorological Society, East Lothian Education Authority and the Scottish Association of Geography Teachers are funding the work.

The main outcome for RMS is that we now have a collated set of resources for primary education that enhance the scientific background of the subject. As a result of these initiatives meteorology can have a higher scientific profile in the school curriculum.

As a model for teacher secondment this has been a unique opportunity for learned bodies to come together and work with an education authority in the promotion of areas of curricular interest. Thus, there has been a clear focus and structure to the secondments: targets have been demanding but realistic in terms of what might be achieved. The direct relevance of the outcome to classroom learning has never been allowed to wander from our sights. The enthusiasm, energy and drive of the seconded teachers is in no small part related to the quality of the outcomes and demonstrates what might be achieved under similar circumstances.