What makes learning engaging?
The Young Advisors are a group of young people with additional support needs aged 12-21 who share their views and experiences of support at school. Their work shapes the My Rights, My Say service and aims to ensure that all children in Scotland are heard in decisions about their education.
The Young Advisors identified inclusive and engaging learning as an area they were keen to explore. Articles 28 and 29 of the UNCRC outline that all children are entitled to an education that develops their personality, talents, and abilities to their fullest potential, however, as outlined in Children in Scotland’s most recent policy briefing From Vision to Delivery: Reforming Scotland’s Additional Support for Learning System, children and young people with additional support needs are not always receiving the right support and experiencing additional barriers to accessing their right to education.
The Young Advisors have told us that opportunities for engaging learning can impact their participation, independence, and confidence. The new Young Advisors have already been hard at work with the rest of the group, and together they have shared their views on how adults can support inclusive learning that develops individual interests and ambitions, upholds children’s rights, and celebrates young people’s successes.
You can find the resource here: My Rights, My Say Young Advisors’ views on inclusive and engaging learning
Who is the resource for?
This paper aims to support education leaders, teachers and policymakers to understand and embed the views of the Young Advisors in curriculum development, design, and delivery. Alongside outlining approaches to engaging learners, the Young Advisors expressed their hopes for a curriculum that makes connections to the wider world and supports their goals and aspirations, both now, and in the future.
What’s next?
The Young Advisors have an exciting programme of work lined up, developing their input across a range of topics. The group will continue their work on inclusive and engaging learning, and will be developing further resources across the year
Find out more about My Rights, My Say.
My Rights, My Say helps 12–15-year-olds with additional support needs to use their rights and have a say in decisions about their education. The service is free, confidential, and completely independent.
