Teachers in Dundee have been working with researchers from the Robert Owen Centre for Educational Change at the University of Glasgow to address the barriers to learning experienced by some of their pupils.

The ‘Every Dundee Learner Matters’ strategy is Dundee City Council’s school improvement strategy, defined as a way of improving the presence, participation and progress of all children and young people in nurseries and schools by identifying and addressing contextual barriers.

Examples of work undertaken include:

  • A small group of children who have a good attendance record and a positive worth ethic but are still failing to make progress were the focus of collaborative action research in a primary school
  • In a nursery, a staff inquiry group addressed the question: how do we ensure that children with English as an additional language participate fully in our setting?
  • Teachers in a secondary school carried out research to address low levels of engagement, enjoyment and confidence in numeracy.

Launched early in 2021, the strategy involves many stakeholders (teachers, educational officers and psychologists, local authority staff and more) in collaborative development and research.

This is supported by staff from the Robert Owen Centre for Educational Change who are acting as partners to practitioners in the nurseries and schools, and to colleagues within the local authority.

Every Dundee Learner Matters focuses on ‘Three Ps’:

  • Presence – ensuring that all pupils attend regularly and promptly
  • Participation – creating a climate within schools where all pupils feel welcome and valued
  • Progress – developing policies and practices that maximise the achievement and ambitions of all pupils.

The project has been designed around features drawn from international research on system change. Consistent with the participatory approach adopted, these features have been negotiated with a strategy group made up of headteachers.

Every Dundee Learner Matters strategy attempts to make better use of the existing expertise of teachers and other stakeholders. This requires schools to have flexibility to determine how resources are used to address local circumstances. It also builds on research which suggests that when teachers are involved in decision-making, this can promote a stronger culture for learning within schools.

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First published: 17 November 2022

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