Teacher Agency & Skills Development

A key focus of our senior leadership team in shaping our MGS curriculum has been developing teacher agency. 

Staff are encouraged and supported to be creative and innovative in the courses they develop and in their teaching and learning approaches. Through consultation their views are listened to and their ideas considered in order to identify priorities and future actions.   All staff have permission to try new things as evidenced in our qualification portfolio where the diversity of qualifications and experiences on offer reflects staff' interest, enthusiasm, and skills. They are encouraged to use and develop their talents beyond their subject areas to enhance the curriculum.  Current examples of courses created as a result of teacher agency include: 

• Wider Achievement in gardening/ saltire award

• SFA Refereeing 

• Beekeeping 

• Duke of Edinburgh

• Number Buddies

• Paired Reading 

• Dementia Choir

• Computer Games Design 

• Bike Maintenance 

• Barista

• Creative crafts 

• S1/2 Building Your Skills

Staff collaboration is also hugely encouraged and has played a vital part in shaping and refreshing the design of our curriculum. The Curriculum School Improvement Group has been and continues to be a vessel for teacher agency and professional courage.  It has provided MGS staff opportunities for leadership and partnership working as well as planned collegiate time to think, discuss and learn.  Staff within the group have strategic responsibility for different aspects of curriculum change and are empowered to lead on these agendas. 

Teacher agency is also evidenced in the increasing number of staff working collaboratively across faculties and also with external partners.  Planning and creating courses together out with the boundaries of their faculties has allowed significant numbers of staff to develop their knowledge and skills.  For example in establishing our SQA Barista qualification, collaboration between our Depute Head Teacher, Machina Coffee, East Lothian Works and teaching staff in the STEM, Health and Wellbeing, Inclusion and Social Subjects faculties was critical to success. 

Overall, the school promotes a culture of collegiately and of leadership at all levels which empowers staff to participate positively in shaping change.