Are you a Midlothian educator? Thinking of applying for a Digital Educator Award? Great! With the help of our good friends at Falkirk Council, we've pulled all the relevant information into one place. Use the links below to get started!
Who will my validator be?
Your validator will be either Susan Ward or Mark Davidson from the Digital Inclusion and Learning Team.
Do I have to complete the Intel courses?
No, these are entirely optional. As part of the DEAS programme you get exclusive free access to these courses.
Do I have to attend the writing retreats?
No, these are entirely optional. They are designed to allow you the time and space to focus on your application.
I don’t have anyone to be my Peer Reviewer, what do I do?
Contact digital.learning@midlothian.education and we’ll partner you with someone who will act as your Peer Reviewer.
Is this just for teachers?
Nope! It's for anyone who works in education and is keen to have their digital skills recognised nationally. We encourage all education staff to consider applying.
The initial form you filled in was an expression of interest. If you have decided you are going forward,
you now need to register on the DEAS portal. Before you register you may wish to double check
the Applicant Timeline and Checklist to make sure
you are able to commit to the programme.
Your Peer Reviewer must attend the Peer Reviewer training webinar (or watch it later) so they need to be asked as soon as possible. Share the Peer Reviewer Checklist with them. Dates for Peer Reviewer Training are: Monday 2 March (register) or Wednesday 4 March (register)
In the DEAS portal go to ‘Awards Listing’ on the left hand pane to see the available pathways. Click on ‘Apply’ to view the criteria for each award. Please note that clicking on ‘Apply’ does not commit you to starting an application in this pathway. Within each award page you can view the criteria as well as a number of links which help you to build your submission. Make sure you definitely look at the full toolkit for your chosen award which is the first linked document - this tells you everything you need to know about the process
for your pathway. (Note: the blue links are the optional Intel Skills for Innovation courses for your pathway.
At a glance...
Until 30 April 2026 - Applicants work on submissions
1-15 May 2026 - Peer review sign off (Peer Reviewers only)
16-31 May 2026 - Validation process (Validators only)
You can find full timelines and checklists for applicants, peer reviewers and validators under ‘Checklists’ on the Resources page of the DEAS Site.
We are here for you! The Digital Inclusion and Learning Team will support all applicants keen to achieve the award. We will contact everyone and offer this support as soon as we know who has registered to apply. More questions? Contact digital.learning@midlothian.education