SGOIL LIONAIL
Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar
Department of Education 

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES POLICY

Introduction     Environmental Studies brings together the main ways in which pupils learn about the world. It involves learning about the social and physical conditions that influence, or have influenced, the lives of individuals and communities over successive generations. Understanding the environment is important to every individual and to the community at large.  In the course of their exploration of environmental studies, pupils will encounter aspects of a range of subjects: History, Geography, Modern Studies, Science, Home Economics and Technology Education.
 

Aims                Aims of Lionel School are subsumed in the Environmental Studies policy, for example to:

Provide a coherent, relevant, broad-based, balanced, differentiated bilingual curriculum, giving full consideration to national and local Mathematics guidelines.  The various elements of the courses are planned and taught in an appropriate sequence to meet the range of needs, abilities and aspirations of pupils, and to promote progression and continuity in pupils’ learning. Productive links are made with other curriculum areas or subjects eg Health Education.

Provide a learning environment which is stimulating and challenging, where teaching plans provide concise and clear specifications of what pupils are expected to learn, how and when learning is to be undertaken, and where learning outcomes and assessment strategies are clearly stated.

Objectives        The Environmental Studies policy reflects ambitious, excellent local and national priorities for improvement, shows consistency with education authority aims, and focuses on improving standards of attainment and the quality of pupils’ learning experiences, as follows:
 

Inclusion          All pupils are entitled to a range of learning experiences in Environmental Studies.  When setting work to pupils with special needs, we refer to those pupils’ Individual Education Plans (IEPs).  We value and celebrate the diversity of our pupils and their families, and we appreciate the enrichment that this brings.
 

Attainment outcomes and targets       Environmental Studies components are described in terms of attainment outcomes for knowledge and understanding, skills and the development of informed attitudes. These reflect the different forms of knowledge and ways of thinking and working within Social Subjects, Science and Technology.  For each outcome a system of strands is used to identify the key ideas involved in the development of knowledge and understanding, skills and attitudes.  These are:

People in the Past                   People and Place                    People in Society.
These social subject outcomes relate principally to Geography, History and Modern Studies.

Earth and Space          Energy and Forces       Living Things and the Processes of Life
These science outcomes relate principally to aspects of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.

Technological Capability
This outcome relates to aspects associated with Home Economics and Technical Education.

Learning and Teaching           The learning and teaching approaches used within Lionel School, together with coordinated planning, should enable pupils to study and understand the  attainment outcomes, strands and targets outlined within Environmental Studies, as follows:

 
Homework       The establishment of good study habits at an early age will contribute greatly towards the future educational success of pupils.  The most important support any parent can give to a student is to show a caring interest in the work done at home - provided the homework is not actually completed by the parent, the sharing of work can only be beneficial.  The school’s homework policy is complemented by advice from parentzonescotland.
 

Handbooks       The Geography, History, Home Economics, Science and Technology policy handbooks contain detailed information about the work of the departments.
 

Review            This policy was prepared in 2005 and will be reviewed in 2008.

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