Primary

Gaelic-medium

National data on Gaelic-medium pupils’ Gaelic language attainments was last collected and analysed on a national basis in 2001/2002. The national report on 5-14 attainment in publicly-funded schools, 2001/02 (June 2002) indicated that a lower proportion of P2 to P7 pupils in Gaelic-medium classes was attaining the 5-14 level relevant to their stage in Gaelic reading and Gaelic writing compared with the equivalent results nationally for English reading and English writing at each of these stages. As would be expected from the pattern of Gaelic-medium immersion teaching, the differences in attainment between Gaelic- and English-medium reading and writing generally decreased from P2 to P7. However, at P7 there was still a gap with 67.5% of Gaelic-medium pupils achieving level D or above in Gaelic reading compared with 72% in English reading. Similarly, in P7, 55.8% of Gaelic-medium pupils had achieved level D or above in Gaelic writing compared with 59.2% in English writing.

Research carried out by the Scottish Centre for Information on Language Teaching (SCILT) in 1999 suggested that the proportion of Gaelic-medium pupils who reached appropriate national attainment targets for Gaelic at P3, P5 and P7 matched the expectations set out in the 5-14 guidelines for Gaelic. The report also indicated that they did not appear to be disadvantaged, relative to English-medium pupils, in terms of their attainments in English at P5 and P7. Indeed, it suggested that P7 Gaelic-medium pupils performed better in English than English-medium pupils. It also indicated, however, that P7 Gaelic-medium pupils’ attainments in Gaelic tended to be slightly below their attainments in English, particularly in Gaelic writing.

In primary schools inspected between 1994 and 2004, attainment in Gaelic language in Gaelic-medium classes was judged to be very good in around 35%, good in around 60% and to have important weaknesses in 5%. In the same schools, overall attainment in English language (including those in Gaelic-medium classes) was very good in around 35%, good in 45% and had important weaknesses in almost 20%. In the more recent data, pupils’ improved attainment reflected the expanded and improved range of resources available for Gaelic language development.

Inspection evidence suggested pupils’ strengths in Gaelic language included:

• good performance in complex listening tasks and good use of notes to aid recall at the upper stages;
• clear and confident talking about personal experiences and in giving explanations and opinions;
• fluent and expressive reading;
• clear understanding of texts they had read;
• good ability to retrieve information from a variety of sources;
• a broad range of reading for information and enjoyment; and
• well presented, accurately spelt and expressive writing on a variety of topics in a range of genre.

Priorities for improvement included:

• increasing the amount of extended writing undertaken by pupils, and the range of topics they address;
• increasing the amount of imaginative writing and writing to give information;
• improving the use of grammar and idiom; and
• broadening the range of texts that pupils read.

Secondary

Gàidhlig

At S1, almost all pupils studying Gàidhlig made good progress developing their skills in listening, talking, reading and writing. By S2 most Gàidhlig pupils were writing good quality extended prose pieces and were beginning to appreciate the author’s craft.

Strengths in pupils’ performance at S1/S2 included:

• good progress with appropriately challenging classwork;
• good development of writing skills in Gàidhlig classes;
• confident talking in groups;
• good understanding through listening and reading; and
• good command of Gaelic grammar and idiom in Gàidhlig classes.

There was a need for teachers to place a stronger focus on personal reading at the S1/S2 stages.

Features of pupils’ attainment at the S3/S4 and S5/S6 stages were as follows.

• In Standard Grade Gàidhlig, presentations in S4 rose steadily from 94 in 1999 to 216 in 2004. Over each of the last six years around three quarters of pupils achieved Credit awards. Overall, pupils did substantially better in Standard Grade Gàidhlig than in their other Standard Grade subjects.
• Of the very small numbers taking Intermediate 1 Gàidhlig, most got A-C grades. There had been a correspondingly low uptake of Intermediate 2 Gàidhlig although presentations had risen marginally from 7 in 2000 to 11 in 2004. Almost all achieved A-C grades.
• Overall, there had been a steady increase in the number of Higher presentations from 41 in 2000 to 85 in 2004 with almost all pupils achieving A-C grades.
• Over the last 3 years, the very small numbers presented for Advanced Higher ranged from 11 to 14, almost all of whom achieved A-C grades.

Gaelic learners

In S1/S2, most Gaelic learners developed good, accurate pronunciation and showed a good understanding of the teachers’ instructions in Gaelic. By S2 many showed good skill in oral presentations to their classmates. Others in S2 undertook the study of a linguistically simple novel.

Strengths of pupils’ performance in S1/S2 included:

• good development of speaking skills in Gaelic classes;
• confident talking in groups;
• good understanding through listening and reading; and
• good progress in developing short pieces of writing.

Main areas for improvement included:

• continued development of all pupils’ accurate pronunciation of the Gaelic sound system; and
• extending pupils’ understanding of grammatical concepts.

Features of pupils’ attainment at the S3/S4 and S5/S6 stages were as follows:

• In Standard Grade Gaelic (Learners), presentations in S4 varied between 300 and 400 between 1999 and 2004. After peaking at around 370 in 2001 they declined to 310 in 2004. Over the period 2000-2004 an average of 60% achieved Credit awards but an average of 13% did not get any award. Overall, pupils did substantially better in Standard Grade Gaelic (Learners) than in their other Standard Grade subjects.
• There were less than 10 presentations for Intermediate 1 Gaelic (Learners) in S5/S6 between 2000 and 2004. The number of presentations in S5/S6 for Intermediate 2 Gaelic (Learners) had increased from 13 in 2000 to 24 in 2004. Most achieved A-C grades.
• In Higher Gaelic (Learners), presentations in S5/S6 increased from 84 in 2000 to 112 in 2003 but fell back to 101 in 2004. Almost all pupils achieved A-C grades with an average of 45% achieving A grades.
• There had been an increase in the small numbers presented for Advanced Higher Gaelic (Learners) from 10 in 2001 to 28 in 2004. Almost all achieved A-C grades.

Pupils’ broader achievements

Schools and authorities have increasingly developed a range of opportunities for pupils to use and enhance their understanding of the Gaelic language within and beyond school. This includes opportunities for pupils from different schools and communities to meet together in a range of cultural and sporting events. In the best cases, where schools and education authorities worked well together, they built on effective links with local communities and local and national agencies to continue and support well-established traditional cultural events such as Mòdan and Fèisean. They created new opportunities for pupils to use the language in a variety of contexts outwith the formal school curriculum.

Competitions

Pupils in Gaelic classes at all levels participated widely in a range of competitions. Gaelic language related competitions, such as those provided by the Gaelic Society of London, drew entries from a wide range of secondary Gaelic classes, many of whom achieved high rates of success over several years. Sixteen secondary schools participated in the National Gaelic Schools debate. The final debate was held in the Scottish Parliament Debating Chamber and in 2004 the competition won a major European award.

Each year both Gaelic learners and Gàidhlig pupils keenly contested the singing and literary competitions at the Royal National Mòd. In addition to an enjoyable excursion the Mòd provided schools and their pupils with an opportunity to showcase their talents outwith the formal Gaelic language courses. The Gaelic Choir from one school won the choral section of the International Pan-Celtic Festival in Eire. The competition run by The Highland Council heritage project Am Baile drew a wide range of high quality entries from pupils relating to their own communities and neighbourhoods.

Individual pupils who have been educated through Gaelic-medium have had some notable successes. One P7 pupil became Scotland’s first Junior Provost. Another secondary pupil was school dux, sports champion and school captain. Individual achievements have included the Pushkin Prize for Poetry, The Queen’s Golden Jubilee Silver medal for poetry and the William Ross Memorial prize for prose and poetry.

Arts and culture

Other opportunities for broader achievement arose through activities involving the expressive arts, often enhanced by use of technology. ‘Sgleog’ the Gaelic website for younger children attracted cartoons, humorous articles and personal narratives from pupils of all ages. A collaboration between a visual artist and a writer supported one group of Gaelic-medium pupils to create and publish a book of their poems and pictures called Leabhar Beag na Gàidhlig.

Many schools noted an increased confidence and growth in esteem for Gaelic when classes were visited by professional writers, animators, musicians and dramatists. These visits often led to high quality performances in Gaelic of Nativity plays or a Saint Andrew’s Night cèilidh, for example. One school celebrated the life of the eminent Gaelic folklorist, Margaret Fay Shaw, by a public performance of an innovative Gaelic-medium children’s musical Taigh Màiri Anndra. Other visits led to the creation and broadcasting of animated films. A number of schools effectively celebrated their pupils’ achievements by publishing their prose and poetry on their websites.

Community

Many schools provided opportunities for pupils to broaden their achievements whilst also fostering the local and national community of Gaelic speakers. In one instance, a group of young people participated in a range of after-school activities which involved both island and mainland speakers of Gaelic and enabled them to form friendships and appreciate different aspects of Scotland.

Gaelic-speaking pupils who had difficulties in their learning in one secondary school developed skills in an oral history project, through using video recording techniques to record the memories of an older generation. A group of secondary schools cooperated to take their S1-S3 Gàidhlig pupils on a Gaelic-medium historical excursion to Donegal and joined Irish-medium pupils at a summer camp.

A number of schools combined outdoor education trips with intensive language weekends for Gaelic learners. Others visited the Western Isles to let pupils experience Gaelic in daily use. One secondary school provided those learning Gaelic in their second year with a weekend activity course which focused on language and culture in a fun-filled approach.

Some schools had focused on strengthening partnerships with parents. For example, one had children from the primary and nursery classes speaking in Gaelic and providing links for parents or carers to other Gaelic websites. A P2 class had created a game to help non-Gaelic-speaking parents learn Gaelic. A number of schools enabled pupils to create their own newsletters thus improving pupils’ writing and promoting greater parental involvement.

National and international links

A wide range of schools had developed innovative ways of broadening their pupils’ achievements and perspectives on the wider world through national and international links. Gaelic-medium pupils regularly raised money for a range of charities operating in Britain and in the developing world. Both primary and secondary Gaelic-medium pupils presented and contributed to the young peoples’ Gaelic radio programme Aileag and the equivalent television programme Dè a nis. One P7 class group compiled and broadcast a weekly radio programme for their school.

Other schools had established links and partnerships with schools in France, Ireland and Spain and with NASA, generating activities in which Gaelic-medium pupils at the school played a full part. The Gaelic-medium classes in one primary school built very strong links to Nova Scotia through an enterprise project and its website.

Enterprise activities

Enterprise activities were used effectively by some schools to kindle pupils’ imagination and energy. In one school, Gaelic-medium pupils had successfully run a wide range of enterprise activities from Christmas cards at P1 to a home area telephone book in P7. Pupils in a secondary school raised the profile of Gaelic very effectively through enterprise projects which focused on the production and sale of Gaelic-related materials. In the process the enterprise teams won major Scottish and United Kingdom awards.

Main areas for improvement

While attainment in Gaelic language in primary and secondary schools was generally good overall, there were some key areas in which improvement is required. Across both the primary and secondary sectors, there was a need to increase the range and amount of pupils’ writing. A stronger focus was also needed at all stages to improve pupils’ knowledge and use of Gaelic grammar and idiom and extending the range of their reading in Gaelic.

Resources

As Gaelic education has expanded, primary schools and pre-school centres have worked hard to build up resources and programmes in Gaelic language. A key feature of Gaelic-medium education in primary and pre-school classes was the delivery of the whole curriculum through Gaelic during the immersion phase of the first few years. Teachers had therefore needed to create and develop resources to support programmes in all curricular areas, often creating their own resources.

While teachers continued to create original materials the pressure had been alleviated to a great extent by the establishment of Stòrlann Nàiseanta na Gàidhlig (The National Gaelic Resource Centre). Teachers did continue to adapt and translate some existing resources for specific purposes. For example, where a school had adopted a common approach to the teaching of mental mathematics or to using formative assessment techniques, the Gaelic-medium teacher adapted the materials provided for use with their pupils.

The completion of a staged mathematics programme presented new challenges to teachers, school managers and education authority staff to move from an English-predominant bilingual approach to a more coherent Gaelic-medium approach while teaching mathematics from P1 to P7. The use of Gaelic as the medium for teaching mathematics at the upper stages was, in many schools, too variable. The main reasons arose from a lack of teacher confidence with terminology, the need to make sure that pupils who moved into S1, and therefore into English-medium mathematics, were secure with English terminology, and the lack of a comprehensive resource. Whilst the resource issue had now been resolved, the need to address issues relating to teacher skill and confidence in teaching mathematics through the medium of Gaelic had emerged more strongly.

Significant shortages of resources, in both print and electronic media, still remained in a number of other areas of the Gaelic-medium curriculum. Materials for primary schools relating to science, religious and moral education, social subjects, personal and social education and drama were very scarce. A lack of materials for pupils with additional support needs was an important area of weakness. For Gàidhlig in secondary schools, although language development materials were becoming available and the range of fiction was slowly increasing, there was still an insufficient range to permit real choice and enable pupils’ needs to be fully met, particularly in S1/S2.

Teachers recognised the need to connect pupils and teachers to create a more viable Gaelic-speaking community across Scotland and recognised the potential of ICT, including the use of videoconferencing, to do this. Some were wary of the attendant difficulties that often came with making this happen. Most were very hopeful about the potential of recent developments such as the launch of Gàidhlig air-loidhne (Gaelic On-line) and the future development of the BBC’s digital curriculum due to start in 2006. The innovative pilot project in teaching geography online to S1 pupils was seen as holding much promise. In the meantime, teachers saw the need for more software and high quality interactive Gaelic-medium websites as a main resource priority.

In GLPS classes resources and materials were available nationally, with Argyll and Bute Council acting as the main provider. In Gaelic (learners) courses in secondary schools, teachers generally built on a nationally available course to support learning in S1 to S4 and on NQ units in S5/S6.

Pre-school programmes

Overall, most pre-school practitioners took good account of children’s needs and were successful in providing a range of programmes which balanced the children’s learning of a second language with their need to communicate and be supported in their emotional, personal and social development. In the best examples pre-school centres provided a language-rich environment and introduced children to the Gaelic language whilst also widening their knowledge and understanding of the world. They ensured that children had appropriate experience of expressive and aesthetic development and physical development and movement.

Primary courses and programmes

In Gaelic-medium classes learning and teaching was initially wholly in Gaelic during the immersion phase from P1 to P3. During this phase, staff needed to be especially careful to respond to pupils’ personal and social needs sensitively and supportively, to ensure they did not become frustrated or distressed by difficulties with communication. Thereafter Gaelic continued to be the predominant teaching medium, although some teaching was also conducted in English. Effective courses helped pupils make appropriate progress in each of the main learning outcomes of listening, talking, reading and writing. Teachers gave equal importance to developing pupils’ language skills and their knowledge and understanding across the curriculum.

Pupils’ experiences of Gaelic in GLPS classes were intended to introduce them to the fundamental aspects of the Gaelic language and give a sound basis for continued study as Gaelic learners in S1.

In both Gaelic-medium and GLPS classes, teachers made good use of ICT, the local environment and visits to places of interest, participation in enterprise and citizenship activities, museum visits and science-related projects such as weather and bird surveys to develop vocabulary and provide real life contexts. These approaches helped pupils to see Gaelic as relevant to their lives, and to develop positive attitudes towards learning.

Secondary Courses

S1/S2 Courses

Teachers designing S1/S2 Gàidhlig courses faced a number of challenges. In the past, prior to the development of Gaelic-medium education, pupils who were fluent Gaelic speakers often had no formal Gaelic education in primary school, and secondary Gaelic courses were designed with that fact in mind. However, with the advent of pupils who had completed seven years of Gaelic-medium education, improved levels of attainment entailed extensive amendments to existing Gàidhlig courses. In those schools with well-established Gaelic departments, almost all courses were appropriately adapted. A few, however, failed to provide sufficient differentiation or make enough use of pupils’ prior knowledge. In almost all secondary schools where Gàidhlig courses had not previously existed, courses were of good quality.

Effective S1/S2 Gàidhlig language courses aimed to enable pupils to communicate confidently in a range of real life situations. In the best practice teachers enriched pupils’ learning experiences by using a range of modern methods and media for developing communication skills in Gaelic.

The best courses for Gaelic learners took account of pupils’ prior experience of Gaelic, including through GLPS. This helped teachers to set realistic expectations of individual pupils from the start of S1. This was most effective where associated primary schools had met with the secondary school and agreed programmes of study in order to ensure greater consistency of pupils’ experiences. In some instances secondary staff visited primary schools to provide tuition in Gaelic. Such collaborative planning enabled secondary schools to build on pupils’ previous knowledge thus avoiding a ‘fresh start’ approach in S1.

Some education authorities had coherent programmes of study from P1 to S2, which were being implemented across primary and secondary schools for Gaelic-medium and GLPS. In some schools which housed both secondary and primary departments very good opportunities were taken to ensure that pupils’ learning in Gaelic language progressed smoothly from stage to stage. However, many schools did not offer Gaelic-medium subject specialist courses to incoming Gaelic-medium S1 pupils in order to build upon their primary experience and fully meet their need to use Gaelic in a range of contexts.

The peak and subsequent decline and the relatively flat level of current uptake of Gaelic learners’ courses, after reaching higher levels in the 1990s, is a matter for concern. An increased uptake has been established in a number of schools who have liaised closely with their associated primary schools with an encouraging increase in overall numbers in 2004-05. Education authorities should monitor and encourage the uptake of secondary learners’ courses, in particular, where pupils have had an experience of GLPS in primary school, with a view to increasing uptake.

The best courses included the following features:

• agreed content coverage amongst schools;
• an active reinforcement of pupils’ interest in Gaelic literature, culture and music at a level consistent with their language levels;
• effective strategies to meet the needs of different groups of pupils, including the highest attaining and those with additional support needs; and
• suitably challenging, varied and purposeful forms of homework.

The 5-14 guidelines published in 1993 were based on a necessarily limited experience of Gaelic-medium education in primary schools and they pre-date the development of GLPS. These guidelines have now become outmoded in some respects as the programmes of work which have developed in schools in the interim have begun to raise their expectations of pupils’ prior knowledge and rate of progress. The review announced by Learning and Teaching Scotland (February 2005) of the 5-14 Gaelic guidelines is therefore timely and necessary.

S3/S4 Courses

Effective Gaelic departments designed their courses to prepare pupils well for the requirements of external examinations set by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). Gaelic departments developed guidelines on course objectives, time-lines, resources, learning and teaching approaches and assessment. Teachers in single-teacher departments often relied on their own initiative and consultation with other colleagues in larger Gaelic departments. To establish consistency of practice, one education authority provided an annual opportunity for all Gaelic teachers to come together to discuss common issues and invited sole teachers from neighbouring authorities to the meeting.

In Gaelic-speaking areas, departments frequently drew deeply on local history and tradition to enrich courses. In schools in other parts of Scotland, the use of e-mail and videoconferencing gave added breadth and provided additional opportunities for pupils to practise and develop oral skills. In the best practice pupils were given clear course outlines and effective guidance on how to achieve the appropriate learning outcomes. This allowed them to take greater responsibility for their own learning. Homework tasks were given regularly to consolidate learning and improve pupils’ motivation.

At S3/S4, a few schools had replaced Standard Grade Gàidhlig or Gaelic with Intermediate 1 or Intermediate 2 courses. These courses were proving successful in meeting pupils’ needs, mainly because they took better account of pupils’ prior language experience and related closely to Higher courses. Teachers reported that pupils responded positively to them and showed improved motivation and progress. Teachers were well supported in developing these courses by the provision of good quality national exemplar materials and their involvement in preparing such materials. Other schools had taken advantage of curriculum flexibility and proposed to offer early certification.

S5/S6 Courses

At S5/S6, schools had implemented National Qualification courses. This had enabled them to meet a wider range of pupils’ needs and aspirations than was previously the case. In some instances higher-attaining pupils who had taken up Gaelic in S5 at Intermediate 2 progressed directly to Advanced Higher. One encouraging feature was the small but significant increase in the uptake of the Advanced Higher for Gaelic learners.

Supporting Gaelic language learning in the home

The majority of pupils in Gaelic-medium primary classes did not come from homes where Gaelic was spoken. Some had access to Gaelic-speaking relatives who assisted them with homework. In the best examples, schools provided support for both pupils and parents to assist with homework and to support and extend opportunities for pupils to use the language. Examples included a telephone network where parents who were confident with the language offered their help to children in homes where there was no direct language support. Other schools offered direct teaching to parents wishing to learn Gaelic for themselves, sometimes using the materials their children were using, or helped them access this through other sources such as community learning.

Approaches varied across authorities and schools. At times, there was a risk of complacency in areas traditionally seen as ‘the Gaelic heartland’ as staff could make unwarranted assumptions that there was little need to provide additional support of this kind.

Learning and development in pre-school

In the best situations, pre-school staff predominantly used Gaelic as the medium of communication and provided good models for the children. They used every opportunity to develop children’s skills in listening and talking. They made very good use of the local community to develop young children’s curiosity and extend their exposure to the language where possible. In a few instances, where staff’s Gaelic language competence was weak, children’s experience was not sufficiently rich in Gaelic.

During the early stages of second language learning most children used English as their means of communicating with each other during play and in response to adults. In good practice, staff were sensitive to individual children’s need to communicate through both English and Gaelic and, whilst they encouraged pupils to move towards increasing use of Gaelic, they did so at a pace that the pupils could cope with, and in ways that promoted the growth of self-confidence. By the end of their pre-school experience many had acquired a good understanding of basic phrases and vocabulary and could respond appropriately in either Gaelic or English.

Learning and teaching in primary

The picture that emerged from school inspection reports on learning and teaching in Gaelic-medium classes in primary schools was positive. The overall quality of learning and teaching was as good as in English-medium classes. This included learning and teaching in Gaelic-medium primary classes in a range of contexts across the curriculum beyond Gaelic language classes. As a result of the newness of GLPS there was as yet insufficient inspection evidence to comment on learning and teaching.

In the best examples, Gaelic-medium primary classrooms were attractive and stimulating learning environments. Most teachers were highly motivated to promote Gaelic as the medium for teaching and learning and were very effective role models for pupils in their use of the language. They encouraged pupils to use Gaelic at whatever stage of development they were at and placed a strong emphasis on the development of skills in spoken Gaelic. They accepted the use of English vocabulary as part of the dialogue in the early stages but also took the opportunity to make sure that pupils knew the appropriate Gaelic terminology. This often resulted in high levels of oral interaction between teachers and pupils about a range of topics across the curriculum.

The most effective teachers in Gaelic-medium primary classes made good use of a wide variety of approaches. There were examples of imaginative and innovative approaches, in part, motivated by the need to overtake the lack of Gaelic-medium resources in a particular curriculum area. The most effective teachers provided good opportunities for pupils to work together in pairs or groups and to work independently. They set clear expectations for work and behaviour. They planned for a good range of interactive and practical activities for pupils in order to develop the confident use of Gaelic with their peers. They used questioning to check understanding, giving pupils time to respond, and asked for reasoned answers. At times, primary teachers found it difficult to achieve the right balance in terms of pupils’ ability and concentration to take in both the new language and the new knowledge or skill in a curricular area during a teaching session. In general, however the pace of learning was good and pupils made steady progress.

Almost all pupils’ learning through the medium of Gaelic was characterised by high levels of motivation, enthusiasm and confidence. This reflected both their teachers’ enthusiasm and, in most situations, smaller class sizes. From a very early stage of learning most were keen to try out the language using a mixture of both Gaelic and English until they had mastered a good level of fluency in Gaelic. They engaged in discussions and conversations using their second language with very few inhibitions. During the process of learning pupils often had to grapple with both the new language needed and the new concepts presented in the subject area being studied. In the best situations, teachers took time to make sure that this happened for pupils and supported them in the process. Pupils usually had very good relationships with their teachers and, in the best circumstances, were able to discuss their work with confidence and were clear about the purposes of activities and tasks. Most were able to work very well independently or collaboratively to overtake tasks in different areas of the curriculum. For example, small groups collaborated effectively on a piece of Gaelic writing about a historical event or worked in a group to set up and report back to class on a science experiment. Often, older pupils were matched up with younger pupils to act as ‘buddies’. For example, one school used a ‘buddy’ approach where the teacher taught older pupils how to talk with younger pupils about their Gaelic reading. Others helped their younger partners to learn the Gaelic terms in mathematics.

Learning and teaching in secondary

In secondary schools, evaluations of teaching and learning relate to Gaelic language classes only. As a result of the very limited nature of secondary Gaelic-medium subject provision, there was insufficient inspection evidence available to draw firm conclusions.

In most secondary schools the teacher of Gaelic was the sole teacher of the subject. In almost all departments, pupils were highly motivated, worked well on their own and made good progress. The teachers often made very good use of pupils’ cultural interests and real-life situations. In one secondary school S3 Gàidhlig pupils had worked as a team and along with their teacher had created a good quality digital recording about local castles and legends. Some Gaelic departments provided pupils and parents with informative newsletters about course content and the department’s targets for learning.

The most effective departments, whether large or small, monitored their own work and made adjustments to learning and teaching as needed. In these departments, teachers:

• used reading of texts to support writing;
• ensured good quality dialogue with pupils;
• provided effective support for pupils experiencing difficulties and a high level of challenge for more able pupils;
• taught effective approaches to planning writing assignments, proof-reading skills and error correction;
• demonstrated particular texts and styles of oral and written communication;
• focused on accurate grammar, spelling and punctuation and developing Gaelic idiom; and
• drew widely on Gaelic history and culture.

In the best schools and Gaelic departments, all staff worked very effectively as a team. Single teacher departments, in best practice, were outward looking and took care to maintain contact with other Gaelic departments. This allowed them to establish an effective working environment which motivated, supported and encouraged pupils to work to the best of their abilities.

The use of assessment to support learning

At P1/P2, most schools frequently made effective use of information provided by pre-school centres and parents as a starting point for planning development in Gaelic language in the primary stages.

From P3 to P7 and at S1/S2, most teachers made appropriate use of tests, including National Assessments. Increasingly, class teachers made use of formative assessment approaches. In the best practice, the criteria for achieving 5-14 levels were widely shared with pupils.

At S3/S6, in the best situations, teachers consistently provided pupils with the criteria for success and encouraged their use in improving competence in reading, writing, talking and listening. Similarly at S3/S6, in collaboration with SQA, systematic arrangements for moderating pupils’ standards in reading, writing, listening and talking had been well used. CLAS (The Association of Secondary Gaelic Teachers) had also issued guidance to Gaelic departments on raising attainment. These supportive approaches helped teachers, particularly sole teachers, confirm their professional judgements, share good practice, and apply consistent standards.

Meeting pupils’ needs

On arrival in P1, some pupils were already skilled and confident in using Gaelic and required challenging tasks to build on their Gaelic language skills. Throughout the primary stages, teachers often used the good practice of varying the organisation of learning groups so that work could be pitched at appropriate levels to consolidate and extend learning. To achieve this, they frequently made good use of the support provided by classroom assistants.

Overall, pupils with additional support needs were well supported. There was, however, a lack of suitable resources to assess and diagnose the difficulties of pupils whose general and Gaelic learning needs were more challenging. Most typically, teachers felt unable to ascertain whether any difficulties that arose were related to the fact that the child was learning a second language or whether the difficulties were more fundamental and would have emerged in the context of their first language. In many instances, teachers reported that external support professionals had little or no expertise in Gaelic-medium education or the issues pertaining to it. Some authorities had taken a clearer lead in addressing this area. For example, one authority had adapted nationally-available English-medium materials to assess pupils’ learning difficulties and cognitive development for Gaelic-medium purposes. Others needed to do more.

In the larger secondary Gaelic departments, flexible groupings of pupils based on ability or aptitude were well used in most cases to cater for the range of needs within S1 to S4 classes. In the best practice, teachers clearly identified pupils’ levels of Gaelic language competence and adapted approaches and resources to meet their needs. Where there were sufficient numbers, departments used broad attainment groupings, in both Gàidhlig and Gaelic classes, and enabled pupils to move between groups as appropriate. These departments ensured that work was well matched to pupils’ prior learning.

The most effective Gaelic-medium classes and secondary Gaelic departments went well beyond class and group organisation as a means of meeting pupils’ learning needs. They identified clear expectations and arrangements for challenging all pupils to develop fluency and confidence in Gaelic language and culture. In both Gaelic and Gàidhlig classes teachers introduced pupils to the riches of folklore, music and visual art to provide additional stimulus and challenge. At S3/S4, in Gaelic classes, there was good use of NQ advice to support specialist studies of personal reading and individual presentation. At S5, some of the able Higher candidates tackled writing tasks initially designed for Advanced Higher courses. Many were challenged by participating in national speaking and writing competitions.

Key features of effective learning and teaching, assessment and meeting needs at all stages

In those lessons in which pupils made good progress, enjoyed learning and were suitably challenged, the following were evident.

• Pupils who were highly motivated and enthusiastic, willing to grapple with language and ideas and were confident communicators whether in Gàidhlig or Gaelic courses.
• Strong and productive interactions between pupils and with staff and the involvement of members of the community.
• A clear focus on building on prior learning and meeting pupils’ Gaelic language and learning needs.
• The use of Gaelic as the main medium of communication with pupils, whilst also taking account of the need for understanding and sensitivity to individual pupil needs as a priority, especially in classes where pupils were new to the language.
• The teacher modelling good use of the Gaelic language.
• The teacher ensuring that pupils knew the purposes of lessons and were helped to make links with other areas of learning.
• The teacher ensuring that pupils knew what language was required and were helped to learn and use new vocabulary as it pertained to the topic being taught.
• Teachers who were learners — willing and able to adapt and change their own approaches to meet the needs of pupils and to make best use of available resources and research evidence.
• The involvement of parents through advice and guidance on the courses available and on how they could help their children’s learning.

Main areas for improvement in learning, teaching, assessment and meeting needs at all stages

At all stages, there was a need to ensure that all pupils had sufficient challenge and pace of work to make appropriate progress both in acquiring Gaelic and developing knowledge and skills across the curriculum. There were common factors associated with weak teaching in Gaelic-medium classes. The teacher usually lacked motivation and skill and was not suitably supported or challenged by leadership within the school or the authority. Typically the teacher did not take good account of pupils’ attainment, prior learning or their Gaelic language skills, the pace was variable and activities were not engaging or stimulating. Other examples of more general weaknesses in teaching included:

• lack of confidence with ascertaining levels of attainment, where teachers were unable to compare and moderate with other colleagues because of geographical isolation;
• Gaelic-medium primary teachers lacking confidence in curricular areas such as science, technology and ICT; and
• too little time using Gaelic as the language of learning and teaching, sometimes due to lack of teacher skill with the language.

Leadership in primary schools

In almost all primary schools, Gaelic-medium classes had been established alongside English-medium classes within the same school under a single headteacher. Many of these headteachers faced particular challenges in ensuring quality in a teaching environment which used a language of which they often had very limited understanding. Almost all rose effectively to the challenge and saw their Gaelic-medium or GLPS provision as an asset and an added richness to their school.

Gaelic-medium provision in primary schools had, in almost all cases, been established as a response to parental demand. In the best practice, schools drew extensively on that support. In almost all cases, although headteachers had the challenge of managing English and Gaelic-medium streams together, they ensured that both sets of pupils were fully included in joint activities at school, through enterprise projects for example. In the best practice, headteachers engaged with and ensured support for parents of Gaelic-medium pupils and in particular encouraged those with no Gaelic to engage with their children’s learning.

In those primary schools where very good leadership was evident those in positions of responsibility placed a very high emphasis on best quality. Their work was characterised by:

• a clear vision for promoting Gaelic language and culture through the school;
• high levels of effective self-evaluation;
• the continuing scrutiny of pupil progress and attainment; and
• an insistence on high quality learning and teaching linked to a strong sense of teamwork.

Leadership in secondary schools

In secondary schools almost all headteachers saw provision for Gaelic-speaking pupils as providing a valuable extra dimension to their curriculum. Many took advantage of the presence of Gaelic teachers to offer classes to learners of Gaelic, often with an enthusiastic response from pupils. This was often particularly the case where schools had no previous experience of Gaelic provision. There were some examples, however, even in those secondary schools with well-established Gaelic departments, of schools in which senior management had not paid sufficient attention to maximising the potential of Gaelic provision in their school.

In those schools which successfully promoted and supported Gaelic language initiatives, staff felt that their efforts to develop and extend Gaelic provision were appreciated. Effective leaders created strong teamwork and set high standards for pupils’ progress in learning Gaelic and for their attainment more widely. Such leaders demonstrated up-to-date knowledge of national developments in Gaelic and education more generally. Many, including sole teachers, had established systematic approaches to monitor and evaluate the quality of classroom practice and pupils’ attainment at all stages.

In both primary and secondary schools, both non-Gaelic speaking and Gaelic-speaking headteachers faced additional challenges in monitoring and evaluating Gaelic classes. They required to develop a set of competencies which included an awareness of:

• attainment targets and where Gaelic-medium pupils should be in relation to them;
• how and at what pace children learn through the medium of Gaelic at different stages in the school;
• where difficulties might be content based as distinct from language related;
• pupils’ attainment and competence in Gaelic;
• immersion techniques and second language strategies;
• bilingualism and biculturalism;
• parental and community expectations; and
• the culture and heritage associated with Gaelic.

Main areas for improvement in leadership in schools

In the relatively few instances of weak leadership seen, headteachers had not engaged with or promoted Gaelic-medium or GLPS classes. They provided little support to teachers and took too little interest in developing and promoting Gaelic-related initiatives. Class teachers in these situations found it difficult to sustain morale, give of their best and assure parents that their children were receiving a good quality of education.

In a minority of secondary departments heads of department gave too little attention to monitoring the quality of classroom practice. Their visits to classrooms were too infrequent and in consequence they were unable to target advice and support when necessary. On occasion, pupils were badly prepared for external assessments through ill-advised choices of Gaelic texts or a misunderstanding of examination arrangements.

Leadership at local authority level

Fourteen local authorities made provision for Gaelic-medium education. Seven others had a lesser involvement through, for example, community learning and development projects. The management review group for specific grants for Gaelic (MRG) was comprised of representatives of local authorities in receipt of Specific Grant for Gaelic funding, 21 in total. MRG met at regular intervals and provided participating authorities with an effective forum to discuss common concerns. Not all authorities participated actively in MRG or sent representatives at a sufficiently senior level. Within local authorities quality improvement officers included the support and development of Gaelic education in their remits. Some authorities employed either full- or part-time Gaelic quality improvement or development officers.

Local authorities which demonstrated effective leadership did so in the context of a clear policy commitment to develop and improve Gaelic provision. They were pro-active in their support and encouragement to schools to develop their Gaelic provision. Many had developed partnerships with other authorities, institutes of higher education and other organisations to try to solve practical difficulties such as staffing shortages.

A number of authorities had developed their own distinctive approaches to supporting Gaelic. Examples of effective initiatives taken by specific authorities included:

• Highland Council’s comprehensive Gaelic development strategy and its links with Aberdeen University to provide initial teacher education remotely;
• Argyll and Bute’s development of the GLPS programme;
• the integrated approach developed by North Lanarkshire and the City of Glasgow which linked together the pre-school, primary, secondary and community learning sectors; and
• Aberdeen City’s Gaelic Arts Festival.

Additionally those who had been successful in increasing the numbers entering Gaelic education showed:

• a close engagement with parents to promote Gaelic-medium education or GLPS;
• an emphasis on providing high quality experiences for pupils;
• encouraging schools to develop imaginative and innovative projects and initiatives;
• providing continuity and progression in Gaelic education from pre-school to secondary classes;
• good relationships with external organisations promoting Gaelic;
• joint working across a range of council services to promote Gaelic;
• skilful adaptation of national initiatives such as Early Intervention to improve learning and teaching in Gaelic;
• involvement in the creation of high quality resources and the promotion of new ways of learning in and through Gaelic; and
• the effective use of Specific Grant funds to increase pupil numbers in Gaelic classes.

Main areas for improvement in leadership in local authorities

In those authorities which placed less emphasis on improving their Gaelic provision, there was a lack of a strategic planned approach to developing Gaelic-medium education. They demonstrated a need for more active promotion of Gaelic-medium education in secondary schools. They required to:

• ensure opportunities for progression and continuity in Gaelic-medium education from pre-school to secondary school;
• participate more fully in collaborative development with other authorities, for example through the work of MRG;
• engage with parents to encourage a greater uptake of Gaelic-medium education in pre-school, primary and secondary; and
• liaise closely with schools to ensure they are proactive in developing all aspects of Gaelic education and accord it the same value as other aspects of education.

1985

First Gaelic-medium provision opened. Slow but steady increase in numbers of pupils in primary classes to over 2000 pupils in 2004-2005.

1992

Council of Europe: Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Signed by UK government in 2000 and ratified in 2001 re Gaelic in Scotland.

1992

Gaelic 5-14: National Guidelines (Curriculum and Assessment). Similar form and content to English Language Guidelines.

1994

Provision for Gaelic Education in Scotland: Report by HMIE. Task set up in 2003/04 to revisit this report.

1995-97

SCCC 5-14 Exemplification materials issued.

1997

Pre-school Curriculum Guidelines and exemplification materials.

1999

Storlann established. SEED Research Unit with SCILT Report: published on The Attainments of pupils receiving Gaelic-medium primary education in Scotland.

2000

Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act — expectation/obligation placed on education authorities to include provision and development of Gaelic-medium education in their improvement plans.

2002

Ministerial Action Group on Gaelic reports: A Fresh Start for Gaelic. The new National Priorities for School Education specifically highlight Gaelic. Bòrd na Gàidhlig established. A’ Chuisle: conference for Gaelic-medium primary teachers organised by HMIE.

2003-04

Draft Gaelic Language Bill consultation phase attracted 3000 responses.

2004

A’ Chuisle 2: conference for Gaelic-medium primary and secondary teachers organised by LTS with commitment to further annual events. GLPS Conference in Stirling University. Presentation of evaluation and findings from five education authorities Gàidhlig air-loidhne (Gaelic online) established. Plans for dedicated Gaelic secondary school in Glasgow supported by SEED. Guidance issued to education authorities about their obligations for Gaelic education under the 2000 Act. Virtual Gaelic-medium Secondary project established.

2005

Gaelic-medium Teacher Recruitment and Supply Action Group established. The Gaelic Language Bill completed its Parliamentary stages.