The case study should be used along with the Advice on Gaelic Education and the Statutory Guidance on Gaelic Education to inform self-evaluation for improvement.

1. The school has developed a policy for Gaelic which serves as a rationale for the curriculum and the Gaelic-positive ethos of the whole school. The policy has been informed by Education Scotland’s Advice on Gaelic Education and Bòrd na Gàidhlig’s Statutory Guidance on Gaelic Education, as well as Comhairle nan Eilean Siar’s Gaelic Language Plan. This policy is used in the promotion of GME and GLE, including on the website and as part of transition. It acknowledges that The Nicolson Institute is a school providing progression through two mediums of learning. This information was used as a starting point for identifying what needed to be done to strengthen in terms of GME.
2. Senior leaders conducted an audit of teachers’ skills to ascertain who was able to contribute to learning and teaching through the medium of Gaelic. The audit also included teachers who may not yet be sufficiently fluent to teach in Gaelic, but who could hold discussions with young people in Gaelic as part of classroom learning. Teachers can access professional learning bespoke to GME from partners which includes developing their language skills to enable them to teach through the medium of Gaelic.
3. Staff who deliver GME meet regularly with a Depute Headteacher (DHT), who has specific responsibility for GME, and the Principal Teacher for GME. They meet as a Gaelic Working Group to ensure that professional engagement and collegiate working is focused on Gaelic.
4. Staff drew up an improvement plan for GME and GLE with achievable and manageable priorities based upon the skills audit mentioned in [2.2]. The school aims to ensure Gaelic speaking Support for Learning assistants are deployed in Gàidhlig and GME classes.
5. Senior leaders recognise the importance of all young people, staff and parents/carers being aware of the school’s vision for GME and GLE. To promote this, senior leaders set a strategic direction which highlights the importance of Gaelic language and culture to the school’s local context, education and employment. To convey this, meetings are held with staff, parents, young people and curriculum partners to deepen their understanding of the opportunities available from being fluent in Gaelic. Special events are organised where employers and organisations raise young people’s awareness of the range of career-related opportunities available in culture, leisure, education and business when one is fluent in the language. All of these engagements include young people in EME as a means of securing all stakeholders’ engagement with Gaelic.
6. The school is involved annually with the parents of those in Primary 7 GME. Information is sent to parents via leaflet and electronically. Parents and young people attend an open evening. Senior phase young people are involved in its delivery. This open evening involves meeting staff, viewing live learning, a tour of the school (including a library visit) and refreshments. This opportunity aims to promote continuity in learning from primary to secondary on a 3-18 basis; help maintain commitment for GME; address any parental concerns and maintain and increase the number of young people in GME.
7. As an integral part of the school’s timetabling process, the Depute Heads and Principal Teachers are required to make the most effective use of teachers with Gaelic skills to maximise opportunities for GME immersion. Arrangements for assigning young people to classes are constantly reviewed to assist with timetabling and the most effective use of qualified staff with Gaelic skills.
8. The school’s house system includes a specific house for GME. All young people in GME are grouped together in practical subjects and core classes, which are delivered through Gaelic. This enables house events to take place through the medium of Gaelic. Across stages, young people in GME receive personal and social education (PSE) in Gaelic from S1-S6, and religious moral education (RME) is delivered through Gaelic on an S1-S5 basis.
9. Tutor time is available through Gaelic from S1 to S4, and is planned for to ensure that young people in GME, who do not take a National Qualification in Gàidhlig, receive an SCQF Level of attainment in Literacy (Gàidhlig). There is progression and continuity in these aspects of the curriculum across stages. This includes a programme of library visits, creating Gaelic videos, participation in a reading programme, using Giglets & mindfulness resources in S1-3 whilst S4 have library visits and complete SQA Gàidhlig Literacy units. The school engages young people in preparing Christmas Boxes for the Blythswood Christmas Appeal developing the capacities of Responsible Citizens and Effective Contributors. Comunn na Gàidhlig also provide inputs in terms of sports activities during this time.
10. The school has begun tracking young people as they advance through the stages and the proportion of learning that is available to them through Gaelic. (See Appendix) As young people experience some specialisation in S3, the proportion of learning through Gaelic lessens in S3.
11. Rebuilding confidence and literacy skills in Gaelic after the COVID-19 pandemic has been a priority for the school, particularly in the Broad General Education. In S2, electives form part of the curriculum design. Young people choose electives based on their interests where, on a termly basis, they select an activity/class for Thursday afternoons. The selection of activities/classes changes from year to year depending on the availability of staff and partner organisations. A Gaelic medium elective on outdoor learning was introduced in session 22-23 and is delivered by Comann na Gàidhlig.
12. In S4, pathways to National Qualifications are available for Gàidhlig, Eachdraidh (History) and Nuadh-eòlas (Modern Studies). Senior leaders recognise that interest in Eachdraidh and /or Nuadh-èolas at National 5 is such that they will have to consider how to provide progression towards Higher. In S5 and S6, as yet, only Gàidhlig is available as a National Qualification at Higher or Advanced Higher. Gaelic (Learners) is also available at all levels of national qualification in the senior phase.
13. The curriculum offer includes opportunities for the young people to be hearing, using and learning Gaelic in contexts other than curriculum areas and subjects. Senior leaders have increased the role of partners in planning and delivering the GME curriculum. Across stages, partners such as Comunn na Gàidhlig, Fèisean na Gàidheal, BBC Radio nan Gàidheal, MacTV, FilmG, UHI Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, UHI Innse Gall, Bòrd na Gàidhlig and Tobar an Dualchais deliver inputs in Gaelic. These inputs add depth, specialism, application and challenge to young people’s learning. Partners also promote positive destinations and pathways to employment. In addition, they also help young people to make connections with speakers of Gaelic in their community and experience language transfer on an inter-generational basis. Meeting more Gaelic speakers from their communities means young people are more aware of those who speak and use Gaelic, and they are likely to use Gaelic with them when they meet in different contexts. The school has extended its own Latha na Gàidhlig (Gaelic Day) and Gabh Greim events to incorporate Seachdan na Gàidhlig (World Gaelic Week), further strengthening the image and status of Gaelic within the school.
14. Middle leadership for Gaelic within the school recognise the important role that strong leadership from the Rector and other senior leaders has had in placing subjects through the medium of Gaelic at the heart of the curriculum. This has been crucial to securing and strengthening the status of Gaelic Medium Education within the school and contributing to the school’s Gaelic-positive ethos.
15. Senior leaders attach a high level of importance to those young people in English Medium Education who are studying Gaelic (Learners) as an additional language. Young people participating in Gaelic Learner Education courses and programmes are encouraged to take part in the events that provide rich learning and usage experiences in the target language, which in turn supports increased fluency and confidence in Gaelic. Through ongoing dialogue, staff explain the rationale of immersion and usage of Gaelic, and ask that young people in Gaelic Learner Education speak Gaelic at these events so as to not dilute the Gaelic immersion experience of their peers.
16. In the everyday life of the school Gaelic is included where possible in the school’s oral and written communication. The school’s Gaelic policy requires whole school documentation to be available in both Gaelic and English. Announcements made through the tannoy system are made regularly in Gaelic, whilst bilingual greetings are used for announcements in English.
17. The school’s library has added significant value to the Gaelic curriculum and ethos in the school. Young people in Gaelic Medium Education now attend the library as part of their tutor time universal support periods. The school has implemented a Gaelic reading scheme across the Broad General Education. The library has expanded from two shelves of reference books to 4 bookcases with approximately 600 books showcasing the wide variety of Gaelic literature available. This improves attainment in Literacy (Gàidhlig), in particular for those young people who are not accessing National Qualification Gàidhlig in S4, but are doing Literacy units through Gaelic Medium Tutor time. Learners engaged in library periods as part of their English entitlement can also access the Gaelic section of books at this time. The librarian is a learner of Gaelic who uses their language skills with learners to normalise the use of Gaelic within the library environment. This is supported by a video recorded by a recent senior phase learner to show younger learners how to use the library in Gaelic.

Having engaged with this case study, senior leaders and principal teachers in secondary schools, local authorities and Regional Improvement Collaboratives are invited to use the questions below to help reflect on curriculum design for Gaelic within their schools and plan for improvements where required.

In reviewing how well your school is delivering a curriculum through the medium of Gaelic, and within your existing resources, to what extent are you:

• improving provision for Gaelic by making it central to self-evaluation activity and impactful strategic planning for improvement?
• checking to ascertain that appropriately qualified staff who are fluent in Gaelic are delivering GME?
• seeking approaches to career-long professional learning that encourage staff to learn and improve their fluency in Gaelic?
• ensuring that all staff understand the importance of having a whole-school Gaelic-positive ethos?
• seeking opportunities for more sharing of teacher expertise between both primary and secondary schools?
• reviewing how well colleges, community learning and development and Gaelic groups contribute to GME, including the use of blended learning approaches?
• checking to see if universal support and registration can be provided through Gaelic, including by placing young people learning in GME in multi-stage groupings?
• reviewing if and how PSE and RME can be delivered through Gaelic across the broad general education and the senior phase?
• working with primary schools that provide Gaelic Medium Education in the Associated Schools Group to ensure that progression is not being hampered by switching the medium of delivery?
• reviewing how well curriculum design such as specialisation, enrichment courses, electives and masterclasses are being used to increase the proportion of learning through Gaelic?
• reviewing how well interdisciplinary learning is used for GME and to promote learning about Gaelic for those in English Medium Education?
• encouraging partners to deliver aspects of the curriculum in Gaelic?
• reviewing how opportunities for personal achievement and accreditation can provide learning though Gaelic?
• using lunchtime and after-school clubs as an opportunity for young people to use Gaelic?
• planning for progression from the BGE to National 4, National 5 and Higher in subjects through Gaelic or other qualifications where feasible?
• checking to see if progression from Higher in to Advanced Higher is feasible?

As part of your regular review of the GME curriculum, how often do you monitor the proportion of learning that young people experience through Gaelic?

Advice on Gaelic Education

Sharing inspection evidence on Gaelic Medium Education - secondary curriculum

Developing a Gaelic-positive Whole School Ethos – Greenfaulds High School

Developing a Curriculum for Gaelic in Secondary – Greenfaulds High School

Improving the secondary curriculum for Gaelic Medium Education: Universal Support to increase immersion

Gairloch High School – Developing fluency and literacy in Gaelic in young people

Millburn Academy – supporting Gaelic as an L3 Language

YouTube video: SLF Online 2022 Being me, being us in 3-18 Gaelic Education: Sharing Scrutiny Evidence

YouTube video: Leading Gaelic Education - Understanding the Policy Environment

The Nicolson Institute tracked and monitored the proportion of time in a GME immersion environment that a learner in each year group would receive. This exercise was very useful for supporting young people to receive a coherent 3-18 Gaelic Medium Education experience. The Nicolson Institute ensures that all young people in Gaelic Medium Education receive a proportion of GME until they leave school. You may wish to use a similar framework to audit, track and monitor the provision of 3-18 GME in your own setting(s).

Wider Achievement Opportunities

Comunn na Gàidhlig (CnaG) Activities:

•       S2 Elective on Outdoor Activities
•       Clubs at lunchtime Monday-Thursdays
•       Spòrs Gàidhlig visit S1
•       Inter school Quiz S3
•       Football Competition S1

Young Librarian

Tobar an Dualchais History Project S3

Sabhal Mòr Ostaig Talks re course/careers S4-6

Bòrd na Gàidhlig Talks re careers in Education S4-6

Gaelic Careers event S2

FilmG - 3 groups S1 (CnaG, S3, S5)

BBC Radio nan Gàidheal  - S5 working on programme about the school today.

BBC Naidheachdan - several pupils interviewed re school's 150^th anniversary

Local and National Mod

Youth Philanthropy Initiative - English competition but Gaelic elements produced by S5 GME pupils.

Deasbad Nàiseanta - S5 pupils

Live Literature event (Scottish Book Council funding for visiting author) S1 pupils

Comann Luchd-Teasgaisg Àrd-sgoiltean competitions

50 word Scottish Book Trust Competition

Visit to Metagama Exhibition