Scotland has always had Interdisciplinary learning (IDL) as a component part of the curriculum offer – it sits as one of the four contexts.

Over session 2019 to 2020, Education Scotland has worked with No Tosh, practitioners and partners using a design-thinking process to understand how we can realise our ambitions for IDL.

Download the Interdisciplinary Learning: ambitious learning for a complex world.

Since the publication of the original thought paper, a group of educators and educator partners have contributed to this practice update.

This builds on the thinking and principles in the original paper and shares examples of how schools and partners are being ambitious through the development of bold IDL experiences.

Download the practice update for 2023: ambitious learning for an increasingly complex world (PDF).

We want to use this current period as an opportunity to begin the re-focus on IDL and what it can offer our children and young people. Now, maybe more than ever, schools need to be places where young people learn and develop rich knowledge and the skills to thrive in a future which is increasingly unpredictable.

IDL opportunities

We will be developing the following IDL opportunities:

• thriving in challenging circumstances
• creative Bravery with an opportunity to join the Creative Bravery Festival which will run from 2021 to 2027
• Re-imaging the future video
• Scotland’s culture with a focus on creativity and the arts
• sustainability with a focus on Learning for sustainability

Case studies

Hazlehead School

The first case study is from Hazlehead School in Aberdeen, who share their whole school IDL approach during Term 4. They also have a Wakelet with resources to support IDL.

Grove Academy

Thinglink case study of IDL at Grove Academy.