Policy and research : lessons from the Clackmannanshire synthetic phonics initiative

This article explores why policy makers in England and Scotland responded so differently to the Clackmannanshire study on synthetic phonics. It suggests that a deeper understanding of the national and local policy contexts can explain Scotland's response. Analysis of the wider context of the Clackmannanshire initiative supports Moss and Huxford's (2007) argument that literacy problems cannot be couched within a single paradigm's field of reference, and that policy makers need to consider evidence from different paradigms if they are to make robust decisions

What Works Scotland & West Dunbartonshire Community Planning Partnership – Community-Led Action Planning Report

At the heart of the What Works Scotland initiative is a programme of Collaborative Action Research (CAR) that is being taken forward with representatives from four case study Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs). The aim of this work is to build capacity and capability in the use of evidence to support local improvement projects and to capture evidence from practice as to what works in achieving public service reform. West Dunbartonshire is one of four WWS national case study areas. WWS have been working with the local community planning team to develop collaborative action research projects to address local priorities for public service reform. The early preparatory phase of our work examined the background to a new neighbourhood approach to community planning in West Dunbartonshire, known locally as ‘Your Community’. This approach aligns to the post-Christie Commission agenda for public service reform that is reflected in forms of community planning that are more responsive to local needs and community assets. ‘Your Community’ in West Dunbartonshire seeks to strengthen and enable community-led approaches to action planning. This local programme of public service reform was identified as a key priority for WWS in West Dunbartonshire. The purpose of this document is to share the learning and findings from a local event on community-led action planning as part of the WWS Collaborative Action Research process

Brass Bands of Scotland – a Historical Directory

A collection of information about brass bands in Scotland over the last 200 years. Over 1,360 bands are recorded here (95 currently active), with some 731 additional cross references for alternative or previous names. This volume is an extracted subset of my earlier "Brass Bands of the British Isles – a Historical Directory" (2018

‘Public-spirited men’: economic unionist nationalism in inter-war Scotland

The prolonged economic slump which overshadowed much of the inter-war period encouraged a small number of Clydeside industrialists to intervene with bold plans to restructure and revive the Scottish economy. Key figures like Sir James Lithgow and Lord Weir exploited their business, banking and political connections, in Scotland and in London, to produce a uniquely Scottish response to the inter-war crisis. Championing the existing Union and imperial relationships, they nevertheless articulated a new sense of Scottish exceptionalism. Convinced that any revival in trade was dependent on rationalisation of the heavy industries and an ambitious programme of diversification, Lithgow, Weir and their associates promoted distinctive Scottish solutions. Building on the work of Graeme Morton, the article suggests that what emerged was an economic Unionist Nationalism which built alliances between business and civic Scotland to secure Scottish interests while acknowledging the primacy of Union. The mechanism used to achieve their aims was based upon the associational culture of Scottish business, ‘self-help’ voluntary bodies which carefully steered an independent path, avoiding, where possible, direct state involvement. Yet the depth and persistence of the global depression, and the urgency of the task at hand in Scotland itself, encouraged the business community to moderate its hostility to interventionism and economic planning and engage with new partners. The founding of the Scottish National Development Council in the early 1930s, bringing business and civil society together to help foster economic revival, was a crucial staging post on the journey towards corporatism. Motivated by a mix of public-spiritedness and self-interest, there was, however, a strong defensive element to their actions as the essentially conservative industrialists sought to ward off social, political and economic threats from within Scotland. Their willingness to step forward suggests a traditional sense of patrician responsibility, but there was also an acute awareness of the need to adapt; a progressive quality missing from other actors

Women candidates and councillors in Scottish local government, 1974-2012

While significant attention has been paid to the levels of representation of women in both the Westminster Parliament and the Scottish Parliament, much less considered has been given to the position within local government. This article addresses that deficit for Scotland. It shows that for twenty-five years following the reorganisation of local government in Scotland in 1974 there was a slow but relatively steady increase in the numbers of female candidates and councillors, although more recently this appears to have since plateaued somewhat, together with a similar increase in the number of women councillors taking up more senior roles in Scotland’s councils. The article analyses the representation of women in Scottish local government over the period from 1974 to 2012 against the backdrop of significant change in Scotland, including a further restructuring of local government and the introduction of the Single Transferable Vote for council elections, the creation of the Scottish Parliament, the rise of the SNP and the decline of the Conservative Party