Dynamic Youthand Youth Achievement Awardsin your school

Curriculum for Excellence in action

Dynamic Youth Awards and Youth Achievement Awards are an innovative approach to recognising and accrediting young people’s achievement within schools, colleges and widercommunities. They offer a framework of accreditation that support learning programmesdelivered within school or youth and community settings.

Dynamic Youth Awards are aimed at learners in P6 to S4, while Youth AchievementAwards are for those in S3 onwards. This leaflet has been designed for teachers to outlinesome of the key benefits of delivering the Awards in schools.

Dynamic Youth Awards and Youth Achievement Awards offer significant opportunitiesfor young people to develop the four capacities – successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors, and responsible citizens.

One of the things people like best about both Awards is that they measure the distance aperson has travelled, rather than their ability against a top-down measurement. Thislearner-centred approach makes them an excellent tool for all abilities, from the highachievers to those learners who need additional support and guidance.

Both Awards are a form of experiential learning which help develop the core skillsessential to life beyond school. Participants spend a great deal of time using critical skillssuch as problem solving, planning, organising, reflecting and evaluating.

Schools are expected to offer a learning programme which offers choice and personalisation: two words which are central to the Awards and to CfE.

‘All children and young people should experience personalisation and choice within their curriculum, including identifying and planning for opportunities for personal achievement in a range of different contexts. This implies taking an interest in learners as individuals, with their own talents and interests.’Building the Curriculum 3

Recognising and accrediting achievement from P6 – S6

youthachievementawards

The learner-led approach of Dynamic Youth Awards and Youth Achievement Awards isa paradigm shift from more traditional models with teachers having a supporting role. It’s anapproach that motivates and inspires learners at all levels. The Awards are a framework forthe learners to use in order to explore their own interests and to take responsibility for sculpting the Awards. Often their Award takes on a multidisciplinary approach, as well as bringing in elements from outside of what is considered ‘traditional’ schooling.

At the advanced levels of the Awards, learners have to work in collaboration with one-another, as well as take on increasing levels of responsibility. For example, at Platinumlevel, learners will have to spend 60 hours undertaking a placement, usually in support ofother young people.

In addition, unlike school qualifications, both Awards appraise the distance travelled, ratherthan measure against peers or a benchmark from above.

‘One of the strengths of the Youth Achievement Awards isthat they don’t feel like an exam experience – there’s not too much paperwork.’Robin Illsley, DHT, Perth High School, Perth & Kinross

The Awards challenge the young person to take on new roles or activities but can alsorecognise existing achievements. Do your learners help with an Eco Group? Are theypresently involved in a pupil council? Will they perform a school play? Do you have pupilhelpers in your classroom or sports club? If your learners are involved in schemes similar tothese, they can now gain accreditation through Dynamic Youth Awards and YouthAchievement Awards, which helps to foster a sense of achievement as well as boostingtheir CV.

‘Some of our pupils were presented with their Awards recently. The young people were really quite chuffed at getting their certificates. They’re fifth years – and quite cool – and we were surprised that they wanted to keep their portfolio of evidence.’Joe Herd, Manager, Social Justice and Communities, St Luke’s High School, East Renfrewshire

To gain a Dynamic Youth Award and Youth Achievement Award, learners must plantheir own work, work in collaboration with others, do their own research, and then peerassess one-another. To gain a higher level Award, learners are expected to undertake training and disseminate information to their peers. Additionally, the learners are fullyinvolved in deciding what happens next for their Award, and how they can achieve it.Learners are aware of how to evidence their Award, and of how much time and responsibility they need to put into the Awards for each Award level.

Peer assessment is central to the Awards as participants are evaluated at each step bytheir classmates. Teachers have a monitoring role which ensures the rigour of the assessment and maintains high standards.

‘The Youth Achievement Awards are not just another pack that a lecturer brings in – it doesn’t have all the paperworkthat’s usually linked to ‘education’. It’s an SCQF recognised Award with the minimum of written work.’Isobel Mills, Curriculum Manager, School of Inclusion, James Watt College

Awards level for YA

It’s learning in a non-traditionalmanner, in yourschool

Meeting the challengethrough everyday tasks

Assessment is for Learning at the heart ofthe Awards

The Youth Achievement Awards are accredited by ASDAN and are credit rated and levelled on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF).

Youth Achievement Awards and National Qualifications

Youth Achievement Hours required SCQF National Awards level for YAA Qualifications

Platinum 135 hours Level 7 Advanced Higher

Gold 120 hours Level 6 Higher

Silver 90 hours Level 5 Standard Grade (credit)

Bronze 60 hours Level 4 Standard Grade (general)

The Youth Achievement Awards support young people’s own personal development, andrecognise progression at four levels of responsibility:

• At Bronze young people take part in activities

• At Silver they help to organise activities

• At Gold they plan, organise and lead activities

• At Platinum they take on a leadership or peer education role

Dynamic Youth Awards are externally moderated and accredited by ASDAN for learners inP6 to S4.

Both Awards are in the process of being submitted for SQA endorsement.

‘For senior pupils doing their gold Youth Achievement Award, the SCQF credit rating and levelling is quite a draw.’Alison McGuiness, Pupil Support Worker, Grove Academy, Dundee

‘It’s a huge plus for the pupils that the Youth AchievementAwards are on a par with standard grades.’Jennifer Skene, DHT, Portlethen Academy, Aberdeenshire

The open framework that is offered by Dynamic Youth Awards and Youth AchievementAwards has been used by some schools to work in partnership with local youth groups andother agencies who also offer the Awards. How Good Is Our School places great emphasison the links between your school and the community. Evidence of joint improvement planning is an integral element of a successful school inspection.

‘An excellent school actively seeks out partnerships with external agencies with the potential to be most productive in helping to provide imaginative contexts, learning experiences and opportunities for personal development which meet the needs of individual pupils and groups in all areas of the curriculum.’The Journey to Excellence, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education (HMIE)

SCQF levelsenable comparison

HMIe andschool-community partnerships

How haveschools usedthe Awards?

AccessDynamic Youthand YouthAchievementAwards

In Scotland over 100 schools are presently using the Awards. In order to gain a YouthAchievement Award, a pupil has to take part in a number of ‘challenges’, each lasting a minimum of 15 hours. Below is a small selection of challenges school learners have completed in order to get their Award:

• Taking part in fire safety education

• Learning how to paint and decorate

• Achieving in a maths group

• Recording songs with a band

• Improving attendance at school

• Taking part in dance classes after school

• Playing in a football tournament

• Learning to play the fiddle

• Peer education project about drugs and sexual health

‘26 of our S3/4 pupils worked for 18 months to create a 14 minute DVD about the heritage and history of their local communities – and were accredited through the Youth Achievement Awards for doing it.’Joe Herd – Manager, Social Justice and Communities

‘I got involved with the school’s Peer Support Project last year. Our pupil support worker encouraged us to use ourtraining and experience to gain our bronze Youth Achievement Award. It was a really good way to meet new people and build friendships as we worked with people we might not have usually spoken to.’Third year pupil, Grove Academy, Broughty Ferry

Access registration forms and further information at:

Youth Scotland

Balfour House T: 0131 554 2561

19 Bonnington Grove E: awards@youthscotland.org.uk

Edinburgh EH6 4BL W: www.youthscotland.org.uk