Funding deal to create hundreds of affordable homes across Leith and north Edinburgh

Port of Leith Housing Association has attracted investment of £40 million from Scottish Widows, bolstering its plans to create more than 650 social and mid market rent homes by 2025. The funding will be drawn in stages at a low 30-year fixed rate of 2.84%. Continue reading Funding deal to create hundreds of affordable homes across Leith and north Edinburgh

Success for Scottish pug in national pet slimming competition

Percy the pug completes six month Pet Fit Club diet

A former roly-poly pooch from Glasgow, who had an unhealthy love affair with leftovers, has been named runner-up the UK’s largest pet slimming competition – PDSA Pet Fit Club – after shedding 18% of his bodyweight and 7 inches off his waist in just six months. Continue reading Success for Scottish pug in national pet slimming competition

Local MSP calls on shoppers to support businesses on Constitution Street affected by tram work disruption

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY, 7 DECEMBER

Edinburgh Northern and Leith MSP Ben Macpherson has called on Leithers and people across the city to support the excellent shops, bars, cafes and restaurants that are open throughout the tram works on Constitution Street.

The local MSP is encouraging people to visit Constitution Street and Bernard Street on ‘Small Business Saturday’ (7 December), and throughout the tram works, to enjoy all that the businesses have on offer. Continue reading Local MSP calls on shoppers to support businesses on Constitution Street affected by tram work disruption

Fire safety guidance for high-rise homes

PIC: Dave Pickering

Residents in high-rise properties are being given leaflets outlining how to prevent fires in the home and what to do if one starts in their building.

The advice, produced by the Scottish Government and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, is being delivered to high-rise homes from December and will also be available in libraries and community centres in all 15 local authorities with the properties. Continue reading Fire safety guidance for high-rise homes

Get Greening Great Britain with RHS funding

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) is calling on communities to give a green makeover to an unloved space in 2020.  

Now in its fifth year, the RHS Greening Great Britain funding programme, supported by M&G, is offering hands-on support from an RHS Community Advisor and grants of up to £500 to 50 gardening projects across the country. Continue reading Get Greening Great Britain with RHS funding

Sharp rise in reading ability in Scotland’s schools

PERFORMANCES IMPROVE & ATTAINMENT GAP CLOSING

Reading levels among Scotland’s children have risen sharply in the last three years and the attainment gap is closing, according to an international survey.

Data from the Programme for International Student Assessment 2018 (PISA) shows that reading levels are now above the average, with just five Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, out of 36, higher than Scotland.

PISA data also shows that social background is now less of factor in performance, corroborating wider evidence that the attainment gap is closing.

Performance in maths and science was similar to Scotland’s performance in 2015 at the OECD average.

Other findings show that compared to the OECD average:

  • a higher proportion of Scotland’s pupils felt inspired by their teachers’ enthusiasm
  • pupils were more likely to feel that their teachers enjoyed teaching and liked teaching their class
  • teachers are more likely to give feedback to students to improve their performance, while students were more likely to say this happened in every or many lessons

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “These are very encouraging results and the latest sign that our education reforms are working. Scottish schools are improving and this international study confirms that.

“Reading underpins all learning, and the sharp rise in performance is good news.

“The improvement has been driven by great teachers and well-supported pupils, but also our unrelenting focus on improving literacy through the Scottish Attainment Challenge and Pupil Equity Fund. Those efforts are now paying dividends, with only five countries scoring higher than Scotland at reading.

“The figures on social background also confirm that we are closing the gap between pupils from the richest and poorest backgrounds.

“Maths and science scores are stable at the OECD average, so we need to see the kind of improvement that we now see in literacy in these areas too. That is the challenge.

“An inspection of maths and numeracy published by Education Scotland shows what is working and how we can improve. It will help as we move on the next phase of driving up standards in Scotland’s schools.

“And, in science, good progress has been made with delivery of our five-year STEM strategy, with the roll-out of career-long professional learning grants and new online resources for teachers. The impact of it will only just be beginning to be felt on the ground and we will continue to push for the improvements that we know can be made.

“There is plenty of work still to do to improve Scottish education but today’s report should give people a strong sense that we are on the right track, making substantial progress and seeing results where it counts – in the classroom.”