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Classrooms across Edinburgh are closed next week (16th – 20th February) as children enjoy February half term. To help families spend quality time together without breaking the bank, Fort Kinnaird has shared a collection of great deals and offers.
From bargain blockbusters to money-saving menus and creative sessions for kids, there’s something for all ages and interests to get involved with this half term.
Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, said: “Half term is always a busy time at Fort Kinnaird, and we love seeing families making a day of it.
“Whether that’s catching a film at Odeon, getting creative at Hobbycraft, browsing the shops or sitting down for a family meal. So, it’s great to see a range of offers available across the centre, helping to make keeping the young ones entertained that bit easier over the break.”
February half term offers at Fort Kinnaird include:
Big screen experience: There’s fun for the whole family at ODEON this half term, with adults paying child prices on the Family Ticket offer. Whether it’s two adults and two children or one adult and three children, families can enjoy big-screen favourites and new releases such as GOAT and The Bad Guys 2, with screenings running daily throughout the half-term break. Terms and conditions apply, with more information here.
Meal & movie savings:Frankie & Benny’s is giving diners 30% off mains when they show a same-day cinema ticket – perfect for pairing a trip to the big screen with a family meal out. Terms and conditions apply, with more information here.
Hands-on creative sessions: Hobbycraft is running a programme of in-store workshops for children, giving little ones the chance to get crafty and make something to take home. Sessions include fun activities like painting, seasonal crafts and simple DIY makes, with step-by-step guidance from the Hobbycraft team. Places are limited, so booking is recommended, with more information here.
Free pizza for kids: Pizza Hut is offering a Kids Eat Free deal, with children able to enjoy a free kids’ meal when an adult purchases a main meal (dine-in only). It’s a great way to save on a family meal out, with favourites like pizza, pasta and sides on the menu. More details can be found here.
For more details and to plan day at Fort Kinnaird, please visit:
MPs on the cross-party committees will consider what mental health support is available to children and young people up to the age of 25 in community, health and education settings.
Through the inquiry, MPs will consider how this support is integrated with NHS services, such as specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMHS) services, and what support is available throughout the education system, including for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
They will explore how potential reforms to CAMHS could improve children and young people’s access to mental health care and whether support could be provided in the community, such as through the Government’s new Young Futures Hubs.
Around one in five children and young people aged 8 to 25 in the UK has a “probable mental disorder”, according to NHS statistics published in 2023, while the consultancy PwC says that mental health challenges are having a significant impact on young people’s career choices and wellbeing at work. The committees will investigate what factors are driving these changes to children and young people’s mental health.
The committees will also scrutinise the implementation and rollout of relevant government policies such as the commitment to expand Mental Health Support Teams to all schools in England by 2029/30.
MPs will also investigate how education staff can support children and young people’s mental health, and whether current Ofsted frameworks or DfE guidance help or hinder mental health provision.
Chair of the Education Committee, Helen Hayes MP, said: “Struggling with mental health should never obstruct a young person’s chance to learn and thrive. Yet for too many, especially those with SEND or experience of the care system, that’s still the reality.
“From the early years through to university, education staff are often being asked to step in where existing support has failed.
“Our inquiry will take a forensic look at the mental health services available to children and young people at every stage of their education, from ages zero to 25.
“We will consider the role teachers can play in supporting children and young people’s mental health and whether they are getting the training they need to do that properly.
“We’ll also look at the full range of government policies and plans affecting young people, from SEND reform to the National Youth Strategy, and ask: are ministers doing enough to protect young people’s mental health?”
Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee, Layla Moran MP said: “For parents and school leaders alike, trying to get mental health support for children can feel like navigating a spaghetti junction.
“Services are frequently overwhelmed and not joined up. Too often the help doesn’t come until a child’s needs are at crisis point. These fundamental problems sit alongside issues that the Health and Social Care Committee documented in 2021 – the need to increase emphasis on prevention and early intervention. We return to these themes now amid deepening concern about the scale of need and questions of how the system can be remade fit for purpose.
“We will try and show Government how it can untangle the knotty problems that stop children getting the help they need and point to where investment should be directed. We’ll see how silos can be broken down between two sectors that should be working hand in glove, because we know that children’s education and wellbeing are intrinsically linked.”
Valentine’s Day reminds us to celebrate the people we love (writes KIMBERLEY MACKAY, Partner in Private Client at Ralph Sayer). We buy cards, plan dinners and choose gifts but perhaps the most meaningful gesture we can make doesn’t come in a box or a bouquet. It’s making or updating your will.
It’s not the romantic sentiment you’d expect to see this month but if you think about it, your will is truly a love letter to the people who matter most. It’s how you care for them when you’re no longer here, ensuring they’re looked after, protected and spared unnecessary stress.
At Ralph Sayer, we work with families at some of the most difficult moments of their lives. We see what happens when someone has planned, and sadly, what happens when they haven’t.
When a will is clear and up to date, families can focus on grieving, supporting one another and remembering their loved one. When it’s missing or unclear, that same time is spent navigating legal uncertainty, untangling financial confusion and, sometimes, facing painful disagreements.
A will isn’t necessarily complicated. At its heart, it’s a legal document that sets out your wishes. It names your executors who are the people you trust to manage your affairs, specifies who should inherit your assets and, if you have children, ensures guardians are appointed to care for them.
Without a valid will in place, the law determines how your estate is distributed and the outcome may not reflect your wishes. Unmarried partners, stepchildren, and even children in certain circumstances could receive nothing. For married couples, the succession rules set out what your spouse will inherit, but this may not be sufficient and can result in a complicated and unintended division of assets.
Major life events often prompt people to think about their wills such as buying a home, getting married, the birth of a child, a divorce or the loss of a loved one. These are moments when our priorities shift and our responsibilities change.
If you own property, your will ensures it passes to the right people. If you’re in a relationship but not married, a will is essential. While married couples have some automatic legal protections unmarried partners do not.
If you have children from different relationships, blended families or specific wishes about sentimental items, a will provides protection for your loved ones. This is your opportunity to pass on family heirlooms to the people who will treasure them.
Your will is also where you can express your values in a tangible way. Perhaps there’s a charity close to your heart, or a cause you’ve supported throughout your life. Your will allows you to continue that legacy.
People often delay writing a will because they imagine it’s complicated, expensive or time-consuming but it doesn’t have to be any of those things.
The future is uncertain, but one thing we can control is how prepared we are for whatever comes next.
This Valentine’s Day, alongside the chocolates and flowers, consider giving your family clarity, security and the knowledge that they’ll be taken care of. Putting a will in place is one of the most practical acts of care we can offer the people we love. It won’t arrive wrapped in ribbon, but its value far outlasts any gift you could buy.
Action to protect the environment and marine waters
The sale and supply of wet wipes containing plastic in Scotland will be banned from 11 August 2027 under regulations published today.
Wet wipes containing plastic are a common and persistent source of marine litter and can break down into microplastics over time, harming the natural environment.
The move is part of wider action to protect Scotland’s environment and marine waters and includes a transition period for businesses to help them prepare.
The measures will include exemptions for medical and industrial uses as well as business-to-business sales. Members of the public who require specific wet wipes containing plastic for medical or healthcare reasons will also be able to request these from a pharmacy.
A ban will be introduced in all four nations of the UK following a UK-wide consultation in 2023, which found overwhelming public support for the proposals, with over 93% of respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing to the move.
Climate Action Secretary Gillian Martin said: “Wet wipes containing plastic are an unnecessary single-use item, for which more environmentally friendly alternatives already exist.
“As with all single-use items, it is vital they are disposed of correctly, otherwise they become a problematic source of marine litter and a threat to the health of our environment and wildlife.
“This ban delivers on an important commitment made in our Marine Litter Strategy and builds on previous actions to ban unnecessary single-use plastic items such as plastic-stemmed cotton buds, plastic straws, cutlery and single use vapes.
“These policies are all proof of the progress we are making towards protecting our environment and creating a more circular economy. In addition, we will continue to call on the UK Government to address issues such as misleading claims on product packaging which can lead to incorrect disposal of items such as wet wipes.”
Scottish Water Chief Executive, Alex Plant, said: “This ban will help us tackle one of the biggest challenges we face – responding to and clearing around 35,000 blockages every year in our sewers, at a cost of about £10 million, largely due to wet wipes wrongly flushed down toilets.
“Scottish Water’s Nature Calls campaign has led the way in making the case for a ban – and encourages everyone to bin wet wipes and stick to the 3Ps – flushing only pee, poo and toilet paper.
“We are also calling on the UK Government for mandatory responsible ‘do not flush’ labelling for all bathroom products that risk being wrongly disposed of to sewers, and an end to misleading environmental claims on packaging to reduce customer confusion and reinforce the correct disposal option.
“This issue is reserved and the critical next step to reduce blockages further and prevent environmental harm.”
Around 10.15pm on Thursday, 12 February, 2026, the body of a man was found near Cockburnspath, East Lothian.
Formal identification is yet to take place, however, the family of Gary Hill, 56, who was reported missing from the area on Monday, 9 February, 2026, has been informed.
The death is being treated as unexplained but is not believed to be suspicious.
A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.
NATIONAL GALLERIES LARGEST EVER PRINT ACQUISITION BY A LIVING ARTIST
Peter Doig, Morning Paramin Display at Modern One. Photo Credit Paul Watt
Peter Doig| Morning, Paramin
National Galleries Scotland: Modern One, Belford Road, Edinburgh
Open from 14 February
FREE
The National Galleries of Scotland is excited to announce a landmark acquisition of 67 prints by Scottish artist Peter Doig, alongside a commitment that one edition of all future prints made by the artist will also join the national collection.
This is the first time that the National Galleries of Scotland has secured not only an artist’s entire print collection to date, but all prints to be created in the future.
This monumental addition to Scotland’s national collection celebrates Doig’s personal connection to Scotland, as well as his status as a leading artist of his generation. To mark this significant acquisition a selection of prints will go on display for free at National Galleries Scotland: Modern One in Edinburgh from 14 February 2026. Visitors will be able to explore works relating to Morning, Paramin a 2016 book made in collaboration between Doig and the St Lucian poet Derek Walcott.
Peter Doig is a contemporary painter known for his dreamlike landscapes that blur observation and memory, referencing personal experiences, popular culture, and art history alike. Born in Edinburgh in 1959, Doig moved to Canada as a child, and since 2002 has lived and worked in Trinidad. In 2021, Doig relocated his main studio to London, which is now his principal residence.
His breakthrough as a painter was in 1990, while the artist was studying towards a master’s degree at Chelsea School of Art. His inventive style, sensuous colour palette and suggestive imagery set him apart from the conceptualism which then dominated much of contemporary art. Today, Doig is rightly credited with having reinvigorated the medium of painting internationally.
The National Galleries of Scotland has been working in partnership with the Contemporary Art Society (CAS) since 2018 to enable this gift from Doig through the CAS Great Works scheme, supported by the Sfumato Foundation.
The ambition of the Great Works scheme is to ensure that major artworks, which might otherwise be inaccessible to gallery audiences, are able to enter public collections during the lifetime of the artist. Doig is one of the most highly regarded painters working anywhere in the world, and it is only thanks to this partnership with CAS that the acquisition is possible.
A key consideration of the Great Works scheme is the relationship of the artist to the location of the gallery receiving the acquisition, giving artists a lasting presence in a place that is of particular significance to them. This acquisition will provide a unique resource for anyone wanting to research Doig and will mean that Scotland’s national collection will represent the artist across his whole career.
Doig has also generously agreed not only to donate all of his printed work to date, but to give one edition of all future prints too. This incredibly unique agreement ensures that Scotland’s national collection will hold the most comprehensive representation of the artist’s graphic work anywhere in the world.
The prints Doig makes are an essential element of his practice. Working out many of the details of his paintings in print, he is a tireless innovator and image maker across both mediums. The artist has made prints from the very beginning of his career, and continues to do so now, having just installed all the equipment he needs in his London studio. As well as being one of the most powerful painters stylistically, Doig is also a master print maker, employing a number of techniques that makes his prints as interesting and evocative as his paintings.
While the display at Modern One is only a portion of the works that will be added to the national collection, it gives a fascinating insight into the artist’s work.
The one room display explores Doig’s time in Trinidad, where he worked for many years. During this time, he became friends with the St Lucian poet Derek Walcott (1930 – 2017) and the 28 etchings exhibited at Modern One form a lasting expression of this friendship. Morning, Paramin, a book of poems written by Walcott in direct response to Doig’s paintings, was published in 2016.
Walcott describes both the paintings and Doig’s complex relationship with place in his poems. There is an empathy between the two men: “because Art can make us love two countries with one heart, not separately either, but blent”.
The prints selected by Doig for the book are in turn a response to the poems. They suggest a process of looking again, of re-examination, of a reflection on grief and loss, as well as a sense of place and atmosphere. They stand as a memorial to an intimate, creative friendship and a dialogue between painter and poet.
This unprecedented donation facilitated by CAS further develops the National Galleries of Scotland’s long-standing relationship with the artist. A major retrospective of Doig’s work was held at National Galleries Scotland: National in 2013. The exhibition surveyed Doig’s paintings and works on paper following the artist’s move to Trinidad, placing particular emphasis on the artist’s approach to serial motifs and recurring imagery.
At the time Doig said: ‘I left Scotland as a child as many of my generation did; however I know Edinburgh, the city where I was born, through many visits as a child and youth. To be able to exhibit my paintings in the magnificent rooms of the National Galleries is a great great honour.”
In 2021 the National Galleries of Scotland also acquired an important early oil painting, At the Edge of Town 1986-8, thanks to the Acceptance in Lieu scheme. Making this recent and significant acquisition of Doig’s prints all the more meaningful for the collection and the artist.
Peter Doig said: “I am delighted and deeply grateful that the National Galleries of Scotland will be the custodians of my prints.”
Simon Groom, Director of International & National Partnerships at the National Galleries of Scotland, said: “Peter Doig is one of the most consistently inventive artists working anywhere in the world today.
“The works reveal a transforming vision of the world, steeped in a sense of beauty and mystery, rich in their imaginative suggestion yet remaining grounded in the real. This remains as true of his prints, which have been an essential element of his practice from the very beginning of his career.
“We are indebted to Peter and the Contemporary Art Society for their generosity and great vision, in enabling the National Galleries of Scotland to represent Scotland’s greatest contemporary artist across his whole career, and to create an internationally unique resource that will be accessible for exhibition, loan and study now and for future generations.”
Caroline Douglas, Director, Contemporary Art Society, said: “It is absolutely wonderful to see the first group of prints from this remarkable, groundbreaking gift of work go on display in Edinburgh.
“Peter Doig is one of the most important artists working anywhere in the world today and print making lies at the core of his practice. We are delighted that National Galleries Scotland: Modern in Edinburgh will be the home to this remarkable body of work, which will be a resource for artists, scholars and art lovers forever more.”
EDINBURGH’S rugby fans can enjoy a fresh take on a classic Scottish serve this Six Nations, as two of the city’s leading independent drinks producers expand their collaborative ‘hauf and hauf’ offering.
Following a successful festive launch, Wemyss Family Spirits and Stewart Brewing are rolling out their innovative whisky and beer pairings to an expanded list of pubs across the capital – timed to coincide with the 2026 Six Nations Rugby Championship.
The partnership, which has revived the time-honoured half-and-half tradition, now introduces an exclusive ‘hauf and hauf’ serve to mark the Six Nations, offering fans a great way to back Scotland with a traditional Scottish pairing.
The initiative celebrates not only Scotland’s sporting passion, but also its rich drinks heritage, with the two family-run businesses showcasing their shared commitment to quality, flavour and community.
William Wemyss, Co-Founder of Wemyss Family Spirits, said: “The Six Nations is the perfect moment to bring people together over great food, drink and sport.
“Building on our hauf and hauf collaboration with Stewart Brewing, this partnership is about celebrating Scotland through carefully paired flavours, giving fans an enjoyable and responsible way to mark match days during the Six Nations
“It’s about putting a fun, flavour-led spin on a beloved Scottish ritual, one that encourages people to slow down and savour the experience.”
Fans are encouraged to enjoy a classic Scottish hauf and hauf – pairing a Stewart Brewing beer with a Wemyss Family Spirits whisky – as a simple and sociable way to back Scotland on matchdays.
To get Scottish supporters started, we’ve pulled together our favourite pairings which we think best reflects the character of our national side.
Stewart’s 80/- with Wemyss Spice King
A modern take on a classic Scottish serve. Stewart’s 80/- is one of Scotland’s most recognisable beers, making it a natural choice for fans backing the home side, while Spice King adds warmth and depth for those choosing to enjoy a dram alongside the match.
Edinburgh Black with Wemyss Peat Chimney
A richer, more full-bodied pairing inspired by the capital, home of Scottish Rugby. The smooth roast character of Edinburgh Black complements the gentle smoke of Peat Chimney, offering a robust but balanced option for match days at participating pubs across the city.
The hauf and hauf collaboration is now available at a growing list of pubs, including:
Teuchters, William Street
Whighams Wine Cellars, Hope Street
Athletic Arms (Diggers), Angle Park Terrace
O’Connors, Broughton Road
Jeremiah’s Taproom, Elm Row
Mathers Bar, Queensferry Street
Ye Olde Inn, Main Street
No. 1 High Street, High Street
56 North, West Crosscauseway
The Ensign Ewart, Lawnmarket
The Bow Bar, Victoria Street
The Black Cat, Rose Street
The Cambridge Bar, Young Street
Jo Stewart, Co-founder of Stewart Brewing, said: “We’re passionate about bringing people together in pubs, and there’s no better excuse than the Six Nations.
“By matching some of our most-loved brews with Wemyss Family Spirits’ distinctive malts, we’re creating a uniquely Scottish way to toast each nation, with a dash of humour and a whole lot of flavour.”
The initiative marks a continued commitment by both businesses to support Scotland’s vibrant pub trade, boost independent hospitality and bring heritage drinks traditions to a new generation.
Both Wemyss Family Spirits and Stewart Brewing remain proudly family-run, fiercely independent and dedicated to producing characterful drinks that celebrate craft and community.
With the Calcutta Cup clash against England fast approaching, now is the perfect time to get behind Scotland and show your support. Join fellow fans in Edinburgh pubs, soak up the Murrayfield atmosphere, and enjoy a hauf and hauf ahead of the big match.
The Six Nations ‘hauf and hauf’ serve will be available in participating venues from February 2nd, 2026.
~ Warning not to ignore subtle stroke signs just because they are uncommon ~
A stroke survivor is warning others to watch out for unusual symptoms after joining a study funded by the British Heart Foundation.
Gordon Robb had a stroke involving a bleed in his brain, but his only symptom was finding that written words suddenly looked as if they were in a foreign language.
The 63-year-old is now taking the drug clopidogrel, as part of a clinical trial run by researchers at the University of Edinburgh. This study will examine if clopidogrel or aspirin, which are ‘antiplatelet’ drugs that reduce the risk of blood clotting, can prevent future strokes, heart attacks and premature deaths in people who have had a haemorrhagic stroke – a stroke caused by a bleed in the brain.
Gordon only discovered his stroke had happened after his cousin, whose husband had died from a stroke a few weeks earlier, insisted he go to hospital.
Having first thought his sudden inability to read was caused by tiredness, he now describes himself as an ‘extremely lucky man’. He had none of the more commonly known symptoms of a stroke, such as problems with his face, arm, speech, eyes or balance.
Difficulty recognising written words on its own, without any other symptoms, affects fewer than one per cent of people at the time of their stroke, say researchers.
A few months on, Gordon’s symptoms are improving, although it now takes him half an hour to read a chapter instead of his previous 10 minutes, and more recently he has noticed he occasionally can’t find the right word during a conversation.
Gordon said: “I am incredibly lucky, and quite honestly felt like a fraud in the stroke ward because I was no different to how I am normally, except that I suddenly could not read words.
“A group of student doctors in neurology who were brought to see me even said they would have struggled to diagnose that I had had a stroke.
“I knew some of the classic signs of a stroke like facial weakness, being unable to raise my arms or speech issues, but had none of these.
“It just shows the importance of paying attention to unusual symptoms, even if they aren’t ones you have heard of before. If I hadn’t gone to the hospital, and quickly received treatment, I could have been walking around with a ticking time-bomb in my head.”
The stroke survivor, from Bonnyrigg in Midlothian, had only been to hospital once in his life previously. A keen cyclist and runner, who had climbed to base camp at Mount Everest two years ago, he felt in perfect health.
So when, on September 27 last year, he checked his emails and could not read them, he put it down to tiredness.
Gordon, the former vice-president of a biotech company, said: “I was in the garden, went in to have a cup of tea, listen to some music and check my emails on my phone – and it was like they were in a foreign language.
“I could see them clearly, and see who they were from, but the words meant nothing to me.
“I just assumed I was tired because I had been up late the night before. When friends were then messaging me about the Ryder Cup that evening and I couldn’t see the messages, I just gave myself an early night.”
The following evening, when he was unable to read the instructions on a cash machine to withdraw money, he resolved to go to see his GP the next day.
However, when he told his cousin – whose husband had died from a sudden stroke just three weeks earlier – she drove straight to his house and insisted on taking him to A&E. There, doctors told him he had had a haemorrhagic stroke.
Approximately 15 per cent of strokes are haemorrhagic. The majority of strokes are ischaemic strokes, caused by a blocked artery.
While in hospital, Gordon signed up to a study being led by Professor Rustam Al-Shahi Salman at the University of Edinburgh, which is called ASPIRING (Antiplatelet Secondary Prevention International Randomised study after INtracerebral haemorrhaGe).
The international study is recruiting people who have had a stroke due to bleeding in the brain, also known as a haemorrhagic stroke. Study participants in the UK will be given ‘antiplatelet’ medicines like clopidogrel or aspirin, which reduce the chances of a stroke or heart attack by preventing cells in the bloodstream, called platelets, from sticking together and forming a blood clot.
Antiplatelet medicines are not routinely prescribed for people who have had a haemorrhagic stroke, because of safety concerns that they may increase the risk of bleeding. But a small study called RESTART, led by the University of Edinburgh and also funded by the British Heart Foundation, found aspirin and clopidogrel are safe after a haemorrhagic stroke.
In this new larger study, researchers in the UK now aim to understand if clopidogrel or aspirin can reduce the likelihood of having future strokes, heart attacks and other clotting and bleeding problems in people who have survived a haemorrhagic stroke.
Major clotting or bleeding problems occur in around one in 10 haemorrhagic stroke survivors every year.
Professor Salman said: “It has been hard to overcome the instinctive fear that if people have had a haemorrhagic stroke, taking aspirin or a drug like it might cause more bleeding. So we were very relieved when our research showed such drugs to be safe after a haemorrhagic stroke.
“The ASPIRING study will gather further evidence to establish if aspirin and clopidogrel can help lower the risk of future strokes and heart attacks, and potentially save the lives of people like Gordon who have had a haemorrhagic stroke.
“I believe there is a huge amount more to be done to help these people, whose lives have been turned upside down and who may be concerned about the future.”
Gordon is one of more than 4,000 people worldwide set to join the study, which is also funded by the Dutch Heart Foundation, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Research Foundation – Flanders and the Medical Research Future Fund in Australia.
The study was endorsed by the Global Cardiovascular Research Funders Forum (GCRFF) multinational clinical trials initiative.
Gordon said: “Being involved in this trial provides some reassurance, that this drug may reduce my risk of another stroke.
“But it is also great to know that being involved could help improve treatment for people like me in the future, and relieve the pressure on the health system.
“I feel extremely lucky that I did not have more long-term effects from my stroke, and that I have had the chance to try to help improve treatments.”
Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, the British Heart Foundation’s clinical director, said: “Facial weakness, arm or leg weakness and speech problems are well-known signs you or your loved one may be having a stroke, but there are some lesser-known symptoms like being unable to recognise the written word.
“If you have a symptom that you feel is not right, however strange or unusual, it is really important to seek help. Every minute matters if you may be having a stroke or other medical emergency.
“We know stroke survivors often fear having another stroke and how disabling this could be. That is why the BHF is funding clinical trials like ASPIRING, which will test whether prescribing antiplatelet drugs could protect more people.”
The ASPIRING study is recruiting people from England, Wales and Scotland who have had a haemorrhagic stroke.
Volunteers can check their eligibility, depending on the hospital where they received treatment, and express interest by visiting www.ASPIRING.ed.ac.uk
Hundreds of school leaders will benefit from extra training opportunities to further develop their leadership skills, helping to improve job satisfaction and bring benefits to the schools where they work.
The Scottish Government is contributing £400,000 to the Head Teacher Leadership Academy (HTLA), run by Columba 1400, with the Hunter Foundation matching this with an additional £400,000.
The total investment will enable up to 280 school leaders to strengthen their own development and enhance outcomes for pupils, staff and communities. The HTLA focuses on how school heads see themselves as social leaders.
Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth met with head teachers and deputy head teachers who have taken part in the HTLA during a visit to Royal High School in Barnton, where she formerly taught.
Ms Gilruth said: “As a former teacher, I have seen first-hand the pivotal role that head teachers and deputy heads have at the heart of schools and across the wider community.
“They help drive up standards in classrooms, and this has resulted in clear improvements in attainment nationally and better futures for children and young people. They also provide invaluable support to teachers and staff in their schools, improving the working environment and ensuring everyone feels valued and able to be at their best in the classroom.
“The Head Teacher Leadership Academies are a proven success and I know that participation will ensure heads and deputy heads will get the time and support to reflect on their values and strengthen leadership, enabling them to create lasting change in their schools and communities.
“This investment is part of the Scottish Government’s wider support for the teaching profession, which also includes the recently-launched ‘Teaching Makes People’ recruitment campaign.”
Sir Tom Hunter said: “School leaders are the secret sauce to Scotland’s future, enabling the next generation to flourish and that’s precisely why we should invest in their values based leadership.
“The results are phenomenal and that’s why I’d like to see every head and deputy head teacher in Scotland go through the Columba 1400 Head Teacher Leadership Academies.”
Marie Clare Tully, Chief Executive of Columba 1400, said: “This investment allows us to reach even more Head Teachers and Deputy Head Teachers across Scotland.
“It is a privilege to be alongside school leaders as they pause, reflect and reconnect with their values. We see each and every day how this experience contributes to creating the conditions for cultural change through values-based leadership.
“We are grateful to the Scottish Government for their re-investment and to The Hunter Foundation for their continued support and their belief in what is possible.”
Columba 1400 is a Scottish charity founded in 1997 and opened in 2000, dedicated to helping young people, especially those from tough realities, and the key adults in their lives discover their leadership potential through values-based leadership academies.
The Head Teachers’ Leadership Academyequips senior professionals in education with the confidence, resilience, and skills they need to create lasting change in their school and communities.
