‘If the confidence of the public and school communities is to be restored this fiasco must be carefully examined’ – Cllr Melanie Main
Green city councillors have criticised an update report on the ongoing school closures and are warning Edinburgh’s Labour/SNP administration that there must be transparency as an inquiry into last month’s PPP1 school closures is announced. Continue reading PPP school closures: There must be transparency, Greens warn
City council Housing Convener Councillor Cammy Day met with tenants for a tour of the newest completed homes at the award-winning Pennywell site yesterday. The new tenants were viewing the block and meeting their Grieve Crescent neighbours for the first time.
Continue reading Tenants get the keys to their new homes in Pennywell
COME AND FILL A TYRE …
The Centipede Project, in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council, has been developing the fields along Muirhouse Avenue into a temporary play space for the past few months. Continue reading Tread carefully in Muirhouse Avenue!
MEET the FUNDERS EVENT
Thursday 12 May – Public Drop in from 5 – 8pm
Waverley Court Courtyard Coffee Bar/Restaurant area
‘Meet the Funders’ is a free marketplace event providing access to funding information for community projects. It is an opportunity for groups to discuss their ideas with potential funders and collect a range of information about possible sources of grant aid. The event also offers the groups an opportunity to meet and work together.
The following exhibitors have confirmed attendance with more expected:
Big Lottery
Edinburgh4Community
Community Grants Fund
PassIT On
Royal Bank of Scotland Foundation
Sportscotland
The Robertson Trust
Resourcing Scotland’s Heritage
Princes Trust Youth Business Scotland
Registered Tenants Grants
MyParkScotland – Greenspace Scotland
First Port
Edinburgh Business Gateway
Scotland’s Employment Recruitment Incentive Fund
Art and Business Scotland
MOD Covenant Fund
The Melting Pot
Edinburgh Community Food
Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland
Greenspace Scotland Tesco Bags of Help
For more information, or if you would like to attend as an exhibitor, please contact Maureen Thompson on 0131 469 3595.
Stories told by members of Edinburgh’s LGBTQIA+ community (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersex, Asexual) takes centre stage in a new exhibition now open at the People’s Story Museum. Continue reading Proud City: People’s Story Museum reflects on LGBTQIA life
Temporary solution secures Centre’s short-term future
The Prentice Centre’s immediate future has been secured after a last ditch plan was put to West Granton Community Trust board members by local councillors before last night’s emergency meeting. Continue reading Prentice Centre crisis: buying time
Edinburgh’s Lord Provost is on his marks and getting set to tackle 26.2 miles tomorrow when he takes on the Virgin Money London Marathon 2016. Continue reading Provost gets set to tackle London Marathon
Current plans for next week are:
ROYAL HIGH SCHOOL
S1 and S2 students should return to school at 9:40am on Tuesday 19 April. Students should report to the old front door beside the assembly hall. Please do not enter through any other school entrances.
S1 and S2 classes will be accommodated in temporary units that are being installed in the school grounds this weekend (16 and 17 April, above).
The arrangements currently in place for S3 to S6 students will continue.
Positive discussions have been taking place with the Scottish Qualifications Authority who have agreed that verification and examining visits for all subjects that were due to take place this week have been postponed and will be rescheduled with individual schools.
We will update students when we have more information.
All 7,600 primary and secondary pupils affected by school closures now have alternative education plans put in place for next week. The final pieces of a very complicated jigsaw puzzle were slotted in this afternoon. Continue reading School places for all: Mission Accomplished!
Places now found for all primary school pupils
All primary pupils affected by school closures now have alternative education plans put in place, the city council has announced. It’s been a massive challenge, but council officers have now found temporary places for almost six thousand city schoolchildren displaced after structural faults were found in seventeen PPP1 schools.
The jigsaw was completed late yesterday afternoon when pupils from the final five primary schools affected – Forthview, Pirniehall, St David’s, Broomhouse and St Josephs – were found alternative education provision.
The children will be relocated to alternative venues across the city from Tuesday next week, and it’s almost a case of ‘any port in a storm’. Some local children have been found accommodation in nearby schools including Granton and Wardie, but for other classes it’s going to mean long daily bus trips at rush hour to places including Wester Hailes, Abbeyhill and Craigmillar
The arrangements are far from ideal: the travel and strange new surroundings can be disruptive and upsetting for children and their families, but for now they know where they are going – at least in the short term. There is no indication yet just how long their own school buildings will remain closed.
Work is ongoing to identify alternative arrangements for some remaining S1 to S3 pupils.
It’s been a dreadful week of uncertainty for families, but in the past four days the Council has now put in place alternative arrangements for 5,900 pupils, which is quite an achievement. Parents have been directly notified of the new arrangements and details are available on the Council website.
Council Leader Andrew Burns said: “I’m delighted we have now been able to put in place arrangements for our primary, special school and majority of secondary pupils. Work is continuing to accommodate our S1, S2 and S3 pupils.
“The integration of pupils sharing schools has been going well and all our host staff and children have been welcoming the additional pupils and their teachers. I again want to pay credit to the Chief Executive and his team for their work on what has been a huge logistical challenge for the Council.
“On Wednesday evening the Council received early indications that suggest evidence of faults across all 17 affected schools to a varying extent. At the moment it is too early to say what the impact will be as full survey results from Edinburgh Schools Partnership have not been yet been received. Some faults may be easy to fix and may not present a major problem while others could be longer term.
“We will provide parents with further information on the impact of individual school surveys once the full reports are received and assessed.
“What is certain is that we won’t take risks with the safety of our schools children and schools won’t reopen until Edinburgh Schools Partnership can assure us of their safety. As part of the contract, Edinburgh Schools Partnership own, maintain and assure the safety of the affected buildings.
“We will publish further information on individual school surveys when these are formally received and of course provide an update to parents on their individual schools and the remediation works required.”
The programme of structural surveys arranged by the Edinburgh Schools Partnership is ongoing.
The Council will update parents directly, via text message, the Council website (www.edinburgh.gov.uk/schoolclosures and via the Council Twitter @Edinburgh_CC as soon as information becomes available.
