Edinburgh College is hosting Virtual Open Days this week, allowing people thinking of studying in 2021/22 to find out everything there is to know about starting college.
The virtual events – taking place from 10am until 12pm on Friday 19 February and from 10am until 2pm on Saturday 20 February – will give those in attendance the chance to speak to teaching staff about the courses on offer and discover the best study options available to them.
During both Virtual Open Days, prospective students will have the opportunity to: watch videos on application information including funding and student support; speak to college staff via a dedicated Virtual Open Day contact line (0131 297 8300); attend live question and answer sessions with course teams; and watch video presentations showcasing all Edinburgh College subject areas.
Course areas include: Art and Design, Computing and Digital Skills, Performing Arts, Engineering and Built Environment, Childcare, Health Professions, Business and Legal, and much more.
To attend the live question and answer sessions, attendees must register using an online form on the Edinburgh College website: www.edinburghcollege.ac.uk/virtual-open-days. These sessions will be hosted on Microsoft Teams; however an account is not required to join.
Edinburgh College Principal Audrey Cumberford (above) said: “We’re looking forward to hosting our first ever Virtual Open Days and meeting lots of prospective new students online ahead of the 2021/22 session.
“The past year has been a challenging time for us all, but Edinburgh College stands ready to continue educating and training the workforce of the future.
“Our College is in prime position to support people who may now require to boost their existing skillset in a digital environment, for instance, or to retrain in a new area. Similarly, we’re here to support those embarking on the first steps in their career journey.
“We have more than 700 courses delivered through a mixture of online and on-campus learning, with expert lecturers and support staff across the piece to guide our students on their way achieving their career goals.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today confirmed that only strictly limited numbers of children and young people will return to classrooms next week, backed by strengthened school safety guidance and an enhanced testing for staff and senior pupils.
Very limited numbers of S4 – S6 pupils who require to complete practical work in order to achieve an SQA certificate will also return from Monday. Pupils currently in classrooms – primarily the children of key workers and those considered vulnerable – will retain their places.
As part of the move, Ministers announced a package of support and safety steps including:
A further £40 million to help councils implement safety mitigations aligned with clinical advice
£60m of additional investment in education recovery, including employing more teachers, classroom support staff and facilities management
Twice weekly at-home testing to be offered to people who work in schools, early learning and childcare settings attached to schools, and senior phase pupils. Comprehensive testing guidance has been issued to schools and local authorities, and by the start of this week, more than 2,200 schools had received test kits, with deliveries to remaining schools continuing throughout the rest of this week. The programme will be expanded to stand alone childcare settings as soon as possible thereafter
All secondary pupils will be required to observe two metre physical distancing while in school and on school transport in the period immediately after the return. This is in addition to existing measures including the use of face coverings
Ministers also confirmed hopes that further detail on the next phase of school return could be provided on 2 March.
Ms Sturgeon said: “In terms of the order in which we exit lockdown, the Scottish Government has always made clear that education should be the priority. I can confirm today that, in line with the advice of our expert group, this first phase of the re-opening of schools will go ahead as planned on Monday.
“We will need to monitor the impact of this change very carefully before taking any further decisions. However, I hope we will be able to set out the second phase of school re-opening in two weeks’ time. I want to be clear, though, that the need to properly assess the impact of this limited re-opening means we do not envisage, at this stage, any further return to school before 15 March.
“As we consider these issues, we are of course doing everything we can to ensure that schools are as safe as possible for children, and for the education workforce. We are also publishing today updated school safety guidance, developed with the Education Recovery Group. This sets out a range of additional safety mitigations.
“And to help implement them, we will be providing local authorities and schools with an additional £40 million, as part of a wider £100 million package to accelerate school recovery. The Finance Secretary will confirm details later this afternoon. The success of this limited re-opening, and the prospect of getting more pupils back later in March, very much depends on all of us continuing to abide by the wider restrictions.
“So, for now – and I really cannot emphasise this point strongly enough – please treat Monday’s important milestone as a return to education for children only, and not as a return to greater normality for the rest of us.”
A further update is being published today on this year’s national qualifications. National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher exams 2021 have been replaced by an alternative certification model based on teachers’ judgement of evidence of each individual pupil’s attainment. The National Qualifications Group 2021 has agreed to extend the deadline for submitting provisional grades from 18 June to 25 June.
In recognition of the additional workload this will bring, teachers and lecturers involved in the delivery, assessment and moderation of National 5, Higher and Advanced Highers will receive an exceptional one-off payment of £400. There will also be two assessment support days available for all secondary teachers to give them extra time to engage with the alternative certification model.
The EIS has responded to the First Minister’s announcement on the return to school for nursery children, P1-P3 pupils and some senior phase secondary pupils and warned that significant concerns over school safety remain to be addressed.
Commenting, EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said, “Everyone is supportive of face-to-face teaching returning as soon as possible – that should not override safety concerns, however, and teachers will be understandably nervous around today’s announcement.
“Community infection levels have fallen but still remain high in areas such as North Lanarkshire and at 6% the test positivity rate in Scotland remains above the level that the World Health Organisation recommends as indicative of the virus being under control.”
Mr Flanagan continued, “Against this backdrop, the EIS continues to believe that a blended learning model, with around half of pupils in classes at any one time to allow for physical distancing, would have provided a more cautious and more appropriate basis for pupils returning to schools.”
Mr Flanagan added, “Teachers remain concerned about the increased transmissibility of new Covid variants of the virus, especially aerosol transmission, and it is disappointing that the Scottish Government has not supported the introduction of medical grade face masks for staff, as they offer greater protection for wearers than simple face coverings.”
“It should reconsider its stance as a matter of urgency. We would also expect that staff with increased vulnerabilities will be advised to continue to work from home during this first phase.”
Mr Flanagan continued, “The introduction of twice weekly testing for staff and senior pupils is welcome, as is the requirement for senior pupils to physically distance.
“Looking forward, however, to any fuller return of pupils it is clear that the prioritisation of teachers and other school staff for vaccination remains a straightforward way to ensure in-school safety.
“If having schools open is a priority for the Scottish Government, then protecting school staff should also be a priority.
“Whilst Scottish Government timelines can appear to be self-fulfilling prophecies, there will need to be a meticulous analysis of this first phase and its impact, before any further return is progressed.”
Welcoming today’s news that some children will be returning to school, Mary Glasgow Children 1st Chief Executive said: “Schools must make space for friendships, feelings and fun as they start to reopen to more children from next Monday.
“It’s clear from Children 1st’s survey of over 1700 parents across Scotland that supporting children to cope with the emotional and social impact of lockdown is just as important as helping them catch up with their schoolwork.
“Focusing on children’s wellbeing as schools return was the clear first choice for 58% of parents, compared to 22% who said the top priority should be learning. If we support children with their wellbeing now, their academic learning will follow.”
Cllr Ian Perry, Education, Children and Families Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: This is the news many families across the city were waiting for and it’s great that they now have confirmation their children will be back in school next week.
“There’s very good home learning involving our young people, teaching staff and parents taking place but everyone knows there’s no better place for children than being back in school with their peers and learning face to face.
“For all other pupils home learning will continue and we hope we can welcome more pupils back in school soon as long as the virus continues to be suppressed. It’s really important we all continue to follow the guidance especially now pupils are back at school so parents are advised not to gather at school gates at drop off and pick up times. We all have to work together to help protect the NHS and save lives.”
Cllr Alison Dickie, Education, Children and Families Vice Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “I’m delighted that our youngest pupils will be able to return to their schools and nurseries next week as these are really challenging times for many families.
“It’s so important for their learning and development that children are back in school where they belong. And very much for their mental health too. Our schools have been working hard preparing for their return and teaching staff are really looking forward to welcoming them back.
“We will make sure our schools continue to be safe learning and teaching environments for all our young people and staff by following the latest health advice. We very much want to see more pupils back in our schools as soon as it is safe to do so and the Scottish Government will make a further announcement on the phased return of pupils in two weeks time.”
The British Dental Association Scotland has welcomed action from the Scottish Government in response to its call to support dental undergraduates who face having to repeat a year owing to COVID disruption.
A bursary of up to £6,750 will now be offered to students at Aberdeen, Dundee and Glasgow Dental Schools that all moved to defer graduation given the limitations on clinical contact in the last year.
The BDA issued an open letter to Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport Jeane Freeman, and Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills John Swinney on 2 February, calling for necessary action to prevent the next generation of dentists being saddled with unmanageable debt.
Scottish dental students can already expect to graduate with debts of over £34,000. An additional year of study without a bursary would have pushed levels to over £40,000.
The Scottish Government has also confirmed it will continue to support trainers and trainees, based in NHS practices across Scotland. The BDA has renewed its call on the Scottish Government to provide additional funding to dental schools to mitigate the financial losses associated with today’s announcement.
David McColl, Chair of the British Dental Association’s Scottish Dental Practice Committee said: “This is the leadership we’ve needed from the Scottish Government.
“No one wanted graduations to be deferred, but now the next generation of dentists have real certainty, support, and protection from what would have been eye-watering levels of debt.
“It’s inevitable that COVID will widen oral health inequalities that have long blighted Scotland. We can draw some comfort that Ministers have helped secure the pipeline of new talent we’ll need to meet these challenges.”
Public Health Minister Mairi Gougeon said: “This difficult but necessary decision by Scotland’s Dental Schools will be extremely disappointing news for dental students across the country. This is not their fault and that is why the Scottish Government is doing all we can to support them and ensure they do not suffer financially.
“Due to the potential risk of spreading COVID from aerosol generating procedures, dental training has had to be restricted and many students have not gained the necessary clinical experience this year which has resulted in the difficult decision to defer graduation.
“To ensure dental students who have to repeat a year are supported, we are giving each student an extra year’s bursary to the value to of their normal student loan of up to £6,750.
“Aerosol procedures are common in dentistry placements and unusual in other student placements. Therefore we are assured that despite the wider impact on clinical placements for other controlled entry university subjects, such as medicine, nursing and midwifery, students on those courses will not be required to repeat a year and any extensions to their programmes will be covered by other arrangements.
“The quality and calibre of dental treatment in Scotland is outstanding and it needs to be protected by taking the appropriate measures in education to ensure future dental professionals have reached the General Dental Council’s standard of clinical competence and can enter the workforce with confidence.”
Pupils at nine schools in Scotland have been successful in reaching the semi-final stage of the 2021 CyberFirst Girls Competition, run by part of GCHQ.
Girls in Scotland have demonstrated their digital skills and codebreaking prowess by seeing off competition from thousands of rivals in the UK’s flagship cyber security contest.
Pupils at nine schools in Scotland have been successful in reaching the semi-final stage of the 2021 CyberFirst Girls Competition, run by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) – a part of GCHQ.
More than 6,500 girls nationwide entered this year’s qualifying round, with teams from more than 600 schools tackling online cyber security puzzles for a chance to be named local champions and progress to the UK Grand Final.
The highest scoring teams will next take on their rivals in semi-finals in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and English regions. Schools that have already accepted their place in the virtual semi-final include: Hyndland Secondary School in Glasgow and Carluke High School in Carluke.
The NCSC is highlighting the strong nationwide participation in the contest and the success of semi-finalists today on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
The CyberFirst Girls Competition is aimed at girls aged 12 to 13 starting to think about what subjects to take for their initial qualifications and its ambition is to inspire them to consider a career in cyber security – an industry where women are still under-represented.
NCSC Deputy Director for Cyber Growth, Chris Ensor said: “On International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we’re pleased to say that thousands of girls came forward to compete in this year’s CyberFirst Girls Competition and we congratulate the top teams which now go forward into the semi-finals.
“These girls have opened the door to what could one day be an exciting and rewarding career, where more female representation is undoubtedly needed.
“We owe a special thanks to teachers who encouraged pupils to take up this fun opportunity to engage with – and hopefully be inspired by – cyber security.”
Digital Infrastructure Minister Matt Warman said: “It is marvellous to see so many girls showing an interest in cyber security and well done to those who made it to the next round.
“The cyber security industry needs talented people and I hope everyone who took part had fun and felt inspired to consider an exciting career cracking codes, disrupting cyber attacks and protecting our online spaces.”
UK Government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart said: “The UK Government is proud to be working with Scottish schools to support girls into cyber security.
“This competition is a great opportunity for girls right across the UK to learn together and develop digital skills for a 21st century workforce.
“Best of luck to the Scottish pupils who have worked incredibly hard to get this far.”
Since launching in 2017, more than 37,000 girls have taken part in the CyberFirst Girls Competition.
This year’s semi-final rounds will take place simultaneously on Friday 19 March in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and five English regions: the North of England, Central England, the South West, the South East and London.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “The CyberFirst Girls Competition is a fantastic opportunity for girls to develop new skills and get a taste of just how rewarding a career in cyber security can be.
“Good luck to all those taking part this year.”
The challenges, covering cryptography, logic and networking, will be set by the NCSC with input from cyber security industry partners. The winners of these events will earn their place at the Grand Final in April, where the UK champions will be crowned.
More information about the competition can be found on the NCSC’s website
The AD-Cademy, a free, 8-week virtual course has officially launched nationwide, kickstarting improved access to the advertising, marketing and digital industries for younger talent, no matter their background.
The course is targeted at 18-25 year-olds across the UK, to prioritise the next generation of creative stars entering the advertising industries in the wake of diminishing opportunities caused by the pandemic.
Developed by the award-winning employment inclusion project, Brixton Finishing School, the AD-Cademy’s aim is to ensure the progression of multicultural and working class talent into the creative and technology industries.
The programme has been designed with national reach and accessibility in mind, to ensure that fresh talent from the 20 most challenged places in the UK and Scotland, including Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow, stop being overlooked by agencies which can have a London-leaning bias when it comes to recruitment.
The programme is packed with industry masterclasses and professional skills workshops. It has been created to upskill participants in key aspects of marketing, creativity, and digital, help build their networks and increase the chance of them securing a role through employability workshops including personal branding, accountability, interview tips, and CV writing.
The course modules have been designed to allow participants to learn from home and fit it in around their schedule, and graduates will have an opportunity to be placed in the industry at an agency. 200 young people are actively learning in the course so far.
The AD-Cademy is supported by big name sponsors including KFC, and will feature presentations and workshops from some of the biggest advertising and media agencies and technology partners, including Adam & Eve DDB, Saatchi & Saatchi, R/GA, GSK, Mail Metro Media, Clear Channel, Kinetic, Wolff Olins, Blis, RAPP, AD YOU LIKE, Anomaly, Amplify, Brand Advance, Oglivy, 21st Century Brand, Oliver, Westmill, M&C Saatchi and 1000 Heads.
Launched in 2018, the Brixton Finishing School is the brainchild of Ally Owen, former exec at Unruly, MailOnline and Yahoo. Ally saw the urgent need to diversify talent in advertising and encourage untapped talent from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds – whether multicultural, neuro-diverse, or female – into the industry through training and work experience.
Ally Owen, Founder of Brixton Finishing School said: “The AD-cademy is a game-changing moment for the rebalancing of the future talent pipeline at scale. Young people in Liverpool, Burnley, Manchester, Glasgow and all across the country will have access to amazing teachings from some of the stars of the creative and media industries.
“The AD-Cademy will be an awesome self-serve learning platform of lectures, as well as showcases and events that will enrich young people’s knowledge of the advertising industry.
AllyOwen concluded: “Covid-19 is having a hugely negative impact on young people’s futures across the country. Internships and work experience opportunities have been put on ice as businesses look to stay afloat, and entry-level roles have all but disappeared.
“Brixton Finishing School’s mission has always been to break down the barriers that prevent young people from working class, multicultural and neurodiverse backgrounds having an equal chance to succeed in their careers. It’s also incredibly important to challenge companies to see the massive value you get from a diverse and inclusive workforce.”
The UK Government has withdrawn from a proven scheme that has involved over 10m young people – students, apprentices and more – in exchanges across Europe in favour of an untested one-way scheme. But the Scottish and Welsh Governments are talking to Brussels about rejoining Erasmus.
How good are the prospects? Join us at 4:00 pm on Monday 8 February when we will examine why Erasmus-Plus has been such a success, why the mooted replacement Turing scheme is no alternative and how Scottish and Welsh young people should continue to enjoy the huge opportunities the EU scheme offers.
Chaired by Mark Lazarowicz, Chair of the European Movement in Scotland, we draw on the expertise of three/four authorities, including the founding spirit behind Erasmus, to explore the challenges and options ahead.
From Glasgow, Prof Anton Muscatelli, principal of Glasgow University and senior advisor to the Scottish Government, will give us his in-depth knowledge of an extensive range of economic and European issues. The university has been Britain’s biggest HE participant in the scheme.
From Cardiff, Hywel Ceri Jones, former European Commission director for education, who led the design and implementation of Erasmus and became director general for employment, social policy and industrial relations, will give a Welsh and European perspective.
From Glasgow, Rachel Sandison, vice principal, external relations, Glasgow University, will offer insights into we can best negotiate Scotland’s and Wales’s re-entry to the scheme.
From GlasgowMary Senior is Scotland’s official of the Universities and Colleges Union since 2009 and has been STUC (Scottish Trades Union Congress ) President since November 2020. Originally from the West Midlands, Mary has two decades of working within the trade union movement in Scotland.
Anti-poverty campaigners have called for increased action from the Scottish Government to tackle the educational attainment gap, after new analysis (which can be read in full here) found stark gaps in attainment between young people from Scotland’s least and most deprived areas.
The analysis, undertaken by the Poverty Alliance on behalf of The Robertson Trust, examined the evidence on the links between poverty, education and work pathways for young people in Scotland and across the UK.
It found evidence that the poverty-attainment gap – already identified by the Scottish Government as a key priority – shows signs of increasing and risks being further compounded by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The review reveals that as of 2018-19:
Infants living in deprived areas, aged 27-30 months, are 16% more likely to display development concerns
Just over 2 in 5 young people living in the most deprived areas achieve one or more Higher when leaving school (43.5%) compared to almost 4 in 5 young people living in the least deprived areas (79.3%)
Inequalities continue into post-16 education and work pathways with one in ten school leavers living in the most deprived areas in Scotland unemployed nine months after the end of the school year, compared to 2.6% of young people in the least deprived areas.
Despite a range of policies, strategies and initiatives having reformed the Scottish educational and employment landscape over the last six years, most notably the expansion of early learning and childcare and the Scottish Attainment Challenge, the review highlighted Covid-19’s disproportionate impact on single parents and low-income households.
Emerging evidence has also shown the negative impacts of the pandemic on the educational outcomes for children and young people from deprived areas due to the digital divide and lack of access to educational related resources.
Income inadequacy prevents children from low-income households being able to fully participate in education and initiatives seeking to reduce the attainment gap should put reducing financial barriers at the centre.
The review also highlights the importance of initiatives like one-to-one tutoring, mentoring and careers education targeted at young people living in more deprived areas; initiatives that, the review concludes, are currently lacking in Scotland.
Poverty Alliance Director, Peter Kelly, commented:“Scotland is a country that believes that every child should have every chance. However this review makes clear that too many of our young people are seeing their life chances restricted by poverty. The educational attainment gap is stark in Scotland, and is an injustice that we cannot allow to continue.
“We know that the pandemic is compounding the gap. But we also know the action that we have to take to loosen the grip of poverty on the lives of families across Scotland, and to ensure that every young person in Scotland has access to the same opportunities.
“That means using every lever at our disposal to boost family incomes, as well as increasing support for interventions like one-to-one tutoring and mentoring for young people from low-income backgrounds.”
Chief Executive of the Robertson Trust, Jim McCormick, added:“At The Robertson Trust, we are keen to understand how best we can maximise the contribution of education and fair work in reducing poverty.
“This report not only highlights the stark differences in educational experiences that children and young people from different backgrounds face across Scotland but also where some of the evidence gaps currently exist when it comes to what works and why.
“Although many of the findings will be familiar to those working tirelessly to narrow the attainment gap, this analysis shines a bright light on the disproportionate impact Covid-19 has had on those already most affected. This is particularly concerning given the clear link between childhood disadvantage, low educational attainment and future poverty.
“We will use the findings to help us shape our own role as an independent funder in this area and it is our hope that the review will stimulate renewed commitment to act across Scotland.”
The RVC is calling for students from Years 10, 11 and 12 to apply for its 2021 Summer Schools
Applications for the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) 2021 Summer Schools, including the RVC Sutton Trust Summer School, are now open for students in Year 10, Year 11 and Year 12.
The outreach team is calling for those who meet the Widening Participation eligibility criteria to apply for the opportunity of gaining experience of what it is like to study animal science careers including Veterinary Medicine, Biosciences and Veterinary Nursing.
Taking place between July and August 2021, the three RVC Summer Schools offer students first-hand insight into what it is like to study at the internationally renowned RVC. As part of this, participants will get involved with online lectures, virtual practical demonstrations, and question and answer sessions with world-leading researchers.
This year, the RVC also hopes to be able to welcome each of the participants to campus for at least one day to gain hands-on experiences across its animal hospitals, Clinical Skills Centre, laboratories, and farm.
Following the success of last year’s Summer School, which was the first to be hosted online due to the pandemic, 91 per cent of participants surveyed either agreed or strongly agreed that the Summer School made them feel more confident about applying to university. Additionally, 91 per cent of respondents felt like they would fit in at the RVC after taking part.
Varying from two to five days experience, students were able to meet current RVC students and professionals, take part in online lectures, virtual dissection demonstrations, team projects and social activities led by RVC Student Ambassadors including a pet show and tell, an escape room and lockdown Zoom quizzes.
Reflecting on the 2020 Summer School, one student, Kaya, said:“I found the lectures and videos fascinating and enjoyed learning about new topics such as animal handling.
“I also feel much more confident in my career goals, as before the summer school started, I was unsure if I wanted to be a vet or vet nurse, but now I have decided on veterinary nursing.”
Reflecting on their child’s experience of the 2020 Summer School, one parent said:“My daughter has really enjoyed attending. This is the start of her childhood dream to be a vet and I can see her enthusiasm has grown this week thanks to you. Even before she started you sent her some items to help her in the sessions, she was over the moon.
“I’d like to extend my utter gratitude to you and take this opportunity just to say thank you all so very much.”
Both the RVC Summer Schools (for Years 10 and 11) and RVC 2021 Sutton Trust Summer School (Year 12) are part of the RVC’s Widening Participation Scheme which was established to support young people who are under-represented at the RVC on their journey to studying animal science.
The RVC runs a range of programmes for young people from low-income backgrounds, areas with low participation in Higher Education, and targeted groups such as care experienced young people, asylum seekers, or young people from ethnic minority backgrounds.
Nina Davies, Director of RVC Access and International Engagement, said:“We are so proud of the success our Summer Schools have had in engaging students from the widest possible range of backgrounds and providing them with an experience that may encourage them to study with us.
“We work hard to ensure students from underrepresented backgrounds have equal access to the RVC, feel welcome here and able to achieve their goals.
“I would like to encourage any young budding animal enthusiasts and prospective vets out there, to take part in one of our Summer Schools this year; it is a wonderful experience for young people seriously considering a future in animal sciences.”
The RVC has a long history of running Summer Schools and has hosted the RVC Sutton Trust Summer School since 2013. This year it will offer 60 young people from underrepresented backgrounds the chance to take part.
With home schooling on the agenda for at least the next few weeks, a new digital tool from Quality Meat Scotland’s (QMS) Health & Education team, Farming Foodsteps, is offering a different way to engage in the sciences, home economics, maths and geography.
The free interactive resource is aimed at secondary school children and supports teachers and pupils in subjects across the curriculum through the story of red meat production, from field to plate.
As well as introducing the red meat journey and livestock farming, Farming Foodsteps also covers important messages around sustainability, the environment, food safety, careers and the role of red meat in a healthy diet. The preparation and cooking of red meat is also included.
Jennifer Robertson, Health & Education Manager at Quality Meat Scotland, who has school-age children herself, said: “Educators as well as the agricultural industry are keen to ensure that food and farming retains a significant place in the curriculum.
“Not only is it a key player in Scotland’s culture, but it can be easily integrated into subjects across the curriculum from literacy and geography to science, cooking and maths.
“It is also demonstrating to young people the many skills needed in modern agriculture, including technology, statistical analysis and environmental management in addition to the more traditional practices young people often associate with farming.”
Farming Foodsteps has been developed in line with the national curriculum and focuses on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), a key priority of the Scottish Government and Education Scotland.
It sits on an easy-to-use interactive platform online, with five main lessons full of colourful presentations, interactive games and tools, editable worksheets, and quizzes ideal for the home learning environment.
The nature of Farming Foodsteps is that it can be taught digitally, and it can be intuitively worked through by a pupil who has access to a laptop, tablet or phone, without support from an adult.
The “Glorious Grass” activity found in Lesson 2 – To Field, is a real maths challenge bringing to life the science of grass and its importance to Scottish farming. The unique Scottish difference is also peppered throughout the resource.
Another science-based activity found in Lesson 5 – To Fork, focuses on the Maillard reaction that occurs when cooking red meat, often called the browning reaction, but could be called the flavour reaction too.
The resource has been devised by working parents who appreciate the struggle to balance work with schooling, and has been sense checked by children who have tested the resource and its accessibility at home.
Ms Robertson concluded: “Learning has definitely changed over the last few months, and we would love to see Farming Foodsteps bolster home learning for families across Scotland. We are asking families to share their experiences on our social pages, and we are here to support anyone who needs help getting to grips with it.
“Farming Foodsteps is all about interactive fun while delivering some important messages, and it is another step towards equipping a new generation with the STEM skills, knowledge and capability needed to thrive in the changing world around us.”
QMS’ Scotch Kitchen in Schools will be featuring a suite of recipe videos on Twitter (@scotchkitchensc) that can easily be created at home, whilst supporting learning in the Home Economics and Hospitality set curriculum.
Now lockdown lessons are firmly underway again Barnardo’s is launching a website to help teachers support their pupils who may be experiencing mental health and wellbeing issues.
Called Barnardo’s Education Community (BEC) the site is aimed at teachers, lecturers and staff working in the education sector.
Its aim is to be a ‘one stop shop’ where educators can go for trauma-informed resources, support and advice about how to help children and young people cope with any issues they are experiencing.
Crucially there is also a selection of resources for education professionals with a focus on both their wellbeing and that of their department.
These will help them deal with the immense strain they are under in managing their own experiences, while also coping with the impact of secondary trauma through supporting children and young people.
Visitors to the site, which launches today (January 21), will find useful materials about how best to support pupils who are experiencing feelings of loss, grief and bereavement, including the impact of trauma, because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Funding for the BEC came from a generous grant from the Westminster Foundation, which has made £12.5m of funding available since the start of the pandemic to charities and community organisations tackling the repercussions of coronavirus.
But the website will not stop when the lockdown restrictions are relaxed. Instead the content within BEC will be continuously evolving to meet the ever changing needs of children, young people and educators.
A key part of this evolution will be the ‘community of practice’ section of the site where visitors will be able to take part in facilitated and peer-led discussions about current and emerging topics.
These discussion forums will provide the opportunity for education professionals to discuss and share best practice at a nationwide level.
And people who participate in these discussions will also be helping shape the site and its content because the Barnardo’s team will be creating resources to help educators deal with these emerging issues.
Uniquely, on top of all this, BEC includes free access to video, webinar and audio training on the resources, as well in-person training where necessary.
Barnardo’s Chief Executive Javed Khan said: “As a former teacher I know just how difficult it can be to support children who are struggling with challenges at home or a history of trauma.
“In the age of COVID this is so much harder, with many children falling behind in their learning during the lockdowns, facing anxiety and mental health problems, and worrying about their parents’ jobs or their grandparents’ health. On top of all this teachers are facing huge pressures personally and professionally.
“This is why I’m delighted to be launching Barnardo’s Education Community today, with vital health and wellbeing resources to support educators at this uniquely difficult time.
“I’d urge everyone to treat this as your community. Take part in online discussions with your peers and bookmark the page on your browser so it is always there when you need help.
“And if there are any resources you need but cannot see on there already then get in touch and we’ll work on creating them for you. The goal is for the site to be constantly evolving to meet your needs.”
The Duke of Westminster, Hugh Grosvenor, who Chairs the Westminster Foundation, said: “We may not know for some time the true extent of anxiety and trauma that children are experiencing through the pandemic, but we do know that changes to education have placed teachers and families under immense strain as they try to support children adapt or come to terms with the negative consequences of Covid.
“We also know that lockdown learning has a greater impact on the more vulnerable children in society as they face the real possibility of poor mental health compounding their existing disadvantages.
“We shouldn’t assume that education professionals can simply react to this without any extra help, on top of the many existing challenges they face. I’m proud the Westminster Foundation’s support has helped create the Barnardo’s Education Community and hope it will become a vital resource to everyone in the education sector.”
