Schools and nurseries will close to pupils from the end of this week, the First Minister announced yesterday.
The Scottish Government is working closely with local authorities to mitigate the impact on three groups as a priority:
Vulnerable pupils and those receiving free school meals
Pupils undertaking coursework and preparing for exams
Key workers including doctors, nurses and emergency service workers who have children
Later today Education Secretary John Swinney will address Parliament to explain the measures being put in place and to address key questions that parents and pupils have.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “This has been one of the hardest decisions we have faced so far as we tackle the coronavirus. SAGE – our expert scientific advisers – are examining new advice that is very likely to tell us to close schools.
“We also know more and more schools are approaching a point where they have lost too many staff to continue as normal. At this stage I cannot promise schools and nurseries will reopen after the Easter break.
“There will require to be a lot of local flexibility and we are working closely with local authorities to put those arrangements in place.
“Teachers, school staff and those in the nursery sector will have a vital role in the weeks ahead and we will work with you to minimise the impact on all our young peoples’ education, and in particular the most vulnerable groups.”
This poses a number of challenges and questions for the government:
Up to 250,000 children in Scotland live in poverty and currently receive free school meals. How will these children receive their meals?
What can parents and carers do to educated their children at home?
More parents will have to take time off work to look after their children, further affecting the economy
Students’ exam results are important in determining their future. If exams are cancelled, how will student grades be asessed and university places allocated?
Councillor Stephen McCabe, COSLA Children and Young People Spokesperson, said: “We have been working closely with the Scottish Government and our local authority partners to consider the implications of the closure of schools and nurseries.
“It is vital that we support staff, parents and children and young people in these exceptional circumstances.
“We will continue this partnership work to ensure that local authorities get the right support and have the flexibility to make the decisions based on local circumstances. This will include support to the most vulnerable, our young people involved in exams and those who provide critical public services.”
Edinburgh College has issued the following statement:
Due to the rapidly changing situation regarding coronavirus and to best protect the health and safety of all of our students, Edinburgh College has taken the decision to suspend all face-to-face classes from 4pm today (Monday 16 March) until Monday 20 April.
Starting from Monday 23 March, additional provision will be in place to enable students to continue studying from home. This week, all students will be issued with guidance on how to continue their studies during this time and individual class information will be made available on Moodle.
We understand that students will be concerned about the impact that this may have on studies and progression. We’d like to emphasise that this situation is national and reassure students that we are speaking with external agencies to limit the longer term impact on everybody.
This week, students will be issued with guidance via online channels on how to continue their studies during this time. Individual class information will be made available on Moodle.
It is important that students continue to keep up-to-date with information regarding the College and their studies via our online channels – email, Moodle, social media and website.
Libraries will remain open across all campuses until further notice for students who don’t have access to Moodle at home
The College is committed to limiting the negative impact this has on students’ studies. During this period, all bursaries will continue to be paid and we are confident we have a plan in place to ensure students can progress to the next stage of their studies.
As the situation develops, we will notify students of any updates on a daily basis via our online channels including this webpage and via email. Please continue to check our channels for the latest information.
It is important that you continue to follow the advice provided by the Government and public health agencies during this time to keep yourself and others protected.
This includes:
Anyone who has symptoms of coronavirus, however mild, should stay at home and not leave their house for 7 days from when the symptoms started – regardless of whether you have travelled to affected areas or been in contact with someone who has the virus.
NHS Scotland recommends using good hand, respiratory and personal hygiene. Coughing and sneezing should be into tissues that are promptly disposed down the toilet. Hands should be washed more regularly than usual with soap and water or using an alcohol hand rub even if hands are visibly clean
Edinburgh’s major festivals have revealed the extent of their year-round school engagement programmes, which have reached almost every school in the city over the period January 2018 – May 2019.
The new report finds that Edinburgh’s festivals have reached more than 90% of schools across the city through wide ranging activity which takes place both during and out with live festival time.
Through mapping of activity across the 18 months period, the study shows that festivals have engaged with every secondary school in Edinburgh, and almost all the city’s primary and special schools.
The engagement has had a big impact locally.
In West Pilton, Forthview Primary School has a particularly strong relationship with the festivals, being involved in 8 programmes and with over 1,400 pupil engagements since 2018.
The school regularly attend performances at the Children’s Festival, and the Book Festival’s Bailie Gifford programme. It is also part of the Fringe’s Children and Young People scheme, which offers free Fringe vouchers and bus tickets, to help overcome some of the barriers for pupils and their families to see shows.
Forthview is one of six Edinburgh primary schools participating in the Children’s Festival’s Immerse project, an ambitious 3-year initiative which embeds creative learning in the classroom.
The project started in autumn 2019 with each school hosting the ground-breaking immersive theatre production ‘The Lost Lending Library’, which uses drama to support attainment in literacy.
In Leith, Leith Academy have a long standing relationship with many festivals, regularly participating in programmes such as the Book Festival’s Bailie Gifford programme, the Science Festival’s Career Hive and the Film Festival’s Media Days workshops.
The Edinburgh International Festival has partnered with Leith Academy for a three-year residency, opening up a series of unique cultural opportunities for pupils. Three artists in residence are working in the school, with creative workshops linked to festival performances, and a culture club which offering social trips to experience theatre, music, visual art and dance in the city throughout the year.
The residency also looks to develop personal and vocational skills, with pupils being supported to work towards Personal Development Awards qualifications, and mentoring for senior students by festival staff to help build confidence and prepare for their next steps.
There have been over 58,000 pupil engagements – the number of times pupils have been involved in festival activities – with many benefiting from multiple opportunities.
From Gilmerton to Granton, Corstorphine to Craigmillar, the festivals are working with children and teachers across the whole city to bring young people enriching experiences and opportunities for creative learning.
These cover regular longstanding education programmes as well as new projects, through which festivals have supported learning in areas including music, drama, visual arts, science, technology, film and many more.
In addition to their spread throughout Edinburgh, there is a clear focus to the festivals’ engagement. It is within areas of the city with the lowest attendance at festivals that there is the highest participation in school programmes: a great step toward an Edinburgh where everyone regardless of background has the opportunity to make the most of the festivals.
Two thirds of residents attend shows and events at the festivals each year, but it is also hugely important to enable young people to engage with culture and develop the next generation of festival-goers.
There are several examples of programmes working over a long-term period, involving deeper engagement to create truly collaborative projects that will be of lasting benefit.
As well as directly working with pupils, the festivals also work with teachers on continuing professional development opportunities. These encourage and enable teachers to see the wider creative learning possibilities of engaging with festivals and help teachers bring creativity into the classroom.
A few examples of projects that the festivals have been working on, alongside some comments from teachers who are involved, include:
Teachers’ Theatre Club
A new collaboration between Edinburgh International Children’s Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society that aims to encourage Edinburgh’s teachers to see more live performance, become more confident in discussing this with their students and enhance students’ learning experiences.
Serena Jagpal, Pentlands Primary School, said: “When applying to be a part of the Teachers’ Theatre Club, I saw it as interesting CPD. I never thought for a second that it would give me so much more.
“Over the course of the project I have engaged in discussions with a wide range of professionals in the arts, experienced theatre that I would never have thought to go see myself and discussed how I would use these shows with my pupils ….what has taken me by surprise is the camaraderie I have experienced. I hope this project runs for many years to come and I urge as many teachers as possible to experience this.”
Leith Academy residency
A three-year Edinburgh International Festival residency with Leith Academy, involving new cultural opportunities as well as developing pupils’ personal and vocational skills.
The residency includes a series of projects, from pupils working with artists in residence to learning about marketing and branding with the festival’s own teams. In addition, students are supported to gain a Personal Development Award at SQA level 6, with workplace experience with staff at the festival.
Mike Irving, Head Teacher, Leith Academy said: “In 2019/20 there is an ever greater need to look creatively and collaboratively at our curriculum. Our work with the Edinburgh International Festival helps us harness the skills of creativity, teamwork, problem solving and communication daily.
“This particular branding event allowed our young people to not only see how branding ‘comes alive’, but to actually be part of creating it from start to finish with skilled professionals …
“In a world where the jobs young people will do is a dynamic and fluid one, we are very grateful to the wonderful opportunities the young people of Leith are being offered through the residency in order to open their horizons of what their ‘next steps’ may be.”
Edinburgh Science Festival
Every year, Generation Science offers a programme of interactive shows and hands-on workshops for primary schools, delivered in the classroom.
The Careers Hive, which gets underway this year from 25 February, is an interactive showcase for careers in science and technology, targeted at secondary school pupils and designed to highlight opportunities from studying STEM subjects. Through Generation Science and Careers Hive, Edinburgh Science reach 81 schools across Edinburgh and more than 12,500 pupils.
With over 90% of the city’s schools already getting involved, the ambition of Edinburgh’s Festivals is to use the collective picture of schools’ engagement to inform the targeting of future projects and initiatives and enhance the lives of many more young people for years to come.
A record proportion of school leavers were in a ‘positive destination’ such as study, work or training about three months after leaving school last year.
Figures show that 95% of young people were in a positive destination, with the gap between those from the most and least deprived communities achieving a positive destination the lowest since 2009-10.
The statistics also show that:
more than 85% of school leavers achieve at least one pass at SCQF 5 or better. In 2006-07 the proportion was 71.1%
the proportion of school leavers with one or more pass at SCQF 6 or better is 60.5%. In 2006-07 the proportion was 41.6%
the proportion of school leavers achieving vocational awards has increased to 17%, giving them skills they need for entering the workplace. The achievement of these awards has increased for school leavers every year since 2013-14
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “For the ninth consecutive year, more young Scots are in study, training or work three months after leaving school than ever before. Moreover, the gap between the richest and poorest communities for those moving into a positive destination continues to narrow.
“This demonstrates that Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) is delivering one of the ultimate aims of school education – to secure a positive next step in learning, life and work for our young people.
“Compared with the previous year, there has been a slight fall in attainment for school leavers who achieved one or more national qualifications. In any high performing system there will be fluctuation, however over time the percentage of school leavers achieving one or more pass at National 5 and Higher level has improved substantially.
“We have commissioned the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to carry out an independent review of the curriculum. The review will look carefully at achievement in the senior phase so that we can improve further.”
Alma Harris, a member of the International Council of Education Advisers (ICEA), said at the ICEA biannual meeting last week: “The Scottish system is doing everything that we would expect a high performing system to do. It has all the right components, it’s investing in the right places.
“What we are seeing is incremental growth. And, as a council, we’re very confident that that incremental growth bodes well for the future.
“The focus on equity and excellence is, without question, the right focus. The way in which the system has been empowered, to develop itself into a high performing system, is also to be commended.”
City SNP MSP Gordon Macdonald has welcomed new figures showing more Edinburgh school leavers are in study, work or training than a decade ago.
Across Scotland, a record proportion of young people were in a positive destination three months after leaving school last year. The gap between those from the most and least deprived communities achieving a positive destination the lowest since 2009-10.
In Edinburgh, the number of unemployed school leavers seeking work fell from 15% in 2009/10 to 3% in 2018/19.
Over the same time period the number of school leavers going directly to higher education rose from 37% to 43%.
SNP MSP Gordon Macdonald said: “It is very welcome that significantly more young people in Edinburgh are going on to positive destinations such as work and study straight from school.
“For the ninth consecutive year, more young Scots are in study, training or work three months after leaving school than ever before.
“It’s particularly welcome that the gap between the richest and poorest communities, for those moving into a positive destination, continues to narrow.
“This demonstrates that Curriculum for Excellence is delivering one of the ultimate aims of school education – to secure a positive next step in learning, life and work for our young people.”
For some, however, it’s a case of ‘Could Do Better’ – particularly for children with additional support needs.
Commenting on the Scottish Government’s statistics for attainment and initial leaver destinations for secondary pupils (2018/19), a spokesperson for the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition – an alliance of independent and third sector service providers – said: “We are deeply concerned about falling attainment levels for those with additional support needs such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems.
“While 91 per cent of those with ASN had one pass or more at SCQF Level 4 or better in 2017/18, this had reduced to 90.7 per cent in 2018/19. For those with one or more pass at SCQF Level 5 or better this had fallen from 70.4 per cent to 69.8 per cent. And for those with one or more pass at SCQF Level 6 this had fallen from 39.5 per cent to 39.3 per cent.
“The attainment gap between those with ASN and those with no ASN has increased from 7.3 per cent for 2017/18 to 7.6 per cent in 2018/19 for those with one or more pass at SCQF Level 4 or better and from 21.8 per cent to 22.4 per cent for those with one or more pass at SCQF Level 5 or better. It has dropped from 31.9 per cent to 31.2 per cent for those with 1 or more pass at SCQF Level 6 or better.
“It is deeply disappointing to see this fall in attainment level for those with ASN and that the attainment gap is opening between those with ASN and no ASN in some categories.
“Along with the National Deaf Children’s Society, the National Autistic Society Scotland, and Royal Blind we recently made a call for increased resourcing in the Scottish Government Budget to support those with ASN.
“While the numbers of those with ASN has risen by more than 82 per cent since 2012, amounting to just under a third of the pupil population, it is alarming that spend per pupil with ASN has fallen by more than 26 per cent over this same period.
“It is vital that those with ASN get the care and support they need in order to give them the best possible start in life and close the educational attainment gap.
“Too many pupils with additional support needs are missing out on the specialist support they require because of budget cuts at a time of increasing need.
“This is clearly challenging in an environment of austerity, however, the cost to society in the long term if adequate resourcing is not provided will far outweigh any potential savings made today.”
Deputy First Minister John Swinney will deliver a key education speech this week marking the fifth anniversary of the Scottish Attainment Challenge. The speech comes just days after the government was accused of ‘sneaking out’ news of falling exam pass rates.
The First Minister launched the Scottish Attainment Challenge in February 2015 to help close the poverty-related attainment gap in Scotland. The Attainment Scotland Fund was established to support the Scottish Attainment Challenge in 2015. This is a £750 million commitment over the course of this parliamentary term.
In his address to headteachers and key education leaders, Mr Swinney will reflect on progress made in closing the attainment gap and provide an update on the forthcoming review of the Curriculum for Excellence.
Mr Swinney will also thank headteachers, practitioners and local authorities for their commitment and innovation in raising attainment.
He said: “As we mark the fifth year of the Scottish Attainment Challenge we must reflect on our journey and look ahead to what we hope to achieve in the coming years.
“Our measures are making a tangible impact and I am proud of the work undertaken by headteachers and others to break down barriers to learning and raise the attainment of children in our schools.
“We have seen 88% of headteachers report improvements in closing the attainment gap directly as a result of our investment and we are seeing increased cohesion and collaboration across local authorities and schools. Pupil Equity Funding is also empowering our Headteachers to make the decisions that directly improve the life chances of our young people.
“We are also seeing steady, incremental gains in attainment across the broad general education. This is in line with the sustainable progress we would expect to see at this stage, according to international experts.
“As the International Council of Education Advisers have set out – Scotland is heading in the right direction but achieving equity and excellence is a long-term task. We now need a period of consolidation and sustainability to ensure that our reforms have the chance to become properly embedded in our education system.”
In his speech Mr Swinney will reflect on progress made since the introduction of the Challenge, including:
the latest Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Level (ACEL) data which shows attainment among the most disadvantaged pupils rose in numeracy, reading and writing at P1, P4 and P7
feedback from headteachers which shows 88% percent have reported improvements in closing the poverty-related attainment gap as a result of the Scottish Attainment Challenge
feedback from headteachers in which 95% have indicated they expect to see further improvements over the next 5 years
the latest PISA stats which reported that pupils’ social backgrounds have less of an influence on reading and maths attainment in Scotland than the OECD average
The principals of Scotland’s two largest colleges have highlighted the strengths and potential of the sector in a report which makes plain the economic impact of colleges in Scotland.
The Cumberford-Little Report, One Tertiary System: Agile, Collaborative, Inclusive was commissioned by the Scottish Government to consider what more Scottish colleges can do to help improve businesses’ performance and productivity.
It was co-authored by Edinburgh College Principal and CEO Audrey Cumberford and City of Glasgow College Principal and CEO Paul Little.
The findings identify the significant economic impact colleges already have – a £3.5bn annual boost to GDP according to the latest figures – and identify how colleges support a wide range of Scottish Government national priorities, highlighting examples of best practice across Scotland.
The authors also make a series of recommendations aimed at allowing colleges to make a still greater contribution to business growth, particularly among Scotland’s huge SME and micro-business communities in an economic environment where the full challenges of Brexit are yet to become clear.
Edinburgh College Principal and Chief Executive Audrey Cumberford said: “Scotland’s colleges represent a huge national asset and so we were delighted to be asked to undertake this review to highlight the important role of our colleges.
“Whilst our findings show the significant contribution that colleges make across the country, we cannot overstate the importance of creating an environment that supports an immersive symbiotic relationship between colleges and industry.
“In the report we address the challenges and constraints, which need to be overcome to enable us to realise our full potential. Together with peers and partners, we absolutely believe our colleges can tackle the challenges – and seize the opportunities – that lie ahead for Scotland.”
City of Glasgow Principal and Chief Executive Paul Little said: “Scotland’s colleges represent a huge national asset – yet their economic impact is not widely understood, nor recognised – despite very significant government investment.
“We think colleges’ multiple roles and diverse responsibilities sometimes combine to make it difficult to describe what they’re for – so we propose a refreshed purpose for colleges that is unambiguously focused on helping businesses to grow by making sure they have access to people with the technological, vocational, and ‘meta’ skills needed in the decade ahead – and beyond.
“We also say we need a fresh approach to how colleges are funded and how their success is measured so as to incentivise a business-focussed approach. And, since colleges thrive in a system, not a hierarchy, we make clear that, building on the Government’s plans to reform the learner journey, our proposals need to be anchored in a fully connected and collaborative system of pre- and post-16 learning.”
Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science Richard Lochhead said: “Today’s publication – authored by the principals of Scotland’s two largest colleges – showcases some of the excellent work already taking place right across the country’s thriving college sector to support our learners, communities, and businesses.
“Essentially it makes plain the existing strengths and huge potential of a sector, which has an increasingly powerful impact on the Scottish economy as a whole.
“Since 2007, the Government has invested more than £8 billion in our colleges, and in last week’s draft Budget we proposed allocating over £670 million in total for resource and capital in 2020-21, underlining just what an important national role they play.
“The recommendations made in this report set out ambitions for an agile, collaborative, inclusive and dynamic college community. They include those aimed, particularly, at making an even greater contribution to Scotland’s huge SME and micro-business communities – very timely indeed, in an economic environment where the full challenges of Brexit are yet to become clear.
“We look forward to considering all the recommendations in detail, and responding in due course.”
Edinburgh Napier Univeristy has strengthened its Graduate Apprenticeship programme with the announcement of nearly 200 new opportunities for people to study for an honours degree while in employment.
The University currently has 273 Graduate Apprentices actively studying across three cohorts. The first cohort joined Edinburgh Napier in September 2017.
The current batch of Graduate Apprentices will soon be joined by a fourth cohort, with the University announcing it has 185 new positions across a range of subjects within its School of Computing, Business School and School of Engineering and the Built Environment.
The courses available are:
BA (Hons) Business Management, BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering, BSc (Hons) Construction & the Built Environment, BEng (Hons) Engineering: Design and Manufacture, BEng (Hons) Cybersecurity, BSc (Hons) Data Science, BSc (Hons) IT Management for Business and BSc (Hons) Software Development.
Each programme has been assigned 20 new places, other than the BSc (Hons) Construction & the Built Environment programme, which offers 45 places across four different learning pathways: Building Surveying, Quantity Surveying, Real Estate Surveying and Architectural Technology.
Sally Smith, Dean of Edinburgh Napier’s School of Computing, said: “We are delighted to have more Graduate Apprenticeship places for 2020. Our previous experience shows how effective they are for employers with a need for new skills and for individual apprentices.
“Our apprenticeships appeal to school and college leavers, Modern Apprentices and existing employees. With our apprentices putting their skills to use immediately, both they and their employers benefit from day one.”
Graduate Apprenticeships have been developed by Skills Development Scotland in partnership with industry and the further and higher education sectors.
Graduate Apprenticeships are a new way for individuals to get qualified up to Masters degree level while in paid employment. They are designed by employers and offered in key sectors that need highly skilled employees. Anyone over the age of 16 who lives in Scotland is eligible, and there are no course fees to pay for apprentices or employers.
Participants spend approximately 80 per cent of their time in work and 20 per cent in university, and can qualify for entry based on both academic and relevant work experience. Employers can either hire new recruits or upskill existing staff.
The strong emphasis on work-based learning, especially in latter stages of the degree, enables flexible learning approaches to best meet the needs and challenges of the apprentices.
Jessica Auld, who is working at Aegon while attending university one day a week to study a Graduate Apprenticeship in BEng (Hons) Cyber Security, said: “Studying at university and learning on the job means that I’m constantly learning and developing my skill set and knowledge.
“It’s exciting to know that at the end of four years I’ll have an honours degree plus four years work experience. For me, the role has opened up so many different opportunities and most importantly; I have met some great people along the way – my team and the other apprentices have been such a great support network.”
The programmes delivered by Edinburgh Napier have already delivered demonstrable success both for the apprentices and their employers. Some apprentices have even been promoted within 18 months of starting their GA, demonstrating the strong link between academic progression and professional development.
Jennifer Knights from NHS Education for Scotland, who is currently a workplace mentor for one of the apprentices, said: “I have been very impressed with Edinburgh Napier University and their Graduate Apprenticeship offer.
“I think it’s fantastic and we need a lot more of it. I think the reputation is growing as other managers see the impact and can recognise that this is making people excited about work.”
Diane Greenlees, Skills Development Scotland Director of Critical Skills and Occupations, said: “More and more Scottish employers are turning to Graduate Apprenticeships to meet their critical skills needs.
“Graduate Apprenticeships are industry-led and delivered with universities in Scotland, ensuring businesses have access to high-level skills and providing both new and existing employees with the opportunities to get a job and get a degree.”
Young carers call for educational equality and an end to isolation
Thousands of children and young people across the UK will take part in activities today to highlight the need for far more support for young carers from government, schools and local authorities.
The call comes on Young Carers Awareness Day, an annual event led and organised by Carers Trust. The day aims to raise awareness of the pressures experienced by young carers – children who need to look after someone in their family, or a friend, who is ill, disabled or misuses drugs or alcohol.
Count Me In! Young carers call for educational equality in UK schools
Scottish Government figures estimate the number of young carers in Scotland to be around 29,000. However, further research by Carers Trust shows that as many as one in five secondary school children may be a young carer. For many, the caring journey begins long before they reach secondary school.
But whatever their age, the need to provide care can have a negative impact on the wellbeing, education and future prospects of young carers. Caring responsibilities all too often lead to an inability to complete homework, late arrival at school or even non-attendance.
Research indicates that young carers on average receive lower grade in their public exams than their peers who do not have caring responsibilities at home.
But despite the challenges faced by young carers, far too many remain unidentified and hidden away from support. These problems are less likely to build up if young carers are proactively identified as early as possible.
Once identified, young carers’ circumstances at home can be better understood. This will help schools ensure that young carers are receiving the additional support they need to address their vulnerability to lower than average educational attainment.
This is why Carers Trust has made Count Me In! the theme for this year’s Young Carers Awareness Day.
To ensure as many young carers as possible are identified in future, Carers Trust and young carers are calling on:
compulsory education providers to acknowledge their unique position to identify young carers at an early stage so appropriate support can start as soon as possible; and to recognise young carers as a vulnerable group of learners who require additional support so they can engage in their education and go on to lead enjoyable, fulfilled lives.
The Scottish Government to monitor implementation of legislation relating to young carers, including how many young carers are identified and supported; and to ensure that local authorities receive appropriate funding so they are able to fulfil their statutory duties to provide young carers and their families with the support they need; and collect attendance and attainment data on all identified young carers in education.
Gareth Howells, Carers Trust CEO, said: ““I know as a former young carer myself that it’s hard enough for young carers to have to juggle all the pressures of school and exams with caring for family members.
“They are often dealing with complex problems which many adults would struggle to deal with – from disability and terminal illness to mental health problems, alcoholism and substance misuse.
“The need to support hundreds of thousands of young carers right across the UK could not be clearer. But far too often the needs of young carers are ignored, leaving them unnoticed and unsupported.
“Our colleagues in local authorities, education and government need to be doing far more to identify young carers at as early a stage as possible so they can achieve their potential at school and lead happy, fulfilled lives.”
Edinburgh College is encouraging prospective students to find out more about the range of courses available at the College in 2020 at two campus open days this week.
The College’s Milton Road Campus (above) will welcome guests tomorrow (Thursday 30 January) from 4pm until 7pm, while Granton Campus’ open day is taking place on Saturday 1 February between 10am and 2pm.
Those in attendance will have the opportunity to speak to teaching staff about the courses on offer at each campus and to discover the best study options available to them.
Prospective students can also get advice and guidance on funding and fees, tour the College’s facilities and even apply for their chosen course on the day.
Edinburgh College Principal Audrey Cumberford said: “We look forward to welcoming prospective students to the College and I encourage anyone thinking of studying with us to come along to the open days to find out more about the courses we offer.
“We have courses to suit everyone, from school leavers, to people wanting to improve their job prospects, boost their qualifications or learn new skills in 2020.”
