Calling all budding Steven Spielbergs, Kathryn Bigelows or Peter Jacksons, Netflix fans, and promising BBC Data Scientists! A national competition to design a film or tv series based on data has been launched at DATAFEST 2019 – the UK’s first ever two-week festival of data innovation in Scotland. Continue reading Lights, camera, DATA!
Teachers from nearly 70 per cent of Scottish schools have signed up for BT tech literacy programme Continue reading Boost for computing lessons in Scottish schools
The Teacher Census 2018, published this week, shows that since 2010, 15 fewer Lothian secondary school teachers are taking English as their main subject, a drop from 366 to 351. Continue reading Lothian schools lose 41 Maths and English teachers over 8 years
Deprivation gap in positive destinations falls by half
94.4% of pupils had a ’positive destination’ including work, training or further study within three months of leaving school last year, official statistics show.
The figures also reveal that the gap between those from the most and least deprived communities achieving a positive destination has halved since 2009/10, with an increase in positive destinations for school leavers from both backgrounds.
Over the same period there have been increases at all levels of attainment – the qualifications young people are achieving.
For the first time more than 30% of pupils left school with a minimum of five passes at Higher Level or better, up from 22.2% in 2009/10. The gap between those from the most and least deprived areas achieving a pass at Higher Level or better is now at a record low, reducing for the eighth successive year.
In addition, more young people are choosing to remain at school, with almost two thirds leaving in S6.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “These welcome statistics show that more young Scots are studying, training or working within three months of leaving school than ever before. And, the gap between the richest and poorest communities for those getting into one of these positive destinations is now half what it was. That is real world progress in tackling an age old problem.
“They also show pupils are generally staying at school for longer and gaining more qualifications between fourth and sixth year. I am particularly pleased to see the attainment gap between school leavers achieving a pass at Higher Level or better is at a record low.
“At National 4 and 5 level, however, the attainment gap has remained broadly flat over the last two years which reflects the distance we know we have to go and why we are investing more than £180 million through the Scottish Attainment Challenge in 2019/20 alone.
“The figures published today are encouraging but we know there is more to do to raise attainment and ensure all our young people have the very best chance to build the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to succeed – regardless of their background.”
The 2009/10 summary statistics for attainment and initial leaver destinations are the earliest comparable figures to those published today.
Home Economics included for first time
Creative Industries students get tips from industry experts
Edinburgh College’s students gained insight into what it takes to make it in the creative industries as the College hosted some of the country’s top professionals at its sixth annual Creative Industries Employability Day. Continue reading Creative Industries Employability Day at Edinburgh College
Students and members of the public are invited to attend a tackling poverty and inequality conference at the College’s Granton Campus next week. Continue reading Poverty Conference at Granton Campus
Is the range of subject choice in schools impacting on the future of Scotland’s young people? This will be examined in a new Holyrood inquiry announced today. Continue reading MSPs to study range of subject choice in Scotland’s schools
Adoption UK and a group of leading education experts are urging a radical rethink in the way schools are judged. Continue reading Charity urges rethink on how schools are judged
Independent review team call for views.
Views are being sought on the use of standardised assessments for Primary 1 (P1) children as part of the independent review led by David Reedy.
The review is seeking views from interested parties including teachers, councils, professional associations and parent groups.
Mr Reedy is being supported by a small review team including Dr Eve Bearne and two members of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education.
Work is already underway and a programme of school visits and engagement with practitioners and other stakeholders is being developed.
David Reedy said: “I encourage anyone with an interest to get in touch with the review, particularly those with experience of the assessments during the 2018/19 academic session.”
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “It is crucial that we have the appropriate approach to assessment in our schools and that is why I commissioned this independent review into the use of P1 assessments.
“The review will consider the evidence gathered and be led by what is best for pupils. I look forward to receiving the review’s conclusions later this year.”
School children in P1, P4, P7 and S3 complete online standardised assessments in literacy and numeracy as part of everyday learning and teaching.
The assessments are designed to help identify children’s progress, providing diagnostic information to support teachers’ professional judgement.
The review will consider and provide recommendations on the following issues:
The review will be asked to provide conclusions and recommendations on each of these issues by the end of May 2019. The recommendations of the review will then be brought back to Parliament for consideration.
If you would like to contribute to the review please email p1review@gov.scot
Independent review of P1 assessments remit.
