Craigroyston initiative tackles bullying and violence

‘Law enforcement agencies and governments can only take things so far. The way to change attitudes is to identify and build on the assets you have in your communities. You guys – the students and young people – are the assets’ – Justice Secretary Michael Matheson

Craigroyston Community High School pupils who have learned how to tackle violence and bullying through a training initiatve shared their experiences with the Cabinet Secretary for Justice Michael Matheson yesterday.

The Justice Secretary watched a presentation on the Mentors in Violence Prevention(MVP) initiative and listened to the experiences of participants before chatting informally with students about their participation in the groundbreaking project.

Craigroyston staff and students explained that the Mentors in Violence Prevention(MVP) scheme is already having some success in changing unacceptable behaviour – early feedback suggests improved attitudes amongst those who have taken part.

MVP Scotland trains senior pupils to become mentors who, in turn, equip younger students in ways in which to intervene and prevent incidents that could lead to gender violence, which can be domestic abuse, sexting, assault or homophobia. Pupils are taught to challenge their own friends and peers about their behaviour if and when it’s appropriate.

It was first piloted in Portobello High by the Violence Reduction Unit in 2011 and has since been rolled out to 11 secondary schools in the Capital. The unit’s Chief Inspector Graham Goulden spoke to pupils during the morning’s visit about its work.

Chief Inspector Goulden (above) said: “The MVP programme is emerging as a great way to continue to safely discuss many issues that contribute towards abuse and violence in Scotland. It provides schools with an approach that supports learning, as young people are faced with a range of external influences that impact on their resilience, such as online media. Bullying is still an issue in our schools and also strips young people of control.

“At the heart of violence and abuse is a breakdown in relationships. Let’s use relationships in the form of friendships to counter all of these issues allowing young people to do their best at an important time in their academic lives.”

Forth Councillor Cammy Day – who is also Edinburgh’s Community Safety Convener – also attended the event and spoke about how MVP is an important part of the local anti-crime #StrongerNorth campaign.

He said: “MVP is a key feature of the #StrongerNorth initiative as it really engages young people by helping them to recognise unacceptable behaviour, and gives them the power to face up to it. These skills are helping them to change attitudes whether it’s in school, in their homes or when they’re with their friends.

“Most school children have a great attitude and are involved in many positive schemes, but we know that the bad attitude of even just a few can have a real impact on communities.

“#StrongerNorth and projects like MVP and Total Craigroyston are aimed at nipping unacceptable behaviour in the bud before it escalates into something worse, and it was fantastic to hear first hand today about how these schemes are really working.”

Justice Secretary Michael Matheson (above) said: “I was delighted to be invited along to Craigroyston Community High School to see the excellent work ongoing to tackle the issues of violence and bullying in schools.

“Since 2008, incidents of violence among young people have halved across Scotland, but it is crucial we are not complacent and education is key to ensuring our young people change the culture of violence in our society.

“The work being done through the Mentors in Violence programme by the Violence Reduction Unit to train these young people to deliver their own training is having a huge impact not only within the school but also throughout the wider community.

“The programme empowers young people by bringing issues such as bullying and violence out into the open to allow for full, frank and informed discussions around the risks and consequences.

“Most importantly, it’s giving our young people a confidence and sense of responsibility that will benefit them throughout their lives.”

Some images from the Craigroyston event (also on Facebook):

Talking Tech during National Digital Learning Week

Education Secretary Angela Constance has called on all Scottish schools to make the most of opportunities offered by digital learning, as National Digital Learning Week continues.

Ms Constance was speaking as she visited Mauricewood Primary School in Penicuik to see how technology is being used to support learning in the school.

National Digital Learning Week (2-6 March) highlights how learners and teachers are using digital technologies in schools across Scotland.

At Mauricewood, Ms Constance saw a presentation about ‘The Moscars’, a project where groups of pupils used technology to develop a short film. She also chatted to pupils who are using technology in a variety of ways to find out more about other countries and their cultures.

She said: “We want learners and teachers in Scotland to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by technology in order to raise attainment, ambition and opportunities for all. Technology is all around us and we want all of our schools to tap into its rich potential for learning.

“There’s exciting events going on every day throughout National Digital Learning Week and I am delighted to see some great examples for myself at Mauricewood.

“At Mauricewood and in other schools across Scotland, there’s great examples of technology being woven into day-to-day learning, bringing subjects to life and opening up opportunities for research, collaboration, communication and creativity.

“This week also marks the start of a National Digital Learning Community, where we want teachers and educators across Scotland to continue conversations and reflections about digital learning, and we want this conversation to continue long beyond this week of activity.”

Activities are ongoing throughout the week, including TeachMeets in a number of authorities for teachers to share good practice, practical innovations and personal insights in teaching with technology, GlowTV events and daily blog updates at

:https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/glowblogs/ndlf/

Conversation are also continuing all week on Twitter using the hashtag #digilearnscot.

A video message from Ms Constance, marking the start of Digital Learning Week, can be accessed at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cmVLUU43f8

It’s National Digital Learning Week

#DigiLearnScot

What’s it all about?

National Digital Learning Week is your chance to give digital technology a go and join the national debate on how digital tools can help transform the way pupils learn.

We are encouraging all schools to make a pledge to develop their digital practice in school. These will be shared on our blog. This could range from trying a blog for the first time to using augmented reality to make your walls come alive!

Find out more – click on the links below:

https://vimeo.com/120819144

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cmVLUU43f8&feature=em-share_video_user

Creative Industries Open Days at Edinburgh College

Edinburgh College Open Days next week

Edinburgh College is throwing open its doors next week and inviting anyone interested in careers in the creative industries to find out how they can get on course to success.

The college’s Centre for Creative Industries is hosting three open days to introduce prospective students to its range of courses across three of its campuses, including art and design, computing, broadcast media, photography, music and sound production, and the performing arts.

There will be opportunities to speak to lecturers and students, experience the cutting-edge facilities at each campus, and get hands-on with interactive activities.

The Creative Industries Open Days will take place from 3-6pm at Sighthill Campus on Tuesday (3 March), Milton Road Campus on Wednesday and at Granton Campus on Thursday 5 March.

More than 100,000 people are employed in the creative industries sector in Scotland, with careers in film, radio, media, theatre, music, and digital media available.

Jon Buglass, head of the Centre for Creative Industries, said: “These open days provide the perfect opportunity for prospective students to get hands-on experience of what studying at Edinburgh College’s Centre for Creative Industries is really like. It is an exciting time for the creative industries in Scotland, and our courses provide the perfect framework to develop the skill, nurture the talent and develop the creativity of our students to prepare them for a creative career.”

Visitors to Granton Campus can see the top-of-the-range performing arts facilities at the Performing Arts Studio Scotland (PASS), which provides training in acting, dance, make-up artistry, technical theatre and theatre costume.

Budding musical theatre stars and musicians can visit Sighthill Campus, where the Music Box facilities include recording studios, practice rooms and an auditorium. The Music Box is the high-tech home to most of the college’s music performance students, both classical and pop.

Those who would prefer to study the technical side of music production can visit Milton Road Campus, where courses in sound production and the music business are offered in the CRE:8 creative centre alongside the HND Popular Music.

The campuses also have excellent facilities for those interested in courses in photography, audio visual technology and radio. The college’s computing courses provide essential skills in software development, games design, web development and building and testing computers and IT networks.

The college’s art and design students work to exciting briefs in their chosen field, whether fashion, textiles and costumes, jewellery, interior design, architecture, contemporary arts, interactive media, graphic design or illustration.

Not all courses are taught at all campuses, please check the Edinburgh College website to identify the appropriate open day for your subject area.

Applications for the all the college’s Creative Industries courses starting in August are open now – find out more about the courses available on www.edinburghcollege.ac.uk/august2015 or by calling the college course information line 0131 660 1010.

Applications for August courses will close on 15 May.

Early learning and childcare funding to DOUBLE

‘Education is not just part of our sense of ourselves, it’s the key to a better future for young people growing up in Scotland today’ – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon

Funding for free nursery places delivering early learning and childcare will double over the term of the next Parliament, increasing opportunities for families and giving children the best start in life, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has pledged.

In a speech on education at the David Hume Institute in Edinburgh, Ms Sturgeon laid out the Scottish Government’s ambition to see every child have the educational opportunities that she herself benefitted from.

During her address, the First Minister set out the contribution education makes to tackling inequality and growing the economy, focusing on the importance of all children, no matter their background, having the best opportunities through early learning and childcare, strong school education and wider access to higher education.

In a move she described as ‘one of the best investments any government can possibly make’, Ms Sturgeon confirmed that free early learning and childcare provision would rise to 30 hours per week, matching the time children spend each week in primary school, by the end of the next Parliament.

Committing to funding this expansion, she pledged that by 2019/20 annual revenue spend on early learning and childcare will have increased from an anticipated £439 million this year to around £880 million.

The First Minister said: “Today I want to highlight some of the areas where we can and must do better. In particular, I want to focus on how inequality in attainment – starting in the very early years, and persisting into adulthood – is weakening our society, holding back our economy, and constraining the life chances of too many of our fellow citizens.

“Early Learning and childcare promotes opportunity twice over. It enables parents to enter the workforce now and provide a better standard of living for their children, and it helps all children to make the most of their potential later in life. It’s one of the best investments any government can possibly make.

“In my view, it is central to any enlightened view of what modern Scotland should look like and that is why it is such a driving priority of my government. That’s why I can confirm today my intention that spending on early learning and care will double over the course of the next parliament.

“That’s in addition to the extra capital spending we will provide. The great capital investment project of this parliament is the Queensferry Crossing. If I am re-elected as First Minister next year, I intend that the great infrastructure project of the next parliament will be perhaps less visible, but arguably even more transformational.

“It will be the investment in care and learning facilities needed to ensure our early years provision matches our primary school provision. These facilities will create a bridge to a better future for children and families across the country.”

Addressing the need to widen access to university Ms Sturgeon said: “When I became First Minister, I set out the clear ambition that a child born today in one of our most deprived communities should, by the time he or she leaves school, have the same chance of going to university as a child born in one of our least deprived communities.

“And let me stress that – the same chance. Not just a better chance than they have today. But the same chance as anyone else. In other words, where you are born and brought up and your parents’ circumstances will not be the driver of how likely you are to go to university.

“But to ensure we’re doing everything we can, as early as we can, we are establishing a Commission on Widening Access. The Commission will propose milestones, measure progress, and identify improvements. It will be central to ensuring that our ambition of equal access within a generation becomes a reality.

“It is part of a far broader approach to post-school learning. After all, the key test we need to apply is not whether learning takes place in college, at work or in university. It’s whether the learning is relevant, engaging and widens people’s opportunities.

“So since 2007 we’ve focused colleges on promoting skills which help people to work, and which support economic growth. The number of students gaining recognised qualifications has increased by a third in the last 5 years.”

Ms Sturgeon concluded: “So from supporting mothers in the early stages of pregnancy, to helping people gain their first experience of work, this government is committed to promoting opportunities and reducing inequalities. That’s not something that Government, schools, colleges and universities can do on our own – although our role is hugely important. It’s got to be part of a shared endeavour.

“I want Scotland to be a land of opportunity – a country where every individual, regardless of background or race or gender, gets the chance to fulfil his or her potential. Can that be achieved? Yes, I believe it can and education is the key.

“The removal of obstructions to education, and the opening up of new opportunities, has been the focus of many of the major initiatives of my first 100 days. It is a subject which will receive sustained attention for as long as my government holds office. Because education is not just part of our sense of ourselves, it’s the key to a better future for young people growing up in Scotland today. And it is at the heart of the fairer, more prosperous Scotland, that all of us seek to build.”

School place problems for Ferryhill and Granton?

New classrooms for Wardie and Flora Stevenson but growing pains loom for Ferryhill and Granton

Ferryhill and Granton are among eight Edinburgh primary schools identified by the city council as potentially having accommodation issues for August 2016 due to rising rolls.

The Primary School Estate Rising Rolls report highlights possible pressures for P1 places for August 2016 at Balgreen, East Craigs, Ferryhill, Fox Covert, Granton, Roseburn, St Mary’s RC (Leith) and Towerbank Primary Schools.

Consultation will now take place with the eight school communities – including the recommendation for a catchment review at Towerbank Primary School – and the report will be discussed at the Education, Children and Families Committee next week (Tuesday 3 March).

Councillor Paul Godzik, Education Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “In the past two years we have delivered an additional 46 modern, high quality class spaces in our primary school estate and a further 24 will be delivered for this August.

“The issue of rising rolls will be here for many years to come so it’s important that we consider all the available options when creating space for our pupils. Key to this is our consultation with local school communities which has been really positive.”

Currently there are 28,010 primary school pupils but latest estimates show this will rise to 31,700 by 2020 and then increase further to 35,400 by 2030.

The City of Edinburgh Council will deliver 24 new class spaces which are needed for the start of the 2015/16 session. Local schools set to benefit are Flora Stevenson (3 classes) and Wardie (2) while Clermiston (4 classes), Gilmerton (4), James Gillespie’s (4), Pentland (3) and Ratho (4) will also grow.

In addition South Morningside Primary School will have a temporary annexe created for P1 and P2 pupils at Deanbank Resource Centre and extra internal space will be provided at both Brunstfield and Liberton Primary Schools.

Poverty Alliance seeks views on parental involvement in education

The progress being made by the Scottish Government in reducing the educational attainment gap will be explored by the Scottish Parliament’s Education and Culture Committee as it begins a year long piece of work on the issue.

Recent figures show a large difference between the average attainment of pupils in the most and least deprived areas. For example, 28% of children from poorer families perform well in numeracy, compared to 56% of those from advantaged backgrounds. Children from poorer families are also more likely to leave school early and without a qualification.

The Scottish Government has recently committed to ‘pick up the pace’ in closing the differences in attainment between children from the most and least disadvantaged backgrounds. The Committee will monitor progress and consider how successfully this commitment is being delivered by all bodies.

As part of this, the Poverty Alliance hopes to feed into Session 3 of the inquiry which looks at the involvement of parents. We have compiled a short survey which should take under ten minutes to complete. We would like as many parents as possible to take part. The survey can be found here. If you are a parent, we would love to hear your views.

Please feel free to forward onto anyone else you know who may be interested.

For more information, please email carla.mccormack@povertyalliance.org

Childcare Academy: two places left

We have 2 places left for 16 & 17 year olds for our Childcare Academy. If you or anyone you know is in this age group and interested, could you get in touch ASAP.

February 2015 CA Publicity Poster 16

Childcare Academy Standard Information

Audrey O’Neill
Training Administrator, North Edinburgh Childcare

0131 311 6931
www.northedinburghchildcare.co.uk

Edinburgh College in the running for marketing awards

Edinburgh College has been shortlisted for three prestigious marketing awards, recognising achievements in marketing courses, catering for students’ needs and communicating with staff.

The College Development Network (CDN) Marketing Awards 2015 – which take place next Wednesday (25 February) – are designed to recognise and celebrate the excellent marketing and communication practice taking place in colleges across Scotland.

The college is shortlisted for the following awards:

The Internal Communications Award, for communications around the college’s first staff conference in June 2014. The staff conference brought all the staff together to take part in workshops around the theme of innovation, covering technology, sustainability, teaching and learning, the workplace of the future and outward innovation.
The Customer Experience Award, for the college’s Centre for Creative Industries student Employability Day. The day was designed to develop students’ understanding of employers’ needs, give them insight into how they can make themselves as employable as possible, and promote positive destinations. Professionals from a wide range of creative industries ran workshops, talked to groups of students and shared their expertise.
The Integrated Marketing Campaign Award, in recognition of the success of marketing campaign held to promote, and increase, applications for college courses starting in January 2014. The campaign used the theme ‘Of course you can’ and achieved the highest attendance recorded for an open day at Edinburgh College or at any of its legacy colleges.

Edinburgh College interim principal Elaine McMahon said: “Being shortlisted for these awards is a great achievement and our staff deserve huge congratulations. It’s fantastic to see the creative work put into supporting, encouraging and communicating with students and staff being recognised in this way.

“The Creative Industries Employability Day was a fine example of the focus college staff put upon preparing students for working life in a competitive market and was so successful that the event will run again in February.

“The nomination for the staff conference is a welcome credit for the work done to build a sense of community in the still newly merged Edinburgh College.

“It is also satisfying to see that the work of our marketing and communications staff to promote the range of courses on offer at the college has been recognised. Their hard work led to a highly successful open day and the college meeting student recruitment targets for the year.”

Last year, Edinburgh College achieved a silver award in the Internal Communications category and bronze in the Event category in the CDN Marketing Awards 2014.

‘Outstanding’ new Principal for Edinburgh College

Former teacher Annette Bruton is unanimous choice

Edinburgh College is delighted to announce Annette Bruton as its new principal, to lead it into a thriving future and ensure more people can change their lives through education. She will lead the ambitious long-term growth of the college as it develops new opportunities for students, staff and businesses to excel, supporting a prosperous economy.

East Lothian-born Annette, currently chief executive of the Care Inspectorate, has extensive experience and expertise in education, originally training and working as a geography teacher, and later moving into learning support and special educational needs.

She joined HM Inspectorate of Education in 2001 and became its chief executive in 2005. In 2009, she took up the role of director of Education, Culture and Sport at Aberdeen City Council, where she worked until joining the Care Inspectorate in 2012. As chief executive of the Care Inspectorate, Annette oversaw the successful merger of three organisations into a single body.

The college Board appointed Annette as principal at its meeting yesterday (Tuesday 10 February), following a rigorous recruitment process. She will take over from interim principal Dr Elaine McMahon and will be in post before the start of the next academic year.

Ian McKay, chair of the Board of Edinburgh College, said: “Annette was the unanimous choice of the Board to become the new principal and we’re delighted she accepted the role.

“She has had a highly distinguished career in public service as well as extensive expertise and experience in education. Throughout the selection process she proved her strategic understanding, her sound judgement and her commitment to promoting lifelong learning.

“As a former teacher she has great empathy for the needs of students and staff, and the importance of ensuring they are all supported to succeed throughout their education and professional lives.

“I’m certain that she will provide excellent leadership to steer the college throughout the next crucial period of its development, and I’m very much looking forward to working with her.”

Annette said: “I am honoured to take up this post and look forward to meeting new colleagues, both staff and students.

“Edinburgh College plays a pivotal role in the life of the capital and well beyond. Its links with schools, universities and employers give real meaning to lifelong learning and empower thousands of students with new skills each year.

“Having dedicated most of my career to education at all levels, I look forward to making a further contribution to providing high-quality learning and the opportunities that gives to the whole community and the economy of our region.”

Edinburgh College interim principal Elaine McMahon added: “Since the merger, Edinburgh College has taken significant steps forward and I am delighted that Annette will take the college on this exciting new journey; she is an outstanding choice.

“In my time here it’s been an absolute privilege to fulfil the role of interim principal, and Annette will find that she’s working with extremely talented people who are committed to giving our students an amazing education.”

Edinburgh College formed in October 2012 following the merger of three Edinburgh further education colleges. It is now more than two years into a five-year change programme, with ambitious plans to grow by 20 per cent by 2017 and create more opportunities for people to engage in further and higher education. It aims for every student to achieve a positive destination, and to develop a college culture that creates educators for the future.