STV provides FAST support for family school project

Save the Children has received over £177,000 from the STV Appeal 2013 to deliver its Families and Schools Together (FAST) programme across Scotland.

Families and Schools Together (FAST) is an award-winning, family focused programme that brings together parents, children, teachers and the wider community to make sure children get the support they need to fulfil their potential at school and in life.

The eight week programme, aimed at parents, carers and children aged three to eight, has been proven to help children achieve more in schools and improve family relationships and links between home, school and the local community.

The programme is entirely voluntary and open to all families, with typical activities including singing, family games, imaginative play, and sitting down together to eat a family meal. It provides a fun and relaxed space for families to experience a mixture of play and learning activities, hands on coaching and support for parents and carers.

FAST was originally developed in the US by Professor Lynn McDonald and runs in partnership with Middlesex University throughout the whole of the UK. Funds from the STV Appeal will allow Save the Children to run FAST in 20 schools and six local authorities across Scotland, potentially reaching over 800 children.

The STV Appeal was set up in 2011 by STV and The Hunter Foundation and in 2013 the Wood Family Trust pledged its support to the Appeal. Now in its third year, the STV Appeal has raised a total of £5.8million which has been invested in 163 big and small community projects across all 32 local authority areas in Scotland, helping over 18,000 children. Every penny raised stays in Scotland and goes directly towards helping the children who need it most.

One in five children across Scotland live in poverty – and for some communities that figure is even worse. In parts of the country every second family is living in poverty meaning that in every community there will be a family struggling to feed its kids, a family struggling to clothe them in the winter, a family struggling just to make ends meet. The STV Appeal works in communities all over Scotland helping those young people and giving them the same opportunity that other children take for granted. Working at a local level, the STV Appeal has helped projects in every local authority.

Neil Mathers, Save the Children’s Head of Scotland, said: “FAST has been phenomenally successful in Scotland and the feedback we get from schools and parents is always so positive. More families than ever are keen to be involved this year and with the help of STV Appeal, we will be able to make this happen.

“It’s clear from visiting each FAST programme how much children enjoy the activities and time spent with their families and that this has a positive impact on how they view school.”

Rob Woodward, STV CEO and trustee of the STV Appeal, said: “The third year of the STV Appeal has been our most successful yet. With the help of our generous supporters and fantastic fundraising efforts taking place right across Scotland we have now raised over £5.8m. The money donated to the STV Appeal stays right here in Scotland and will help make a real difference to the lives of vulnerable children and young people on our doorstep.”

Sir Tom Hunter, trustee of the STV Appeal, said: “The STV Appeal is for Scotland by Scotland’s people who truly have stepped up to support our work in trying to beat the horror that is child poverty here in Scotland. This is a long haul but at the end of the day we can and we will eradicate the impacts poverty has on Scotland’s young people. Every single penny we raise goes directly to tackling the issue of child poverty across all of Scotland something I’m really proud of.”

Sir Ian Wood, trustee of the STV Appeal, said: “This is the Wood Family Trust’s first year of involvement with the STV Appeal to help tackle the issue of child poverty in Scotland. We are delighted to be part of the fundraising endeavours of so many, which have enabled the distribution of such significant financial support to local projects in our own communities. We are optimistic that with the generous total raised by supporters of the STV Appeal, combined with the on-going hard work and dedication seen in communities across Scotland, the lives of children and young people affected by poverty in Scotland can, and will, be changed for the better.”

FAST has already proved to be a great success in North Edinburgh – see the ‘FAST work at Craigroyston’ NEN blog post in March 2012. The STV Appeal grant will now enable FAST to be delivered in new areas in Dundee, Edinburgh, Fife, Glasgow, West Dunbartonshire and Renfrewshire.

Places available on Childcare Academy course

Fancy a career in childcare? There are still some places left on the North Edinburgh Childcare Academy course starting later this month …

Edinburgh College: the right course for you

Edinburgh College Open Days this week:

SQA Star Awards for Edinburgh College

Edinburgh College has won two prestigious prizes at a national education awards ceremony, recognising its strong links with industry and outstanding achievements in innovation.

At the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) Star Awards last night, the East Lothian Hospitality and Tourism Academy – a partnership between Edinburgh College, Queen Margaret University and East Lothian Council – won a Highly Commended Award in the Partnership category. The college also won a Highly Commended Award in the Innovation category for a scheme providing industry mentors for students.

The annual SQA Star Awards honour inspirational achievements and commitment from colleges, schools and training organisations across the country.

The East Lothian Hospitality & Tourism Academy caught the judges’ attention because of its close links with industry partners and the benefits these relationships can bring to young people. The academy has benefited from vital support from large hotel groups such as Marriott, Jurys Inn, Novotel, Mercure and Macdonald hotels and resorts, as well as Edinburgh’s own luxury hotel Prestonfield and the Royal Mile’s Fraser Suites.

The initiative, which is now in its second year, exposes young people to the wealth of jobs in hospitality and tourism industries by giving 16-18 year olds the chance to train at college, university and in industry. The success of its first year attracted government funding of £4.6m, which has seen the initiative expand to many more schools across Edinburgh and East and Midlothian, and the Scottish Borders and include other areas such as health and social care and creative industries. Queen Margaret University and Edinburgh College are partners in all the new academies.

Ray McCowan, vice principal at Edinburgh College, said: “We are thrilled to have been recognised by the SQA Star Awards. The academy is a pioneering project and has been a great success.

“The academy represents partnership working at its very best. It brings together the vision of two educational organisations and a local council, as well as harnessing industry expertise. The college realises the vital importance of strong links with industry and it’s partnerships like these that give our students the vital experience and skills to succeed in a highly competitive industry.”

In its first year, 30 out of 34 students successfully completed the academy. Of the 30 successful students, 18 continued to study the HNC in sixth year, four moved to Edinburgh College to study the SVQ2 in Professional Cookery and eight took up employment in the industry. There are now 163 students across all of the academies in Edinburgh and the Lothians in the fields of creative industries, health and social care, cookery and food science and nutrition, with a new academy planned for engineering.

The college has a number of successful graduates within the field of hospitality and tourism, including James Thomson OBE, owner of Prestonfield House.

Celebrating Edinburgh College’s other honour, Visual Communication lecturer Helena Good said: “We are absolutely delighted to have won the Highly Commended Award at the SQA Star Awards. Our mentoring programme was established to develop a strong working relationship between our students and industry and it’s brilliant that it has been recognised in this way.

“Before the mentoring programme was introduced, the first contact that students had with industry wasn’t until their end-of-year exhibitions. Now we are introducing our students to the key players in leading design agencies from an early stage. This gives them an invaluable experience in working with professionals throughout their course and an insight into how the industry works.”

Helena added: “Since the mentoring programme began, we have won more than a dozen national and international awards including the Scottish Marketing Student of the Year for a second year in a row and four D&AD (Design and Art Direction) nominations, the creative industry’s flagship awards. One of our student’s work was also commissioned by the music brand Goji and is now being sold on high streets across the UK.

“As the initiative gains success, it has attracted more interest from industry. Our work placement programme has become much easier to manage because so many of our recent graduates have secured good agency positions and are a testament to the employability of the students we produce.”

SQA chief executive, Dr Janet Brown, said: “Once again I have been overwhelmed by the quality our finalists’ achievements. Some have overcome challenging personal circumstances and defied expectations while others have shown incredible initiative and commitment to succeed in their chosen disciplines.

“More than ever, qualifications are an essential component of an individual’s successful progress from education and training into further study and employment. Our Star Awards ceremony is an opportunity to congratulate learners on their achievements but also acknowledge the fantastic work of our centres – schools, colleges, training providers and employers who deliver our qualifications – and the people who give learners the guidance and encouragement they need to realise their potential.”

Parents can go back to skool tomorrow

Edinburgh’s primary schools are opening their doors tomorrow (5 November) as part of a campaign to get parents to send their children to their local catchment school. Primary Schools Open Day will allow parents with pre-school age children to have a look around and learn more about their local school.

A concerted campaign by the Council resulted in the lowest ever number of parents making out of catchment requests last year as more families sent their child to their local school, and parents should be aware as birth rates continue to rise there is less space in schools which means fewer placing requests will be granted.

Councillor Paul Godzik, Education Convener urged parents to choose their local school and support their local community. He said: “I’d encourage parents to go along and see their catchment school for themselves next week. Sending children to their local school can have many benefits for parents, children and the community where they live.

“A great example is Castleview Primary School which in a recent inspection by Education Scotland was rated as one of the best primary schools in the country.

“More and more families are realising the positive benefits catchment schools offer as shown by the record low number of placing requests last year. I think there is also a growing recognition that the days where you could choose which primary school you wanted your child to go to have gone.

“Next week’s open day is a fantastic opportunity to pop in and have a look around and see your local school in operation. Staff will be on hand to show-off some of the great work taking place as all of our schools offer a high quality education.”

Any parents with children under primary school age are welcome to attend and parents who may be thinking of moving into an area may also find it useful.

Further information on catchment schools and the Open Day, including times for the different schools, can be found on the Council’s website www.edinburgh.gov.uk/primaryschoolsopenday

Drama to educate pupils on fireworks danger

An informative play about the dangers of misusing fireworks will be performed to around 1,500 pupils in schools across Edinburgh during the run up to Guy Fawkes night. TOAST shows pupils how dangerous fireworks can be, as well as raising issues such as peer pressure, bullying and managing aggression.

The production involves two actors playing 11 different characters, with the scene shifting between a hospital, a home, a school and a housing estate. The principal character is drawn into an ill-fated escapade with stolen fireworks, with ultimately tragic consequences.

The play, originally commissioned by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) in Northern Ireland, has been adapted for Edinburgh and is being staged by the Strange Theatre Company. It lasts for 30 minutes and has been organised by staff working in the City of Edinburgh Council’s West Neighbourhood Office.

It will run until Friday (1 November) and will be performed to all S2 pupils in sixteen Edinburgh schools, including locally at Craigroyston – approximately 1,500 young people aged between 12 and 13 will see the drama.

The weeks leading up to Bonfire Night are a time of increased complaints to police and councillors about excessive fireworks noise, with elderly people, the very young and domestic pets often left particularly distressed by fireworks noise.

Councillor Lesley Hinds, Environment Leader, said: “Guy Fawkes night is great fun and families enjoy the spectacle of fireworks as the nights get darker. However, fireworks can be extremely dangerous if handled improperly.

“The play ‘Toast’ is an excellent way of helping young people understand the risks and dangers of misusing fireworks. We will be carrying out test purchasing in shops where fireworks are on sale to make sure that retailers are adhering to the legislation.”

William MacDonald, Group Commander for The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Bonfire Night is the busiest time of year for the fire service and we are urging parents and carers to be mindful of the potential risks from fireworks and the need to heed fire safety advice to ensure this year’s Guy Fawkes celebrations stay safe.

“We work closely with partners agencies including the City of Edinburgh Council to raise awareness of the risks and dangers associated with bonfires and fireworks as well as delivering fire safety advice to schoolchildren across the area. Toast, which highlights the dangers associated with fireworks, is an excellent example of this type of initiative. “Every year, hundreds of people in the UK are injured by fires and misusing fireworks which are very similar to explosives. Most at risk are unsupervised children, particularly those who play with fire or who get too close to bonfires. We want everyone to enjoy this time of year but to stay safe and advise they stick to supervised bonfires and firework displays.”

A new career in childcare?

Into Childcare Nov 13 Publicity

We are now recruiting to our Into Childcare Course which will start on Wednesday 6 November and we are holding an information drop in session this

Thursday (24 October) between 10 – 11.30am.

If anyone is interested in coming along please contact me directly to book a place.

Kim Weir (Training Administrator)

North Edinburgh Childcare, 18b Ferry Road Avenue, Edinburgh, EH4 4BL

Tel: 0131 311 6931 Fax: 0131 315 4420

www.northedinburghchildcare.co.uk

Scottish Government announces more support for students

College bursaries and undergraduate student loans will increase and support for postgraduate students on eligible courses will be made available as part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to put more money in students’ pockets.

Investment of over £100 million in college bursaries will deliver an increase in line with inflation. Undergraduate student loans will increase by £250 a year, bringing the minimum income for those from the lowest income households to £7,500.

Scottish domiciled postgraduate students undertaking eligible supported courses, a majority of which cover STEM subjects which are in demand from employers, will be able to apply for a loan of up to £4,500 a year to help with living costs from 2015-16. This is in addition to the current loan available as a contribution towards the cost of tuition.

Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning Michael Russell said: “Providing protection from inflation for further education student support in the next academic year was a key priority for students. Our response will see the value of the total college bursaries package rise to around £105 million.

“For higher education students, we scrapped tuition fees, introduced a minimum income of £7,250 – which will now rise to £7,500 – for students from the lowest-income households and have provided what NUS describe as ‘the best package of student support in the UK.

“Today’s announcement to increase bursaries and loans builds on these commitments. College students will be better off while undergraduate students at university will have access to an extra £250 per year. Scottish domiciled postgraduate students on eligible courses will now be able to apply for a loan of up to £4,500 to help meet the cost of their living expenses.

“We want students in Scotland to be able to study for the qualification that suits their ability and ambition. These changes will help make that a reality and improve the life chances and employability of young Scots delivering real benefits to the Scottish economy in future.”

Author Matt Cartney enthralls Craigroyston

Author and adventurer Matt Cartney (pictured below) visited Craigroyston High School on Friday (4 October) to talk to the S1 pupils.

He entertained us all for 90 minutes with tales of his adventures to Morocco and Norway that were the inspiration for his first two novels in the Danny Lansing adventure series: ‘The Sons of Rissouli’ and ‘Red, White and Black’. Matt gave us an insight into how his love for adventure has been with him since childhood, and that he wanted to write the sort of books he loved reading as a boy.

The pupils sat enthralled for an hour, before quizzing Matt with a series of penetrating questions – we found that Tin Tin was his favourite book at school, though he also loved books by H. Rider Haggard and Arthur Ransome. It can take him a year of researching and travelling before he starts to write a book. He has also taken some of his childhood friends and used them as the basis for Danny’s friends. We found out that of all the countries in the world that he has visited, his favourites are Morocco, Tibet and New Zealand.

His next novel due out in 2014 will be set in a tropical jungle and the fourth Danny Lansing adventure – which he has just started – will be set in Russia.

Well, we can’t wait to read these when they are published!

Craigroyston Community High School

Congratulations, Craigie!

New Head Teacher plans to build on best ever exam results

Craigroyston Community High School has once again produced an excellent set of exam results – the results this year are the best ever achieved by the school.

New Head Teacher Steve Ross puts this down to a real commitment in the school towards attainment: ‘My predecessor, Margaret Russell, encouraged and motivated pupils and staff to aim high – and this is exactly what they have done.’

There were twice the number of Higher passes this year compared to 2012 and 100% of the S4 cohort achieved the minimum standard set by the Scottish Government of 5 passes at Access 3 or Foundation level, a figure that will be the envy of many other schools in the region and beyond.

Steve Ross is excited by the positive momentum this has created within the school: ‘What a fantastic position to be in! I have to say that I have been genuinely impressed by the standards in my new school. In my career I have taught in, and visited, many schools. The teaching and learning that is going on here is of a very high standard indeed. I am so fortunate to have a staff (teaching and non–teaching) that want the very best for the pupils.

“I would like to pass on my appreciation to parents and carers for their commitment to the school uniform – on the first morning the pupils returned to school I was blown away by the standard of dress – as good as any other school and better than a fair few.’

As well as having high expectations for all pupils in the school, Steve is keen to listen to the pupil voice: ‘One of the first things I’ve done is set up meetings between myself and pupils and asked them three questions:

What’s good about the school?

What’s not good about the school?

What would you like to see changed?

I’ll be feeding back replies to all pupils, staff and parent council and from there we’ll construct an action plan to address issues raised. It’s very important to me that the young people here feel they have a role in driving the school to even greater success in the future.’

‘I plan to hold an open evening in the school in the near future and will be inviting all parents, carers and community members to come along so we can talk about the way forward for Craigroyston Community High School and it’s young people.’

Good luck in your new post, Steve