Proposals to help alleviate workload pressures faced by teachers have been announced by the Scottish Government.
Work is underway with councils and teaching unions to create a plan to reduce class contact time for teachers, which is supported by increased funding for councils of £186.5 million to restore teacher numbers to 2023 levels.
In addition, independent work will be taken forward to examine how reducing unnecessary bureaucracy in Scottish education can improve teacher workload. This will be supported by guidance from the Chief Inspector of Education.
Greater use of digital technology will also be explored to help free up teachers’ time.
Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “Scotland’s schools are responding to far greater pressures post-pandemic than they did five years ago, and this is having an impact on the teaching workload and, ultimately, children and young people.
“We recognise the pressures facing teachers, and it is absolutely crucial that we continue to support a delivery of measures to ease workloads.
“These proposals will ultimately provide teachers with additional time to prepare lessons and reduce the number of hours worked outside of the school day, enhancing their wellbeing and benefiting children and young people by providing an improved learning experience.
“Collaborative working with trade unions and local authorities is essential and we want this work to be delivered at pace.”
PENTLANDS MSP CONGRATULATES STUDENTS RECEIVING EXAM RESULTS
SNP MSP Gordon Macdonald has congratulated pupils across Edinburgh as they received their exam results.
This year’s results show a strong rise in attainment across Scotland’s schools and colleges, including for young people in the city.
More than 147,000 learners across the country received their results, with rates increasing at National 5, Higher, and Advanced Higher levels compared to 2024 and pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
The results also confirm that the poverty related attainment gap continues to narrow across all levels, demonstrating the SNP Government’s commitment to ensuring every young person can succeed, no matter their background.
Notably, a record 110,380 young people achieved vocational and technical awards in subjects such as construction, business, and hospitality, up over 22% on last year.
The SNP Government has committed to continuing its work to close the attainment gap and invest in a world-class education system that supports all learners, no matter their path.
Commenting, Gordon Macdonald MSP said: “Yesterday’s results are a huge achievement for the young people of Edinburgh and across Scotland, and a testament to the hard work of students, teachers, parents, and carers. Congratulations.
“I’m particularly encouraged to see the attainment gap continuing to close. It’s clear that SNP investment in education, from early years through to school and beyond, is delivering for our communities.
“The growth in vocational qualifications is especially welcome. It shows that our young people are gaining real skills for work and life, supported by a modern, inclusive curriculum that offers pathways for everyone, not just the traditional academic route.
“There’s more to do, but this year’s results prove that the SNP is making progress where it matters – in classrooms, colleges, and communities. I couldn’t be prouder of what our learners are achieving across the city.”
The number of students achieving passes at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher level, as well as in vocational and technical courses, has increased across Scotland this year.
The poverty-related attainment gap has also narrowed at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher level over the 2024-25 academic year, according to the results data published by the Scottish Qualifications Authority.
The number of pupils and students achieving passes in vocational and technical qualifications and awards, such as construction, hospitality and business, has reached a record high of 110,380 – this represents a year-on-year increase of 22.6% compared to 2024.
The pass rate for National 5 and Highers is also up, when compared to both last year and the pre-pandemic set of results, back in 2019, while the total number of Higher entries passed the landmark 200,000 level for the first time since Curriculum for Excellence was introduced in 2010.
Commenting, Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “Congratulations to all of Scotland’s school pupils, students and adult learners for all that they have achieved in their qualifications this year.
“These results are evidence of a strong recovery in Scotland’s schools, following the pandemic, with more passes at every level compared to last year. They are a testament to the hard work of learners, teachers and parents and carers.
“It is, furthermore, encouraging to see that the poverty-related attainment gap has narrowed at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher levels. While there is more to do, each success of every young person from the most disadvantaged areas creates a route out of poverty. These results also show the strength of Scotland’s vocational and technical qualifications, which play a key role in preparing so many young people for the future.
“I know that some young people will be disappointed with their results. I want to reassure them that there are a wide range of options and routes for success available, with support on hand throughout this week via the dedicated helpline run by Skills Development Scotland.
“Today is a chance for our young people to pause and reflect on the totality of their achievements this past academic year. I offer my sincere thanks to Scotland’s hard working teaching profession, who work to support them all, the parents and carers whose encouragement can be so instrumental to success, and to the young people themselves – well done.”
Attainment for learners across Edinburgh remain high, with record number of passes in vocational courses
Over 12,860 candidates in Edinburgh received their results from the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) today.
Attainment remains high with sustained performance when compared to 2024 across most key measures, with a significant improvement in the percentage of S4 young people achieving 5 National 5 qualifications with a grade of C or above. The results also show improvement in all measures compared to 2019 (pre-pandemic).
Passes in National Progression Awards (NPA), vocational courses equivalent to National passes, have increased, with more than 1,700 candidates attaining awards in NPA courses leading to a 61% increase in the number of passes at levels 4, 5 and 6. Qualifications were awarded in a range of subjects including stonemasonry, digital media, beauty, exercise and sport leadership and roofing.
A total of 50,923 awards were certificated for 12,864 candidates (includes special schools, adults and mainstream secondary pupils) in over 92 subjects, with an increase in the number of vocational courses offered across our secondary schools.
National 5s saw passes (A-C grades) of 80% and Highers saw passes of 78.5%, this is an increased in pass-rates for 2024 and 2019 (pre-COVID).
Education, Children and Families Convener, Councillor James Dalgleish said: “It has been fantastic to see the wide range of qualifications and awards achieved by our young people, representing the hard work, effort and commitment of learners, and our dedicated teachers and school staff.
“Each and every one of our young people’s journey and achievements are unique to them and today’s results mark the next step in their journey whether that’s to college, university, an apprenticeship or into the world of work.
“We want to provide inclusive, equitable and relevant curriculum pathways into further or higher education and to the workplace for every single learner in all of our schools.
“There is much to celebrate and be proud of in this years’ set of results and my thanks to all those who have supported our learners to this point including school staff and parents and carers.”
Alex Blues – S5 leaver -positive destination with a local building firm, said: “Practical subjects like PE, woodwork and furniture making have been the highlight of my high school experience.
“PE has taught me the value of teamwork while furniture making gave me the chance to develop hands-on skills. Both subjects offered me a chance to grow in confidence. I left school at the end of S5 and have now found employment with a local building firm.
Sneha Gadi – S5 returning to school and hoping to go to university, said: “My time at school has helped me grow into myself, supporting me not only academically but personally too.
“I’ve had many opportunities to explore what I’m interested in and get involved with my community, which has helped my confidence. After school, I’m hoping to study medicine at university and work towards a career where I can make a difference.”
Sam Easton – S5 returning to school and hoping to go to university, said:“I’ve never had a clear idea of what I want to do after school, so I’ve kept my options open, taking on subjects I enjoy in a variety different of areas.
“This year that included Maths, English, Economics, Modern Studies and Art & Design all at Higher level. This year I am hoping to do Maths, Modern Studies and Art & Design at Advanced Higher level.
“Looking forward I would like to go to university and taking Advanced Highers this year would allow me the flexibility to apply to places in England as well.
“I’d like to combine my creativity with a more academic subject if possible and in S6 I will explore how this could be achieved in different courses and opportunities that are on offer.”
Katie – S6 leaver – completed Film and Media NPA and is going on to study at university, said: “I liked that there was lots of choice of subjects and school supported our decisions.
“There were lots of resources and supports available. I’m looking forward to studying film, media and business management at university.”
Fettes College is delighted to announce the appointment of Richard Girvan, currently Principal & CEO of the Stephen Perse Foundation, as its new Head from September 2026.
In April, Fettes announced that current Head, Helen Harrison, will be retiring from the role next year, by which point she will have devoted herself to Fettes for over 30 years, serving seven years in the position of Head.
Named after its founder, Sir William Fettes, the school opened in 1870 and has around 720 students with over 300 staff. Fettes is the only school in Scotland to offer the option of A-Levels or International Baccalaureate (IB) in the Sixth Form and is a top ten IB School in the UK. Although it currently educates young people aged 7 – 18, from September it will also open a Pre-Prep and offer places to children from age five.
The Rt Hon Lady Morag Wise, Chair of the Governors, said: “We are extremely fortunate to have someone of Richard’s calibre joining Fettes.
“Our shortlist of potential candidates included experienced and excellent school leaders, all of whom were existing Head teachers. Although all of them would have been a credit to Fettes, Richard stood out from these candidates as an outstanding and visionary leader. We look forward to him building on our proud legacy and bold ambitions to lead our community and shape the future of our school as he takes Fettes forward into this new era.
“Over the next year, Richard Girvan and our current Head, Helen Harrison, both have extensive ongoing commitments leading their respective schools, which they will do to their customary high standards.
“The year we have, before the change, allows for a smooth handover process and opportunities for Richard, his wife Tessa, and their three children: Molly, Ruairi and Finn to return to Fettes and for them to meet parents, students and staff over the coming months and we look forward to welcoming them into the Fettes family.”
Richard will join Fettes from the Stephen Perse Foundation, a group of nurseries, junior and senior schools in Cambridge and Saffron Walden, where he has served as Principal since 2020.
Prior to this, Richard spent eight years as Surmaster (Head of the Senior School) at St Paul’s School in London. He joined St Paul’s directly after graduating from Cambridge, serving as a mathematics teacher, pastoral and boarding house tutor, and coach of athletics and rugby, and later as Director of Sport and Safeguarding Lead.
Originally from Belfast, Richard read Engineering at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, where he also completed his PGCE. During his time at university, he represented Cambridge in both rugby union and rugby league, earning a Blue and student international caps.
Richard currently sits on the Academy Council at North Cambridge Academy and has previously held board positions, including two as a governor.
Richard said: “My family and I are thrilled and deeply honoured to be invited to join the vibrant, friendly, full boarding community of Fettes.
“We’re beyond excited to become part of a school with such a rich history, in such a wonderful setting, and with such a community-focused spirit.
“I eagerly look forward to leading Fettes into its next chapter — one that builds on excellence and embraces opportunity.”
A public garden at the end of the Royal Mile is celebrating its fifth anniversary, having welcomed thousands of visitors and engaged hundreds of local children and adults in events and workshops since it opened in 2020.
The Physic Garden at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, located just outside the monarch’s official residence in Scotland, is a free-to-visit garden that can be enjoyed year-round by the people of Edinburgh and visitors to the Palace. Its fifth anniversary will be marked by an episode of the longstanding BBC Scotland gardening programme Beechgrove Garden, airing this week.
The Physic Garden is located beside the Palace’s Abbey Strand Learning Centre, and over the past five years, more than 360 pupils from schools both local and further afield have taken part in educational sessions, with children learning how plants were used historically as remedies to improve health and wellbeing.
A further 400 ethnobotany students,members of community gardens and nature-lovers of all ages have taken part in guided visits and events, reviving the garden’s centuries-old original purpose of teaching the medicinal properties of plants.
The Physic Garden was opened in 2020 to recreate some of the earliest recorded gardens in the Palace grounds, with three distinct sections each representing different periods in the Palace’s 900-year history.
Raised beds of herbs, flowers, and other useful plants reimagine the physic garden that was established in the Palace grounds 350 years ago by the doctors Sir Robert Sibbald and Sir Andrew Balfour, two founding members of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
Created in 1670 to teach students about the medicinal properties of plants and to provide pharmacists with fresh medicinal ingredients, the Palace’s original physic garden was the first of its kind in Scotland and the forerunner to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
The new physic garden contains medicinal and culinary plants that would have grown in the 17th-century garden, including fennel – once used to aid eyesight and as an antidote to poisonous mushrooms – and lavender, bergamot and lemon balm, used for scents, dyes and insecticides.
A flowering meadow of medicinal plants including daisies, previously used for coughs, and mallows, an old treatment for scurvy, evokes the 15th-century monastic gardens of Holyrood Abbey, once one of the grandest medieval abbeys in Scotland, the ruins of which can still be seen today on a visit to the Palace.
The third area delights in late winter and spring with crocuses and tulips planted in geometric patterns, typical of17th-century gardens. With such a variety of plants and styles, the garden has year-round appeal for locals and visitors curious to learn about local history and historic natural remedies.
Abbey Strand gardens Palace of Holyroodhouse Edinburgh.Photograph David Cheskin.
Chris Walker, Learning Manager, Royal Collection Trust, said: ‘The Physic Garden is an oasis at the end of the Royal Mile, providing a welcoming green space in the city centre where locals and visitors alike can get outside, enjoy nature and learn some fascinating local history.
‘We are delighted that almost 800 people have taken part in exciting activities where nature, science and history meet, in addition to the countless others who enjoy this free community garden every day. Like our forebears 350 years ago, we understand the benefits of spending time in nature for our physical and mental wellbeing, and we hope the garden can be enjoyed for many more years to come.’
Tying in with the anniversary, BBC Scotland’s Beechgrove Garden paid a visit to the Physic Garden, with its presenter and gardener George Anderson retracing the garden’s history alongside Emma Stead, Curator at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, and Johanna Lausen-Higgins, Garden History Lecturer at the Education department of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
In the episode, which will air on BBC Scotland and BBC Two from Thursday, 17 July onwards (Monday 21 July, 14:00 on BBC Scotland, Thursday 24 July, 06:45 on BBC Two) , Anderson discovers the historic uses of the medicinal and culinary plants still growing in the garden today, including Lady’s Bedstraw (Galium verum), used in the past to repel ticks and lice in bedchambers.
He also views a rare copy of the Hortus Medicus Edinburgensis from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’s archives – a catalogue of the 3,000 plants growing in the Physic Garden in the 1680s.
Physic garden Abbey Strand building Holyroodhouse,Edinburgh.Photograph David Cheskin.29.09.2020.
Royal Collection Trust will offer a programme of events and school sessions in the Physic Garden celebrate the anniversary:
After a tour of the garden’s flowers, florist and Royal Warrant holder Lottie Longman will show participants how to harvest foliage from the wildflower meadow to create a bouquet to take home.
After a tour of the Physic Garden, Lottie Longman will teach participants how to create beautiful wreaths of freshly picked flowers, which can be dried naturally at home.
In this outdoor learning session, pupils will learn how the canons of Holyrood Abbey lived 900 years ago, growing flowers, herbs and vegetables to eat and concoct natural remedies. Children will learn how to use quills and gather flowers, leaves and twigs to make and record their own remedy.
Available for schools to book in termtime, 2 hours
School groups will learn how Holyrood Abbey’s medieval canons grew medicinal plants to help and heal their local community, before hearing the story of the two 17th-century Scottish doctors who created the Physic Garden and making their own traditional remedy. The visit includes access to the Physic Garden, the Palace of Holyroodhouse Gardens, Holyrood Abbey, and the Abbey Strand Learning Centre.
NorthEdinburgh-based social enterprise Scran Academy has announced the official opening of its exciting new youth empowerment café at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP) – the New Sick Kids.
Scran Academy is an Edinburgh youth work social enterprise on a mission to help young people realise their full potential in learning, work and life. Set within the Edinburgh children’s hospital, the new Scran Café is a key milestone in its drive to open doors for young people in the region.
Building on four successful years running a popular café at NHS Lothian’s Comely Bank site, Scran Academy’s new café at RHCYP will provide employment and support for dozens of young people across Lothian, giving them opportunities to gain hands-on experience, develop valuable skills, and grow in confidence within a supportive work environment.
Initially employing six young people, the site will also provide a platform for hundreds of work placements and paid jobs.
The RHCYP offers world-class healthcare facilities for children and adults both locally and nationally with 600,000 staff, patients and visitors coming through its doors every year.
The bright youth-led space at Scran Café has been thoughtfully designed to offer a calm and comforting environment for both patients and their families navigating a hospital stay as well as staff taking a break from a busy shift.
Commenting on the opening, Will Bain, CEO of Scran Academy said:“Getting the keys to our Scran Café at the RHCYP is such huge step for us! We’ve got big plans to make this a brilliant, buzzing youth-led hub that brings young people’s voices and choices to life.
“Over the next 3 years our café at the RHCYP will provide work and training for over two hundred young staff and volunteers. Every one of these young people will access the opportunities, relationships and experiences needed to help them build their own futures.
“We’ve demonstrated our model through our partnership with NHS Lothian in the Comely Bank Centre, where we see dozens of young people step out of their café experiences proud, capable and ready for what’s next. Now we are ready to step it up a gear – and we are so excited to be doing it at the RHCYP, one of the most important places in our city.”
Aris Tyrothoulakis, Service Director for Women’s and Children’s at NHS Lothian said: ”We are thrilled to be welcoming Scran Café to RHCYP this summer. For our hard-working teams, patients and families alike, the new café will offer a bright and welcoming space to take some time out from the hustle and bustle of the hospital.
“NHS Lothian is proud to be an Anchor Institution. Our mission to deliver world class health and social care is complemented by our desire to make our buildings and service delivery work in ways that support community wealth building and stable, secure employment.
“Building on our partnership with Scran Academy’s successful café at our Comely Bank site, we look forward to working together to increase access to fair work opportunities for young people in the region.”
Councillor Jane Meagher said“What makes Scran and this cafe unique, is that they really live the principle that every young person has the potential, and the power, to thrive when given the right support. The young staff team here today are shaping their own futures.
“This is exactly the kind of innovative model we want to champion in Edinburgh, where employability goes hand-in-hand with wellbeing, and where young people are supported not just to work, but to feel happy, valued and confident while doing so.
“I am especially proud to know that Scran is fully integrated into the Council’s Accredited Pathways Framework for Schools, which means they are a key delivery partner in offering meaningful learning routes that equips young people right across Edinburgh with real-life experience, accredited training, and a strong sense of purpose.”
A zookeeper turned secondary school teacher is swapping the penguin enclosure for the classroom after ‘coming home’ to graduate from Edinburgh Napier University for a second time.
Having held several roles at Edinburgh Zoo, including as its head of penguins, the 33-year-old from Edinburgh developed a passion for education while putting on tours for groups of young people.
When she decided to retrain as a secondary school teacher to fit her career around her young family, Edinburgh Napier University was the only place for her.
Kirsty said: “I had done bits of education at the zoo – taking tours and showing groups of children around. I found I was becoming much more confident about speaking to large groups and started to really enjoy it. I just thought, ‘hey, I’m quite good at this!’
“Teaching is something which had been in the back of my mind for a few years. However, I’d previously spoken to friends who had done a PGDE and warned that it was challenging, so I’d put it off for a wee while.
“But then I just took the leap and left my job at the zoo.
“Edinburgh Napier was the only place I applied for, because I love it so much. I really enjoyed my time here. It was less scary because it felt like home.
“I had always thought about becoming a teacher but never had to confidence to go for it.
“Even after the first day, I knew it was the right decision. My fellow teachers are wonderful, and I feel like it is my true calling. It is an absolute dream come true.”
Part of Kirsty’s motivation to change career was the expected arrival of her second child – having welcomed her son, Artie, into the world in 2020.
Kirsty added: “When I found out I was pregnant again, I decided that I needed a better life for our children.
“I knew teacher training was going to be tough, and I was worried about telling the University about my pregnancy, but the lecturers couldn’t have been more supportive.
“I completed 6 months of the course and then had to suspend my studies when we welcomed baby Primrose. I had a full year off but kept in touch with University as I had made wonderful connections – I’d go in with Prim to meet them for coffee!
“Resuming studies was extremely intimidating. Especially since I was heading straight into my third teaching placement. But ENU was there to support me, and it was such a personal experience.”
As Kirsty graduates, she is now preparing to start work as a biology teacher at the beginning of the next school year.
“I can’t speak highly enough of the course,” she said. “We were taught how to teach, rather than just the theory of it.
“Right from week six we were in a classroom seeing how it’s done. We got so much practical experience.
“I would advise anyone like me who has had teaching in the back of their mind to go for it.”
Kirsty joined fellow students from ENU’s School of Applied Sciences in celebrating their graduation on Wednesday at the Usher Hall. Over the next three days, around 2,300 new graduates will be formally presented with their qualifications.
Edinburgh Napier launched its PGDE courses in 2018 as part of an effort to train more teachers in Scotland, and now offers students the opportunity to complete the qualification across a range of different subjects.
Scotland’s first dedicated complex needs college will receive up to £1.4 million to secure its future for the next two years.
Since launching in 2022, the Corseford College pilot has received over £1 million from the Scottish Government, which has helped to provide 35 students with complex and additional needs an opportunity for further learning beyond school.
An independent evaluation found the pilot provided valuable support to young people with complex needs. It also included key recommendations for the future model of provision in Scotland which the Government will be considering in the months ahead.
The College has now received additional funding to continue the pilot for two more years. A total of 41 young people will benefit from specialist support in the 2025-26 academic year starting in August.
Further Education Minister Graeme Dey said: “Corseford College has delivered vital support to many young people with complex additional needs since its launch three years ago. This has been recognised in an independent evaluation of the model, which is why we are securing the College’s future for another two years to ensure that its students can continue to be supported.
“We are keen to explore a sustainable approach for specialist provision going forward, and the continued pilot at Corseford will help inform this. The evaluation provided a number of important insights and recommendations which we will be reflecting on and will allow us to evolve the best possible model for the future.
“We are determined to support Scotland’s young people with complex additional needs and disabilities. Last month, we published our first national strategy that ensures young disabled people can access the help they need as they transition to adulthood. Our continued funding for Corseford will support this work.”
Capability Scotland Chief Executive, Brian Logan, said: “The Scottish Government’s funding decision following the independent evaluation is a vital endorsement of Corseford College’s pioneering approach to specialist post-school education.
“We would like to thank Minister Graeme Dey and his team for their cooperation and unwavering commitment in making this possible.
“This success reflects the dedication of the college’s staff, whose work is transforming the lives of young people with complex needs. The funding secures Corseford College’s future, but also marks a key step towards a national solution for those young people living with complex needs across the country.”
Pupils from Edinburgh primary schools swapped the classroom for beekeeping as they had the chance to visit Fort Kinnaird’s thriving beehives for a day buzzing with educational fun.
During the session, 12 pupils from Niddrie Mill Primary and Castleview Primary learned about the world of bees – including how they are essential to the local environment, how hives function, and what it takes to care for bees first-hand.
The visit was delivered in partnership with Colin Mackie of Fine Scottish Honey Ltd – a local beekeeper who has maintained the centre’s two on-site hives since they were installed in May 2024.
The experience follows a series of in-school sessions delivered by Colin in partnership with Fort Kinnaird as part of the Young Readers Programme, an award-winning initiative between its co-owner British Land and the National Literacy Trust, which aims to encourage children to read and learn outside of the classroom.
More than 230 pupils at Niddrie Mill Primary, Castleview Primary and Brunstane Primary took part in the sessions, which included honey tasting, candle rolling, creative craft activities and an interactive storytelling session. As part of the project, pupils also decorated bird boxes which are due to be installed at Fort Kinnaird.
Liam Smith, Centre Director at Fort Kinnaird, said: “We’re proud to work closely with local schools and community partners to offer educational experiences that are fun, hands-on and genuinely inspiring.
“Opportunities like this give children the chance to learn in a different way – not just by reading about nature, but by seeing it and asking questions in real time.
“It’s been brilliant to see our beehives come to life and thrive over the year to support both the centre and local community biodiversity – this is all part of our sustainability plan which includes zero waste and 98% renewable energy use.”
Young achievers from the capital are recognised for personal development beyond academic success
Ten pupils from across Edinburgh have been recognised for their exceptional personal growth, resilience, and workplace readiness as recipients of the first-ever Ken Muir Award for Exceptional Achievement—an award which celebrates the skills and attributes that go beyond exam results.
Meshaym Nadeem, Matthew Caballero, Saif Mohammad, Milo Potter, Michael Godley, Leoni Morrison, Elena Munoz, Anna Thomson, Amber Denholm and Hazel Szeto, all S5 and S6 pupils from Balerno High School, Craigroyston Community High School, Drummond Community High School, Liberton High School, Portobello High School and St Augustines RC High School in the city, were among 86 recipients from across Scotland of the inaugural Ken Muir Award.
All recipients of the coveted Ken Muir Award had successfully completed the Powering Futures Challenge Programme – a nationally-delivered course equivalent to a Higher, which supports senior-level pupils in becoming workplace ready.
While over 1,000 pupils nationally earned a formal SCQF Level-6 qualification through the process, the Edinburgh award winners impressed their teachers with their personal development throughout the programme – with winners recognised for growing in confidence, strengthening their teamwork and communication skills, and taking meaningful steps towards their future careers.
Clare Thomson, a teacher at Portobello High School, said: “We’re incredibly proud of our pupils for receiving the Ken Muir Award.
“What’s been most rewarding isn’t just seeing them earn a qualification, but witnessing the confidence, maturity and resilience they’ve developed along the way.
“They’ve learned to communicate more effectively, work collaboratively under pressure, and reflect meaningfully on their own growth.
“These are life skills that will stay with them far beyond school and into the world of work. This recognition is truly well deserved.”
Professor Ken Muir – after whom the awards are named – has played a key role in advising the Scottish Government on the future of Scottish education.
As a key contributor to the 2023 report It’s Our Future – Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment, Professor Muir has called for reforms to Scotland’s system of education to better prepare learners for the world of work.
Professor Muir said: “We need a culture shift in Scotland’s education system. Of course, grades are important – but so is working hard, reflecting on progress, and growing as a person.
“These Awards are symbolic of this shift. They celebrate personal development, resilience, communication, and teamwork. These are all critical attributes that help young people thrive in life and in work.”
The Powering Futures Schools Programme, now in its fourth year, sees pupils tackle real-life business and industry challenges in teams, developing vital meta-skills while building links with employers.
Jennifer Tempany, Co-Founder of Powering Futures, said: “These Awards highlight the often-overlooked achievements that sit beyond academic results, but which can inspire confidence and purpose in young people as they go into the world of work.
“We are proud to play our part in helping young people see their potential, and congratulate every recipient, including those from Edinburgh, for their well-earned achievement.”
