Tag: education

Flora’s pupils take the active option

Flora Stevenson Primary School’s approach to physical education has attracted the attention of university researchers. Pupils at the Comely Bank school have opted for daily physical activity – with ‘remarkable’ results – and the successful initiative will now be rolled out to more local schools.

Over the past two years extra training has been provided for teachers and pupils have been given opportunities to be active daily.  This approach has made a significant impact on pupils who are showing an increase in confidence, motivation and self-esteem, as well as physical ability.

Since 2011 the school has been working with Winning Scotland Foundation and The City of Edinburgh Council who have provided a variety of support and funding for the initiative.

Pupils receive PE lessons three days a week and an active class challenge for their ‘non-PE’ day. The week culminates with the opportunity for them to participate in an optional hour of physical activity on a Friday – incredibly nearly 80% of all pupils now choose to participate in active options which include a wide variety of activities from fencing to football and hip-hop to tae kwon do.

Edinburgh University has been so impressed with this approach it is studying the impact it is having on training teachers within their own school.

Councillor Paul Godzik, Education Convener said, “This project has really had remarkable results so far.  Alongside the great uptake of activities at school and the positive impact this is having on pupils, many are now choosing to partake in sports outwith school time.  This means they are more likely to be physically active regularly and continue to be so in the long-run; this is an invaluable lifestyle change for them.  This is a great example of how working with other organisations can lead to positive change.”

The project has allowed Flora’s to work closely with parents and other schools within the local community, one of which is Broughton High School (one of three school based Community Sports Hubs in Edinburgh). Sport can play an extremely important role in assisting children’s transition from Primary School to Secondary school.

Angela Hutt, PE Specialist at the school is delighted that her initial idea was developed and came to fruition thanks to the support and commitment of Shelagh Dow, Depute Head Teacher and her fellow teachers.  Angela said; “The Curriculum for Excellence had given us the flexibility to provide pupils with opportunities to be active daily.  As Friday’s activities are a reward for good behaviour we are seeing a positive impact on behaviour throughout the week.  This is an ambitious project and wouldn’t be possible without support.  A big thanks to everyone who has worked with us on this.”

Morag Arnot of Winning Scotland Foundation said, “This project has had a remarkable affect on the children involved and believe it could act as a blueprint for getting every child in Scotland active every day.  We have been pleased to be able to support the project since its inception.  We look forward to seeing how the project continues to develop across other schools and the impact it can have on more children.”

Cath Morrison, Senior Health Policy Officer, NHS Lothian said, “The advantages of children being physically active are well known but what Flora’s has done is package it up in such a way that it becomes part of their everyday life and influences behaviour outwith that time also.  We are proud to be able to fund this programme and look forward to working with new schools on future projects also.”

Additional funding from Winning Scotland Foundation & the NHS has allowed the project to continue this year at Flora’s and to be introduced to Stockbridge Primary.  It is hoped to further extend it to the remaining two cluster schools in August next year.

 

Primary care – Travel Safe Charter launched

A new resource to help improve road safety education has been launched in primary schools across Edinburgh, the Lothians and Scottish Borders. The Travel Safe Charter is a unique approach to promoting safe road practises to young people, seeking a commitment from schools and other agencies to develop curricular activities and partnership working.

Scotland’s national Road Safety Framework aims to reduce road deaths by 50 per cent through 2020 and the Travel Safe Charter has been designed to promote these key visions to all Pl – P7 year groups within our schools. The Charter provides advice and guidance on a range of policies, practices and procedures while encouraging and rewarding individual efforts. It will fit within the existing Curriculum for Excellence framework.

Travel Safe will reinforce and consolidate current good practices, whilst highlighting partnership working, parental input and involvement from the local community. All schools will submit evidence demonstrating that they have achieved the goals set within the Travel Charter framework and will be acknowledged accordingly through the award of a Charter certificate. The schools adjudged to be meeting these criteria will be given Travel Safe accreditation, which will be reviewed after three years.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill showed his support and helped launch the campaign at Duddingston Primary School yesterday.

Police believe Travel Safe will be a very useful tool to ensure a more sustainable approach to road safety education in primary schools. Chief Inspector Jim Royan from Lothian and Borders Police Safer Communities said: “As part of the Edinburgh Road Safety Partnership’s commitment to education, the Travel Safe Charter has been introduced to assist primary schools developing road safety education as a more vital part of the curriculum. Too many lives are lost needlessly on our roads each year and the earlier we can educate young people on road safety issues the better.

” School is where children receive the vast majority of their education and it’s appropriate for schools to play a key role in promoting road safety to their pupils. However, they are not alone in this project and police and partner agencies will provide all the necessary support and guidance schools require when adapting their curricular programme. We are also keen to get parents more involved and would encourage anyone who would like to assist with road safety education to respond to local school appeals for volunteers.”

Duddingston Depute Head Teacher Sara Webster said: “We are very excited about being part of the new Travel Safe Charter. Road safety is a skill for life which we feel is part of our responsibility asking children to assess and manage risk to protect themselves in the 21st century.”

Goodbye, Telford – hello, Edinburgh!

 

Telford no more, but new College is a class apart!

The vision to create a bigger, better and stronger college that will serve Edinburgh and the Lothians long into the future became a reality today with the launch of Edinburgh College. The new College is set on a clear path to provide improved opportunities and outcomes to everyone who walks through its door – and in turn help to kick-start the regional and national economy by delivering skilled people to those industry sectors where Scotland enjoys a competitive advantage.

New Principal Mandy Exley said the potential of Edinburgh College, both for students and for Edinburgh and Lothians, is limitless. She said: “This is a significant landmark in the history of education provision in Edinburgh and the Lothians. By being bigger and better, we can combine strengths and resources to give our students high quality skills that will allow them seize life-changing opportunities. Equally we will work hand in hand with businesses to ensure we are not just providing a curriculum of varied courses – but are actually focused on training future staff to work in those key industry sectors where there is high demand or in those sectors which have been identified as growth areas for Scotland. We want to be an economic powerhouse for the Edinburgh and Lothian region – helping to drive growth and prosperity to benefit both the local and national economy.”

The creation of Edinburgh College also marks the end of an era for three of Edinburgh’s most recognisable educational institutions – the College being a product of the merger of Edinburgh’s Telford College, Jewel & Esk College and Stevenson College.

Edinburgh College, which as a £60m business makes it the biggest FE college in Scotland, will accommodate more than 35,000 students – the biggest student body in Edinburgh. The College will employ around 1300 staff operate from four main campuses; Granton, Sighthill, Milton Road and Midlothian.

Mandy added: “In many respects today’s launch is just a start of a journey. We know there is a lot of hard work ahead to deliver our vision for the college. However, the depth and breadth of our staff talent and resources is enormous. By working together and ensuring staff and students play a key role in the decision-making, we can make Edinburgh College a real success story; a college that is inclusive, innovative and excellent. We know that this is a sad day for some as three institutions from Edinburgh’s educational landscape disappear. However, as Edinburgh College starts to deliver on its aims, I am confident it will become a name that will have real resonance across Scotland, the UK and internationally.”

The college in particular will look to focus on developing and promoting ‘centres of excellence’ in key learning fields; including engineering and construction (particularly renewables), hospitality and tourism services, creative industries, service industries, care professions and performing arts.

Ian McKay, Chair (Elect) of Edinburgh College, said the new Board will be looking to set the management team some tough targets both in the first year, and more crucially, in 2013-14, which will see the new college’s first full curriculum being rolled out.

He said: “Edinburgh College will be challenged to support economic growth by delivering the right people for real jobs through a high quality and evolving curriculum. It has an enormous role to play in offering hope and opportunity to our young people and providing the skills needed to benefit the regional and national economy. To achieve that, we will be looking to agree a series of objectives matched against positive outcomes that the college team can be measured against to ultimately demonstrate that Edinburgh College can deliver on its promises.”

Education Secretary Michael Russell said: “As one of Scotland’s largest colleges, Edinburgh College will have a key role to play across the country and particularly in Edinburgh and the Lothians. I believe it will offer new and greater opportunities for students and help make sure they have the skills and knowledge they need for jobs in the area. I know a lot of work has been required to deliver the new college and I am confident the college, staff and students will reap the rewards of this.”

Named after one of Scotland’s finest civil engineers, Telford College opened on Crewe Road South in 1968. The former Ainslie Park Secondary School was added as an annexe as the College population grew and space became an issue, and the College moved to it’s present – and final – custom-built home on Granton’s waterfront in September 2006.

Council ‘inciting racism’, warns local mum

Royston Primary School closed despite community campaign

A local mum has reacted angrily to news that the city council may have to extend Granton Primary School – just a year after closing nearby Royston. Mandy Eng has written to education chiefs to express her disgust and also to warn that blaming migration for increasing school rolls could ‘make a volatile situation much worse’. 

Earlier this month, Councillor Paul Godzik, Convener of Education, Children and Families, explained the rationale behind another review of school buildings. He said: said: “One of our earliest coalition decisions was to set up a cross-party Forum on Children and Families Estate Evaluation. Parents, union and church representatives have also been invited to participate. By doing this we aim to discuss the issues in an open way from the very start of the decision making process.”

The council believes that while some of the issues are longer term and can be addressed over a number of years, immediate action may be required for five schools – Balgreen, Granton, Trinity, Victoria and Wardie – to ensure they can provide places for their catchment population in August 2013, and plans to build ‘high quality extensions if required to support parents who wish to send their child to a catchment school.’

Councillor Godzik continued: “Thriving schools like Sciennes and Stockbridge Primary schools are delivering first class education, even though space is at a premium. I think it is only right with the predicted rise in school rolls that we consider reviewing GP space across the city.”

Education leaders cite a combination of rising birth rates, migration and economic factors for causing a 5% rise in the city’s primary school population this year and an estimated rise of a further 19% by 2019. However Mandy Eng, parent of a child at Granton Primary, believes there is also another reason – school closures. In a letter to Director of Education Gillian Tee, she said:

‘I am a parent of a pupil at Granton Primary School and have just received a letter from you entitled “Rising Rolls in Primary Schools” and am absolutely furious in regard to its content.

You state that the reasons the school is under pressure to accommodate pupil numbers is “due to a combination of rising birth rates, migration and other economic factors” and this will require you to look at increasing the number of classrooms in the coming year.  However, no where do you mention that one of the other catchment schools in the area, Royston Primary, was demolished last year which would easily have accommodated this rise in number of pupils.  Having failed to acknowledge this I feel you are not taking any ownership of an issue that has obviously arisen through lack of foresight from Children and Families Dept.

I attended all of the public meetings to save Royston Primary School from closure and I myself pointed out to your representatives at the first meeting that their figures on birth rates did not equate, then again at the second meeting when the “altered” figures STILL did not equate and was then surprised to see that the slide in relation to these figures had been omitted from further presentations from yourselves.  Were the Council so desperate to close Royston and use its running costs and the sale of the land to plough elsewhere into the Council that they brushed the birth rate figures under the carpet or are your analysts incapable of working out simple projected figures?  To now be looking at spending public money on extending Granton only one year since Royston’s closure is both appalling and unacceptable.

Also by apportioning blame to “migration” I feel you are causing a feeling of resentment to the migrants in our community and I go as far as to say that the Council is inciting racism and making an already volatile situation in some areas much worse.  Already I have heard parents say that it is due to the amount of foreign children coming into the area that their child may not get a place in their catchment school and I have been forced to remind them that if we still had Royston School then this situation would never have arisen.

I am keen to know why the Council did not take information on the projected number of school age children in the area, that was easily obtainable at the time of the decision to close Royston, into consideration and who is going to take responsibility for this MASSIVE error?’

Mandy Eng told NEN: “I feel that it is something that needs to be brought to the attention of the community, and everyone needs to be made aware that there is a possibility that their child may not get a place at the school – not through “migration”, but through the council’s decision to close Royston School.”

The council is expected to Ms Eng’s letter in due course.

 

 

 

New Edinburgh College seeks talent for Board

Influential and inspirational individuals are being invited to help the new Edinburgh College play a key role in defining the future of further education in Edinburgh and the Lothians. Edinburgh College, the product of a merger of Edinburgh’s Telford College, Jewel & Esk College and Stevenson College Edinburgh, is looking to attract the best talent possible to join its Board of Management.

The College,a £60m business and the biggest FE college in Scotland, will accommodate more than 35,000 students – the biggest student body in Edinburgh – when it opens on October 1.

Ian McKay, Chair (Elect) of Edinburgh College, said Board members will contribute to the leadership and control of the new College, driving forward improved learning opportunities that will benefit Edinburgh and Lothians specifically, and Scotland, in general.

He said: “The new Edinburgh College is set on a course to change the face of further education in Edinburgh and the Lothians. We want to deliver better opportunities and outcomes for learners, which will support economic growth both locally and nationally by providing industry with the right people for real jobs. We know Edinburgh and the Lothians boasts some of Scotland’s most skilled and talented people – captains of industry, innovators, community champions and such like. How great it would be, therefore, to have some of this incredible talent pool join us as we start this exciting journey with Edinburgh College.”

The new College welcomes applicants from all walks of life and is particularly keen to hear from candidates with skills and expertise in: community and educational leadership, industry and commerce, finance, marketing, international education and IT.

Edinburgh College will consist of four main campuses employing more than 1,500 staff; Granton (formerly Edinburgh’s Telford College), Sighthill (formerly Stevenson College Edinburgh) and Milton Road and Midlothian (both formerly Jewel & Esk College).

The selection  process for Board members is being launched this week with a view to  appointments being made within the next 6-8 weeks.

Requests for further information and applications should be made to amanda.hood@edinburghcollege.ac.uk.

Anne Frank Exhibition at Craigroyston High School

Craigroyston Community High School has been chosen by the Anne Frank Trust to host the Anne Frank Exhibition.  This very special and moving exhibition explains the background to the rise of Nazism, interspersed with personal photos from the Frank family album.

The guides to this interactive exhibition are Craigroyston S2 students who have been trained to lead visitors round the exhibition.

The aim of the Anne Frank Exhibition is to promote positive attitudes, and respect differences through learning about the life and tragic death of Anne Frank.

The exhibition is on now and will run until Friday 14 September. The guided tour will last no longer than 30-40 minutes, conducted by our guides in the assembly hall in Craigroyston Community High School.

Please contact the school to make a booking during the school day for your guided tour. There is also an open session on Tuesday 11th September between 4 pm – 7 pm – there is no need to book this session.

If you would like further information please contact myself in school or call 477 7801.

L. Broatch

(Acting Curriculum Leader of Social Subjects)

Stamp of approval for Forthview project

Forthview Primary School’s P5A class is collecting stamps to raise money for charity – and they could use your help.

New teacher Ian Holden explained: “Since the holidays we’ve carried out some learning about stamps and the Olympics and on Tuesday we were visited by Roberto Catto, the General Secretary of the Edinburgh Philatelic Society. Roberto brought in his collection of London 2012 stamps, including all the stamps issued by Royal Mail following on from Team GB Gold medals.”

Ian went on: “The class will also be collecting used stamps which we will then sell to an auctioneer and give the raised funds to a charity of the children’s choice (not yet decided). If NEN readers would donate any used stamps to Forthview Primary School – for care of Mr Holden and P5a – we would be very much obliged.”

So don’t throw away those used stamps – drop them off at Forthview Primary in West Pilton Place – and remember, philately will get you everywhere!

Adult Education enrolment now open

CRAIGROYSTON a wide range of courses available

With the kids back to school today, what better time to think about going back to school yourself? The city council’s adult education programme offers a wide variety of courses geared to suit your circumstances – and, with venues that include Craigroyston High School and Edinburgh’s Telford College, often right on your own doorstep!

No less than 48 venues are offering courses over the next academic term, and the ever popular programme has some exotic new additions this year – how about some Bollywood dancing or Mexican Cooking to spice up your life?

With day, evening and weekend courses on offer across the city, there is a variety of subjects to choose from, including art, computing, languages, fitness, genealogy, crafts, yoga, belly dancing, wine appreciation, gardening or stress management.

Councillor Paul Godzik, Convener for Education, Children and Families said: “The amount of classes and subject matter on offer this year is absolutely fantastic, there truly is something to suit all tastes.  Some will see these classes as an opportunity to try something new or take on a hobby but they can also be a stepping stone on to further education or indeed into a new career.

“I would advise anyone who has some time to spare over the coming autumn and winter to look into what’s on offer and to secure your place sooner rather than later.”

Rajni Ravikunar, who is teaching a Bollywood Dancing class this year, says she is looking forward to classes starting   and is encouraging the public to have a go: “The classes are great fun and will give participants a chance to get fit too.  We’ll be bringing a taste of Bollywood glamour to Edinburgh, I’m really excited.”

There are a number of Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) at Higher and Unit levels being run by Stevenson College Edinburgh and Edinburgh’s Telford College. These can be taken as formal qualifications for work, college or university or simply for personal development or interest.

Courses start on 24 September except Highers which begin on 03 September. Enrolment is now open.

TELFORD offers Highers and SQA Units

 

The Edinburgh Guarantee

Ann Confrey with the third in a series of articles on Employment and Training opportunities in North Edinburgh:

The Edinburgh Guarantee

A joint initiative to improve employment opportunities and break the cycle of youth unemployment 

At almost double the adult level, youth unemployment is a growing problem in Edinburgh. Addressing this problem is one of the highest priorities for Edinburgh and the city is meeting the challenge head on with a new political coalition that is working in partnership with business.

The challenge of finding employment is significant enough for those with degrees and good exam results but for anyone without those qualifications that challenge can appear insurmountable.

The numbers tell a bleak story:

  • In the year ending September 2011, 6,000 residents of Edinburgh aged 16 to 24 were unemployed – 36% of the total number of people unemployed in the city
  • In May 2012, there were 2,845 Jobseekers Allowance claimants aged under 24 in Edinburgh – 24% of all claimants
  • Of the 3,423 pupils, who left publicly- funded schools in 2011, 423 – almost 12% – were unemployed nine months later.

So what is the City of Edinburgh Council doing to address this problem and secure a future for our young people?

When Chief Executive Sue Bruce (above) took over as Chief Executive in 2011, one statistic struck her more than any other. She said: “Of the thirty two local authorities in Scotland, Edinburgh was sitting at 32nd for providing positive destinations for its school leavers from publicly funded schools.”

“Scotland’s Capital city was at the bottom of the list when it came to getting its young people into a job, a training course or higher education. That trend had to be tackled, it had to be arrested and reversed.

“It was clear that the problem would not be solved either quickly or by the council working alone. To create an environment where school leavers would have opportunity to realise and fulfil their potential, every sector of the city would need to come together with one purpose, to galvanise business and change the landscape for the better forever.”

The result was the Edinburgh Guarantee, created to drive a cultural change that recognizes the creativity and energy that young people can bring to business, dispel the negative perceptions and unite the public, private and third sectors to achieve a common goal – A positive destination for every school leaver.

On 8 December last year a call went out to city businesses and organisations across all sectors to provide jobs, paid work experience, training or continued education for every school leaver in Edinburgh.

The call was made at a breakfast debate which brought together 120 individuals from Edinburgh businesses and organisations to discuss the ongoing issue of youth unemployment in Edinburgh and to encourage participation in the development and delivery of the Edinburgh Guarantee.

Under the Guarantee, Edinburgh City Council has committed to ensuring that “…all teenagers will have the chance to leave school with a job, work placement or apprenticeship secured in order to drive down youth unemployment to zero”.

What is the Council doing?

As a lead partner in the Edinburgh Guarantee, and as the city’s largest single employer, the Council has fully committed to taking positive action to increase the number of opportunities that it offers to young people and to provide additional targeted support to maximise their take up.

In 2011/12 it created:

  • 50 new apprenticeships in the Council using existing Modern Apprentice Framework
  • 80 new training places in the Council offering support and work experience for young people assessed as not job ready
  • 50 opportunities with Council contractors through the use of community benefit clauses

How are businesses encouraged to participate?

The Council will provide support to other employers who join the Edinburgh Guarantee through the services of a dedicated Economic Development Business Liaison Officer. (pam.peters@edinburgh.gov.uk)

The types of support available include:

  • Marketing of opportunities
  • Briefing of young people’s support agencies
  • Pre-screening of applicants
  • Practical support for young person’s transition into work eg bus passes, food vouchers etc
  • In work support for vulnerable young people
  • Training for staff to be coaches/mentors for young people
  • Sign posting to potential funding sources
  • Sharing success and best practice

Facts’n’ Figures update:

Since it’s inception in 2011

  • more than 100 businesses and organisations have joined the Edinburgh Guarantee
  • over 400 additional opportunities have been generated
  • 50 new apprentice posts have been created within City of Edinburgh Council

What does that mean for young people in North Edinburgh? Will this initiative benefit them or pass them by?

From the progress being made it certainly looks like North Edinburgh is benefitting greatly from the initiative and employers are delighted at the choice of talent in the area.

The success of local initiatives has been noticed further afield – so much so that earlier this year Craigroyston Community High School had a very high profile visitor when HRH Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay joined a number of business leaders on a ‘Seeing is believing’ visit.

As part of the visit, two local business leaders talked about their experiences of taking part in a paired reading programme every Thursday to support the school’s literacy programme.

The Duke heard all about the Employability Course – a course that offers pupils in S4 the chance to develop their skills, make the most of work experience opportunities and business mentoring.

Muirhouse Youth Development Group demonstrated how, having become a Social Enterprise, they ran a Bike Project in the school.

Scottish Champions of the ‘Formula 1 in Schools’ programme demonstrated their winning car and explained how business support had been crucial to their success.

Prince Charles visited each of these projects, and commended the links that the school and business leaders had established. He encouraged business leaders to increase their engagement with schools, and encouraged everyone to continue working towards positive destinations for all leavers.

Edinburgh’s Telford College – Junior College

“There are a huge number of young people who could excel in certain areas of employment if they were made aware of them and given access and opportunity to pursue them.“ says Principle Miles Dibsdall OBE (pictured above). Here at our Junior College students are presented with a range of courses to help them chose a route to further education or employment. The College works together with Children and Families and Economic Development teams at the Council to ensure that course planning is linked to both senior phased in secondary school and employment opportunities being created in the city.

“By understanding the areas of work in need of employees and reflecting this need in the qualifications we provide we have a good chance of making this (the Guarantee) a reality.” added Miles.

Other contributing local initiatives include Barnardo’s Works Edinburgh based close to Granton Square. The established team is about to embark on a fourth successive year delivering employment programmes across the city.

Participants of the programme go through a tailored induction to develop their employability skills before moving on to a placement with an employer whilst still able to claim benefits. Placements give the young people opportunity to demonstrate what they can bring to a business while the employer benefits from dedicated support throughout the placement period.

Employers can be part of this success – contact helen.brown@barnardos.org.uk

Facts’n’Figures: So far 40% of young people going through the Barnardo’s programme are now in independent employment across a range of sectors.

Ann Confrey

 

Stolen school files recovered

Dozens of school pupil files that were stolen from a city council worker’s home during a burglary have been recovered. The files contained information about  Broughton High, Granton and Forthview Primary School pupils who have had contact with the Education Welfare Service.

It’s understood that the data records, stolen during a break-in last month, concerned the childrens’ school attendance.

A city council spokesperson said: “The files were recovered on Wednesday after the car that had been used in the robbery was found. The files do not appear to have been tampered with and we have sent a letter out to all the families to let them know this.”