The Prince’s Trust Personal Development Award is a unique course that allows students to gain new skills, meet new people and achieve qualifications.
It lasts for 12 weeks and the next course starts on 19 April.
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Every school pupil from P6 to S6 in Edinburgh will receive their own digital device as part of an ambitious and inclusive education strategy, Edinburgh Learns for Life.
The 1:1 roll out, being carried out in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council’s ICT services provider CGI, will start from September thanks to a £17.6m boost to learning and teaching. In addition to the personal distribution additional iPads will be also be issued to P1 to P5 year groups on an agreed ratio.
Key elements of the Empowered Learning programme, which will see a phased roll out of all the devices completed by the end of 2022, include: 27,000 new iPads being issued to pupils/staff, refreshed iPads for up to 12,000 pupils/staff and expanding the wireless connectivity in schools by providing wireless access points and a comprehensive programme of professional learning for teachers.
Benefits for young people include:
The roll-out meets a key element of one of the 15 outcomes and actions from the Council’s three year business plan ‘Our Future Council, Our Future City’: ‘increasing attainment for all and reducing the poverty-related attainment gap’.
The business plan was approved by Councillors during their budget meeting on 18 February where they also agreed £8m funding for additional digital devices.
The 1:1 programme reinforces our commitment to becoming one of the world’s ‘smartest cities’ – last year Edinburgh was listed in the Smart City of Year Digital 100 shortlist following recent work by the Council, CGI and other providers to enhance connectivity and embrace new technologies.
The roll-out also meets Article 29 (goals of education) for the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child which highlights the importance of developing every child’s personality, talents and abilities to the full.
Councillor Ian Perry, Education Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “This is a really exciting project which is going to be a real game-changer for the learning and teaching in our schools.
“Giving pupils their own device has been shown to improve outcomes and result in increased engagement and motivation for our young people. It will create a learning environment which will drive higher levels of creativity also improve teacher and learner collaboration.
“The roll out will build on the skills developed by our teaching staff by having many more opportunities to use digital technology and create effective digital leadership teams in all our schools. In addition to giving pupils their own devices we’ll make sure the IT infrastructure is in place by increasing the bandwidth capacity and wi-fi connectivity in our schools.”
Councillor Alison Dickie, Education Vice Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “This 1:1 roll out fits with the three goals of Edinburgh learns for Life – to transform, connect and empower.
“Giving every young person from P6 upwards their own device, is yet another tool in the educational toolbox to support and ensure the fullest potential of every child.
“It’s so important for all our young people to have equal access as lockdown demonstrated quite starkly how some of our young people struggled because they didn’t have their own device.
“It’s essential that each learner is on a level playing field so the equity gap in Edinburgh does not widen. It will help equip all of our young people with the skills required for the modern workplace and our way of life in the digital age.”
Lindsay McGranaghan, CGI Vice President and Scotland Business Unit Lead, said: “We are delighted to be undertaking this project with the City of Edinburgh Council. We look forward to working in partnership to provide an effective and exciting digital solution for nearly 40,000 pupils and teachers.
“Empowered Learning provides a learning environment that’s engaging and inspirational. It directly tackles the attainment gap, and recognises the key role of educators in delivering a digital classroom. Through Empowered Learning, educators can create and tailor lessons to personalise learning and access new ways of bringing teaching to life.
“Above all, Empowered Learning helps educators provide learning that is richer and more rewarding for both pupils, and for their parents, while also providing the highest level of security and safety standards.”
Scotland’s leading pro-EU organisation, the European Movement in Scotland, has urged the Scottish Government to follow the Wales Government and establish its own version of the Erasmus education exchange programme.
With Brexit, the UK government has withdrawn from the EU’s Erasmus scheme, which offered student exchanges as well as school links and work experience.
Its replacement, the Turing Scheme, includes a fraction of the benefits provided to students under Erasmus+.
Free tuition and travel expenses have been scrapped, except for the most disadvantaged students and the cost-of-living allowance has been slashed by a fifth. In addition the Turing Scheme does not extend to apprentices and trainees.
The Turing scheme does not extend to staff exchanges. Funding will also not be reciprocal, meaning that international partner institutions will not be supported for any exchanges coming to the UK.
Around 2000 Scottish students and staff used Erasmus+ each year and now many will be denied the chance to study and travel in 27 other EU countries as the new scheme puts financial barriers in front of them.
In contrast, the Welsh Government said its scheme would “support, as far as possible, the entire range of activities that have been available to learners in Wales” under Erasmus+.
The new programme will fill in many of the gaps Turing leaves, including, crucially, the commitment to long-term funding, the retention of the principle of two-way exchanges and the inclusion of youth work.
Scotland attracts proportionally more Erasmus participants from across Europe – and sends more in the other direction – than any other country in the UK. Through associated youth work projects, the scheme is estimated to deliver at least £7 in value for every £1 it costs in public cash, and its value to the economy has been estimated to be worth nearly £34 million annually since 2014.
The Scottish Government had lobbied the EU for continued membership but its hopes were quashed last month by Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, who told MEPs that, as a “constituent nation” of the UK, Scotland could not rejoin. Students studying at institutions in Northern Ireland can take part in Erasmus thanks to an arrangement with the Irish government.
Mark Lazarowicz, Chair of the European Movement in Scotland commented: “The loss of Erasmus is an act of cultural vandalism and we would urge the Scottish Government to follow Wales and fill the immense gaps presented by the Turing scheme.
“Erasmus brings different countries and nationalities together and generates such massive cultural and educational benefits, its loss is a huge blow. It allowed many thousands of young people, no matter their background, to continue to improve their futures, their access to global opportunities, and their development as citizens of a connected world.
“Over 2000 Scottish students, staff and learners used the scheme each year. Indeed, Scotland attracts proportionally more Erasmus participants from across Europe – and sends more in the other direction – than any other country in the UK.
“A unilateral replacement, such as the proposed Turing scheme, will never be able to replicate the wealth of opportunities for all young people, or raise the same reciprocal benefits of the Erasmus Programme.”
A new, powerful collection of writing has highlighted the lived experiences of people living with, and tackling, poverty in their communities.
Disturbing yet timely, this collection of writing from students of the Health Issues in the Community course (HIIC) reveals the corrosive effect that poverty and inequality are having on a day-to-day basis in modern Scotland.
As a society that believes in compassion and justice, the writings act as a call to action to address inequalities and the increasing number of people being swept up in the wake of crushing poverty.
Public health specialists have drawn attention to the serious impact inequalities have – made even worse by the global health crisis brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Amidst the grim picture that is so minutely described, the writings are also witness to the power of community, of kindness, of the sense of ‘the commonweal’ that is alive in our communities.
Broadcaster and journalist Lesley Riddoch, who provided the publication’s foreword, said: “From all the grimness of lockdown and the staleness of news comes this wee gem of a collection – words from folk who live at the sharp end of life in Scotland.
“I’ve no doubt that the folk involved in this HIIC course will use the insights and comradeship they’ve gained to start moving mountains – while taking care of one another.”
Health Issues in the Community is an SQA-accredited course for adults and young people that helps students understand what affects their health and the health of their communities.
Running for more than 20 years, HIIC brings a community development approach to tackling health inequalities and reaches more than 300 participants each year.
HIIC is managed by the Community Health Exchange (CHEX) and funded by Public Health Scotland. You can learn more about HIIC here.
While the HIIC course encourages participants to widen and deepen awareness of health issues in their communities and their involvement, we cannot solve this issue alone. Political action is required by governments to ensure Scotland is no longer defined by poverty and inequality in the 21st century.
These writings provide the voices of lived experience to help make that a reality.
Fiona Garven, Director of the Scottish Community Development Centre, said: “These students’ writings are a stark reminder of the impact of poverty in communities across Scotland – and the power of people coming together to take action on the things that are important to them.
“With a firm foundation in community development practice, HIIC has been tackling health and social issues for more than 20 years. These writings act as further evidence for community-led responses to health inequalities, enabling students to explore and take action to address their own health issues and the health of their communities.”
Bill Gray, Organisational Lead, Public Health Scotland said: “Public Health Scotland is proud to have supported the development of the HIIC course and recognises the need to listen to voices from our communities has never been more important.
“Our Strategic Plan sets out a clear ambition to embed engagement with communities across all of our programmes of work and the experiences of HIIC participants, set out in this powerful new publication is an invaluable resource for anyone working to address health inequalities in Scotland.”
Edinburgh College’s Class of 2020 celebrated the enormous achievement of graduating from their courses with a virtual ceremony held last week, Friday 5 March.
Over 600 graduates from across the College’s Creative Industries, Engineering and Built Environment, Health Wellbeing and Social Science and Tourism, Hospitality and Business faculties joined virtual ceremonies hosted on YouTube.
The Class of 2020 were due to cross the stage at the city’s McEwan Hall last September, however the event had to be moved online due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Nonetheless, graduates celebrated in style and watched their ceremonies from their homes – taking in speeches from Edinburgh College Principal Audrey Cumberford, Deputy First Minister John Swinney MSP, and Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh Frank Ross, as well as seeing and hearing lots of excited and emotional well wishes from their lecturers.
Graduates and staff shared photos of their individual celebrations across social media, showing off their gowns, mortarboards and certificates while enjoying their moment with their loved ones.
Edinburgh College Principal Audrey Cumberford said: “Firstly, a huge congratulations to our Class of 2020. This day may have felt like a long time coming but each graduate has made it and, for that, they should be extremely proud of themselves.
“To graduate from any course in any year is no mean feat, but in the times in which we have been living, the achievements of our Class of 2020 are nothing short of extraordinary – my hat goes off to them.
“I would like to thank every graduate for their commitment to their studies and their determination to keep going, and for working hard with our dedicated lecturing and support teams to successfully achieve their awards.
“We’re very proud of all our graduates and wish them every success in their future – whether they go on to further study or straight into the world of work, we look forward to hearing about their achievements yet to come.”
An online school, established by Wey Education more than 16 years ago, has launched an ‘essential’ programme of English, Maths and Science support, delivered live by expert teachers, to help students across the UK recover the learning they have missed due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
These efforts align with the Government’s recovery support package which includes tutoring programmes, summer provision and recovery premiums for state schools, so that children and young people can catch up on missed learning and development opportunities.
The “InterHigh Essentials” package was developed as a way to alleviate the “pain” of families who were struggling with home schooling and remote learning. It offers young people in the local area the opportunity to enrol on its online platform and access lessons for three core subjects English, maths and science, plus tutorial, in an interactive and effective, yet easy-to-use format. The virtual lessons will be delivered live by experienced teachers who are qualified to teach online.
Developed by a team with over 16 years of experience with online teaching, students will be given opportunities to fully engage with their learning, in a virtual environment that is characteristic of how we will learn, work, and interact in the future.
For the equivalent of £12 a day, families can benefit from supplementary learning in a virtual environment while their child continues to be enrolled in their current school.
Emma Beer, an InterHigh parent who enrolled her son during Covid-19, said: “He’s more settled into a routine and is far more engaged in learning at home. During the first two weeks of schools closing, it was difficult to home educate my son and I struggled to find material online which engaged him, meaning I had to constantly sit next to him to keep an eye on what he was doing.
“The crisis has unveiled an amazing opportunity for my son to try a different approach to education.”
The programme is open to students in Key Stage 2, 3, and 4, and registration can be done individually by students, or by schools on their behalf. The team at InterHigh believe in transformative education which provides a community for students to learn wherever they feel most comfortable, supported, and engaged.
Jacqueline Danielle, CEO of Wey Education, said: “Our aim is to provide all young people with the opportunity to access an education that will inspire a lifelong love of learning – both pure and applied, and I believe we have achieved something truly remarkable over the past 17 years at Wey Education.
“Events this year have opened the eyes of many to the power and possibilities of online learning. We are excited to provide more families with the opportunity to study with us and experience our innovative and pioneering approach to teaching and learning in a virtual environment.”
Dr Sara de Freitas, Executive Director of Education at Wey Education, said: “During the pandemic, many students have missed out on parts of their education which can have long term negative impacts upon employment and mental health.
“Our new programme is designed to plug these gaps in young people’s education and provide the important learning they may have missed during the pandemic.
“We are thrilled to be able to offer this package to students as a supplementary offer and recommend it for all students that have been affected by school closures during this year and last year.”
For more information, including how to enrol, please visit:
The Automatic Vending Association (AVA) has released the results from its annual member satisfaction survey this month, highlighting widespread industry support for continued remote collaboration to deliver positive change.
The survey, which gained 68 company responses from the AVA’s 180-strong member base, also showcased an influx in internal sentiment, in that the trade body has seen a 36% increase over four years for those who would recommend AVA membership – just over 90% of respondents.
AVA members also used the annual survey to highlight the services they value most in their membership, with 57.5% of members surveyed stating ongoing lobbying on key legislation is crucial in the industry’s post-pandemic recovery.
In response to this feedback, the AVA has bolstered its external communication and lobbying activity by enlisting reputation management agency, Definition.
The topics and issues covered include the ongoing lobbying for support from the government’s Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG), Additional Restriction Grants (ARGs), an extension of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) for hospitality businesses.
AVA members also utilised this survey to highlight the need for ongoing technical advice and knowledge updates, both during the end of lockdown and when restrictions ease.
The AVA has seen a 50% increase in technical and knowledge advice since the pandemic began and has pledged to continue this with a busy webinar and internal committee schedule into 2021 and beyond.
David Llewellyn, chief executive of the AVA said: “The Automatic Vending Association is dedicated to upholding the needs of our members in what is still an immensely difficult time for their respective businesses.
“However, members should also be encouraged to join the effort to lobby for support, as we are more likely to be successful in our fight if more members show enthusiasm across the United Kingdom.
“Ways of doing this range from sharing the AVA’s social content and sharing content of your own online, all the way to reaching out to your local MP with our press releases to engage support on a local and national level.
“With the support of our members, local members of parliament and communications team, we can look to rebuild from the damage the pandemic has done to business in the wider foodservice industry, including AVA members.”
To keep up to date with the Automatic Vending Association’s lobbying activity, visit: https://www.the-ava.com/news.
For further information on the Automatic Vending Association visit: https://www.the-ava.com/
The Improvement Service and the Open University (OU) in Scotland are working together to offer all community council volunteers the opportunity to upskill and reskill using OU courses.
Throughout the pandemic the Improvement Service’s Community Councils (CCs) project supported by Scottish Government has been trying to find ways to support CCs as they adapt to new ways of working and the OU was one of the organisations we reached out to and asked how they could help.
We asked Scotland’s CCs what skills they would find helpful to have or improve on and we are delighted to present these free online courses which the OU have tailored to suit the needs of Scottish CCs.
Many CCs have fully embraced the digital journey during the pandemic and there are courses here to help you continue that journey such as using Microsoft Teams and succeeding in a digital world. In addition to digital skills there are also courses on a range of other topics that community councillors have suggested including finance, fundraising, community and business skills.
These courses are totally free – all community councillors have to do is register for a free account and then you can begin your learning journey with the OU.
The OU has many courses to choose from but if you would like to suggest additional topics for training not covered that would benefit CCs in Scotland please let us know by e-mail: scottishccs@improvementservice.org.uk
So what are you waiting for? Brush up on your skills or learn some brand new ones with the OU, just click on the link below to begin your journey:
The British Psychological Society is today urging the government to reconsider its emphasis on the idea that children and young people need to ‘catch up’ on their education, and that supporting the wellbeing and educational needs of all children should be a priority.
Psychologists are concerned that focusing on lost learning due to the Covid-19 pandemic misses the mark, particularly for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children.
With extended school days and potential summer schools being floated as potential solutions to address the perceived educational attainment gap created by the pandemic, educational psychologists from the British Psychological Society’s Division of Educational and Child Psychology are instead advocating for a phased return to regular schooling, combined with a quality-over-quantity approach to key learning.
Where additional school time is a strategy, it should focus on supporting children through socialisation and play.
Psychologists are also highlighting the importance of focusing on what children have learnt and achieved over the past year – thanks to the home-schooling efforts of parents and caregivers and remote-learning provision delivered by teachers and other educational professionals throughout the pandemic.
Dr Dan O’Hare, co-chair of the British Psychological Society’s Division of Educational and Child Psychology said: “It’s absolutely understandable that parents and caregivers are concerned that children have been missing out on many aspects of their formal education over the past year.
“However, the notion that children need to catch up or are ‘behind’ at school due to the pandemic reinforces the idea that children have ‘one shot’ at their education and puts them under even more pressure to perform academically after what has been a challenging and unprecedented time for everyone.
“It’s important to celebrate the progress, learning and development children have made in the last year and ensure that they feel proud of what they’ve achieved so that they can build upon their strengths and continue their key learning moving forward.
”Together, parents, caregivers and teachers have done an amazing job of continuing children’s education outside the school environment, and its vital that this work isn’t diminished.”
The impact of the lockdowns on children’s wellbeing and mental health must be considered as part of the decision-making around the return to school plan.
“Some children will have had positive lockdown experiences, but we also mustn’t lose sight of the fact that the pandemic has had a huge impact on all children’s everyday lives,” continued Dr O’Hare.
“Many children may have seen their families struggling with sudden unemployment, loss of earnings or grieving the death of a loved one. Vulnerable children and families from disadvantaged communities may have spent the lockdowns wondering where their next meal is going to come from, or how they’re going to keep a roof over their heads.
“Whatever a child or young person’s circumstances, we can’t assume that the right thing to support their recovery and wellbeing is for them is to be in lessons for longer each day. The voice of children and young people has been noticeably missing from this debate and it’s essential that they are consulted and their thoughts and feelings considered as part of the decision-making process about the return to school.”
Research from the Education Endowment Foundation looking at the effect of extending the school day and summer schools on educational attainment, has found that these measures have a low impact but moderate associated costs, suggesting that it is not an effective way to address gaps in children’s learning created by the pandemic.
Evidence also indicates that these interventions aren’t effective in meeting the needs of the vulnerable children who need support the most.
Dr O’Hare, said: “What really makes a difference in children’s attainment is high-quality instruction and high-quality feedback, delivered by teachers, who are best placed to assess children and young people’s gaps in knowledge.
“It’s important that children know that education and learning is a lifelong skill, not a sprint and it’s vital for their psychological wellbeing that the rhetoric around ‘catch up’ doesn’t detract from their achievements and progress during lockdowns.
“It’s also essential that this conversation doesn’t detract from the many real issues facing the most disadvantaged children that more urgently need to be addressed by the government, such as food poverty, access to green spaces, use of digital learning equipment and access to high-speed broadband.
“The government mustn’t lose sight of where they can make a high-impact and tangible difference to children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing, and subsequently their education.”
This annual event is a great opportunity for children to learn about and celebrate the people who grow so much of our food. This year, the focus is on the climate emergency and how it impacts on producers in the developing world.
Former primary school teacher Laura Steele of education resource experts PlanBee has devised some games to make it lots of fun:
What is fair trade?
This is when companies in developed countries pay a fair price for products that have been made by producers in developing countries. A ‘fair price’ means that the producers are paid enough to be able to afford essentials like food, education and healthcare.
What is the fair trade movement?
Started in 1992, fair trade is a global movement made up of producers, companies, consumers and organisations, whose aim is to support farmers and workers in the developing world by giving them a voice, and helping them to stand up for their rights. Some 1.7 million farmers and workers are in fair trade-certified producer organisations across 73 countries.
How can you tell if a product is fair trade?
If a product is fair trade, you will see this label.
The blue sky symbolises optimism, and the figure’s raised arm represents empowerment. Green is used to symbolise growth.
In the UK, there are over 4,500 fair trade certified products available for sale, from food and drink to homeware and fashion. Among the best-known fair trade-certified brands are: AMT Coffee, Clipper Tea, Arena Flowers, Co-operative wine, and Divine Chocolate. Divine is the is 100% Fairtrade and owned by cocoa farmers.
What is Fairtrade Fortnight?
The first Fairtrade Fortnight was held in Edinburgh in 1997 to increase awareness of fair trade principles and products. It is now celebrated in many countries around the world, including Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and schools everywhere are encouraged to get involved too.
Why should children learn about fair trade?
It is so important for children to be aware of what is happening in the wider world, and what life is like for people in different countries. Fairtrade Fortnight is a great opportunity to teach children about where some of the food on their plate comes from (not just the supermarket shelf) and the people and processes involved in making that happen.
Learning and talking about the fair trade Movement, and why it is needed, can lead to a better understanding of the wider world around them, and help to develop their empathetic skills.
If you are looking for a child-friendly introduction to the topic of fair trade, check out our Fair Trade Facts for Kids blog.
Fair trade games
Providing fun and engaging activities to help children learn about fair trade will make the important lesson memorable. Here are two easy fair trade games you can play with children.
A tall story!
Explain to children they will be paid in building blocks for completing a task. Set them a simple task – for example, to draw a picture or jump five times.
When the task is completed pay some children lots of blocks and the rest only a few blocks. Now ask the children to build a tower with their blocks and tell them the best tower will be the tallest tower.
Is this fair? Why? How did the activity make them feel?
You could repeat the activity a few times to show how quickly some children are left behind the others. Bring the activity back to fair trade and explain some farmers are not paid fairly for the crops they grow. Is this fair? How might it affect them and their families?
The price of justice
Challenge children to find out the price of fair trade and non-fair trade bananas in different shops. What is the difference in the average price of fair trade bananas compared to others? Encourage children to find out how the farmer benefits when we buy a fair trade banana. Debate if the extra cost to the consumer is worth it.
Did you know?
There are more than 1,000 Fairtrade schools in the UK. If you would like to find out how your school can become one, read our blog: How to Become a Fair Trade School
More on Fairtrade Fortnight here.
