Tag: learning

UK Government to crackdown on ‘rip-off’ university degrees

Students and taxpayers will be better protected against rip-off degree courses that have high drop-out rates, don’t lead to good jobs and leave young people with poor pay and high debts, the Prime Minister and Education Secretary have announced.

Under the plans, the Office for Students (OfS) will be asked to limit the number of students universities can recruit onto courses that are failing to deliver good outcomes for students.

The UK has some of the world’s leading universities, but a minority of the courses on offer leave students saddled with debt, low earnings and faced with poor job prospects. The government wants to make the system fairer for them, but also for taxpayers – who make a huge investment in higher education and are liable for billions of pounds in unrecovered tuition fees if graduate earnings are low.

Figures from the Office for Students show that nearly three in ten graduates do not progress into highly skilled jobs or further study 15 months after graduating. The Institute for Fiscal Studies also estimates that one in five graduates would be better off financially if they hadn’t gone to university.

The government wants to make sure that universities and colleges are offering the same standard of high-quality provision expected in our schools, and that young people are encouraged to choose the path that is right for them – whether it’s a university degree, a higher technical qualification, or an apprenticeship.

As part of today’s announcements, the government will also reduce the maximum fee that universities can charge for classroom-based foundation year courses to £5,760 – down from £9,250 currently.

These are an additional year of study designed to help prepare students for degrees with specific entry requirements or knowledge, such as in medicine and veterinary sciences. However, research shows that too many people are encouraged to take a foundation year in some subjects like business where it is not necessary.

The Office for Students will also continue work to make it easier for students to assess the quality of each university course, including its earnings potential, so that they can make the most informed decision about where and what to study. We are asking the Office for Students to ensure that courses which fail to deliver good earnings are subject to stricter controls.

Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said: The UK is home to some of the best universities in the world and studying for a degree can be immensely rewarding. But too many young people are being sold a false dream and end up doing a poor-quality course at the taxpayers’ expense that doesn’t offer the prospect of a decent job at the end of it.

“That is why we are taking action to crack down on rip-off university courses, while boosting skills training and apprenticeships provision. This will help more young people to choose the path that is right to help them reach their potential and grow our economy.”

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said: “Students and taxpayers rightly expect value for money and a good return on the significant financial investment they make in higher education.

“These new measures will crack down on higher education providers that continue to offer poor quality courses and send a clear signal that we will not allow students to be sold a false promise. Wherever they choose to study, it is vital students can gain the skills needed to get great jobs and succeed – supporting the Prime Minister’s priority to grow our economy.”

Philip Augar, chair of the independent Review of Post-18 Education and Funding, said: “This is another strong signal for universities to control such recruitment as is not in students’ best interests and I hope the sector responds constructively.

Edward Peck, Vice-Chancellor and President Nottingham Trent University and panel member of the independent Review of Post-18 Education and Funding, said: “Following careful consideration and extensive consultation, the reform agenda for higher education being pursued by Government is consistent with the approach articulated in the Augar Review.

“The alignment of the fee for Foundation Years with that of Access to HE for lower cost subjects is in the interests of students as is the proposition that the future refinement of the quality framework deployed by the Office for Students, including potential selective student number controls, should make subject appropriate use of graduate salaries.”

Baroness Alison Wolf, panel member of the independent Review of Post-18 Education and Funding, said: “I am delighted that the government has introduced reforms for foundation year courses, whose current meteoric growth is hard to justify educationally or in cost terms.

“Aligning their fees explicitly with college-based access courses should also promote the greater alignment of further and higher education to which the government is, rightly, committed.”

The government has already taken decisive steps to make sure young people and adults can access more high-quality training opportunities.

This includes rolling out new T Levels, Higher Technical Qualifications, establishing a network of 21 Institutes of Technologyand working with employers of all sizes to create more apprenticeships in a wider range of exciting roles. Plans to expand UCAS to allow students to apply for apprenticeships alongside traditional degree have also been announced so thousands more young people can benefit from a wider choice of high-quality options.

Alongside the measures announced today to boost the quality of higher education, the government is going further still to support people and employers to take advantage of the wide range of free training options available to them, helping to fill skills gaps, get people into work and support the Prime Minister’s priority of growing the economy.

This includes launching a new digital platform from the autumn where people and employers can search for everything from apprenticeships and T Levels to Skills Bootcamps and essential skills courses – all in one place. 

The government is also making it easier for employers to take on apprentices. This includes by cutting the steps needed to register to take on an apprentice by a third and updating 100 apprenticeships in sectors such as construction and healthcare so they reflect the latest technological advancements and so they work better for employers and apprentices.

Anthony Impey, Chief Executive of Be The Business, said: “Small businesses are run by some of the country’s most impressive and resilient people, but they are time poor and lack the resources of their peers in much larger companies.

“So these changes will make a real difference in opening up apprenticeships at a time when small businesses are looking for all the help they can get to boost their productivity.”

FD Works, Top 50 SME apprentice employer and accountancy firm based in Bristol said: “At FD Works, we believe that the power of apprentices is unmatched. The passion and perspective they bring have been a huge part of our ongoing success, but as a small business, our time is incredibly valuable.

“The investment far outweighs the cost already, but the Department for Education is continuously improving the system with us in mind, which is clear in this latest update.

“As an innovative company, we’re really excited to see changes happening that will help us move quicker, share more opportunities, and empower even more apprentices to find a career they love.”

Jane Gratton, Head of People Policy, British Chambers of Commerce said: “Apprenticeships are key to boosting technical skills in the workforce and helping firms tackle skills shortages.

“However, many firms with great apprenticeship opportunities have found the process difficult.  So it’s good to see Government taking steps in the right direction to reduce the complexity and excess bureaucracy in the apprenticeship system.

“We also need more candidates to choose the apprenticeship route to employment and so we welcome initiatives that raise awareness and help match people to the great jobs and training available in local business communities throughout the country.”

Disadvantaged students to benefit from ‘flagship’ Turing Scheme

Disadvantaged students are set to take up the two-thirds of the international study and work opportunities available from September, as part of to the UK government’s flagship Turing Scheme.

Over 40,000 people across the UK will get the transformational opportunity to study or work abroad in the next academic year.

Building on the success of the previous two years, nearly two-thirds of these placements are for people from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds, up from 51% last year, helping to drive social mobility in parts of the UK where historically there have been fewer opportunities to work and study abroad.

In Further Education the allocation for disadvantaged students is even higher this year, making up 71% of placements in the sector.

The Turing Scheme widens access to international opportunities in education and training, with more than 22,800 Higher Education placements, over 6,700 school placements, and more than 10,500 Further Education and Vocational Education and Training placements.

Universities, colleges and schools across the country will be awarded a share of almost £105 million to offer placements to their students, with more applications having been successful this year than ever before and a significantly higher interest in the scheme from colleges and schools, including a nearly 50% increase in the number of successful applications in the FE sector.

Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education Robert Halfon said: “Once again, this transformational scheme is extending the ladder of opportunity for more young people to experience other cultures and learn vital skills for life and work, regardless of their background.

“With nearly a 50% increase in the number of successful applications and around 1,800 additional learners from disadvantaged backgrounds in the FE sector compared to last year, I am delighted that this scheme is driving social mobility.

“Young people taking part will benefit from inspirational placements around the world that will build the confidence they need for their future, whilst bolstering the government’s ambition for a Global Britain.”

The scheme is open to education providers and other eligible organisations across the UK to provide international opportunities for their students.

It forms part of the government’s ambition to create a truly Global Britain. Canada, Japan and the United States are among over 160 international destinations where UK students will be funded to take up work and study placements – alongside popular European destinations like Spain and France.

A group of year 10 pupils from a school in Blackburn were offered the valuable opportunity to spend two weeks in Eswatini or Morocco in May 2022. Pupils from the Hyndburn Academy spent time in lessons with their counterparts as well as undertaking work in the local community, working with the charity All Out Africa to install drainage pipework at a care centre for local pre-school children.

Teacher Rebecca Barker-Rourke said of the experience: “The experience has developed confidence in many of the students and will give them loads of rich examples to discuss in future applications for college, university, apprenticeships and employment.

“We are in an area that is economically deprived, and the Turing Scheme funding means we can offer this opportunity to students that would otherwise never get the chance for a trip like this.”

Leeds Beckett University is one of the successful providers this year and expects students to travel to destinations such as Canada, Australia and Uganda.

Global Engagement and Relationship Manager Tom Kyle said: “We have seen growing demand for students wanting to gain some form of Global Experience during their studies, and it makes a big difference to be able to offer funding for this, particularly to those students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“There is good evidence that students who spend some time abroad during their studies benefit in terms of graduate outcomes and employability, as well as having a fantastic time overseas.

“We look forward to building on our student mobility activity and seeing more students benefit from the opportunities this brings.”

The full list of successful organisations including higher education providers, schools, and further education, vocational education and training providers awarded funding will be available on the Turing Scheme website.

Fettes College reveals impressive 2023 International Baccalaureate Diploma results

45 Edinburgh school students are celebrating the news that they have passed the two-year International Baccalaureate Diploma.

The attendees at Fettes College received their results on Thursday 6 July and are now heading to destinations across the world at various institutions such as Columbia, Yale and Holy Cross universities in the US. Some of the diploma graduates are staying closer to home at St Andrews, Edinburgh and Glasgow, or at Oxford, Cambridge and other top English universities.

The diploma is only taught in four schools in Scotland and is open to students aged 16-19. Fettes is the only school in Scotland offering the dual pathway of IB and A Levels.

Jonathan Marchant, Deputy Head (Academic) of Fettes College said: “I could not be prouder of the class of 2023 who sat these exams having not experienced the GCSEs of previous year groups to prepare them, yet their persistence and perseverance has been incredibly impressive to witness.”

He added: “A quarter of all candidates gained 40 points or more, with 50% gaining or exceeding a score of 38 points. Four of our students deserve a special mention – two achieving 42 points, one achieving an outstanding 43 points and one scoring an exceptional 44 points with 777 at Higher Level. One student also achieved a bilingual diploma.”

Helen Harrison, Head of Fettes College said: “Our IB results are testament to a great deal of hard work from our students and superb support from our dedicated staff. Our IB students are ready for the next exciting stage in their lives and they leave Fettes ready to make a very positive mark on their world.”

For more information on the International Baccalaureate programme visit https://www.ibo.org/about-the-ib/

Capital pupils making progress thanks to Sean Connery dyslexia initiative

An innovative educational programme funded by the Sean Connery Foundation designed to help dyslexic children and young people in Edinburgh is showing positive signs of making a difference.

Interim results from the three year project, targeted at those experiencing literacy difficulties, has demonstrated that individual children are making significant progress in their reading.

While Sir Sean, who was born in Edinburgh, was not himself dyslexic, learning to read was life-changing for him, and he was passionate about sharing his enthusiasm for reading with others.

The partnership between Dyslexia Scotland, the City of Edinburgh Council’s Literacy and Dyslexia Support Team and the Foundation started last August. The work being carried out builds on the Council’s already established support to deliver intensive programmes to more pupils than were previously provided.

In the first year 15 primary and two secondary schools have been provided with specialist teachers and pupil support assistants trained to develop the capacity of school staff supporting children/young people with dyslexia or literacy difficulties. This has resulted in 215 pupils benefitting from the extra support and the wider training programme reaching 175 teaching staff.

An analysis of the work found all teachers and pupils involved were positive about its impact, with data suggesting “individual children are flourishing as a result of the initiative”. Even in just nine weeks of intervention, it was found that individual children were making “significant progress in their reading” and the report said: “If such improvements are sustained longer term it is highly likely that the impact of the project will demonstrate statistical significance.”

Another positive development from the project has been the setting up of parent/carer groups which helps parents with strategies to support literacy at home and practise these with their children.

Cllr Joan Griffiths, Education, Children and Families Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Thanks to this funding from the Sean Connery Foundation and our longstanding partnership with Dyslexia Scotland we have been able to significantly increase support for learners who benefit most from this targeted work.

“Although we’re still in the early stages of this ground-breaking project the early results are really encouraging and building on the excellent work already taking place around literacy and dyslexia in our schools.

“In the first year we carefully selected 16 schools, offering group or one to one input to learners.  We delivered intensive staff training and support for parents and carers, so that they felt more confident and informed about how to help at home. 

“Children who had difficulties with reading are now showing significant progress. The work also helps build their self-confidence making them feel more motivated and engaged in learning.

“This is a wonderful partnership which shows real promise for learners with literacy difficulties. I can’t wait to see how the programme develops over the next two years and the positive impact it will have.”

Cathy Magee, Chief Executive of Dyslexia Scotland, said: “We are delighted that this initiative has started so well and that the hard work of everyone involved in the first year is having such a significant impact on the learners’ literacy skills as well as on their confidence and wellbeing.

“Early reports show that the generous investment by the Foundation, combined with the excellent partnership between Dyslexia Scotland and the City of Edinburgh Council are delivering encouraging results. This is evident in the positive feedback from learners, parents, teachers and pupil support assistants.”

Stephane Connery, Chair of The Sean Connery Foundation, said: “The single most important event in Sean’s life was learning to read. It opened up his world. Sean was very conscious of the stigma that people with dyslexia endure.

“It does a terrible number on their confidence despite the fact that many dyslexic people are truly gifted with fresh, original perspectives. Our hope is that the Sean Connery Dyslexia Initiative helps to unlock this genius, helping students to grow in confidence and thrive in school.

Rural education charity RHET secures Scottish Government funding to inspire young people about food and farming

The Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) has secured £200k of funding from the Scottish Government to provide a farming and rural learning experience for a minimum of 80,000 pupils across Scotland. 

The funding secures the future of rural education events for children and young people, covering core costs such as infrastructure, bus transport, coordination and safety requirements. 

Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, Mairi Gougeon MSP, went to see for herself how funds awarded to the Scottish rural education charity The Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) spend award funding to education Scotland’s young people. 

Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon joined over 100 P5 and P6 pupils from the Brechin schools cluster, who were meeting local farmers, growers and rural businesses running a variety of sessions to learn about how Scottish food is produced.

At today’s event pupils were learning about dairy and making butter, see seeds, sheaves and growing crops, grinding wheat seed into flour, pressing oil seed rape into oil, beekeepers demonstrating how they look after their bees as well as hedge demonstrations, getting up close to John Deere machinery – all linking to the learning outcomes of the curriculum. 

Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, Mairi Gougeon MSP, said: “I am delighted to be here to see first-hand the benefits of the Royal Highland Education Trust’s Food and Farming education programme. 

“Since 2017 the Scottish Government has given over £700k to the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) in order to support their programme of school farm visits and associated educational resources for schools. This has allowed them to educate and inspire thousands of children and young people on how Scottish food is produced. 

“This fresh support will allow RHET to reach even more children, many of whom are from deprived areas. The programme provides an opportunity for young people to visit a farm and offers a hands-on educational experience which highlights the importance of farming and food production to our society. 

“One of the aims of our Good Food Nation Act is to improve access to, and understanding of, the benefits of healthy local foods for everyone in Scotland. It is clear that this ambitious project is contributing massively to this wider vision.” 

RHET Chairman Alistair Marshall said:  “We are very grateful to the Scottish Government for this award which helps support our aim of getting pupils and their teachers out into the working countryside, to get wellies on the ground and ignite their curiosity.  

“We offer all our visits, talks and events for free and this is important to us all in the RHET national network, to make food and farming fun and accessible for all. 

“Through using event spaces creatively, and working in collaboration with Angus Show, as we have today, we can offer more schools the chance to get hands. Brechin show is open tomorrow for the public so today we are using the big marquee for workshops, keeping us out the rain or sun!”  

RHET Angus chairman Bruce Christie said: “Every one of Ms Gougeon’s constituents need a farmer three times a day. The support from the award from Scottish Government means we can keep events like this in the school calendar, helping Scotland’s young people get better connections with their local food and farming industries. 

“Listening to their questions and seeing the penny drop as they see seeds ground into flour is part of the reason I love volunteering with RHET. 

 “I’m an arable farmer and visit many schools during the year, explaining how we grow crops, how we care from them, the machinery and science we use and link it straight back to the food they eat on their plate.  

“Helping them to see Scottish agriculture, like the event here today, gives them a chance to ask questions and provides unbiased information so they can make their own food choices as they grow up.”

Last few tickets remain for Book Festival’s Schools Programme

We’ve been overwhelmed by the incredible response to this year’s Baillie Gifford Schools Programme: our packed programme of FREE book events for schools.

Thank you to everyone who has signed up for in-person tickets so far, we can’t wait to welcome you and your pupils to the Edinburgh College of Art for some inspiring author events this August.

We have limitied availability remaining but if you would still like to attend in-person please get in touch with our Schools Booking Coordinator directly asap to check availability by emailing schools@edbookfest.co.uk.

And don’t forget, if your class is unable to make it along in-person, selected events will also be livestreamed for schools to watch in the classroom live, or on-demand. Events will be visable on edbookfest.co.uk from Wednesday 14 June and you can book your place any time from then until just before the event starts.

Two-thirds of Scottish SMEs report skills shortages continue to impact business success

67% of Scotland’s small and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs) owners and managers have reported that skills shortages are impacting their business growth and profitability, according to new research by Censuswide, on behalf of The Open University (OU) in Scotland.

For businesses with 10-49 employees, this rocketed to 83%. 

The survey, completed by 200 owners and senior managers of Scottish SMEs, identified people management (25%), finance (24%), digital technologies (22%) and project management (20%) as the top areas in which respondents were experiencing skills shortages. 

Environmental concerns and their impact on business growth are also front and centre for Scottish SMEs, with 85% of organisations planning to invest in ‘green’ staff training. Priority training areas included developing innovative and sustainable ways of doing things (37%), making their business more sustainable (36%) and renewable energy (32%).   

The survey also highlighted a lack of awareness among SMEs of the access they have to Scottish Government-funded employee training support. Less than a third of businesses had heard of the Scottish Funding Council Upskilling Fund (31%) and the Part-Time Fee Grant (29%). 

32% of businesses surveyed also knew about the Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF), which offers SMEs access to £5,000 of free and flexible online training with the OU in Scotland, supported by the Scottish Funding Council. However, more positively, 75% of respondents would be likely to consider accessing funds in the next 12 months.

David Allen – Partnerships Manager for Open University.

David Allen, Senior Partnerships Manager, The Open University in Scotland, said: “Despite two-thirds of businesses overwhelmingly reporting skill shortages, current financial and economic pressures mean training budgets are often squeezed at the expense of skills development. 

“This does not need to be the case. Through the Flexible Workforce Development Fund, SMEs can access fully funded high quality, flexible online training that addresses many of the core skills shortages facing them.

“Two-thirds of SMEs surveyed were unfamiliar with the available Scottish Government funded support. This is a core reason why the Open University in Scotland is determined to raise awareness of initiatives such as FWDF. 

“A positive outcome of our research is 75% of business owners surveyed are now likely to consider accessing Scottish Government-funded training in the next 12 months. It’s an opportunity for the taking.”

The survey findings also align with the experience of the Scottish charity Health in Mind, which recently undertook a training programme in partnership with the OU, utilising FWDF support.

Flora Henderson, Alliance Manager, Health in Mind commented: “The cost-of-living crisis, as well as the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, has resulted in a tremendous increase in demand for our services. At the same time, staff are affected by workload and a continued impact on staff absence levels.

“It was a priority to continue to offer genuinely valuable development opportunities, intended to help staff feel supported to grow and develop in their role. The FWDF has allowed scarce resources to have more impact and encouraged wider participation than would otherwise be possible.”

For more information on the OU’s flexible online training and the Flexible Workforce Development Fund visit: https://www.open.ac.uk/business/fwdf  

Call for greater resourcing as spending to support vulnerable children is slashed by over a third

  • Cut of £1,870 per pupil since 2012/13 on spending for those identified with ASN
  • Postcode lottery of spending between local authorities on ASN
  • Near doubling in the number of pupils with ASN from 2012
  • Cut in the number of ASN teachers by more than 500

An alliance of leading providers of specialist children’s services, the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), has called for greater resourcing to support children and young people with additional support needs (ASN), such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems.

The call comes as new figures contained in a parliamentary answer to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Jenny Gilruth MSP. This reveals that spending supporting those pupils with ASN has slumped by over a third. It comes against a backdrop of the number of pupils with ASN increasing dramatically and the number of specialist teachers supporting them dropping to a new low.

While the SCSC supports a presumption of mainstreamingfor pupils with ASN, meaning that they are educated in a mainstream school unless exceptional circumstances, without adequate resourcing there is an obvious impact on those with ASN, fellow pupils and teachers.

The SCSC is calling on the Scottish Government to increase funding to support the needs of vulnerable children and young people, including greater provision of specialist ASN teachers, educational psychologists and classroom assistants.

The figures highlight that average spending per pupil on additional support for learning by councils in Scotland (primary, secondary and special education) has fallen from £5,381 in the 2012/13 financial year to £3,511 in 2021/22 (in real terms). This amounts to an overall cut in spending of £1,870 per pupil, representing a 34.8 per cent drop.

There is a wide variation in spending on pupils who need additional support, ranging from £2,278 per pupil in the Scottish Borders to £6,887 in the Shetland Islands, highlighting a postcode lottery in spending across local authorities.

This fall is against the backdrop of a 97.2 per cent increase between 2012 and 2021 in the number of pupils identified with ASN, from 118,011 to 232,753, amounting to 114,742 individuals. Those with ASNcurrently represent around a third of all pupils (33.0 per cent).

Between 2012 and 2021 the number of full-time equivalent ASN teachers (publicly funded primary, secondary, special and centrally employed) has fallen from 3,389 to an all-time low of 2,886, a decrease of 503 teachers, representing a cut in numbers of 14.8 per cent.

Against the background of Covid-19 and the cost-of-living crisis, with its disproportionate impact on those with ASN, the SCSC has called for greater resourcing from both the Scottish Government and councils to ensure that those with ASN receive the care and support they need, provided in an equitable manner across Scotland.

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “It is vital that those with ASN get the care and support they need, when they need it, especially given the impacts of the Covid-19 and cost-of-living crisis.

“This is also key if we are to genuinely close the educational attainment gap, as we know that those with ASN are disproportionately drawn from poorer neighbourhoods.

“We are in a mental health emergency and have also witnessed dramatic increases in classroom disruption, impacting on pupils and teachers alike. This is in part due to increased levels of social, emotional and behavioural difficulties post-lockdown.

“Given this, it is disappointing to note cuts in spending supporting those with ASN and we would urge the Scottish Government to adequately resource the provision of the likes of specialist teachers, educational psychologists and classroom assistants.

“Councils and the Scottish Government must work together to provide an adequately resourced and equitable system of support across Scotland for those children and young people with ASN, representing some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society. “

ASL spending per pupil (£, cash terms)

 2021-22
Aberdeen City3,149
Aberdeenshire2,366
Angus3,117
Argyll and Bute3,722
City of Edinburgh3,278
Clackmannanshire5,252
Dumfries and Galloway3,340
Dundee City2,391
East Ayrshire4,368
East Dunbartonshire4,351
East Lothian3,708
East Renfrewshire2,964
Falkirk3,932
Fife2,848
Glasgow City4,635
Highland3,044
Inverclyde3,905
Midlothian4,358
Moray3,342
Na h-Eileanan Siar5,676
North Ayrshire2,147
North Lanarkshire5,571
Orkney Islands4,543
Perth and Kinross3,105
Renfrewshire3,629
Scottish Borders2,278
Shetland Islands6,887
South Ayrshire4,881
South Lanarkshire3,722
Stirling2,500
West Dunbartonshire3,479
West Lothian2,887
All Local Authorities3,511

Adult Education One-Day Courses

Several one day courses are still available to book on, such as the very special experience on  Sketching Animals in the Zoo – close up sketching animals at rest and play in real life.

The  professional artist tutor will support individuals with tips and techniques on how to improve  skills, whilst having a great day out. There is plenty of shelter if the weather is not so good and entry to the zoo is included in the fee course.

Sign up right away for the course on  Friday 19th May. Might be the last chance to see the pandas before they return to China!  

To enrol, students must ring 0131 556 7978 weekdays between 10am-4pm (3pm on Friday)  and they can book on and give a link for payments.

More information at City of Edinburgh  Council website www.joininedinburgh.org (fees are aound £20 per person) 

Outdoor courses 

Walks: History – Old Town – All – (27th May) – OUT59686E 

Walks: Geocaching – All – (27the May) – OUT58986E 

Walks: Navigation – Hillwalking – Beginner – (3rd June) – OUT60196E 

Walks: Navigation – Hillwalking – Beginner – (27th May) – OUT60186E 

Art(PR): Sketching Animals in the Zoo – All – (19th May) – OUT182125E 

Walks: Archaeology – History of Cammo Estate – All – (20th May) – OUT57986E 

Walks: Dancing in Georgian Edinburgh – All – (27th May) – OUT58686E 

One Day courses at Broughton Community High School – all on  Saturday 20th May 

Art(PR): Drawing & Painting – All – (20/5) – BHS12386E 

Cookery: Thai With a Chef – All – (20/5) – BHS25186E 

Cookery: Cake Decoration with Chocolate – Beginner – (20/5) – BHS21786E 

Craft: Quilt Making – All – (20/5) – BHS29286E 

Criminology & Criminal Justice – All – (20/5) – BHS30686E 

Photography: Digital Photography – Beginner – (20/5) – BHS51886E

Sunshine guaranteed at North Edinburgh Community Festival!

LAUNCH PROMISES MORE STALLS, MORE MUSIC, MORE FOOD and.. SUNSHINE!

Next month’s North Edinburgh’s Community Festival will be even bigger than last years event, organisers announced at Tuesdays launch at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre.

Around 6000 people attended last year’s gala event, and with at least SEVENTY marquees (up from 50 last year) and and not one but TWO music stages there promises to be even more for the local community to do, see and enjoy on 13 May.

Highlights include:

Disney-themed LIFT Parade from Muirhouse Millennium Centre to West Pilton Park to launch the Festival.

More than 70 local organisations and charities with Community Stalls

Two music stages: the open air Park Stage and the Green Room stage in West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre

The music line-up features a wealth of local talent. Performers include local youth orchestra Tinderbox, Granton Youth’s Mixtape Music Club and a session from ever-popular Fischy Music.

There’s a musical medley from the Edinburgh College Musical Theatre Group, performances from local choirs including Ama-zing Harmonies, AUGB Ukranian choir, Craigroyston High School Choir and a high-energy performance is guaranteed from local punk rockers Yer Local Bams. Low Tide, Rai Williams, Laurent and Abigail Kerner will also be performing live on the day in a musical feast.

Family events and activities will include Bookbug with Muirhouse Library and a Storytelling session with Edinburgh International Book Festival’s Citizen writers.

Fancy some sport? You’ll be spoilt for choice as Access Parkour, Spartans Community Football Academy and Inverleith Rugby Club will all be there. And there will be children’s Zumba classes.

North Edinburgh Arts will be organising arts and craft activities and Screen Education Edinburgh will offer film workshops. There’s an Army obstacle course, too.

There will also be learning and upskilling opportunities provided by local organisations including Edinburgh College will be offering course taster sessions.

All in all, there really should be something for everyone. And with sunshine (almost) guaranteed, it promises to be a great day.

Local activist Willie Black, a member of the Festival planning committee, introduced Tuesday’s launch. “We are very excited about this year’s Festival and it promises to be a really great event, a community celebration for everyone to enjoy.

“We have a wealth of diverse talent in this community and we want to share that talent far and wide. We’re looking forward to offering a warm North Edinburgh welcome to thousands of visitors next month, and the hope is that the Festival will be a great success and that it can become an annual event.”

North Edinburgh Community Festival is on Saturday 13 May from 12 – 5.30pm. Free event. All welcome.

IMAGES FROM LAUNCH EVENT: