Tag: learning

NSPCC counting on children’s TV legend to inspire Edinburgh schools to support maths fun day

Children’s TV legend Johnny Ball is joining the NSPCC’s call to schools and nurseries across Edinburgh to take part in a maths-inspired fundraiser this February.

Number Day is an annual event aimed at children in nurseries, primary and secondary schools, with teachers and pupils raising vital funds for the NSPCC while having fun with maths.

This year’s event takes place on Friday, February 3, and will see free curriculum-based activities available for schools across the country to download to help liven up their lessons while raising funds for the children’s charity.

Johnny Ball, veteran children’s TV presenter and maths enthusiast, will also be supporting Number Day by providing a series of videos for the NSPCC that will feature activity ideas of his own. Johnny’s videos will be available on YouTube and social media. He said: “The NSPCC’s Number Day is a great way for all children and schools to celebrate the joy of learning mathematics while supporting such a great cause.

“Maths is an essential part of a child’s education as the ability to count, play with numbers and tackle puzzles, builds confidence and problem-solving thinking – all of which are essential lifelong skills. And most important of all, learning maths is fun.”

Since Number Day was first launched in 2000, it has raised nearly £3 million for the NSPCC. Last year, 5,000 schools got involved with Number Day and raised £400,000.

Funds raised from Number Day could help support vital NSPCC services such as Childline and the charity’s Speak out Stay safe programme, which sees the NSPCC visit primary schools and teach children how to recognise signs of abuse and neglect, and who to talk to if they are worried.

Within the last year, 5667 children from schools in Edinburgh took part in the NSPCC’s online Speak Out Stay Safe programme.

Registration for Number Day is free through the NSPCC website. Once a school is registered, the NSPCC will provide resources that can be used in the classroom, including new games and activities, such as Dress up for Digits where children and staff can wear an item of clothing with a number on it and make a donation to the NSPCC.

Georgia Hall-Newell, NSPCC Schools Coordinator for Edinburgh, said: “Whether you’re from a school or a nursery, by taking part in this year’s Number Day, not only will you be inspiring children by making maths education fun but you’ll be helping to support the NSPCC as well.

“This year’s Number Day promises to be our best mega maths fundraiser yet, with NSPCC Rock which is an online times tables competition for schools, and more resources than ever before being made available to schools, thanks to Oxford University Press, Maths on Toast, GoHenry, SchoolOnline and Maths Circle.”

Number Day is also supported by partners including Man Group, OUP and IRIS ParentMail. 

Schools and nurseries can sign up to Number Day for free by visiting the NSPCC’s website at www.nspcc.org.uk/numberday.

Any queries in relation to Number Day can be emailed to: numberday@nspcc.org.uk

Meanwhile further information about Dress Up for Digits and ideas for costumes can also be found on the NSPCC’s website.

Please remember to share your Number Day posts and photos on social media and to include the hashtag #NumberDay.

Music School: Open Day tomorrow

The City of Edinburgh Music School is a national centre of excellence for musicians of any school age (4 – 18).

It is funded by the Scottish Government and does not charge any fees. The Music School is housed within two neighbouring state comprehensive schools – Flora Stevenson Primary and Broughton High School in the Comely Bank area of Edinburgh.

Entry is by audition and students have to be above average ability on an instrument/voice for their age, to be considered.

All instruments and differing styles of music are treated equally.

To find out more visit us at Broughton High School TOMORROW – on Saturday 05th November 2022.

Staff, students and some of their parents will be on hand to show you around, answer questions and demonstrate how this unique form of education works.

No need to book – just drop in any time between 11.00 am and 2pm.

Hundreds of students honoured at Edinburgh College Graduation

More than 750 students gathered at the McEwan Hall for a day of celebration at Edinburgh College’s annual Graduation ceremony on Friday 30 September.

Students were joined by over 3,000 proud family members and friends who watched as their loved ones crossed the McEwan Hall stage to receive their certificates of achievement.

Graduates from across the College’s curriculum were honoured during three ceremonies throughout the day, graduating in subjects across each of the College’s faculties: Health, Wellbeing and Social Science; Tourism, Hospitality and Business; Engineering and Built Environment; and Creative Industries.

Across the three ceremonies, the College’s best-performing students were also commended by Principal Audrey Cumberford, receiving awards for academic excellence. Prizes were also awarded on behalf of the Edinburgh College Board of Management to students who have exceeded expectations throughout their College journey. 

In addition, around 20 members of College teaching staff were also presented with professional development awards during the ceremonies – celebrating the wealth of CPD opportunities available to staff to support them in their role of educating more than 28,000 students each year. 

Principal Audrey Cumberford said: “Graduation is the highlight of the year and a wonderful occasion which signifies the culmination of all of our students’ hard work and commitment throughout their time with us at the College. 

“It’s been a challenging couple of years for our College community and so frustrating that we’ve not been able to host our in-person events during this time, which is why we were so delighted to be able to celebrate our graduates at an in-person ceremony in the stunning McEwan Hall once again this year.

“The class of 2022 have persevered through difficult times and have shown an enormous amount of determination throughout their studies which will stand them in good stead for whatever they choose to do next.

“On behalf of the College’s governing body, management team, tutors and support staff, I would like to congratulate all of them on their success and wish them the very best for the future as they progress in their further studies and chosen careers.

“Well done to our class of 2022.”

Edinburgh Music School Open Day

SATURDAY 5th NOVEMBER 11am – 2pm

The City of Edinburgh Music School is a national centre of excellence for musicians of any school age (4 – 18).

It is funded by the Scottish Government and does not charge any fees. The Music School is housed within two neighbouring state comprehensive schools – Flora Stevenson Primary and Broughton High School in the Comely Bank area of Edinburgh.

Entry is by audition and students have to be above average ability on an instrument/voice for their age, to be considered.

All instruments and differing styles of music are treated equally.

To find out more visit us at Broughton High School on Saturday 5th November 2022.

Staff, students and some of their parents will be on hand to show you around, answer questions and demonstrate how this unique form of education works.

No need to book – just drop in any time between 11.00 am and 2pm.

Edinburgh College named regional Planet Saver in British Chambers of Commerce Awards

Edinburgh College has been named as a regional Planet Saver award winner in the British Chambers of Commerce Business Awards and will now compete for a national prize. 

The College was entered into the UK-wide awards scheme having collected the Net Zero Champion accolade at the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Business Awards in February this year. 

The awards programme is a showpiece event in the UK business calendar, recognising and promoting the best of British business through a series of regional heats, culminating in a campaign to showcase winning businesses on an international stage.

The College’s success comes in recognition of its renewed commitment to Sustainability and increasing engagement with its student body through a Go Green project led by Edinburgh College Students’ Association (ECSA) and the introduction of an annual Sustainable Education Week. 

ECSA’s work involved creating Go Green Hubs on each campus, which feature Clothes Swap Shops and Community Fridges, and are aimed at reducing food and textiles waste, alleviating poverty and keeping the issue of Sustainability visible and at the forefront of students’ minds. 

Sustainable Education Week sees classes across the curriculum focus their teaching on Sustainability, with students embarking on new projects or one-off activities which embed one or more of the UN Sustainable Development Goals into contextualised learning.

Edinburgh College Principal, Audrey Cumberford said: “We’re delighted to have been named as a regional winner by the British Chambers of Commerce. 

“This award and progression into the next round of the programme is a wonderful recognition of the work of our College in engaging students to support, drive and lead our sustainability priorities, working towards achieving the goals set out in our Environmental Sustainability Strategy. I am extremely proud of what our staff and students involved have achieved and I believe they truly deserve this recognition.”

Al Wilson, ECSA Director, said: “Well done to the College and in particular our brilliant team members for this latest award recognition. 

“Our Go Green project has delivered tangible outcomes in terms of reducing literally tonnes of food and textiles waste, as well as raising awareness of sustainability among the student body at Edinburgh College – something which is vital to help us tackle the climate emergency and make it real for our students as they become the workforce of tomorrow.”

Dyslexia Awareness Week: How to support your child if they have a learning difficulty

This week is Dyslexia Awareness Week (4th– 10th October) and an education expert has shared five pieces of advice on how to support children if they have learning disabilities.

Interestingly, research conducted by Oxford Home Schooling revealed that while overseeing their children’s learning during lockdown, many parents spotted potential signs of a learning difficulty.

Nearly half (47%) identified symptoms of dyslexia (difficulty reading, writing and spelling), whilst more than one in four (29%) observed possible indicators of dysgraphia (impaired handwriting or spelling).

To help parents who now think their child may have a learning difficulty, Greg Smith, Head of Operations at Oxford Home Schooling, has put together a guide on how best to support your child and what your next steps should be.

1. Get your child diagnosed

If your child’s difficulties are having a significant impact on their learning, it’s a good idea to have them tested for a condition and diagnosed.

A diagnosis can open the door for your child to receive appropriate learning support in school. This includes allowing them extra time in exams and being supported by a teaching assistant, so it’s a good idea to look into this as early as possible.

If you’ve observed signs that your child may have a learning difficulty, you should speak to your GP, who can either make the diagnosis themselves, or refer the child for the appropriate tests.

2. Speak to your GP

Once a child is diagnosed with a learning difficulty, you should consult your GP. They will then be able to recommend and refer you to an appropriate specialist for support1.

Specialists can include speech and language therapists, educational and clinical psychologists and paediatricians, among others.

3. Make the school aware

Once you have an idea of the areas where your child is struggling, you will need to make their school and teachers aware of the situation.

This will allow the school to put extra support in place should your child require it. They will need time to consider how the condition might affect the child’s learning and work out how best to adapt their teaching.

4. Talk to others

Many parents find it difficult to process the diagnosis of a learning difficulty and it can be a challenge to adapt to your child’s new needs.

Don’t be afraid to seek out the support of other parents who have experienced similar situations. There are many support groups and forums out there for advice, and you and your child can even build new friendships.

5. Support your child

The important thing to remember is that you need to support your child, whether this is with their learning, or any other aspects of life that they struggle with.

Being diagnosed with a learning difficulty is by no means the end of the world and children with such conditions go on to enjoy rich and fulfilling lives.

You will need to be patient, and it may be challenging at times, but with the correct support system in place your child will be fine.

For information on the benefits of homeschooling for children with learning disabilities and special educational needs, head to this page: 

https://www.oxfordhomeschooling.co.uk/special-situations/

Penguin and Twinkl to donate over 55,000 books by authors of colour to UK primary schools

  • Penguin Books UK and Twinkl are coming together to increase primary school pupils’ access to books by writers of colour, by giving away books including by Sharna Jackson and Malala Yousafzai to 500 schools across the UK.
  • Twinkl are producing a range of learning resources to accompany titles in the donation, to support teachers to integrate the new texts into their teaching. 
  • Schools can apply to receive the books at https://www.penguin.co.uk/lit-in-colour/twinkl-partnership 

Penguin Books have joined forces with Twinkl Educational Publishing to donate books by authors of colour to 500 UK primary schools.

The donation of books from Penguin, Puffin, Ladybird, and Vintage and Andersen Press forms part of Penguin’s Lit in Colour campaign, and aims to give pupils access to a wider range of authors, characters and books to tackle their stark underrepresentation in UK schools. 

Each participating school will receive 100 books, covering a range of titles across fiction, non-fiction, poetry and mythology; from much-loved classics to new voices. Authors included in the selection are Matthew A. Cherry, Malala Yousafzai, Ibtihaj Muhammad and S.K. Ali and more. Each school will also receive a class set of The Good Turn by Sharna Jackson. 

Research by Lit in Colour, carried out by Penguin Books and the Runnymede Trust in 2021, revealed a stark picture of under-representation of Black, Asian and minority ethnic authors in the teaching of English Literature in this country.

This is relative both to these authors’ place in contemporary British literary excellence and school population demographics. According to the research, 82% of young people do not ever recall studying a book by a Black, Asian or minority ethnic author, while 70% agree that diversity is part of British society and should be represented in the school curriculum. 

The research also found that a key barrier for primary school teachers was a lack of ready-made resources available from teaching sites that are focused on diverse texts. This is a significant challenge for educators who rely on these for the basis of their planning.

In response to this, Twinkl are producing a comprehensive set of learning resources that aim to make it as easy as possible for educators to create a full lesson around these titles and immerse learners through a selection of activity sheets to be used alongside the books and as follow-on activities. 

Twinkl’s comprehensive series of educational resources will cover 20 titles that will support bringing new literature to classrooms. The learning materials will consist of various worksheets and activity packs. These include 60-second reading activities, to biography fact files and writing packs. These resources will be available to freely access online and can be used in connection with Penguin’s Lit in Colour book list.

Zaahida Nabagereka, Penguin Random House’s Head of Social Impact, said: “Partnering with Twinkl on this first ever UK wide Lit in Colour Primary School donation is a really significant step in addressing the barriers the Lit in Colour report identified in 2021.

“We are committed to supporting teachers to take diverse books into their classrooms with confidence, and key to that is resources. This collaboration strengthens the argument that we can achieve more when we tackle systemic issues together.”

David Angrave, Twinkl’s Chief Operating Officer, said, “As a global education publisher, we are delighted to work with Penguin on such a meaningful campaign. Our Lit in Colour resources aim to engage learners in a wide variety of diverse titles in the classroom. Through a range of voices in books, children can discover different cultures and identifiable characters. 

“We are looking forward to continuing to collaborate with Penguin with this campaign and help build an inclusive outlook which celebrates differences and what brings us together.”

Sharna Jackson, author of The Good Turn, “When I was younger, there was a pronounced lack of access to many books that reflected my experience – as part of the curriculum, or in my school library.

“It’s why I wholeheartedly support the transformative work that Lit in Colour does to expand and enrich the curriculum. I am so incredibly proud that The Good Turn can be a small part of this change, as this donation from Lit in Colour and Twinkl will make an enormous difference to thousands of young readers who deserve to see themselves and their experience reflected in the books stocked on their school library shelves.”

To find out more about how your school can get involved with the Lit in Colour book giveaway, please visit our website.

Primary teachers can apply by completing this short form by Friday 30th September.

Education Convener: Digital access is ‘vital’ to aiding children’s learning

EDUCATION convener Councillor JOAN GRIFFITHS was joined by council leader Cammy Day on a visit to Craigroyston Community High School this week.

The policians met Head Teacher Shelley McLaren and S3 pupils who were receiving new tablet devices to aid their studies as part of the council’s Empowered Learning programme.

Every school pupil from P6 to S6 in the capital 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 council’s ICT services provider CGI, started last 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.

Councillor Griffiths said: “I am hugely proud that our ambitious Empowered Learning programme will provide every school pupil from P6 to S6 in Scotland’s Capital with their own digital device.

“The 1:1 roll-out, being carried out in partnership with our ICT services provider CGI, started in schools across the city at the start of the year and is due to be completed in December.

“It will result in 41,000 iPads being given to pupils and teaching staff as we look to provide equality of access to digital devices and raise attainment. And it’s not just our P6 to S6 pupils who will benefit.

“In addition to their personal devices we’re providing iPads to P1 to P5 year groups on an agreed ratio and over a 1,000 across our early years settings. There will be devices for all teaching staff and we have 1,150 to cover rising rolls for the school year. So far 17,000 iPads have been delivered and the roll out completed in 76 schools.

“The next major phase of the roll out has now started with devices being distributed to our high schools. Yesterday during my visit to Craigroyston High School I saw first-hand the real impact of the scheme on pupils as they were given their own devices that will accompany them on their learning journey through school.

“The vital need for digital access to learning was never more starkly illustrated than during the pandemic when remote learning and teaching became the norm. Some pupils struggled as they didn’t have their own devices and this highlighted the importance of making sure all our pupils have the digital means to learn on a level playing field.

“The Empowered Learning programme, funded by a £17.6m investment by the Council, demonstrates this commitment and Edinburgh is pioneering the use of technology in education for teachers and pupils alike.

“But it’s not just about handing out new iPads. We have to make sure the infrastructure and training is there to support everyone. As part of the programme there will also be enhanced wi-fi coverage for all our schools and early years settings, improved collaboration and classroom management tools such as Apple Classroom. So far cabling and wireless access point installations have been completed at 106 settings.

“Also the benefits of the programme go far wider than just pupils and teaching staff having their own device. It leads to personalising learning, improving teacher feedback, preparing students for future working, collaborative on and off-line working and, crucially supporting all our efforts to raise attainment.

“I am also delighted that funding for 4 years of this programme has been agreed as part of the Council’s 2021-26 Revenue Budget Settlement.

“I firmly believe this project shows our commitment to providing our children and young people with every opportunity to succeed in their education and provide them with the skills required for their future career paths.”

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:

  • Fair and equal access from P6 to S6, ensuring all pupils have personal access to digital learning with their teacher in school or at home
  • Effective digital workflow to increase engagement, improve teacher feedback and raise attainment
  • A range of innovative accessibility features to improve access to the curriculum for pupils with additional support needs
  • Pupils can work online simultaneously in a class or collaboratively outside the classroom
  • High quality digital applications for productivity and creativity, providing more ways to personalise and choose how they learn
  • Development of learning, thinking and digital literacy skills vital for success in today’s rapidly evolving, technological society

Adult Education Film Courses

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Cinephiles – why not take advantage of National Cinema Day on 3rd September to see a £3 film and use the savings to sign up for one of the adult education film courses to view, analyse, and learn about films with a very experienced tutor who can offer insights into directors, script writing and context to add to your awareness and enjoyment.

The courses will include viewing clips or short films and time for discussion.

Choose from: 

Films of Paul Laverty & Ken Loach

At Queensferry High School    Monday evenings 6.30-8.30pm 

& Brunstane Primary School Thursday evenings 6.30-8.30pm 

or

Hollywood Greats 

At Queensferry Rosebery Hall Monday afternoons 3-5pm 

or

Scotland in Film 

At Craigroyston Community High School Friday afternoon 2-4pm 

These 10 week courses start from Monday 26th September 

Enrolling now on www.joininedinburgh.org 

Or ring 0131 556 7978 or 0131 469 3003

Standard fees £87.00 – Senior / student fees £43.50 – 

Benefits of all types fees £17.25