Tag: schools

Fundamental review needed of planning and resourcing of additional support for learning

The Scottish Government and councils must fundamentally rethink how they plan, fund and staff additional support for learning as part of core school education in Scotland.

Since legislation in 2004 to make additional support for learning (ASL) more inclusive, there has been an eight-fold increase in pupils recorded as receiving ASL; currently 40 per cent of Scottish pupils – or 285,000 children – receive ASL. Almost all support is now delivered in mainstream classrooms, and it has become an increasingly central part of what teachers do.

The Scottish Government failed to plan for the impacts of this inclusive approach, and poor data means it is not possible to determine the scale, complexity and nature of needs across Scotland. The Scottish Government and councils urgently need better information to understand pupils’ needs and appropriate level of resource to support them.

Existing measures show a wide gap in outcomes for pupils receiving additional support compared with other pupils, including being more likely to be absent or excluded from school. More appropriate ways of measuring the achievements of pupils who receive ASL are still to be developed.

Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland, said: “The Scottish Government has failed to plan effectively for its inclusive approach to additional support for learning. Current gaps in data mean it is unclear whether all children’s right to have an education that fully develops their personality, talents and abilities is being met.

“The Scottish Government and councils urgently need better quality data to understand pupils’ additional support needs and the resources required to provide support to enable all pupils to reach their full potential.”

https://twitter.com/i/status/1895030093891731696

Ruth MacLeod, Member of the Accounts Commission, said: “Councils and the Scottish Government must fundamentally rethink how additional support for learning is planned and provided as a core part of Scotland’s school education.

“This includes reviewing how mainstream and special education is provided to meet current and future additional support needs and demands.

“It is critical they work with pupils, parents and carers and staff throughout this process.”

COSLA’s Children and Young People Spokesperson, Councillor Tony Buchanan @antbuc1), has commented following report published today about Additional Support For Learning from the Auditor General and Accounts Commission.

The Auditor General and Accounts Commission published a briefing paper on additional support for learning (ASL) on 27th February 2025. It makes a series of recommendations to Scottish Government and Councils, touching on data, measuring the outcomes of children and young people with additional support needs, funding, workforce planning and school buildings.

The COSLA Children and Young People Board will discuss the briefing at their meeting on 7th March.

Councillor Tony Buchanan, said: “Local Government is fully committed to supporting all children and young people to learn and to providing opportunities so that they can realise their full potential. The briefing paper published by the Auditor General and Accounts Commission on additional support for learning is welcomed.

The COSLA Children and Young People Board will be updated next week, with an initial consideration of the recommendations. COSLA, alongside the Scottish Government, co-chair the Additional Support for Learning Project Board.

“There will be an opportunity for the project board to consider the recommendations fully when they meet next month and consider how these can inform their priorities.”

briefing_250227_additional_support_for_learningDownload

Maybury Primary School welcomes first pupils

THE First of its kind, Maybury Primary School has this week welcomed its first pupils – 25 excited P1 learners – into the brand-new school building. 

The group of children, who have been based at neighbouring East Craigs Primary School since August 2024 are the first intake at the new school which will offer capacity for up to three streams, including 630 primary pupils and 128 nursery pupils. The next group of children will join the new school in August 2025.

The school’s catchment area includes the new housing developments in Cammo and West Craigs.

Maybury Primary School is built to the Passivhaus standard, a highly energy-efficient construction method that regulates air temperature in classrooms, creating a more comfortable learning environment. This approach supports The City of Edinburgh Council’s 2030 net-zero target by significantly reducing the building’s energy consumption.

The new primary school is part of the Maybury Community Hub and is the first school in Edinburgh to share a campus with a medical practice. The hub will maximise the use of its buildings, allowing local residents to access services close to where they live in line with the 20-Minute Neighbourhood strategy.

Councillor Joan Griffiths, Education, Children and Families Convener said: “It is great to see that the new Maybury Primary School has welcomed its first group of learners into the building.

“The head teacher and her team have worked hard to ensure that the transition from East Craigs Primary School into the new school is smooth for the P1 children and I know that they are all excited to get settled into their new school environment.

“The new building has been constructed to be fit for the future and the ‘hub’ model means that the building can be used by the whole community, which is fantastic. The construction of Maybury Primary School is part of a broader initiative to meet the needs of new families who have moved into the area, alongside working to achieve the Council’s ambition to meet future demands and support community growth.”

47,000 young people to benefit from Big Bang at School Blueprint thanks to RAF Charitable Trust partnership

EngineeringUK is partnering with The Royal Air Force Charitable Trust (RAFCT) to expand the reach of its Big Bang at School Blueprint programme, where secondary schools can host their own exciting science and engineering days. 

With a skills and labour shortage in the engineering and technology sector, and EngineeringUK and Royal Society research showing some girls are switching off from science, the partnership with RAFCT aims to support up to 47,000 young people to enjoy their own Big Bang at School day with amazing science and engineering activities, workshops and projects and spark a passion and curiosity for all things STEM. 

The funding will enable Big Bang at School Blueprint, which aims to bring the same fun, excitement and interactive learning experience as The Big Bang Fair, held each year at the NEC, to the classroom to benefit 11 to 14 year-olds and bring to life science, engineering and technology careers through shows, workshops and activities. 

RAFCT aims to inspire young people to consider careers in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and is powered by the proceeds of the Royal International Air Tattoo.

Dr Kevin P Stenson, Director of RAFCT said, “The RAF Charitable Trust, powered by RIAT, is delighted to support EngineeringUK’s Big Bang School at School Blueprint programme.

“This new partnership, part of our aim to be able to support an annual National STEM programmes for 500,000 young people aged 5 – 25 years, represents a huge leap forward for us by enabling nearly 50,000 11 to 14-year-olds to be inspired to fulfil their potential in air, space and technology. 

“This secondary school programme builds upon existing programmes we enable with primary schools.”  

Bursaries for the Big Bang at School Blueprint are available for priority schools to help teachers host their own STEM project and workshops. 

Engineering UK Chief Executive, Dr Hilary Leevers said: “It’s fantastic to be partnering with the RAF Charitable Trust to help spread the reach of the Big Bang at School Blueprint.

“More young people from all backgrounds across the UK need to know about the exciting and impactful jobs to be had in science, technology and engineering.

“We greatly appreciate the support of the RAF Charitable Trust to help us make that happen through the Big Bang at School Blueprint – and we’ll make sure children have some fun along the way!” 

State of the art learning campus opens in Fife

INVESTING IN SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION

First Minister John Swinney has officially opened two new schools in Dunfermline which were supported by £53.4 million of Scottish Government investment.

Based within the new state of the art Dunfermline Learning Campus, St Columba’s RC and Woodmill High School will provide education opportunities from primary school all the way through to college. The campus will also be home to the new Fife College which is expected to open in early 2026.

If the Scottish Parliament votes for the 2025-26 Budget, it will ensure councils share a record funding settlement of more than £15 billion which will help provide vital support for schools and education.

The opening of the two new schools also adds to the proportion of schools in “good” or “satisfactory” condition which has increased from 62.7% in April 2007 to 91.7% in April 2024.

The increasing number of high quality school buildings is supported by the Scottish Government’s £2 billion Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP) – delivered in partnership with local authorities. A further nine school projects included in the programme will open in 2025-26.

First Minister John Swinney said: “Investing in our children’s education is one of the most important investments we can make and my government is determined to continue to deliver progress in Education. The pupils of the two schools on the Dunfermline Learning Campus will be learning in state of the art and modern facilities.

“It is my pleasure to officially open the schools within the Dunfermline Learning Campus and to see this fantastic facility come to life which has been supported by over £53 million of Scottish Government investment.

“There is so much to be proud of in Scottish education, with literacy and numeracy at a record high and record numbers of our young people going on to university.  Our budget will invest to ensure we can continue this progress.

“That is why I am calling on Parliament to unite behind the Budget and ensure we can drive further improvements in our schools, and deliver for our young people.”

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “The Dunfermline Learning Campus is a key example of the Scottish Government – in partnership with local authorities – delivering for local communities through the £2 billion LEIP. For the pupils attending these schools, this campus will be transformative for their education, for their families and for their future.

“I’m really pleased to see that community initiatives have been a focus during the building period. 814 weeks of apprenticeships have been supported for local young people and more than £56,000 donated to local community groups – putting community and social value at the heart of the campus.”

Mr Swinney attended a rather older ‘learning campus’ earlier this week when he returned to Carrick Knowe, his old primary school in Edinburgh.

Carrick Knowe opened 70 years ago this week and the school has been celebrating that special anniversary by creating an impressive exhibition highlighting key moments in the school’s history. Current pupils also performed a wonderful birthday celebration show – on the very same stage that young John Swinney himself will doubtless have performed as a wee laddie quite a few years ago!

Happy birthday, Carrick Knowe!

Pupils’ cards bring festive cheer to Princes Street

A set of 12 ‘Season’s Greetings’ cards designed by Edinburgh school pupils will brighten up Princes Street, with winning designs displayed on JCDecaux digital screens from Thursday 28th November to Sunday 1st December.

Three of the young winning artists; Eshaal Ahmed (Drummond High School), Elsie Smith (Bruntsfield Primary School) and Lilia Walas (Braidburn School), joined the City of Edinburgh Council Leader, Cammy Day on Thursday to unveil their designs at a bus shelter on Princes Street.

In addition, winning card designs by Eshaal Ahmed (Drummond High School), Elsie Smith (Bruntsfield Primary School), Lily Stokes (Parsons Green Primary School), Suri Pirani Carrasco (Drummond High School) and Mark Downie (Pilrig Park School) have been selected to feature on the official festive greetings cards for the City of Edinburgh Council.

The Season’s Greetings competition is an annual event, with 2024 marking the eighth year that JCDecaux UK has offered lucky Edinburgh pupils the chance to have their designs shown on digital Out-of-Home screens on Princes Street.

Council leader Cammy Day said: “The standard of artwork in this year’s competition made it really difficult to narrow down the entries to just 12 to feature on digital screens on Princes Street.

“I want to thank the teaching staff at schools across the city who have encouraged their pupils to get involved in the competition, and congratulate the youngsters who have had their creative artworks recognised.”

Lord Provost Robert Aldridge added: “Every year I am blown away not only by the number of entries we receive to the Seasons Greetings’ competition but by the standard of creativity from children and young people across the city.

“It’s amazing for pupils and their families to see their artwork on display on Princes Street, and I know that the designs will delight shoppers this weekend.”

Mike MacLennan, New Business Development & Partnership Manager at JCDecaux UK, said: “We are delighted to be supporting this wonderful artwork competition once again, working with The City of Edinburgh Council to showcase the talent and creativity of young artists in Edinburgh.

“This annual display on digital bus shelter screens brings festive cheer to people out and about on Princes Street.”

The winning designs will be displayed on all JCDecaux digital screens on Princes Street from Thursday 28th November to Sunday 1st December.

Edinburgh students to engage in nation’s rich heritage of design and manufacturing

  • TechFest, an Aberdeen charity has launched STEM into Innovation to inspire Scottish students to explore the nation’s deep history in design and manufacturing.
  • STEM into Innovation launched with ‘Pioneers of Progress’; an exciting initiative for S1-S2 students to explore the evolution of instant communications and design.
  • Following this, TechFest hosted Innovation Masterclasses throughout Scotland with experts from across design, manufacturing and academia. The final ‘Innovation Masterclass’ of the year on Engineering Design and Innovation was hosted by the organisers behind The Hydrogen Grand Prix (H2GP), Horizon Educational.
  • Sarah Chew, Managing Director of TechFest, said: “STEM into Innovation ignites curiosity across Scotland, combining cultural heritage with hands-on design and manufacturing.”

_________________________________________________________________________________

TechFest, an Aberdeen-based charity, has launched the programme ‘STEM into Innovation’ to enhance Edinburgh students’ awareness of innovation processes used within the design and manufacturing sectors.

STEM into Innovation targets secondary school students, offering both in-school tuition and live masterclasses held in Scottish cities. The initiative aims to equip young people with STEM and entrepreneurship skills and knowledge for further academic or STEM careers.

It kicked off with “Pioneers of Progress” in February, an exciting initiative exploring the evolution of instant communications and an introduction to design.

This free programme, which is still available to access via TechFest’s website, is delivered in classrooms through video content accompanied by follow-up challenges that aim to enhance all participating students’ mathematics, writing, design, marketing and teamwork skills.

It is designed for teachers across all subjects, providing a variety of resources for classroom instruction from TechFest, such as student activity booklets and interviews with industry professionals.

Sarah Chew, Managing Director of TechFest, said: “STEM into Innovation taps into Scotland’s rich design and manufacturing heritage, equipping students with the skills and mindset to become Scotland’s next STEM leaders.  

“It is a CREST-accredited programme that empowers students to unlock their full STEM potential, strengthens their CVs and UCAS applications while equipping them with the skills and mindset needed to bridge the industry skills gap.

“STEM into Innovation is committed to creating greater diversity and equality through encouraging more young people to consider a career in the engineering or science industries.”

TechFest delivered a range of masterclasses for students as part of STEM into Innovation, where students could roll up their sleeves and dive into hands-on product design.

The masterclasses were held in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee, and provided an opportunity for young people to gain insights on entrepreneurship and product development from industry professionals.

A masterclass conducted by Horizon Educational, organisers of the Hydrogen Grand Prix (H2GP), concluded the 2024 programme on the 23rd of November with a focus on engineering design and innovation.

Tobias Lundsgaard, Product Development Manager at Horizon Educational said: “Being able to bridge the gap between the products we develop in our R&D centre and the students we serve has been an invaluable aspect of TechFest’s STEM into Innovation programme.

“Getting to know these students – and being able to give them a glimpse into my own process of product development has reminded me of why I chose to pursue a career at Horizon Educational: to help build future leaders with a passion for STEM and Conscious design.”

Other masterclasses were held across Scotland including Edinburgh, which was presented by The National Robotarium.

A parent who attended the National Robotarium masterclass with her child said: ‘‘I would like to thank TechFest for organising these opportunities for the kids.

“My child had such a great day yesterday at Herriot-Watt University with his friend attending the National Robotarium. It was a long drive but so worth it when you see the enthusiasm they come away with about all they have seen and learnt. ”

STEM into Innovation was designed to equip students with in-demand entrepreneurial skills for employers and higher education institutions, enhancing their academic and career prospects in STEM fields.

This CREST-accredited programme: Pioneers of Progress runs throughout the academic year, alongside all other STEM into Innovation events and will continue to be available in the next school year, offering students ongoing opportunities to engage with STEM.

Following the success STEM into Innovation, next academic year, TechFest will host a cross-curricular design project for secondary school pupils to build on their previous programme experiences.

Bullying in Schools: New guidance

New guidance focuses on ‘prevention, response and inclusivity’

The Scottish Government has published new guidance to support schools and organisations working with children and young people to develop comprehensive anti-bullying policies and improve behaviour and relationships.

‘Respect for all’ includes updates for staff on how to deal with specific incidents of bullying, including online bullying. The guidance sets out that online bullying should be seen as related to where the bullying occurs, rather than as a different behaviour type – and that online bullying must be responded to with the same level of seriousness as any other form of bullying.

It also highlights the responsibility of schools and organisations to support the wellbeing of children and young people, even when there is not a responsibility to investigate the incident itself.

The definition of bullying on which the guidance is focused has also been strengthened following feedback from children and young people, parents and practitioners. This has a renewed focus on the emotional, social and physical impacts caused by bullying, recognising that not all bullying is an intentional act and that it does not need to be repeated for it to have an impact.

The guidance has been published as Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth visited Cowie Primary School, in Stirling, to learn more about its inclusive approach to tackling bullying during Anti-Bullying Week 2024.  

All local authorities, schools and organisations that work with children and young people will now be tasked with developing and implementing anti-bullying policies in line with Respect for All.

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “Bullying of any kind is never acceptable and can have a lasting impact on a child or young person’s life. It is vital that incidents of bullying, both online and offline, are addressed promptly and robustly. 

“The Scottish Government has worked with schools, organisations and local authorities to introduce a range of measures over the last year to improve behaviour and relationships in schools.

“I am pleased to build on this work with the launch of Respect for All, which focuses on prevention, response and inclusivity. It reflects the pressures facing young people, including the increase in social media use, and we expect all stakeholders in Scotland delivering services for children and young people to develop and implement an anti-bullying policy in line with the new guidance.”

Lorraine Glass, Director of respectme, said: “”respectme welcomes the publication of this vital guidance, perfectly timed to coincide with Anti-Bullying Week 2024.  We look forward to working with colleagues across Scotland to further embed the policy and practice necessary for the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people. 

“This week, over 700 schools from every Scottish local authority area have engaged with our annual campaign on what ‘respect’ means to them.  It’s been a phenomenal response and a testament to the commitment and energy of teachers, parents and youth workers to bring safety and happiness to young lives.”

Respect for All has been developed in conjunction with Scotland’s national anti-bullying service, respectme, local authorities, teaching unions, children’s organisations and a parents’ representative.

respect-national-approach-anti-bullying-scotlands-children-young-peopleDownload

Reeves to protect English education priorities ‘in face of inherited £22 billion blackhole’

  • Chancellor confirms steps to protect education and early years priorities as part of her first Budget. 
  • £1.4bn allocated for school rebuilding, reaffirming the government’s commitment to improve the school estate.
  • Funding will form a packet of measures to break down barriers to opportunity, so every child has the chance to succeed in life.     

Improving opportunities for our children and young people will be a key feature of the Chancellor’s first Budget, including £1.4bn to rebuild crumbling schools.  

The investment to rebuild school buildings, alongside funding for children’s social care, breakfast clubs and early years childcare reflect the government’s commitment to putting education back at the forefront of national life, breaking down the barriers to opportunity for all children. 

The decision to protect education priorities at the Budget comes at a crucial time for the sector with the government inheriting a £22 billion blackhole in the public finances and having to take tough decisions. 

The Chancellor has committed £1.4bn to ensure the delivery of the existing School Rebuilding Programme, with 50 rebuilds a year delivering on promises made to parents, teachers and local communities that crumbling school buildings will be rebuilt.  

The confirmation of the funding for education follows a 5.5% pay increase for school teachers agreed earlier in the year as the government sets out to reset relationships with the sector.  

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said: “This Government’s first Budget will set out how we will fix the foundations of the country. It will mean tough decisions, but also the start of a new chapter for Britain, by growing our economy through investing in our future to rebuild our schools, hospitals and broken roads.

“Protecting funding for education was one of the things I wanted to do first because our children are the future of this country. We might have inherited a mess, but they should not suffer for it.” 

Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, said: “This is a Budget about fixing the foundations of the country, so there can be no better place to start than the life chances of our children and young people.  

“Our inheritance may be dire, but I will never accept that any child should learn in a crumbling classroom. 

“We are determined to break down those barriers to opportunity, whether it’s brilliant early years, free breakfast clubs or high and rising standards in our schools, this government is putting education back at the forefront of national life.”  

£1.8 billion has also been confirmed to support the expansion of government-funded childcare, helping deliver the roll-out through local authorities – with a further £15m of capital funding allocated to expand school-based nurseries.

Primary schools can now apply for up to £150,000 of the £15m, with the first stage of the plan set to support up to 300 new or expanded nurseries across England creating much-needed places in areas most in demand.  

To support parents, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, the government today also confirmed it will triple its investment in breakfast clubs to over £30 million to help ensure children are ready to learn at the start of the school day, and helping drive improvements to behaviour, attendance and attainment. 

Meanwhile to keep more children in stable and loving homes, the new government has also announced £44 million to support kinship and foster carers.  

This will include trialling a new kinship allowance in up to 10 local authorities to test whether paying an allowance to cover certain costs – like supporting a child to settle into a new home with relatives – can help increase the number of children taken in by family members and friends. 

It will also help recruit more foster parents by ensuring that every local authority has access to a regional recruitment hub. These hubs help raise awareness about fostering and offer prospective carers a centralised platform to find information, ask questions and get support from the start of their fostering journey. 

This is expected to generate hundreds of new foster placements, reduce local authorities’ reliance on the expensive residential care market and offer children a stable environment to grow up in. The government has also confirmed its commitment to further reforms to children’s social care in future spending reviews to make sure every child, irrespective of background, has the best start in life. 

Chief Executive at Kinship, Dr Lucy Peake, said: “We are pleased that the Government has made a commitment to trialling a new Kinship Allowance so that more children can be raised in well-supported kinship care with family and friends who love them, delivering better outcomes for children and for the public purse than the care system.

“We look forward to further reforms to children’s social care which should ensure that all kinship families get the financial, practical and emotional support they need and deserve.”

World’s largest schools pipe band championships opens doors to 2025 entries

NEW BUMPER CASH PRIZE

The Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championships 2025 is open to entries, and has announced a new bumper prize of £2,500 for the popular Freestyle category, with runner up prizes totalling £3,250. 

All eight competitions within the championships offer generous prizes, but the popular Freestyle event tops the lot.  

The Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championships is the largest event of its kind in the world. A record 73 youth pipe bands from across Scotland took in the last event, as well as 8 quartets and 17 freestyle ensembles for a day of inspiring musicianship, camaraderie and competition.

Hundreds of young musicians from 99 schools gave 83 performances.  In addition to the Freestyle event, the Championships offer six graded competitions for pipe bands, for those new to competition right up to bands at the top of their game.

Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championships

Piping quartets are also welcome. Next year’s event takes place on Sunday 9 March at the William McIlvanney Campus in East Ayrshire. 

Although there are generous prizes for all the pipe band competitions, the Freestyle event offers the biggest incentive with winners taking away £2,500 and runners up receiving attractive increases in prizemoney with £1500, £1000, £750, £500 respectively. 

The Freestyle welcomes school band and group performances of any musical genre, contemporary or traditional, with any combination of instruments and vocalists, as long as they include the pipes. It is designed to showcase the versatility of the pipes and to encourage their inclusion in mainstream music-making in schools. 

Scottish Schools Pipes and Drums Trust, the charity that organises the Championships, believes in the transformative power of music, and in the wider achievement that pupils can experience by being part of a pipe band.

The charity helps state schools to sustain and set up piping and drumming tuition for their pupils, and lends pipes to pupils free of charge.

Chief Executive Alex Duncan said, “The Freestyle event celebrates the fact that pipers can play music of all genres, traditional and contemporary, along with other instruments. For schools wanting to give this ago, we can lend concert chanters free of charge, so that the pipes can be tuned to the same pitch as other instruments.”

“We thank East Ayrshire Council for hosting the Championships at the fabulous William McIlvanney campus in Kilmarnock again. With an impressive modern main stage arena that seats an audience of over 400 people, two more large performance spaces, 50 classrooms for changing, easy access for transport and parking, and excellent catering and exhibition space, the venue surpasses anything that we have seen in Scotland.”

The Scottish Schools Pipes and Drums Trust is a registered charity promoting the playing of pipes and drums in Scottish state schools.

The charity offers cash grants for tuition and other related band costs, free bagpipe and b-flat concert chanter loans, paid trainee internships, and organises the Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championships – the biggest schools piping competition in the world.

More details on the Championships can be found at:

https://thechampionships.org.uk/ 

or find us on social media @Piping4Pupils