Tag: schools

Bestselling author to host Magical Beast Workshops at Edinburgh Zoo on Saturday

Environmental focus next up for the Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour

From Monday 27 September to Saturday 2 October, the Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour will visit primary school pupils across the country as it continues its series of virtual events.

The tour will focus on the environment, with talks from conservationist, vet, TV presenter and author Jess French, author and rewilding pioneer Isabella Tree with d illustrator Allira Tee, and adventurer and bestselling author Abi Elphinstone.

The Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour is supported by Scottish Friendly and organised by Scottish Book Trust, the national charity transforming lives through reading and writing.

During the pandemic, the tour has been delivered virtually, live streaming into classrooms and living rooms across Scotland and the rest of the UK, with educational watch on demand video content viewed over 100,000 times.

The Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour will host virtual events on the environment for schools across Scotland, with an audience of around 5,000 pupils.

Jess French will talk to young people about the world’s incredible forests and how they can get involved and learn how to protect them. She will share educational extracts from her book: ‘Let’s Save Our Planet: Forests: Uncover the Facts. Be Inspired. Make A Difference.’

Isabella Tree and Allira Tree will discuss insights from her book: ‘When We Went Wild’, a joyful, sustainably printed picture book about two farmers who decide to let their farm run wild, inspired in part by Isabella’s own experience at the world-renowned Knepp rewidling project in West Sussex.

Isabella will also show pupils around the farm via a virtual video tour before reading the book and sharing how she and her husband turned a loss-making farm into a sustainable, wildlife enterprise. This will be followed by an interactive drawalong with the book’s illustrator Allira Tee, who joins the tour live from Melbourne, Australia.

Author Abi Elphinstone will virtually visit P4–7 pupils about her real-life adventures, living with the Kazakh Eagle Hunters in Mongolia to kayaking through the Norwegian fjords.

Abi will also discuss her Unmapped Chronicles series: ‘The Crackledawn Dragon’ – a voyage across a secret kingdom full of silver whales, fire krakens, and underwater palaces. She will share how her own experiences and adventures in the natural world inspire her magical realms and beasts, as well as showing pupils how easy it is to leap into stories of their own.

Authors Live will also return on Thursday 30 September with Abi Elphinstone. schools across Scotland can sign up for P4–7 classes and watch the event live from their classrooms. There will also be a chance to ask the author questions during the event through a Twitter Q&A.

Magical Beasts at Edinburgh Zoo

For budding young writers and animal lovers, Abi Elphinstone will also host Inventing Magical Beasts workshops at Edinburgh Zoo (Budongo Theatre) on Saturday 2 October, starting at 10am and 11.30am.

The event is included in the price of zoo admission, and families are invited to come along and meet the author. Abi will demonstrate how young people can invent their own magical beasts, using animals from Edinburgh Zoo as inspiration. There will also be signed copies of the author’s book available to purchase.

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust said: “We are delighted that the Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour is focusing on the environment, a topic that young people are incredibly engaged with.

“We’re pleased to have  experts in both conservation and rewilding joining the tour. The pupils are sure to learn more about their planet and how to protect it for many years to come.

“We hope families can join our event at Edinburgh Zoo, where Abi Elphinstone will help inspire the next generation of budding writers.”

Beccy Angus, Head of Discovery and Learning at Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, the wildlife conservation charity which leads Edinburgh Zoo, said: “It is wonderful to welcome Abi Elphinstone to the zoo.

“As a wildlife conservation charity, education is at the heart of what we do. We hope this event will help our visitors learn more about the spectacular species in our zoos and around the world, and inspire the next generation of conservationists.”

Our World: Maths Week Scotland

Maths Week Scotland 27 September – 3 October 2021

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#mathsweekscot

@mathsweekscot

Maths Week Scotland is back for its fifth year from 27 September to 3 October 2021. Local schools across Edinburgh, Lothians and Scottish Borders are joining in the fun with a wide range of activities and exciting programmes taking place during the week.

Maths Week Scotland is part of the Scottish Government’s drive to encourage positive attitudes to numeracy and maths and is developed and delivered by National Museums Scotland. The Small Grants Fund, a partnership between the Edinburgh Mathematical Society, the Glasgow Mathematical Journal Trust and the Scottish Government, has supported 75 activities across the country. These activities are taking place in schools and local community groups.

The theme for 2021 is ‘Our World’, exploring the importance of maths in understanding and responding to the climate emergency, whilst also finding maths in the world around us. School pupils across Edinburgh, Lothians and Scottish Borders will learn about this crucial topic through activities such as outdoor learning, a Maths Enrichment club and a mini beast project.

Science centres and museums across Scotland have also received additional funding from Maths Week Scotland to support in a series of activities and challenges encouraging innovation and participation.

Edinburgh’s five star visitor attraction, Dynamic Earth, will be launching a digital workshop on the topic of ‘Navigating Our World’, to explore how successful navigation was achieved in the past, and how it is now done in the present day.

Edinburgh Central library is hosting a free, drop-in shape and number trail for under 10s, plus additional maths and STEM books will be available to take out on loan.

The National Mining Museum Scotland in Newtongrange will also be host to a number of maths-themed activities for young visitors, including a mining version of snakes and ladders, quoits, bean bag toss, making patterns with coal, dressing up as a miner and handling mining objects.

Meanwhile, in East Lothian, Prestongrange Museum, John Muir’s Birthplace Museum, Dunbar Town House Museum and Gallery and John Gray Centre will all be launching maths-related trails and activities linked to each specific site.

Dunbar Town House Museum and Gallery will launch a time-related activity based on the clock and two sundials on the exterior of the building, while events at the John Gray Centre will focus on money and transactions, reflecting the commercial history or East Lothian and linking to trade tokens on display.

Katie Oldfield, Maths Week Scotland co-ordinator, said: “We’re proud to be bringing Maths Week Scotland back for its fifth consecutive year. It’s great to see that so many schools have come up with exciting activities that reflect our theme for this year.

“Maths is found everywhere in the world around us, but it is also a key part of the solution when it comes to tackling climate change. It was really inspiring to see many of our schools presenting this sometimes complex subject in a fun and engaging way.”

The schools programme is core to Maths Week Scotland. Schools and community projects receiving grants in Edinburgh, Lothians and Borders are:

·         Stenhouse Primary School: Taking Maths Outdoors – Numeracy and outdoor learning equipment

·         Balerno High School: Maths Enrichment Club – setting up a Maths Enrichment club at lunchtimes to support enjoyment and develop problem solving and team work skills in Maths.

·         Oxgangs Maths Club: Families can do maths together

·         Edinburgh Central Library: Maths Week at the Library – Central Library and the Children’s Library are hosting a variety of fun Maths-themed events for adults and children, from pattern-making to Möbius strips!

West Lothian

·         Greenrigg Primary School: Mini-beast Maths

Midlothian

·         Stobhill Primary school: Let’s get Creative at Stobhill!- interactive maths kits

Borders

·         Berwickshire High School: Mathematics and citizenship of the world

This year, Maths Week Scotland is also supported by winner of The Great British Bake Off 2020, Peter Sawkins, in collaboration with National Numeracy.

Peter is hosting a virtual assembly on 29 September, which will be streamed from the National Museum of Scotland to participating schools to learn about the maths involved in baking.

Maths Week Scotland has a supporting year-round programme for schools, families, adults and community groups. This is part of an ongoing drive to transform Scotland into a maths-positive nation through raising the profile of maths and encouraging enthusiasm for maths across the country.

National Museums Scotland is working with a wide range of organisations and collaborators to support and deliver Maths Week Scotland activity across Scotland.

For a full list of contributors and to view the whole programme, visit: 

www.mathsweek.scot

Scotland rolls out LGBT inclusive education across curriculum

Scotland has become the first country in the world to embed lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) inclusive education across the school curriculum.

Focused on promoting equality, reducing bullying and improving the educational experiences of LGBT children and young people, subjects across age groups will now include LGBT identities, issues and history.

Support to help schools deliver this includes:

  • a website where school staff, parents, carers, children and young people can access information to support LGBT children and young people
  • a basic awareness e-learning course for education staff on LGBT inclusive education
  • a toolkit of LGBT inclusive education teaching resources 

Parents, teachers, young people and LGBT organisations helped to develop the website, e-learning course and teaching resources.

Children’s Minister Clare Haughey said: “I am proud to say that Scotland is leading the way as the first country in the world to embed LGBT inclusive education right across the curriculum. By doing so, we can help young people to reach their full potential and flourish in a diverse and inclusive society.

“The launch of this ground-breaking suite of resources for schools takes us another step forward in ensuring that our curriculum is as diverse as the young people who learn in our schools.

“The Scottish Government, in partnership with COSLA, is determined to provide a fully inclusive education for Scotland’s children and young people.”

COSLA Children and Young People Spokesperson Cllr Stephen McCabe said: “Improving inclusion in our schools is a priority for Local Government. We welcome the materials published today, which will assist schools, teachers and education staff to drive this important agenda forward, ensuring all children and young people receive the support they need.”

Time for Inclusive Education co-founder Jordan Daly said: “I experienced bullying and prejudice at school for being gay, and it had a detrimental impact on my confidence and wellbeing for some time.

“This new website, and the supporting resources, which have been co-developed with teachers across Scotland, will support teachers to take a proactive, educational approach to tackling prejudice. Most importantly, this work will empower young people and provide them with an opportunity I didn’t have at school – to feel valued, confident, and proud of who they are.”

National Parent Forum of Scotland Chair Margaret Wilson said: “We welcome the roll-out of LGBT inclusive education across the school curriculum.

“With other stakeholders, we have developed an information resource on LGBT inclusive education for parents and carers to help them to support their children and ensure they have a positive educational experience, using an approach underpinned by children’s rights, kindness and respect.”

The new website is here: www.lgbteducation.scot

Don’t punish children for taking part in climate action, urges Children’s Commissioner

The Children and Young People’s Commissioner, Bruce Adamson has written to every Director of Education in Scotland urging them to support children taking part in the global climate strike tomorrow (Friday 24th September). 

In the letter the Commissioner stressed that children’s right to peaceful protest should be respected by adults and that a key part of education is to ensure that children are supported to develop an understanding of human rights and a respect for the natural environment.

Commissioner Bruce Adamson: “Student protests have been recognised as having a high educational value as they are often among the first experiences of public participation and human rights defence that children take. This activity can contribute to, rather than detract from children’s enjoyment of their right to education.”

Commending the positive approach some schools have taken to enable students to exercise their rights to peaceful assembly, participation and freedom of expression, he pressed that no punitive action be taken against children for striking. 

Commissioner, Bruce Adamson: “It is important that when children and young people take these peaceful and powerful actions, they are not silenced, discouraged or punished.

“I trust that you as education leaders will recognise the importance of this urgent global issue and will ensure that the children and young people taking part in climate strikes are given the support to which they are entitled.”

Acknowledging that striking may have a short-term impact on education, the Commissioner writes that: “Choosing to strike will undoubtedly have a short-term impact on children and young people’s school-based learning. However, their actions as human rights defenders in bringing attention to the threat of climate change and their demands for those in power to take action is part of their broader education.”

“We should recognise the courage that children and young people are demonstrating in their commitment to addressing climate change as an urgent and acute human rights issue.”

The Commissioner joined the calls of other global human rights leaders to support action including United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet. Children’s actions in climate justice have been recognised and supported by the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the Scottish Parliament through its engagement of children in the Scottish Climate Assembly.

The Commissioner will be publishing a report on young climate activists’ right to protest in Scotland ahead of COP-26 and pressed the education leaders to support children this week and beyond. 

Commissioner, Bruce Adamson: “Children and young people do not have the same political or economic power as adults, but by acting as human rights defenders, raising their voices and demanding change, they are demonstrating the power of their voices. I urge you to respect and support children and young people’s right to peaceful protest.”

Children-and-Young-Peoples-Commissioner-Scotland_Letter-to-Directors-of-Education_September-2021-FINALDownload

Broadcasters unite to support The Daily Mile campaign

ITV, STV, Sky, and Channel 4 have joined together in a national campaign to encourage millions of children to get back to being fit and active with The Daily Mile. 

Launching today, the TV advertising campaign highlights the powerful impact that The Daily Mile has on children’s physical and mental wellbeing. This campaign is part of a £10m commitment from broadcasters, and INEOS’ ongoing support to improve children’s physical and mental health. 

The fast-growing initiative for primary schools has been a huge success with children, parents and teachers worldwide. It has been particularly effective in getting children moving again after the disruption caused by Covid and school closures.

The Daily Mile recently reported that the number of children running a mile a day has skyrocketed to more than 3 million (3,175,461) in over 13,000 schools and nurseries, spanning 85 countries now taking part. 

The Daily Mile is inclusive and accessible to all. It encourages children to run, jog, wheel or walk at their own pace outdoors for 15 minutes every day, and has also been proven to improve concentration and attainment in class. 

The Daily Mile was first developed in 2012 by Scottish headteacher Elaine Wyllie MBE. Since 2016 it has been supported by INEOS, who funded the creation of the advert.

ITV formed a partnership with The Daily Mile in 2018, helping the campaign to generate over 7,000 additional schools sign ups and nearly 2 million more children participating since the partnership began. 

ITV’s Senior Manager of Social Purpose, Annabel Barratt, said: “We’re incredibly proud of the success of our partnership with the Daily Mile so far. After the last school year was so difficult, ITV wants to use our platform and reach to encourage more healthy choices, and we’re so pleased Sky and Channel 4 are on board too.

“We know The Daily Mile boosts children’s mental wellbeing, concentration and self-esteem as well as their physical health so we’re excited to be helping as many schools as possible take part” 

Verica Djurdjevic, Chief Revenue Officer, Channel 4 said: “The past school year has been really tough and means this initiative is more important than ever for the growing number of children benefiting from the boost to both their physical and mental health.

“It’s a great example of the positive impact broadcaster collaboration is delivering.” 

Fiona Ball, Group Director, Bigger Picture, Sky said: “We’re delighted to partner with ITV, STV and Channel 4 once again to support The Daily Mile’s work to encourage children across the country to make choices that will support their physical and mental health.

“At Sky, we believe in using our reach for good and want to provide young people of all backgrounds a voice and support a better future for themselves and society.” 

Founder of The Daily Mile, Elaine Wyllie MBE, said: “Thank you to ITV, STV, Sky, Channel 4. Their help to raise awareness of the benefits of The Daily Mile is so important. It’s been brilliant to see children returning to school and back to The Daily Mile.

“They are all having fun together outdoors and staying fit in a way that comes naturally to them. We want to help schools as they do a great job of supporting children to be happier and more physically active – this has never been as important as it is now.” 

Teachers and parents are encouraged to visit www.thedailymile.co.uk for further information on how they can participate in The Daily Mile safely and in accordance with the latest Government guidelines. 

ITV’s investment in the importance of children’s mental and physical health extends across other initiatives including Britain Get Talking and Eat Them To Defeat Them.

Schools facing strike action

GMB Scotland serves notice to councils over “derisory and unacceptable” pay offer

Nearly 10,000 school support and refuse and cleansing workers will be balloted for industrial action from next week, after GMB Scotland reps served statutory notice on councils yesterday against a “derisory” pay offer for 2021.

It follows a consultative ballot of GMB Scotland members across Scottish local government which delivered a 95 per cent rejection of COSLA’s £850 a year increase for staff earning up to £25,000 a year.

The ballot will run from Thursday 16 September to Thursday 7 October, with the prospect of strike action affecting school cleansing, janitorial services, refuse collections, and street sweeping from late October onwards.

GMB Scotland Senior Organiser Drew Duffy said: “COSLA’s offer amounts to little more than £15 a week more for our frontline workers in local government, it is derisory and unacceptable.

“The dither and delay on delivering proper value means they are still mired on pre-pandemic pay rates – there has been no “thank you” for these workers.

“Council and political leaders have said many times during this pandemic they value the work of our members, well it’s time they put their money where their mouth is.

“The threat of disruptive strikes in schools and community services is now likely, and unless COSLA chiefs table an improved offer the blame will lie with them.”

It’s Good to Grow: Morrisons reconnects children with nature

– It’s Good To Grow scheme will see in-store and online spending rewarded by giving gardening equipment and seeds to UK schoolchildren –

– Move to encourage children to eat fruit and vegetables as 70 per cent are more likely to eat produce that they have grown themselves –

Morrisons has launched ‘It’s Good To Grow’, a campaign in all of its stores that will donate gardening equipment to schoolchildren across the UK in the hope of educating kids about where their food comes from.

The scheme will see customers gain one ‘It’s Good to Grow’ token in their My Morrisons account via the app and website for every £10 that is spent in store or online, which can then be donated to any school to redeem equipment such as gardening tools, composting bins and seeds to get growing. 

The National Food Strategy, published earlier this year, outlined the need for the UK to improve dietary health whilst protecting the environment, warning that a failure to do so could lead to obesity costing the NHS £15 billion by 2035.

Morrisons hopes the initiative will help build a connection between kids and healthy food by making school children more aware of the journey of food from field to fork.

New research by YouGov on behalf of Morrisons has found that some children aged six to 15 do not have a good understanding of how fruits and vegetables are grown.

For example, only 34 per cent correctly identified how asparagus is grown, with 32 per cent stating that asparagus is grown underground and 21 per cent saying they don’t know how it is grown. This highlights a need to show kids how food is grown to help them eat better now and in the future.

Being Britain’s biggest foodmaker, Morrisons is empowering children to connect with the natural world for them to better understand what they are putting into their bodies. Giving children the tools and knowledge needed can help develop better dietary habits – with research finding that out of 1,115 children surveyed aged six to 15, 70 per cent are more likely to eat produce that they have grown and cared for themselves.

Over half (56 per cent) of the children aged six to 10 in the UK are not currently eating their recommended amount of fruit and vegetables each day. The Morrisons scheme aims to build a closer relationship between children and fruit and vegetables so they can see that it can be easy and inexpensive to grow their own produce once they have the necessary skills.

Rachel Eyre, Chief Customer & Marketing Officer at Morrisons, said: “We’re really proud of the work that we do for British food and with British farmers. It’s great to be able to launch a campaign that will give our youngest customers the knowledge and equipment to gain a better understanding about where food comes from and how to grow it.

“We want children to engage with nature as it will help them to start eating more healthily now and in the future, because they are more likely to eat fruit and vegetables when they understand them or have grown them themselves.”

‘It’s Good To Grow’ aims to transform 14,000 schools in Britain into Morrisons Growing Schools by giving children additional educational resources to demonstrate the importance of improving their health, whilst making use of their environment.

This is the latest initiative introduced by Morrisons that aims to encourage a sustainable future and follows wider business commitments such as pledging to be completely supplied by net zero emission British farms by 2030 and committing to the Peas Please initiative, run by the Food Foundation, to encourage customers to eat more vegetables.

Download the My Morrisons app via the App Store and Google Play to start earning ‘It’s Good to Grow’ tokens that can be donated to schools for them to redeem gardening equipment. 

For more information visit: https://www.itsgoodtogrow.co.uk .

Scotland’s biggest ever flu vaccine programme launches tomorrow

Primary and secondary school pupils will start receiving their flu vaccine tomorrow (Monday) as Scotland’s biggest flu immunisation programme gets underway.

Over four million people will be offered the free flu vaccine this year with secondary school pupils eligible for the first time.  

Running until December all primary and secondary school pupils will be offered the vaccine which is given as a painless nasal spray.

Public Health Minister Maree Todd said: “More people than ever are being offered the flu vaccine and we hope to see a large uptake amongst pupils as we aim to keep flu out of schools this year. 

“If you’ve not missed the deadline for returning consent forms to your school, I’d urge you to complete and return these now.  Last year with the public health measures that were in place, there was lower levels of flu than there has been in previous years so our immunity levels to flu may be lower this year.

“The vaccines are safe and the best way to help protect you, and others, from flu this winter.”

The flu virus changes every year, so you need to get the vaccine every year to stay protected. The flu vaccine cannot give you flu, but it can stop you catching it. The COVID-19 vaccine does not offer any protection from flu, you need to get the separate flu vaccine.

In a small number of cases, the nasal spray may not be suitable, and the vaccine can be given as an injection in the arm instead.

For more information about the flu vaccine, visit www.nhsinfrom.scot/childflu, call 0800 030 8013, or speak to a health or immunisation team, practice nurse, or GP.

While the flu vaccination programme will get underway tomorrow, the decision on Covid vaccinations for 12 – 15 year olds is still to be taken.

Health Ministers of the devolved nations wrote to their respective Chief Medical Officers on Friday to seek further advice.

The joint letter reads:

Dear UK Chief Medical Officers,

We are writing on behalf of the 4 nations of the UK following the recent JCVI discussions on 1 and 2 September regarding the COVID-19 vaccination of children and young people aged 12 to 15.

JCVI has updated its advice on this topic. This advice says that the committee is of the opinion that the health benefits from vaccination are marginally greater than the potential harms. However, that margin of benefit, based primarily on a health perspective, is considered too small to support advice on a universal programme of vaccination of otherwise healthy 12 to 15-year-old children at this time.

The JCVI’s advice goes on to suggest that the government may wish to take further advice, including on educational impacts, from the chief medical officers of the 4 nations, with representation from JCVI in these subsequent discussions.

We agree with the approach suggested by JCVI, and so we are writing to request that you take forward work (drawing on experts as you see fit) to consider the matter from a broader perspective, as suggested by the JCVI.

We will consider the advice from the CMOs of the 4 nations, building on the JCVI’s advice, in making our decision. Given the importance of this issue, we would be grateful if you could provide your advice as soon as possible.

Sajid Javid MP
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, HM Government

Eluned Morgan AS/MS
Y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol
Minister for Health and Social Services, Welsh Government

Humza Yousaf MSP
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Scottish Government

Robin Swann MLA
Minister of Health, Northern Ireland Executive

6,152 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Scotland yesterday.

Strike threat facing schools and cleansing as GMB members reject latest COSLA pay offer

School support staff and refuse workers moved “a step closer” to industrial action yesterday after GMB members rejected COSLA’s latest pay offer.

95 per cent of members who participated in the union’s consultative ballot over the 2021 offer voted to reject an £850 increase for local government staff earning up to £25,000 a year.

The union will now move to a full industrial action ballot of nearly 10,000 members employed in schools and local refuse and cleansing services, increasing the possibility of autumn strikes.

GMB Scotland Senior Organiser for Public Services Drew Duffy said: “COSLA bosses have failed to table to a pay offer that reflects decent value for many workers who have been part of the frontline response to COVID-19.

“The prospect of an increase that would amount to little more than £15 a week extra in the pockets of workers like school cleaners and refuse collectors has been rightly and resoundingly rejected.

“COSLA’s dither and delay means local government staff across Scotland are still mired on pre-pandemic pay rates – there has been no “thank you” for these workers.

“It means the threat of strikes this autumn, disrupting schools and community services like waste collection and street cleansing, is now a step closer.”

Morrisons: It’s Good to Grow!

Morrisons are launching a new initiative for our local primary schools to register to receive free gardening equipment 👩‍🌾🌻🌱🌷👩‍🌾

From Monday 6th September to Sunday 24th October for every £10 spent in store, customers with a My Morrison’s card/account will receive 1 Grow Token.

These tokens can then be donated to a registered school.

From 1st November schools will be able to redeem their Grow Tokens against a wide variety of gardening equipment.

Terms and conditions apply.

IMPORTANT: Schools need to register at www.itsgoodtogrow.co.uk. Registration is open now.

Start collecting from Monday 6th September