Tag: schools

Edinburgh schools ready to celebrate 15 years of UK’s largest active travel to school challenge

Schools in Edinburgh still have time to sign up to the UK’s largest walking, scooting and cycling to school challenge.

Taking place 11-22 March 2024, the Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel inspires pupils to make active journeys to school, improving air quality in their neighbourhood and discovering how these changes benefit the world around them.

Now in its 15th year, the event sees schools across Scotland and the UK compete each day to make the most journeys by travelling actively to school.

The challenge is delivered by Sustrans, the charity that aims to make walking, wheeling and cycling easier, in partnership with City of Edinburgh Council and headline sponsors Schwalbe Tyres UK.

Dr Cecilia Oram, Head of Behaviour Change, at Sustrans said: “Millions of pupils have risen to the challenge and embraced walking, scooting and cycling throughout these past 15 years of Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel, and this time it’s going to be bigger than ever.

“Not only are pupils and their families enjoying quality time together during an active school commute, but they’re also improving traffic congestion and air quality around their schools.”

Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel is open to all primary and secondary schools in the UK, including SEN/ASN/ALN schools, with prizes to be won every day.

The prizes on offer to schools this year include Micro Scooters, Frog bikes and Cyclehoop cycle parking and infrastructure.

Free resources are available to encourage pupils to help reduce air pollution and learn about the benefits of active travel for themselves, their schools, their neighbourhoods, and the planet.

Alison McLean, Acting Headteacher at Queensferry Primary School in Edinburgh, said: “Last year, our pupils had so much fun walking and cycling to school with their friends and family.

“We noticed they arrived at school refreshed and ready to learn. We were also thrilled to come in first place in the large primary school category in Scotland.

“I would encourage more schools to sign up to the Big Walk and Wheel as it’s a great way for young people to learn more about the local environment, air quality and how it affects them.”

15 years of the Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel in Scotland

Since data collection for the challenge began in 2011, just over 1.5 million miles1 have been travelled by pupils taking almost 2.3 million active travel journeys to school in Scotland.

That equates to around 19 trips to the moon, or over 180 journeys around the Earth1, saving just under 1,200 tonnes of CO2 polluting the air on the school run, from 3.1 million car journeys had the participants been driven to and from school1.

Just over 340,000 active journeys to 340 participating schools took place in Scotland during the 2023 challenge, saving just over an estimated 240 tonnes of CO2 emissions if the journeys logged had otherwise been made by car2.

Karen McGregor, Scotland Director at Sustrans, said: “For 15 years, pupils across Scotland have enjoyed taking part in the Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel. Parents save money by not having to drive and children get to be out and about exploring their world.

“The challenge shows that a healthier, more enjoyable and sustainable journey to school is possible. We want to transform school runs across Scotland by making it easier for all families to walk, wheel or cycle to school.”

Join in

Comment and share your active journeys to school, using the hashtag #BigWalkandWheel

Find out more about registering for the Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel 2024.

Follow us on Twitter @SustransScot and on Facebook

Doctors encourage Scottish Government to take forward schools air quality monitor pilot

A proposal for air quality monitors to be trialled in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth

  • Doctors encourage Scottish Government to take forward schools air quality monitor pilot
  • A proposal for air quality monitors to be trialled in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth

The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (“the College”) is urging the Scottish Government to take forward its proposal to monitor air quality around urban schools in Scotland.

The College’s costed pilot proposal would see air quality monitors placed for a year in up to three schools, within 50m of those schools, in each of five Scottish cities: Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth. The pilot would therefore see up to 15 schools across Scottish cities taking part.

Last year, the College called for air quality monitors to be placed at all city primary schools in Scotland for a period of at least a year, in its submission of evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee.

The pilot idea was developed by the College’s Working Group on Air Pollution and Health. It has now been submitted to the Scottish Government following positive discussions with government officials last year. Members of the Working Group highlighted the lack of data on air quality around schools despite the knowledge that air pollution can pose serious health risks to children.

As part of the working group’s preparation of the pilot proposal, clinicians plotted the distances between primary and secondary schools in these five city areas and existing air quality monitors.

The group found that from the 337 primary and 94 secondary schools examined, only one primary school was within 50m of a PM (particulate matter) monitor and only 2 primary schools were within 100m of a NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) monitor.

There were no secondary schools within 100m of either type of monitor.

Professor Jill Belch, Co-lead of the College’s Working Group on Air Pollution and Health, and Professor of Vascular Medicine at the University of Dundee, said: “Science has provided robust evidence that children are significantly harmed by air pollution, with sometimes tragic results.

“Whilst lung disease in children is widely recognised as a result of breathing polluted air, less well known to the public, but equally important, are the effects of this pollution on the developing organs within a child.

“For example, exposure to polluted air in childhood has been shown to reduce brain cognitive function in a number of key ways. Further, and of concern, is that children appear to become unwell at lower levels of pollutants than do adults.

“ At present the early work conducted by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh suggests that few school have air quality monitors nearby, so we do not actually know how well or otherwise, our children are protected. It is therefore imperative that we ensure air quality around schools is within regulatory levels, and the College’s proposal to the Scottish Government can start this process.”

Professor Andrew Elder, President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and the other Co-Lead of the Working Group on Air Pollution and Health, said: “ There is overwhelming evidence that air pollution can have a wide range of detrimental health impacts on our children including problems with the lung, heart, brain and immune and hormonal systems.

“We also know that there is a correlation between areas of high deprivation and poor air quality and this can exacerbate pre-existing health inequalities in children and young people.

“ We are concerned at the lack of data on air quality around urban schools in Scotland- with the vast majority of urban air quality monitors currently sited too far away from schools-  and believe we must collect as much accurate school level data as possible so we can have an evidence base for action.

“The College hopes that the Scottish Government will consider our proposal positively and we remain committed to working constructively with it and all other stakeholders so that we can better understand the levels of air pollution around our schools and subsequently support implementing mitigation measures where these are required.”

Mike Corbett, National Official (Scotland) for the NASUWT said: “Thousands of people die each year because of occupational diseases caused by air pollution at work. Pollution arising from work and travel to work are health issues for which employers currently take little responsibility.  

“Air pollution impacts workers and their families at all stages from before birth to old age and is particularly damaging to the growth and development of babies and children. 

“ Being able to quantify the scale of the problem around our schools is the first step to cleaning up the air we and our children breathe and moving towards a heathier and safer future.  NASUWT is therefore very pleased to endorse and support this proposal for pilot air quality monitoring around schools.”

Diplomatic missions urge Israel to cease demolitions of schools

Diplomatic missions call on Israel to halt demolitions and confiscations of Palestinian houses and property in the West Bank

Representatives of Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the European Union  together with the Palestinian Ministry of Education call on Israel to rescind its recent decision of the Israeli Civil Administration to demolish a donor-funded school in Amera, Hebron.

Israeli authorities issued a final demolition order against the school on Education Day (24th January), leaving the school at imminent risk of demolition. Should the demolition go ahead, 39 Palestinian school children will be deprived of their basic right to education.

The nearest alternative schools are approximately 5km away. Without adequate transport, students must make the long journey by foot, exposed to settler attacks, a heavily trafficked road and inclement weather. Under these conditions, girls and children with disabilities in particular are at a high risk of dropping out.

Palestinian schools in Area C – including those funded by donors – remain vulnerable to Israeli demolitions and settler violence. Since 2022, Israeli authorities have demolished three donor-funded schools. In addition, three donor-funded schools have been vandalised by Israeli settlers and are currently not operational.

Under international law, Israel, as occupying power, has an obligation to ensure that the occupied civilian population has adequate access to basic education.  

Palestinian children’s right to an education is undermined by Israel’s planning and zoning system in Area C which prevents Palestinian development, and construction of schools in Area C.

Representatives of Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the European Union  call on Israel to halt demolitions and confiscations of Palestinian houses and property in accordance with its obligations as an occupying power under international humanitarian law, and to cease the policy of settlement construction and expansion, of designating land for exclusive Israeli use and of denying Palestinian development.  

Failure to do so seriously undermines a two state solution and is a major impediment to peace and security.

Promoting equality in schools

Further library funding announced

Around 20,000 pupils are expected to benefit from anti-racism and equality projects based in school libraries across Scotland.

A total of 21 schools will be awarded a share of £200,000 from the School Library Improvement Fund (SLIF).

Projects include:

  • books to support children who have recently arrived in East Ayrshire from countries including Ukraine
  • teaching pupils Black, Asian and minority ethnic history as part of learning on historical links to slavery in Inverclyde
  • a Holistic Inclusion Hub to support parents and pupils from diverse backgrounds to feel more included in the school community in Edinburgh.

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth announced the funding during a visit to Annette Street Primary School in Glasgow, which will use the investment to support children from the Roma community.

Ms Gilruth said: “School libraries play a key role in our efforts to further boost literacy and continue improving attainment but they are also places where positive values can be developed and celebrated.

“Projects supported by this funding will help young people to understand the harmful consequences of racism and ensure they feel empowered to challenge discrimination.

“Scotland’s school libraries are a vital resource and all children should have access to the opportunities they provide. This funding will help ensure that young people from all backgrounds feel the full benefits.”

Chief Executive of Scottish Library and Information Council Pamela Tulloch said: “School libraries play a key role in accelerating education and learning, and ensuring every young person has the chance to fulfil their full potential by enabling access to information and creative opportunities.

“We’re particularly proud to award support to those advocating for anti-racism and anti-discrimination through this year’s Fund, with many projects aiming to increase access and support for pupils who may experience barriers to learning, including those with Additional Support Needs (ASN) and pupils with English as an Additional Language (EAL).

“Involving children and young people, and their families, in defining the school library service creates a flexible space for reflection and conversation where learning and creativity are encouraged in a nurturing environment.  We look forward to seeing these initiatives come to life.”

Glasgow City Council’s Convener for Education and Early Years, Councillor Christina Cannon said: “Our schools and teachers are always looking at ways in which to support our children and young people – particularly pupils with English as additional language – and this additional funding will help provide resources to complement this work.

“Our diversity is something that we celebrate and we are proud to have more than 113 languages spoken across the city.”

New campaign supports Edinburgh schools to talk to pupils about vaping

There has been a rise in young people in Scotland vaping in recent years, with more than 40 per cent of children and teenagers saying they’ve tried vapes by the time they reach S4.1

Vaping is a new and emerging pattern of disruptive behaviour in schools, with staff reporting reduced attendance as young people gather to vape in toilets through the school day.2

Nicotine, often found in vapes, can also be linked to stress, anxiety and struggles with sleeping. Research shows that you can become addicted to nicotine within days of starting to use it and a quarter of teens who tried vaping say they are addicted.3

To help tackle this issue the Scottish Government has launched a campaign which encourages and supports teachers to have conversations with pupils about the serious health risks of vaping.

Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said: “Smoking damages lives and kills more than 8,000 people a year in Scotland and is burden on our NHS and social care services. Research also suggests that almost one in five adolescents have tried vapes.

“While E-cigarettes are one of a range of tools for adult smokers to quit smoking, they should never be used by young people or adult non-smokers. We must take action to prevent young people using vapes and becoming addicted which will damage their health, and that’s why we launched a marketing campaign. It is much easier to never start than it is to give up.”

Allie Cherry-Byrnes, CEO of Fast Forward, a voluntary education organisation, said: “We know from speaking to schools and parents during our vaping workshops that schools have seen a notable increase of vaping among pupils recently.

“The nicotine addiction associated with vaping can affect pupils’ ability to concentrate in school and schools are also seeing a negative impact on attendance.

“The campaign resources are a useful tool for teachers as they continue to speak to pupils about vaping and help young people understand the health risks involved.”

Resources linking to Curriculum for Excellence have been shared with all Scottish schools, including information and facts about vaping, posters, newsletter copy, social media assets and an expert film featuring Professor Linda Bauld talking about the impacts of vaping on young people.

Professor Linda Bauld from the University of Edinburgh said “There is a rise in young people in Scotland who vape and this is a concern. These are products that should be used by adult smokers trying to quit and not other groups.

“Although we don’t have long term evidence on health harms, we do know that many vaping products contain nicotine that can be addictive. Cravings for nicotine can lead to irritability, restlessness, feeling anxious or depressed, trouble concentrating and sleeping.

“It’s important that we communicate to young people and parents about risks and support them to have informed discussions about these products.”

Nicotine withdrawal can have an impact on a young person’s mental health making them tired, stressed and anxious. It can also affect young people’s concentration and impact their ability to learn and study. The first symptoms of nicotine dependence can appear within days or weeks of starting to occasionally vape.

The ‘Take Hold’ campaign also offers advice for parents about talking to their about vaping and features a striking image of a young person being ‘taken hold of’ by vape smoke, to highlight how vaping can quickly take hold of and impact your life.

Children’s TV legend counting on Scottish schools to register for NSPCC Number Day 2024

  • Children’s TV presenter, Johnny Ball, and TV personality, Emmauel Asuquo, are calling on schools and nurseries in Scotland to take part in NSPCC Number Day this year
  • Number Day – on Friday, February 2 – encourages children and teachers across the UK to enjoy maths-related activities and games to enthuse children about mathematics
  • Funding raised from the event will enable the charity to continue to provide its vital services, including Childline.

Children’s TV presenter and renowned mathematician Johnny Ball and financial expert Emmauel Asuqo are calling on schools and nurseries across Scotland to sign-up to the NSPCC’s annual maths fundraiser, which raises funds for children suffering abuse. 

They are also supporting the day with visits to schools to encourage youngsters to harness a love of maths, while raising vital funds for the charity.

Number Day takes place on Friday 2nd February, and the NSPCC hopes to see a record number of primary schools across the country taking part in a range of maths related activities and games, including ‘Dress up for Digits’. These activities aim to enthuse children about mathematics, as well as fundraise for the charity.

This Number Day, children will have the chance to take part in an exciting new adventure – ‘The Trophy Thief’ from Sums of Anarchy – a mathematics mystery adventure based in ‘Arithmetown’ where children need to solve the crime of the missing Golden Numeral trophy. 

Plus, there are new resources and activities from all the NSPCC’s partners including Maths Circle and Times Table Rock Stars, Maths on Toast, Oxford University Press, GoHenry and SchoolOnline.

Stephanie Coleman, community fundraiser at the NSPCC, said: “Number Day is an annual event that brings together whole schools and nurseries in a celebration of mathematics and numbers.

“We love hearing from pupils and teacher who have found a creative way to embrace the day, whether that’s dressing up as numbers or challenging students to think about how maths enters our everyday lives.

“The money raised by Number Day goes towards our vital work in supporting children across the UK who experience abuse. It’s a pleasure for us to see so many schools get involved in a day of fun that – down the line – helps children contact Childline or access our support services.

“We’d like to thank everyone who takes part.”

Johnny Ball said: “I’m delighted to support the NSPCC’s annual Number Day once again. It’s a fantastic opportunity to get children excited about maths from a young age in a fun and engaging way.

“Maths can be a daunting subject for many so it’s crucial that we foster a healthy understanding that maths is not just numeracy, but that it underpins everything we do in life including all our activities in the arts and sciences.

“Number Day also encourages youngsters to engage, as a whole school, with fundraising which is so vital for the NSPCC to continue its wonderful work.”

Registration for Number Day 2024 is free and open to schools and nurseries now. Once a school is registered, the NSPCC will provide resources that can be used in the classroom, including new games, quizzes and activities, and free curriculum-based 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.

With around 90 per cent of income coming from supporters, including schools, events such as Number Day are crucial to enable the NSPCC keeps its vital services running, including Childline, its Helpline for adults to call if they are concerned about a child, 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.

Schools can get involved with Number Day by registering online. 

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.

Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or childline.org.uk. Any adults concerned about a child’s safety or wellbeing can contact the NSPCC helpline at help@nspcc.org.uk or by calling 0808 800 5000.

Mental health support for children and young people

Expansion of service helping those in crisis

A programme supporting young people with complex social issues attending A&E is to be expanded. The Youth Navigators programme, delivered by Medics Against Violence, supports young people aged 12-16 arriving at Emergency Departments who are in distress.

The service provides trained youth workers – Youth Navigators – to identify the help young people need and provide practical support so they can access relevant longer-term support.

The initiative has supported more than 600 young people since 2021 – most had experienced issues with their mental health and wellbeing; some on a chronic basis related to issues at home, with friend groups or bullying, and some more acutely experiencing suicidal thoughts and feelings and who may have caused harm to themselves.

Scottish Government funding of £64,000 will allow the expansion of the service to University Hospital Wishaw and a pilot of the Youth Navigator programme in schools.

Mental Wellbeing Minister Maree Todd said: “I am pleased to announce additional funding to pilot the expansion of the Youth Navigator programme to University Hospital Wishaw and to pilot a new Youth Navigator approach by partnering with Taylor High in New Stevenson in Lanarkshire to place Youth Navigators in their school.

“Since the Youth Navigator programme started in mid-2021 it has supported over 600 young people.

“This additional support for the programme is in addition to the substantial investment we are already making to improve the mental health and wellbeing support provided to children, young people and their families in Scotland.

“This funding is the result of the Scottish Government listening to children, young people and families and taking direct action in the areas where they have told us more support is needed. Ensuring that all children and young people can get the right mental health and wellbeing support at the right time is a key priority for this government as our continued record investment in this area goes to show.”

Co-Director and founder of Medics Against Violence, Professor Christine Goodall said: “We are delighted to receive funding from the Scottish Government to pilot the expansion of the Youth Navigator programme.

“The youth work approach that the Youth Navigators take provides young people with a trusted adult with whom they can discuss their feelings and through discussing what is most important to them, put plans in place to support a safer future.

“The expansion of the programme in the hospital setting is much needed and often requested by hospitals, the new approach of placing Youth Navigators in the school setting helps to take prevention further upstream to try and support young people with any issues they are facing before they get to the crisis point where they require medical intervention.”

A young person who received support from the Youth Navigator programme said: “I appreciate what the Youth Navigator programme has done for me – giving me someone to talk to who won’t invalidate my feelings and genuinely help me is something I’ve always wanted.

“I am so grateful to those involved – they really made a difference in my life.”

Major national drive to improve school attendance in England

Attendance hubs to more than double to support 1,000 more schools and £15 million investment to expand the attendance mentor pilot programme

Driving up attendance and tackling persistent absence is at the centre of new stronger measures launched today as pupils return to school in England.  

More than one million children and young people will be supported into regular education as part of a major expansion of the attendance hubs, which provide a range of tailored support to families and pupils to boost time in school. 

There will be 18 new attendance hubs across six regions, bringing the total to 32 and will see nearly 2,000 schools helped to tackle persistent absence.

Hubs are run by schools with excellent attendance that share practical ideas with other primary, secondary, alternative provision and special schools in England who need help to boost their attendance.

From direct pupil engagement initiatives like breakfast clubs and extracurricular activities, to improving their processes and analysis of attendance data, lead hub schools provide a range of support to schools that they can tailor to their pupils and families.  

The Westminster government is also increasing the direct support offered to children and their families with the expansion of the attendance mentor pilot programme.

With an investment of up to £15million, over three years, this programme will provide direct intensive support to more than 10,000 persistent and severely absent pupils and their families.  

The programme will see trained attendance mentors working in 10 further areas from September 2024. These areas are in addition to the existing pilot programme with Barnardo’s which is already operating in Middlesbrough, Doncaster, Knowsley, Salford, and Stoke on Trent.  

The programme provides intensive one-to-one support to pupils who are persistently absent working with them and their families to find out why the child is skipping school. This can lead to extra support, more intensive work with teachers or in some cases bridge-building between school and family.

Being in school has never been more valuable with standards continuing to rise. 89% of schools are now rated good or outstanding, up from 68% in 2010. We are constantly seeing the success of our reforms rising up the rankings in maths, reading and science.

Just this month, England was ranked 11th in the world for maths, up from 27th in 2009, and in May, England was named ‘best in the west’ for primary reading.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said: “The benefits of our success in raising education standards can only be when all children are in school.

“Tackling attendance is my number one priority. We want all our children to have the best start in life because we know that attending school is vital to a child’s wellbeing, development, and attainment as well as impact future career success.

“I am hugely grateful to all our brilliant teachers, heads, and everyone whose worked with us to make the progress we’ve already made with 380,000 fewer children persistently absent.”

Children’s Commissioner Rachel De Souza said: “As Children’s Commissioner, I have made school attendance one of my top priorities because children tell me how much they value their education and want to be in school.

“Every day counts: when children miss school, it’s not just about missing lessons, it’s also about losing valuable moments spent with their friends and teachers.

“I very much welcome the government’s announcements today which include the recommendations made last year in my report on school attendance.

“I am hopeful that these measures will arm local authorities and schools with real-time information about school absence rates and provide vital support for children who face barriers to attending school.”

Chief Executive of Barnardo’s, Lynn Perry MBE, said: “Our Attendance Mentoring pilot scheme shows that one of the best ways to improve attendance is working individually with children, building trust and listening to their concerns.

“Our mentors encourage children to talk openly about issues such as family finances, bullying, or mental health worries – anything they feel may be preventing them from going to school.

“In Middlesbrough, 82% of the children we have worked with improved their attendance through one-on-one support from an attendance mentor, with almost two-thirds of the children saying their mental health also improved.”

Rob Tarn CBE, Chief Executive of Northern Education Trust said: “We are delighted that the hard work around attendance at North Shore Academy has led to significant impact for our students and their outcomes.

“The fact that this work was recognised as a best practice model meant we felt compelled to share what we are doing with other schools and academies in similar contexts and help where we could.

“This was, in essence, the beginning of the attendance hub programme. Seeing this work extended, with more hubs supporting more schools, is a source of great pride for the trust.”

A national communications campaign on the importance of attendance is also launching today targeting parents and carers.

Under the strapline ‘Moments Matter, Attendance Counts’ it outlines the importance of attendance for attainment, wellbeing, and development as well as signposting to advice for further support.  

Key advice includes a recent letter from the Chief Medical Officer that outlines best practice when it comes to attendance and illness.

The intention is to ensure that parents have the guidance they need when it comes to making decisions when deciding to send their child to school or when to keep them home. 

The UK government has also committed to further legislation in the coming months that will mean all schools will be required to share their daily school registers.

This, together with reforming pupil registration practice, will modernise how schools record and share data on attendance and support them to understand what is driving absence in their school and provide early support and intervention where pupils are displaying worrying trends of absence.

Merchiston Castle School invites passionate early-years and primary educators to Forest School

Exciting career opportunities are available at the much-anticipated Forest Nursery and Junior School 

Merchiston Castle School is holding a recruitment event for its highly anticipated Forest Nursery and Junior School, scheduled to open in September 2024. 

Taking place on 27 January between 9:30am-11:30am in Merchiston’s picturesque grounds, the event will serve as an opportunity for prospective candidates to hear more about the Forest Nursery and Junior School the rewarding career prospects available. 

Enthusiastic early-years practitioners and primary teachers with a passion for outdoor learning and holistic development are encouraged to sign up for the recruitment morning to discover all The Forest at Merchiston has to offer. 

Attendees will be taken on a guided tour of the stunning 100-acre wooded campus, discover The Forest’s innovative, child centred curriculum, and hear from Headteacher Davina Bowers, about the unparalleled educational offering The Forest Nursery and Junior School will deliver. 

The Forest at Merchiston is looking to fill a number of positions, with full-time and part-time roles available. The recruitment morning is a chance for eager applicants to learn more about this promising career opportunity and gain an insight into Edinburgh’s most exciting early years and primary provision. Interested individuals will later be required to submit a formal application, with interviews scheduled for March 2024. 

Davina Bowers, Head of The Forest at Merchiston, said of the event: “This is the ideal opportunity for interested applicants to explore our unique educational provision and gain an understanding of the curriculum, our progressive approach and ambitions for the Forest Nursery and Junior School. 

“The event promises to be a wonderful gathering of like-minded practitioners, all passionate about combining academic subjects with the power of outdoor education and child-centred learning. 

“I am looking forward to meeting the inspiring and dedicated teachers and practitioners who will make up our future team of educators.”

Those interested in attending the recruitment event on 27 January are asked to register their interest by submitting a form on the website here. 

Budding young artists celebrated at Edinburgh’s Christmas

The artworks of twenty-four young budding artists were celebrated at Edinburgh’s Christmas this week as children from fifteen local schools received recognition for their festive Winter Window designs.

The Winter Windows are on display at Edinburgh’s Christmas Festival of Kindness in St Andrew Square and along the top walkway of West Princes Street Gardens. 

Pupils from schools across Edinburgh and Midlothian were invited to submit their festive frescos and wintery works of art through their schools, from which twenty-four were selected to be displayed at Edinburgh’s Christmas and featured on the event’s social channels. 

Designs featured a myriad of Christmas accoutrements, including elves and angels, Christmas trees and snowmen, as well as city landscapes of Edinburgh Castle, and one particularly jolly owl!  

The winning artists and their family were invited to a prizegiving on Wednesday 13 December where they received a certificate of congratulations from Carol Tuzun of City of Edinburgh Council, and were invited for an afternoon of fun at Edinburgh’s Christmas including unlimited rides at the Festive Family Funfair.  

The full list of winning artists (arranged by school) are:  

Fola Olaniyi Nursery Canal View Primary School 
Fareedah Alagbe Nursery Canal View Primary School 
Louisa Lu S3 Castlebrae Community Campus 
Christina Zaloni-Noulas P5 Dean Park Primary School 
Aria Enwood P3 Granton Primary School 
Noemi Obara P3 Granton Primary School 
Ruby Bremner P4 Granton Primary School 
Leena Bahemia P4 Liberton Primary School 
Zuzanna Kasperczuk P6 Liberton Primary School 
Olivia Fuentes Granadero P1 Parsons Green Primary School 
Alasdair Robertson P2 Preston Street Primary School 
Aiden Dunleavey P5 Royal High Primary School 
Natalia Rafa P5 St David’s RC Primary School 
Zofia Berdys P5 St David’s RC Primary School 
Diddy Aravantinou P6 St John’s Primary School 
Michael Williams P6 St John’s Primary School 
Cassie Griffith P3 St Mark’s Primary School 
Finlay McDonald P3 St Mary’s RC Primary School 
Annabelle Greene P3 St Mary’s RC Primary School 
Ruan Byrne P4 St Ninian’s RC Primary School 
Hannah Capes P4 St Ninian’s RC Primary School 
Emily Fortune P5 Wardie Primary School 
Esme Martin P5 Wardie Primary School 
Braxton Williams S1 Wester Hailes High School 

Councillor Joan Griffiths, Education, Children and Families Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “A huge congratulations to all Winter Windows winners. It’s wonderful to see young budding artists recognised for their festive displays which will bring joy to so many over the next few weeks!” 

The Winter Windows will be displayed at Edinburgh’s Christmas until Saturday 6 January 2024 and can be viewed at St Andrew Square and along the top walkway of West Princes Street Gardens.  

For further information and tickets to Edinburgh’s Christmas attractions please visit www.edinburgh-christmas.com.