Tag: schools

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. 

UNISON: Edinburgh schools facing urgent issues

UNION CALLS FOR ACTION FOLLOWING ALARMING WORKPLACE SURVEY

New survey data from UNISON’s recent research among Edinburgh City Council workers sheds light on the challenges faced by school support staff, echoing the findings of the Scottish government’s Behaviour in Scottish schools: research report 2023.

UNISON Edinburgh City Branch emphasises that the impact of pupils’ behavioural challenges is disproportionately falling on the shoulders of support staff, who are often the lowest paid and receive minimal training and support.

The violence at work survey, conducted among our members, saw the highest response rate from staff working in schools with 82% of respondents in that area. The Edinburgh Branch survey indicated a need for clearer reporting procedures and improved feedback mechanisms to ensure member concerns are addressed promptly and effectively.

The return aligns with the government’s findings, revealing that 86% of support staff encounter low-level disruptive behaviour daily. Additionally, 66% experience verbal abuse, and 59% face physical aggression on a regular basis. This supports what UNISON members have been telling us – the lowest-paid support staff, mainly women, are the frontline responders to challenging pupil behaviour.

Pauline Henderson, UNISON Edinburgh Convenor for education, stated: “No one should face violence and abusive behaviour at work, and if they do, they need proper support.

“Yet, in our schools in Edinburgh, it is the lowest-paid, mostly women support staff who deal with challenging and disruptive behaviour every day.”

“UNISON stresses that support staff are more likely than teachers to report the greatest negative impacts from serious disruptive behaviours”.

Tom Connolly, UNISON City of Edinburgh Branch Secretary, emphasised UNISON’s consistent advocacy on the issue: “UNISON has consistently raised violence and abuse of school support staff with employers and the government.

“Now that we have evidence backing up this growing problem, we need government funding and action to help schools deal with it.”

“More than half of the respondents (57.6%) feel their employer does not take violence at work complaints seriously. Addressing this perception is crucial for fostering a supportive and protective workplace culture.”

Key Points from UNISON Edinburgh City Survey:

Daily Challenges for Support Staff:

66% experience verbal abuse, and 59% encounter physical aggression regularly.

Comparisons with Government Report:

UNISON’s survey findings align with the Scottish government’s report, emphasising the universal nature of challenges faced by support staff.

Impact on Support Staff:

Support staff report the greatest negative impacts from serious disruptive behaviours, underlining the urgent need for comprehensive support and strategies.

Call for Edinburgh City Council Action:

Urgent action is needed to protect council staff. UNISON continues to advocate for enhanced reporting, substantial local authority investment, and comprehensive support for all council staff.

Call for Government Action:

UNISON Edinburgh City urges the Scottish government to recognise the inadequacy of current council funding and take substantial action to address the challenges outlined in both the survey and the government report.

ebrief-behaviour-in-schools-report-2023Download


Read the full UNISON Edinburgh City Branch survey report here

Special landmark hit as school kids across the country ‘Tackle Maths’

A partnership between Scottish Building Society and Edinburgh Rugby to help school children learn maths and get active outdoors has hit a landmark target.  

175 school kids have now gone through the ‘Tackle Maths’ programme.  

It helps school pupils aged between 8-12 years-old gain practical maths skills by using rugby and real-life examples to show just how important maths is in everyday life. 

From measuring the length and breadth of the pitch, working out the capacity of the stadium and estimating the height of the posts, all mathematical challenges have been designed to encourage pupils to think about maths lessons in a different way. 

Launched by Scottish World Cup hero Blair Kinghorn, the programme helps to show children that maths skills can be learned and utilised in many different ways.  

Paul Denton, Chief Executive, Scottish Building Society said: “When we started this programme our aim was also to help at least 175 children to see maths can actually be fun.  

“We are delighted to have achieved this ahead of schedule and look forward to getting even more kids involved. 

“Having a practical learning environment coupled with a rugby professional showing pupils how they use maths and why it is important gives them a different perspective of learning and inspires. 

“As the main club partner of Edinburgh Rugby, we want to utilise our position to give back to communities and Tackle Maths has proven to be one of the most impactful programmes  we have ever run. 

“This is a fantastic achievement and I hope it will continue to inspire kids to think differently about learning, both in and out of the classroom 

Douglas Struth, Managing Director, Edinburgh Rugby said: “Edinburgh Rugby is at its heart a community rugby club – working in partnership with Scottish Building Society to deliver this programme to over 175 school kids is a fantastic achievement for both organisations. 

“This programme is all about getting kids out of the classroom and learning in a practical manner. Inspiring and promoting learning is values both organisations share so it is very encouraging to see it take off so successful in its first full year.” 

Schools: Action to address behaviour and attendance issues

Funding to address problems at the root

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth has announced £900,000 in new funding for staff to tackle poor behaviour and attendance in schools. 

The funding will be provided directly to local authorities to train support staff to respond to new challenges and develop behaviour management strategies in schools post COVID.

It comes as part of a multi-year plan that is being developed in conjunction with key stakeholders and will set out actions at national, local and school level to improve behaviour and support better relationships.

Actions include:

  • the new Interim Chief Inspector being tasked with ensuring HMI inspections are accurately recording behaviour to ensure any issues are tackled as soon as possible
  • a call for more accurate and robust recording of any incidents of poor behaviour in schools
  • a dedicated approach to responding to issues regarding misogyny

Ms Gilruth said: “It is important we keep the big picture in mind, with research published yesterday showing staff reporting generally good behaviour amongst pupils. However, the status quo is not an option and the plan I am setting out today will provide the support necessary to help tackle these problems at the root.

“I am absolutely clear that our schools should be safe and consistent learning environments for all. No teacher, or support assistant should face violence or abusive behaviour at work. We cannot suggest that the pandemic has not exacerbated inequity and nor must we blame it for these challenges.

“Schools, equally, can’t do this all alone; they need help. We have to enact a national plan which better supports our teachers and support staff in the workplace; recognising the role of Local Government as employer.

“And that plan has to better protect the learning outcomes for our young people – the vast majority of whom are well behaved. That is the prize that better behaviour in our schools can deliver – and I look forward to working with our partners to deliver just that.”

Headteachers, teaching unions, local authorities, parents, carers and children and young people will help inform the national action plan to improve behaviour and support better relationships in schools. 

The plan will be developed in the coming weeks and published in the new year.

Behaviour and relationships in schools

Behaviour and relationships in schools

New research published

Thousands of head teachers, teachers and support staff have shared their views on pupil behaviour and relationships in Scotland’s local authority schools.

The fifth edition of the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research (BISSR) report found staff perceived the majority of pupils to be behaving well.

The report noted a deterioration in some pupil’s behaviour since the last research was conducted in 2016, thought partly to have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and instances of poverty and destitution. The research also identifies a number of emerging trends in behaviour, including in-school truancy, vaping, disruptive use of mobile phones and misogyny. 

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth discussed the findings of the report as she chaired the third Behaviour and Relationships summit yesterday, bringing together teachers, union representatives, local authorities and other stakeholders.

The research comes as a further report by Education Scotland shows the impact the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis has had on attendance levels for some pupils.

Ms Gilruth said: “We commissioned this research to provide us with the clearest possible picture on behaviour and relationships in schools. It builds upon my own extensive engagement with teachers, school leaders, support staff and local authority colleagues to fully understand how our pupils are interacting with each other and their teachers.

“It is clear from the responses that most teachers report good behaviour amongst pupils – this provides some important nuance to this issue and must be at the forefront of our plans to tackle the instances of disruptive behaviours. Young people must not be demonised, and poor behaviour cannot be generalised.

“Our young people have faced a huge amount of disruption in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic which has been compounded by the current cost of living crisis – this is not unique to Scotland.

“Tomorrow (Wednesday) I will set out to Parliament our plans to engage with local authorities and schools to ensure a plan of action is taken forward to tackle instances of poor behaviour at the root as soon as possible.

“I plan to engage directly with young people on this matter to ensure their voices are front and centre – as well as with teachers and school staff, to ensure they are fully supported in responding to these challenges.”

The Scottish Childrens Services Coalition (SCSC) is an alliance of organisations that support children and young people who have additional support needs.

SCSC responded: “This report noting a perceived decline in pupil behaviour, especially since 2016, should come as no surprise.

“Many disruptive incidents are linked to pupils with additional support needs (ASN), with numbers more than doubling since 2012, and now amounting to more than a third of children, who are also experiencing an increasing complexity of need. These numbers have been exacerbated by the traumatic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost- of-living crisis, with us also facing a mental health emergency.

“However, this is set against a background of acute under-resourcing to support their needs, with the number of specialist ASN teachers falling by 546 between 2012 and 2022 as just one example.

“Additional funding is desperately needed to increase the support available to those with ASN, including specialist teachers, teaching assistants, mental health professionals and educational psychologists.

“While we support the principle of mainstreaming, that all children be taught in mainstream classes unless exceptional circumstances apply, this has never been properly resourced. Those with ASN are therefore frequently being inadequately supported, which is also impacting on other pupils.2

“Violence against any member of school staff or another pupil is never acceptable, and it is critical that with the Scottish Budget being published next month, our schools are given the necessary resources to ensure that they are safe places in which to work and to learn.”

Celebration as pupils and teachers receive The Saroj Lal Award

Celebrating diversity through creativity in our schools was the theme of the Saroj Lal Award for Edinburgh Schools event held at the City Chambers on Thursday night (16 November).

Saroj Lal was one of the first Asian women to teach in a Scottish primary school when she began her role at South Morningside Primary School in 1970.

Her many successes included being at the forefront of race relations during a period of immense political and social change, delivering anti-racism training and starting the first local authority interpreting and translating service in Edinburgh.

Following her death in 2020, Saroj’s many achievements in equality, women’s rights, education, and community work are being formally recognised.

Every year our schools are invited to nominate pupil work relating to any aspect of equalities, in any artform. Headteachers were also invited to nominate staff, whose collaborative work around equalities has taken a creative approach and had an impact.

All nominated work will be used to start building a resource bank for schools. This year saw more schools and pupils enter with 11 schools nominated, 33 pupil/pupil group nominations and two teacher nominations submitted.

The entries were considered by a panel of judges, comprising Saroj Lal’s son and equalities campaigner Vineet Lal, Katie D’Souza (2022 Joint winner of the GTC Scotland Saroj Lal Award) and Nikhat Yusaf, Senior Development Officer Equalities for the City of Edinburgh Council.

The award categories for pupils were as follows:

  • Proud to be Me: Communicates the young person’s personal expression of pride in their heritage, in their own culture and/or identity.
  • How Prejudice Makes Me Feel: Expresses young people’s feelings about any form of prejudice inflicted on themselves or others.
  • Artivism: Art expresses their views on social justice and challenges others to change and/or act differently.

There were joint winners for the Proud to be Me category: Lily Schiller-Chatwood, Leith Academy and Natali Rawat, St Thomas of Aquin’s RC High School.

In the How Prejudice Makes Me Feel category the winner was Amna Parveen, Castlebrae Community Campus.          

For the Artivism category the winner were the Equalities Lead Pupils at St Augustine’s High School.

The staff winner was Elaine Oram, James Gillespie’s High School.

The Commendation winner, was a whole school effort, and went to Currie Primary School.

Councillor Joan Griffiths, Education, Children and Families Convener, hosted the event and said: “These awards build on the rich legacy that Saroj Lal left in her decades of pioneering work in Edinburgh and beyond. They recognise the work schools and pupils are doing to challenge the many forms of prejudice and discrimination.

I am so glad to see that in the Awards second year, many more schools have engaged with the award and submitted such a range of creative works, to include films, animation, poetry, and art works, demonstrating that diversity is thriving in our schools.

“The creativity, insights and depth of thinking on display have been hugely impressive, and everyone involved – pupils and staff – deserves to be congratulated.”

Vineet Lal, son of Saroj Lal, and one of the Award judges, said: “It has been thrilling to see the passion and enthusiasm demonstrated by all those taking part in the Saroj Lal Award for Edinburgh Schools.

“The sheer scope and breadth of nominations, from almost a dozen participating schools this year, illustrates how engaged our local pupils are with issues linked to equality, diversity and inclusion, and it has been a pleasure and a privilege to be part of the judging panel.

“The creativity, insights and depth of thinking on display have been hugely impressive, and everyone involved – pupils and staff – deserves to be congratulated.

Last night’s event followed on from Portobello High School biology teacher Hardeep Kaur being awarded the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTC Scotland) Saroj Lal Award for a Pioneering Spirit in Equality and Diversity. 

Aims of The Saroj Lal Award for City of Edinburgh Schools: 

  • Mark the important legacy of Saroj Lal’s life and work.
  • Inspire action and promote equalities work in the widest sense.
  • Ensure pupils’ views, ideas and experiences are central and communicated widely through creative approaches.
  • Create a bank of resources for schools to use and share.
  • Challenge perceptions, remove stigma and celebrate diversity.