There is one week left for people across Scotland to have their say on how schools should be run. The Scottish Government’s governance review consultation closes on 6 January 2017. Continue reading Scotland’s schools: still time to have your say
Tag: schools
Government moves to strengthen school leadership
Mandatory qualifications for head teachers will move a step closer tomorrow when Deputy First Minister John Swinney publishes draft regulations requiring new head teachers to hold a Standard of Headship award before being appointed. The move is part of the Scottish Government’s strategy to improve school education by ensuring head teachers have the leadership skills they need. Continue reading Government moves to strengthen school leadership
Lifesavers: 60,000 Scots trained in CPR
More than 60,000 people across Scotland have been given life-saving CPR training in the last 12 months – as part of an unprecedented national collaboration of more than a dozen organisations including emergency services, defence and third sector – to improve the response to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Continue reading Lifesavers: 60,000 Scots trained in CPR
Canal View P6s win online maths competition
Primary 6 pupils at Canal View Primary School have come first in an online maths competition run across all City of Edinburgh Council primary schools. The City of Edinburgh City Council Education Convener Cllr Cammy Day visited the school on Tuesday to congratulate the class and to present them with their winning trophy. Continue reading Canal View P6s win online maths competition
Ready, steady, read! First Minister marks start of Book Week Scotland
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today met Glasgow school pupils taking part in the First Minister’s Reading Challenge on the first day of Book Week Scotland. Continue reading Ready, steady, read! First Minister marks start of Book Week Scotland
Primary school pupils storm Lauriston Castle!
Takeover Day at Lauriston Castle
Lauriston Castle has been taken over by school pupils for a day as part of the 2016 Takeover Challenge. Continue reading Primary school pupils storm Lauriston Castle!
Time to register for Primary School places
Parents and carers are being reminded that Registration Week begins tomorrow (Monday 7 November) for prospective primary school children who will start school in August 2017. Continue reading Time to register for Primary School places
Explore your local Primary School tomorrow
Parents and carers are being urged to find out more about the exciting education on offer at their local primary school as part of the annual open day event this week. Every primary school in Edinburgh will be opening their doors to prospective parents and carers with pre-school age children on Wednesday. Continue reading Explore your local Primary School tomorrow
Investing in junior savers
Credit unions will be encouraging children to manage their money through new Junior Savers Schemes, Communities Secretary Angela Constance has announced. Ten credit unions working in areas like Aberdeen, Dumfries and Galloway, West Lothian and Stirling are set to receive a share of nearly £200,000 to set up new projects in schools. Continue reading Investing in junior savers
Education reforms: Putting teachers in charge
Decentralisation drives improvement plan
“Decision-making must rest with schools” – John Swinney
Empowering schools to take the decisions necessary to improve children’s attainment will be at the heart of reforms being consulted on in the Scottish Government’s governance review, Deputy First Minister John Swinney said today.
Mr Swinney will formally launch the review on Tuesday, setting out the goal of making schools the key decision makers on children’s education and consulting on how to make that a reality. The review will consider how to best decentralise management to schools and how best to support teachers and headteachers in exercising their new responsibilities.
The Deputy First Minister said: “Our relentless focus will be on how we can build on the many strengths in Scottish education to close the attainment gap and deliver excellence and equity in our schools. We believe that the key to achieving this for all children depends on the quality of teaching and the relationship between teachers and children. That is why we are taking forward our commitment to make schools, their teachers and parents, the key decision makers in a child’s education.
“We have already initiated a range of targeted actions to close the equity gap and reduce classroom workload, but we want to go further. We want to ensure that the whole education system in Scotland is focused on supporting teachers do what they do best – teaching our young people.
“Our starting point is schools must have the flexibility to take the decisions that matter for children’s education. The governance review I will publish this week will begin with the presumption that decision-making must rest with schools. This approach poses the question of how the rest of the system can support teachers, headteachers and parents in that extended role.
“It will also consider how we can involve parents and the wider community better in the life of schools, because we know that there is strong global evidence that greater parental and community involvement promotes children’s attainment and achievement.”