Tag: schools

Exam arrangements now in place

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The city council has confirmed alternative arrangements for pupils sitting exams next month who are affected by the current school closures.

The contingency plans have been put together as exams start in the first week of May, and all pupils will be sitting their exams in the schools they are currently attending.

The arrangements are:

  • Royal High, Drummond and Firrhill pupils will use their own schools
  • Gracemount and Craigmount will be sitting their exams at their host schools of Liberton and Tynecastle respectively

Individual schools will update pupils and parents regarding their specific arrangements.

Over the past week the Council has had very positive discussions with the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) about exams and the contingency arrangements.

Education Convener Councillor Paul Godzik said: “With the first exams only a few weeks away it is absolutely vital that we have these plans in place and pupils are given notice as to where they will be sitting their exams.

“Pupils have enough to do with their studying preparations without additional worry over where they may be sitting them. Despite the hugely challenging situation the Council have tried to ensure our pupils are given every chance to prepare properly and that as far as possible they are not impacted by the school closures.

“We will be outlining in detail to the SQA the arrangements we have put in place and how this has affected pupils, as well as providing additional study support to pupils where we feel this is necessary.”

Jean Blair, SQA Director of Operations, said: “Clearly our primary concern is for all the young people involved. We continue to work closely with City of Edinburgh Council and the individual schools to support them in the practical arrangements for the exams, which begin on Wednesday 4 May.

“The national timetable of exams will continue as planned and pupils should continue with their studies in preparation to sit their exams on the dates in the published exam timetable.”

The programme of structural surveys arranged by the Edinburgh Schools Partnership is continuing. Parents will be provided with further information on individual school surveys once the full reports are received and assessed.

Total Craigroyston – the final report

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The Total Craigroyston initiative came to a close at the end of March, as the localities model of the City of Edinburgh Council begins to be implemented. A ‘checking-out’ session was held on 23 March at Pilton Children’s and Youth Project to share with local people and workers the progress that had been made and to identify key messages for the locality management team (writes Tim Packer). Continue reading Total Craigroyston – the final report

School places for all: Mission Accomplished!

  • All city pupils will have a place to go next week
  •  Free swim session on Monday for affected pupils
  • Sixteen temporary classes to be located at Royal High

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All 7,600 primary and secondary pupils affected by school closures now have alternative education plans put in place for next week. The final pieces of a very complicated jigsaw puzzle were slotted in this afternoon. Continue reading School places for all: Mission Accomplished!

Forthview: going forth across the city

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Forthview Primary pupils will return to school next week – but in classroooms scattered across Edinburgh. Dealing with the temporary closure of seventeen schools has been a logistical nightmare for council officials and it’s proved impossible to keep the Forthview kids together. Continue reading Forthview: going forth across the city

CLOSED SCHOOLS: DETAILED SURVEYS UNDERWAY

‘The safety of children and our staff is our main priority’ – City Council Chief Executive Andrew Kerr

forthview

The Chief Executive of the City of Edinburgh Council and senior education officials met with directors of the Edinburgh School Partnership (ESP) this afternoon (Sunday 10 April) to receive an update on the programme of detailed structural surveys which is underway on the PPP1 schools. Continue reading CLOSED SCHOOLS: DETAILED SURVEYS UNDERWAY

Closed schools update: Scottish government offers ‘full support’

“Public confidence needs rebuilt as well as school walls: and fast” – Green Candidate Andy Wightman

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The Scottish Government’s resiliency committee has met to discuss the emergency closure of seventeen PPP schools across Edinburgh – but The Scottish Greens say the ‘fiasco’ highlights the need to expose private finance failures. Continue reading Closed schools update: Scottish government offers ‘full support’

Local schools to remain closed on Monday

Parents advised to make childcare arrangements for next week

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Craigroyston, Forthview, Pirniehall and St David’s Primary Schools are among seventeen city schools which will all remain closed on Monday, the city council has announced. Continue reading Local schools to remain closed on Monday

Letters: History lessons must be learned

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Dear Editor

The Conservatives have been in power for six years: in that time they have made the majority of people pay in so many ways for the financial crisis that was not of their making. The financial institutions, unscrupulous investors and some very dodgy dealers were the culprits – and they have got away with it.

The Conservatives have not only made the people pay but have also taken the opportunity to pursue their cherished aims of privatising as much as possible, changing society in favour of investors once again. Their main political objective is the breaking of local authority control of public services, initially financially – followed by privately-run services.

Their latest move in England – making all schools into ‘free’ Academies without any reference to the democratic principle of local council elections determined by the people.

Changing a school name is meaningless, but ‘free’ is a very divisive move. It will pit school against school for staff, grants and finding; it will be divisive on pay and conditions offered, divisive on schools in poorer and better-off areas.

So far this applies only to schools in England, but it is better to be forewarned.

This step into the past is very dangerous to all that has been struggled for over generations of activity to make society fair and caring, able to exercise it’s right to decision-making.

The Conservatives are proving over and over again they can never represent the interests of the majority of people.

A. Delahoy, Silverknowes Gardens