Tag: schools

Millions of children get access to life-saving defibrillators

Every state school in England now has a defibrillator with 20,376 devices delivered to 17,862 schools

The government has confirmed that all state-funded schools in England now have a life-saving defibrillator, drastically increasing the chances of surviving cardiac arrest for all state school pupils in England.

Following the government’s £19 million rollout, over 20,000 defibrillators have successfully been delivered to almost 18,000 schools since January.

In June, the Department for Education oversaw the successful completion of deliveries of defibrillators to secondary schools. Now, all eligible primary, special and alternative provision schools who did not already have a defibrillator have received deliveries, boosting their numbers in communities across the country.

Today’s milestone marks another step in the government’s commitment to delivering stronger, safer communities across the country.

In July 2022, the government committed to delivering these devices before the end of the 2022 to 2023 academic year to ensure that all state funded schools in England had access to a defibrillator, following the campaigning from Mark King of the Oliver King Foundation to ensure all schools have a defibrillator.

Mark tragically lost his son, Oliver, after he suffered sudden cardiac arrest at school during a swimming lesson when he was 12-years-old.

Secretary of State for Education Gillian Keegan said: “Having access to defibrillators in schools drastically increases the chance of pupils, teachers and visitors surviving a cardiac arrest.

“Thanks to the tireless campaigning of Mark King, Jamie Carragher and Nicola Carragher we are proud to say that every state-funded school in England now has access to a defibrillator.

“Teachers and pupils across the country can now be reassured that they will have access to one on school grounds should tragedy strikes.”

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Steve Barclay, said: ““Having access to defibrillators in schools drastically increases the chance of pupils, teachers and visitors surviving a cardiac arrest.

“Thanks to the tireless campaigning of Mark King and Jamie Carragher we are proud to say that every state-funded school in England now has one of these potentially life-saving machines.

“So however rare these events are, teachers, parents and pupils across the country can now be reassured they will have access to a defibrillator on school grounds, should the worst happen.”

Oliver King Foundation founder, Mark King: “We as a family and foundation will continue to strive for change so no other family has to suffer as we are.

“We would like to say a massive thank you to Nadhim Zahawi, Lord Stuart Polak, Jamie Carragher and the DfE for helping us aim for legislation. Oliver’s memory will live on and lives will be saved.”

Large schools have been provided with 2 or more defibrillators so that they can be strategically placed in areas of the schools where a cardiac arrest is more likely, such as sports halls.

A defibrillator is a machine that is placed externally on the body and is used to give an electric shock when a person is in cardiac arrest i.e. when the heart suddenly stops pumping blood around the body. Prompt defibrillation can help save a person’s life.

The government is also supporting schools in making defibrillators available to the community, with 1,200 external heated defibrillator cabinets being provided to primary and special schools by the end of 2023 in areas of deprivation, where provision is generally lower.

The rollout will build on existing requirements for schools to teach first aid as part of the curriculum, with secondary school pupils being taught life-saving methods such as CPR and the purpose of defibrillators. This rollout will help protect schools and their local communities against cardiac arrest, delivering wider access to these devices.

Schools face summer crime spike

Schools in Scotland are being warned to take precautions amid fears of a rise in crime over the summer holidays.

As many schools across the country prepare to close their doors for the summer holidays, specialist insurer Ecclesiastical says schools will be an attractive target for criminals over the coming months.  

Ecclesiastical is encouraging residents in Scotland who live near local schools to be vigilant this summer and report any unusual or suspicious activity they notice on school grounds.

Ecclesiastical reports schools have been targeted over the summer months including vandalism, arson, break-ins, smashed windows, theft of lead from roofs and stolen laptops.

Amid high inflation, soaring prices and more facing economic hardship, there are worries there will be a large spike in criminal activity.

Faith Kitchen, customer segment director at Ecclesiastical Insurance, said: “Schools are far more vulnerable during the summer holidays when school buildings are closed and largely unoccupied, tempting opportunists.

“With high inflation and the cost of living crisis, it is more important than ever that schools take steps to protect their premises from offenders. There are a number of measures schools can take to better secure school property and assets, which would ideally be a combination of both physical and electronic protection.

“Fencing around the perimeter can often offer a good first line of defence against unwanted visitors, while CCTV can act as a visual deterrent for those not wanting to be caught on camera.

“Vigilance from the local community can be a huge help. We urge those who live near schools to be vigilant this summer and report any unusual or suspicious activity they notice on school grounds.” 

How to protect schools in Scotland this summer

  • Ensure CCTV systems have remote 24/7 monitoring services. Monitoring and alerting the police is far more effective than tracing criminals after a crime has taken place.
  • Install remotely monitored intruder alarms and change alarm security codes and passwords on a regular basis.
  • Install security lighting systems that have motion sensors to detect body movements.
  • Restrict access to school premises. Well-designed perimeter security such as walls, fences and electric security gates, and anti-climb paint help to prevent people from getting onto school sites.
  • Restrict vehicular access to the school site. Locate any designated parking as far from the school building as possible. The further thieves have to travel on foot the greater the risk of detection.
  • Use security marking systems such as SmartWater which can help with successful prosecution of thieves.
  • Ask the local community near your school to be vigilant and report any unusual or suspicious activity they notice on school grounds.
  • Inform neighbourhood watch schemes / police liaison officers of planned work over the holidays as thieves might pose as contractors.
  • Seek advice. Specialist insurers can offer advice and expertise to help schools manage security risks. Insurers can offer a combination of onsite and remote risk management services including security assessments and advice, alongside broader property protection and building valuation services.

Ecclesiastical Insurance offers a range of risk management support and guidance to help schools manage the risks they face.

For more information, visit the Hub for Education.

Rural education charity RHET secures Scottish Government funding to inspire young people about food and farming

The Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) has secured £200k of funding from the Scottish Government to provide a farming and rural learning experience for a minimum of 80,000 pupils across Scotland. 

The funding secures the future of rural education events for children and young people, covering core costs such as infrastructure, bus transport, coordination and safety requirements. 

Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, Mairi Gougeon MSP, went to see for herself how funds awarded to the Scottish rural education charity The Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) spend award funding to education Scotland’s young people. 

Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon joined over 100 P5 and P6 pupils from the Brechin schools cluster, who were meeting local farmers, growers and rural businesses running a variety of sessions to learn about how Scottish food is produced.

At today’s event pupils were learning about dairy and making butter, see seeds, sheaves and growing crops, grinding wheat seed into flour, pressing oil seed rape into oil, beekeepers demonstrating how they look after their bees as well as hedge demonstrations, getting up close to John Deere machinery – all linking to the learning outcomes of the curriculum. 

Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, Mairi Gougeon MSP, said: “I am delighted to be here to see first-hand the benefits of the Royal Highland Education Trust’s Food and Farming education programme. 

“Since 2017 the Scottish Government has given over £700k to the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) in order to support their programme of school farm visits and associated educational resources for schools. This has allowed them to educate and inspire thousands of children and young people on how Scottish food is produced. 

“This fresh support will allow RHET to reach even more children, many of whom are from deprived areas. The programme provides an opportunity for young people to visit a farm and offers a hands-on educational experience which highlights the importance of farming and food production to our society. 

“One of the aims of our Good Food Nation Act is to improve access to, and understanding of, the benefits of healthy local foods for everyone in Scotland. It is clear that this ambitious project is contributing massively to this wider vision.” 

RHET Chairman Alistair Marshall said:  “We are very grateful to the Scottish Government for this award which helps support our aim of getting pupils and their teachers out into the working countryside, to get wellies on the ground and ignite their curiosity.  

“We offer all our visits, talks and events for free and this is important to us all in the RHET national network, to make food and farming fun and accessible for all. 

“Through using event spaces creatively, and working in collaboration with Angus Show, as we have today, we can offer more schools the chance to get hands. Brechin show is open tomorrow for the public so today we are using the big marquee for workshops, keeping us out the rain or sun!”  

RHET Angus chairman Bruce Christie said: “Every one of Ms Gougeon’s constituents need a farmer three times a day. The support from the award from Scottish Government means we can keep events like this in the school calendar, helping Scotland’s young people get better connections with their local food and farming industries. 

“Listening to their questions and seeing the penny drop as they see seeds ground into flour is part of the reason I love volunteering with RHET. 

 “I’m an arable farmer and visit many schools during the year, explaining how we grow crops, how we care from them, the machinery and science we use and link it straight back to the food they eat on their plate.  

“Helping them to see Scottish agriculture, like the event here today, gives them a chance to ask questions and provides unbiased information so they can make their own food choices as they grow up.”

Last few tickets remain for Book Festival’s Schools Programme

We’ve been overwhelmed by the incredible response to this year’s Baillie Gifford Schools Programme: our packed programme of FREE book events for schools.

Thank you to everyone who has signed up for in-person tickets so far, we can’t wait to welcome you and your pupils to the Edinburgh College of Art for some inspiring author events this August.

We have limitied availability remaining but if you would still like to attend in-person please get in touch with our Schools Booking Coordinator directly asap to check availability by emailing schools@edbookfest.co.uk.

And don’t forget, if your class is unable to make it along in-person, selected events will also be livestreamed for schools to watch in the classroom live, or on-demand. Events will be visable on edbookfest.co.uk from Wednesday 14 June and you can book your place any time from then until just before the event starts.

Education Secretary announces summit to tackle unacceptable behaviour in schools

A summit focused on tackling violence in schools will be convened by Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth in the coming weeks.

It will bring together young people, parents and carers, schools, local authorities and unions to discuss how to tackle the problem. This will build on guidance provided to local authorities and on the £2 million of funding to support violence prevention activities within schools and communities.

Education Scotland will also work with every local authority to identify good practice in behaviour and relationships, sharing the findings with schools across the country.

Speaking during a debate in Parliament, Ms Gilruth said: ““I have been in post for two months now, and during that time I have made it absolutely clear that behaviour in schools is one of my top priorities.

“Children and young people must have every opportunity for successful learning that is unhindered by disruptive behaviour. I also want to make sure that teachers and school staff are working in a safe, welcoming and supportive environment.

“Any form of violence in our schools is completely unacceptable. No teacher or pupil should suffer verbal or physical abuse, and parents should be able to send their children to school knowing that they are safe.

“To that end, I’m looking forward to bringing together young people, parents and carers, schools, local authorities, unions, and campaigners to identify how we tackle the problem of violence and disruption in our schools.”

The Scottish Government has issued guidance for teaching staff which focuses on supporting positive behaviour and includes advice on prevention and de-escalation of incidents.

The Scottish Government is also in the process of updating national anti-bullying guidance.

Rural education charity launches schools ‘Snack Attack Challenge 2023’

RHET challenge Scottish Schools to discover the power of the superhero Scottish seeds and grains. 

Four new superheroes, “Awesome Oats”, “Brilliant Barley”, “Wicked Wheat” and “Omazing Oil Seed Rape”, will be embarking on a sustainable healthy eating campaign during the 2023 school summer term. 

Have you ever wondered how these super seeds, the staple of our diet, are grown in Scotland, and incorporated into so many of our everyday foods? Join the Snack Attack challenge to find out. 

Rural education charities, The Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) and Royal Northern Countryside Initiative (RNCI) have been working to create a super powered journey of discovery of our sustainable Scottish seeds and grains.

As part of the year-long spotlight on arable crops, RHET have produced a number of focused teaching resources for all age levels, linked to the Curriculum. Journey of Food – Seeds and Grains is now entering the final few months of the project and with the summer approaching, why not have some fun with our Super Heroes!? 

“Food production in Scotland is as wide and varied as our landscape” explains Katrina Barclay RHET Executive Officer.

“Our ‘Journey of Food…’ activity offers an opportunity to spotlight a different sector within Scottish agriculture (each year,) which demonstrates local food production, careers, nutritional information, environment and land use, data gathering and meeting the people behind the sector, to name a few areas.

“This makes it fully interdisciplinary, accessible to all and based on current practices. We pride ourselves on working in collaboration with a variety of businesses and organisations to bring the facts so pupils can investigate further, enquire, and use their curiosity to make informed choices.

“With support from organisations such as the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, James Hutton Institute and Scottish Agronomy, we are able to access not only research data but also people in the food sector using cutting edge technology who can explain the ‘how’ the ‘what’ and the ‘why’.” 

Scottish companies Nairns and Hamlyns are both generously supporting the Snack Attack challenge. A spokesperson from Nairns commented: “Oats are one of the earliest known superfoods and the Scots have been eating them for hundreds of years, usually in porridge and oatcakes.

“At Nairn’s, we’ve been baking oatcakes since 1896 and, whilst we have made a few small changes over the years and expanded our range of products, we still insist on the very best oats and only a few natural, simple ingredients.

“Our aim is to make it easy for everyone to find tasty, versatile oat snacks which are healthy, low in sugar and full of natural goodness.”

Hamlyns have been working with RNCI and RHET on projects over the years and support from industry is an excellent opportunity to follow the Journey of Food. 

If you are a teacher, or have children in school this challenge is now live and after a school is signed up for the ‘Snack Attack’ they will be entered into a draw to have a real tractor visit their School!

Pupils will be encouraged to help find these Super Heroes in their snack and vote for their favourite.

Competition is heating up, so be sure to visit https://www.rhet.org.uk/teachers/the-ghret-snack-attack/ or see our social media posts for more information. 

United Kingdom? Wildflower seeds for every ENGLISH primary school class to mark the Coronation

All state funded primary schools in England will be sent wildflower seeds, inspired by His Majesty The King’s love of nature

  • UK Government has joined forces with the Eden Project to offer all state funded primary schools the opportunity to plant wildflowers to celebrate His Majesty The King’s commitment to fighting climate change
  • Planting wildflowers aims to inspire children to learn about nature and boost the biodiversity of the school estate, building on the plans to create a National Education Nature Park
  • Resources for schools also launched to help young people understand the historical significance of the Coronation

To mark the Coronation all state funded primary schools will be sent wildflower seeds that will empower children across the country to discover the joys of nature.

The government-funded project was inspired by His Majesty The King’s love of nature and aims to encourage children to learn about and improve the biodiversity of school’s green spaces, while making them nicer places to work and learn. Improving children’s connection to nature and spending time outdoors will also help to support their mental and physical wellbeing.

In a collaboration between the Department for Education and the Eden Project, over 200,000 seeds packets will be sent to schools, representing 40 hectares of new wildflower areas being planted up across England to support our pollinators. If planted together that would create around 40 rugby pitch sized wildflowers meadows – a small but vital step in boosting biodiversity.

To support schools to celebrate the Coronation, the Department for Education has also commissioned a series of lesson plans and other teaching materials for primary and secondary schools to explain the significance of this historical moment.

The charity Living Paintings has also designed, created and published a pack of tactile and audio resources that will enable blind and partially sighted children to learn about the Coronation, and the Eden Project has also created free lesson resources for schools and families to learn how to make eco-decorations for their Coronation celebrations using natural objects found in their surrounding green spaces.

Schools and other education providers can continue to improve biodiversity in the months and years to come through the National Education Nature Park – which brings together schools, colleges and other education settings into a vast virtual park.

It enables children and young people to get involved in taking practical action to improve the biodiversity of their green spaces, then mapping it online to see over time how the virtual park changes. The National Education Nature Park and Climate Action Award are open for registration from 18 May 2023.

Schools minister Nick Gibb said: “Giving children the opportunity to plant wildflowers will not only make school grounds more attractive, it will also help the next generation understand the importance of improving our biodiversity, while celebrating His Majesty The King’s love of nature.

“To help young people understand the historical significance of the Coronation, we have also asked two history teachers and curriculum experts to produce lesson plans and other materials about the coronation and the history of the monarchy, which we are sending to schools.”

Dan James, Development Director for the Eden Project said: “It is crucial that we replenish our biodiversity across the UK – and even small steps can make a difference.

“Through the work of National Wildflower Centre, Eden Project works with organisations across the UK with projects to make new wildflower habitats that support wildlife and connect people to the natural world. This is a fantastic opportunity for the next generation to see the impact that wildflowers can have, even in small spaces.

“By encouraging our children to plant wildflower seeds we can work towards reversing the decline of pollinators that we are seeing across the UK which is so important for our future.”

The packets of seeds include native annual wildflower species; cornflower, corn poppy, corn chamomile, corncockle, corn marigold and night-flowering catchfly, which if sown this Spring, will be in bloom this Summer.

The wildflowers will provide food for a wide range of insects including bees, butterflies and other pollinators in school grounds across England. Each seed packet covers around 2square metres of blue, white, purple, red and yellow flowers that can be planted in pots, beds or borders to boost colour and biodiversity in school grounds across England.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has commissioned a film for primary school-aged children, explaining the history and significance of the Coronation.

This can be played in classrooms or assemblies and gives children the opportunity to discover the history and importance of the Coronation, the role of His Majesty The King, and the significance of the Monarchy around the world.

The National Education Nature Park is just one of many initiatives in the DfE’s strategy for Sustainability and Climate Change that will provide learners with the resources to live, learn, work and participate in a contemporary global society.

Through climate education, green skills and careers, the Department is helping to create a sustainable future through education, developing the skills needed for a green economy, and supporting our sectors to reach net zero targets.

Miles Briggs raises safety concerns over asbestos in Lothian schools

110 schools across Edinburgh contain asbestos

During Education and Skills portfolio questions yesterday at the Scottish Parliament, Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs asked the Cabinet Secretary for Education  and Skills Jenny Gilruth, about the safety of schools in Scotland.

Mr Briggs said how it is critical that this government and councils acts as quickly as possible to remove asbestos from the Scottish schools estate to ensure that pupils, teachers and staff across Scotland are learning and working in a safe environment.

Across the Lothians 241 schools contain asbestos – 110 in Edinburgh (details below), 31 in East Lothian, 18 in Midlothian and 82 in West Lothian. In the last year, 58 schools had asbestos removed – 20 in Edinburgh, 0 in Midlothian, 38 in West Lothian and East Lothian declined to provide the information.

The Scottish Conservatives have previously criticised the SNP for continuing to pass on “savage” cuts to local authorities, meaning schools don’t have the resources to remove asbestos from school buildings.

The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills of Scotland, herself a former teacher, was asked “what progress has the Scottish Government made in removing asbestos from schools, what impact assessment has been undertaken to look at where currently asbestos is in the school estate and where this will be removed and what timescale will government develop to make sure this happens”.

In response, Ms. Gilruth acknowledged the importance of the issue and said: “Obviously a number of the schools that we are talking about are historically old buildings, I confess that the last building that I worked in, over in Fife, had asbestos in it.

“It is soon to be replaced by a brand new building thanks to this government. I think that’s hugely important as we move forward in improving the school estate, but we will need to recognise some of the challenge here”.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “The danger of asbestos is common knowledge.

“Despite this we still have over 240 schools in across Lothian which still contain this hazardous material.

“It is vital that pupils, teachers and staff across Scotland are learning and working in a safe environment.

“Continued underfunding of local authorities by SNP Ministers makes it extremely difficult for council to carry out the necessary work in our school estates to remove asbestos.”

The TUC has highlighted the dangers of asbestos today, International Workers Memorial Day. Asbestos is the biggest cause of work-related deaths in Britain.

TUC’s Sally Asquith said: “Schools are some of the most likely buildings to contain asbestos, but also the most obvious site for safe removal.

“Many schools desperately need repair or replacing anyway: the Department for Education has admitted a serious risk of collapse in many school buildings. We know more than 90 per cent of schools contain asbestos, and that the rate of mesothelioma diagnoses among former teachers is rising rapidly, so the need for removal is urgent. In the past six months alone, four schools in England had to close after asbestos was disturbed.

“As well as providing adequate support, and research, for those affected, the only real way to prevent asbestos-related illness in the long term is to remove the substance once and for all.

“Only by removing asbestos from all public buildings can we avoid future risk of exposure and stop the thousands of early – and entirely preventable – deaths from this dreadful, fatal illness.”

#IWMD

Edinburgh

A total of 110 schools contain asbestos:

Nursery/EYC – 21

Primary – 73

High School – 12

Special – 4

We have removed asbestos from 20 schools since 1st April 2022.

Edinburgh International Book Festival announces fun-filled free schools programme for 2023

The Edinburgh International Book Festival has revealed details of its free programme of events for school pupils in 2023.

Running from 21 to 29 August at the state-of-the-art studios inside Edinburgh College of Art, the Baillie Gifford Schools Programme will offer a packed programme of free, in-person events created especially for school-age audiences, from P1 to S6.

Selected events will also be available to watch, live or on-demand, from the classroom. Every child who attends will also receive a free book courtesy of event sponsors Baillie Gifford, which they can have signed by their favourite author after the events.

The programme will culminate in the return of the massively popular Baillie Gifford Schools Gala Day, an entertaining and educational day of events and workshops which this year celebrates the theme Happy Healthy You.  

Rachel Fox, Children & Schools Programme Director at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, said: “We are so excited to welcome schools to this jam-packed programme of events for pupils, and so incredibly grateful to Baillie Gifford for their support to make tickets and books free. 

“Thanks too to all the wonderful authors and illustrators joining us in person to deliver their fantastic events live and giving their time to signing books after every event. From the science of the brain to the building of the Forth Bridge; Creative writing inspiration to reflections on body image and social media usage; we hope there is something for everyone in this year’s offer for schools and we can’t wait to welcome everyone on to site!” 

Every weekday morning from 21 – 28 August school audiences can enjoy imaginative, inspiring events with leading writers and authors, with something available for all ages.

Young adventure-seekers (P1 -P3) can join co-author legends Sarah McIntyre and Philip Reeve as they introduce their story about a tiny mouse named Pedro, before he sets off into the world to meet the brave and daring Adventuremice! 

Award-winning author Barbara Henderson brings reading, drama, and engineering challenges to the stage with her riveting adventure Rivet Boy, telling the story of one boy’s vital role in the building of Scotland’s greatest man-made wonder, the Forth Rail Bridge (P4–P6).

 While bestselling author and two-time Olympian Matthew Syed, alongside inspirational writer and resilience guru Kathy Weeks, invite young audiences to find their voice, flex their social superpowers, and speak up with kindness and confidence in the event What Do YOU Think? (P4–P6).    

Secondary school pupils can also enjoy some brilliant events. Acclaimed author Alex Wheatle returns to the Festival to chat about the fifth instalment in his multi-award-winning Crongton series, each book featuring the story of a young person struggling to grow up and make their mark in the fictional South Crongton council estate (S1–S3). 

Nikesh Shukla wrestles with issues of humour and viral fame in his new book Stand Up (S1–S3), while author, illustrator, and performance poet Laura Dockrill delivers a superb masterclass on how pupils can use their imaginations to find their voice and become creative writing superstars (S3–S6).  

Poet and current Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho takes classes through ancient Greek myths and magic with his latest novel The Boy Lost in the Maze, before offering some tips for writing their own powerful stories (S3–S5).

Multi-award-winning writer SF Said delves into the power of imagination as he shares his own storytelling journey (S1–S3), while YA writers William Hussey and Amara Sage chat cancel culture, body confidence, mental health, and first loves as they discuss how their experiences have shaped their novels (S3–S5).

There’s also the return of the audience favourite YA Book Prize (S3–S6), which gives pupils a chance to meet some of the incredible authors shortlisted for this year’s award as they talk about and read from their books ahead of the big reveal. 

This year’s programme celebrates the power of self-care under the theme Happy Healthy You, with themed events and exciting onsite activities taking place throughout the day.

Pupils from P1–P7 will have the chance to meet and learn about the power of Therapets with Canine Concern Scotland; go on an inter-planetary trip to Planet Citizen with Ryan Van Winkle; enjoy some footballing fun with Spartans Community Football Academy; enjoy mindfulness-focussed crafts and activities with Edinburgh Libraries; and ‘Dress to Express’ to showcase their best selves by wearing something bright and colourful, whether it’s a badge and bobble or a full eye-catching outfit.    

The nation’s favourite NHS doctor, and Strictly Come Dancing star, Dr Ranj Singh arrives to challenge pupils to unleash the power of their brains, with his new book Brain Power unveiling the secrets of the how to keep your mind healthy and happy. 

Edinburgh-based poet Nadine Aisha Jassat shines a light on the effects of Alzheimer’s, on both family and the patient, in her heart-warming book The Stories that Grandma Forgot, while bestselling author Phil Earle offers inspiration and reminds us that it’s never too late to find the perfect book to get your imagination racing and capture your attention.   

Space-heads can jump onboard for an awesome and exciting space adventure with authors-extraordinaire Katie and Kevin Tsang, exploring their new book Suzie and the Moonbugs, while prize-winning author Mike Nicholson introduces the intrepid Museum Mystery Squad – Nabster, Kennedy, and Laurie, along with hamster Colin – for an action-packed event with unexpected cliff-hangers and astonishing space facts.    

Celebrated writer Maisie Chan shares her love of Chinese myths, the Moon Festival, and the power of creativity in a special interactive event based on her Tiger Warrior series. Author and illustrator Nadia Shireen will discuss the fabulous third instalment in her hilarious Grimwood series featuring fox siblings Nancy and Ted and a whole host of animal friends and foes.

And children are invited to put on their helmets, grab their swords and step back in time to the Viking Age in an hilarious historic event with award-winning writer Chae Strathie who gives a kid’s-eye view of what life as a Viking was really like. 

Michelle McLeod, Sponsorship Manager at Baillie Gifford, said: “The Schools Programme is full of inspiration, imagination and fun activities for pupils of all ages, and the festival is an excellent way to take young people on an adventure through books.

“We remain committed to removing barriers for schools and pupils so they can fully enjoy the magic of the festival and the joy of books. As well as the fantastic line-up of in-person events, there will be opportunities for schools to take part from the classroom” 

The Edinburgh International Book Festival’s Baillie Gifford Schools Programme runs from Monday 21 August – Tuesday 29 August. All events will take place in person, with a selection also made available online, both live and on catch up.

Support towards travel costs for schools attending in person continues to be available through the Baillie Gifford Transport Fund. All events are free for schools and are available to book online from Tuesday 25 April.    

Full details of the Baillie Gifford Schools Programme, and guidance for registration and booking for teachers can be found online now at learning.edbookfest.com 

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Education Secretary meets learners ahead of exams

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth has met with staff and learners ahead of this year’s exams.

Returning to the Royal High School in Barnton where she previously taught, Ms Gilruth heard about the preparations underway for this year’s exams, which start on Monday and run for five weeks.

Earlier this week the Education Secretary set out plans to rebuild and reshape how education is delivered as part of the Scottish Government’s policy prospectus Equality, opportunity, community: New leadership – A fresh start.

Ms Gilruth said: “”I want to thank the pupils and my friends in the teaching staff for welcoming me back to the Royal High School to hear about their preparations for this year’s exams, which start next week.

“During this time we will see around 130,000 learners sitting National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher exams in a variety of subjects across the whole of Scotland. I would like to thank all learners for their dedication and resilience during what has been another challenging year and importantly I would like to wish them every success and good luck in their exams this year.

“As set out in our policy prospectus this week, I am focused on ensuring that Scotland’s education system strives for excellence and equity for all, with a continued focus on closing the poverty-related attainment gap.”

The Scottish Government set out its policy prospectus Equality, opportunity, community: New leadership – A fresh start  this week.