Tag: Sighthill Primary School

Edinburgh primary selected to receive a professional author residency

Sighthill primary selected to receive a professional author residency

Traditional storyteller Claire McNicol will be coming to Sighthill Primary School, Edinburgh to work with pupils, after the school was selected as one of ten schools across Scotland to receive fully-funded author residencies from Scottish Book Trust.

The Live Literature School Residencies Programme, now in its ninth year is funded by the Walter Scott Giving Group and delivered by Scottish Book Trust, the national charity changing lives through reading and writing. 

Claire McNicol is an experienced traditional storyteller and singer born in Ulster and living in Edinburgh. She combines storytelling with a career in social work supporting vulnerable children and their families.

Over fourteen sessions, Claire will help boost confidence in pupils and to recognise the value of their own voice through telling stories. The residencies are designed to inspire a lifelong love of reading and writing amongst pupils, as well as giving professional writers the opportunity to build relationships with the school and work together on a creative project. 

Claire McNicol said: ‘Thanks to the support of the Live Literature School Residency I am delighted to be appointed to work with Sighthill Primary School. 

“I visited the school as part of Scottish Book Week and worked with the infant classes. This residency will afford me the opportunity to work across the whole school community nurturing children’s development through story and song.  

‘The aim of the residency is to catalyse confidence in each and every child that they have something important to say and that their voices matter and need to be heard both in spoken word and in writing.’

Marc Lambert, Chief Executive of Scottish Book Trust, said: ‘Well done to the ten schools across Scotland that have been selected for the Live Literature School Residencies Programme.

“It’s an incredibly valuable programme as it allows authors to build relationships with a school over time, and to inspire pupils to develop a love of writing and creative expression.

‘These creative projects also offer the chance to engage with the local community, while promoting reading and writing cultures. We are grateful to our funders the Walter Scott Giving Group for making this programme available to all schools.’

Schools across the country were invited to apply to the programme which brings professional authors into the classroom to inspire and engage pupils. Each school taking part in the programme will receive 14 fully-funded residency sessions carried out by an author.

The residencies will run across the 2024-25 school year and finish by May 2025. The Walter Scott Giving Group has funded the Live Literature School Residencies Programme for the past nine years. As well as an author residency, schools will receive a resources grant of £500.

Big Noise in Wester Hailes!

Sistema Scotland has announced that a new Big Noise programme will begin in Wester Hailes, Edinburgh in spring 2022. The project will work in partnership with City of Edinburgh Council and with Clovenstone, Canal View and Sighthill Primary and Nursery Schools.

Big Noise Wester Hailes will work initially with all children in Primary 1 and 2. Over the course of its first year, the programme will expand to reach all nursery to Primary 3 age children, approximately 400 participants in total across the community.

Big Noise will grow year on year, retaining the involvement of the children as they age, and introducing the next generations of nursery and Primary 1 children. It will ultimately work with babies through to school-leavers in Wester Hailes, as well as offering opportunities to stay involved in the programme as adults. 

Big Noise is a high-quality music education and social change programme, where the symphony orchestra becomes a community which supports children and young people to gain vital life skills such as confidence, resilience, creativity and aspiration.

Through music and nurturing relationships, from infancy to adulthood, Big Noise supports participants’ wellbeing and helps them reach their full potential.

The programme also aims to strengthen the amazing communities where it is based; developing relationships with participants and their families based on mutual respect, trust and a commitment to work together and tackle inequalities for the long term.

While there are currently four Big Noise programmes, operating in Raploch (Stirling), Govanhill (Glasgow), Torry (Aberdeen) and Douglas (Dundee), this will be the first Big Noise programme to be based in Scotland’s capital city.

Independent evaluation of the Big Noise model by the Glasgow Centre for Population Health has shown that taking part in Big Noise helps children to improve their concentration and language skills, enhance their problem solving and decision making, increase their self-esteem and develop strong friendships and support networks.

Benny Higgins, Chairman of Sistema Scotland, said: “Sistema Scotland believes that all children and young people have great skills, talents and potential. We also know that many of Scotland’s communities face long-standing inequalities and challenges that make it extremely difficult for children to achieve their hopes, ambitions and dreams.

“The impact of Covid-19 has greatly exacerbated these inequalities. Now more than ever, we must think and act creatively to ensure Scotland’s children are given the opportunities and support that they deserve.

“Our charity is committed to ensuring that more children and communities across Scotland are able to take part in Big Noise and I am delighted that Wester Hailes will be the home of the next Big Noise programme.”

Councillor Ian Perry, Education, Children and Families Convener for City of Edinburgh Council, said: “I am extremely pleased to welcome Sistema Scotland to Edinburgh.

“I very much look forward to seeing the Big Noise programme in action, working with and supporting children, young people and families within the Wester Hailes community.”

Nicole Killean OBE, Chief Executive of Sistema Scotland, said: “We are greatly looking forward to starting a new Big Noise programme in Wester Hailes which will work in partnership with children, young people, families, schools and the community for many years to come.

” We also hope to work alongside local charities and community groups to bring additional support and value to Wester Hailes.”

Sam Laidlaw, mother of three from Wester Hailes, said: “Big Noise coming to Wester Hailes is such a great opportunity. Taking part in Big Noise will help the children grow their confidence.

“I’m excited to see the joy in the children’s faces as they explore music and movement. They will also come away from the programme with the ability to play a musical instrument by the time they leave high school which is great.

“I think Big Noise will help bring the community together and bring people together from different areas of Wester Hailes. I think it will bring a sense of pride to the community.”

Nicola Benedetti CBE, internationally-renowned violinist and official Big Sister to the participants of Big Noise, said: “Sistema Scotland’s consistent dedication to quality and expansion is an inspiration to all of us and I am so excited that they are finally in Edinburgh with this new Big Noise programme at Wester Hailes.”