Here is a note circulated this week by Graham Douglas, Administrative Officer in the Parental Involvement Unit, Schools and Community Services, City of Edinburgh Council:

‘On 21 March 2012, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning announced additional support for secondary schools, reached in agreement with the EIS, around preparation for the new National Qualifications. Included in this support is provision of two additional In-Service Days.

Following discussion with secondary Head Teachers and teaching unions, the following dates were agreed as the additional In-Service Days for secondary schools:

Tuesday 23 October 2012

Monday 18 February 2013’

Link directly to the Council’s revised calendar here.

The Scottish Government wish Local Authorities to give to primary and secondary schools a minimum of 80% of their own education budgets. The target is 90%. Currently Edinburgh devolves around 91% of its educational budget to schools. The idea is to let schools move quickly to address their needs and be generally efficient about setting their spending priorities.

The scheme is under constant review both locally within Edinburgh and Nationally, for example, the recent Devolved School management Review conducted by David Cameron on behalf of the Scottish Government.

There is a small team of staff within the Children and Families Department that facilitate and review the scheme to ensure that schools are resourced appropriately and the scheme is run correctly and in line with Scottish Government targets.

See what they do in the latest Edinburgh Council Information Bulletin (no. 3), which you’ll find under ‘Parent Council Documents’ in ‘Links we use a lot’ in the sidebar to the right of what you’re reading.

Dear Parent Council Member

I write to invite you to consider becoming a Parent Representative of the Council’s Placing in Schools Appeal Committee. The committee comprises a member of each of the following panels:

Panel 1:  All members of the Council or Education Children and Families   Committee dealing with Education Items;

Panel 2:  Ten parents of school age children, nominated by the Consultative Committee with Parents;

Panel 3:  Chairperson, suitably qualified with experience in education or acquainted with educational conditions in Edinburgh, nominated by the Director of Children and Families.

The committee considers the following types of appeals:

• Placing requests for P1 and S1 – these appeals are held during May and June each year and this is the busiest time for the appeal committee.
• Placing requests at any time for all primary and secondary years
• Exclusions – these appeals can be in an attempt to have the pupil re-instated at the school or if they have been re-instated to have the exclusion removed from the child’s school record.

There is no payment made for membership of the committee but travelling expenses are available. Full training is provided prior to participating on the committee.

The committee clerk who organises the meetings attempts, as much as possible, to rotate the membership to spread the workload as evenly as possible between the members. The busiest period of the year is during May and June when the annual placing appeals are being heard and availability during this period is desirable.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the committee or require any additional information please contact me on 0131 529 4106 or e-mail jan.macrae@edinburgh.gov.uk.

Yours faithfully

JAN MACRAE

For Acting Head of Legal and Administrative Services

(as Clerk to the Appeal Committee)