study leave information
Pauline Cumming, Depute Head Teacher, is sending out individual student timetables today (students should keep these in a safe place) and letters and texts to parents concerning exam procedures, including what to do in case of illness. A copy of this letter will be on the school website later today as well.
There will be an assembly for S4 to recap on this information on Thursday, and for S5/6 on Friday.
What is ‘Devolved School Management’?
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.
stress-busting audio tips for your young exam-taker, straight from the SQA
It’s quite normal to feel stress during exams. Here is one of a whole series of audio guides from the Scottish Qualifications Authority. You might have your youngster listen to this one, to learn how to channel that stress in a positive way, and get the exams done with minimal worry.
Show Racism the Red Card — Broughton students go to Hampden Park
We have two pupils in the final of ‘Show Racism the Red Card’ today. This is a stadium event, at Hampden Park, for raising young people’s awareness of racism on and off the football pitch. They are Amy McDonald and Anna Djordjevic, both in S3. We are very proud!
Appeals Committee volunteer service opportunity
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)
