South East Locality Group

Parent engagement updates

10 December 2022: A few updates from Connect, the NE/SE Parental Engagement Locality Group and the new Guide to Children’s Rights are given below.

Connect

The December 2022 issue of the Connect newsletter is now available

Read the Connect newsletter

NE/SE Parental Engagement Locality Group

The Edinburgh Council NE/SE Parental Engagement Locality Group met on 23 November 2022.

The meeting minute and presentation given by Stephen Kelly, Senior Education Manager on the National Discussion consultation process, are now available:

NE/SE Localities meeting minute 23 November 2022

Education Reform, Stephen Kelly

Guide to Children’s Rights

The new Guide to Children’s Rights for parents and carers has just been launched.

Children’s rights | Parent Club

The booklet was created by the United Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) Parents Network, made up of parenting organisations and Scottish Government policy officials. They have been meeting for over a year to look at how best to inform parents, carers and family members about the rights of their children. The new guide conveys broad universal messaging about children’s rights and has adopted a warm and reassuring tone. 

The resource provides information about children’s rights and introduces the UNCRC, which sets out the rights that all children and young people should expect and what they need to grow up happy, healthy and safe. It outlines the central role played by parents and families and also recognises that they need protection and assistance to support the rights and wellbeing of their children. 

If you would like any more information please contact Shelly Coyne.

Forum for parents with children with Additonal Support Needs

12 March 2022: The Council has set up a forum for meeting with parents with children with ASN in mainstream schooling, which feeds into discussions with Councillors and senior Council staff at the CCwP (Consultative Committee with Parents) before each Education, Children and Families Committee meeting (6 per year).

The last meeting was on 31 January and looked at Digital Learning and Pathways for Support.  The minutes and presentations can be found here.

Minutes of Meeting on 31 January 2022

Empowered Learning – David McKee 31 January 2022

Terms of Reference for ASN in Mainstream Schooling Forum

Get involved

The Parent Council would like to hear from parents who have issues they would like raised via this this group.  Please contact the PC email to be put in contact with our rep on the group.

Email the Parent Council

NE/SE Locality Parent Engagement meeting

11 February 2022: The NE/SE Parental Engagement Locality Group Meeting with City of Edinburgh Council was held on 1 February 2022 via Microsoft Teams.

You can read the minutes of the meeting and access presentations on the Learning Estate and the CEC Digital Consortia below:

Minutes of NE/SE Locality Meeting 1 February 2022

CEC Learning Estate Update – January 2022

CEC Digital Consortia Update – February 2022

Report from the NE-SE Locality meeting on 23 November

30 November 2021: The JGHS Parent Council was represented at the last meeting of the NE-SE Locality Group by PC chair Sarah Scott.

A brief presentation on the recent Scottish Government consultation on assessment in Scotland, and the meeting minutes are available below:

Education Scotland and SQA presentation

NE-SE Locality meeting minutes 23 November 2021

Edinburgh Council engagement with schools in the SE/NE Locality

21 May 2021: The Council’s SE/NE Locality meeting took place on 27 April 2021 and looked at the following issues:

Edinburgh School estate

An update on developments across the school estate was given by Robbie Crockatt, Acting School Estate Planning Officer.

Learning Estate Update April 2021

Holiday arrangements

Possible changes to school holiday arrangements to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee were discussed.

SQA Alternative Certification Model

The Council gave a further update on arrangements for SQA assessments, following a number of concerns raised by Parent Councils.

SQA Alternative Certification Model update April 2021

Secondary PC chair meeting 31 March 2021

Issues such as pressure on pupils and schools, the lack of contingency arrangements for Covid-19 outbreaks and the SQA’s failure to put in place an appeals process were discussed.

A note of the SE/NE Locality meeting can be found here

Edinburgh City Council NE/SE Locality Meetings

12 February 2021: The Council’s NE/SE Locality meeting was held on 19 January 2021.

The main topics discussed were:

School session dates 2022/2025 – the Council will be sending out a questionnaire to parents, teachers and pupils looking at arrangements for school holidays up until 2025.

Remote Learning Provision – including the roll out of digital devices; the provision of Wifi to those without it; the availability of online teaching/learning resources; the approach to remote learning across Edinburgh schools.

A copy of the presentation can be found here:

NE/SE Locality Meetings January 2021

A note of the meeting can be found here:

NE/SE Locality Meeting 19 January 2021

SE/NE Locality Meeting: Digital Learning and Assessment

17 September 2020: Below is a brief summary from the South East Locality Meeting about Digital Learning and Assessment on Thurs 10th Sept.  Edinburgh Council officials update: contingency learning plans in place; developing training for teachers re blended learning and are also looking at videos for parents to help them support children with blended learning should it be needed.  Schools have been asked to appoint Digital Leaders and develop a Digital Learning Strategy. 

Edinburgh Council has written a Responsible User Protocol which, once signed will enable live video lessons should the need arise. 

A number of digital learning resources were named: 

  1. clickview coming online which will have curriculum aligned resources and allows for video to be shared
  2. scholar
  3. e-sgoil – can sign up for after-school classes (places allocated on first come first serve basis)
  4. Digilearn.Scot
  5. Edinburgh Council is working on plans for practical subjects; hopes to have Active Schools in place after the October holidays; and music tuition in person or online is to happen immediately.  A recruitment drive is underway to build up a pool of teachers who can help cover absences. 
  6. Minutes and slides from the meeting will be uploaded once available.

Updates from the National Parent Forum of Scotland and City of Edinburgh Council

Posted 25 August 2020

National Parent Forum of Scotland

The latest newsletter from the National Parent Forum of Scotland is available.

National Parent of Scotland newsletter 

There is an NPFS hosted Q&A Session with the Deputy First Minister, John Swinney, on 10 September and information on the event and the link to email questions is in the attached newsletter.

City of Edinburgh Council NE/SE Locality Meetings

Edinburgh Council is running regular locality meetings (bringing secondary and primary school Parent Council reps from their cluster areas together with Council officials and Headteachers). 

The first meeting was held on 4 August, and focussed on Health & Safety and Health & Wellbeing.

Back to school resilience – City of Edinburgh Council

The second meeting on 18 August focussed on Equalities, Equity and Inclusion and the minutes are now available.

Minutes of meeting 18 August 2020

The third meeting will focus on Teaching, Learning (including Digital) & Assessment and will take place on 9 September and the slides and links will be uploaded once available.