ScotGov urged to back expansion of ASN college model
Under the existing funding arrangements, Corseford College has capacity for forty students, with all places currently allocated. Speaking to The Herald, Head of College Liz McConnachie explained that each year she has to turn down around as many applications as she accepts, and warns that there is little if any alternative provision for those who cannot be accommodated.
Ms McConnachie also highlighted geographical constraints, noting that people in most of Scotland are unable to access Corseford College, making the lack of similar centres in other parts of the country an especially pressing concern.
Graduate Lauren Wishart with Capability Scotland Chief Executive Brian Logan (Image: Gordon Terris)
The inaugural graduation ceremony recognised thirteen students who have completed their programmes. It also saw three individuals honoured with further recognition: an Honorary Graduate Prize was given to Jamie Thomson and Olivia Turner, and a Maria Brownlie Award, given in honour of a former student who passed away last year, went to Ali Chaudhry.
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Parents say lack of inclusive further education must change
Families still have to fight the system for pupils with ASN
Speaking after the graduation event, Capability Scotland Chief Executive Brian Logan said that parents and staff are very proud of the young people involved, and that the day had been a 'real celebration of everything that they've achieved.'
He went on to explain that Corseford's unique model had been developed and made successful thanks to the 'perseverance' of staff, and called for everyone who needs it in Scotland to have the right to the same type of support.
'That transition – to move from childhood into adulthood – is really challenging and at the moment, with the exception of Corseford College, there's no real opportunity for people to continue their educational journey. That right should be there for everyone. It's about equity and about inclusion, and without the type of provision that we have that opportunity to learn and grow.'
'We have demonstrated that this model is successful, we know that there is demand for this type of provision right across the country, we get applications from other parts of Scotland which we – at the moment – can't service. We know the demand is there. We know the model is successful. Our ask is that this is replicated across the country so that everyone has this opportunity, and that we put the funding on a much more sustainable footing.
'It's unfair that there are people across the country being denied this opportunity. We think we can set up satellites based on the Corseford model across the rest of Scotland. We want to do that and we want to work in partnership with the government to make sure that it is delivered.'
Despite being opened by a Scottish Government minister (Jamie Hepburn MSP), Corseford had been facing the threat of closure when pilot funding ran out this year. However, the recent budget deal between the SNP, Scottish Greens and Scottish Liberal Democrats secured a further £700,000 to keep the facility operational.
Some of the 2025 graduates of Corseford College. L-R: Sophie James-Rae, Darren Fitzpatrick, Fraser McAlpine, Jamie Thomson, Ali Chaudhry, and Bryan Brownlie. (Image: Gordon Terris)
During a recent session of the Scottish Parliament's Education, Children and Young People Committee, Minister for Further Education Graeme Dey revealed that the government has received a report that has reached 'broadly positive conclusions as to the impact' of Corseford's model. He added:
'I would be optimistic that we will have something very positive to say about this fairly quickly.'
Asked whether ministers are planning to fund the establishment of more specialist colleges like Corseford, a spokesperson for the Scottish Government said:
'The Scottish Government has received the independent evaluation report for Corseford College and we are currently considering its content. As the Further Education Minister has indicated, there will be further detail provided on this shortly.'
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Scotsman
a day ago
- Scotsman
Exams Scotland: Does surge in vocational subjects mark an end to Highers as the 'gold standard' of education?
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It has long been repeated the Scottish Government's 'gold standard' of educational achievement was securing five Highers. This year's Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) results were hailed as a 'landmark' year for Scotland's schools - but not for the number of pupils attaining this so-called gold standard. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Pupils pose after receiving exam results at Kings Park Secondary School in Glasgow. Picture: Jeff| Getty Images Instead, success in vocational subjects - such as National Progression Awards (NPA) - was one of the stand-out stories of results day. For the first time, more than 100,000 vocational awards were handed out to Scotland's school pupils, with one council area reporting an 'upsurge' in pupils opting for vocational courses. While this is being hailed as a success by education bosses, others raise concerns about the risk of a 'two-tier' system where less academically able pupils are pushed away from Highers and into practical courses. In Edinburgh, 70 NPA courses are offered across 23 secondary schools - and the council is emphatic these have parity of esteem with more traditional academic qualifications. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad City of Edinburgh's education convener James Dalgleish said pupils were increasingly looking towards what jobs they might do and the best way to get into the world of work. In 2023, the Scottish capital's schools had 941 NPA passes and this year that's up to 1700. 'It's also about supporting young people in their passion and not fitting them into boxes or pushing them down a certain path,' Mr Dalgleish said. Construction and stone masonry are of particular interest in Edinburgh, a city rapidly expanding and where building skills are going to be vital. Mr Dalgleish added: 'We're going to need a lot of new young people coming out of school moving into the construction sector. Otherwise, we're not going to get the homes that we want to build. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We live in a really beautiful, old, historic city. We were struggling to get talented, well-qualified young people to be able to maintain these beautiful buildings that people from across the world want to see.' A view of Victorian tenement housing in the West End of Edinburgh, Morningside. Picture: Getty Images Some young people look ahead to a barista qualification to help them gain a job working while they study at university. One example given is a pupil who wanted to take a construction course to give him practical experience of working a lathe before going to study engineering at university. Some schools have facilities for vocational courses while for others, pupils will travel to Edinburgh College. As part of the city's net zero ambitions, it wants to cut the number of young people commuting and so two new schools being built will have space to work with industry partners on training. The experiences on offer are described as 'life changing', but the council is keen to emphasise there is no 'two-tier system'. 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Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'You're like a teacher, you're like a social worker, you're like an auntie - it's wonderful chaos every day of my life,' she said. 'Their stories can be really traumatic and when I started, I literally cried for about a month because I grew up in the east end of Glasgow and I thought I was gallus. 'I've unfortunately had young people that I work with who are no longer with us. But I've also worked with young people who are now [undergone a] 360 [degree] transformation and they're working in our children's house estate or they've went to university or they work for global hairdressing organisations. And their lives have changed.' At that time, the vocational options were construction or hospitality, prompted by skills shortages in those sectors. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mrs McKenzie said: 'Also there was a recognition that the 'chalk and talk' style of learning didn't suit the changes in society.' 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Scotsman
4 days ago
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Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The Scottish Government has given approval for an offshore windfarm that is predicted to kill up to 260 gannets, 2,808 guillemots, 814 kittiwakes, 65 puffins, and 154 razorbills every year. Berwick Bank is set to be one of the world's largest offshore windfarms. Located around 40km off the East Lothian coast in the outer Firth of Forth, and close to iconic natural wonders like Bass Rock and the Isle of May, it will be built on prime foraging ground for seabirds. These predicted casualty numbers are in addition to the many thousands of birds that are expected to be displaced by the development, forced to find alternative places to fish. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There are many, many better places for offshore windfarms around Scotland and we have a responsibility to protect the internationally important seabirds breeding around our coastlines. Yet these facts failed to sway the decision. A guillemot flying past St Abb's Head, with a windfarm in the distance (Picture: Jamie McDermaid) | Scottish Seabird Centre Nature loses out again In the face of promises of investment and growth, ministers' commitments to tackling the nature emergency and reversing the calamitous declines in biodiversity once again crumbled. If this story feels familiar, that's because it's one that keeps on repeating itself. 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But Berwick Bank proceeding also threatens lower impact windfarms in other ways. No project is without impact, and many of these windfarms will be required to invest in compensation too. However, there are only so many credible means of delivering compensation for killing seabirds, and the scale of Berwick Bank's requirements threatens to hoover them up and leave little left over for other projects. Similarly, there is only so much government support available for windfarms, and Berwick Bank will require a considerable slice of the pie. All of this is why we and so many others from the nature conservation community are not giving up. Berwick Bank, as it is currently proposed, can and must be stopped. Both to protect nature, and to build a thriving, clean, green offshore renewables industry in Scotland.
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Daily Record
When do Scottish schools go back after the summer holidays? Full list by council area
We've listed every Scottish council and when pupils go back to school at each one. It's been a long six weeks with the kids at home, but the end of the summer holidays is just around the corner. Whether you've made some cherished memories or suffered through endless tantrums this year, Scottish schools are about to start the new term, with some institutions going back as early as next week. But with 32 councils in Scotland, who each have different holidays, it can be difficult to know exactly when your wee ones are due back in the classroom. With this in mind, we've listed all Scottish councils alphabetically and the dates that school pupils return in a bid to avoid confusion (and accidental truancy). So, when exactly do the kids go back? We've gathered all the information in one place so you won't have to fish through the Scottish Government website to find your council and its term dates. Here's everything you need to know to be as organised as possible for 'Back To School' season. When do Scottish schools go back? Full list by council area Aberdeen City Council- Tuesday, August 19 Aberdeenshire Council- Wednesday, August 20 Angus Council- Tuesday, August 19 Argyll and Bute Council- Thursday, August 14 Clackmannanshire Council- Wednesday, August 13 Comhairle nan Eilaen Siar- Thursday, August 14 Dumfries and Galloway Council- Thursday, August 21 Dundee City Council- Tuesday, August 19 East Ayrshire Council- Wednesday, August 20 East Dunbartonshire Council- Thursday, August 14 East Lothian Council- Wednesday, August 13 East Renfrewshire Council- Wednesday, August 13 Edinburgh City Council- Wednesday, August 13 Falkirk Council- Wednesday, August 13 Fife Council- Wednesday, August 20 Glasgow City Council- Thursday, August 14 Highland Council- Tuesday, August 19 Inverclyde Council- Tuesday, August 19 Midlothian Council- Wednesday, August 13 Moray Council- Wednesday, August 20 North Ayrshire Council- Wednesday, August 20 (including Arran) North Lanarkshire Council- Thursday, August 14 Orkney Islands Council- Tuesday, August 19 Perth and Kinross Council- Tuesday, August 19 Renfrewshire Council- Monday, August 18 Scottish Borders Council- Wednesday, August 20 Shetland Islands Council- Wednesday, August 20 South Ayrshire Council- Tuesday, August 20 South Lanarkshire Council- Thursday, August 14 Stirling Council- Wednesday, August 13 West Dunbartonshire Council- Friday, August 15 West Lothian Council- Wednesday, August 13 In other school holiday news, kids in England are to see one of their half-term breaks extended- but will Scotland follow in their footsteps? Some schools south of the border are giving pupils an extra week off in the autumn half-term to allow parents to take advantage of "cheaper holidays". The break is being extended from one week to two in a bid to make holidays more affordable for parents. To compensate, the length of school days will be slightly increased throughout the year. Schools leading the change include North Walsham High School and Long Stratton High School, both managed by the same trust in Norfolk. The Enrich Learning Trust operates North Walsham and Long Stratton high schools. It said: "Having consulted with their school communities, they are planning a pilot of a two-week half-term in October 2025, with the aim of improving attendance in the second half of the autumn term, having had a slightly longer break." But while England is being granted some extra time off, there are currently no plans to change Scotland's school holidays, and there have been little changes in recent times. Even during Covid, in December 2020, proposals to extend the Christmas school holidays were scrapped. So it seems that Scots won't be seeing longer half-term breaks anytime soon. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
