Latest news with #GavinClark
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Research finds pipe band participation can help close the attainment gap
A ten-year study of high school pupils found that those in the pipe band achieved more qualifications than the national average. The difference was particularly significant for pipe-playing pupils from the most deprived areas: 40% attained one or more Advanced Highers, compared to 10.5% nationally. Researchers from the Scottish Schools Pipes and Drums Trust (SSPDT) and Preston Lodge High School in East Lothian tracked attainment statistics for 78 Preston Lodge pupils between 2014 and 2024. The results showed that students in the pipe band achieved more qualifications and had better overall outcomes than their peers. According to the study, 52% of pipe band members attained five or more Highers, compared to 39% nationally and 27% at Preston Lodge; 41% left school with one or more Advanced Highers, compared to 18.7% nationally. Read More: Exams 2025: What to expect on results day Man charged with attempted murder after 'stabbing' police officer, escaping in dinghy Kate Forbes' exit is bleak foreshadowing of the future for women in Scottish politics The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) identifies areas of deprivation in the country and is commonly used to measure the attainment gap between Scotland's most and least disadvantaged students. The index uses income, employment, education, health, access to services, crime and housing to assess deprivation and is typically split across five quintiles from most deprived (SIMD 1) to least deprived (SIMD 5). Results from the Preston Lodge study found that 45% of pipe band pupils from the most deprived areas left with three or more Highers, compared to 38.2% nationally. The difference was greater at Advanced Higher level, where 40% of pipe band pupils earned at least one qualification compared to 10.5% nationally. Preston Lodge was one of the first schools in Scotland to take part in the Scottish Schools Pipes and Drums Trust (SSPDT) pipe band programme, which provides grants, free instrument loans, internships and other opportunities to make music tuition more accessible. Preston Lodge Head Teacher Gavin Clark said that the impact of piping at the school is 'impossible to overestimate.' 'Our Pipe Band has grown significantly over the past two decades from a tentative group of new players in 2007, into the flourishing figurehead of our school and its community it is today. 'While we've always known that our young people of all ages and abilities, across the primary and secondary sector, have benefited immeasurably from the skill development and self-esteem building that piping and drumming can provide; we now have evidence which indicates that pipe band participation has also had a significant impact on their attainment at school.' There are 100 members across the school's three bands, with another 100 connected pupils at its feeder primaries. In response to the study, many alumni said that the findings reflected their own experiences of being in the pipe band. High school teacher and former band member Hannah Yorkston said that being in the band helped her form relationships and provided an outlet that increased her confidence away from schoolwork. Kerilee Doran echoed this, saying that the band served as a place of respite for students from all walks of life. 'What made it special was the way that we all worked together and got along, regardless of our background. 'It was looked at as a place where many could escape from anything that was going on at home and just have fun and really enjoy what you were doing.' Jordan Smith added that the musical skills he learned were far outweighed by the relationships he made. 'The band is simultaneously a friendship group, a learning experience, a safe space and support network, a chance to travel, an outlet for emotion, a self-discipline builder and a music group. 'The camaraderie and enthusiasm that the whole band shared for playing with each other, bringing together people with a variety of backgrounds to do so, is an experience I was incalculably lucky to be part of.' SSPDT Chief Executive Lindsay MacKenzie said that the Preston Lodge study could lead to changes in education policy and new ideas for making school more accessible to pupils from all backgrounds. 'While previous research has linked learning an instrument to academic achievement, such opportunities are more easily accessible to affluent students. However, this study demonstrates that pipe band membership attracts and retains students from all socio-economic backgrounds, including the most deprived areas. 'Crucially, the findings suggest that students who remain in a pipe band programme for an extended period show significantly higher attainment levels across all SIMD groups when compared to national averages. 'This evidence supports the idea that structured, well-resourced musical engagement – specifically within pipe bands – can provide a powerful tool for educational equity.' Ms MacKenzie added that more schools and music tutors across Scotland should try to replicate the study and improve 'This study provides strong indications that our investment in school pipe bands is delivering real educational benefits. 'While this is not a large-scale study, its decade-long scope and consistency in findings suggest a significant impact that could be replicated across Scotland.'
The Herald Scotland
6 days ago
- General
- The Herald Scotland
Pipe bands linked to better exam results for pupils
Researchers from the Scottish Schools Pipes and Drums Trust (SSPDT) and Preston Lodge High School in East Lothian tracked attainment statistics for 78 Preston Lodge pupils between 2014 and 2024. The results showed that students in the pipe band achieved more qualifications and had better overall outcomes than their peers. According to the study, 52% of pipe band members attained five or more Highers, compared to 39% nationally and 27% at Preston Lodge; 41% left school with one or more Advanced Highers, compared to 18.7% nationally. Read More: The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) identifies areas of deprivation in the country and is commonly used to measure the attainment gap between Scotland's most and least disadvantaged students. The index uses income, employment, education, health, access to services, crime and housing to assess deprivation and is typically split across five quintiles from most deprived (SIMD 1) to least deprived (SIMD 5). Results from the Preston Lodge study found that 45% of pipe band pupils from the most deprived areas left with three or more Highers, compared to 38.2% nationally. The difference was greater at Advanced Higher level, where 40% of pipe band pupils earned at least one qualification compared to 10.5% nationally. Preston Lodge was one of the first schools in Scotland to take part in the Scottish Schools Pipes and Drums Trust (SSPDT) pipe band programme, which provides grants, free instrument loans, internships and other opportunities to make music tuition more accessible. Preston Lodge Head Teacher Gavin Clark said that the impact of piping at the school is 'impossible to overestimate.' 'Our Pipe Band has grown significantly over the past two decades from a tentative group of new players in 2007, into the flourishing figurehead of our school and its community it is today. 'While we've always known that our young people of all ages and abilities, across the primary and secondary sector, have benefited immeasurably from the skill development and self-esteem building that piping and drumming can provide; we now have evidence which indicates that pipe band participation has also had a significant impact on their attainment at school.' There are 100 members across the school's three bands, with another 100 connected pupils at its feeder primaries. In response to the study, many alumni said that the findings reflected their own experiences of being in the pipe band. High school teacher and former band member Hannah Yorkston said that being in the band helped her form relationships and provided an outlet that increased her confidence away from schoolwork. Kerilee Doran echoed this, saying that the band served as a place of respite for students from all walks of life. 'What made it special was the way that we all worked together and got along, regardless of our background. 'It was looked at as a place where many could escape from anything that was going on at home and just have fun and really enjoy what you were doing.' Jordan Smith added that the musical skills he learned were far outweighed by the relationships he made. 'The band is simultaneously a friendship group, a learning experience, a safe space and support network, a chance to travel, an outlet for emotion, a self-discipline builder and a music group. 'The camaraderie and enthusiasm that the whole band shared for playing with each other, bringing together people with a variety of backgrounds to do so, is an experience I was incalculably lucky to be part of.' SSPDT Chief Executive Lindsay MacKenzie said that the Preston Lodge study could lead to changes in education policy and new ideas for making school more accessible to pupils from all backgrounds. 'While previous research has linked learning an instrument to academic achievement, such opportunities are more easily accessible to affluent students. However, this study demonstrates that pipe band membership attracts and retains students from all socio-economic backgrounds, including the most deprived areas. 'Crucially, the findings suggest that students who remain in a pipe band programme for an extended period show significantly higher attainment levels across all SIMD groups when compared to national averages. 'This evidence supports the idea that structured, well-resourced musical engagement – specifically within pipe bands – can provide a powerful tool for educational equity.' Ms MacKenzie added that more schools and music tutors across Scotland should try to replicate the study and improve 'This study provides strong indications that our investment in school pipe bands is delivering real educational benefits. 'While this is not a large-scale study, its decade-long scope and consistency in findings suggest a significant impact that could be replicated across Scotland.'
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Hospital staff and patients raise prostate cancer funds with walk
Sponsored walks have raised £190 for Prostate Cancer UK. Staff and patients from Cygnet Hospital Wyke and Cygnet Hospital Bierley took part in the March for Men event to raise awareness of prostate cancer. Cygnet Hospital Wyke is a 31-bed acute and PICU service for men, while Cygnet Hospital Bierley is a 62-bed acute and low secure hospital. Gavin Clark, hospital manager at Cygnet Hospital Wyke, said: "We are really proud to have raised money for Prostate Cancer UK as it is such an important charity. "Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, so all donations to this amazing charity really make a difference. "Everyone at Cygnet Health Care really cares for each other, and we wanted to do something that could help improve the lives of others too. "We are lucky that our registered general nurse and physical health lead, Olan Idowu, was able to arrange a great collaborative fundraiser for a worthy cause." Patients at Cygnet Hospital Wyke decorated t-shirts for their two-mile walk. Participants from Cygnet Hospital Bierley, also donning customised t-shirts, completed a three-mile route. Prostate Cancer UK funds research and campaigns against injustice in care.
