Latest news with #ScottishIndexofMultipleDeprivation
Scotsman
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Local charity leader recognised with SCVO award nomination for empowering young people through music.
A dedicated project leader from local Edinburgh and East Lothian charity Afternoon has earned recognition for his commitment to empowering young people through music and community support. Rohan Seilman, who has been a driving force behind the organisation for nearly 30 years, has been named a finalist for the 2025 Employee of the Year and People's Choice Awards at the upcoming Scottish Charity Awards in Glasgow this June. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, 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... Afternoon, through their initiative Pulse of the Place, have provided a unique blend of group Samba drumming and community support to young individuals, particularly those from high SIMD (Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation) areas, free of charge. Under Rohan's leadership, and in partnership with Musical Director Sarah Kelly, the charity has become a beacon of hope and creativity, offering arts-based education and performance opportunities, like taking part in Scotland's very first Tartan Day Parade, which took place in Edinburgh at the weekend, while fostering a sense of acceptance and belonging among participants. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Despite facing significant personal health challenges, Rohan's passion for music and commitment to equality have never wavered. His dedication has transformed the lives of countless young people, creating positive peer collaborations, opportunities for skill development and enriching their mental well-being through the power of music. Rohan leading Pulse of the Place during Edinburgh As Rohan continues at the helm of Afternoon, he remains a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative potential of music-focused youth initiatives. Being selected as a finalist for this year's awards not only celebrates his achievements but also highlights the importance of access to the arts and arts-based education for all young people. The SCVO's awards ceremony will honour the outstanding contributions of organisations and individuals, like Rohan, within the voluntary sector, showcasing their vital role in enhancing personal and community life. The public are invited to participate in the People's Choice vote, which is open online until Tuesday, 20th May at 5 p.m., allowing you to support your favourite finalist across all categories. Anna Fowlie, Chief Executive of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), praised this year's nominees, stating, 'This year's shortlisting was as difficult as ever with the phenomenal work of the voluntary sector really demonstrated in our entries. Our finalists represent the very best of Scottish society, making life-changing impacts every single day in their communities.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad For more information or to vote in the People's Choice awards, visit the SCVO website Don't miss the chance to celebrate people like Rohan, and the organisations that make such a big difference in our communities!
Press and Journal
30-04-2025
- General
- Press and Journal
School league tables 2025: Here's how Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Highlands and island secondary schools rank
has pipped at the post to lead the Press and Journal's take on the 2025 school league tables. The two city schools both improved their performances from last year – but made the bigger change. had led the charge for the previous three years. Elsewhere in the north and north-east, and were leading the way. Schools are ranked based on the percentage of leavers to gain five or more Higher qualifications (or equivalent). This is considered a benchmark of achievement as it's a common entry requirement for university. The best performing schools in each local authority area are: went up six points to 58%, with jumping the same amount of points to 39%. In the Highlands, 215-pupil leapt 32 points to 62%. topped the Argyll and Bute table with a score of 46% – up 5% from last year. In the islands, in Shetland came out on top, leaping 14 points to 44%. did the same in the Orkneys, with a jump from last year of 6 points to 39%. The in Harris won the battle of the Western Isles – even with drop of nine points to 41%. Each year the Scottish Government publishes attainment data for every school in Scotland. The figures our 2025 school league table is based on are the percentages of leavers to achieve five or more qualifications at SCQF level 6. As well as Highers, this can include qualifications such as a National Certificate or Modern Apprenticeship. They also compare each result to last year. Publication of school league tables is controversial, seen by many as an index of deprivation rather than a measure of individual schools' performance. An attainment gap exists between pupils who live in the most and least affluent areas. In all of our 2025 top 10 schools, fewer than a fifth pupils live in deprived areas (designated quintile one in the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation). At the other end of the table, schools such as Inverness High School and Northfield Academy in Aberdeen face more deprivation. Here are the 10 lowest-scoring schools when assessed by percentage of leavers with five or more highers or equivalent qualification in 2023/24: But in today's world, is this really the best measure of success? Many would not agree, including Peterhead Academy's head teacher Gerry McCluskey. Last year, his school ranked very low in our league tables, with just 14% of leavers obtaining five or more highers. This year, that figure for Peterhead is now at 24%. In an extensive interview with the P&J last April, Mr McCluskey said the league tables are far from the whole story for his school. He told us at the time: 'The percentage of leavers at Peterhead Academy achieving a positive destination after school is 96%. 'That's the same as the likes of Bearsden Academy. Yes, they're getting more Highers, but while our young people are leaving school earlier, they're still moving on to employment, further education, higher education, graduate apprenticeships. 'What you also need to take into account is that as a community, we're almost a self-sustaining economy in Peterhead. We've got a lot of opportunities, we're the biggest town in Aberdeenshire, there's a lot of businesses, a lot of industries that are very attractive for our young people to go and work at.' You can look at last year's results in full detail here.
The Courier
30-04-2025
- General
- The Courier
School league table 2025: How Tayside, Fife & Stirling schools rank
A Fife school has made huge gains to reach the top two in The Courier's secondary schools league of 2025. Dunfermline High School was surpassed only by Dunblane High School in our ranking of 52 schools in Angus, Dundee, Fife, Perth and Kinross and Stirling. Schools are ranked on the percentage of leavers with five or more Higher qualifications (or equivalent). An impressive 60% of pupils to leave Dunfermline High in 2023/24 have five or more Highers (or equivalent) compared to 43% the year before. The best performing schools in each local authority area are: Dunblane retained the top spot in The Courier secondary schools league. It also recorded an increase in leavers with five or more Highers to 70%, compared to 62% the year before. Impressive rises were also seen at The Community School of Auchterarder, up 23 to 58%. Blairgowrie High School's percentage rose 10 to 37%. But there were significant decreases at Woodmill High School, Dunfermline, down 13 to 37%, and St John's RC Academy, Perth, down 16 to 32%. Bertha Park High School, also in Perth, is included in our table for the first time, as it had an S6 cohort for the first time in 2023/24. And 32% of its leavers gained five or more Highers. Five or more Highers is considered a benchmark of achievement as it is a common entry requirement for university. You can find out how your school performed below, in our table of Angus, Dundee, Fife, Perth and Kinross and Stirling local authority secondary schools. Each year the Scottish Government publishes attainment data for every school in Scotland. The figures our 2025 school league table is based on are the percentages of leavers to achieve five or more qualifications at SCQF level 6. As well as Highers, this can include qualifications such as a National Certificate or Modern Apprenticeship. Publication of school league tables is controversial, seen by many as an index of deprivation rather than a measure of individual schools' performance. An attainment gap exists between pupils who live in the most and least affluent areas. Indeed, in our top nine schools of 2025 fewer than one in 10 pupils live in the most deprived areas (designated quintile one in the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation). At the three worst performing schools more than half of pupils are from the most deprived areas.
