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Scotsman
30-04-2025
- Health
- Scotsman
Supporting our learners to be the best version of themselves
Last week, as well as marking back to school for many after the Easter break, the annual exam timetable for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses got underway. 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... Many young people are also in the final stage of completing other qualifications including SQA Awards and Skills for Work courses that are assessed throughout the academic year. Councillor Joan Griffiths Understandably, there will be many feeling pressure to do well having spent the Easter holiday revising course content and topics they've been taught during this year. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad For many learners, the exam season can be a highly anxious time and while a certain amount of stress can be healthy, excessive anxiety around exams can have a significant impact on learners' mental health and well-being. I'm pleased that a range of support measures are on offer in our secondary schools to support young people who may be experiencing exam stress. This includes our school counselling service, support from teachers and school staff as well as clear signposting to external groups and organisations that can offer mental health support. Edinburgh's Firrhill High School has been shortlisted at the Tes Schools Awards 2025 Supporting our children and young people with any mental ill-health they may be experiencing is a priority all year round. I was pleased to see just last week that Firrhill High School have been shortlisted at the national TES School Awards in the category of 'pupil mental health initiative of the year' for their work in this area. Of course formal examinations are not the route for everyone. The reality is that each of the young people in our city are unique individuals and there has always, and will continue to be, young people who struggle with the concept of school and exams, and who know that by the time they reach S4 that they are better suited to a more practical and hands-on approach to learning. At several of our secondary schools we are piloting agile pathways with the aim for young people to experience a varied, dynamic, and engaging school day, where they see the relevance of their learning in relation to real-world career opportunities. As part of this we offer a range of subjects including stonemasonry, roofing, construction, metal work, silversmithing, and beauty. Learners are able to stay on at school and work towards a qualification. This is a fantastic option for young people, and a positive for the community and the city as a whole. Through establishing clear routes into industry, we can address a pressing need for skilled workers while offering learners in school a genuine career pathway. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There will of course be young people who find that a mix of practical and academic learning suits them best. In our schools we are focused on meeting the needs of children and young people on an individual basis and will always take a rounded view to make sure we do our best to support our learners to be the best version of themselves that they can be, whatever their intended destination. Cllr Joan Griffiths, Convener for Education, Children and Families, City of Edinburgh Council
STV News
25-04-2025
- General
- STV News
Exams get underway at schools across Scotland
Over 132,000 pupils across Scotland are preparing for their National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher exams. The tests start on April 25, with papers for computing science and psychology, and end on May 30 with exams for care. Over two million exam papers will be distributed across the 480 test sites around the country. Candidates will also be getting to the end of National 1 to 4 courses, QA Awards, Skills for Work courses, National Progression Awards and National Certificates. In total, more than 147,000 people will be expecting their results on August 5. Donna Stewart, Scotland's chief examining officer and director of Qualifications Development at SQA, said: 'I would like to wish the best of luck to everyone throughout Scotland who is about to sit exams and complete assessments in the coming weeks. As you move towards the next step in your education, training, or employment, this is your opportunity to show what you've learned after months of hard work.' John Booth, SQA Interim chief executive, added: 'I want to thank teachers and lecturers across the country for their dedication in supporting learners to get to this important milestone. 'I'm also grateful to the many thousands of them who work with us to set, invigilate and mark exams and assessments. 'The teaching profession is at the heart of delivering our qualifications and will have an even stronger role in the work of Qualifications Scotland.' Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: 'I would like to wish all pupils and students the best of luck with their exams this year. 'I know how hard they will have been working towards their qualifications during the year to get to this point today. 'This is also a big moment for all the parents, carers, teachers, lecturers and support staff who have done so much to help our young people prepare, and I would like to thank them all for their ongoing support and encouragement throughout this period.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Glasgow Times
25-04-2025
- General
- Glasgow Times
'Mix of emotions': Exam season begins for Glasgow pupils
The Scottish Qualifications Authority diet, which includes National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses, starts on Friday (April 25) and ends on May 30. Councillor Christina Cannon, Glasgow's education convener, said: 'I know that the start of this year's exam diet will bring a mix of emotions for our young people, their families and school staff. 'I remember the feeling well. Best wishes to all our young people taking SQA exams this year and those on other learning pathways including vocational routes.' Councillor Christina Cannon (Image: Colin Mearns/Newsquest) She added: 'Our schools are very experienced at supporting young people at this anxious time – and young people need to be kind to themselves, take time to relax as well as revise, and they will get through it.' Around 132,000 learners will sit exams in schools and colleges across Scotland, with two million question papers being distributed to more than 480 centres. Results will be delivered on Tuesday, August 5 by text, email, post and online via the SQA app. Candidates will sit exams in subjects ranging from biology and mathematics to physics and accounting. For those taking subjects such as music, drama, practical cookery and PE, the performance and practical elements of the assessments have been taking place throughout the academic year. In addition, many learners will be in the final stages of completing National 1 to National 4 qualifications, SQA Awards, Skills for Work courses, National Progression Awards and National Certificates which are continually assessed throughout the year. In total, more than 147,000 candidates are expected to get their results on August 5. READ NEXT: The story of why this famous North Glasgow area had a different name for decades READ NEXT: School near Glasgow leading way on dyslexia support praised by inspectors Donna Stewart, Scotland's Chief Examining Officer and Director of Qualifications Development at SQA, said: 'I would like to wish the best of luck to everyone throughout Scotland who is about to sit exams and complete assessments in the coming weeks. As you move towards the next step in your education, training, or employment, this is your opportunity to show what you've learned after months of hard work.' John Booth, SQA Interim Chief Executive, added: 'I want to thank teachers and lecturers across the country for their dedication in supporting learners to get to this important milestone. I'm also grateful to the many thousands of them who work with us to set, invigilate and mark exams and assessments. The teaching profession is at the heart of delivering our qualifications and will have an even stronger role in the work of Qualifications Scotland.' SQA offers a range of support services, including an exceptional circumstances service for pupils who can't sit an exam or are affected by personal situations; a free, direct appeals service - available after results day for anyone who wants a review of their marked exam; and revision materials, past papers, and the MyStudyPlan app. Learners can also sign up for a MySQA account to receive results by text and/or email - registration is open at and must be completed by 5pm on Wednesday, July 16. Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: 'I would like to wish all pupils and students the best of luck with their exams this year. I know how hard they will have been working towards their qualifications during the year to get to this point today. 'This is also a big moment for all the parents, carers, teachers, lecturers and support staff who have done so much to help our young people prepare and I would like to thank them all for their ongoing support and encouragement throughout this period.'
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Apprenticeships event taking place today at Saltaire's Victoria Hall
As part of National Apprenticeship Week 2025 (taking place this week), an apprenticeships event will take place today (Tuesday, February 11) at Victoria Hall, in Saltaire. The Apprenticeships Unlocked event will give people the opportunity to chat to employers about the apprenticeships they offer, and to find out more about what local colleges can offer in terms of apprenticeships. More information is available at Since the Apprenticeship Levy came into force in April 2017, Bradford Council has used apprenticeships to upskill staff and to employ new apprentices. More than 1,000 employees have received apprenticeship training in areas such as early years, health and social care, social work, digital marketing, project management, and business administration. The council's in-house training provider, Skills for Work, offers apprenticeships to the public; this service was most recently rated 'Good' by Ofsted, and the service claims to have a 100 per cent pass rate. Laura Liddon, who completed a level 5 Operations/Departmental Manager apprenticeship through Skills for Work, said: "The most rewarding part of my apprenticeship so far has been the chance to apply what I've learned in real-world situations and see the tangible impact of my work." Available apprenticeships can be viewed at
