- All Edinburgh pupils ‘back to school’
- Entrepreneurial Spark awards
- Digital Sentinel drop in
- Mhairi’s off to Paris courtesy of Forth 1
- Converted bus becomes creative workshop
All of the 7,600 school pupils displaced because of faults found in buildings have now been given places somewhere in the city under the contingency plans worked out by the City of Edinburgh Council
Arrangements made yesterday include 390 pupils from Firrhill High School using Edinburgh Napier University’s Craiglockhart campus and 16 temporary classrooms from across the UK being installed at The Royal High School.
Arrangements have also been made for 740 nursery pupils affected bringing the overall total to 8,340 children.
From Tuesday (19 April):
• Firrhill High School – S1 and S2 pupils will be relocated to Edinburgh Napier University Craiglockhart campus.
• Gracemount High School – S1-S3 pupils will be relocated to Wester Hailes Education Centre.
• The Royal High School – over the weekend 16 temporary classrooms will be installed in the grounds for S1 and S2 pupils.
From Wednesday (20 April) Craigmount S1 pupils will be based in Forrester High School/St Augustine’s High School Campus, S2 pupils will be in the Darroch Centre (currently known as James Gillespie’s Annexe) and S3 pupils will be at Broughton High School. The pupils will be taught in their own class groups and by their own teachers.
Eric Munro, Edinburgh Napier’s Director of Property and Facilities, said: “We are pleased to step in to assist pupils who have been unable to return to school after the Easter break to try to help our neighbours and minimise disruption to children’s education. Firrhill High School pupils will be accommodated within the classroom block at our Craiglockhart campus.”
Staff will be contacting parents directly to update them on the arrangements for their own individual child. The information is also available on the Council website.
It has been a huge logistical exercise for the Council to identify alternative arrangements involving: the use of over 70 buses for pupils, 61 alternative schools (including nurseries and Early Years Centres), relocation of 655 teachers and 30 organisations throughout the city have offered assistance. Today Edinburgh Leisure announced that they will be providing a free swim to children (and accompanying adult) at nine of their pools across the city on Monday 18 April, which is the Spring Public Holiday.
The integration of pupils into alternative schools is going well.
Craigmount High School Head Teacher, Tom Rae has said: “The relocation of Craigmount students to Tynecastle High this week has gone very smoothly. All students are now working hard to prepare for SQA exams in classes with their own teachers.
“This is a unique situation and ensuring it operates successfully and things go smoothly is down to incredible efforts of both staff teams. Craigmount is hugely appreciative of the generosity of Tynecastle staff and students in allowing us to share their school. Lots of positive partnership working is taking place.”
Council Leader Andrew Burns said: “I’m pleased we have now been able to put in place arrangements for all our pupils and I can assure parents and pupils that work will be taking place over the weekend and Monday to ensure the new arrangements are ready their arrival next week.
“It’s great to hear about how well the integration of pupils sharing schools has been going and how the people of Edinburgh have responded.
“We will provide parents with further information on individual school surveys once the full reports are received and assessed.”
The programme of structural surveys arranged by the Edinburgh Schools Partnership is continuing over the weekend and in to next week.
The Council will update parents directly, via text message, the Council website (www.edinburgh.gov.uk/schoolclosures) and via the Council Twitter @Edinburgh_CC as soon as information becomes available.
Six of the ‘chiclets’ who embarked on the Entrepreneurial Spark programme in February have scooped £10,000 in cash awards at the annual #GoDoAcceler8 event at the Edinburgh Hatchery.
Entrepreneurial Spark is run along with RBS and KPMG and is a free mentoring and networking support service for start up businesses who apply and get a place.
The award winners were as follows:
- Acceler8 Award (£3,000 awarded to the best performing company)
Kieran Kelly, Arc-Net
The unique Arc-Net technology platform provides organisations the ability to cut through the fog of business, and really understand the needs and demands of markets.
- #GoDo Award (£2,000 awarded to each of the companies that best demonstrate the mindsets and behaviours of a successful entrepreneur)
Actiph Water
Ian Brown, Film Mobile http://www.filmmobile.com/
A touring cinema circuit with 22 rural locations throughout Scotland and Northern England.
- Best Pitch Award (£1,000 awarded to each of the entrepreneurs that best delivered a 60 second pitch about their company to a panel of esteemed judges)
Lorna Clayton, Academic Families http://www.academicfamilies.com/
Phil Mowatt, Tie Club http://www.tieclub.co.uk/
Allie Cherry-Byrnes, Packa Shack http://www.packashack.co.uk/
Jim Duffy, founder and Chief Executive Optimist, Entrepreneurial Spark said: “#GoDoAcceler8 is an exciting stage in the Entrepreneurial Spark programme. The progress we see is incredible and it’s hugely rewarding to watch entrepreneurs who joined us three months ago often unable to clearly articulate their business idea stand up and deliver a winning pitch. Our Chiclets have raised more than £45million in investment to date, and #GoDoAcceler8 is an important stage in each businesses’ growth as they look to scale up and build incredible businesses.”
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[mc4wp_form id=”169103″] 24 year-old Mhairi McEwan from Wallyford is packing for Paris and destined for Dublin thanks to bagging the £10,000 top prize in Forth 1’s latest competition.
Mhairi, a 24 year old administrative assistant, received the unexpected call from Boogie during his breakfast show ‘Boogie In The Morning’. She was on her way to work, and sitting in a Tesco car park with her mum, when she found out she was £10,000 richer.
Thanks to her windfall, the East Lothian lady has a mother / daughter shopping spree planned for Paris this June and a girls’ trip to Dublin on the cards.
Mhairi said: “I noticed my phone had missed calls from a number I didn’t know. I had no idea who would be trying to call me so early in the morning when it suddenly crossed my mind that it could be Forth 1 as I’d entered a competition.
“I was worried I had missed my chance so I was really relieved when it rang for a third time! I picked up and Boogie was on the other end, he told me I’d won and I couldn’t believe it. I screamed down the phone! My mum and I were sitting in the Tesco car park jumping for joy!
“I’m still in shock to be honest, it’s still not really sunk in! I can’t believe it. You always hear of people winning competitions but you never imagine it’s going to be you!”
Boogie and breakfast co-host Arlene met Mhairi at the station to hand over the £10,000 prize, sponsored by Eastern Western Motor Group.
Mhairi said: “I loved meeting Boogie and Arlene, Forth 1 is my favourite station and I listen to Boogie In The Morning every day on my way to work. Their banter always makes me laugh and I love the tunes they play, it’s the only way to start the day!”
Boogie said: “A real perk of the job is speaking to our brilliant listeners and it’s even better when it’s to let them know they’ve won £10,000! Mhairi’s reaction was brilliant – my poor ears are still ringing from her screaming down the phone!
“It was great to meet her and hear how she plans to spend her winnings. Every winner of our competitions and promotions come from right here in Edinburgh, the Lothians and Fife and that is what makes them so special to be involved in.
“Once again we want to say a massive well down to Mhairi and wish her well on her travels! We also want to say a big thank you to Eastern Western Motor Group for sponsoring the competition!”
The next stop is Fountainbridge for a former public bus due to be transformed into a creative workshop for a local community group.
The EDI Group donated the bus to The Edinburgh Scrapstore, a unique project which works to give new lease of life to unwanted scrap and art materials.
The new workshop will create an inspiring space for members of the meanwhile community project which currently occupies land on EDI’s proposed India Quay development site.
Lothian Buses helped to refurbish the bus which was previously used by the Museum of Inventions group who were part of the Edinburgh Science Festival last year.
The bus was stripped out, repainted and external lighting fitted, with interior design to be carried out by volunteers from The Edinburgh Scrapstore and The Forge community projects.
Companies and organisations including Historic Environment Scotland have already been donating generously to the project with unwanted materials such as tiles, metal and textiles which will be used during a programme of workshops.
Denise Havard, Community Development Manager at EDI, commented: “It’s great to see another community project launch as part of our meanwhile-use initiative at India Quay.
“The enthusiasm, creativity and community spirit generated by these groups is fantastic and I look forward to the programme of workshops.”
Emma Roy, Environmental Officer at Lothian Buses, said: “We’re always happy to lend a hand to community projects across the city.
“As one of the major transport partners in Edinburgh, we are always keen to improve our environmental awareness, so we felt that The Edinburgh Scrapstore was more than a worthy cause to support.”
Antonia Dickson from The Edinburgh Scrapstore, said: “We are truly grateful to everyone who has helped to bring this project to life. The bus will create such a creative space to work in and fits within our values to promote environmental awareness.
“The bus will expand our services to deliver more workshops for members of the community and encourage others to find infinite ways to re-use old materials.”
Supported by the EDI Group, Fountainbridge Canalside Initiative, Vegware Community Fund and Edinburgh Council-Waste Action Grant, the project is one of a variety of temporary meanwhile-uses at the site of the former Fountainbridge brewery due to be regenerated by EDI into a new £135m mixed-use canalside development.
Members of the public are invited to a Spring Fling event being held on 17 April by the various community groups to showcase their work which will include wild flower printing, making window boxes, an introduction to welding and mosaic workshops.
For more information on The Edinburgh Scrapstore or India Quay visit www.india-quay.co.uk and www.edinburghscrapstore.org.uk.
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