posted by Amanda Waugh, Communications Officer, People

Have your say on Scotland’s school libraries

• Survey responses sought for national school library strategy
• Survey open for final week – submissions close on 31^st March

Professionals involved in school libraries across Scotland are being urged to contribute to a survey consultation to help inform the development of a national strategy for school libraries.

The survey has been published by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC), which is providing support to the advisory group responsible for development of the new strategy.

Questions have been structured around five key areas in line with the curriculum for excellence – digital and information literacy, literacy and reader development, health and wellbeing, digital creativity and curriculum-based learning – and are designed to gather quantitative data to build a comprehensive picture of school library service provision across the country.

The results will inform strategy development and provide a baseline for ongoing work in school libraries, helping to identify challenges, opportunities and successes within school libraries at a national level.

The national school library strategy is being developed to improve the role of school libraries and librarians in literacy skills and educational attainment, and will include national guidance for service provision to deliver consistency across the country.

Martina McChrystal, Director of Library Services at the University of Glasgow and chair of the National School Library Strategy Advisory Group said:

“There is a considerable body of international evidence demonstrating the value of school libraries, but we don’t have a national dataset for Scotland.  This survey will help us create a baseline for the impact of school libraries and will provide valuable insight and contribution to content of the national strategy.  I am keen that the development of the strategy is a collaborative process, so I would urge school librarians and all those involved in school libraries to have their say in this survey.”

The survey is open to submissions until Saturday 31^st March.  For more information and to complete the survey please visit   https://scottishlibraries.org/advice-guidance/school-library-survey/

posted by Karen Smillie, Angus Violence Against Women Partnership

Please click on the link below to view the activities offered.

Some activities over April School Holidays 2018

posted by Craig Smith, School Operations Officer, Schools and Learning

SCOTTISH BALLET ASSOCIATE PROGRAMME 2018-2019
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN!

Do you love to dance?
Are you going to be in P6 or P7 in September 2018?
Why not apply for Scottish Ballet’s Junior Associate Programme?
Free audition!  No dance experience necessary.  Every child who applies will be offered an audition.

AUDITIONS
Junior Associates (Weekly): Saturday 12 May 2018              Closing date Monday 23 April 2018
Junior Associates (Sunday): Sunday 13 May 2018                 Closing date Monday 23 April 2018

To Apply just click on the link below:
https://goo.gl/forms/0kMFBeEs9OxijMB72

For further information visit our website https://www.scottishballet.co.uk/join-in/training/associate-programme/junior-associates

You can also follow us on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Scottish-Ballet-Associate-Programme-1005320809497672/

If you have any queries, please contact me at anne.stephen@scottishballet.co.uk

posted by Rhonda McFarlane, Funding Officer, Chief Executive’s Department

Year of Young People National Lottery Fund launches today!

The Year of Young People National Lottery Fund opens today and is a joint scheme from Scotland’s National Lottery distributors, Big Lottery Fund, Heritage Lottery Fund, sportscotland, and Spirit of 2012 a UK Trust endowed with Big Lottery funds. It offers funding of between £3,000 and £10,000 to heritage, community and sports projects that are run for and by young people aged eight to 26 years old and that improve their health and wellbeing.

The available pot of £550,000 is for projects that:

• Encourage positive mental health for young people;
• Inspire young people to lead active lives;
• Involve young people in the development, design, running and evaluation of the project
• Celebrate and share young people’s achievements.

HLF are dealing with enquiries and application help: YOYPFund@hlf.org.uk or 0131 225 945

Total funding pot of £550k

Open to not for profit orgs and schools

A new joint Lottery grant scheme led by HLF for work with young people, £3k-£10k grants, two deadlines: 30 April 2018 and 18 June 2018

Website is here to apply get info: http://national-lottery-yoyp.org.uk/  http://bit.ly/2pqbK1o

posted by Rhonda McFarlane, Funding Officer, Chief Executive’s Department

Attached is the latest issue of the Funding Alert Newsletter. The Newsletter features the latest funding opportunities from the Grants 4 Schools website over the last 2 weeks.   This issue contains 14 pages of the latest funding opportunities available to schools.  .

Highlights in the issue include:

– Grants of up to £3,000 are available for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) projects run at a primary or secondary school or college.

– Grants of up to £15,000 available to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils.

– Grants of up to £12,000 available to schools for projects that encourage young people’s interest in the countryside; and literacy, numeracy and science

– Grants of up to £100,000 available to high achieving schools for capital or equipment projects relating to the teaching of science and technology; or projects involving libraries, languages, music or the arts.

For further information on these; and other funding opportunities available to your school, please see the attached Newsletter.  Funding Alert 22nd February 2018