posted by Andy Garnett, Active Schools Lead Coordinator, Schools & Learning 

Applicable to current P7 children.

The Scottish Football Association (SFA) Performance Schools will again operate at strategic locations around the country for the 2018/19 school session. The aim of the Performance School is to develop talented footballers as well as supporting their education. The Performance School for the Tayside area is established at St John’s High School, Dundee.

The pupils being targeted for selection are those presently in P7, and selected pupils would join the S1 cohort in St John’s HS Dundee next August, and be part of the Performance School until S4. Selected pupils would receive regular football coaching sessions from a highly qualified coach, and an appropriate education programme planned around the football coaching.

Pupils selected from P7 will be of a particularly high standard of football ability for their age, and will have to achieve a high standard across a range of competencies in trials.

The application process is explained in this link, and applications should made via this route https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/performance/jd-performance-schools/applications/

Trials will then be held at St John’s HS, Dundee. The closing dates for applications are:

Thursday 1^st February 2018 for players signed by recreational clubs and girls
Thursday 15^th February 2018 for players signed by professional clubs.

If your school has a pupil wishing to apply please direct them to the above section of the SFA website.

Trial 1 – Tuesday 6th Feb 2018, 5.30-7.00 pm – this is for recreational players & girls only.
Trial 2 – Tuesday 27th Feb 2018, 5.30-7.00 pm – this is for players successful in trial 1 and players already signed by professional clubs.
Trial 3 – Tuesday 13th March 2018, 5.30-7.00 pm – this is for players successful in trial 2.

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

Please click on the link below to view ERASMUS opportunities for schools

Erasmus opportunities for Scottish schools

posted by Alita Spink, Schools and Learning Support Officer, Schools and Learning

26 February – 11 March 2018

Fairtrade Fortnight 2018

Fairtrade Fortnight is approaching

We are excitedly preparing everything you need to help your Fortnight to go off with a bang – films, games, teaching resources and posters to make your Fortnight celebrations bigger and better than ever. Make sure you have the dates in your calendar – Monday 26 February to Sunday 11 March.

For 2018, we’re asking you to come on in to Fairtrade to stand with farmers and close the door on exploitation. Invite others to your Fortnight events.  Show them the difference that Fairtrade can make. Whether it be a pop up café, a school assembly or an exhibition, share your love of Fairtrade with parents, the community or other schools by inviting them to come on in.

Schools resources: Will be available to download from January. Event packs are also ideal for schools, and can be ordered from the online shop.

Please get in touch if you are interested in a speaker from the Foundation attending your event. We will endeavor to fulfill as many requests as possible, but please contact us as soon as possible so that we can evaluate the needs of all supporters and our capacity appropriately. We will be allocating speakers from December to the end of January, so if you could send your request using this online speaker request form by the 29 January at the latest then that would be much appreciated.

There’s also more information on the main Fairtrade website here; http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/Get-Involved/Current-campaigns/Fairtrade-Fortnight

posted by Alita Spink, Schools and Learning Support Officer, Schools and Learning

Strengthening Families Programme

What is the Strengthening Families Programme?

SFP is an evidence based programme that supports families avoid developing serious behavioural problems by intervening early. The programme runs over 7 weeks in the evenings. Parents and young people attend separate skill building sessions for the first hour and then break for 30 minutes and then another hour together in a supervised family session. 

The parent and youth sessions provide reinforcement and skills practice. For example, while the parents are learning how to use consequences, the young people are learning about the importance of following rules. Then in the family session the young people and parents practice problem solving together as a family when the rules are broken. 

• Build life skills in young people and parents.
• Reduce alcohol misuse and other behavioural problems during adolescents
• Strengthening parent/child relationships.

Hello everyone,

Just wanted to let you know that new training dates are available:

• 23^rd January 2018
• 30^th January 2018
• 6^th February 2018

You must be available to attend all 3 days. Training starts at 09.30 for registration and coffee and will finish 15.30 on all 3 days at Barnardo’s, The Grenfell House, 290 High St, Arbroath, DD11 1JF.

Please let me know if you would like a space and I will send you a booking form.

Many thanks

Angela Duncan
Strengthening Families Programme Co-ordinator
The Grenfell House Centre
290 High Street, Arbroath, DD11 1JF
Tel: 01241 873146 Mobile: 07825843142
Email: angela.duncan@barnardos.org.uk

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

Attached is the latest issue of the Funding Alert Newsletter. The Newsletter features funding opportunities to have featured on the Grants 4 Schools website over the last two weeks.  This issue contains 16 pages of the latest funding opportunities available to schools.

Highlights in the issue include:

– Schools can apply for grants of up to £10,000 per year for up to 3 years for projects that help children and young people overcome poverty and deprivation.

– Grants of up to £50,000 available to schools to run help young people get involved in local heritage projects .

– Grants of up to £12,000 available to school s toencourage young people’s interest in the countryside, literacy, numeracy and science.

– British Council announces final bidding round under the Connecting Classrooms programme.  Grants of up to£3,000 available for schools to visit partnerschools overseas.

For further information on these and other funding opportunities available to your school, please see the attached Newsletter.  Funding Alert 15th December 2017

Grants 4 Schools has launched a new series of “Bid Writing Masterclass for School Fundraisers” workshops.  These workshops are designed to enhance the grant bid writing skills of anyonein school involved in bidding for grants.  For more information please click here

posted by Alita Spink, Schools and Learning Support Officer

The Scottish Education Awards celebrate the hard work and success which takes place in Scottish education.

They recognise the achievements of people who dedicate their lives to children and young people and showcase the valuable work and innovation in Scottish classrooms.

The Scottish Education Awards were first launched in November 2001 by the Scottish Government and the Scottish Daily Record, with the specific aims of celebrating the successes and recognising the achievements taking place within Scottish education.

Entry to the Awards is open to all publicly funded schools, including secondary, primary, nursery and special schools. There is a wide variety of categories that recognise the dedication and commitment of establishments, practitioners and education supporters.

Take a look at our exciting new categories for 2018!

Celebrating the hard work and success in Scottish education, the awards recognise the achievements of people who dedicate their lives to children and young people.

There are awards in 15 categories covering all areas of education from languages and sustainability to digital learning and teaching, Find out more and submit a nomination.