On Thursday, 26th March, the Education, Learning & Leisure Committee will be considering an analysis of initial school leaver destinations 2013/14. The report compares our local academies with other education authorities and the overall national position. It also provides data for young people in Aberdeenshire who are looked after and accommodated or for whom English is not their first language. The two academies relevant to Westhill and District are Westhill and Alford.

In 2013/14, Alford Academy had 118 total leavers with 44.9% going in to higher education, 20.3% to further education and 28.8% straight to employment. Unemployed leavers seeking work totalled 3.4%.

In the same period, Westhill Academy had 173 total leavers with 52.6% going in to higher education, 12.1% to further education and 29.5% straight in to employment. Unemployed leavers seeking work totalled 2.3% whilst unemployed not-seeking work amounted to 1.7%.

The full report can be viewed here under item 6, along with the full set of papers to be considered at Thursday’s committee meeting.

Parents of pupils in Aberdeenshire are being asked for their views on how music tuition in the area’s schools can be improved.

An online survey will run from Monday, January 12 for four weeks as part of a review launched by Aberdeenshire Council’s Education and Children’s Services.

Currently a team of 46 music instructors are teaching over 2,000 primary and secondary pupils across Aberdeenshire to play musical instruments from a variety of disciplines, including woodwind, brass, strings and percussion.

The team has been working with Aberdeenshire Council’s Improving the Customer Experience (iCE) project to further improve accessibility to services and increase customer satisfaction.

To complete the survey, please visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/InstrumentalMusic1

Head of Instrumental Music, Richard Paton, said: “Many improvements have already been made within the service, such as the introduction of online payment methods, but we still want to hear from as many parents as possible about their experiences.

“It is really important that they are involved in further improvements and by completing the survey, they will be able to make a very positive difference.

“If you have applied for music tuition or if your child is currently being taught by the service then we really want to hear from you.”

Chair of Aberdeenshire Council’s Education, Learning and Leisure Committee, Councillor Isobel Davidson, said: “Aberdeenshire Council is committed to providing excellent music tuition in all of our schools and a wide range of instruments are available for those who wish to learn to play them.

“The council also provides a comprehensive music centre service giving pupils the opportunity to meet each other and create music in various venues across Aberdeenshire.

“Our youth players have and continue to be extremely successful in their musical endeavours and those involved in the Aberdeenshire Youth Orchestra are already looking forward to their tour to Rhineland in Germany next summer.”

Four members of the same family have taken to teaching in Aberdeenshire and Westhill Academy head teacher Derek Thompson is proud of his two daughters who have followed in both parents’ footsteps in training to be teachers, as mum, Margaret, is a maths teacher.

Derek, 58, has been a head teacher at Westhill Academy since 1999 and his wife, and principal teacher of mathematics, Margaret, 57, has taught at the school since 1988.

Recently daughter Shona Thompson, 21, has been on a placement at The Gordon Schools, Huntly and younger sister Lisa, 19, has been developing her teaching skills on placement at Dunecht Primary School, which both she and Shona attended as a pupils.

Great news for Aberdeenshire’s Education, Learning & Leisure Service!

Aberdeenshire Council has teamed up with Europe’s largest co-operative machinery ring to offer rural-focused internships to school leavers.

Six places are up for grabs on the internship project which will provide a structured introduction to a career the land-based sector in Aberdeenshire.

The new initiative is run in partnership between the council and Ringlink (Scotland) Ltd and was set up with help from the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society Ltd (SAOS). The internships will offer an individualised and highly-practical work-based programme for young people who wish to pursue a career in the land-based sector.

Successful candidates will be matched with a local farm or rural business for a work experience placement which will start with a two-week induction and training programme, incorporating safe methods of working, manual handling and instruction in tractor driving.

The 26-week placement will also see interns working in a number of practical work-placed environments in Aberdeenshire, under the supervision of a mentor, and formal tuition sessions. Interns will be paid in line with industry requirements, and be expected to work a 40-hour week.

No formal qualifications are necessary, but basic levels of numeracy and literacy are required. There is no set age-limit, but applicants aged under 18 may be restricted from certain work situations for health and safety reasons.

Three evening events will be held across Aberdeenshire in coming months for potential applicants to find out more. All events begin at 7pm. No need to book.

• Monday April 29 – Mackie Academy, Stonehaven
• Tuesday April 30 – Banchory Academy, Banchory
• Thursday 2 May – Turriff Academy, Turriff

The closing date for applications is Friday 10 May 2013, ahead of interviews being conducted in late May.

The six selected interns will start their induction on the week of Monday 10 June, and will be trained as a group during their first fortnight. This will include a two-day trip in the second week to the Royal Highland Show at Ingliston, Edinburgh.

Chair of Aberdeenshire Council’s Infrastructure Services Committee, Peter Argyle, said: “The agricultural and wider rural sector is a key part of the Aberdeenshire economy and it is vital that bright young people are given every encouragement to make it their career of choice, to help drive the industry forward through innovation and continuous improvement.

“I am delighted to see the council’s 100-day initiative being harnessed in this way and wish the successful candidates every success on the internship.”

Managing Director of Ringlink (Scotland) Ltd, said: “For many years we have advocated the benefits of an entirely practical work-based programme as a means to encourage young people into an industry that is desperate for new entrants.

“The agricultural industry offers a host of exciting opportunities both on farm and other related industries and we are immensely grateful to Aberdeenshire Council and SAOS for their support in the development of this pilot project.”

Jim Booth, Head of Co-operative Development at SAOS, said: “Attracting and developing the next generation is vital if the farming industry is to succeed in the future.

“Having Ringlink at the heart of the project is a huge boost. There is no other rural organisation with such a proven track record of making things happen or more suitably qualified to manage the project.”

Aberdeenshire Parental Events

Saturday 16th at the Lochter Centre, Meldrum

or Saturday 23rd March 2013 at the Fraserburgh Community and Sport Centre

for full details click here:

http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/parentscarers/parents/parentsevent.asp

Aberdeenshire Council’s School Catering Service has translated its primary school lunch menus into four European languages, helping more parents to understand the approach taken to healthy eating in schools.

The menus are now available on the council’s website in Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish and Russian versions.

The move has been made to ensure that parents whose first language is Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish or Russian, can examine the school menu at home and make sure they are happy with the choices their children are making.

It is thought that Aberdeenshire Council is one of the first local authorities in Scotland to do this.

Chair of the council’s Education, Learning & Leisure Committee, Cllr Isobel Davidson, said: “A healthy diet is so important for pupils of all ages and it is great to see that steps are being taken to ensure that parents can have a say in what their children are eating at school.”

By the way, if you do not speak Latvian, it’s roast chicken in gravy!

Application packs are available from Monday, November 19 for parents and carers of pre-school children for places in Aberdeenshire Council nursery classes and in approved independent playgroups and private day nurseries.

Parents should request an application pack from one of the providers listed in the pack and submit an application directly to their preferred choice.

Every child in Aberdeenshire is entitled to five free education sessions per week in 2.5hr blocks during term time from the term after their third birthday.

In Aberdeenshire, pre-school children are admitted to local authority run nurseries at three points of the year running up to Spring 2014 as follows:

• August 2013 for children who will be three by 31 August 2013
• January 2014 for children who will be three by 31 December 2013
• April 2014 for children who will be three by 28 February 2014

Parents are asked to submit application forms by no later than Monday, December 10 for those children wishing to access local authority nurseries.

Parents wishing to access places at approved independent playgroups and private day nurseries should submit an application form directly to their choice of approved pre-school provider. This can be submitted at any point during the year.

All of the groups listed are inspected by Education Scotland and the Care Inspectorate, as well as being quality assured by the council.

At least one student from all secondary schools in Aberdeenshire has achieved straight A Higher results, the first time this has happened in 10 years.

This morning around 9,000 students will be receiving their SQA exam results, either through the post or by text, email or online.

A total of 99 pupils will be celebrating straight A Higher results, the highest number in Aberdeenshire for a decade. Banchory Academy pupils have achieved the highest number of straight A students (22), followed by Westhill Academy (15), while Mackie Academy in Stonehaven and Meldrum Academy each have 12 straight-A students.

Around 2,600 pupils sat Higher exams in 36 different subjects, including English, Maths, Languages,, Science, Politics, Photography, Russian and Health & Food Technology.

Just under 3,000 students took 15,500 Standard Grade exams, in 26 subjects, while more than 4,000 pupils sat 8,000 Intermediate 1 and 2 qualifications in 44 subjects ranging from English and Maths to Managing Environmental Resources and Creative Cake Production.

The build-up to the Olympic Games in London may have started inspiring pupils early in the year, with 2012 seeing a rise in pass rates for PE exams.

Chair of Aberdeenshire Council’s Education, Learning & Leisure Committee, Cllr Isobel Davidson, said “For many students across Aberdeenshire, the grades they receive today come as the result of years of hard work and dedication throughout their school career.

“Not only must the achievements of thousands of students be recognised, but also the hard work of a network of parents, teachers, friends and support staff”.