Primary Times - the definitive what’s on and where to go family guide of activities and events for children of primary school age. Things to do with your kids during the school holidays including arts and craft activities, music and theatre for children, parties, competitions, days out, and family attractions along with term time drama schools, dance classes, after school clubs and sports activities. Things to do at a place near you!
Edinburgh News Desk
Step it up Dance - New Acro Dance Classes 
Step It Up Dance Acro Allstars classes provide a new way for children (aged p1-p7) to flip and twist all over the place in a fun and safe environment! Acro focuses on 5 key skill areas: Flexibility, Strength, Limbering, Balancing and Tumbling. Watch your child progress gradually through the syllabus from the very beginning (skills such as forward roll and 'L' handstand) to the more advanced (skills such as walkovers). Classes are running every Wednesday at the Fisherrow Centre, Musselburgh and can be booked online at http://www.stepitupdance.co.uk or call 07428 110 135 for more info.
Free outdoor exhibition celebrates Scotland’s scientific history
Edinburgh International Science Festival is Europe’s biggest science festival and a major event in the world’s Festival city. The Festival takes place from 1 to 16 April 2017 exploring the intersection of science and technology with the digital and creative industries and inviting audiences to Get Connected - to science, to one another and to the global community, as we attempt to secure the sustainable future we want to inhabit.
The 2017 Scottish Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology is a time to celebrate and explore Scotland’s fascinating past – its greatest figures and iconic attractions, as well as the hidden gems. The Science Festival takes this opportunity to shine a spotlight on Scotland’s rich scientific tradition, which has given rise to many discoveries that have changed the world, through the Moments in Time exhibition. Moments in Time is a free, outdoor, family-friendly exhibition and one of the main highlights of this year’s Festival. To browse all Edinburgh International Science Festival events, go to www.sciencefestival.co.uk
Big Fish Little Fish bag 4 National Family Arts Awards!
Big Fish Little Fish family raves have won an unprecedented 4 Awards for their outstanding contribution to the national Get Creative Family Arts Festival. The awards recognise the Festival’s most engaging family events, as well as highlighting the outstanding organisers amongst the huge variety of participating organisations. The annual Get Creative Family Arts Festival is a national festival offering families an extraordinary range of arts activities to enjoy right across the UK. Voted for by a panel of expert judges from the arts sector, the commendations recognise the outstanding events that took place within the 2016 Festival and the exemplary family-friendly organisations and venues that participated. Big Fish Little Fish joined 736 other organisations in delivering events as part of the festival, which took place between throughout October 2016. Around 500,000 family members attended one of the 4,000 festival events held across the UK.
Kirstie Wilson BFLF Scotland:
“We're delighted to have represented a very small number of Scottish entries into this years festival; particularly our party at Macarts, Galashiels which was the only event in the Scottish Borders. Our party at Edinburgh’s La Belle Angele featured the legendary Slipmatt and was one of my favourite parties we've had so far. We've grown so much this year in Scotland, and I hope the awards win will help us gain more following so we can continue to serve up our wonderful event even further afield.” For full details - www.bigfishlittlefishevents.co.uk
Cricket Scotland / All Stars Cricket
Calling all 5-8 year old boys and girls! Sign up to an exciting entry level sports programme. All participants will receive a personalised pack for every child, including: rucksack, bat, ball, hat, drink bottle and shirt, will meet the stars of cricket. Children will follow a fun, safe and inclusive 8 week programme provided by trained activators wiho will deliver maximum fun. All Stars Cricket is a brilliant first sporting experience for kids and their families.
Register at your nearest All Stars Cricket Centre – www.allstarscricket.co.uk
Parent Pay
The City of Edinburgh Council is starting to roll out the Parent Pay scheme to around 15 schools each week. Behind the scenes training for staff is ongoing with the aim to have all primary and secondary schools live with the system by June 2017. Other councils across the country are already up and running with the new online pay system.
So, if you are a parent fed up counting out the school dinner, trips and club pennies every week, Just as we love the convenience of shopping online, it’s about to get a whole lot easier to pay for multiple school items. Parent Pay is a truly cashless system giving parents greater visibility over meal choices and no more need for children to take cash into school. Visit ParentPay for to learn more: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/parentpay
Midlothian Caps Pupil Intake for 2017/2018
Pupil enrolment got underway in December with the registration of catchment pupils starting school in August 2017. Midlothian council has agreed to cap primary 1 intake in 17 Primary schools to progress the identification of a viable location for an enlarged Lasswade Primary School.
A further report is expected in February to designate a new primary school to be built on the site of the former Hopefield Primary School and to be part of Burnbrae Primary School. In addition, the council agreed to progress the acquisition of additional primary school capacity for Mayfield and Dalkeith. The limits are to ensure that plans are in place to ensure catchment places as a result of new housing in the area and recent increases in population.
“Blended Model” Childcare for Nursery pupils
Parents in Midlothian will be among the first in the country to benefit from a flexible approach to childcare after the area was chosen to pilot a trial announced by the Scottish Government in a bid to make life easier for families. In the Midlothian trial, parents will be able to use childminders before and after nursery as part of their free childcare allowance – meaning they can fit more hours around their work. The trial comes ahead of 2020, when the number of annual free nursery hours is set to almost double from 600 to 1140 hours.
Six Sure Start centres in Midlothian and Mayfield Nursery will be the first to team up with the Scottish Childminders Association (SCMA). Childminders play a valuable role in children’s development. Looking at more flexible opportunities for parents and the use of childminders is one way forward.
Parents in Edinburgh and the rest of the Lothians will have to wait and see if the trial is a success before a similar approach can be brought into force. Edinburgh’s trial will involve Craigentinny and Ferryhill nurseries being extended with nature kindergartens to improve outdoors learning.
Help Fund Life Changing Op for Macy
Macy, a little girl from Dunbar, was diagnosed with scoliosis aged 6. With three curves in her spine, the changing shape of Macy’s back and ribcage twisting out of position is now critical. Macy is overwhelmed by everyone’s kindness and generosity within the local community to raise enough money for life changing surgery in New Jersey. However the surgery comes at a price of £150k. To help raise £150K to ensure Macy can get this life changing surgery visit: www.facebook.com/LifeChangingOpMacy/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED
Primary Pupils Should Get First Aid Training
St Andrews First Aid is calling for all primary school children in Scotland to be given first aid training in the hope of saving lives. The charity wants youngsters to learn vital basic life support techniques. One of the charity’s key priorities is to provide as many people as possible in Scotland with first aid training.
The charity currently runs BandAge schools project in Glasgow and is seeking funding to extend vital skill training to youngsters right throughout Scotland. Even very young children can learn the basics of first aid and that the skills and knowledge they develop at a young age will stay with them for years.
St Andrew’s First Aid feels it is so important to partner with local authorities, with the support of the Scottish Government, to identify ways to make it easy for teachers in Scotland to deliver basic first aid training to their pupils or through a network of volunteers going into schools supported with easy to digest information materials. For more information or to donate for life-saving work visit: www.firstaid.org.uk/fundraising
New National Standardised Assessments
From August 2017, new national standardised assessments are being introduced by the Scottish Government across Scotland as part of the National Improvement Framework, to help teachers judge how well children are doing and plan next steps in their learning. Every child in P1, P4, P7 and S3 will undertake national standardised assessments covering aspects of reading, writing and working with numbers over the course of the school year.
In Edinburgh, this has always included standardised Assessments often completed online and will be automatically marked by the online system, giving teachers immediate feedback to help children progress. The system will be designed so that if a child is struggling with the questions they will get easier, and if a child is doing well the questions will become more challenging.
Assessments are undertaken as part of normal class work – pupils are not prepared for them and there is no pressure put on pupils while undertaking them. The leaflets for parents and teachers can be accessed via: www.gov.scot/Resource/0051/00510590.pdf
Speak Out Stay Safe
The NSPCC is set to extend a programme aimed at arming children with the knowledge they need to stay safe from abuse and neglect. The Speak Out Stay Safe Programme will reach an additional 2,000 children across 18 primary schools in Edinburgh after receiving £9,900 from the Aberdeen Asset Management Charitable Foundation.
The NSPCC wants a generation of children with the knowledge and understanding they need to stay safe from abuse and neglect. Designed for children aged between 4 and 11, it is an age-appropriate approach to the difficult subjects of abuse, neglect and bullying and aims to equip children with the know-how and sources to get help.
Through assemblies and workshops, and by using different tools such as mascots, posters and kits, they give essential safeguarding information in a lively, interactive and memorable way. If you are interested in the School Service in Edinburgh visit: www.nspcc.org.uk/services-and-resources/working-with-schools/speak-out-stay-safe-service/