Author: Ms Craig

In this edition:

1. LPS Awarded Sport Scotland Gold Award
2. LPS & Nursery Awarded Digital Schools & Equitable Creative Coding Awards
3. 90 % of P3-P7 LPS Pupils Achieve JASS Award
4. LPS Awarded OutRight 2024/25 Certificate
5. Leith Primary P6 Stars in Trinity House Film
6. Last Week of School Updates for Parents/Carers
7. BLAZE Basketball Summer Clubs
8. Pilmeny Development Project Summer Activities
9. Pupils Given End of Session Reports

LPS Awarded Sport Scotland Gold Award

We are at that thrilling time of the year when our pupil Leadership Groups find out if they have been recognised for all their hard work throughout the session.

I am delighted to announce that we have been awarded the very prestigious Sports Scotland Gold Award! Our school Sports Council, led by Ms Downie, worked on a number of aspects of sports and healthy living and gathered evidence of all the sports-related activities Leith Primary is involved in. We are very grateful to Aidan Haughey, our Active Schools Sports Coordinator, who arranged the variety of taster sessions, sports festivals and skills sessions the school has enjoyed throughout the year as well as all the afterschool sports clubs including our link with Hibernian Football Club.

If you would like to read more about how we earned this award, please check out our Gold Award presentation here: https://leithprimary.org.uk/school-sports-council/

LPS & Nursery Awarded Digital Schools & Equitable Creative Coding Awards

A huge congratulations to our Digital Learning Leaders, together with Mrs Christensen and Ms Ferguson, who were awarded our Digital Schools Scotland Award for both the school and the nursery. We are delighted that all the great work our pupils do our digital learning has been recognised in this way.

We can also proudly announce our achievement of the Equitable Creative Coding Award (ECCo), recognising innovative and inclusive approaches to computational thinking and coding from early childhood to secondary level. As part of the Digital Schools Awards Scotland initiative, ECCo celebrates work in nurseries and schools to integrate coding into the curriculum and aligns with the principles of the Curriculum for Excellence.

At primary school level, the Equitable Creative Coding Award focuses on laying the foundation for computational thinking and coding skills through a variety of both unplugged and plugged learning experiences that inspire creativity, critical thinking and collaboration, setting students on a path for lifelong learning and discovery.

Ms Craig, Headteacher, said: “The Equitable Creative Coding Award (ECCo) holds significant importance for our school and reaffirms our school’s commitment to fostering problem-solving, critical thinking, and digital literacy skills in our students. By embedding these skills into our curriculum and extracurricular activities, we aim to empower students to explore, create, and innovate in an increasingly digital world.

“At Leith Primary School, we have implemented a variety of engaging activities and initiatives to support our students in developing coding and computational thinking skills:

Our students participate in both unplugged and plugged activities, including problem-solving challenges, coding puzzles, and interactive games, to develop foundational computational thinking skills.

Using age-appropriate platforms like ScratchJr, our young coders express their creativity by creating interactive stories, animations, and games, fostering early literacy and numeracy skills alongside coding skills.

Using platforms like Scratch, our students create multimedia projects such as animations, interactive stories, and educational games, fostering creativity, collaboration, and digital literacy.

Coding is integrated across subjects, with students applying their coding skills to real-world scenarios in science experiments, mathematical simulations, and language arts projects.

“Receiving the Equitable Creative Coding Award underscores our school’s commitment to providing a well-rounded education that prepares students for the future. We are grateful for the support of initiatives like the Digital Schools Awards and the Scratch Education Foundation in promoting coding education and fostering creativity and innovation in our classrooms.”

We are so proud of our school Digital Learning Leadership team and all the work they have done towards being recognised for these awards.

If you would like to learn more about how they achieved these awards you can read about it here: https://leithprimary.org.uk/digital-leaders/

90 % of P3-P7 LPS Pupils Achieve JASS Award

At Leith Primary School, we all strongly believe that skills developed outside the classroom can be as important to our pupils as those gained inside the classroom. We have worked really hard over the last two years to increase the number of pupils who engage in some kind of physical activity or sport, who take part in outdoor learning experiences, who take on a pupil leadership role or volunteer for a community project and we encourage all learners to develop new hobbies and interests whenever they can.

We have increased the number of P3-P7 pupils engaging in some kind of physical activity out side of school from 72% to over 90% this session. Much of this increase is down to pupils’ and teachers’ dedication to achieving the JASS Award which has a Get Active component. Last session, 49% of P3-P7 pupils attained their JASS Award. This year it will be over 90% which is a terrific achievement for our pupils – well done!!

JASS has now been taken over by The Green Team and has been rebranded as JAS. In this new guise, it will resort back to a Bronze, Silver & Gold structure only. However, Leith Primary Pupils will be the first to take part in the pilot of a new City of Edinburgh Council Sustainability Award which will begin mid-way through the next academic session. I have no doubt that our Leithers will continue to do very well in this too.

LPS Awarded OutRight 2024/25 Certificate

We were very happy to be awarded with this year’s OutRight certificate, which is recognition by UNICEF of the school’s work towards championing children’s rights. This year the focus was Stand Up, Speak Up, which highlighted the importance of pupils using their voice to make changes for the better. Pupils worked together with their buddy class on a school, local or national campaign ranging from reducing litter, eliminating dog poo from the Links to tackling climate change. Well done Team Leith for your great teamwork and commitment to making the world a better place.

If you have still not had the chance to explore the work we continue to do around children’s rights that earned us our Rights Respecting Schools Gold Award, as one of only 7% of all UK schools, have a look at our Action Plan and Gold Award report from last June here: https://leithprimary.org.uk/rights-respecting-group/

Leith Primary P6 Stars in Trinity House Film

We are absolutely bursting with pride to announce that our P6 pupils are the stars of a new introductory video to the Trinity House Maritime Museum in Leith’s Kirkgate. Many of you will know that the school has a long association with the museum over the years, as Junior Tour Guides and object handlers for outreach programmes. We were delighted to be asked to take a lead role in welcoming visitors to the museum in a short video which will be played at the start of their journey. They did a brilliant job! Take a look:

Our Primary 5/6 class were key in trialling the Stargazer Trail and offering feedback to help the experience be as good as it can be for any children who visit the museum. You might also remember that Darcy from P6 was selected as the winning designer of the Stargazer logo and mascot for the museum. You will be able to see a cuddly version of him in the film.

Two of Trinity House’s Master Mariners came along this week to launch the video with both classes, to congratulate them on a brilliant job supporting the museum take its next steps as a top visitor attraction in Leith and to award them with certificates.

Last Week of School Updates for Parents/Carers

As we begin to wind down for the end of term, we have a few things to draw your attention to:

• Buddy Bubbles Bye Bye Picnic – To celebrate the end of term and to say farewell to our buddies, the Pupil Council have decided that they would like to have a picnic on the Links on Tuesday afternoon with music and bubbles. If your child has bubbles at home they would like to bring in on Tuesday for the party, they are welcomed to. Pupils can also bring an additional snack if they would like. Both things are optional.
• Toys Allowed on Thursday – Toys are not allowed to be brought to school at any time as they cause a distraction from learning and can get lost or broken, causing unnecessary upset. However, as a compromise, pupils can bring in a toy or a game on Thursday as the last day. This is on the understanding that it is at the pupil’s own risk as the school cannot be held responsible for any loss, theft or breakage.
• All children must be picked up at 1pm on Thursday – A reminder that early pick ups will not be possible unless by prior arrangement with the school administrator. There will be no staff working in school on Thursday afternoon so any children left uncollected with no response from a main carer or emergency contact may be collected by community police or social work. Please let the school know if you have made alternative pick up arrangements for your child for Thursday. Thank you for your cooperation with this. Only children who receive the Clothing Grant will receive a free school packed lunch on Thursday so children will require lunch when they get home or a packed lunch if they attend CLASP.
• Pre-Loved Uniform – There will be another chance to pick up items from our Pre-Loved Clothing rails on Tuesday and Thursday after school. All items are washed, pressed and free to take home. If you have any uniform items you would like to donate, please hand them in at the school office. Thank you to anyone who has already done this.

BLAZE Basketball Summer Clubs

Blaze Basketball is excited to launch two exciting summer camps to keep your child active, learning, and having fun during the school break!

🎯 Mini Hoopers Camp (Ages 5–8)
An imaginative, full-day camp designed to introduce basketball through themed games, movement, and storytelling. A fantastic way for young children to build confidence and coordination in a joyful setting.

🔥 Next-Gen Hoopers Camp (Ages 8–12)
Perfect for beginners and developing players, this full-day camp offers structured skill-building, team games, and fun challenges to grow basketball IQ, agility, and teamwork.

🕘 Both camps run Mon-Fri 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM starting 30th June until 12th August
📍 Places are limited and filling quickly!

👉 Book now at: https://the-crags-centre.classforkids.io/camps

Let’s make this summer an unforgettable one on the court!

Warm regards,
Team Blaze
#BlazeBasketball | #MiniHoopers | #NextGenHoopers’

Pilmeny Development Project Summer Activities

Pupils Given End of Session Reports

All children received their end of session Pupil Report on Friday. Please check school bags if you have not received one for your child.

It has been really lovely welcoming all our parents and carers to the various summer term events over the last two weeks, with even more to go in the fortnight remaining. Thank you to everyone who attend either of the Sports Morning sessions. It was so encouraging for our young people to have such a strong turn out. Thanks also to anyone who has been able to make, or intends to make, their child’s class assembly or show. We know that not all parents and carers are able to take the time off work – ask any of our own staff – but it is very much appreciated if you are able to attend. Giving children opportunities in which they can share their accomplishments and talents is a great way for them to let you know what they have been learning about whilst developing their confidence and communication skills.

The Wonderful World of Work

We were thrilled to welcome lots of visitors to Leith Primary during the last week of May to talk about their jobs to the children. Every class had at least two guests come along to share a wide range of work related facts such as the skills needed to do the job, the tools that are used and the pathways to gaining that type of employment. We had a photographer, a sports doctor, an architect, a swimming coach amongst many others. Thank you to everyone who came along to inspire our learners.

Pupil Advocacy Work in Action

We were delighted to hear about the advocacy work of two of our P6 pupils over the last few weeks. Kieran and Shaniah Gilgun spoke to the none other than the Prince of Wales himself at the official launch of the new multi-user partnership project at the Leith Community Centre in the Kirkgate. Kieran and Shaniah are both members of the Leith YMCA which has moved into the community centre from its previous home at Junction Place. Shaniah told the prince about some of the work she and her brother were doing, along with some others, to raise their concerns about some of the issues facing the younger residents of Cables Wynd House. The pair were also invited to join the most recent residents committee meeting to share their views and make suggestions about how things could be made better.

We have around thirty Leith Primary pupils who currently reside in the Grade A listed Cables Wynd House. After a lot of hard work campaigning for improvements to be made to the building by residents, money has finally been approved to begin some of the works.

We are very proud of Kieran and Shaniah and support their ongoing advocacy work representing the views of other children who live in the complex. They are true Leithers!

Active Schools ASN Summer Programme

Dear Parent / Carers

Active Schools Edinburgh are excited to share with you our Summer ASN programme of activities specifically targeted to pupils with an Additional Support Needs across mainstream and special schools. Please note bookings will open on Monday 2^nd June 2025.

These activities include swimming, cycling and multi-sport opportunities across different areas of Edinburgh. Please see the attached booklet which highlights the specific age and ability groupings for each activity. 

Our coaches and teachers will provide an opportunity for pupils to learn new skills but most importantly we aim for them to have fun while taking part in sport and physical activity. When signing up please select the ability level appropriate for your child where appropriate. If you can please only book one week of swimming lessons to ensure the maximum number of families can benefit from this opportunity. 

We expect these to book up very quickly and will create a waiting list for those that don’t manage to get a space. I will be checking this regularly if and when we have cancellations. Book Online: https://getedinburghactive.spydus.co.uk and search using specific activity name in the booklet or Click Booking Codes in the table in the attached booklet to take you to the booking pages. 

If you have any questions, please let me know and I will be happy to help. 

Many Thanks,

Aidan’

Teen Triple P Parent Programme

Teen Triple P is a positive parenting programme suitable for parents and carers of pre-teen and teenagers 11-16 years. Teen Triple P can help parents and carers to:

• cope positively with some of the common issues associated with raising a teenager
• build stronger relationships with their teenager
• resolve conflict in the family
• manage problem behaviour
• keep their teen stay safe

 We welcome applications directly from parents and carers or someone can apply on their behalf. Applications can be made by completing our online application form found here https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/teentriplepform

NE

Venue: Craigentinney Community Centre, 9 Loaning Rd, EH7 6JE

Day: Tuesday

Dates: 2/09, 9/09, 16/09, 23/09,  30/09, 7/10 (telephone session no group) 21/10 (telephone session no group) and 28/10

Time: 9.45-11.45am

Virtual Group

This group will be delivered on TEAMS, participants will require access to a laptop, tablet or pc to complete the course.

Day: Wednesday

Dates: 8/10, 22/10, 29/10, 5/11, 12/11, 19/11(telephone contact no group), 26/11(telephone contact no group) and 3/12

Time: 6.00-8.00pm

Darcy Wins Design Prize

Well done to Darcy in P6 whose design was selected by two of the Master Mariners from Trinity House to be the Stargazer mascot for the museum. It was a really tough choice and they have selected D’arcy’s entry as the new house mascot 😊 They thought the design was great and loved the cloak with the star on it and the fact that the drawing was looking up towards the sky. We will take this image forwards for use on the activity trail and as a feature throughout the house to highlight kid-friendly activities (e.g. we’ll use the image on our smelling pots and stepping stools for younger visitors to see the displays).

They were really impressed with the wide range of drawings and especially liked Lamar’s hand drawn entry. A selection of the drawings will be put in the display cases to show off how talented the Leith Primary pupils are.

Very well done Darcy!

Leith Festival Open Day at Trinity House Maritime Museum, Kirkgate

Saturday 14th June 11-4 – FREE

During the Leith Festival we will be opening our doors to the public. Visitors to the house can take a self-guided tour, watch a film about Leith’s maritime history and see the fascinating objects that tell stories of life at sea. For younger visitors, take part in games and activities in our historic vaults.

As part of the Leith Festival Gala Day we will have a stall on Leith Links where you can learn more about the house and our work.

https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/whats-on/event/?eventId=aee3dcb9-ce8b-4808-aea1-b2a401021c43

Family Tours at Trinity House – 4^th July-8^th August at 11am on Fridays

Adult £7.50, Concession £6, Child £4.50, Under 7s free and Family Tickets available

*10% discount to EH6 postcode

Join us for Family Fridays at Trinity House, where you can enjoy a relaxed tour of the house and fun activities. Discover the animals that sailors would meet on their travels, take part in our activity trail, and handle objects used at sea in our sixteenth centuries vaults – once used as a school for children to learn mathematics and navigation.

Booking essential to avoid disappointment and you can purchase tickets here:

Tours last 30 minutes with additional time for self-led exploration and object handling. Please allow up to 1 hour for your visit. Walk up tickets are available if there are spaces on the day.

https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/trinity-house/prices-times/

New Class Teachers

Here are the class teachers for next session:

CLASS	STAFF
Nursery	Ms Ferguson (Wed-Fri)
Primary 1a	Ms Afsal
Primary 1b	Ms Ferguson (Mon/Tue) + Mrs Young (Wed-Fri)
Primary 1/2	Mrs Kinnell (Mon-Thurs) + Mr Stuart (Fri)
Primary 2	Ms Richardson (until end Sept)
Primary 3a	Mrs Watson (Mon-Wed) + Mrs Buchan (Thurs/Fri)
Primary 3b	Ms Harris (Mon-Thurs) + Ms Downie (Fri)
Primary 4	Mr Kidd
Primary 4/5	Mrs Christensen
Primary 5	Mr Liddle
Primary 6	Ms McDonald (Mon/Tues/Fri) + Ms Downie (Tues/Weds)
Primary 6/7	Ms Kirkwood
Primary 7	Ms Wilson (Mon/Tues) + Mrs Scott (Weds-Fri)
Support for Learning (Literacy)	Mrs Ciechanowicz
Support for Learning (Maths)	Mrs Clarkson
Principal Teacher	Ms Ferguson
Depute Head Teacher	Mr Stuart
Head Teacher	Ms Craig

We are delighted to welcome Mr Lewis Kidd and Mr Callum Liddle to Leith Primary School in August. Both teachers will be coming to meet their new classes for their Meet the Teacher session on Wednesday afternoon.

We are delighted that Ms Georgia Downie will be staying with us for another year and look forward to more wins for our girls football team under her coaching.

We will be very sad to see Mr Alberto Agae, Ms Catriona Campbell and Mrs Marie Price leave at the end of the session. They have been a great addition to our team and we sincerely wish them the best of luck in the future career.

As some of you may have noticed, our current and future P2 class teacher, Mrs Richardson is expecting her first child. She will be going in maternity leave at some point in September. We will let pupils and families know who will take over her P2 class once the relevant recruitment procedures have been completed.

End of Term Arrangements

We finish this year on Thursday 26th June at the unusual time of 1pm. Please note that children and staff will be clapping out the Primary 7s who will leave from the main entrance. The P1s and P2s will follow them. Please ensure that the main entrance area is clear for the children to leave as it will be busier than usual in front of the school. It will not be possible to collect your child earlier than 1pm unless by prior notice to our school administrator.

Well Done to Our Leithers of the Week!

Leyla	Primary 1a	Leyla has learned our school rules and routines quickly and settled in well. She shows kindness to everyone. Well done, Leyla!
George	Primary 2a	George did an excellent job in his group, in our information handling lesson.  He showed great leadership skills in our co operative learning learning task and was eager to share it with the group.  Well done George!
Lawe	Primary 2b	For reading and writing words on his own!
Darcie	Primary 3	You challenged yourself in your maths and spelling this week and didn’t give up! I am also so proud of you for overcoming your nerves and speaking at our assembly!
Marya	Primary 3/4	Marya has been working very hard with reading and writing o’clock and half-past times. She can successfully write the times in analogue and digital. Well done Marya- we are so proud of you!
Elijah	Primary 4	Elijah showed confidence and excellent listening and talking skills during our Sharing Assembly.  Well done!
Arianna	Primary 5	Arianna – for working hard and staying really focused, showing amazing enthusiasm for your learning and always being ready to help others—especially with technology. You’ve really stood out this week. Well done!
Henry and Ola	Primary 5/6	Well done for showing their commitment and passion for activism when taking a stance on dog poo.
Mohamed	Primary 6	Mohamed has showed kindness during his first days in Leith Primary and is settling well as part of our school family.
Ndeye	Primary 7a	For continuing to be a kind, responsible and positive member of our school who is a role model to others.
Keira	Primary 7b	Keira always challenges herself, she manages herself and her learning confidently and independently ensuring everything is completed to a high standard.

We are thrilled that after many years, Leith Primary School finally has a football team again – and for the first time ever, it’s a girls team! Many thanks to the support of the parents involved in the coaching and supporting of the team and to our own football supremo Ms Downie. The team’s next game is this Saturday morning at the Leith Academy football pitch again Morningside Primary. Go girls!

Benedetti Workshop

Some of our older string players were given the opportunity to attend a day-long music workshop at Meadowbank last week, supported by the Edinburgh virtuoso violinist and Director of the Edinburgh International Festival, Nicola Benedetti. The pupils had a wonderful day and represented the school brilliantly.

Reminder of Dates

As ever, the summer term is crammed full of trips, events and activities. Class specific dates for events will be communicated individually to parents/carers. You can also find out the date of trips, class assemblies, visits etc on our live Google Calendar at the top of our main webpage.

Loose Parts Play

Our Learning for Sustainability champion, Ms Richardson, has enjoyed working with every class in the school this year using our Loose Parts Play materials. The children have taken great delight in using the resources to let their imaginations go wild. Loose parts are mixed objects that have had a prior life as as something else such as tyres, bread crates, pipes, tarpaulin, canes, pots and pans, old chairs etc. Wonderful learning can come from materials that are open-ended and do not only have one use as many modern toys now have. Using loose parts forces children to use their imagination to turn the items into space ships, ice cream shops, dens, boats and endless other possibilities.

Children have really enjoyed working together as teams to make their ideas come to life during the sessions with Ms Richards.

Our Loose Parts Champions have worked with Ms Richards and Mr Stuart to come up with the Leith Loose Parts Laws, which are some basic rules about how to play safely and sensibly with the materials. The children are working on a poster competition and the winners posters, featuring the new Laws will be displayed around the school and playground.

Now pupils will have he chance to play with the loose parts during lunchtimes. We are looking forward to seeing what creations they come up with!

School Uniform Donation Appeal

Have you any school uniform clothes at home that your children have grown out of and are still in good condition? Sweatshirts, hoodies, cardigans, fleeces, polo shirts, trousers, skirts, pinafores, gingham dresses – all will be gratefully received.

Please donate any unused school clothing to the school so we can add it to our Pre-Loved School Clothing Store for other children to benefit from.

You can hand in clean donations to the school office. If possible, please remove any name labels. 

If you have any queries about this, please contact Mrs Ciechanowicz (Support for Learning Teacher) or Valma Walmann (Family Support Worker). 

Many thanks for your support!

Summer Holiday & Other Clubs for Kids

Goodbye to X, Facebook, Youtube and….. paper letters!

The school are retiring the routine use of our social media accounts on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Youtube. Old posts will still be available to view in the short term, but staff will no longer post new Tweets on X. All important information can be found here on our school website or via your child’s Online Learning Journal account (nursery – P4) or 365 account (P5-P7). Any videos we make in the future will be shared via a private ClickView link.

We have also moved almost entirely to paperless working. This means the school will no longer send out paper letters for trip permissions or to inform you of changes or upcoming events. Trip permissions will now all happen via ParentPay as some classes have already experienced. It is therefore vital that all parents/ carers ensure they can access their child’s ParentPay account. Paper letters and permission slips may still come from our partner organisations but we will be encouraging everyone to move over to digital communications as much as possible.

*PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU ALWAYS KEEP US UP-TO-DATE WITH YOUR PHONE NUMBER AND EMAIL ADDRESS*

Reminder About Cars

Please remember that cars are not permitted to drive in front of the school between 8.20am and 9am and 2.50pm-3.35pm (11.50am-12.40pm on Fridays). On the spot fines are regularly made to drivers who contravene these rules.

Today was a day to end all days: Climbing, kayaking, bicycling, den-building, tunnel crawling, gorge walking and football playing in the stunning Scottish sunshine. We’re so proud of these fantastic kids! And what a terrific bunch of staff to beat them all at football!! 🤣 Home tomorrow!

A bonanza of photos tonight giving you a snapshot of the wonderful experiences P7 are having at beautiful Benmore. Tales have been shared of great bravery, teamwork, perseverance, overcoming fears and accidental maths learning! Just what we’ve come to expect from this magical place.
All the kids continue to be in good spirits but, unlike yesterday’s high bedtime excitement, everyone is shattered tonight. Expecting proper deep sleeps tonight! 😴

The P7 Leithers on Tour arrived early yesterday afternoon at Benmore Outdoor Centre having stopped off at sunny Greenock for some lunch and a run about. The weather is glorious and the midges are out! The first night is complete and there are a lot of very excited faces at breakfast looking forward to their morning expeditions. More updates later.

Leithers – Change Makers – Article 12

We enjoyed a lovely whole school assembly on Friday to celebrate and share our work towards the UNICEF Outright Campaign. This year, the focus was ‘Making Change’ so each of our Buddy Class pairs chose an area they wanted to create a campaign for. P1a and P4 have been encouraging people to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, P1b and P5 want to encourage people to bring healthy snacks such as fruit or veg that do not need a wrapper for Wrapperless Wednesdays, P3 and P7a have been helping to build the ‘Dead Hedge’ on our Wee Wilding area to encourage biodiversity so their campaign was to encourage others to look after it, P7a and P3/4 were campaigning for pupils to be kinder to one another in their words and actions, P2a and P5/6 focussed on developing a healthy lifestyle with diet and exercise and the P2b and P6 campaign was about doing things to slow the progress of climate change. We also recognised the campaigns of the Pupil Council to stop dog fouling on the Links and to encourage people to behave considerately in the school toilets. Thank you to all our Buddy Classes and their teachers for supporting our young people to have their voices heard.

Junior Award Scheme for Schools

We want as many of our P3-P7 pupils to achieve their JASS Award this session. Most children should be able to gain their certificate by the end of June 2025 by choosing activities in school including a lunch or after school club and sports activity.

Pupils are welcome to use the activities they do outside of school time if they wish to as evidence that counts towards the hours required for each section. Copies of the log sheets can be sent home for coaches and parents to sign as evidence. Please ask at the office.

Here is a reminder of what is needed for each stage*:

*At the moment, we are starting at Red for Primary 3 working up to Silver for P7.

My Interests: hobbies and clubs

Get Active, Stay Active: sports & physical activity excluding pupils regular 2 hours of PE

Me & My World: activities that contribute to their environment, school & community

Adventure: Outdoor Education & nature experiences locally and further afield

You can find out more about the award scheme by visiting their website: https://jasaward.org.uk/about/jas

Please note, that we are still following the original colours as agreed with the Green Team who now run the awards.

Magic Maths Winners

Very well done to our two teams of mathematicians who took part in the annual Magic Maths morning at Leith Academy with other local primary schools. Leith Primary – Team A: Minh Duc, Cordy and Amos were the overall winners, each receiving a scientific calculator. Very well done too to Leith Primary – Team B: Megan, Keira and Dorothy who came a respectable fourth place. They all brilliantly represented their school.

P6 Netball Festival

Our Primary 6 pupils had a fantastic day at the new Meadowbank Stadium learning and playing netball with P6 pupils from other Leith primary schools. The children had a fantastic time at the event which was organised and supported by Edinburgh Active Schools and Edinburgh College. Many thanks to Aidan Haughey and the team for such an enjoyable event.

Pupil Achievements in Sport

A reminder to all parents to please send in photos of our pupils’ achievements in sports outside of school time. Ms Downie has created a display outside our gym hall and we would love to put up any photos you have of pupils with medals, certificates, trophies, belts or other form of recognition in any type of physical activity. Please send them in to admin@leith-pri.edin.sch.uk

Parent/Carer Teacher Consultations

Thank you to everyone who was able to make our Teacher Consultations last week. We had a great turn out and really appreciated being able to discuss the progress of your young people with us. If you were unable to make either our November or March Consultation events this session, someone from the school may get in touch to discuss anything we feel you need to know about your child’s progress. Please remember not to wait until the next Teacher Consultations event to raise any concerns you have. We are very happy to speak with parents at any time during the school year about concerns. Please arrange an appointment through the school office or get in touch with your child’s teacher via email.

Parenting Courses in Edinburgh Coming Up

Parenting Programmes in Edinburgh 2024/25

For Parents and Carers of 3 to 5 year olds

Go to this Sway

In Our Place

Scotland | inourplace

Teen Triple P

Teen Triple P is a positive parenting programme suitable for parents, carers and grandparents of pre-teen and teenage children. Teen Triple P can help parents and carers to:

•            cope positively with some of the common issues associated with raising a teenager

•            build stronger relationship with their teenager

•            resolve conflict in the family

•            manage problem behaviour

•            help keep their teen stay safe

We welcome applications directly from parents and carers or someone can apply on their behalf. Applications can be made by completing our online application form found here https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/teentriplepform

If you require more information or you wish to discuss particular support needs please contact jill.coleman@edinburgh.gov.uk.

Day Face to Face

Venue: Pentland Community Centre 21 Oxgangs Brae, Edinburgh EH13 9LS

Day and Dates: Wednesdays 30/04, 7/05, 14/05, 21/05, 28/05, 4/06 (telephone contact no group), 11/06 (telephone contact no group) and 18/06.  8 weeks.

Timings: 12.30-2.30pm.

Day Face to Face

Venue: North West Edinburgh to be confirmed. 

Day and Dates: Thursdays 1/05, 8/05, 15/05, 22/05, 29/05, 5/06 (telephone contact no group), 12/06 (telephone contact no group), 19/06.   8 weeks.

Timings: 10.00am -12.00 midday.

Evening  Face to Face

Venue: St Augustines High School, 208 Broomhouse Rd, Edinburgh EH12 9AD

Day and Dates: Thursdays 1/05, 8/05, 15/05, 22/05, 29/05, 5/06 (telephone contact no group), 12/06 (telephone contact no group), 19/06.   8 weeks.

Timings 6.00-8.00pm.

Virtual Group

This group will be delivered on Microsoft TEAMS. Attendees will require access to a laptop or tablet to undertake the course.

Incredible Years

Day and Dates: Wednesdays30/04, 7/05, 14/05, 21/05, 28/05, 4/06 (telephone contact no group),11/06 (telephone contact no group)18/06. 8 weeks.

Timings: 6.00-8.00pm.

 Autism Specific Language Delay – Incredible Years Course – starting on Thursday 28 August 2025 at Tollcross Community Centre 117 Fountainbridge EH3 9QG

Please note all applications are accepted from professionals only, on behalf of the family. Please get in touch with the school if you would like to be referred to attend one of these courses.

ASLD – Incredible Years Course

Thursday 28 August – 11 December 2025 (14 weeks term time)

10am – 12pm

Tollcross Community Centre

117 Fountainbridge

Edinburgh

EH3 9QG

EPAtS

Our FREE seven-week parenting programme, Early Positive Approaches to Support (E-PAtS) is a support programme for parents/caregivers who have a child aged 18 months to 7 years with additional developmental needs.  E-PAtS has been co-produced by families and practitioners and provides support for your child’s wellbeing, development and behaviour.  

We have groups starting , for further information please email enquiries@kindred-scotland.org

Free & Low Cost Spring Holiday Activities

 The flowers are starting to bloom, and the days are getting longer. The children are keen to go out to play and explore but the costs continue to soar. You can find a list of free and low-cost activities to do in the run up to and during the Spring school holidays on the Family Holiday Activities webpage of the Support for Families website. The City of Edinburgh council are updating the webpage all the time, so please keep checking back in for new activities.

https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/family-activities/whats-families-holidays

Eid Mubarak!

Eid Mubarak to our Muslim families and staff who will be celebrating Eid al-Fitr at the end of Ramadan on Sunday/Monday. We hope you and your family have a wonderful time and look forward to welcoming you back on Tuesday.

Leithers of the (last few) Weeks!!

Well done to everyone who has worked hard and showed us their best selves.

Ryan	Primary 1a	Ryan has been very enthusiastic about his learning this week. He showed good listening and followed instructions well while making pancakes. Well done, Ryan!
Flora	Primary 1a	Flora is an excellent role model who shows kindness to others and works hard. She created a fantastic book filled with pictures and sentences that she confidently read to the class. Well done, Flora!
Elijah	Primary 1b	Elijah worked really hard in class this week to draw the story of the Gingerbread man using lots of detail. He re-told the story verbally using great expression. Well done Elijah – super work!
Rawan	Primary 1b	Rawan has focused on tasks this week by thinking about her learning intention and what she needs to do to be successful. She has tried really hard in maths, learning her number bonds to 10. Well done Rawan!
Theo	Primary 2a	Theo has been demonstrating his excellent counting on and addition skills, during our numeracy activities.  He confidently tackles The Daily 10 and is enjoying seeing his success when self-assessing his work.  Well done Theo, we can see your skills building more and more each term!
Struan	Primary 2a	Struan has been working very hard on his writing for our topic book Kitchen Disco.  He has tried to check that he’s doing his steps to success and has produced fantastic pieces of work with all his non- negotiables of capital letters, finger spaces and full stops.  He’s also used interesting and descriptive language to make his sentences more interesting. Well done Struan!
Melaniia	Primary 2a	Melaniia is doing an excellent job, settling into the class. She is making friends, trying her best and listening all of the time. She’s also trying extremely hard to ask for what she needs. Well done Melaniia, we’re so glad you’re part of the class!
Tamara	Primary 2b	Tamara has been developing the ability to write independently and produced some fantastic pieces of work.
Ascia	Primary 2b	For being continuously kind and thoughtful to all children and staff at Leith Primary!
Oskar	Primary 2b	Oskar is continuously enthusiastic about his learning and has enjoyed pushing his learning to new places through writing and play.
Artem	Primary 3	You were so enthusiastic in our museum visit last week and showed a keen interest in learning. Every week you have been growing more confident in reading and I’m so proud of all of your hard work, keep it up!
Memphis	Primary 3	You have been showing great resilience in all that you do and have been working really hard across the board. You always have brilliant manners and show respect to all of your classmates. I’m so proud of you!
Maci	Primary 3	You have been working really hard in your maths and reading. You have shown a great understanding of arrays and did a wonderful job helping your classmates with their array work! Good work!
Eva	Primary 3/4	Eva has been applying herself more in class this past week and has shown more patience and kindness towards others. Keep it up Eva!
Liam	Primary 3/4	For showing excellent listening skills and wonderful contributions in Science!
Lilly	Primary 3/4	During our outdoor maths session, Lilly used her knowledge of symmetry to confidently create a piece of art made from things we could find outside. She also supported others to make theirs. We all very proud of her!
Balques	Primary 3/4	Balques, you were absolutely fantastic when showing me how to make halves and quarters with 2D shapes using a pencil and ruler. You even managed to make eighths and write the fraction- amazing! What a star you are!
Bhodi	Primary 4	Bhodi perseveres and shows commitment and determination in everything he does. Well done!
Momen	Primary 4	Momen has shown perseverance and focus in Writing this week.  Well done!
Jess	Primary 4	Jess was the first to successfully design and code a game for others to play! She showed perseverance and determination.
Jess	Primary 4	Jess has supported her P1 buddy with kindness and consideration this week.  Well done!
Keira	Primary 5	Keira is an incredibly polite, kind and respectful member of our class who tries her very best every day. Thank you for being such a great role model for others!
Taylor	Primary 5	Taylor has impressed Mrs Young and Ms Aitken with her participation in the Young Carers group. Taylor is a reliable member of the group and is always helpful and responsible. Well done Taylor!
Holly	Primary 5	Holly always has a positive attitude towards her learning and likes to practice new concepts at home just for fun! After creating a weather report in Spanish this week, Holly went home to create lots more and came in to share them the next day with the class. Thank you for going above and beyond, Holly!
Ibra	Primary 5	Ibra has made an excellent start to working on a new social studies project with his partner. He has been showing excellent teamwork and cooperation. Well done Ibra!
Ola	Primary 5/6	Ola set a great example to out P2 buddies this week as he volunteered to introduce our learning at the sharing assembly. Well done for being a confident learner.
Tempy	Primary 5/6	Tempy has been a responsible role model this week and has demonstrated kindness when listening to excerpts from her classmates stories before sharing her own.
Lamar	Primary 5/6	For her perseverance when writing a recount of our class debate. Great piece of writing from Lamar is now on display in the classroom.
Diego	Primary 5/6	For always giving his best effort and setting a great example for others.
Jack	Primary 6	For being always ready to go the extra mile and show kindness.
Erin	Primary 6	For being an example of perseverance when writing.
Katia	Primary 6	For being welcoming, kind and helpful. Well done!
Annabelle	Primary 6	For being supportive and show kindness when others need help.
Dominik	Primary 7a	For supporting the P1s and P2s at their first loose parts session. Dominik was a great role model to the younger ones.
Ndeye	Primary 7a	For supporting the P1s and P2s at their first loose parts session. Ndeye showed great leadership skills and kindness towards the younger ones.
Gary	Primary 7a	For his excellent work in numeracy these past couple of weeks. Not only has Gary been trying really hard he has also been supporting his peers during group time. Well done Gary!
Hadley	Primary 7a	For gathering information on William Wallace and presenting it in the style of rap! Well done Hadley!
Lily	Primary 7b	For her wider achievement in violin, kindness to those around her and continually putting her all in her classwork.
Dorothy and Jakub	Primary 7b	Dorothy – For her engagement and wider achievement in maths Jakub – For his willingness to help his peers and his teacher
Zaynb	Primary 7b	For being a team player, supportive and inclusive during all activities particularly during Rugby.

Parent Teacher Consultations استشارات أولياء الأمور والمعلمين

It’s that time of year we invite all our parents and carers to meet with their child’s class teacher to discuss how they are progressing towards their learning targets and getting on in general at school. We are lucky to have a high level of support and attendance at Parent Consultations, which lets our pupils know that learning is valued by you at home. Parental engagement in events such as Parent-Teacher meetings, along with good attendance and regular reading/being read to, are key indicators of future academic success for children of primary school age. If you were not able to attend the November Parent Consultations, please do make a point of scheduling an appointment with your child’s class teacher this time.

Our Support for Learning Teacher, Mrs Ciechanowicz, will be operating an Drop In policy on both days for your to speak with her if your child attends one of her regular groups on Wednesday 12th 3.30pm-5.30pm and Friday 14th 1.00pm – 3.00pm. As always, Ms Craig (Second Level: P5-P7) and Mr Stuart (First Level: P2-P4) will be on hand or in their office should you wish to speak to them about any matters to do with your child’s learning or development. Our Principal Teacher, Ms Fergusson, will also be available to speak with P1 parents as our Early Level lead.

We really look forward to welcoming you on the 12th or 14th of March.

Appointments can be made here: https://parents-booking.co.uk/login.jsp

Please let us know if you require an interpreter. يرجى إخبارنا إذا كنت بحاجة إلى مترجم.

World Book Day: Thursday 6th March

World Book Day is on Thursday 3rd March. This year, children are welcome to Dress as an Adjective (eg; red, sleepy, spotty, sparkly, jazzy, etc) or as a favourite book character. There will be book-linked events throughout the day and a general focus on developing a love of reading.

Pupil Appointments During School Hours

We have noticed a much greater number of parents than usual requesting to pick up their child from school early to attend appointments, often repeatedly and without forewarning office staff. When unplanned, this can cause unnecessary disruption to the learning of a class and at times can cause anxiety to the pupil who is not expecting to be picked up early. It also means that there is no one in our office to answer important phone calls or let visitors in or out of the building which has a disruptive impact on the smooth running of the school.

We appreciate that children may have to attend hospital or orthodontic appointments during school hours from time to time. In these instances, please can parents inform the school office at least the day before so that we can send your child to the office to wait for collection at the agreed time.

We kindly ask that all other non-urgent appointments are made out with school hours or during the school holidays wherever possible. We also request that parents endeavour to make their own appointments at times that do not effect the learning and attendance of their child at school.

As school attendance is a legal requirement, we reserve the right to ask parents for evidence of repeat medical appointments during the course of the same term. Please bring appointment letters to the school office when collecting your child.

From Monday, we will operate a Sign Out book so that we can keep a record of children who leave during the day for fire register purposes. You must ensure that this has been completed before taking your child to their appointment. Parents must never take their child directly from the playground without informing the school office.

Nursery parents are kindly asked to allow older children to complete their full school day on Fridays which end at 12.25pm. Only children with evidence of a planned medical appointment will be allowed to leave class early on Fridays.

We thank you sincerely in advance for your cooperation with these new measures.

Headlice

Headlice are a very common annoyance in all primary schools. It is no longer procedure to send out letters or have termly visits from the dreaded ‘Nit Nurse’. The best guidance we give is to put lots of cheap conditioner on your child’s head and then comb methodically through the hair with a nit comb. This needs to be done several days in a row to remove all the lice and the eggs. In addition, all members of the family should check and treat their hair as needed. Pillows, cushions, towels and soft toys need to be hot washed (or perhaps frozen in the case of a favourite teddy). Long hair should be tied up to prevent lice from moving from head to head. Please regularly check and treat your child’s hair to prevent the spread of headlice.

Toys in School

A reminder that pupils should not bring in any toys or other precious items to school. These can cause a distraction from learning and can go missing, get damaged and will be confiscated by staff for safekeeping if required. Please ensure anything of personal or financial value is kept safe at home. The school cannot accept responsibility for any lost or damaged items. Thank you for your support with this matter.

Save Pilmeny Development Project: Older People’s Services

Help us #SAVEPDP 2025

We are facing cuts to our older people’s services – a devastating loss of funding which will mean closure of our services to socially isolated older people in Leith Walk/ NE Edinburgh locality.

Please sign petition & share –https://chng.it/MJQhfyPT5h

Please follow us on social media: 

Twitter: https://x.com/PilmenyDevProj

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pilmenydevelopmentproject/

• See video below of how this loss of funding would impact not only our service users, partner organisations and the local community. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCTrs4LYpC4
• We have had press coverage from STV News highlighting the immediate impact the lost of funding will have on our service users, staff, partner organisations and the Leith community.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xxk2NAIDgo&t=1s

Keeping Your Child Safe Online – Events for Parents

As part of the council’s partnership with The Lucy Faithful Foundation, free events are being offered to parents and carers to support them to keep their child safe online. These will be delivered by The Lucy Faithful Foundation and Police Scotland.
The Lucy Faithfull Foundation Scotland and Police Scotland have teamed up to deliver a free one-hour evening event to help you keep your child safe online.
A survey of over 1000 parents and carers in Scotland found that most parents want to better understand the digital world their children are experiencing in order to keep their child safe. Our event will provide you with information and advice on three of the biggest challenges of the digital world children are living in.
. Pornography
. Nudes (sharing intimate images)
. Online sexual harm
The purpose of the event is for you not just to come away more informed, but to be provided with practical advice and tools to help your child navigate these online challenges.
We will be delivering the event 4 times throughout March 2025, tailoring the event to particular audiences.
Wednesday the 5th of March, 2025, 7pm-8pm – online – parents and carers of S1 and above children
Tuesday the 18th of March 2025, 7pm-8pm – online – parents and carers of P5/6 children
Tuesday the 25th of March 2025, 7pm-8pm – online – parents and carers of children with additional special needs
Wednesday the 26th of March 2026, 7pm-8pm – in person , Edinburgh Location TBC – parents and carers of S1 and above children

PLEASE NOTE: This event will be discussing sexual harm. This event is not appropriate for children to attend.

ASN Holiday Programmes

Ramadan Mubarak!

Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is observed by Muslims worldwide as a period of fasting, reflection and spiritual renewal. It’s a time of community, prayer and giving to those in need. Fasting from dawn to sunset is a key part of Ramadan, alongside acts of kindness, charity and self-discipline. This year, Ramadan is expected to begin this evening, Friday 28 February and end on Sunday 30 March, followed by the celebration of Eid al-Fitr. As we did last year, some of our older Muslim pupils will have the opportunity to pray at lunchtime if they choose to in Room 23 supported by staff.

Right of the Month

Our March Right of the Month is:

Article 24 (Health, Water, Food, Environment): Every child has the right to the best possible health. Governments must provide good quality health care, clean water, nutritious food, and a clean environment and education on health and well-being so that children can stay healthy. Richer countries must help poorer countries achieve this. 

Leithers of the Week

Well done to these hard working Leithers this week.

Brilliantly wet climb up the gorge! Building resilience in action 🙂

Some practice on the dry slope before heading home.

Very well done to all this week’s hard working Leithers.

Hamody	Primary 1a	Hamody did a super job following instructions to complete a step by step drawing this week. He made sure he listened and took his time which helped him create a fantastic drawing! Great work, Hamody!
Khalil	Primary 1b	Khalil has been a very responsible member of the class this week, listening and following instructions. He has been brilliant at lining up in the playground and has encouraged others to walk silently, safely and sensibly. Well done Khalil
Grace	Primary 2a	Grace has earned many stars for our recognition board this week, for her excellent listening.  She has shown everyone that she is ready and eager to learn and put her skills into action.  Well done Grace, your wonderful attitude is helping you to take ownership of your learning!
Mae	Primary 2b	Mae has been working hard to embrace the importance of making mistakes. She knows that mistakes they help us learn! Mae has been shown her resilience this week.
Eva	Primary 3	Eva, you are always such a kind and helpful pupil to all of your classmates and visitors to P3. You have produced some brilliant writing this week and you never fail to make me smile.
Libby	Primary 3/4	Libby was fantastic at contributing to a class discussion this week about her chosen historical figure for research. She was very knowledgeable and passionate about sharing!
Anton	Primary 4	Anton showed great teamwork and resilience during our Outdoor Learning this week.  Well done!
Evan	Primary 5	Evan worked incredibly hard in Numeracy lessons this week and challenged herself with new learning. Thank you for your positive, can-do approach, Evan!
Amelia	Primary 5/6	She was really well behaved on the trip Tuesday and set a great example for others. She thought of an interesting question which was put to the players they met!
Darcy	Primary 6	For her resilience and perseverance with all the difficulties.
Dash	Primary 7a	Dash for always upholding our school values.
Riwaj	Primary 7b	Riwaj has settled into Leith Primary, working hard to get to know our school rules. He is very motivated and shows team work when taking part in PE lessons.