Category: Uncategorized

What a busy first term we have all had. Our Primary 1s have really settled in very well and very much part of the our Leith Primary family now. Mr Stuart and I have been in to classes over the last couple of weeks to see some of the fantastic learning happening across the school. Buddy classes have started to meet up again to focus on our Global Goal for this year, International Aid. Pupil Leadership Groups have started to meet up again to look at their targets for the year. Both children and staff are definitely ready for their October break. We wish you all a relaxing week off and look forward to seeing the children back on Tuesday 21st October at 8.50am.

1. Young Carers – Silver Status Award!
2. Parent-Teacher Consultations November 19th & 21st
3. School Photos
4. Care Experienced Week 2025 27th – 31st October
5. Have Your Say in Your Local Place Plan
6. P7 Pupils in Action
7. P3 Home Learning
8. Discovery Dance October Camps
9. ESOL & Family Learning
10. Incredible Years
11. EDAN News
12. Farewell Aidan Haughey
13. New Early Years Officer
14. This Month’s Meta Skill
15. Our Right of the Month
16. Well Done to our Leithers of the Week for the last fortnight!

Young Carers – Silver Status Award!

Our own Young Carer group enjoyed a little celebration this week at The Loft with Mrs Aitken in recognition of their achievement. Very well done to all of them.

If you think your child could be considered a young carer, please get in touch as we would like to support them.

Parent-Teacher Consultations November 19th & 21st

We invite you to request your preferred blocks on time in which to have your first Parent-Teacher Consultation of the session. This year, we have switched to using Microsoft Forms as our tool to schedule appointments. We ask that you select your preferred day, either Wednesday 19th 4-6.30pm or Friday 21st 1pm-3.30pm and your first, second and third choices of time blocks during the session. When bookings close, we will allocate you an exact time and communicate to you the week before.

Please note that there will be a slightly different arrangement for P2 and P3b. As our new P2 teacher, Ms Lucy Cooper, may not have been in post for very long the P2 appointments will be held later in the year. Ms Harris will have an extended slot on the Wednesday only in which to meet with parents.

To make your choice of day and time, please follow this link:

https://forms.office.com/e/L8aWLW2Zft

or use this QR Code:

School Photos

Care Experienced Week 2025 27th – 31st October

Have Your Say in Your Local Place Plan

P7 Pupils in Action

Kieran and Shaniah are supported by staff at the YMCA to have their voice heard at meetings and to raise issues on behalf of other young people who live and play near them. Their work on these and other issues is helping them to work towards a “The Participative Democracy Certificate, worth 2 Credits at SCQF Level 5 .

P3 Home Learning

Well done to some our P3 pupils who have been busy working hard on their home learning this session. Amongst other things, they all made some really lovely pictures with Autumn leaves:

Discovery Dance October Camps

ESOL & Family Learning

Incredible Years

EDAN News

Farewell Aidan Haughey

Aidan Haughey, our Active Schools Coordinator for the last three years, will be moving on to take up a new post as the Special Schools ASC. I would like to thank Aidan for his brilliant work over these last three years, bringing a wide range of sports experiences to our pupils, from taster sessions, blocks of coaching, after school sports clubs and support for staff and pupils in many other ways. He was instrumental in supporting us to gain our Gold Level Sports Scotland Award and has worked in partnership with staff to deliver our yearly Health Week in April. Aidan will be an asset to the special school sector and we wish him well in this new post.

New Early Years Officer

Congratulations to Ms Natalia Ramos who was successful at interview this week and has been appointed as the new Early Years Officer for the nursery. Ms Ramos will be very familiar to many of you and we delighted that will be taking this position on a permanent basis. She joins Ms Bladocha as our second EYO.

In other nursery news, we say farewell to Mrs Cheri Stewart, who has worked with us for a number of years as an Early Years Practitioner, most recently in our 2s room. We wish her the very best in her new position.

This Month’s Meta Skill

Our Right of the Month

Article 27 (adequate standard of living): Every child has the right to a standard of living that is good enough to meet their physical and social needs and support their development. Governments must help families who cannot afford to provide this. 

Well Done to our Leithers of the Week for the last fortnight!

Bonnie	Primary 1/2	Bonnie has worked so hard on her phonics this week. Bonnie persevered during writing to ensure her sounds were written neatly and also drew a lovely detailed picture too. Well done Bonnie!
Finlay	Primary 1/2	Finlay is consistently a kind and responsible member of P1/2 who tries his best at all times in the classroom. Well done Finlay!
Mia	Primary 1a	Mia has shown excellent listening skills this week and has been sharing some fantastic answers to some tricky questions during carpet time. Well done Mia!
Ibrahim	Primary 1a	Ibrahim has been super responsible this week by showing how amazing he is at tidying up in the classroom- well done Ibrahim!
Samuel	Primary 1b	Samuel has been persevering this week as he learns to write letters. His hard work is paying off and we are so proud of you, Samuel! Well done!
Zulaikha	Primary 1b	Zulaikha has been trying especially hard to be responsible and helpful in the classroom, setting a good example of tidying up as she plays. Well done Zulaikha!
Eric	Primary 2	For being an absolute superstar this week and for making the right choices!
Ryan	Primary 2	for always being polite and showing kindness to others.
Willow	Primary 3A	Albie has shown perseverance in Writing this week and made lots of progress, well done!
Danya	Primary 3A	Danya is always ready, respectful and safe around the school.  Well done!
Widad	Primary 3B	Widad has made fantastic progress in reading!  She has worked very hard to use the sounds she knows and is reading 3 letter words and writing short sentences independently!  Well done Widid, you should be very proud of yourself!
Lukas	Primary 3B	Lukas has shown his ability to adapt this week, by working well with different people. He has encouraged others and contributed his ideas very effectively in discussions.  Well done Lukas!
Jayden	Primary 4	For always being ready to learn, completing work to a high standard and never giving up.
Max	Primary 4	For being a fantastic Digital Leader and supporting his classmates in using the Spheros.
Linda	Primary 4/5	Linda has been a great addition to Leith Primary and we wish her all the best on her new adventure. We know she will take the Leith values with her when she goes to her new school.
Alma	Primary 4/5	Alma has been working hard in class. She shows the school values and follows the school rules. She is a great helper and offers to help the class and others.
Anton	Primary 5	Anton has shown great focus and determination in all his work, impressed with his excellent descriptive writing and been a supportive friend to others.
Elijah	Primary 5	Elijah has produced excellent work across the curriculum this week. He has been kind and respectful to others in class and around the school. Well done!
Tamer	Primary 6	For being a responsible and kind role model to the P1s during buddy time.
Martha	Primary 6	For taking great pride in her writing and more frequently using writing techniques such as similes, metaphors and adverbs.
Jamie	Primary 6/7	Jamie has worked incredibly hard writing his newspaper report this week. I have been so proud of his effort and perseverance. Well done, Jamie! Keep up the super work.
Ola	Primary 6/7	Ola has demonstrated patience and kindness with our buddy class this week. He took his time to explain the task to his buddies and motivated them with words of encouragement. Well done, Ola!
Elle	Primary 7	For excellent focus during writing. Elle produced a fantastic newspaper article.
Harry	Primary 7	Harry has shown fantastic enthusiasm and engagement during our Mock Court project. He has taken on his role with a positive attitude and a great sense of responsibility, always giving his best and supporting his team. Keep up the super work, Harry!

Brilliantly well done to the Lucky Leithers girls football team who beat Liberton Primary School 9-4 at the weekend. We are so proud of you all, well done!!!

P1-P3 Supporting Phonics and Reading at Home Session

Please join our Support for Learning Lead, Ella Ciechanowicz, on Friday 3rd October at 11am for a session on how to support your child with reading at home. Find out about how we teach phonics and what to do if you are struggling to get your child past sounding each letter out loud loud. If you are interested in attending, please let us know by filling in this form: https://forms.office.com/e/DjvKcQLngD

Cyber Resilience and Internet Safety: Advice for Parents & Carers

This year, the school is focussing on raising children’s awareness of the need to be safe on the internet and be cyber resilient. Whilst we are keen to harness the benefits of using digital technology in class, we believe we also have a responsibility to ensure children are aware of the dangers and pitfalls of being online and engaging with social media. Every year, the school manages increasing numbers of worrying incidents with pupils that originate online. Some of these issues involve the police and social work. What seems clear is that most parents are not fully aware of how easy it is for their child to get into difficulties online, whether that is cyber bullying, accessing or sharing inappropriate materials or being in contact with strangers. We want to ensure that our parents and carers are informed and can protect their children from these issues. The City of Edinburgh Council’s Digital Learning Team have created a website to do just this. You cab access it here: https://edinburghlearns.digital/parents-carers/cyber-resilience-and-internet-safety/

Bike Station Repairs

Discover Programme

ASN Swimming Sessions for October

Well Done to the Leithers of the Week

Penelope	Primary 1/2	For being such a kind, hardworking and enthusiastic member of P1/2 who demonstrates our school values every day. Well done Penelope!
Casey	Primary 1a	Casey has had a wonderful start to Primary 1. He is always ready to learn and is such a kind and responsible pupil!
Guthrie	Primary 1b	Guthrie has been kind and repsonsible this week in class. He looked for ways to be helpful, especially during tidy up time. Thank you Guthrie!
Oisin	Primary 2	Oisin has gone out of his way to make his new teacher feel welcomed at school. He has shown kindness by offering to help with classroom routines, and has patiently explained how things are done. By being consistently ready, respectful, Oisin has set a wonderful example for others and helped create a positive, friendly classroom environment.
Melaniia	Primary 3A	Melaniia has show perseverance and determination in Literacy this week.  Well done!
Alice	Primary 3B	Alice has made good choices this week.  She has thought about how her actions might affect others and has been very helpful during tidy up times.  Well done Alice!
Talia	Primary 4	For working hard and achieving great success across the curriculum, especially in numeracy and writing.
Marya	Primary 4/5	Marya always shows kindness and responsibility. She supports and helps others and always works hard to achieve her best.
Ada	Primary 5	For consistently demonstrating the school values and being an excellent team member during group work.
Keira	Primary 6	Keira takes great pride in the quality and presentation of all work she produces, and is always a ready, respectful and safe member of P6.
Jana	Primary 6/7	Jana is a positive role model in our class. She is kind, patient with others and treats everyone with respect.
Annabelle	Primary 7	Annabelle for excellent work in numeracy this week. She showed responsibility in leading her own learning and worked hard to get through her tasks.

We do not usually send out weekly newsletters however there have been so many events and pieces of information to share with you we needed another edition!

One Planet Picnic

The whole school celebrated One Planet Picnic again this Wednesday afternoon on the Links. We do this each year as part of our commitment to being an Eco school, something we have been officially recognised for five times over the last fifteen years. One Planet Picnic raises children’s awareness of eating seasonal, locally produced fresh food as one of many ways to avoid relying on foods flown and shipped from across the planet contributing to the build up of greenhouse gasses and global warming. Children prepared simple snacks with their class of Scottish foods such as raspberries, strawberries, oats, yogurt, cheese, oatcakes and drop scones. Many children designed their own party hats for the occasion making links to keeping our planet healthy. Although it was a bit windy, we were very glad that the weather was not too Scottish for the picnic!

Open Classroom Sessions

Many thanks indeed to the large turn out of parents who were able to come along to our first Open Classroom sessions of the year. It was so lovely to see so many mums, dads and grandparents come along to see their child at school and to say hello to their new class teacher.

Parents and carers will have the opportunity to meet their child’s class teacher for a face-to-face parent-teacher consultation on the 19th or 21st of November (booking invitations will be sent in coming weeks). There will be another festive open classroom session on 11th December at the same time.

Young Carers

Leith Primary is a strong supporter of children who are considered to be a Young Carer. Three of our identified Young Carers were happy to share their experience of being supported at Leith Primary at this week’s assembly.

Definition of a young carer

A young carer is somebody who cares for or is affected by someone else at home – usually a parent or sibling – who suffers from physical or mental ill health, or who has substance misuse issues.

The person they care for may suffer from:

• mental health problems
• disability (physical, learning, developmental etc)
• drug and alcohol misuse
• chronic ill-health

Firstly, our main aim is to identify all those who might be a young carer. Sometimes this can be tricky as we understand it can be a sensitive area for families. We want to reassure people that we provide support in a caring, non-judgemental, understanding way. Our only aim is to ensure that any young carer is recognised, reassured and given additional supports when needed. Being a Young Carer has been a stigmatised role in the past however many of our Young Carers are proud of the role they play in their family, whether that is providing practical support for a parent or sibling, being an emotional support to someone or recognising that they may not get as much attention from a parent or carer due to the high support needs of a sibling or the challenges faced by their parent’s own circumstances. Our Young Carers can choose to attend a once a week peer support group run by our Pupil Support Officer, Mrs Aitken. Pupils can talk about what they are finding difficult at home or they can spend the time forgetting about any responsibilities they have and just have fun, knowing that the others in the group understand them. We take the group on trips, ensure they are well supported in their learning and make sure they are supported to access any clubs, events and activities they are entitled to. We can also refer them to the Edinburgh Young Carers group who can provide even more support such as an official Young Carer Statement of Need. Edinburgh Young Carers take children on free residential trips, support them with swimming, learning to ride a bike and can remain a support to them until the age of 25.

If you think you have a child who could be considered to be a Young Carer, we would love to hear from you. If your child has come forward to a member of staff, thinking that they might be a young carer we may call you to have a chat. Please do not take offense if we get in touch. We are not implying that your family is not coping, just that we would like to help if we can and to acknowledge that life might be tough at times for you and your child.

Please contact our Young Carers leads, either Mrs Scott (shenel.scott@leith-pri.edin.sch.uk), Mrs Aitken (Gillian.Aitken@leith-pri.edin.sch.uk) or message the admin email admin@leith-pri.edin.sch.uk

Footballs

We announced at Thursday’s assembly that from Tuesday next week, no footballs from home should be brought in to school. There have been a couple of issues with older children that have repeatedly caused upset, frustration and some unkind behaviours towards others, which we wish to end. The children are now clear about what is allowed and where and will continue to follow a rota for use of the metal goal posts. We thank you in advance for supporting the move to no balls from home rule.

Free Clothing Grant

A reminder to parents/carers to reapply for the School Clothing Grant again for this session if you have not already done so.

Your child can get free meals in school if you get:

• Scottish Child Payment
• Universal Credit (where your monthly earned income is not more than £850)
• Income Support
• income-based Job Seeker’s Allowance
• income-based Employment and Support Allowance
• support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

Check if you’re eligible for Scottish Child Payment.

If awarded, you’ll get

• free school meals for children in P6 and P7, and in high school
• payments for lunches during school holidays
• free milk for children in primary and special schools
• a school clothing grant of £125 for each child in primary school, and £157 for each child in high school

You can apply or re-apply here: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/food-clothing/free-school-meals-school-clothing-grants/3

Please get in touch if you would like support to do this.

Discover Programme

Discover is a citywide programme for children and families impacted by poverty and meet one or more of the criteria below:

• family struggling to meet basic necessities (food, shelter, fuel, clothing, utilities or toiletries)
• meet criteria for both free school meals and school clothing grant school
• school have made a recommendation for family to food bank and/ or school uniform bank in the past 6 months
• family living in temporary accommodation
• receiving means tested social security benefits (e.g. housing benefit or universal credit)

Please get in touch if you would like to be referred.

Adult Learning Programmes

This Week’s Leithers of the Week

Leo	Primary 3A	Leo has persevered in Writing this week and made lots of progress.  Well done!
Lukas	Primary 3B	Lukas took on the challenge to extend his skills and used two of his spelling words in each sentence.  Well done Lukas, you produced some quality work and have a great attitude to your learning!
William	Primary 4	For consistently showing kindness and being helpful towards both pupils and staff. Well done!
Najah	Primary 4/5	Najah showed great responsibility during our One Planet Picnic and was helpful and considerate.
Bhodi	Primary 5	For persevering at swimming and trying hard in other aspects of his school work this week.
Arianna	Primary 6	For producing a creative and well structured cold piece of writing.
Julia	Primary 6/7	Julia has settled in well at Leith and demonstrates our school values of kindness and responsibility. She worked well as part of a team during our STEM challenge this week. Well done!
Felix	Primary 7	Felix has demonstrated exceptional writing ability this week and has produced outstanding work that reflects both creativity and perseverance. Well done, Felix!

We continue to settle in to this busy new school year with further enrolments of new pupils across each stage. To them and their families, another warm welcome to Leith Primary School.

1. Thematic Review
2. School Improvement Plan
3. Primary 1 Morning Entry Routine
4. Yellow KIC Forms
5. Open Classroom Sessions – Meet the Teacher
6. Home Learning Grids & Class Newsletters
7. Welcome to Meta Skills Land
8. Right of the Month
9. Active Schools
10. Frequently Asked Questions About School Attendance
11. Leithers of the Week

Thematic Review

On Tuesday, we welcomed a small delegation from the CEC central education team who were carrying out a Thematic Review into how we support children who experience difficulty with controlling strong emotions or who can exhibit dysregulated behaviours. The review team are visiting around twenty Edinburgh schools to identify good practice and ensure the development of consistent procedures. The team reported how impressed they were with our clear commitment to getting things right for our pupils and with the consistent, supportive and nurturing practice of staff. We were delighted to hear that the group of pupils who met with the team represented their school well and spoke knowledgably about how things work at Leith Primary School such as our emotional check ins, our use of the Building Resilience programme and whole school use of restorative practice to sort out disagreements between friends. Well done to all of them.

School Improvement Plan

This year, we will be working on a range of development priorities. We will be acting on the recommendations from our Education Scotland school report, focussing on improving a range of teaching and learning strategies and supports for Care Experienced pupils and Young Carers.

We will be supporting pupils with their understanding of internet safety and cyber resilience. Our Digital Leaders will be learning about and sharing ways for people to develop safe and healthy digital habits to protect our mental wellbeing.

Our Rights Respecting School champions will be working alongside our Equalities pupil group to update our existing Anti-Bullying policy and to develop pupil-friendly flowcharts to support pupils to report any instances of racist, discriminatory or bullying types of behaviour.

Finally, we will continue to work with our Leith Academy Learning Community partner schools to develop improvements in the teaching of pupils’ listening & talking skills. We will also develop a learning community approach to supporting children with additional support needs, utilising the expertise of colleagues who work at Prospect Bank School.

Primary 1 Morning Entry Routine

Thank you to all the P1 parents who have followed our request to stand back from the main entrance in the mornings and to allow their P1 child to enter the school building independently. This is a system that has worked very well over the last few years, developing pupil confidence and supporting early independence. All the current P1 children are following this routine very well and happily engaging in the predictable morning ritual of hanging up their jackets and unpacking their school bags with reducing levels of adult support, which is terrific progress. Please can we ask that ALL parents continue to stand well back from the main school steps to allow the pupils the space to make this good progress without their entry being blocked.

Please note, a small number of children with identified additional support needs have agreed arrangements for coming in to school with a parent. These arrangements are made as part of a wider plan of support and will be developmentally appropriate for these children.

If you are finding the morning separation routine tricky or your child is reluctant to go inside without you, please speak to your child’s class teacher or Ms Ferguson, Mr Stuart or Ms Craig for advice and tips to help make this transition as positive as possible. We’re all here to help.

Yellow KIC Forms

Thank you to everyone for returning the data check and yellow KIC forms. If you have not yet done this, please do so as soon as possible. If we do not have this important form completed, your child may miss out on future trips. A small number have important information missing. Mrs Gatton will call any parents for whom this effects this week so we have the correct details for your child on record.

Open Classroom Sessions – Meet the Teacher

You are warmly invited to come along at 2.30pm on Thursday 11th September to meet your child’s new class teacher and join in with some of the learning activities in class. The session is 30 minutes and you are welcome to leave with your child at 3pm. We look forward to seeing some of you then.

Home Learning Grids & Class Newsletters

A reminder that your child’s termly class newsletter and Home Learning Grid can be found on their class homepage on our website.

Google translate is also embedded on our website now so you can read the website content in your home language. Select from the list at the top right of the page.

All the important school events planned over the coming year are listed on our Google Calendar on our homepage too. Just click on one of the events to find out more details.

Welcome to Meta Skills Land

The P3-P7 pupils were introduced to the Skills Development Scotland Meta Skills this week. The Meta Skills are seen to be the key soft skills most desired by employers and further and higher learning institutes in an ever-changing world. It is thought that most children who attend primary school at the moment will most likely have a number of careers in their life, many of which do not yet exist. It is therefore vitally important that we prepare our young people for an exciting but uncertain world where transferable skills and team work will be highly sought after.

This term we will be focussing on these two characters:

Right of the Month

Active Schools

Dear Parents/Carers

Please see attached Leith Primary’s after school sports clubs this term, the booking system goes live on the 8^th of September for most clubs. Mcdonalds football and Cricket are open now for booking as they are external booking sites.

Many Thanks,

Aidan Haughey – Active Schools – Leith Learning Community

Frequently Asked Questions About School Attendance

Q: When does school start and finish?

A: School starts and finishes at different times depending on what year group your child is in.

P1-P2 starts at 08:50 and finishes at 15:00, Mondays-Thursdays. On Fridays, the start is the same, but the children finish at 12:00.

P3-P7 starts at 08:50 and finishes at 15:15, Mondays-Thursdays. On Fridays, the start remains the same, but the children finish at 12:25.

Q: What do I do when my child is late for school?

A: Please note that the school office opens at 08:30. Therefore leave a message on the answering machine, calling 0131/554 4844, or alternatively text on 07860 029 682 or email admin@leith-pri.edin.sch.uk

Your child will then walk through the school’s main entrance, and the office staff will let them in, giving them a pink slip. This way the class teacher knows that the office team is aware of your child being at school. Your child will be marked as late on the register.

Q: What do I do when my child is going to an appointment?

A: We encourage families to make appointments outside of school hours, wherever possible. If your child has a planned appointment, please e-mail us at admin@leith-pri.edin.sch.uk to inform us in advance. Alternatively, you can call the school office on 0131/ 554 4844. Our office team will share this information and update your child’s attendance with the information you have given.

Q: What do I do when my child becomes unwell?

A: As soon as you know that your child is not well enough to attend school, call the school office on 0131/ 554 4844. You can do this on the morning of your child’s absence or the night before, leaving a message on our answer phone.

Q: What do I do when I would like to take my child out of school for a holiday?

A: Ahead of your travel, please e-mail us with the planned dates and reason for your trip at admin@leith-pri.edin.sch.uk  or call the office team on 0131/ 554 4844. Please note that holidays during term time are not encouraged and, in most cases, will be recorded as unauthorized. If we are concerned about your child’s attendance due to repeated absence, we will contact you to discuss the matter.

Q: What do I do when I want to take my child out of school because of family circumstances?

A: School can approve exceptional circumstances for up to 10 school days. Please email our office team at admin@leith-pri.edin.sch.uk   providing details about your planned dates and reason for your trip as early as possible.

Approved absences can include religious observance, weddings, funerals, and other exceptional domestic circumstances.

For periods of more than 10 school days, approval from Edinburgh City Council is required. You will need to fill in a form called “Absence Request due to Exceptional Circumstances ” which is available to you at the school office.

Q: What do I do if I am worried about my child’s attendance?

A: If you have any questions or want to talk about anything to do with your child’s absence or lateness, please ask to see our community Attendance Pupil Support Officer, Ms. Veronika Sladek, who is present at school on Tuesdays.

We will do everything we can to help you improve your child’s attendance. In some circumstances, we will refer you to Educational Wellbeing Services who are able to provide wider family support.

Q: What do I do if I need support in filling out application forms, having parenting concerns, or money worries?

A: Please feel free to reach out to our Family Support Worker who is present at school on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

 They can offer practical advice and support with family routines, children’s behavior, parenting concerns, financialconcerns, or well-beingchallenges.

They can provide a listening ear if you are feeling stressed or worried, unsure who to turn to.

They will be happy to help with filling in forms, applications, or accessing other services and support available to you in Edinburgh.

Leithers of the Week

Well done to all these hard working Leithers! We’re very proud of you.

Klara	Primary 3A	Klara has been supporting her peers in class and in the playground.  Well done!
Caelan	Primary 3A	Caelan has shown perseverance and commitment in every task and is always looking to challenge himself.  Well done!
Hazimah	Primary 3B	Hazimah has shown great focus this week!  She has concentrated on her activities and ignored distractions from others.  Well done Hazimah, you’re a great example to your classmates!
Oskar	Primary 3B	Oskar has demonstrated our spotlight skill of integrity!  He makes good choices, follows the school rules and always tells the truth.  Well done Oskar, your’re a good example to your classmates!
Mason	Primary 4	For showing amazing perseverance in numeracy and producing high-quality work.
Darcie	Primary 4	For being an example to the class by always showing our three school values – Kindness, Responsibility, and Perseverance. Well done Darcie!
Liam	Primary 4/5	Liam has been showing what it is to be a Leither. He demonstrates the school rules and values in all he goes.
Balques	Primary 4/5	Balques shows the school values of kindness, perseverance and responsibility in everything she does. Well done!
Emma	Primary 5	For showing a positive attitude and including others.
Sam	Primary 5	For working extremely hard this week and producing excellent written work.
Scarlett	Primary 6	For showing perseverance towards our work on time and contributing to class discussions on the topic.
Henry	Primary 6/7	Henry has been persevering with his joined handwriting – even though he finds it tricky! – and is focussing on his jotter presentation. Well done Henry!
Amelia	Primary 6/7	Amelia has shown kindness to a new pupil in our class by offering to be a class buddy. She has also been a fantastic learning expert and helped others with work they are stuck on. Well done, Amelia!
Belle	Primary 7	For taking pride in her learning and demonstrating our school values.
Jack	Primary 7	Jack is always kind and respectful to everyone. He takes the time to listen carefully and understand other people’s ideas and opinions. Thank you for being such a great role model!
Kaleb	Primary 7	Contributing ideas and answers in class during teaching time and class discussions. Kaleb has been very engaged in his learning this week.

Welcome Back Everyone

Welcome back to session 2025/26. And for any of our new parents/carers and children, a warm welcome to Leith Primary School!!

As always, it has been a busy start back for everyone with lots of new routines to learn and new names to remember. The classes have settled back really well after the summer and Mr Stuart and I were delighted to see such motivated and engaged learners during our Learning Walk around the school and nursery last week.

It was so lovely to see such a big turn out on Friday to our wonderful parent council-run, LPPC Welcome Picnic on the Links. Thankfully, the weather was still pleasant enough to sit out and chat with friends old and new.

As it looks likely that the weather will turn a bit wetter this week, a little reminder to ensure your child is dressed for the weather in waterproof jackets and shoes as they will be out at breaktime and lunchtime regardless. Like most schools, we only keep the children inside if the weather is dangerously windy or there is torrential rain.

If you feel you would benefit from financial assistance with purchasing appropriate school clothing like jackets and shoes, please make sure you have applied for the Free School Meals and Clothing Grant – even if your child is on P1-P5 – as you can receive up to £200 per child as well as free milk and free meals for children in P6 & P7. It is important you reapply every school year, so if you still have to do this, please find information about what to do here: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/food-clothing/free-school-meals-school-clothing-grants Walma, our Family Support Worker can support with this, including booking a translator if required.

Reminders

At the start of the year there are a lot of new routines for the children to learn and remember. There are also a few matters we ask our parents and carers to remember so we can make sure the year goes as smoothly as possible:

• School Meals: Please remember to order pupil meals by the Wednesday of the week before (including the week before holiday periods). The kitchen cooks to order so if you have not selected meals for your child by Wednesday evening, the cook will not order food for them for the following week. NB: The ParentPay system will still allow you to order the meals after Wednesday but it will not be taken into account by the kitchen so your child will not have a meal prepared during the following week.
• Sickness: If your child is too sick to come to school, please can you call the Absence Line (Option 1) before 9am so your child can be registered correctly. Please do not select the option to speak to the office to report your child’s absence unless you have information you feel the school know eg; your child has been admitted to hospital.
• Reporting absences: Please ensure that you report your child’s absence each day of their absence not just on the first day. For safety reasons, we cannot assume that a child is absent on consecutive days for the same reason given on the first day of their absence so request that you call the absence line each day.
• Gates: Please can we remind you to always close the gates to both playgrounds, especially the black side gate where all nursery, P1 and P2 parents use. We have a number of new P1 children with additional needs who lack danger awareness and are very curious about their local environment. It is vitally important that we work together as a school community to ensure all our children are kept safely within the school campus area.
• Main Door Safety: We request we keep parents entering the building with their child to a minimum as this increases the frequency of the main door being opened to let people out. This is when some of our new P1 children with additional support needs attempt to get out of the door so having as few people as possible exiting the building in the morning is safer.
• Stairwell: Please can we request that parents keep the main front entrance clear at the start of the day for Primary 1 children to enter the school building at 8.50am when a member of staff will welcome them in.
• Late Slips: If you are running late, we request that you ensure your child gets a pink slip from the office window so they can be marked correctly on the register. This is especially important on Tuesdays and Thursdays for P3-P7 when the children have assembly.
• Named Clothing: Please can you ensure that all items of clothing and packed lunch boxes etc are named so we can return them to the correct order.
• Appointments: We kindly request that all medical and dental appointments are made out with school hours wherever possible. If your child does require to be picked up early for a hospital appointment or required dental treatment we ask that you bring proof of appointment ie; an appointment letter.
• Toys: To avoid any upset or distraction from learning, we ask that children do not bring in any toys or other precious items into school at any time.
• Bus Passes: We ask that all children apply for their free bus pass and use this for all school trips. We will issue information on how we can support your application in future newsletters but in the meantime you can go to your local library to apply.
• Smart Phones & Watches: We strongly discourage pupils from bringing in smart phones and smart watches into school. We understand that some parents use mobile phones as a way of communicating with their child after school to ensure their safe whereabouts. Please be aware that smart devices are brought in at the child’s own risk. Any phones brought in must be handed to the class teacher at the start of the day when they will be stored securely until the end of the school day when they will be handed back. Any phone not handed in to the class teacher will be confiscated and handed back to the parent/carer directly.
• Changes: A reminder to keep the school informed of any changes to your phone number, email address or home address so we can update our records. You may also wish to review who you have as your child’s emergency contacts as this can change over time. We also ask that you keep us informed about any change to your child’s change of home circumstances such as a parental separation, split care arrangement, new partner or close family bereavement. These events can have a huge impact on a child’s wellbeing and ability to learn and socialise positively. This information will be treated in strict confidence and our awareness used only to sensitively adjust our support for your young person during this period of change. We also need to know in advance if there is a new person picking your child up from school and may not release a pupil to someone we do not know or are not expecting.
• Subscribe to our website: If you have not yet done so, please subscribe to our school website leithprimary.org.uk You will be prompted to subscribe by a pop-up box if you go to the website. This will ensure that every newsletter will go straight to your inbox (if you make sure we do not end up in your Junk!) All our important information is passed on via the website so make sure you don’t miss out on anything.

Thank you everyone in advance for your support with these matters. Be assured, these are the things we know make a positive difference to the safety and wellbeing of your young people and the smooth running of the school. Do get in touch with us if you have any related questions.

Important Awareness of Immunocompromised Pupil

School Uniform

Thank you so much to everyone who has been supporting their child to wear school colours to school every day. We do request that all children wear school colours and do not come to school in branded sports gear, character sweatshirts or t-shirts with slogans. There should be no football branded items of clothing worn in school at any point.

We use the term school colours to mean any type of generic non-branded school clothing such as grey/black/navy trousers, skirt, shorts, pinafore or blue gingham dress, white polo shirt and grey/black/navy sweatshirt, cardigan or similar and flat school-type shoes. These items can all be bought very cheaply at local supermarkets and popular clothing stores, in pre-loved clothing shops and from clothing banks. We believe this gives parents and carers a wide degree of choice in how they dress their children for school with low cost and free options available to all.

If parents would like to purchase Leith Primary School branded hoodies, sweatshirts and polo shirts it is possible to do so but is not a compulsory part of our uniform as per Scottish Government guidance. We find that there is a broad mix of children who wear branded and non-branded school uniform items, both of which are welcomed. We will encourage all our children to wear school-appropriate clothing and will support families to ensure pupils do this on a daily basis, including Fridays.

Here are some links, families may find useful:

Edinburgh School Uniform Bank
https://edinburghuniform.org/

The City of Edinburgh Council – Cost of Living pages
https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/costofliving

The City of Edinburgh Council – Free School Meals, Milk and School
Clothing Grants
https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/schoolgrants

Attendance

A reminder again how important daily school attendance is for your child’s academic and social development. We know that most children get sick from time-to-time and do have to stay off to get better but at all other times it is imperative that pupils are in school and on time every day. We may be in touch shortly with some parents to find out how we can support their child to improve their attendance or time keeping during this academic year as good attendance links very closely to better learning, better behaviour and improved peer relationships.

Supports for Families

The Triple P programme is delivered over 8 weekly sessions and explores strategies to manage common behaviours such as aggressiveness, tantrums, shouting, answering back and refusing to follow rules. We welcome applications directly from parents and carers or you can apply on their behalf, thank you.   Apply for a place  Triple P Application

• Website for services and supports for families  Support for families – The City of Edinburgh Council
• To find out more about group parenting programmes  Parenting Programmes in Edinburgh
• Training calendar for staff working with parents and carers  Family Wellbeing Calendar 2024/25 Supporting our workforce in Edinburgh
• Solihull Online courses for parents and carers with children 0-19 https://inourplace.heiapply.com/online-learning/ enter access code TARTAN to register 

Supports for Parents with Neurodiverse Children

Are you the parent or carer of a neurodivergent child getting ready for the new school term and looking for a little extra support?

Check out supports available by visiting the Neurodiversity pages on the City of Edinburgh Support for Families webpages.

https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/additional-support-needs/neurodiversity

Find a range of other supports at on the other Support for Families webpages.

or email supportingparentsancdcarers@edinburgh.gov.uk  

#SupportForFamiliesNeurodiversity2025

Holiday Hub Provision for Children with Additional Support Needs

Holiday Hub Provision for Children and Young People with Additional Support Needs – applications for academic session Aug25 – Aug26  – now open

The City of Edinburgh Council offer school holiday provision for children and young people currently in P1 – S6 with Additional Support Needs.

From June 2025 there is new eligibility criteria for Holiday Hubs. This criteria will make sure that holiday support is directed to children and young people in the City of Edinburgh with the most complex needs and vulnerability. The new criteria will be applied to applications for academic session 2025/26 and ensure that those with the most need will be allocated up to 4 weeks provision across the October break, February break, Easter and the Summer holidays.

Holiday Hubs operate each week of the school holidays from Monday to Thursday, 9am – 3pm.

Parents/carers of children who meet the criteria and wish to be considered for a place at a Holiday Hub, should apply online.

Families requiring support with their application should contact their school or email holidaysupport@edinburgh.gov.uk

Information can also be found here Inclusion and wellbeing for children and young people – The City of Edinburgh Council

Criteria

Holiday Hub provision will be available to children and young people, who are the statutory responsibility of the City of Edinburgh Council, who have Additional Support Needs and attend/are on the school roll of:

• Specialist provision – either a City of Edinburgh Council special provision or placed by the Local Authority in an independent school; 
• Enhanced Support Provision (ESP) or Enhanced Support Base (ESB) within a mainstream setting;
• Mainstream school and in receipt of audit hours support.

Home schooled children and young people with evidenced level of need will also be able to access the provision. 

Additional weighting will be provided to children and young people who are: 

• Subject to Child Planning Meetings and recommended by senior education staff as requiring holiday support;
• In receipt of support from the Children Affected Disability team and recommended by the team as requiring holiday support;
• In receipt of child disability payment mid-level care and above;
• Recommended by out of school providers as requiring holiday support.

Holiday hub support can play an important role in preventing family breakdown and if oversubscribed priority will be given to those who meet the criteria above and are at imminent risk of family breakdown and especially subject to the additional pressure on some families who are facing poverty. If provision is oversubscribed priority would be given to families impacted by poverty and in particular: 

• Single carer families;
• Families living in temporary accommodation;
• Families in receipt of universal credit.

Transport for the Holiday Hub is the responsibility of the Parent or Carer.

Please direct any questions to holidaysupport@edinburgh.gov.uk

Our First Leithers of the Week

Brilliantly well done to these P3-P7 pupils for making a great start to the new school year. Our new P1 and P2 children will begin attending assemblies soon so look out for those stars too!

Grace	Primary 3A	Grace has shown she is ready, respectful and safe at all times and supported others too.  Well done!
Miles	Primary 3B	Miles put in an extra effort to finish his descriptive writing!  He tried his best to find the best describing words for the character and also to use his non-negotiables of a capital letter, finger spaces and a full stop.  We done Miles, your perseverance paid off and you did a great job!
Dayana	Primary 4	Well done, Dayana, for making a positive start in your new class. Keep it up!
Silver	Primary 4/5	Silver has been following the school rules of ready, respectful and safe. She has been getting use to all the new routines and adjusting well. Good job!
Brooke	Primary 5	For being kind to others, working hard and contributing well to class discussions.
Tabitha	Primary 6	For being a positive and responsible role model to those around her. Well done Tabitha!
Ritaj	Primary 6/7	Ritaj demonstrates our school values every day. She is a responsible member of the class who treats others with kindness and perseveres with all tasks! Well done, Ritaj!
Erin	Primary 7	Mohamed has demonstrated all of our school rules this week. He is ready to learn and shows respect to all his peers.

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! 😴