Scottish Education Awards: Braes High finalists for Making a Difference Award

The school’s Onwards & Upwards Programme has been selected as a finalist for the secondary school Making a Difference Award at the 2023 Scottish Education Awards with the winners announced at a ceremony in Glasgow next month.

The aim of the programme, along with raising attainment and providing support where needed, is to ensure “everyone feels part of our Braes community, can access to the same opportunities and has whatever they need to reach their goals with the health and wellbeing of our learners, ensuring they are supported to engage, attend, achieve and attain”.

While acknowledging that poverty does bring barriers, it looks to bring equal opportunities for everyone, but not just the pupils in the classroom as it also includes families to ensure young people have the support needed at home. There is also opportunity for family learning to encourage parents and carers to gain qualifications.

One way of addressing the cost of living crisis and poverty is to offer every young person transitioning to the high school from primary a Braes Backpack, which includes essential items such as stationery and a water bottle, to ensure young people have everything they need to start their secondary education positively.

There are also pop up shops under the banner of “reduce, reuse, recycle” which offer everything from school uniform and winter clothing to prom wear and PE kit.

There is even support for those anxious learners and pupils requiring literacy support from an unlikely source – Jamie the therapet from the Canine Concern Trust helps to staff to engage with youngsters.

The success rate from Onwards & Upwards has already been measured by an improvement in attendance, it has also help provide financial support for over 50 families who have obtained over £9000 in additional funds.

Work at the school with the charity Barnardos has seen relationships built in the home and between the home and school, while the holiday activity programme has supported families outwith term time.

Since being shortlisted the school has had a virtual meeting with the judges to give more details of all the good work being carried out through the project ahead of the award being decided.