Please look out for the Leith Primary Parent Council (LPPC) bid in person on Saturday. Online voting opens on Tuesday 27th January and closes on Tuesday 10th February. Please vote to extend the Trim Trail on the Links. Pass it on and share with friends!

When the First Minister of Scotland Came for Breakfast

Leith Primary School’s Breakfast Club, run by Edinburgh & Lothians Out of School Care Network (ELOSCN), were delighted to welcome John Swinney, the First Minister of Scotland to join them on Wednesday morning. The top secret visit coincided with the budget announcement in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday. One of the new budget commitments is that all primary schools in Scotland will now receive funding to run a free breakfast club to all children who wish to attend. This policy is likely to be rolled out by 2027.

The First Minister enjoyed playing a game of Uno with the children before getting the chance to show off his table tennis skills. He was even invited outside for a game of football but pressure on time meant he had to return to more grown up duties such as answering questions from the assembled media team.

Ali Barclay, the Managing Director of ELOSCN – who run 2.8% of the breakfast clubs across Scotland – and Ms Craig were able to sit down and talk to the First Minister about the successful collaboration between the school and the breakfast club. The FM was interested to hear about ELOSCN’s equitable funding model and the positive impact having a breakfast club can have on both children and parents. The First Minister also spoke to two of our parents about how using the breakfast club enables them to get into work on time.

There was also time to share the many recent successes of the school such as being awarded Gold status as both a Rights Respecting School and a Sports Scotland gold school and an aspiring Young Carers Award gold holder. The First Minister enjoyed meeting some of our successful girls football team players who told him about their recent visit to the Easter Road stadium to meet the Hibs Women’s team.

The visit was a really exciting way to start our morning and it linked in nicely to the themes we have been looking at in our recent P3-P7 assemblies about Scotland and Scottish democracy.

The visit was picked up by a few newspapers and social media platforms which you can click on below:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/john-swinney-scottish-budget-first-minister-scottish-government-b2900286.html

https://www.thenational.scot/news/national/25764588.budget-plans-aim-help-families-need-insists-john-swinney/

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/budget-plans-aim-help-families-when-they-need-it-most-swinney-insists

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1239789948006119

Welcome to LPS Lisa Dowie!

We are delighted to welcome Lisa Dowie, our new Citadel Family Support Worker, to Leith Primary School. Lisa has taken over the role from Walma who finished in October last year. Lisa has extensive experience of working with families and is looking forward to getting to know you over the weeks and months.

Lisa is able to support families with a range of issues such as housing, parenting, relationships, additional support needs pathways, communicating more effectively with school, family learning and much more. Lisa has started to make contact with parents who are already familiar with our Citadel family support however you can get in touch with her directly:

Keeping Your Child Safe Online

Our Meta Skill & UNCRC Right of the Month

Well Done to Our January Leithers of the Week!

Bradley	Primary 1/2	Bradley has had a super start back to P1/2 and has followed the school rules everyday. He has been a great role model this week, persevering with his work, particularly when learning about fractions this week. Well done Bradley – keep it up 🙂
Krishni	Primary 1a	Krishni has shown excellent listening skills this week and has been super ready to learn!
Elobid	Primary 1a	Elobid has been a very kind and helpful friend to others this week!
Zayn	Primary 1b	Zayn has been persevering this week to improve his letter formation. Well done Zayn!
Anouk	Primary 1b	Anouk tried very hard to write independently during cold writing this week. It was tricky, but she persevered! Well done Anouk!
Ryan	Primary 2	Ryan has been working super hard in phonics this week, he has shown perseverance when reading tricky words. Great job!
Ranvir	Primary 2	Ranvir has been making lots of progress with his writing lately and in Literacy this week he has created a fantastic riddle. Excellent effort Ranvir!
Liam	Primary 3A	Liam has persevered in Maths and made lots of progress.  Well done!
Nina	Primary 3A	Nina is consistently kind, helpful and considerate to everyone in our class.  Well done!
Lottie	Primary 3B	Lottie demonstrated her empathy skills this week, during our discussion about the feelings of people in our community.  She described how homeless people might feel scared on the streets because of the situation they were in.  Well done Lottie, having empathy for other’s feelings is a very important skill!
Lawe	Primary 3B	Lawe has been working hard to read more fluently.  He is joining sounds together and recognising more tricky words.  Well done Lawe, keep practising at home too!
Memphis	Primary 4	For great improvements in handwriting and producing well presented work.
Reggie	Primary 4	For a fantastic start at LPS and settling in so well.
Libby	Primary 4/5	Libby had a great attitude and focus when doing writing this week. Great work! Keep it up!
Ayda	Primary 4/5	Ayda has been challenging herself to achieve her targets. Keep working on them Ayda!
Sahib	Primary 5	For her hard work, positive attitude, and the kindness she shows to others each day. Well done, Sahib!
Kasey	Primary 5	For showing remarkable resilience and determination to produce a great piece of writing.
Meera	Primary 6	For always taking pride in her learning and displaying our school values.
Evan	Primary 6	Consistently demonstrating our school values and acting as a role model to those around her.
Mona	Primary 6/7	Mona has settled in well here at Leith! She has picked up and follows our school rules quickly and treats everyone with respect and kindness – always with a smile on her face. Well done, Mona!
Layla	Primary 6/7	Layla has been working hard on editing and improving her writing this week. She wrote a fantastic short story that was very descriptive. Well done, Layla!
Charlie	Primary 7	For being an excellent digital leader and for always being so helpful in class.
Shaniah	Primary 7	This week, Shaniah has shown a positive attitude towards her learning and has been quick to show that she is ready to get on with her work independently. She has also made a brilliant effort as witness in the Mock Court Project. Well done, Shaniah!

To all our children, families, staff & professional partners, we wish you a wonderful festive season and look forward to welcoming you back on Tuesday 6th January, 2026.

A selection of our decorated doors from across the school.

Some of our friends at Stockbridge Life Care receiving their handmade cards from P6/7. Cards have been made by all our pupils and given to care homes and day centres across Edinburgh and beyond.

Just Giving: UNICEF

Farewell Mrs Buchan

After sixteen years of working at Leith Primary School, Mrs Buchan, nee Bruce, will be leaving us on Friday. Mrs Buchan started with us as a student teacher, then newly qualified teacher and has taken on a range of roles including music teacher, P1 teacher, P7 teacher and currently part time teacher of P3a. Mrs Buchan also spent some years on secondment working with Youth Music Initiative before returning to us after maternity leave. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs Buchan for her work with us over the years and wish her well in the next stage of her career.

Great Attendance!

Thank you to everyone for attending our Christmas Open Classrooms session last week. It was really lovely to see so many of you popping along to see your young people in their classrooms, many singing a favourite seasonal song.

Also a great big thank you to everyone for attending the LPPC Christmas Fayre last Friday. There was a brilliant turn out and a lot of smiling faces. Thank you to all the parents and carers who gave their time to set up the hall, support at a stall and plan and organise all the events and prizes. Remember all the money made, goes towards trips, events and resources for your child. Thank you again for your valued support!

Finish Times

Lost Property

We have a HUGE amount of lost property that has yet to be collected. Nothing has been labelled with children’s names so we are unable to get items back to their owners.

Please come and collect anything you think may be in Lost Property before Friday as any unclaimed items will be given to charity if not claimed.

In January, please remember to name all your child’s items of clothing, water bottles, packed lunch boxes and bags as this really helps to limited the number of items left unclaimed.

Well Dones!

Well done to Amelia in P7 for her brilliant poetry entry about the Scottish weather to the Green Pencil Award this year. I’m sure you will agree the sentiment is very apt!

Well done also to Jayden for gaining his red tab belt in the Korean martial art, “ Kuk sool won “. He is doing amazingly well in his class, always tries his best and, like a true Leither, never gives up even if it’s difficult. 

Well done to our JRSO poster competition winners; Thea, Bhodi and Ritaj for their winning poster entries.

Leithers of the Week

Well done to our final Leithers of the Week for 2025!

Finlay	Primary 3A	Finlay has shown excellent listening and talking skills this week. Well done!
Alexander	Primary 3B	Alexander has been putting a huge effort into reading with his group this term!  He is tackling more difficult vocabulary and has persevered with his decoding skills to improve his speed and confidence.  Well done Alexander!
Musa	Primary 4	For making progress in reading unfamiliar words in books and around school. Keep it up!
Lilly	Primary 4/5	Lilly has been challenging herself by asking questions in class. She has been listening to others and then asking questions for others to answer. Well done!
Finlay	Primary 5	Finlay has consistently followed our rules of being ready, respectful and safe. He has been kind to others and a good friend.
Blake	Primary 6	For continually displaying our school values of kindness, responsibility and perseverance, and acting as a role model to those around her.
Chikanyima	Primary 6/7	Chikanyima has been hard-working and ready to learn in maths. She has been using her knowledge to help others work through problems too. Well done!
Katia	Primary 7	Katia consistently demonstrates responsibility through her hard work and attention to detail, especially in her writing. She always comes to school ready to do her best and engages fully in every task. Well done, Katia!

Primary 7 pupils enjoy sports activities at Leith Academy as part of their ongoing transition to secondary school programme.

LPPC Christmas Fayre

Leith Primary Christmas Fayre – Save the Date
Friday 12th December, 12pm – 2pm

Leith Primary Parent Council is delighted to invite you to our annual Christmas Fayre. Come along and join the festive fun – there will be something for everyone.

What’s happening on the day:
• Meet Santa (£2 to cover costs)
• Crafts and games (ranging from free to £1)
• Festive music
• Homemade treats from our delicious bake sale

All proceeds go directly back into supporting school activities, events, and days out for our amazing children.

Bring the family, enjoy the afternoon, and help us make this a wonderful community event. We hope to see you there.

Volunteers & Donations Needed

We are also looking for:
• Volunteers to help us set up and support on the day
• Donations of full bottles (shampoo, juice, water, wine, etc.) for one of our games

Please contact us at LeithPPc@gmail.com if you can support or have any questions. 

Thank you all for your continued support.

Hibs Community Foundation Christmas Lunch

We are thrilled to host our annual Christmas Meal once again, where we aim to provide 500 meals for people in our community on Christmas Day.

This long-running partnership between the Hibernian Community Foundation and Hibernian Football Club continues to bring warmth, kindness, and togetherness to the local community. For many, Christmas can be a difficult time, isolation or financial hardship can make the festive season particularly tough. Without this support, many would go without a warm meal or meaningful social contact at this time of year. The event will take place at the stadium, and we’ll also be delivering meals to around 100 people who are unable to attend in person. Every guest will also receive a gift, helping to spread some extra festive cheer.

Date: Thursday 25th December
Location: Level 2, Famous Five Stand, Easter Road Stadium, 12 Albion Place, Edinburgh, EH7 5QG

Time: 12-2pm

Registrations for the Christmas Lunch are now open, so if you know anyone who would benefit from this, you can nominate them to be part of the day by completing their details in the form linked here:  

HIBERNIAN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION: CHRISTMAS MEAL NOMINATION FORM – Fill in form

This can be completed by the individual, or by someone on their behalf, and each form can be used for up to five people. Please share with anyone you think may benefit. Please use a new form for home deliveries if they are at different addresses.

Come and share a delicious meal, reconnect with familiar faces, and enjoy the spirit of Christmas together. All members of our community are welcome.

We look forward to celebrating with you!

LPS Christmas Fundraiser

We are always very grateful to our pupils and parents/carers who often wish to show their appreciation to staff at this time of year. As a Gold Rights Respecting school, we would like to encourage people to support UNICEF’s vital work for children all over the world, in place of cards or gifts.

UNICEF ensures more of the world’s children are vaccinated, educated and protected than any other organisation. In 190 countries and territories, UNICEF works to save children’s lives, to defend their rights, and to help them fulfil their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

As a school that recognises and celebrates diversity, we know that many of our children may have benefitted themselves from UNICEF’s support, whether locally or internationally.

Every donation, no matter how small, will help to build a better word for every child.

You can donate by following this link: Leith Primary School’s Just Giving Page

https://www.justgiving.com/page/leith-primary-school?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL

Gardening in the Parks

First Steps into Learning

Parenting Courses

TRIPLE P

Triple P (Positive Parenting Programme) is an 8-week evidence-based programme for parents and carers of children aged 6-10 years. The course explores simple, effective tools to build confidence to manage common behaviours and strengthen parent and child relationships.

We welcome applications directly from parents and carers or school can apply on your behalf.   Triple P Application

TEEN TRIPLE P

What is Teen Triple P? Teen Triple P is an 8 week evidence-based programme for parents and carers of pre-teen/teenagers aged 11-16 years. The course helps parent and carers build stronger, more positive relationships and develop effective strategies for managing common teenage behaviour challenges. It provides practical tools, support and confidence to navigate the teenage years with calm, consistency and connection.

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

We ask that anyone who uses St Andrew Place, the street in front of the school, whether pedestrian, cyclist or Blue Badge holder, to keep in mind our school values of kindness and responsibility during these busy times of the day.

Times of restriction: 8:20am to 9:00am and 2:50pm to 3:35pm Monday to Thursday and; 8:20am to 9:00am and 11:50am to 12:40pm Friday

Open Classrooms

A reminder to all parents and carers that our classrooms will be open again for you to visit on Thursday 11th December at 2.30pm. This time, there will be a festive theme.

Meta Skill & Right of the Month

Leithers of the Week

Here is a round-up of our fantastic Leithers of the last few weeks. We are very proud of all of them!

Amelia W	Primary 1/2	For consistently demonstrating our school values of perseverance and responsibility and for being such a kind and considerate member of our class.
Amiyah	Primary 1a	Amiyah has been showing lots of kindness by helping others to tidy-up!
Rinas	Primary 1b	This week Rinas has believed in herself and achieved in Maths! She has worked very hard to improve her number skills and learn new numbers. Well done!
Fionn	Primary 1b	Fionn is a respectful and responsible member of the class who always chooses kindness and is an excellent role model to others. Well done!
Mohamed B	Primary 2	Mohamed has been working super hard in literacy recently, he has been trying his best and shows fantastic perseverance!
Bonnie	Primary 2	Bonnie always tries her best in everything she does, even if she finds something tricky. Bonnie always uses her manners and she is considerate of others.
Ibrahim	Primary 3A	Ibrahim has been consistently ready, respectful and safe this week.  Well done!
Louis	Primary 3A	Louis has been helpful and responsible this week.  Well done!
Charlie	Primary 3B	Charlie has made fantastic progress with reading, over the past two terms.  He is fully focused during reading group activities and enthusiastically shares his thoughts about the text.  Good work Charlie!
Aryan	Primary 3B	Aryan has been working very hard to improve his independent sentence writing skills!  He used some of his spelling words and common words and checked to make sure his sentences made sense.  Well done Aryan!
Juniper	Primary 4	For showing fantastic responsibility and kindness toward new classmates.
Iris	Primary 4	For fantastic perseverance and achievement in spelling. Well done!
Matthew	Primary 4/5	Matthew has been challenging himself during lessons. Making sure he completes his work to the best of his ability. Well done.
Napiu	Primary 4/5	Napiu consistently works hard and perseveres with all his work. This week he has challenged himself by using our grammar learning about similes in his writing.
Louise	Primary 5	Louise has consistently demonstrated our school values this week by being kind to others, responsible around the school and persevering with challenging tasks.
Jess	Primary 5	For her kindness and helpfulness towards others, as well as her outstanding effort and determination in every task she has completed this week.
Ruth	Primary 6	For always challenging yourself in numeracy and reading and growing in confidence.
Lily	Primary 6	Lily has been working hard to be more independent during writing lessons and has been supporting those around her.
Alfie	Primary 6/7	Alfie persevered and took his time moulding and painting his Ming Vase this week. He created a beautiful piece of artwork and also helped with creating our larger class version! Well done Alfie!
Abdiladif	Primary 7	For settling in to Leith Primary and showing responsibility in class and trying very hard in numeracy.
Juliet	Primary 7	Juliet has been amazing in our Mock Court project, especially with her brilliant Ming vase art work this week! She believes in herself and always strives to do her best. Well done, Juliet!
Lucia	Primary 7	For always trying her best in PE and being an excellent team mate.

Well done to our Leith Primary School Girls Football Club who were given the opportunity to do a Q&A session with the Hibernian Woman’s Football team last week at the Easter Road Stadium. The girls were able to find out about how the Hibs Women train and prepare for big games and what their most memorable moments have been as players. You can see the video of our girls’ visit here:

Last week, members of the Leith Primary Girls' football team visited Easter Road and our brand-new Visitor Centre ahead of this weekend’s Capital Cup at Easter Road! 💚

As part of the tour, the students also got an exclusive Q&A with Kathleen McGovern and Milly Boughton! 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/Q6ynqkF5zK

— Hibernian Football Club (@HibernianFC) November 13, 2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17xBnidtPY/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Open Day

Christmas Shopping Online Soon?

New CHAI Worker

We are delighted to welcome Mark Johnston from Community Help & Advice Initiative (CHAI) to Leith Primary. Mark will be available to meet with parents and carers on Thursday mornings in our Family Room to support anyone with a variety of supports:

• General benefits check – are you claiming all the benefits you are entitled to?
• Making benefits applications
• Applying for emergency funding
• Debt issues
• Housing problems
• Appealing benefits decisions

Mark can also support by making referrals for foodbank vouchers, fuel bank vouchers, home starter kits, uniform packages and to other agencies for more intensive support.

Mark will start taking appointments from November 27th at 9.30am, 10.30am & 11.30am. Please get in touch with the CHAI if you would like to make an appointment.

 chai@chaiedinburgh.org.uk

Parent Club – School Attendance

School absenteeism is a growing concern across Scotland. Over the past few years, more children and young people have faced challenges that make regular school attendance difficult. The impact of the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis has made this even harder for many families.
We know that school is important, but we also understand that it isn’t always easy. Some children struggle with attending, and as a parent or carer, you may feel unsure about what to do. Please know you’re not alone. Many families face similar challenges, and support is available. Every child is unique, which is why working together – your child, you, and their school is key to finding the right support. Small steps can help make school a more positive experience, allowing your child to thrive now and in the future.
At Parent Club, we’re here to help. Whether it’s managing anxiety, easing stress, or working with your child’s school, we have practical advice and support for you. You’re not alone in this journey – Parent Club and your school are here for you and your child. Together, we can make a difference

Clothes Donations

Do you have any old clothes or shoes that your child no longer uses? Would you like to donate new basics like underwear, socks and tights to our stock of spares? We would love to receive donations of clean, good quality school clothes and shoes, especially for ages 4-7. Trousers, skirts, tights, polo shirts along with pants and socks would be really gratefully received. Please hand in to the school office.

Your School Lottery

We would like to invite you to take part in Leith Primary School’s Your School Lottery. This is a weekly lottery draw with a top jackpot prize of £25,000 and is open to any schools who have signed up around the country. Tickets cost only £1 and 74.2% of which will go to good causes. There are special Super Draws to win other prises like a Nintendo Switch bundle and the chance to win £200 of Amazon vouchers if you refer a friend. Every entry helps the school raise money for trips and resources. You can sign up here: https://www.yourschoollottery.co.uk/lottery/school/leith-primary-school

Sumdog

Some of you will be familiar with Sumdog, an online maths, spelling and grammar tool that children use in school to improve their skills. Pupils have access to this out with school hours to use at home. It has been shown to successfully improve children’s numeracy and literacy skills development. Your child has their own login and password which they can take home to use whenever they like.

Free Netball Taster Classes

P4-7 Netball Club – Mondays – 17:00 – 18:00 @ Leith Academy High School – 10th, 17th, 24th Nov 1st, 8th Dec – FREE

If you’re child is interested please, come along with them to the session on Monday and fill out a paper consent form with the coach or call myself on – 07923 440184 and we can fill one out over the phone.

P5 – P7 Girls Basketball

ESOL Play & Chat Group

Teen Triple P

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

Venue: Leith Academy, 20 Academy Park, Edinburgh EH6 8JQ

Day: Tuesdays

Dates: 27/01 3/02 10/02 24/02 3/03 10/03 no group telephone session 17/03 no group telephone session and 24/03 final group session

Time: 6.00-8.00pm

Leithers of the Week

Brilliantly well done to all our hardworking Leithers!

Ali	Primary 1/2	For persevering during writing this week to create a super character description for Winnie the Witch. Ali drew a brilliant detailed picture too. Well done Ali!
Eren	Primary 1/2	Eren is a kind member of our class who tries his best in everything he does. He is a good friend to lots of the children in P1/2 and is making great progress, particularly with his counting. Well done Eren!
Sadiqullah	Primary 1a	Sadiqullah has been very responsible this week during tidy-up time!
Alexander	Primary 1b	Dennis has been listening and joining in really well in PE recently, demonstrating some excellent gymnastics skills. Well done!
Eilidh	Primary 1b	Eilidh has been using her initiative and finding ways to help others without being asked. This has shown responsibility and kindness, too! Well done, Eilidh!
Elijah	Primary 2	Elijah has shown real perseverance in P2 this week- he has been trying his best in all areas of learning which is fantastic! Great job, Elijah.
Oisin	Primary 2	Oisin always shows that he is ready, respectful and safe in school. Oisin has a fantastic attitude and always uses his manners. Great job!
Ailsa	Primary 3A	Ailsa has shown great listening skills, making lots of interesting contributions to class discussions.
Riham	Primary 3A	Riham is always kind and supportive to her peers.  Well done!
Aris	Primary 3B	Aris persevered during writing, to use rhyming words and created a fantastic Autumn poem.  Well done Aris!
Alfred	Primary 3B	Alfred has shown that he can make good decisions, this week.  He has tried his best to keep focussed on his numeracy and handwriting activities, which has helped him to produce a better quality of work.  Keep up the good choices Alfred, you can do it!
Iris	Primary 4	For always demonstrating our values: Kindness, Responsibility, Perseverance.
Clova	Primary 4	For always being kind and respectful, and also for producing amazing work. Well done Clova!
Ahmed	Primary 4/5	Ahmed shows great perseverance and works hard to achieve his best. Well done. Keep it up!
Eva	Primary 4/5	Eva is off on new adventures. She has worked hard at Leith Primary and learned lots of new skills. Keep learning!
Cormac	Primary 5	Cormac has worked extremely hard during literacy and numeracy tasks this week. He has also contributed well to class discussions when learning about space.
Nathan	Primary 5	Nathan has shown excellent understanding and progress in numeracy. He continues to work hard and help others around him. Well done!
Jayden	Primary 6	For always taking responsibility for his learning and working hard.
Alex	Primary 6	For continuously working hard to improve across all curricular areas and acting as a role model to those around him.
Tempy	Primary 6/7	Tempy has been working so hard this week and is a super, hard-working role model to our class. She consistently gives her best effort in all areas of learning and shows a strong work ethic. Well done, Temps!
Diego	Primary 6/7	Diego has been focussed, hard-working and responsible taking on his role as a gown maker for our Mock Court programme over the last few weeks. Keep up the super work!
Fatima	Primary 7	You are a kind friend to your classmates. You have shown kindness and responsibility by supporting your peers in class this term.
Gloria	Primary 7	Gloria is always ready to learn, stays focused and approaches every task with a brilliant attitude. She sets a fantastic example for others through her hard work and positive mindset. Well done, Gloria!

Pupil Achievements

Well done to Charlie in P3 who won another medal for running recently. Well done also to Ellie in P5 who created her own fairy-tale story and had it turned into a real book.

Has your child achieved something outside school recently? Send us a picture and tell us what they have done – we would love to hear about it. Send in your good news to: admin@leith-pri.edin.sch.uk

Bonfire Night Information

Leith Academy Free Giveaway

Bitesize Learning Sessions for Parents and Carers.

The Parent and Carer Support Team in partnership with Edinburgh Libraries are delighted to launch our new Bitesize Learning Sessions for Parents and Carers.

This is a pilot programme and as such there are limited places. After our pilot we can assess the need and interest for future courses.

The first of our courses – Maths on Toast (Maths – Has it changed since I was at school and how can I help my child with their homework?) are taking place on the 22nd of October at Oxgangs and Portobello Libraries.

Information on these courses and all other upcoming courses (such as Toilet training, Fussy Eating, Weaning, Digital Wellbeing) including how to book can be found by clicking on this link:

Bitesize parenting support @ libraries

Support for Parents and Carers

If you are supporting a parent who has a child going through a difficult phase in their development and you feel they may benefit from another service, the Parent and Carer Support Team are holding two drop-in sessions in November. Parents and carers with children of all ages can come along and find out more about our parenting courses delivered in various locations across Edinburgh. It can sometimes be daunting for parents and carers to seek out support, so it can be helpful for someone to support them to make that first step. Please feel free to come along too.

Whether you are coming along with a parent or carer or you would just like to find out more information about the courses on offer for parents and carers, you will be welcomed there by our friendly Parent and Carer Support Team who can answer any questions you have. The team also have information on a wide range of other supports for Parents and Carers.

Drop-in sessions are taking place at:

ND Parent/Carer Flier

Educational Welfare Service Drop In

ESOL Level Assessments

Well Done to Our Leithers of the Week!

Savina	Primary 1a	Savina has been showing everyone how to be ready by being an amazing listener when standing in our class line and when sitting on the carpet for learning.  Well done Savina!
Ella	Primary 1a	Ella has shown excellent listening skills this week and was able to correctly describe to others what a character  is. Well done Ella!
Yasmine	Primary 1b	Yasmine is a friend to everyone and is always looking for ways to be responsible and to show respect to others. Well done Yasmine, we’re so proud of you!
George	Primary 3A	George has shown perseverance and determination in Maths and made lots of progress. Well done!
Austin	Primary 3B	Austin did a fantastic job, using rhyming words in his Autumn poem.  He carefully followed all the steps to success and took time to edit his work, to create a funny poem.  Well done Austin!
Lori	Primary 4	For great effort and achievement in writing and numeracy.
Anita	Primary 4/5	Anita is an excellent example of a Leith Primary pupil. She always follows the rules of Ready, Respectful and Safe. She listens well and tries her best with all her work.
Ivy	Primary 5	Ivy showed fantastic enthusiasm and focus during our water safety lesson at swimming this week. She also tried extremely hard at our first rugby session with great energy and teamwork. Well done!
Aarush	Primary 6/7	Aarush has been participating actively during class discussions this week showing his engagement in lessons by asking thoughtful questions. Keep it up!
Holly	Primary 6/7	Great use of adverbs, adjectives and imagery in her spooky story writing.
Robert	Primary 7	This week, Robert has  shown great effort in demonstrating that he is ready to learn, showing perseverance with challenging tasks and a positive attitude towards his learning. Keep up the super work, Robert!

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!