Phone-free policy to be piloted in two secondary schools in Edinburgh

8 May 2025

Portobello High School and Queensferry High School will be the first secondary schools in Scotland to pilot a zero-phone policy, with Portobello High School becoming phone-free from 7 May and Queensferry High School introducing the policy on 14 May - with young people required to store their phones in pouches at the start of each school day.

All learners from S1 to S6 will be responsible for storing mobile phones in secure and lockable Yondr pouches during the school day. The storage pouches are locked and un-locked magnetically, with phones remaining in the pupils’ possession throughout the school day.

The phone-free policy has been introduced following extensive engagement with pupils and parents and carers over a six-month period, with focus groups meeting to discuss the policy and 86% of parents and carers of children attending Portobello High School positively supported the introduction of the policy.

It is hoped that the new phone-free policy will protect the learning environment, encouraging young people to stay in class and focused on learning without the distraction of checking or responding to a notification on a phone. Research shows that a phone free school environment positively impacts young people’s mental health and wellbeing, both in school and at-home, encouraging a healthier approach to managing time online and increasing face-to-face interaction.

Councillor Joan Griffiths, Education, Children and Families Convener, said:

“I’m pleased to see Edinburgh schools leading the way in introducing a mobile-phone free school environment. Mobile phones in classroom settings are increasingly competing with the teachers for learners’ attention and limiting access to mobile phones during the school day is only a positive thing for our young people.

“I know that schools across Edinburgh, and indeed the country, are exploring ways to manage mobile phone use, including restricting phone use during the school day. The new pouches provide an innovative way for our young people to have distance from their devices while having the reassurance that they are still in their possession. We hope that this new policy will increase focus on learning, reduce classroom distractions and help improve wellbeing.”

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Making children’s rights real: Juliet Harris answers Changing our World’s questions

8 May 2025

Our children and young people’s advisory group, Changing our World, sent their burning questions to Juliet Harris, Director of Together (Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights), to learn more about her keynote address and how she will be preparing for Children in Scotland’s Annual Conference later this month. Here's what Juliet had to say:

What are you going to be talking about at the conference?

I’ll be talking about how we’re making sure Scotland’s new children’s rights law brings real change to the lives of babies, children and young people. I’ll be sharing stories that show it needs to be about more than just words - we need action! I’ll also talk about how adults can work with babies, children and young people to make sure their rights are respected every day, everywhere - so that Scotland becomes a place where every baby, child and young person grows up in an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding.

Why are you passionate about this subject?

I’m passionate about children’s rights because involving babies, children and young people doesn’t just help them feel valued and included - it helps to make Scotland (and the world!) a better place, shaped by their brilliant ideas. And it’s really fun too!

Do you have any on the day rituals to prepare for presenting a speech?

Before a big presentation, I try to speak with children or young people to see if they have any ideas that could help make it better. I also think about how I’d explain it to someone in my family who doesn’t always understand why children’s rights matter - if I can find a story that helps them get it, I know it’s a good one to share. And on the day itself… I always hold a pen while I speak! I never use it to write but having it in my hand somehow helps me feel a bit less nervous.

Juliet Harris will be presenting a keynote address on making children's rights real at Children in Scotland's Annual Conference on 28-29 May. To join us, please visit our conference hub.

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Juliet Harris is Director at Together (Scottish Alliance for Children's Rights)

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Breaking the stigma: Advocating for young people in Fife

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Protecting young people from the trauma of homelessness

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Breaking the stigma: Advocating for young people in Fife

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7 May 2025

Working to support young people impacted by substance use, the team at the CluedUp Project know only too well of the harm stigma can have on children and young people. To raise awareness of the importance of challenging stigma, CluedUp Project will present a workshop at Children in Scotland’s Annual Conference promoting inclusive practice across the sector.

Here, Stevan Sutherland, Team Leader at the Fife-based charity, discusses the different ways stigma impacts young people’s lives and explores the benefits of taking a whole family approach to tackle the problem.

We support young people who are affected by substance use. These young people and their families have previously experienced and continue to experience stigma. Substance use issues alone can be stigmatising with lots of pre-conceived notions and misconceptions fuelled by mainstream media. However, we support young people who often have much more complex needs and are at risk of or already do face multiple forms of stigma.

Challenging stigma

Crucially these findings have come from young people and families who were experiencing multiple forms of stigma across various aspects of their lives. Sometimes there was just a lack of awareness that certain attitudes or words were stigmatising, so having the confidence to challenge it can help educate others and raise awareness.

How the sector can support children and young people

It is important for professionals working in the children's sector to challenge stigma because it can severely impact children, young people and their families. Young people and their families have shared personal stories about their experiences of stigma which have had a range of negative consequences. It has affected their attendance at school, relationships with professionals, health and wellbeing, substance use issues and engagement with services and ultimately has affected them achieving positive outcomes. These issues left them feeling misunderstood, isolated, embarrassed and afraid. Crucially these findings have come from young people and families who were experiencing multiple forms of stigma across various aspects of their lives. Sometimes there was just a lack of awareness that certain attitudes or words were stigmatising, so having the confidence to challenge it can help educate others and raise awareness.

A whole family approach to tackling stigma

We provide a comprehensive, youth friendly substance use support and information service to young people aged 11 to 26 years in Fife, also targeting the wider issues of general wellbeing and lifestyle. Our service provides education, prevention, early intervention and diversion for young people affected by their own or someone else’s substance use.

The Stigma toolkit that we developed with families was from our Making it Work for Families (MIWFF) partnership. MIWFF is an innovative whole family partnership approach to supporting families. We are engaging with families in the Kirkcaldy and Levenmouth area, with a young person in P7, S1 or S2 in the household, offering a range of engagement activities to meet families’ needs. We deliver this with three other third sector providers in Fife - Fife Gingerbread, Citizen and Advice Rights Fife and Fife Intensive Rehabilitation Support Team. We are continuing to develop the partnership this year with a focus on the sustainability of delivering it within current funding challenges.

Clued-up will be presenting a workshop at Children in Scotland’s Annual Conference on stigma and promoting inclusive practice. Stevan will be part of a panel discussing the impact of stigma on children and young people. Stevan said:

“I am looking forward to meeting colleagues working with children and young people, hearing about experiences from the work that they do and hopefully stories from young people themselves. I find that real stories and experiences can be very powerful and inspiring as well as networking and making new contacts”

Visit the hub for Children in Scotland's Annual Conference here

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Stevan Sutherland is Team Leader at CluedUp Project

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Children in Scotland’s response to the Programme for Government 2025-26

7 May 2025

Following the publication of the 2025-26 Programme for Government, Chief Executive of Children in Scotland Judith Turbyne said:

“In yesterday’s Programme for Government the First Minister described eradicating child poverty as a ‘national mission’. We are delighted with the Government’s ongoing commitment as tackling poverty is essential if we are to build a Scotland where we can really make rights real for all our children. The programme reflects ongoing work, and we would urge the government to make sure that there is consideration of the further ambitious investment and urgent action that is needed to meet child poverty targets. The ‘Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan’ will be key in providing the clarity needed in terms of how we will meet these targets.

“We welcome plans to bring forward the Children and Young People (Care) (Scotland) Bill that will support The Promise. Now is the time for prompt action to ensure that the legislation delivers the change promised to care experienced children and young people across Scotland.

“For the Programme to succeed, the Scottish Government will need a strong and resilient third sector. We are pleased that there has been progress and recognise that the Fairer Funding pilot is a positive first step. We need to build on that as quickly as possible to ensure that the third sector has the security it needs to be able to invest in our babies, children, young people and families in the right way at the right time and in a way that has the necessary long-term impact.”

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Programme for Government: what does it mean for the children’s sector?

1 May 2025

The Scottish Government will release its Programme for Government on 6 May 2025 which will lay out its priorities for the coming year.

The Programme for Government (PfG) is a written document published every year by the Scottish Government outlining the actions the government plans to carry out in the coming year. In previous years, this has included announcing the government’s core priorities, as well as the Legislative Programme which sets out the bills due to be introduced over the next year.

Previous PfG’s, including last year’s, have been released in September; this year’s release was brought forward to, as stated in an announcement from First Minister John Swinney, ensure Scotland is prepared as possible for an uncertain future. It will also give the current Scottish Government a full year to deliver on their promises ahead of the Scottish Parliament elections in May 2026.

Why is this one important for the children’s sector?

In his address, the First Minister acknowledged the country (and the world at large) is facing extremely arduous times, mentioning in particular Brexit, Covid, the energy price spike following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and inflation. The First Minister stressed the importance of responding to the challenges Scotland faces on the global stage, and the urgency with which it must do so.

Pertaining particularly to the children’s sector, it is anticipated that the long expected Promise bill will be included in the Legislative Programme. The bill is extremely important to the sector, and to Scotland’s children and young people, as it will lay into law the plans and policies already introduced, and will simplify and conflate existing laws that currently clash, thereby streamlining the process of keeping the promise.

What do we expect to be included?

Last year’s PfG had the eradication of child poverty front and centre, and we expect that the Scottish Government will continue to treat this as one of its core priorities. The other previous priorities were tackling the climate emergency, ensuring high quality sustainable public services, and growing the Scottish economy; it is reasonably probable this year’s core priorities will be similar in theme.

The First Minister’s announcement placed a spotlight on economic issues, therefore the PfG will likely address the current tumultuous global economic situation. This may well include the sundry tariffs put in place by the current US president, which The First Minister described as ‘economic headwinds… blowing strong across the Atlantic’, and declared the need for an ‘immediate and measured’ response. The tempestuous economic situation has certainly had an impact on Scotland’s children sector, with the Scottish Government thus far responding with debilitating funding cuts for the third sector, so the First Minister’s hope that Scotland will ‘come out of that storm a great deal stronger’ will very much depend on a restructuring of the current budget priorities.

Potential challenges

While the PfG does outline the government’s plans and ambitions, it should be read with thoughts of realistic delivery in mind. For instance, while the children’s sector would undoubtedly welcome seeing the Promise bill featured in the Legislative Programme section of the PfG, the challenges being created by inadequate government funding across the sector would blunt the effectiveness of any legislative change.

And while a reprise of some of the priorities from last year’s PfG is possible, a mercurial global state makes it difficult to say for certain what ultimately will be necessary to be included. The First Minister said he intends to ensure Scotland is as prepared as possible for an uncertain future, and stated his ambition for a Scotland that is ‘wealthier, fairer, and more resilient’, and ‘united, prepared, and determined.’ How exactly the Scottish Government intends to meet these ambitions, Children in Scotland, along with the rest of the children’s sector and Scottish society as a whole, looks forward to finding out on Tuesday 6 May.