Scotland’s children are among the unhealthiest in Western Europe, a major study has found. Poverty is the main cause of poor health, according to the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, which calls for more action on smoking, obesity and child mortality. Previous research has shown that, by some educational measures, children from deprived areas in Scotland can be more than a year behind more affluent peers by the start of primary school.

A Fife primary is taking a lead in challenging the idea that certain school subjects and careers are only for girls or boys. Duloch Primary School, in Dunfermline, has been working with Improving Gender Balance Scotland, a scheme involving Skills Development Scotland, the Institute of Physics and Education Scotland. The work, with pupils as young as 7, has led to an online video. P3 teacher Gemma-Rose Lansdown said: “I was terrified they wouldn’t say anything but they were brilliant.”

The V&A Museum of Design Dundee - the UK’s first design museum outside London - is teaching pupils to become 21st-century bonnet-makers. The two Dundee primaries taking part, Rosebank and Our Lady’s, are in the Hilltown area, formerly known as Bonnet Hill, and will create their designs with the help of leading Scottish milliners. The museum has been working in schools for several years, even though it will not open its doors until summer 2018.

Scottish schools are gearing up for Children’s Mental Health Week, which starts on Monday. This year’s theme is “Spread a Little Kindness”, with teachers and pupils being advised that a small gesture can make a big difference to a child who is going through a tough time. The charity Place2Be has advice for teachers and tips for children as young as 4. The initiative is supported by the Scottish government.

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