Children and young people are being asked to help shape Scotland’s approach to mental health services. The Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) has begun work with the government to gather evidence from young people, their families and carers. SAMH said that in the past year, 7,255 young people who were referred to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) had not received support.

Colleges no longer need to prioritise full-time provision for 16- to 24-year-olds, further education minister Shirley-Anne Somerville has said. In a letter to the sector, she stated they “should be responsive to the current needs of learners and the economy”. This included access to opportunities for part-time learners, learners older than 24 and those returning to learning. In 2010, colleges were told to focus on full-time places for young learners. It is believed this contributed to significant decreases in part-time students and older students.

Schools have been urged to get involved with Anti-Bullying Week, from 13-17 November. National anti-bullying organisation Respectme has published resources online and asked schools to post messages of support on Facebook and Twitter, using the hashtag #respectmeans. A film exploring respect will be launched on 13 November.

S2s at St Ninian’s High School in Kirkintilloch, East Dunbartonshire, won the Scottish Food & Drink Fortnight 2017 schools challenge, designed to champion Scottish produce. They adapted a standard home economics vegetable bake recipe by sourcing local and seasonal vegetables.