This concise weekly HT Update is generally published every Friday afternoon. It’s a simple opportunity for you to also feedback/ask questions via the link at the bottom of each Update. Feedback received, and where appropriate, will be responded to and published on Monday afternoon on the school website.
Key messages from this week
Calendar: Significant events week beginning 31/03/25; on Monday we’ll hold an SQA Exam Assembly for S4, sharing important information on the process; on Tuesday we’ll do the same with S5/6, acknowledging they have been through the exam process last year; on Thursday we have the Drama AH Practical Exam, S2 will be issued with their Report, it’s our Student Voice Parliament, and S6 have organised a Duck Race; on Friday our S6 have a bespoke programme as it’s their last Friday they all are available and some not involved in SQA Exams, we’ll also have an Extended Break to allow staff to come together.
Staffing: Congratulations to Carly Dowie who was appointed as permanent PT Humanities yesterday. This week we also appointed a new Teacher in Business who’ll begin in August. Next week, we are holding interviews for our Teacher of Computing position. We’ll interview for our Teacher of Biology the first week back after Easter. We have no posts currently live on myjobscotland.
Easter Activities: Midlothian Council’s Spring Activities events page is now live ahead of the upcoming Easter Holidays. There are over 70 FREE activities across Midlothian Libraries, including Easter Egg Hunts, Crafts and Lego Clubs. Sports and Leisure have also put together an Easter programme including intensive swimming lessons, football camps. To find out more, click here
Easter School 2025: Our Easter School will begin on Monday 7th April, offering our Senior Phase students the opportunity to access revision sessions over the Easter holiday period. Sign up details were posted earlier this week on Google Year Group Classrooms. Subject teachers have also been ‘advertising’ the opportunities with classes. Sign-up closes on Monday 31st March at 4pm. Places will be confirmed thereafter. We also posted on the website this week, click here.
Free School Meal: As we approach the holiday period please be aware of the following in relation to Free School Meals:
| Payment | Paid to Bank Accounts | Notes/Comments |
| School Holidays
Monday 7th April 2025 to Monday 21st April 2025 |
Wednesday 2nd April 2025 | £23.10 per Primary School pupil
£26.40 per Secondary School pupil |
Help with school meals during holidays
Free School Meal 2025/26 Applications: We have been asked to make you aware that free school meal applications for the 2025/26 term will not be available until July. Please be aware that any application for next term received before July will not be processed and parents/carers will have to re-apply in July. Click here to access further information.
Clothing Grants: The application for clothing grants closes on 31st March 2025. Click here to access further information.
SAAS Funding: This week Mrs Sharp posted a message on Year Group Classrooms for those leaving and applying to university. Essentially, it reminds our students to create an account with SAAS to apply for their fees. There is a video link for further information, click here.
Fire Alarm Drill Update: On Tuesday we had an unplanned fire alarm evacuation, following an accidental activation in PE. We were able to quickly identify that the alarm was false. Our new staged fire alarm procedure, developed with the Fire Brigade staff, proved to be highly effective, allowing us to return to the building in a quick and orderly manner. With well over 1,700 people in the building at the time, we achieved an evacuation and re-entry time of just 14 minutes. This allows students to get back to their learning as quickly as possible.
Rugby Final, Reminder: Tomorrow, Lasswade High School Under 18’s will compete in the East Shield Final at Lasswade Rugby Club against their local rivals Preston Lodge. The previous game between the two teams was a thriller, finishing 38-31 to Lasswade. The boys would really appreciate the support of the school community in their biggest game of the season. Kick off is at 2pm on the main pitch. Hope to see you there!
UNICEF Donation, Reminder: Throughout February, Tareena, one of our School Captains has been sharing her thoughts on the humanitarian impact of conflicts across the world. As stated, in March, the plan is to move to a series of in-school fundraising events. As parents/carers I appreciate that you also may want to contribute. To that end we have set up an option for you through Parentpay, click here.
Take Care
Campbell Hornell, Head Teacher
Easter School and Study Supports
Our Easter School will begin on Monday 7th April, offering students the opportunity to access revision sessions over the holiday period. Students can register their interest for these sessions via their Year Group Google Classroom. Sign up opens on Wednesday 26th March at 4pm and closes on Monday 31st March. Places will be confirmed thereafter. A copy of the timetable is provided for you here.
Until Easter – students can continue accessing a wide range of after school study sessions – the most up-to-date timetable is attached for you here.
Supported Study Timetable March 2025
E-Sgoil are also running a two week, virtual Easter School. This covers a wide range of subjects and can be used in addition to, or instead of, the Lasswade Easter School. See the link below for their timetable and sign-up instructions. You do need your GLOW account to login, so see Mrs Ward in Computing if you need to refresh this.
https://www.e-sgoil.com/senior-phase/easter-study-support/
Achieve is excellent another online revision resource which supports knowledge and skills development across many subjects. This provides the opportunity to learn, test and track progress. In addition, this website has a new section this year called ‘Succeed’ which can support with revision strategies, such as how to prepare flash cards, etc. If making an account for the first time our school code is: Zx7tGreK
https://achieve.hashtag-learning.co.uk/
Read and Write is a tool downloaded on all Chromebooks, click the purple puzzle piece to access it. Attached to this post click here is a document showing a variety of ways this can be used this to help with revision.
Response to feedback submitted from HT Update week ending 21/03/25.
| My Question | Comment | Suggestion related to the school this week is: | HT’s Response |
| Will the new computing teacher be able to teach Advanced Higher Computing. If so will the Advanced Higher Computing course be reinstated into the 25/26 curriculum? It appears that there was a substantial amounts of students who wished to take the course and have been left disappointed. What doesn’t make sense is to offer the course on the website for S6 course choices and not have a teacher capable of teaching the course. |
To be honest we’ll wait to see the quality of the applicants. Computing is a shortage subject meaning it can be difficult to recruit. Nevertheless, we are facing difficult curriculum decisions around the viability of AHs. As it currently stand we do not plan to offer AH Computing and will encourage students to undertake a programme that supports breadth in their qualifications.
|
This concise weekly HT Update is generally published every Friday afternoon. It’s a simple opportunity for you to also feedback/ask questions via the link at the bottom of each Update. Feedback received, and where appropriate, will be responded to and published on Monday afternoon on the school website.
Key messages from this week
Calendar: Significant events week beginning 24/03/25; on Tuesday we have our staff and S6 Blood Drive, there are N5 German and Spanish Speaking Exams as well as Higher German; on Wednesday it’s N5 and Higher Mandarin Speaking Exams; on Thursday we have a Bake Sale, the Drama N5 Practical Exam, students on a RMPS Trip, it’s the N5 and Higher French Speaking Exams, the final Senior Phase Report of the session is issued and from 6.00pm we have our Extra Curricular Showcase, see below; Friday is our March Dress Down Day and the Senior Phase Course Choice process ends. Special Saturday Bonus: 29/03/25, LHS U18s Rugby East Shield Final, see below.
Staffing: Today we held Learning Assistant interviews. Next week we’ll aim to appoint Teachers in Business and PE, and our PT Humanities. LHS posts currently live on myjobscotland are Teacher of Computing and Teacher of Biology, both close on Wednesday of next week.
SPOTY 2025: Last night was a superb evening once again in our school. Congratulations and thanks to the PE Team, but in particular Kathryn Park, Sarah McKay and Judith Clyne-Parker (Active Schools) for their work in organising the event. Mark Martin hosted the evening and our special guests were Ellis Notley (Football), Scott Steele (Rugby) and Gary Locke (Football). Kic Dance also helped out with yet another epic performance. Our four finalists for the main award were Cooper Brown (Boxing), Eva Small (Dance), Josh Beveridge (Football) and Joss Mair (Rugby) with Joss taking the main award. Congratulations to Joss and all our sports people, students and staff, who were recognised last night. Next year is our 10th SPOTY anniversary. The planning begins after Easter. It’s going to be phenomenal!
Extra Curricular Club Showcase: This is an opportunity for all parents/carers to see the clubs we offer in the school and celebrate the brilliant work they have done over the past year. The event has been organised by Alister Doig, one of our School captains, as his leadership project. We have also invited our P& parents/carers and their children to see what great extra curricular opportunities they will have in their time at LHS. The night will involve performances from the clubs and a stall walk around, as well as a special talk from an employability expert from Lloyd’s Banking Group. It begins at 6.00pm.
Parent Council 4: Thanks to all who attended our Parent Council meeting on Tuesday. I know it’s not always possible to attend, hence this request. Sara Adam, our Parent Council Chair, is looking to set up a sub-committee focussed on fundraising. We had 2 signing up on Tuesday but could do with a few more. If you’re able to help, just give your name and contact details via the feedback option below and I’ll pass them onto Sara.
French Teachers Visit: Next week we welcome two teachers from a high school in France into LHS to spend the week observing classes and experience the Scottish system. Zoya is a teacher of Biology / Social Science and Sandrine teaches Nutrition / Microbiology. They, and we, are keen they have a broad experience so they will experience LHS across the whole school, not just within Languages.
Transition – ‘School of…’ programme August 2025: A huge thank you to all the staff involved in recruiting and communicating with our P7’s for next year’s S1 ‘School of…’ programme. The selection process and communication with families is now complete. We will have an Academy of Performing Arts, School of Basketball, School of Cookery and Nutrition, School of Dance, School of Football for boys and girls, School of Modern Language and School of Rugby. Next year we’ll plan ‘School ofs…’ in new areas for implementation for all S1 in session 2026/27.
Coldwell Art/Parent/carers of S6 Students: I’m pleased to share with you an opportunity to visit coldwellsart.co.uk. Please log in, select Lasswade HS, and then choose “no” to indicate that you don’t have your unique ID. This will take you to a form where you can enter your details, remember to use the exact class, then all your child’s ID will be displayed. Click on any ID and all the options will remain at the top of the page. Have fun reminiscing through your memories, any questions email Coldwells directly, info@coldwellsart.co.uk.
Rugby Final, Reminder: On Saturday 29th March, Lasswade High School Under 18’s will compete in the East Shield Final at Lasswade Rugby Club against their local rivals Preston Lodge. The previous game between the two teams was a thriller, finishing 38-31 to Lasswade. The boys would really appreciate the support of the school community in their biggest game of the season. Kick off is at 2pm on the main pitch. Hope to see you there!
UNICEF Donation: Throughout February, Tareena, one of our School Captains has been sharing her thoughts on the humanitarian impact of conflicts across the world. As stated, in March, the plan is to move to a series of in-school fundraising events. As parents/carers I appreciate that you also may want to contribute. To that end we have set up an option for you through Parentpay, click here.
Take Care
Campbell Hornell, Head Teacher
No feedback received via the HT Update posted on 14/03/25.
This concise weekly HT Update is generally published every Friday afternoon. It’s a simple opportunity for you to also feedback/ask questions via the link at the bottom of each Update. Feedback received, and where appropriate, will be responded to and published on Monday afternoon on the school website.
Key messages from this week
Calendar: Significant events week beginning 17/03/25; on Monday through Thursday we have our N5 and Higher Music Practical Exams; on Tuesday it’s our Parent Council 4 meeting, see below; on Thursday it’s our Higher Drama Practical Exam and in the evening it’s our Sports Personality of the Year (SPOTY) Awards Ceremony.
Staffing: LHS posts currently live on myjobscotland are Teacher of Computing and Teacher of Biology, both close on 26/03/25.
SLT and Student Support Roles/Remits: We look forward to welcoming back Caroline Brown, DHT, from her maternity leave on Monday 31st March. This means a number of staff will return to their substantive posts following the Easter holiday
A huge thank you Claire, Shaunie and Katie who have done an outstanding job for the past year.
Linked to the above, there will be a number of changes to DHT House Links, again applicable from Easter.
Some changes to DHT remits are in the pipeline from August 2025-26. Neil Chisholm is moving into the DHT Student Support remit and Suzanne Yule is moving into the DHT Community & Culture remit. Wider DHT remits, year group responsibilities and faculty links are also under review. Any other potential changes will apply from August.
Parent Council 4: This meeting will take place on Tuesday 18th March. The meeting will be online, via Teams, and begins at 7.00pm. Full details via the website, click here.
SQA: The SQA have now published ‘Your Exams’ on their website. It contains important information, rules and advice for students on what to do before, during, and after their exams. We’ll encourage all our students who are entered to sit upcoming National Qualification exams to download it. Rest assured we’ll also cover aspects of this with students in the last week of term. You can find it at www.sqa.org.uk/yourexams.
Midlothian Young Musician Solo Performer of the Year 2025: Congratulations to prize winner, Amelia Klain who was awarded runner up for her impressive vocal performance. Outstanding performances from Maisie Walker (flute), Cecily Scally (vocalist), Amelia Klain (vocalist), Maria Karpinska (guitar) and Mila Dickson (cornet).
Rotary Club Young Musician of the year 2025: We were treated to incredible performances from our talented musicians: Maisie Walker (flute) Cecily Scally (vocalist) and Rebbeca Ramage (vocalist). Congratulations to Cecily who was awarded first place vocalist. Cecily went on to perform in the area final for Borders, East Lothian and Midlothian.
Rugby Final: On Saturday 29th March, Lasswade High School Under 18’s will compete in the East Shield Final at Lasswade Rugby Club against their local rivals Preston Lodge. The previous game between the two teams was a thriller, finishing 38-31 to Lasswade. The boys would really appreciate the support of the school community in their biggest game of the season. Kick off is at 2pm on the main pitch. Hope to see you there!
UNICEF Donation: Throughout February, Tareena, one of our School Captains has been sharing her thoughts on the humanitarian impact of conflicts across the world. As stated, in March, the plan is to move to a series of in-school fundraising events. As parents/carers I appreciate that you also may want to contribute. Thanks to those who have already. To that end we have set up an option for you through Parentpay, click here.
Take Care
Campbell Hornell, Head Teacher
Our fourth Parent Council Meeting of the session will take place on Tuesday 18th March. The meeting will be held on-line, via Microsoft Teams. It begins at 7.00pm and should last just over an hour, and certainly finish no later than 8.30pm. All parents/carers will be sent a Teams link on Tuesday morning. We are keen as many parents/carers as possible attend
At the meeting we plan discussions on
All parents/carers are welcome to ‘attend’ and we’d love to see some new folk!
Please send in any questions, via email and with ‘FAO Parent Council’ at the top of message by lunchtime on Tuesday 18th March, to
Or, post a question to the Parent Council Facebook page
We have become aware of an issue with the recently published S3 Reports. Our quality assurance procedures only checked a small paper sample and this issue was not identified in these.
Students who are ‘on track’ to achieve third level by the end of S3 should not have had comments as part of their subject report. However, previous report comments have printed on students reports. Please be reassured that we are working with Midlothian Council to find a solution to this issue. In addition, if a student is not on track to achieve level 3 they should have an updated comment, to support their progress.
We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Response to feedback submitted from HT Update week ending 07/03/25. Bit of a technical one this week!
| My Question | Comment | Suggestion related to the school this week is: | HT’s Response |
| Is it possible to summarise the areas of mathematics that were discussed during the recent collaboration & which areas that are planned to focus on / change/ develop? |
Colleagues from the 8 schools involved (LHS and our 7 associated primary schools) looked at 11 key mathematical topics. These were identified by all schools involved:
Representatives from each school contributed to the discussion on each topic, sharing subject expertise across schools and phases, best practice, notes for a coherent journey from Early Level to Third Level (and sometimes beyond into 4th Level and Senior Phase). Each group, 1 per topic, identified common barriers and misconceptions within these topics and shared how we can improve the quality of instruction at all levels with these in mind. After this, schools reconvened to share key points from each topic, and each decided three key takeaways they were planning to put into action this session and next, unique to their context.
For example, at LHS, we identified where it would be appropriate to introduce concrete and pictorial examples at the introduction of our topics, and have already made adjustments to some of our S1 teaching slides. We also emphasised correct terminology, and will share some of the key terminology with primaries for consistency. We are also developing with our teaching slides consistent methods across year groups and classes for greater coherence and clarity when revisiting key topics, and we have already begun to collaborate with the science department to give our learners clarity over the same methods across the curriculum.
In addition, Matt Dryden, our PT Mathematics, will also be using the outcomes of the session to assist in working with the Numeracy Champions across the primaries on targets bespoke to their context.
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