Grade Booster Sessions

Attached is a programme of Grade Booster sessions offered as final formalised support before exams. These are online opportunities for learners to check in with teachers, get last minute feedback and ask any questions ahead of the final exam. Exams that are on with this week will not appear, as students have been in school and have had access to staff in their timetabled classes.

Joining instructions will be shared on individual subject Google Classrooms.

Grade Booster Timetable

SQA Exam Timetables, Exceptional Circumstances & Appeals 2024

Exam Timetable

This week students were issued with their final exam timetables and copies of SQA’s Your Exams  support document. An online copy of this is provided below.

Your-Exams-2024-school-edition

It is critical that students check their personal timetables carefully and report any errors to Ms Struthers in Rm 112, or to Mr Hunter in Creative Learning.

Below you will find a copy of the PowerPoint shared at assembly today, along with a full Lasswade High School exam schedule. Please note that most of our morning exams start at 8:30, this is to fit with the timings of the school day. Please note we have provided only the ‘main exam’ schedule – students who have additional time should adhere strictly to heir personalised timetables, given out yesterday.

SQA Assembly 2024

Main Exams – Lasswade HS 2024

In advance of the exams, the SQA have provided details of the services that are available to students if they are unable to sit an exam, for a reason ‘outwith their control’. The SQA have also outlined their approach to the Appeals procedure and how coursework will be graded this year. This full communication can be viewed here.

Exceptional Circumstances

There are times when student cannot sit an exam for reasons that are outwith their control – these are called ‘exceptional circumstances’. If your child cannot attend an exam it is vital that you let us know so that we can prepare alternative evidence for them. Alternative evidence is in the form of formal assessment materials that have been produced throughout the course of the session. It is important to note that not all absences from an exam are exceptional circumstances, and students must have completed all non- exam components (i.e. assignment, project…) to qualify for this service.

Grading

This year full course assessment returned in many subject areas. The SQA are mindful of the fact that students are completing coursework for the first time and will consider this in their grading decisions.

Appeals

In keeping with last year, appeals will be free for all students and open to all students for any of their qualifications. Appeals will involve a review of SQA marked exam or coursework only, and not any alternative evidence. More details on how to access this service will be provided in the coming weeks, and we will provide support for appeals following the publication of results.

Study Leave

Last week we published details of our study leave programme. Study leave will run from 29th April to 29th May (inclusive). Students who have an exam between 22nd April and 29th April are entitled to take an additional study day the day before an exam.

Study Leave and Easter Study Supports

Study Leave

A letter has been issued emailed to all S4-6 parents today to provide details of the school’s study leave arrangements. Study leave will run from Monday 29th April – Wednesday 29th May (inclusive). Students will return to school on Thursday 30th May. A copy of this letter is also attached for your reference below.

Study Leave letter – 2024

Study Supports

Our Easter School will begin on Tuesday 2nd April, offering students the opportunity to access revision sessions during the holiday. Students will be notified of their sessions next week.

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 the Lasswade Easter School. See the link below for their timetable and sign-up instructions.

https://www.e-sgoil.com/senior-phase/easter-study-support/

Achieve is excellent 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.

Read-Write-Study-Skills-

Our Grade Booster sessions timetable will be shared when we return from the holidays, we are in the process of organising this to ensure students have a final opportunity for supported revision ahead of their final exams.

Dress Down Day: Friday 22nd March

On Friday 22nd March, there will be a dress down day in support of British Red Cross.

The British Red Cross are currently providing life saving help for Palestinian and Israeli civilians who have been impacted by the ongoing crisis in the region.

There will also be a bake sale with proceeds going to the British Red Cross.

If you would like to know more about how the British Red Cross are providing aid please follow this link https://donate.redcross.org.uk/appeal/israel-and-occupied-palestinian-territory-appeal.

The S6 Charities Committee will be at the front doors and playground doors with buckets to collect donations. ParentPay is also open and available, if families would like to donate online. It is not necessary to contribute towards any dress down day.

This will be our final dress down day before the Easter holidays.

Easter School

The Easter School programme is now ‘live’ on Google Classroom. Parents/carers should click here to access the timetable,  note Week 1 is w/b 1st April and Week 2 is w/b 8th April.

There is a ‘note of interest’ Google Form in Year Group Google Classrooms.  Students interested in our Easter School should complete this by the end of next week to indicate which sessions they would like to attend.    

Students are advised to consider which subjects they would like to focus on most to make best use of their time. The timetable may evolve as student interest is noted and we get a clearer picture of the demand for certain subjects.

To avoid missing out, we are advising early sign up.

Senior Course Choice Evening – Links & Feedback

Thank you to all parents/carers that attended our recent course choice evening. We hope you found the evening helpful and informative, if you were unable to attend please use the links below to access the course choice information video and the FAQs from the evening. 

The course choice process will begin following the February break. To support students through the process there will be time in PSE to discuss options with their teacher, this will be based on their knowledge of the student and coursing advice from teachers. Students will then bring this information home and if you feel changes need to be made you can do so at this point. 

For further information please see the course choice section on our website where you can access our curriculum map and get more detailed information on all of the courses available. To support us continuously improving our events please take a few minutes to complete our feedback form below. 

Feedback

Course Choice Feedback Form

Support Resources

Course Choice Video and Curriculum Map

Senior Phase Course Choice: Online Information Evening – 23/01/24

Senior Phase Course Choice: Online Information Evening – 23/01/24

On Tuesday the 23rd of January we are holding an online Senior Phase course choice information evening. This will run from 18:00-19:00 and is designed to guide parents, carers and students through the course choice process. A link will be sent via e-mail to all parents and carers on 22/01/24, if you do not receive this and wish to attend please contact us at lasswade_hs@midlothian.gov.uk. 

Further information on our courses, and the process can be found here. All key information will be shared on the website following the event. We look forward to seeing you there.

S5/6 Parents’ Evening Evaluation

Thank you to all parents/carers who booked and attended virtual appointments for our S5/6 Parents’ Evening (Tuesday 21st November). We hope you all had a very positive experience and look forward to communicating with you again in the near future:

• Senior Phase Full Report – 8th February 2024
• Senior Phase Alert Report – 27th March 2024

We value parent/carer feedback and use it to evaluate our service and implement change. We would appreciate it if you could complete this short Google Form to share your experience of our S5/6 parents’ night.

Study Skills – Parents’ Session

Thank you to those of you who were able to join us last night for our Study Skills session. As promised, last night’s presentation is available for you here. We have also collated some other materials you my find helpful in response to some of the questions you asked.

Please remember that students can still sign up for Study skills workshops through the year group Google Classrooms

We would also be grateful if you could complete a short evaluation – your feedback helps us to improve our work and provide more of the support you feel is required.

Thank you.

Effective Revision- Parent Session (1).

Study Skills Parent Session – Q & A

Study Skills – MindMapping

Neurodiversity StudySkills-1

Neurodiversity StudySkillsAnsweringEssayQuestions

Neurodiversity StudySkillsNoteTaking

Neurodiversity StudySkillsOrganisationTimeManagement

Neurodiversity StudySkillsRevisingForExams

ICT- Supports

Dress Down Day 24/11/23

As we draw closer to Christmas, we will be shortly launching our two main charitable appeals; the Mission Christmas toy appeal and the Lasswade Christmas Food Hampers. Both of these appeals were extremely successful last year and very well-received by the community.

This ‘Dress Down’ Friday (24/11/23), instead of students and families solely donating money to our chosen charities, we are kindly asking students and families, if at all possible, to donate long-life foods, which will all go towards our Lasswade Christmas Food Hampers appeal. We will still very grateful take cash/Parent Pay donations which will go towards our chosen charities.

Please see below a list of long-life foods and non-food items, which will all go a long way to supporting families in need. The S6 Charities Committee will be collecting donations at the front entrance and playground doors from 8am on Friday morning.