HT Update: Week ending 28th October 2022

Friday 28th October 2022

This concise weekly HT Update will be published every Friday afternoon with a simple opportunity for you to also feedback/ask questions via the link at the bottom of each Update.  Feedback received, where appropriate, will be responded to and published on Monday afternoons on the school website link. 

Key messages from this week

Calendar: Next week’s key events include; Student Voice Year Councils, on all week,  the second round of our involvement in PISA assessments on Tuesday as part of the international study that compares the learning of students across a range of countries,  on Wednesday Art & Design and French will run a trip,  on Thursday we’ll issue the our first Alert Report of the session for those students in the Senior Phase.  

Staffing Updates: Today we said goodbye to Mick O’Gorman our PT Complex Needs and Eilidh MacLeod, Teacher of Social Studies.  Both of these colleagues have made a huge impact on our school, we thank them and wish them well in their new schools. We welcome, on Monday 31st October, Beverley Dobbie who joins the Art & Design Team. From next week, we also welcome Sue Anderson who will be joining us as our new DYW coordinator on a part-time basis.

Shared HT Role update: Further to previous updates, it has been agreed that the current arrangements will be slightly extended. Ms Mitchell as full-time HT while I continue my short-term project with Midlothian.  This arrangement will now remain in place until Friday 18th November.  This will allow for the additional piece of work I am currently working on to be fully concluded. 

In-service day: On Tuesday of this week staff worked on matters relating to Learning Teaching & Assessment, school trips training and on Wellbeing.  

P7 Open Evening: Our P7 Open Evening was  held on Wednesday.  This is our first formal engagement with pupils and their parents/carers who are currently in P7 to support primary/secondary school transition. Over 60 staff led 52 workshops across the school.  We welcomed nearly 600 guests into the building – our biggest ever event!  The ‘on the spot’ feedback was generally hugely positive. Please have a look on our social media for some of the footage. 

S1 Hallowe’en Disco: On Thursday we welcomed well over 140 students to our Hallowe’en Disco.  The event was expertly organised by a group of our S6 students and supported by staff.  Our thanks to these students and staff. Many of our S1 students really pushed the boat out regarding their costumes.  In addition, their attitude and behaviour on the evening was excellent.  Please have a look on our social media for some of the footage. 

Review of Qualifications and Assessment:  Phase 2 of an independent review of Senior Phase Qualifications and Assessment has recently opened with a closing date of Friday 16th December 2022.  This consultation is part of wider education reforms being undertaken and should in the fullness of time result in potentially significant changes around how students secure qualifications in school.  We are finalising the details of a parental event to be held in November and will provide details on that next week.   That event will be designed to inform parents but also to gather their views to inform our school response.   Individuals are also able to respond.  Details are available via the following link click here

If you have any feedback/questions relating to this update please submit them via the link below

Feedback here

Take Care

Campbell Hornell and Ali Mitchell,  Head Teachers

Tweet  Share on Facebook