HT Update: Week-ending Friday 13th June 2025

Friday 13th June 2025

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.  Any feedback received will be responded to and published on Monday afternoon on the school website.  

Feedback from last week’s HT Update:  None received

Key messages from this week  

Calendar:  Significant events week beginning 16/06/25;  on Tuesday we’ve students involved in a Lab Skills Trip to Seafield;  on Wednesday and Thursday it’s our sold out School Show; on Thursday we’ve students visiting the Highland Show;  Friday is our Sports Day

Staffing:  Congratulations to Robyn Taylor who has been appointed as Lead Teacher to support the L6 Scientific Technologies FA, on a 23 month secondment.  There are no LHS jobs live on myjobscotland.  

Student Voice with Google Leaders:  Thank you to the members of Student Voice who attended the Google Leaders event at the Balmoral Hotel on Tuesday 10th June. They created a thought-provoking presentation about the results of the Midlothian digital survey and took part in a pupil panel on some of the opportunities and challenges of digital devices in schools. Well done Bradan, Sam, Adam and James from S3, Angel from S5 and Isabella from S6!  Our students brought to life what it’s like to have Chromebooks in secondary and what some of the challenges and frustrations are of growing up digital. When called upon our students spoke with confidence and conviction about the digital skills they need as they prepare to enter the world of work.  Gillian Hamilton, Chief Executive of Education Scotland, really enjoyed speaking to students afterwards and reflected in her closing remarks to the audience on how rich the pupil panel contributions were.  Click on the link to see some photos,  Google Leaders 100625

P7/S1 Transition:  Our 3 day P7 visit, across Wednesday, Thursday and today, has gone well.  The team across the school have pulled together a strong programme and experiences for the 300+ P7 pupils that have been with us.  The new S6 Buddies have been excellent and particular thanks to a number of our staff;  Mrs Brown and Mrs Main for their overall leadership of the transition, staff giving their time to facilitate lunchtime activities, PCWOs Susan Ramsay and Amy McCormack, Claire Hadden, Lisa Paton and the Creative Learning Team as well as our School Office team.  The 3 days began and finished with Assemblies and the P7s received a Guard of Honour from the S6 Buddies as they left our school on Friday.  We are looking forward to the young people joining us ‘properly’, as LHS students, in August. 

SQA Your Results Learner Booklet: SQA have published a new ‘Your Results’ learner booklet on their website. The booklet contains information on how exams are marked, receiving results, popular questions, and appeals.  We are sharing this with you as the SQA won’t be sending out hard copy booklets to schools this year.  Click here to access the booklet.

Parentsporal:  Thank you to the many of you who have already signed up for Parentsportal.  This week we have distributed S1 reports digitally via this portal to those families who are registered.  If you have not yet done so please click here to access a letter regarding the rollout of a new application at Lasswade.  Going forward, we expect this application will be the platform through which you will access all future Student Reports, as well as a number of other functions designed to support communication and engagement including reporting student absences and the ability to view student timetables.   If you have any questions or problems please get in touch with the school office lasswadehsoffice@midlothian.education

Free School Meals/Clothing Grants:  Midlothian Council have asked us to advise that they are currently receiving a large volume of applications for FSM/clothing grants for next term.  Unfortunately, applications are not open yet.  As a result Midlothian are not replying to the applications they receive parents/carers will have to apply again when the new application becomes available.

Summer Holidays Programme:  The Midlothian Summer Holiday Activities Programme has launched. Promotional updates about the holiday programme can be found on Midlothian Council’s social media channels and at www.midlothian.gov.uk/holiday-fun  For further information contact ashley.atkins@midlothian.gov.uk  

Cyrenians Scottish Centre for Conflict Resolution:  We’ve been asked to highlight the following. Click here for information on ‘Learning Zone’.  It’s designed to help parents and carers reduce family conflict. 

2025/26 House Captains:  Our  25/26 House Captains were appointed last week.  They are; 

• Erin Lovatt and Layla Sensat, Melville
• Ella Neil and Findlay Irvine, Mount Esk
• Rebecca Ramage and Olivia Thomson-Welsh, St Annes
• Chloe Gilbertson and Olivia Brownsell, St Leonards

Mrs Yule will meet with this group every Tuesday, beginning next week.  

Lockers, Reminder: We are now accepting applications for lockers for next session please see link for more information.

Reporting Pattern:   Thank you to the 44 parents/carers who took the time to respond through our Google Form.  The form is now ‘closed’ and we’ll analyse the results and respond next week. 

School Leavers, Chromebook Returns:  Reminder, Students leaving school this summer,  usually a few S4/S5 and all of S6, are expected to return their Chromebooks. It’s a simple process with devices handed into Room 112 or Student Support.  Chromebook Return 2025 for an infographic

 

Feedback here

Take Care

Campbell Hornell,  Head Teacher

Share on Facebook