HT Update; Week-ending Friday 26th September 2025

Friday 26th September 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 HT Update:  click here

Key messages this week  

Calendar:  Significant events week beginning 29/09/25;  on Monday we continue a fortnight’s work relating to Fairtrade,  our Senior Team will begin a fortnight of Learning Walks focussed on S1 classes;  on Tuesday we we have students on our Global Infrastructure and Built Environment Trip,  students attending a Cost of the School Day Summit in Glasgow, there are S4 and S5 Assemblies and it’s our Pod Parents’ Evening;  on Thursday we’ve BGEd House and S6 Assemblies;  Friday is Senior Active Day and Senior Phase students will take part in our French Restaurant Trip.

Staffing:   Congratulations to Michael Stanton who adapts his role and undertakes a BGEd role in Creative Design.  He’ll still key an eye on data too. Val Semler Science Technician starts on Monday. We’ll hold interviews next week for our Teacher of Art & Design and Teacher of Mathematics vacancies.  We have no posts currently live on myjobscotland.

S3 Report:  Advanced warning that the first S3 Report of the session will be shared with parents and carers via parentsportal on Friday 10th October. We do not plan to issue paper copies to students.  Our system shows that not all parents/carers of S3 students have signed up to parentsportal.  Details on how to sign up are available on the website,  click here.  

Fire Alarm Test: On Tuesday we tested our fire evacuation systems.  The process went well with a small number of actions identified. Thank you to all our students for their cooperation. 

Midlothian Learners’ Conference:  My thanks to a group of Student Voice students who were involved in the Midlothian Learners’ Conference on September 18th at Newbattle High School. They were working with young people from all secondary schools across Midlothian to help launch the new Children’s and Young Persons Leadership initiative which aims to help students from different schools to collaborate on improving all our school environments. They heard from Local Councillor, Ellen Scott, on how she had worked with others to effect change in our community and had the opportunity to discuss a variety of themes that the Student Voice groups would like to prioritise.  The students were: Brooke McLellan S6, Isabella Vitrano S6, Angel James S5, Kian Malley S5, Aima Adnan S4, James Noble S4, Lexie Burns S3, Sophie Chalmers S3, Matthew MacDonald S2 and Oliver Chambers S2. 

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service:  We’ve been asked to share the following information giving some water safety advice.  This is pertinent safety information following a couple of drowning incidents within Midlothian and Edinburgh reservoirs. Hopefully, the more people who see this may reduce the risks that are faced when visiting/camping at these areas, Water Safety at Reservoirs

 

Feedback here

Take Care

Campbell Hornell,  Head Teacher

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