September 2026

HEAD TEACHER'S UPDATE 25 SEPTEMBER 2026
Published: 24 September 2026

Assemblies

Our assembly this week was on the European Week of Languages.

Rights Respecting Schools (RRSA)

Our Right of the week is Article 41 

If the laws of a country protect children's rights better than this Convention then those laws should be used.

Parental Engagement Session – Tuesday 29 September (6.30-8.30pm – Assembly Hall)

A reminder that all parents/carers of S4, S5 and S6 pupils are invited to our annual Parental Engagement Meeting. This is a valuable opportunity to hear from staff in key subject areas, including English, Maths and Science, and gain an insight into assessment components such as portfolios and assignments, many of which are completed at home and contribute directly to a young person’s final qualification grade.

Our Support for Learning team will share practical and effective revision strategies that can be easily implemented at home, helping parents and carers feel confident in supporting young people through both the prelim and exam periods. We will also provide information about our Alternative Assessment Arrangements process, ensuring that young people receive the appropriate support to enable them to perform at their best during assessments and examinations. (By Laura Bates, PT Equity) 

Dyslexia Awareness Week Scotland - 28th September - 4th October

This year we are using the resources on the Dyslexia Scotland website, where the theme is ‘The Right Tools for the Job,’ which aims to highlight all the things that can help people with Dyslexia to work and learn at their best. In PSE all of our S1 pupils will have a chance to explore different strategies for learning, and the S2 pupils will be doing this through their English lessons that week.  As we do every year, we will have posters up around the school raising awareness of Dyslexia. We will also be highlighting famous people who have dyslexia who have overcome barriers and achieved success. (By Laura Waters, SfL teacher).

Care Experienced Week (26 October – 1 November 2026)

For Care Experienced Week, the theme is inspired by what the landscape looks like in the media, on socials, in the sector and across the political spectrum. For extra context, Care Day in February is our political campaign date, which normally focuses on things like The Promise, Government, change etc., whereas Care Experienced Week focuses on celebrating Care Experienced people as individuals. The theme for this year is Forward to the Future. The idea is that we’ll encourage people to speak about their hopes for the future – whether that’s change they want to make as an organisation, a volunteer or on an individual level, their career goals and aspirations.

Events/Trips

S2

S2 pupils have been invited to participate in BT's Work Ready workshop. Work Ready support students with understanding the digital skills that are essential for any future job role through engaging, practical activities. Over a few hours, pupils will explore and articulate their skills, connect with BT ambassadors, and put their learning into practice through the Work Ready Innovation Challenge, where they will work in groups to solve a real-world problem.

These events will take place on the following days:

Monday 5th October - Garleton 

Tuesday 6th October - Lammerlaw

Wednesday 7th October - Traprain

S3

Our annual S3 Graphics Trip to an Interior Design Studio (Tangram) took place yesterday.

S4/5

Graphics and Drama pupils will visit QMU on the 1st of October to attend a Digital Design Workshop.

S6

UCAS event at Ingliston on 22 September.

All S6 pupils will be taking part in a Lloyd’s Bank Assessment Centre Training Day. The Training Day runs on Wednesday 7 October and Wednesday 21 October and half the year group will attend on each day.

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Guest Speak: Elizabeth Lawton

The Music Department partnered with Developing the Young Workforce to bring a professional guest to Knox Academy on Tuesday 1st September. Elizabeth Lawton from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland gave an engaging and informative presentation regarding the courses available to study at the RCS. Music and Drama students were invited to attend.

Scottish Chamber Orchestra

Music Trip: Senior pupils

The Music Department secured free tickets for our senior musicians to attend the IMMERSE 2026 event at the Wallyford Learning Campus on Thursday 17th September. The programme featured The Origin of Colour by SCO Associate Composer Jay Capperauld, who also introduced the programme and shared how he created this exciting work. He was joined by visual artist Kirsty Matheson, who has synaesthesia and presented her own paintings inspired by The Origin of Colour.  Pupils also heard the SCO play pieces by Prokofiev and Beethoven.

"I very much enjoyed the event because they explained each section of the orchestra and gave its purpose, which is helpful for people who have never seen or played in one. When they finally played a piece of music all together, you had a better understanding and appreciation for the orchestra" S6 Oliver Burns

European Day of Languages Activities

Each year the 26th of September marks the European Day of Languages, a day for celebrating linguistic and cultural diversity. This year the Modern Languages Department is running an exciting variety of activities for the whole school:

  • S1s are participating in our annual EuroQuiz.
  • S2s are receiving a European Day of Languages lesson.
  • S3s are competing in our EuroOlympics.
  • All registration classes are participating in a registration guessing game: we have recorded Knox Academy students speaking other languages and registration classes need to identify the language. The winning class will receive a prize!
  • All students can enter a poster competition and a writing competition in relation to the European Day of Languages. All details are in the school bulletin.

Finally, Knox Academy will be hosting David Binns from MFL Insights on Wednesday 30 September to give a motivational talk to students. His talk will emphasize the value of a language skill in any chosen career, help students understand the power of language skills especially at the job interview stage, and demonstrate how it can help them be more successful. We’re very much looking forward to having him at Knox for the first time!

We hope everyone at Knox Academy enjoys the range of events happening this week and we hope it inspires everyone to embrace the power of languages! (By Ms Laudi, Languages).

Lunchtime Opportunity for Pupils

The Music Department hosted a pop-up LUNCHTIME LIVE last term and it was a fantastic success. Pupils invited their friends along and performed in an informal, supportive setting. We are delighted to announce we will now have LUNCHTIME LIVE the last Wednesday of every month in our large music classroom. This month it will be Wed 30th September 1:15 - 1:45pm. All staff and pupils are welcome! 

The Wee Read

Knox Academy is taking part in Wee Read, a national initiative celebrating the joy of reading as part of East Lothian Reads and the National Year of Reading 2026.

On Wednesday 7 October, all S1-S3 pupils will pause for 15 mins that day to have a focused 15 minutes reading.

Pupils’ Successes

Rugby

Congratulations to Molly Smith (S4), who plays with Dunbar Under 16 girls rugby team, who was one of the girls picked to play for South of Scotland Under 16s at the Inter District regional festival on Sunday 20 September. The event was held at Merchiston Castle School and all 6 regional Under 16 teams from across Scotland came together for the event. Molly started and played both games for South of Scotland against Glasgow South and Caley East. 

Tennis

Congratulations to Poppy Davidson-Kelly (S4) who won the women’s singles, women’s doubles and the under 16s singles at Haddington Tennis Club. What a brilliant way to end the season.

Parental Thank You - Netball

A very special thank you to the anonymous netball dad who has very generously donated new kit for all of our school netball teams. Miss Coats and all of the pupils are incredibly grateful for this kind and generous gesture. The teams are delighted with their new kit and can’t wait to wear it with pride while representing the school. A huge thank you for your support of Knox netball.

Welfare Update

Reminder – Flu Vaccination Forms

Pupil flu vaccine consent forms were sent home in August. It’s very important to complete, sign and return the form by 9th October, even if you don’t want your child to get vaccinated. The vaccine is given once a year. Flu viruses are constantly changing, so a different vaccine has to be made every year to ensure the best protection against flu. The vaccination session will take place at Knox on Thursday 10th December. If your young person has not received a form, please ask them to see Alison Swallow in the medical room ASAP. For more information visit nhsinform.scot/childflu. (By Mrs Swallow, Welfare).

Dates for your diary:     

29 September    S4-S6 Parental Engagement Session (English, Maths, Science and Support for Learning)

6 October           P7 Information Evening (5-7pm)

12-19 October   School holidays for Pupils

12-16 October   School holidays for staff – 19 October – staff in-service

5 November       S4-S6 Parents’ Evening

10 November     S4-S6 Parents’ Evening

Our school calendar is updated regularly and should be used to access all information throughout the year. This will also allow you to plan ahead too for Parent/Carer consultations and other events too.

Sue Cook

HEAD TEACHER'S UPDATE 18 SEPTEMBER 2026
Published: 17 September 2026

Staffing

Meadowpark

Elijah Morris has been appointed to the temporary teaching post

Katherine Kerr has been appointed to the permanent post

Congratulations to them both on their appointments and we will look forward to you starting with us soon.

Assemblies

These have been led by our new House Captains letting pupils know how they can contribute to House events and creating a House ethos. Chris Trotter, our school Careers Advise, also spoke about how he can support all of our young people from S1-S6 and in particular with subject choices in S2/3 and with college, employment and apprenticeships applications in Senior school.

Anti-bullying guidance launch

A huge thank you to the parents/carers who attended the launch of our revised guidance. The school working groups of Mrs Falconer, staff and pupil ambassadors gave an informative session on how our guidance evolved through consultation and the steps we have taken to support our young people. It was great to hear so many parents/carers asking questions about the guidance and also saying how they thought the very clear steps taken would support pupils to seek help/report instances of bullying. Our focus also remains on focusing on our school vision or kindness and value of respect so instances of bullying are minimal.

The Anti-Bullying working group also has put a very useful video together for parents/carers and young people to watch in case you were unable to attend our launch evening. We hope you find this useful.

School Uniform

Following our extensive consultation with parents, carers, staff and young people earlier this year, we agreed a refreshed approach to school uniform. This was designed to reflect the views of our school community while ensuring that our young people continue to look smart and wear clothing that is appropriate for a learning environment.

We would be grateful for the support of parents and carers in encouraging young people to follow the agreed dress code. While the updated uniform guidance offers greater flexibility and a wider range of clothing options, we are still seeing some pupils arrive in attire that does not meet the agreed expectations.

We have worked hard to create a dress code that balances personal choice with maintaining high standards, and we now ask that all young people adhere to it. Developing an understanding of appropriate dress for different environments is also an important life skill that will benefit them in future employment and other settings where dress codes are expected.

As a reminder:

  • Hooded tops must not be worn in school.
  • Shorts should be tailored or dress shorts rather than sports shorts or cycle shorts.
  • Chains and dangling jewellery should not be worn as they present a health and safety risk.

We appreciate your continued support in helping us maintain a positive, safe and respectful school environment where high standards are encouraged for all.

Appointments

Please can parents/carers make an appointment if they wish to speak to a member of Pupil Support or the Senior Leadership Team as we are generally unable to see parents/carers who just turn up as we may be teaching or in other meetings. By making an appointment with us via the office, or email, we can ensure a time and date where we can meet to support you and your young person. When arriving at the school please sign in with our office team and wait in the foyer until the member of staff collects you. This is an important aspect of our safety procedures at the school – which also applies before/after school and break and lunchtimes. Thank you.

Please also do not hesitate to contact our Pupil Support Team by emailing your young person’s House Team if you would like to discuss any support for your young person or to arrange an appointment to come in to speak to someone. The House team should be the first port of call for anything you wish to discuss.

Essentials Hub

At Knox Academy we are passionate about equity, ensuring all young people have everything they need to thrive at school and achieve their best. To support an equitable environment in school we have an essential's hub in the social area of the school which grants all pupils access to daily essentials such as uniform, snacks and hygiene products to remove barriers to learning. We also have a diligent group of staff who run our breakfast club every morning before registration to ensure all pupils can fuel their bodies before the school day begins. 

Thanks to the generous community here in Haddington, we have a surplus of uniform and clothing items in the hub at the moment which are not being utilised. As such I would like to encourage any families to reach out via email to lbates@knox.elcschool.or.uk if you would like any items to support your young person to have items which match our new uniform policy. 

If you would like to make a donation to the essential's hub, please send an email to the above address and I will get back to you about items we are in need of or could provide information on other organisations who would be able to make use of items that we have in surplus. Thank you. (By Miss Bates, PT Equity). 

Rights Respecting Schools (RRSA)

Article 39 

Recovery and reintegration

Children have the right to get help if they have been hurt, neglected, treated badly or affected by war so they can get back to health and dignity.  

Parental Engagement Session – Tuesday 29 September (6.30-8.30pm – Assembly Hall)

A reminder that all parents/carers of S4, S5 and S6 pupils are invited to our annual Parental Engagement Meeting. This is a valuable opportunity to hear from staff in key subject areas, including English, Maths and Science, and gain an insight into assessment components such as portfolios and assignments, many of which are completed at home and contribute directly to a young person’s final qualification grade.

Our Support for Learning team will share practical and effective revision strategies that can be easily implemented at home, helping parents and carers feel confident in supporting young people through both the prelim and exam periods. We will also provide information about our Alternative Assessment Arrangements process, ensuring that young people receive the appropriate support to enable them to perform at their best during assessments and examinations. (By Laura Bates, PT Equity) 

Events/Trips

From Friday 18th September Knox Academy will be hosting our annual book fair. The book fair is a great opportunity for pupils to get excited about reading and to be able to purchase their own books. We are thrilled to be able to host.  Please click here for details on the books available at the fair. 

Some of our S4-S6 Musicians attended a performance by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra yesterday at the Wallyford Learning Campus.

European Week of Languages

Our Languages Team have organised a week of various activities/events and tasks to celebrate this week, which starts on Monday 21 September.

Pupils’ Successes

Charity Fundraiser

We are incredibly proud of Flora Jones (S3) and her younger sister (P6 – Haddington PS) who both grew their hair for months and months, to get it as long as possible, and last Friday had it cut really short and donated their locks to The Little Princess Trust for children who lose their hair to cancer, and other illnesses, to receive wigs for free. What a wonderful thing to do – thinking of others.

Not only are they donating their hair but knowing it costs £700 to make one wig they started fundraising and they have now raised over £1000 for The Little Princess Trust. If you would like to donate to their fundraiser and support them, please click on this link. It would be wonderful for our Knox Academy community to support them too.

If you have any success stories to share about your young person please send these to admin@knox.elcschool.org.uk so we can share these with our wide community. Thank you.

National youth choir of Scotland

Poppy Davidson-Kelly (S4) sung with NYCOS in the Usher Hall on Sunday for a performance to celebrate 30 years of NYCOs - they sung accompanied by the BBC Scottish symphony orchestra and can be heard on radio 3 on 14th Oct 7.30pm. What a fantastic experience for Poppy and great if we can all tune in on 14/10 to listen to it.

General Information for parents/carers 

PTA

The PTA will meet this coming Wednesday, 23rd September, at 6.30pm in the Library. They are looking for lots of new members to support events at the school and fundraise too. Lots of members would mean that most parents/carers would only support one event per year and yet help ensure events such as Christmas dances are staffed in partnership with the school. 

Sextortion Awareness.
Please follow the link below for more information on the campaign to reassure young people and parents/carers on how to protect themselves against emerging threat of online sextortion. New campaign launched to combat online sextortion | Crimestoppers

Dates for your diary:     

29 September    S4-S6 Parental Engagement Session (English, Maths, Science and Support for Learning) (6.30-8.30pm)

6 October           P7 Information Evening (5-7pm)

12-19 October   School holidays for Pupils

12-16 October   School holidays for staff – 19 October – staff in-service

5 November       S4-S6 Parents’ Evening

10 November     S4-S6 Parents’ Evening

 

Our school calendar is updated regularly and should be used to access all information throughout the year. This will also allow you to plan ahead too for Parent/Carer consultations and other events too.

Sue Cook

HEAD TEACHER'S UPDATE 4 SEPTEMBER 2026
Published: 04 September 2026

Staffing

Meadowpark - two ASN auxiliaries were appointed last Friday based on pre-employment check. Interviews take place this week for one permanent and one temporary teaching member of staff.

Mobile phones

I wanted to give parents/carers an update on our new mobile phone procedures and to thank you for your continued support.

The impact has been very positive. Staff have reported improved focus, engagement, and participation in lessons, with fewer distractions and more positive interactions between pupils and staff. While some pupils have found the change more challenging than others, the vast majority have responded well and have adapted quickly to our expectations.

Encouragingly, the number of phones being confiscated is already decreasing as pupils become more familiar with the expectations and the benefits of creating a phone free learning environment.

Thank you for the excellent support you have given us. Your partnership has been invaluable in helping us establish these routines, and we appreciate your continued support as we work together to ensure all young people get the very best from their time in school.

Study Support/Extra- Curricular

The timetable for this year can be accessed here.

Assemblies

Next week’s assemblies will be on the importance of attendance and punctuality

Rights Respecting Schools (RRSA)

Our Right of the week is Article 37 -Protection in war

Governments should not recruit children into the armed forces.

Governments should make sure that children are given extra protection when there is a war or armed conflict.

The Committee on the Rights of the Child has made it clear that no child under 18 should be recruited to the armed forces.

Parental Engagement Session – Tuesday 29 September (6.30-8.30pm – Assembly Hall)

All parents/carers of S4, S5 and S6 pupils are invited to our annual parental engagement meeting. This is a fantastic opportunity to hear from staff of key subjects such as English, Maths and Science and gain an insight into assessment work such as portfolios and assignments which are largely completed at home and directly contribute to a young person’s final exam grade. Our support for learning staff will share effective revision techniques which are easily implemented at home, so parents and carers feel confident when supporting young people through both the prelim and exam timetables. We will also share the details of our alternative assessment arrangement process which ensures all young people are appropriately supported to achieve their best during assessments.  (By Laura Bates, PT Equity) 

Events/Trips

S2 Pupils Enjoy Inspiring Edinburgh Book Festival Trip

Forty-five S2 pupils recently enjoyed a fantastic trip to the Edinburgh International Book Festival and the National Museum of Scotland, organised jointly by the English Department and the Library.

The day began with an exciting event featuring five brilliant young adult authors who were all shortlisted for the YA Book Award. Pupils had the opportunity to hear the authors discuss their books, writing processes and inspirations. Each pupil received a free book, and many took the opportunity to have their copies signed by the authors.

After the festival event, pupils spent time exploring the National Museum of Scotland, where they enjoyed discovering a wide range of fascinating exhibits.

The trip was a tremendous success, providing pupils with both literary inspiration and valuable cultural experiences. Most importantly, the 45 pupils were a credit to the school throughout the day, with their behaviour and engagement proving exemplary. Everyone returned having had a great time and with plenty of enthusiasm for reading.

Biology Trip

Many of our S3 Biologists have been offered the opportunity to participate in environmental workshops at the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick on Wednesday, 23rd September, and Thursday 24th September

Pupils’ Successes

Football

Congratulations to Lily Wood (S1) who has been selected, out of over 4000 players, to go to Sweden, in November, to represent the U13s Scotland Team.  The team will be playing in the Coerver Cup against teams for Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland. We wish her and the team all the very best.

Hot Chocolate Friday

It will be good to meet with 5 S1 pupils this morning for a hot chocolate. These pupils have been nominated by staff for going above and beyond and showing our school values. The next HCF will be with S2 and then progresses up the years to S6 and back to S1. Different pupils are nominated throughout the year. This provides a great opportunity to chat, in a small group, and find out more about how they are getting on at school and hear ideas from them too. It is always a great end to a Friday.

If you have any success stories to share about your young person please send these to aadmin@knox.elcschool.org.uk so we can share these with our wide community. Thank you.

 

HT’s update: there will be no HT’s update next Friday due to the September weekend and the next one will be issued on Friday 18 September.

Dates for your diary:     

11-14 September (inclusive) – September weekend holiday

15 September   Parent Council (Library 6.30-8pm) – the focus will be on S4-S6 and how parents/carers can support their young people to attain and achieve.

29 September   S4-S6 Parental Engagement Session (English, Maths, Science and Support for Learning)

Our school calendar is updated regularly and should be used to access all information throughout the year. This will also allow you to plan ahead too for Parent/Carer consultations and other events too.

Sue Cook