It has been brilliant to have all our young people back at school this week after S4-S6 having to learn remotely for a day and a half last week. Although staff absence has remained high, our staff team has gone above and beyond to support cover across the school – so a huge thank you to them.
We now have a dedicated section on our website for all things Covid, so please refer to it for the latest information.
Staffing
Lisa Braid, our Home Economics Auxiliary has been appointed to the post of Classroom Assistant at Haddington Primary School. She will leave Knox Academy on Thursday 27th January 2022. We wish her all the very best in her new post. This post will be advertised today – 15hrs per week.
Business Support Assistant – advertised today – 35hrs per week
SQA
At present the SQA still intends the exam diet to take place between April and June of this year. It is vital therefore, that illness aside, that all our young people in S4/5/6 attend all of their classes as they must complete all their course and practical work to be given a predicted grade, which we would use for them should they be unable to sit their final exam due to personal circumstances/illness. We will also continue with our approaches to continuous assessment so should we be required to move to Scenario 3, (which we would only move to following Scenario 2) is based around the evidence gathered through normal in-year assessments to determine learners’ estimates, and which forms the basis of learners’ provisional results) we will be prepared for this.
Senior Phase Parent Consultation Evenings
S4 Parents’ Evening
Thank you to all parents/carers who attended this parents’ consultation last night. From speaking to our staff team the conversations were very good and allowed parents, pupils and staff to support next steps in learning/progress as our S4 move swiftly towards their SQA exams in April-June this year. If you require any support with your young person’s course choices for S5/6 or if they are moving in from school at the end of S4, support can be sought from Skills Development Scotland Advisor, Chris Trotter. He can be emailed at chris.trotter@sds.co.uk.
S5/6 - Tuesday 25th January 2022 (5pm – 7pm)
We expect that pupils will join their parents and carers at these meetings to have a discussion about learning and progress in individual subject areas. Feedback will be based around pupil progress in their individual subjects, mainly based on next steps identified from their recent Prelims. This is a great opportunity for young people to receive individual feedback, with appropriate support from their parents/carers.
Parents should contact their young person’s Pupil Support Leader, by emailing House Group inboxes, if they wish to discuss any particular pastoral concerns. (garleton@knox.elcschool.org.uk, lammerlaw@knox.elcschool.org.uk, traprain@knox.elcschool.org.uk ).
We look forward to seeing as many parents/carers at these Google Meets as possible.
S2-5 Course Choices for Session 2022-23
We are about to embark on the course choice process for next session. The process will be divided into 3 stages:
Stage 1 – information regarding the courses being offered in school and by other providers e.g. Foundation Apprenticeships and Edinburgh College, will be available via the school website from 19 January. The materials will be divided into the appropriate year groups e.g. S2 into S3 or S3 into S4. We would encourage parents and pupils to use these materials to begin their discussion/ research into what they would like to do next session.
Stage 2 – Pupils in S2-5 will be issued (by email) with a Google Form at the beginning of February. This is to be used to submit their choices.
Pupils in S3,4 and 5 will also receive coursing recommendations for the subjects that they are currently studying e.g. if they want to continue in that subject, would they be best to pursue National 5, Higher or Advanced Higher. As we have intimated previously we would ask that pupils stick to these recommendations as they are based on their performance in that subject and the professional judgement of the department.
The presentations, links and information relating to our virtual Careers Evening will be available via the school website from 3 February and we hope these resources will also be helpful in supporting pupils’ choices.
Stage 3 – All pupils in S2-5 should submit their Course Choices using the Google Form by 22 February. The choices will then be collated and we will begin the process of looking for the best fit in terms of the timetable. As always not everyone will be able to pursue all their first choices. Where changes are necessary the pupils will be spoken to by House Teams.
Once this stage has been completed, confirmation of the pupil’s courses will be emailed to them (by David Russell, DHT).
East Lothian Works Information Evenings – (these will help support course choices)
The East Lothian Works youth team is hosting a series of online information evenings for parents, and pupils from Knox Academy and the other East Lothian secondary schools. These sessions will be covering Foundation Apprenticeships, the School College Partnership programme, and the East Lothian Works offer, specifically the offer for 2022-2023. This is a fantastic opportunity for all parents/carers and pupils to get a strong understanding of what we are offering, and how they can get involved. It also provides a way for this information to be disseminated all in one place.
They are running the same information session over four dates: Monday 17 Jan, Wednesday 19 Jan, Monday 24th Jan, Wednesday 26th Jan, all at 6pm so parents/carers and your young people can opt in to any of these. You can join these sessions by clicking here at any of these times.
S5/6 College Options/Courses starting now (January)
There are a huge amount of college courses starting now (January) for those considering leaving school or for those who have already left. Please do take some time to look at these and at the qualifications for entry. These may also help guide course choices for those in the younger year groups as they may out their career pathways.
Young Persons’ (under 22) Free Bus Travel
All young people and children aged 5-21 years can apply for a card from 10 January to access the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel Scheme from 31 January. You can apply here. At present only those who require it for essential travel are asked to apply.
Covid-19
Please continue to report all positive Covid-19 cases to covidinschools@eastlothian.gov.uk or if you do not have access to email, telephone 01875 613921. Please also inform the school so we can amend your young person’s attendance record. Pupils should continue to do twice weekly LFD tests. LFD kits are available every morning on arrival to school and during the day from the office. They can also be collected from pharmacies and test centres.
Please do not send pupils to school who have symptoms. They should self-isolate and book a PCR test and not return to school until they know this is negative and they have no symptoms.
The Parent Club also provides useful information on testing for pupils.
Dates for your diary:
Tuesday 25 January: S5/6 Parents’ Evening
Thursday 31 January – Parent Council (virtual) 6.30-8pm
Monday 14 –Friday 18 February – Mid-term break
Monday 21 February – staff in-service/pupil holiday
Have a good weekend
Sue Cook
Please also remember to follow us at: www.ka-net.org.uk 
@knoxacademy @knoxacademyHT for the latest information and updates
