Parents’ and Pupils’ Information
Staffing
Mrs Lana Borwick has been appointed as Acting Curriculum Leader HWB during Mrs Jenny Leighton’s leave. This will be until 26 June, when Mrs Leighton will return.
S1 Parents’ Evening – Wednesday 15 March – 4.30-6.30pm (in school)
Appointment sheets have been issued to pupils to complete times for parents/carers to meet with teachers. We encourage parents/carers to bring your young person with you to these appointments so they can engage in the conversation too and hear their next steps.
NATIONAL E-LEARNING OFFER: E-SGOIL EASTER STUDY SUPPORT
The e-Sgoil Senior Phase Easter Study Support programme for 2023 will run from 3 to 14 April 2023. The programme comprises live, interactive webinars delivered by experienced, GTCS registered teachers from across Scotland.
A total of 80 webinar groups are on offer this year, covering 30 subjects. Each group will meet for three separate webinar sessions. The service is free to all learners.
Registration for Easter Study Support opened on 1 March and will give access to the Easter Study Support timetable, registration form, and a range of supporting documents.
This e-learning programme is also an excellent resource for any periods of school closure or if a young person is absent for any reason. Our senior pupils can start their learner journey with the National e-learning offer by clicking on this link.
Eco-Committee Initiatives
Our Eco-Committee is running a few new initiatives and they are hoping we can all support them. Clothes donations are wanted and Eco-Nominations are open.
Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2023
How to apply for a Scottish Apprenticeship
Tuesday 7 or Thursday 9 March, 6.30 – 7.30pm
Free webinars for young people, parents and carers, with information on apprenticeships, where to find the latest vacancies on apprenticeships.scot and CV and interview tips from a Skills Development Scotland careers adviser. Apprentice employers will also be explaining what they look for in candidates when recruiting and an apprentice will share their apprenticeship experience.
Register to attend one of the webinars on the Eventbrite page
There are also DYW Live apprenticeship sessions taking place across the week too.
School pupils can hear from a range of apprentices and their employers about what it’s like to take an apprenticeship. Choose from up to four 30min online sessions each day of Scottish Apprenticeship Week from 6 to 10 March. Apprentices and employers from a range of sectors will feature and some sessions will discuss current and future apprenticeship vacancies.
Register to attend any free session through the DYW Live website
We would also be keen to let young people know about a social media campaign we are running throughout Scottish Apprenticeship Week – encouraging them to follow the hashtag #ApprenticeShop.
#ApprenticeShop
During Scottish Apprenticeship Week, from 6 to 10 March, young people can follow the hashtag #ApprenticeShop on social media to get a better insight into what apprenticeships are like. Apprentices, employers and learning providers will share lots of information about apprenticeships across the country from a range of sectors including details about current and future vacancies, stories, films and more.
Parents’ Information
Invigilator recruitment 2023
We are currently recruiting invigilators for the 2023 exams. Invigilators play a crucial role in supporting the exam diet. Their role is to help maintain the quality of the external assessments of National Qualifications by ensuring they are conducted in accordance with SQA policy and procedure.
All invigilation activities are carried out under the direction of a chief invigilator. Full training is provided, and no prior experience is required. You will also be supported by your chief invigilator throughout. To find out more about the invigilator role and submit your application, visit the SQA website.If you have any questions or need more information, please contact our SQA Co-ordinator cfalconer@knox.elcschool.org.uk or SQA directly at invigilation@sqa.org.uk.
Child Trust Fund
Scottish Government’s Fairer Scotland has asked us to write to families and ask, for those eligible, to withdraw their Child Trust Fund before the opportunity passes. The latest information they hold from the Money and Pensions Service last year indicates that the total value of unclaimed adult Child Trust Funds (CTFs) across Scotland is millions. There are an additional 72,000 16–17-year-olds with unlinked accounts who would be able to take control of their account if they knew of its existence. Further information is available from Sharefound and HMRC leaflet.
Parental Employability and Financial Support Campaign
Parent Club have launched a new campaign to help families who were already struggling and are now feeling completely overwhelmed by the additional pressures brought on by the current economic crisis.
The campaign raises awareness of the support that is available on the Parent Club website. Parents and carers will find advice and be guided to trusted advisors, the Money Talk Team and Local Authority Employment advisors who offer free confidential advice to those with money or employment worries.
School Payments
Parents and carers are reminded that online payment is the preferred option, as we can no longer accept cash or cheque payments. SCHOOLPAY can be accessed here, and also via the SchoolPay tab in the Parent and Carers section of the website. Users are required to register prior to use, and require a unique identifier to link your young person to your account – please contact the School Office if you require further information. (School Office)
Support
Please 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 we can offer.
- Garleton - garleton@knox.elcschool.org.uk(link sends e-mail)
- Lammerlaw - lammerlaw@knox.elcschool.org.uk(link sends e-mail)
- Traprain - traprain@knox.elcschool.org.uk(link sends e-mail)
Dates for your diary:
Wednesday 15 March – S1 Parent Consultation (in-person)
Thursday 30 March – Spring Concert (7-9pm)
Friday 31 March – Term Ends at 12.15pm
Monday 17 April – Term Starts for pupils and staff 8.26am
Our school calendar is updated regularly and should be used to access all information throughout the year and allows you to plan ahead too.
Sue Cook
Parent Council
The Parent Council has requested a footer on my HT’s update that remains there year round and which offers quick links to remote learning resources, course choices, supported study and careers news. Clicking on these headings takes you straight to these pages.
Please also look at our website for lots of other information. Please also follow us on Twitter for up-to-date news on a day to day basis.
Please also remember to follow us at: www.ka-net.org.uk 
@knoxacademy(link is external) @knoxacademyHT(link is external) for the latest information and updates
