General Information
Fabulous to have twenty five of our pupils, across the year groups, competing in the cross-country competition at Vogrie Country Park on Wednesday. Huge effort by the whole team to come second overall. Well done to you all – cross country is a mind over matter, gritty event that requires a great deal of determination and endurance and you all showed this in abundance – along with great team spirit!
Updated Guidance for Reducing the Risks of Covid in Schools
The mitigations put in place for the Omicron variant have now been removed. This means little change in secondary schools. There are no ‘bubbles’ now so young people can mix in social spaces and across year groups. Trips and excursions (day trips) can mix year groups too, now that there are no bubbles. The default for Parents’ Meetings and Parent Council remains online/virtual. All other mitigations remain – face coverings for 12 and over in classrooms and corridors (unless exempt or eating or drinking); hand sanitising and cleaning of work stations; one way systems. Hopefully there will be some movement on these soon too! Please see our updated risk assessment for more detailed information.
SQA Announcement – A Move to Scenario 2
SQA has been closely monitoring the levels of disruption to learning and teaching across the country, including learner and staff absences. Following discussion with partners across the education system, and agreement by the SQA Board of Management, the Cabinet Secretary has announced that the SQA is now moving to ‘Scenario 2’. This means that some revision support will be published for learners during week beginning 7 March to help them with their revision in the final run up to their exams.
SQA will provide revision support for all courses that have an exam. This will be tailored to reflect different types of question papers, any modifications to the question papers that are already in place, and the type and volume of content that is assessed in each question paper.
Please be reassured that all of our teachers will work very closely with our young people to ensure they are prepared for their SQA exams and know exactly what is expected of them in all of their subjects. We want them to do their best! As we get further information over the weeks we will share this with you to keep you updated so you and your young person can discuss this at home. The SQA has also devised an information blog for parents/carers on Scenario 2.
Diligence Awards
These will be issued to our young people next week. Diligence nominations, from subject teachers, are given to those pupils who have demonstrated hard work and commitment, on a day to day basis, throughout Term 1 (August – December). The certificate will detail all subjects they have been nominated in. The ultimate aim is for pupils to be nominated in all of their subjects. If they are not, the goal for term two (January – April) is to aim higher and achieve this. The idea behind these awards is to create ambition (one of our school values) and raise attainment and achievement through sustained effort and commitment to their studies, thus ensuring they achieve their potential. These are really important awards and parents/carers should review these with their young person to identify their successes and also support them where ‘subjects’ missing require more sustained effort. More information on our diligence awards is available by clicking on this link Diligence Awards.
HPV Vaccinations
HPV Vaccination Sessions will take place, at the school, on Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 April 2022. HPV Consent forms are out! Please discuss this with your your young person and return the completed consent form by 11 February at the latest.
Free Bus Travel for U22’s
The application route to order new cards with free travel or first time applications with free travel will be via the getyournec.scot website.
If you or young person is unable to apply online you can go to a library and the staff there will assist with the application process and order the card with the free travel on it.
The libraries will also take the photograph for the new card. It is important photographs are kept up to date as the picture on the card must be a true likeness or else the bus driver may refuse the free travel.
Half Marathon Sign Up
In May 2022 the Edinburgh Marathon Festival is hoping to run. After a successful fundraising event in 2019 we have encouraged both staff and S6 pupils only, to sign up in aid of the winning charity from the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative. This will be decided next week. We are hoping parents would like to support us in signing up. If you would be interested in running the Edinburgh Half Marathon alongside some staff and S6 pupils could you please send a note of interest to lborwick@knox.elcschool.org.uk by Friday 11 February 2022. (By Lana Borwick)
Curriculum Information/Learning and Teaching
S2-S5 Coursing (Learner Pathways)
All coursing information is online and pupils have received all the necessary information to complete their course choices and their choice forms were issued yesterday, to their EduBuzz accounts so please check this with your young person too. It is important that these are completed within the timeline. A series of videos are also available to help you and your young person consider options. If you require further information or support please contact your young person’s House Team. (garleton@knox.elcschool.org.uk, lammerlaw@knox.elcschool.org.uk, traprain@knox.elcschool.org.uk ).
East Lothian Works (ELW) Information Events
East Lothian Works ran a series of information events during January (and were advertised by the school). and these proved to be very useful and popular. On the back of these events they have produced a FAQ document and a recorded version of the event so that pupils and parents/ carers can still access it. Parents who attended this week’s Parent Council said they had found this event very useful in supporting them and their young person with Course Choices.
UCAS Applications
The UCAS application process is now complete for this year and a total of 50 applications have been submitted from Knox Academy pupils. Many of our young people have already received conditional and unconditional offers. (Stuart Meekison)
Meetings for Parents/Carers
Parent Council
Our Parent Council AGM takes place on Wednesday 23 March 2022. Please come along and vote and offer your services too (if you are able to). It would be great to have as many parents/carers come along to this as possible. There will also be a presentation on Autism by Steve Johnson, our DHT from Meadowpark. To join, please email our Chair of the Parent Council: parentcouncil@ka-net.org.uk.
Covid-19 Information
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.
We now have a dedicated section on our website for all things Covid, so please refer to it for the latest information.
Dates for your diary:
Monday 14 –Friday 18 February – Mid-term break
Monday 21 February – staff in-service/pupil holiday
Thursday 24 February – S1 Parents’ Consultation (virtual)
Parent Council Request
At the Parent Council meeting, on Monday evening, parents asked if there could be a footer on my HT’s update that stayed there year round and which offered quick links to remote learning resources, course choices, supported study and careers. Clicking on these headings takes you straight to these pages.
Please also look at our website for lots of other information. Please also remember to follow us at: www.ka-net.org.uk 
@knoxacademy @knoxacademyHT for the latest information and updates
Sue Cook
