Senior Photos

S6 Photo 5th May at 10:20am

BGE PRIDE Awards

It has been a very difficult year for our school community but despite the challenges and difficulties the pandemic presents most of our young people have genuinely tried to commit to their own learning and engage in the remote learning programmes. We will continue to strive to support all learners no matter what the circumstance as we hopefully move out of restrictions on education.

The newly developed BGE PRIDE Awards are an innovation that will be further developed next session with our student body as a way of recognising attainment and achievement across S1-3.I would like to thanks Miss Blake, Mrs Murphy and Mrs Davidson in the office for supporting the development of the Awards.

We are pleased to recognise nearly 400 individual PRIDE value nominations from staff for students in S1-3 and in particular the Bronze, Silver and Gold Award winners who receive multiple nominations. While we are restricted to maintaining virtual Award ceremonies we will deliver the individual Certificates in school to the deserved nominees.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge the outstanding work of many parent/ carers who have strived to maintain a positive working environment and support their child during the two lockdown periods. Without you the continuity of education would not have been possible and the Awards here are also a celebration of your commitment and resilience in the face of a major disruption to the education process for your child.

Click on this link to see the awards page sites.google.com/mc.glow.scot/phsbgeawards/home

Craig Biddick

Head Teacher

Parent Update 14 April 2021

Parent Update – 14 April 2021                                

As you are probably aware the First Minister confirmed on Tuesday 6 April that following the Easter Break all students are expected to return on a full-time basis.   For our school this means a return on Tuesday 20 April FOR ALL YEAR LEVELS. Students will follow the timetable issued and used in August 2020. See last parent update Thursday 1 April 2021

This is great news and we hope that in-school learning will remain in place for the remainder of the current term and into next session.

As expected with the return of all students the 2m distancing mitigation has been removed.  However, a range of other mitigations are in place to help keep all students and staff as safe as possible

Our health and safety mitigations are:

• Lateral Flow Device Covid-19 Asymptomatic Twice-weekly Testing Programme strongly recommended for all staff and students,  to be carried out on a Sunday/Wednesday pattern
• Expectation that all students and staff wear face coverings at all times during the school day (except those with exemptions)
• Sanitising stations at school entrances and exits
• Separate entry and exit points for year groups – as used in August 2020
• Supervised breaks for students with specific in school cohort arrangements and separate breaks and lunches for BGE and Senior Phase students.
• Floor markings and a one way system to support safe movement of students and staff
• Sanitisers/Spray/Wipes in every teaching space;  with an expectation that students and staff ‘wipe down’ their area at the beginning and end of each lesson
• Pedal bins in each teaching space to support safe disposal of wipes/handkerchiefs
• Clear staff/student 2m distancing expectations,  including clearly identifiable ‘staff only’ areas in classrooms,  with regular and frequent ‘rule reminders’
• Classrooms organised with student desks forward facing and in rows;  consistent seating plans in subject classrooms for students where possible
• Open door policy in classrooms to reduce door handle use and improve ventilation
• Where practicable, an open window policy to improve ventilation
• No use of PE Changing Rooms;  students are permitted to come to school dressed for PE on timetabled days
• Test & Protect compliance; our attendance recording will be crucial to ensure we know where staff and students have been and who they’ve been with.
• Bring your own snacks and lunch, BACS payments will continue for students entitled to a free school meal
• Clear signage to support good health and hygiene habits, visible throughout the school campus and referred to regularly by staff to support student compliance
• Enhanced and visible cleaning/hygiene routines, applying to all staff and students,  this will be agreed at school level with transparency around routines
• 2m distancing markings in corridors and social spaces to encourage awareness
• No non-essential visitors/meetings, e.g.,  most parent/carer meetings will be by telephone or virtual platforms

We hope you are reassured by our commitment to maintaining high levels of health and safety management in the building and we will be reinforcing these measures with all young people and the adults in school.

We look forward to welcoming your child back next week.

My next update, week beginning 19 April 2021, will address issues and concerns parents may have around the assessment schedule.

Kind regards

Craig Biddick

Head Teacher

Midlothian Council’s Employability Support for Parents

Please click on this link for information: Parental employability support poster

Thank you.

Geoscience Career Day

Leonluca Klein

Parent SQA Information

Dear Parent/Carer

Please see attached letter with the latest information regarding National Qualifications.

SQA Parent Information

Parent Update – Return to School

Parental Update Letter – Return to School 20 April 2021            

As you will be aware it is expected that all students will return to school from Tuesday 20 April 2021. To enable this the Scottish Government has stated that the 2 metre distancing rule for young people will be relaxed. On Tuesday 6 April 2021, the First Minister will update on the arrangements for return. Any changes to the arrangements below will be communicated to all Parent/Carers by Group Call email prior to school returning and will also be put on our website.

I am writing therefore to clarify the arrangements as we currently know them for young people entering the school from Tuesday 20 April 2021 onwards and the mitigations that must remain in place.

These are as follow:

• All students must enter and exit through the designated front door that will be clearly signed and sanitise their hands at the sanitation stations.
• The 2 metre rule remains in place for all adults in school and students must respect that distancing with all staff.
• All young people will be required to wear a mask in the school building – we will supply masks for those who do not have their own. Exemptions will only be given to those with medical reasons. We will clarify if masks must be worn in class after 6 April.
• The former August 2020 staggered timetable (see the end of this message) will come back into use for all levels and they will follow their normal class timetable they  used prior to the January 2021 lockdown.
• There will be the same supervised, staggered, interval breaks and lunchtimes using the same venues as per the August 2020 timetable (please see end attached message). Students are reminded that they must remain in these areas if on site.  S1 students are not permitted to leave the school grounds at interval or lunchtime unless they have permission to go home for lunch or have an appointment.
• Students should bring a bag and they should also bring their own lunch and water. Additional supplies of water are available in school but there will be no formal lunch service.
• Students in receipt of the free school meal allowance will continue to receive BACS payments.  A letter from the Director this week will explain this.
• Students should, where possible, wear school uniform or as close to it as possible. We do ask that if students are not in uniform they bring a note from home so we know  parents are aware of their non-uniform status.

Return to School Timetable

Mr Biddick

Head Teacher