Calendar
Monday 19th May – Pupil Holiday
Parent Partnership
The next Parent Partnership meeting will be held on Tuesday the 10th June from 7-9 in the Art Department. The change of date is to avoid a clash with the P7 Information Evening.
The first hour of the meeting will be the Partnership Meeting. The second hour will be given over to the AGM. This part of the meeting will be particularly important as a new co-chair and secretary will need to be appointed. I would like to take this opportunity to thanks Joanne and Ed who have filled these roles respectively with great distinction for a number of years. I would also like to thank the Parent Partnership for being such a huge source of support, information and encouragement for me over the course of this session – I couldn’t have done it without you!
Common Breaks and Lunches
As you know we have been running a pilot of common breaks and lunches for all pupils over the last couple of months. The data around wait times, numbers using the canteen and reduction in disruption during senior lessons is all very positive but it is important that everyone has the chance to have their say. To that end I would be very grateful if you would complete this short online survey which will close to responses on 22.5.25. If the link below doesn’t work please just copy it in to your web browser and that should do the trick.
https://forms.gle/Ssdyp2cSxc5GS69T8
Thanks and Farewell
I am finding it very hard to believe that my year here at Dalkeith High School is coming to an end. Mrs Ormerod will be back with you on Monday 19th May and I know she is looking forward to getting back in to the thick of things.
My time here has been short but will count as one of the most important and formative periods of my career. I have learned so much and had the pleasure of working with an amazing group of staff, who truly go above and beyond for the young people on a daily basis. I would like to thank the parents and carers also – you have been nothing but supportive, patient and understanding in dealing with a new head teacher and I will remember the kindness you have all shown me fondly.
People told me that I would find the pupils here friendly and enthusiastic – and of course they were right. The pupils at Dalkeith High School are an amazing group of young people and are a credit to their community. I look forward to hearing of all of your successes and achievements over the years and cannot thank you enough for making my first experience of being a head teacher such as special one.
Best wishes
S Illingworth
Head Teacher (Acting)
Calendar
4.1.25 House Assemblies – Holocaust Memorial
4.1.25 Parent Partnership Meeting (7PM – 9PM Art Department)
5.1.25 Senior Phase Parents Evening (Telephone appointments)
10.2.25 – 17.2.25 February Break
Parent Partnership
The next parent partnership meeting will be held in the Art Department from 7pm – 9pm on Tuesday 4th February. I will be giving an update regarding what our data is showing in terms of bullying and equalities on the back of the launch of our new anti-bully policy in the autumn.
The policy can be found on the school website (https://dalkeith.mgfl.net/bullying-equalities/)
Dress Code
The school dress-code is designed to be flexible and to give parents/carers and pupils various options. However since the Christmas break we have seen an increase in two issues I am looking for your support to address.
More female pupils are wearing crop-tops and both male and female pupils are wearing coloured leisure wear. Crop-tops are not appropriate for school and your support with reinforcing this message would be appreciated. The school has been flexible about leisure wear as it is comfortable and something pupils will happily wear, but too many pupils are now wearing a range of colours, not the black outlined in the dress-code. On a campus with nearly two thousand pupils it is very important that staff can quickly identify pupils by their school. St David’s pupils wear grey/maroon hoodies and Dalkeith wear black. If our pupils are wearing multi-coloured tracksuits this identification becomes more difficult.
I am very aware that buying clothes for teenagers is expensive and some families find this particularly challenging. We have a clothing bank of new school uniform and if a young person needs anything we will happily provide this – please just let us know and this will be handled confidentially and sensitively.
Senior Phase – Exam Preparation
The school offers a range of study support session across the week, details can be found at this link. Supported Study Template 24 25.xlsx
We have purchased a whole school license for an online resource called Achieve (achieve.hashtag-learning.co.uk/accounts/login/). Pupils in S4-6 have been given login details.
Vaccines
The monthly bulletin you were sent last week contains specific information about the vaccine programme and dates for the return of consent forms. For general information about the vaccines please see the link below.
Vaccines for young people | NHS inform
Best wishes
S Illingworth
Head Teacher (Acting)