Dear Parent/Carer,
Phased return to school We look forward to welcoming all pupils back to school on a phased basis as per the arrangements emailed to families on Wednesday evening. We will be emailing pupils separately with a reminder about expectations on social distancing, wearing of face coverings, hand sanitising, etc. The most notable changes to our practices prior to Christmas are that all pupils must wear face coverings in the buildings at all times and that pupils will be seated at least 2m apart whilst in teaching spaces.
Please note that all staff and pupils, unless medically exempt, are expected to bring their own face covering and to wear it whilst within any of our buildings at all times, other than when eating or drinking. Those who are medically exempt from wearing a face covering are invited to collect a face visor from the school reception. Please note that not wanting to wear a face covering or experiencing mild discomfort when wearing one are not acceptable reasons for exemption. The latest government advice on face coverings is available at the following address:
https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-public-use-of-face-coverings/
I wish to emphasise that it is vital that all follow our school guidelines on keeping everyone as safe as possible. It is better that we all err on the side of caution until more is known about the latest variants of the Covid-19 virus.
Parents of pupils with medical conditions for whom we hold medication are asked to supply us with updated medicines as appropriate, as some of these may have expired over recent months. If you have any queries, then please contact us.
UK University & Apprenticeships We are encouraging pupils to take part in the UK University & Apprenticeship Search Virtual Fair on Wednesday 17th March (12:00-18:00). This free event features over 100 universities, colleges, and apprenticeship providers from around the UK, along with 10 interactive webinars and virtual campus tours, and is aimed at years S6, S5 and S4, as well as parents. The event will provide your child with all the information they need to make informed decisions about their post-18 options. Pupils, parents and carers simply need to register online at: https://ukunisearch.vfairs.com We recommend pupils and parents spend between 45 and 90 minutes at the event and can login at any time between 12 and 6pm.
Pupils and parents can chat directly with a mixture of Russell Group, red brick, and modern universities from around the UK to find out invaluable information about courses, modules and life at university, and discover what admissions tutors are looking for in UCAS applications. Attendees can also speak to colleges and local and national companies about their apprenticeship schemes. Many exhibitors also offer virtual campus tours. 10 interactive webinars will run throughout the day on a variety of university and apprenticeship topics, such as UCAS Personal Statements, Careers & Employability, Student Finance, and Apprenticeships. The webinars are run by university and apprenticeship professionals who will also host Q&A sessions after the presentations. You can view the webinar timetable and presenters list using this link: https://ukunisearch.vfairs.com/en/webinar-timetable
Pupils should aim to register in advance to receive reminder emails with new exhibitor alerts, information on how the day will work and how your child can make the most of the exhibitor interactions.
Please encourage your son or daughter to book their free place and view the exhibitor list, here: https://ukunisearch.vfairs.com. We recommend registering for the event as soon as possible to ensure pupils have time to prepare for the day.
S5 “Early” University applications If your child is in S5 and considering an application to Oxford, Cambridge, Medicine or Veterinary Medicine we have arranged a bespoke JGHS pupil webinar with an Oxford and Cambridge link on 24th March. Your child should email tania.peters@jamesgillespies.edin.sch.uk to register for the webinar. Important advice, information and mentor links will be available and it is invaluable support for competitive applications.
S5/6 Parents’ Evening
A reminder that S5/6 Online Parents’ Evening will be running from 5pm – 7pm next Wednesday 17 March and appointment booking is currently open. Booking closes at 10am, next Wednesday morning.
Please remember to pay close attention to the video appointment joining instructions that have been shared, taking particular note of the internet browser requirements for your device.
General SQA Business
Please find below a statement to parents/carers, supplied to schools this week, by the SQA.
- From Monday 15 March, pupils in S4 to S6 who are taking national qualifications will begin their return to school and will have priority for face-to-face lessons. Learning and teaching, whether in school or through remote learning, will continue to enable both teachers and pupils to review and consolidate all learning, before moving on to focus on completing assessment evidence.
- The number of assessments which pupils will undertake for qualifications purposes may vary across their subjects. This is due to the nature of individual subjects and how they are taught. Pupils should talk to their teachers if they have any questions about what work will count towards assessment evidence.
- With the SQA exams being cancelled this year, teachers will use their professional judgement to decide results at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher based on the marked evidence from pupils’ assessments. These will remain provisional results until all quality assurance checks have been carried out.
- To ensure provisional results are fair and credible across the whole of Scotland, quality assurance processes will be applied in two phases:
- In the first instance, quality assurance will be carried out by the school, with support from the local authority. This includes discussing and agreeing the marking of pupils’ work across all classes and local schools.
- Alongside this, the SQA will also carry out quality assurance as support for teachers. For example, reviewing their assessment and marking standards. This is to ensure that when teachers conduct assessments, that national standards are applied reliably and consistently across Scotland.
Schools will submit provisional results to SQA by 25 June.
- SQA will not adjust provisional results; rather they will check for administrative errors that may have happened when schools were sending the quality assured results to SQA. When that check is completed, provisional results will become final.
- Pupils will receive their results by post on Tuesday 10 August 2021. They will also receive their results by text and/or email if they decided to sign up for this service at www.mysqa.org.uk.
- SQA has created an information booklet outlining ‘What you need to know for 2021 – National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher’ qualifications. This includes further details on how results will be arrived at and about the quality assurance process for this year.
- The booklet is available to download from the SQA website and will be posted directly to your child w/c 15 March.
- You can stay up to date on the 2021 National Qualifications by visiting sqa.org.uk/NQ2021
SQA Assessment Calendar
Work continues to be on-going in preparing a comprehensive calendar of all SQA course assessment activities that will be undertaken by students, following their return from Easter break. The timeline continues to be to share the assessment calendar with parents and students before the Easter break.
Edinburgh College – Industrial Action
Please find below a message received yesterday from our partners at Edinburgh College. This message is only of relevance to students studying School/College Partnership courses this session.
We have been informed that college staff have voted in favour of industrial action across colleges in Scotland and a strike day is planned for Tuesday 16 March 2021. As we will not know which lecturers will be working until the day of the strike, all college classes on Tuesday 16 March 2021 will be cancelled unless students are told otherwise by their lecturer. This includes classes which were due to take place live online and any limited activity planned to take place on campus.
Pupil Guidance for Online Learning from 15 March We have updated our guidance for pupils in light of all pupils returning to school from Monday 15 March using the timetable model issued.
The school will adopt a 'blended learning' approach to learning, with learning taking place both within school in person, and remotely at home.
More guidance can be found within the attached document, and this will be shared with all pupils through email and Year Group Teams.
S3 to S6 engagement reports will be issued home today. S1 and S2 engagement reports will be issued home via email on Friday 19 March. Please contact us via the JAM-Admin email address if you do not receive a report for your child on these dates.
The next Parent Council meeting will be held on Tuesday 23 March at 7pm. As usual, the meeting will be online and a link will be circulated via the school before the meeting. There will be the opportunity on the night to ask questions via the Q&A typed chat facility, but if you want to raise a question in advance it should be sent to the Parent Council email jghscouncilcomms@gmail.com for inclusion in the updates.
My quote for the week: ‘Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.’ (Anthony j dangelo)
And finally, I take this opportunity of thanking everyone for your continued support and patience through these unprecedented and challenging times.
Kindest regards to all,
Donald
Donald j Macdonald (Headteacher)
James Gillespie’s High School
( Phone: 0131 447 1900
School values: Respect; Kindness; Integrity; Inclusion; High Expectations
Website:www.jamesgillespies.co.uk
+ Mail: 57 Lauderdale Street, Edinburgh, EH9 1DD
One of my favourite quotes: ‘Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.’ (Anthony j dangelo)
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