Dear Parents and Carers
As we approach the long weekend I wanted to share some key messages and highlights from the start of the school term. The dedication and hard work of the entire school community is very evident. Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the first Twilight Recital featuring students from the Music School – such enchanting performances, well done to all involved! I also received an incredibly thoughtful gift from some of our S1 pupils who had been out in the Pentlands as part of their ‘Outdoor Day’ and picked some beautiful blackberries for me! Kindness is such a feature of the school.
Pupil Leadership
The role of our young people as leaders who are empowered to led is critical to our overall school improvement journey. Following competitive processes, I’m delighted to share important leadership appointments with you.
Congratulations to the S6 Leadership Team (6LT):
Manu Abeysuriya
Ines Ibrahim
Poppy Cadell Girvan
Valerie Redgrave
Lucy Jardine
Well done to the House Captains:
Adam – Ishtiaq Rahman, Lucia Blake
Napier – Lewis Gardiner, Maria Anwaar
Raeburn – Eilidh Mackenzie , Natasha Jackson
Scott – Erin Reid, Khadija Hossain
Liam Denholm and Eve Gordon Walker have been appointed as our Sports Young Ambassadors. They will be part of the national SportScotland programme that tasks pupils to engage with and learn from professionals in the sport industry and bring findings back to Broughton to encourage others to take part in physical activity.
Wider Achievement
At our recent House Assemblies, the new Captains shared the broad range of opportunities available to all our students. I am so impressed to see how many are led and organised by the young people themselves, such as the BSL (British Sign Language) club and grateful to all staff who offer up this time. There really is something for everyone, including a new Bridge club on Tuesday (led by a Scottish International) and Minecraft club. Young people should now have received a Wider Achievement card. Please do check out the school website for further details and encourage your child to take part.
Upcoming Events
We look forward to celebrating the success of our senior pupils at the upcoming SQA Awards ceremonies and details are being shared with recipients. The Parent Council AGM is being held on Wednesday 25 September and dates for remaining meetings will be agreed at this – it would be wonderful to work with as many of you as possible, so that Broughton can go from strength to strength. The S1 Parent and Carers’ evening is on 9th October and will be in-person, details on how to book appointments will be released shortly. The opportunity to meet with our families and support the learning of our students is always welcomed.
Key Messages
Many thanks for your on-going support with our school dress code, as the vast majority are wearing this. School dress code is important for developing a sense of belonging and pride in being part of the Broughton team, and from a health and safety perspective as it enables us to clearly identify our pupils. Students should wear a white shirt and tie, unbranded black top (jumper or cardigan), black bottoms (trousers or skirt) and black shoes. This is a long-established dress code. Those who attend school without full uniform will be issued with relevant items to borrow for the day. We would also encourage young people to bring appropriate protective equipment to PE when necessary. If you require any support with buying items of school uniform, or your child requires adjustments to uniform based on their needs, please do contact your child’s Pupil Support Leader (PSL).
Currently our S2-S6 pupils can leave the school grounds at lunchtime and the S1 will be able to do so from Tuesday 17 September. We are proud of our strong partnership with the local community and encourage all of our young people to be responsible citizens, showing respect in our dealings with others, and for the environment. Anti-social behaviour is not tolerated and our Link Police officers work closely with the students, school, families and local businesses to address this.
Most of our young people are punctual to school at 8.30am and maximise their learning opportunities. We would appreciate your help encouraging your child to be on time every day, as this is an important life-skill. There may be justified reasons for not being on time, such as Young Carer responsibilities, please update your child’s PSL so that we can take this into account.
Over the first few weeks it has been such a privilege to lead the school and work across the Broughton team to ensure this is a place where every young person feels they belong and can thrive. Together we do achieve more.
Thank you for your continued support. I hope you enjoy a lovely long weekend.
Kind regards
Roberta Porter
Acting Head Teacher