Dear Parents and Carers
Please find below some updates relating to:
- New Timetable and changes to the structure of the school Day
- Curricular changes
- Memorial Bench for Joshua Oliver
- Law Scholarship
- Parent Council
- Activities week
New Timetable and changes to the structure of the school day
Our new timetable will begin for all students on Monday 27th May. At this time, we will be changing the structure of the school day/week. Please see new times below.
| Monday – Thursday | Friday | ||
| Period 1 | 08:30 – 09:20 | Period 1 | 08:30 – 09:20 |
| Period 2 | 09:20 – 10:10 | Period 2 | 09:20 – 10:10 |
| Period 3 | 10:10 – 11:00 | Period 3 | 10:10 – 11:00 |
| BREAK | 11:00 – 11:15 | BREAK | 11:00 – 11:15 |
| Period 4 | 11:15 – 12:05 | Period 4 | 11:15 – 12:05 |
| Period 5 | 12:05 – 12:55 | Period 5 | 12:05 – 12:55 |
| LUNCH | 12:55 – 13:40 | ||
| Period 6 | 13:40 – 14:30 | ||
| Period 7 | 14:30 – 15:20 | ||
To maximise options within the curriculum and increase learning time, we will no longer start each day with Daily Morning Tutor. Instead, students should arrive at 8:25am and go directly to period 1 class. It is now vital that all students arrive on time to avoid missing out on learning or interrupting the learning of others.
Curricular changes
The new structure of the school day enables us to increase the number of subjects on offer, providing a wider range of pathways which will support all students to achieve the best possible levels of attainment. Our new curriculum offers a number of new subjects which widen choice and access to higher levels of qualification. Studying 7 subjects in S4 and then 6 in S5/6 keeps pathways as open and flexible as possible.
Memorial Bench for Joshua Oliver
Four of our S1 students, Travis McKean, Ryan Oliver, Elliott Smith and Aleks Meiklejohn, have teamed up with a group from Craigmount to raise funds for a bench and a tree, to be placed in Gyle Park, in memory of their best friend Joshua Oliver. The team will do a 12 Mile walk on Monday 20th May and are collecting funds through the link below.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/memorial-bench-for-joshua-oliver
They have already met their target and should be very proud of themselves. They are now raising additional funds to support the Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity.
Law Scholarship
A member of our Parent Council asked me to share this opportunity to gain financial support for students interested in studying Law. It is a chance to benefit from financial support (£2500 per year) during university studies, plus mentoring and paid work experience. For more information, please follow link below.
Law Scholarships · CMS Emerging Talent
Parent Council
It was great to meet with our Parent Council last Tuesday night. Our Parent Council is an incredibly active group of parents who contribute so much to the school – supporting events, funding, planning and organisation, as well as providing views on how we can make the school better. The Parent Council Annual General Meeting (or Parent Forum Meeting) takes place on Tuesday 11 June from 7:00pm. All parents are welcome at this meeting, including parents of our current P7s. You can find out more about our Parent Council at the link within the Parent Zone section of our website.
Activities Week
Next week we have one of the most exciting weeks of the school year. After a holiday for students on Monday and Tuesday, we are straight into Activities Week – Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th May. Thanks to all staff who are organising such a vast range of activities. There is certainly something for everyone, and I hope we all have a great experience.
Please ensure any outstanding payments for activities are made through Parent Pay and that KIC forms are handed to trip leaders.
Information about individual trips can be found at the following link.
https://forresterhighschool.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/May-2024-activities-week.pdf
Finally, I would like to thank John Johnstone for the fantastic support he has given the school over the last few months. John leaves us next Friday to return to Castlebrae High School, prior to taking up his post as Head Teacher at Dunbar Grammar School. John has shown great drive and commitment to our school during his time at Forrester. He will be missed by everyone here, and we wish him all the very best for the future, both personally and professionally.
Thanks and best wishes
Stephen Rafferty
Head Teacher