Stephen Small

Head Teacher

The post Standards and Quality Report appeared first on Forrester High School.

I am honoured to take up post as Headteacher of Forrester High School and look forward to working with you as a parent body in supporting each and every young person within the school community to reach their fullest potential. The staff and pupils have made me feel very welcome in my first few days here and I am keen to get to know them better as time goes on.

This term is a pivotal one for all our learners, with senior pupils preparing for their assignments and exams as well as some of them beginning to make preparations for moving on to the next part of their journey whether that be higher or further education, an apprenticeship or moving into employment. There are a wide range of supports on offer within the school to assist with this next step so please get in touch with the relevant Pupil Support Leader if you are unsure what your young person should be doing at the current time.

Pupils in S2 and S3 are also making course choices and should be using all the information they have about what they want to do in the future and what they need for it, how they are doing in their classes and what pathways are available in the different subject areas. They are meeting with their Pupil Support Leaders to get appropriate guidance through this process.

For everyone within the school this is an exciting time of year and an exciting time for the Forrester High School learning community. We will soon be welcoming some of the P7 pupils up for the first part of the transition process and we will be sharing our core values of ‘Respect, Believe, Achieve’ with them and ensuring that they feel a valued part of the school community as they begin their journey with us.

Regards,

Stephen Small

Headteacher

The post Message from Head Teacher appeared first on Forrester High School.

Please see attached flyer with information and links to Family Holiday activities and financial support.

Family holiday activities flyer

Help Make the Magic Manageable!

There are so many demands at this time of year, the list just keeps on getting longer and the cost continues to rise. You can find a list of free and low-cost activities to do in the run up to and during the winter school holidays on the . The City of Edinburgh council are updating the webpage all the time, so please keep checking back in for new activities.

Support for Families

Check out the other for lots of other supports and activities provided by different organisations throughout the year.

The might be particularly helpful just now when trying to stretch the budget for those extra holiday costs.

If you need any help finding support for you or your child, please email

supportingparentsandcarers@edinburgh.gov.uk

(Sent on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council)

Thanks and best wishes

Stephen Rafferty

Head Teacher

The post Winter Family Holiday Activities and Support appeared first on Forrester High School.

As you know, I will be retiring at Christmas, and I wanted to update you on the Head Teacher recruitment process. Interviews will be held at school tomorrow, 18/11/24 – candidates (chosen from a large pool of applicants) will be given a tour of the school, followed by questions from students, and then an interview with a panel, containing senior Education Managers and two members of our Parent Council. Successful candidates will be invited to a second interview at the City Chambers on 3^rd December and a new Head Teacher will be appointed thereafter.

The school will be left in very capable hands with a great senior leadership team in place to keep everything moving forward, as we await the arrival of the new Head Teacher in the New Year. Pauline Walker, Head Teacher at the Royal High School, will also support the school through this period. Mrs Walker brings a wealth of knowledge and experience which will help make the transition as smooth as possible.

Although some people might find change a bit unsettling, I hope that everyone can pull together and continue to contribute to the improvement the school has made over the last few years. Forrester has a brilliant staff team who are working incredibly hard to implement a new curriculum and provide exciting opportunities for our students. Time and time again, our students prove that they are as good as any in the city, and beyond. Not only is this the case when they represent the school through the many wider achievement opportunities they engage in, but also now in terms of the qualifications they achieve. In assemblies this week, I will be asking all students to work positively with staff and engage with learning so that they can share in the continuation of this success.

In these next few weeks, I hope that everyone will work hard and continue to make progress so that, when the new Head Teacher arrives, they will know, as I did, that they have made the right decision.

Finally, the school will be busy tomorrow with many visitors, and I would expect everyone to be at their very best.

Thanks and best wishes

Stephen Rafferty

Head Teacher

The post Head Teacher Update 17/11/24 appeared first on Forrester High School.

Thank you to the many parents who attended our session on Thursday 12th September. If you were unable to attend, please do not worry, you can access the presentation via the link below.

/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/S1-Parent-Welcome-Evening_September_2024.pdf

We would really appreciate feedback from those of you who were there; please could you take a couple of minutes to respond to the questions in this form:

We look forward to seeing you again soon!

Lisa Coffey

Depute Head Teacher

Forrester High School

The post S1 Welcome Evening Presentation appeared first on Forrester High School.

The post Brief Head Teacher Update – Key Dates and Information appeared first on Forrester High School.

I hope you have had a good summer and that you are enjoying the last few days of the holidays. I look forward to welcoming everyone back, safe and well, on Wednesday 14^th August. I would especially like to welcome all new students and parents to the school and to direct you to our school website and X-account for any information you may need.

Website: /

Twitter/X: @forresterhs

We enjoyed a fantastic end to term in June – please see some stories gathered for the Summer ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½letter – and I want to ensure that everyone is able to get off to the best possible start next week. I have included some reminders below.

Being on-time with everything you need

Since our move to a 7 period day, lessons start at 8.30am. It is therefore vital that everyone arrives by 8:25am so that you are in class on-time and ready to learn. Please make sure iPads are charged and in your bag so that you can access learning in every class. Our new S1 will be issued with iPads during the first few weeks of term.

Dress Code

After the summer break, we expect all students to engage positively with our Dress Code Policy For S4-6, this is a shirt and school tie, smart black trousers or skirt/leggings, and black shoes. For S1-3, we expect students to wear a Forrester school jumper/hoodie, a black/white polo shirt, accompanied by plain black trousers, joggers, skirt, or leggings.

If for any reason you are unable to access uniform, please let us know so that we can support. Please contact Sarah Ross, Pupil Support Officer, who will treat any enquiry with the upmost confidentiality.  Sarah can also help if you are finding it difficult to access the supports you are entitled to.

Sarah can be contacted by email sarah.ross@forrester.edin.sch.uk  or by calling the school on 0131 334 9262.

The Support for Parents and Families page within the Parent Zone on the school website also signposts a range of wider supports available to parents.

Mobile Phones

To protect the learning of all students, and help staff deliver the best possible lessons, mobile phones should not appear in the classroom. Phones should be in bags and placed at the front or side of the class. Please see our Mobile Policy on the school website.

Finally, please enjoy the last moments of the summer and return refreshed ready to go.

Thanks and best wishes

Stephen Rafferty

Head Teacher

The post Head Teacher Update 8 August 2024 appeared first on Forrester High School.

As we head quickly towards the end of term, I am writing to provide some brief update on the following:

• Parent Council AGM
• P7 Parents’ Information Evening
• Consultation Event, Tuesday 18^th June
• Primary 7 Three-day Induction Visits
• Sports Day
• End of Term

Parent Council Annual General Meeting (AGM)

Last Tuesday’s AGM was the final meeting for our chairperson, Jacky Barn. Jacky has served on the Forrester Parent Council for 8 years, having previously served for 7 years on the PC at Carrick Knowe. I want to thank Jacky for her incredible dedication and service to our schools and for all the support she has given us throughout these years.

On Tuesday, the dates for next year’s meetings were agreed and these will be updated on our website in the Parent Council section, within the Parent Zone:

Forrester High School Edinburgh | Parent Zone

The Parent Council are always happy to welcome new members and to take forward issues and suggestions on parents’ behalf. They can be contacted through the school website.

Primary 7 Parents’ Information Evening

Last Tuesday, we also hosted primary 7 parents for an information evening, in preparation for the P7 three-day visits Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week.

For those who missed this information evening and for those who are looking for a reminder, the presentation slides can be found on our website here.

Primary 7 Three-Day Induction Visit

We are excited to welcome our P7 for their 3-day visit starting tomorrow morning. Mrs Coffey has shared all the arrangements with parents and primary staff. Having met all the P7s on the recent Enterprising Maths Challenge, I am looking forward to sharing a really good three days with them.

Consultation Event Tuesday 18^th June, 6:00pm

I look forward to meeting many of you tomorrow night at our consultation event – 6:00pm – 7:00pm in the School Assembly Hall. During this event, we will give you an update on the progress we have made in responding to our recent school inspection. We will also explain how we will continue to take this forward through our School Improvement Plan for session 2024-25. You will then have an opportunity to ask questions, add anything we may have missed or put forward suggestions and feedback.

Sports Day

I am also looking forward to Sports Day which takes place next Tuesday, 25^th June. This will be a great way to finish the term, bringing everyone together and raising the spirits, with some fun and healthy competition.

Finally, a summary of all this year’s wider achievement, including last week’s Open Mic and Drone Competition, will be captured and shared through our Summer ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½letter. This is due to be published before the end of term (but may run into the first few days of the holiday).

Please note, the school will close for the summer holidays at 12:00 noon on Friday 28^th June, and I wish everyone a restful and enjoyable break.

I look forward to seeing students return safe and well on Wednesday 14^th August.

Thanks and best wishes

Stephen Rafferty

Head Teacher

The post Head Teacher Update 17/6/24 appeared first on Forrester High School.

Please find below some updates on the following:

• New Timetable
• Under 16 Lothian Cup Winners
• Scottish Cup Success
• Success in Basketball
• National Youth Theatre
• Duke of Edinburgh
• Enterprising Maths Challenge

New Timetables

A reminder that the school timetable changes tomorrow.  We start the timetable in May to maximise the opportunities for learning and achievement. Students should now all have their new timetables. This includes senior students who were issued timetables in induction assemblies on Friday morning. We want everyone to make the best possible start and I would ask you to support your child to arrive on time (8:25am) and go straight to period 1 class for 8:30am. Please refer to my previous update or the website link for the new structure of the school day.

Under 16 Lothian Cup Winners (3-1)

Having made it to the final three times, our under 16 football team were not going to let this chance slip away as they came out on top of a closely fought contest to lift the Lothian Cup against Portobello on Friday night. Congratulations to the team and huge thanks to our coaches, Paul Fraser and Kieran Millar, and manager, Morv Richardson, for their dedication and support. We are all so proud of the boys for putting Forrester back on the football map, having not won the cup for over twenty years. Congratulations to:

• Harry Moffat
• Hayden Rendall
• Riyad Elmrabty
• Kayden Clark
• Wisdom Avies
• Jaden Riddell
• Finlay Hannah
• Lucas Quinn
• Jack Bathgate
• Jack Richardson
• Arran Matheson
• Cole Fraser
• Tommy North
• Warren Coats
• Tyler Wilson
• Tyler Barnes

Scottish Cup Success

Double congratulations go to the eight players who also won the Scottish Cup with Edinburgh City last week. This is the second time they have won this trophy and they are making winning a bit of a habit. Congratulations to:

• Arran Mathieson
• Harry Moffat
• Jack Bathgate
• Jack Richardson
• Jaden Ridell
• Lucas Quinn
• Riyad Elmrabty
• Thomas North

Success in Basketball

Congratulations to Carter McSweeney on being selected to represent ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ in the annual Tri Nations Basketball tournament. We wish Carter all the very best as he goes up against Wales and England in Manchester next month.

National Youth Theatre

Angus Dunn and Nerea Porterfield have been accepted into the National Youth Theatre and will undertake an induction course in Glasgow this summer.

This is an incredible accomplishment, and when they complete their training they will be in the company of NYT alumni like Helen Mirren, Daniel Craig, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Orlando Bloom. Well done to you both!

S3 Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award (Rained off)

Despite the rain, a group of brave explorers set off on their Bronze Expedition early on Thursday morning. Unfortunately, the weather continued to deteriorate, and our leaders took the tough decision to abandon the expedition. This proved to be a very wise decision as the rain continued to pour down, causing travel chaos and the closure of bypass. Thank you to our dedicated team of staff who are already looking for an alternative date to go again.

P7 Enterprising Maths Challenge

It was great to meet our P7s who visited the school to take part in the Enterprising Maths Challenge on Wednesday. The pupils took part in 4 rounds, puzzle, relay, speed and quiz and behaved impeccably. They were an absolute credit to their schools and we look forward to welcoming them back for P7 induction in June. Thanks to our Maths team and all the primary staff who made this such a successful event.

Finally, it’s a busy few weeks ahead for the school. I’m looking forward to judging at the YPI final on Tuesday night and to celebrating our outgoing S6 at the prom on Friday. Next Thursday we will be celebrating success at out Awards Assembly. On Tuesday 11^th June, we welcome P7 parents for an information evening, prior to a meeting of the Parent Forum (Parent Council AGM) from 7:00pm. The following week we will host our P7s for their induction visits (from Tuesday 18^th to Thursday 20^th June).

I look forward to meeting many of you at these events.

Thanks and best wishes

Stephen Rafferty

Head Teacher

The post Head Teacher Update 26/5/24 appeared first on Forrester High School.

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 27^th May. At this time, we will be changing the structure of the school day/week. Please see new times below.

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 20^th May and are collecting funds through the link below.

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.

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 8^th and Thursday 9^th 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.

/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

The post Head Teacher Update – 30/4/24 appeared first on Forrester High School.