HEAD TEACHER'S NEWSLETTER
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MUSSELBURGH GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Friday 20 June 2025
Friday 20 June 2025
It's been a very busy week here at Musselburgh Grammar - we've had our new S1 pupils for transition, Sports Awards, Senior Dance, the Royal Highland Show, a pupil Leadership event with the army.....and more.
Thank you to all our staff and pupils who have been involved in the organisation of all the above events - you've helped make lasting memories.
We also held our Senior Pupil interviews today, so we look forward to seeing their posts in future newsletters.
One more week to go, and we know everyone will be looking forward to some well-earned rest. Next week brings more activities to enjoy in the last week of term - we look forward to seeing you at our Summer Music Concert on Wednesday.
Enjoy the weekend!
Jodie Hannan
Key Dates
June is looking wonderfully busy with lots of social events in and out of school.
Monday 23 June: School trip to Italy departs
Tuesday 24 June: Sports Day at Pinkie playfields 9am-1pm. Pupils return to school for period 6 and 7 classes.
Wednesday 25 June: Summer Music Concert 7-9pm
Thursday 26 June: last day of term. School ends at 3.25pm for the summer holidays.
Monday 11 & Tuesday 12 August: staff return to school for in-service days
Wednesday 13 August: all pupils return to school
Remember you can find all events on our school calendar, and you can add the calendar to your own too.
SQA Results and Appeals
SQA Results Day is Tuesday 5th August 2025. Pupils can sign up to receive these by text or email on the SQA website.
Additionally, the SQA have released details on their appeals service. This can be accessed: https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/79049.html
The service will open on Results day, Tuesday 5 August, at 9 am, and the learner direct submission deadlines are:
Tuesday 12 August at 11.59 pm for priority appeals
Tuesday 26 August at 11.59 pm for all other appeals
Your appeal can be prioritised if you have a conditional place at university or college, or in training or employment that depends on your grade
Should you be signed up for free school meals?
Some families may be eligible to register their child for Free School Meals, but we know that a number of young people/families are not signed up at Musselburgh Grammar School because their child doesn’t make use of the meals in school. As we near the end of term, I wanted to take this opportunity to outline the full lists of supports that come to those registered for Free School Meals, whether or not a lunch is taken:
· A free clothing grant each year of £160 per child at secondary school and £130 per child at primary school. As parents and carers start thinking about any new uniform they may need for August, this could be a huge support for families.
· Discounted and free access to Active Schools activities throughout the year, including holiday activities.
· Access to any of East Lothian’s leisure facilities at a discounted rate with an Access to Leisure card (gives entry to gyms, swimming pools, golf, creches, fitness classes and children’s sport programmes)
· Reduced school trip costs (up to 50% discount) on all school trips at MGS. Now that we have started running our trips abroad and other trips (including Italy in June 25, Alton Towers May 25, S3 residential in May 2026) we know that subsidised trip costs are a huge support for families and allows some young people to attend these trips that possibly wouldn’t be able to attend without this support.
· A Free School Meal entitlement can be used at break or lunch time to receive a range of hot and cold food, drinks and snacks from the school canteen.
· Depending on uptake of Free School Meals, schools may be entitled to additional funding. This funding would be used to support our young people in school and you would be supporting us by signing up.
If you would like to find out more about whether your family are eligible for Free School Meals and the wider support that comes along with this, you can do so at the following link.
If you would like any support or advice with accessing any of the supports set out above, please do get in touch on admin@musselburghgrammar.elcschool.org.uk and we can direct you to the correct person to support you.
Silver DofE Practice Expedition
It was the turn of our senior Silver Duke Of Edinburgh group to venture out on their practice expedition last week. The groups met on Monday morning at Flotterstone in the Pentlands and they spent the next 3 days navigating their way across the peaks and valleys, and camping at Bonaly Scout camp. They faced steep climbs across Caerketton and Allermuir in very challenging wet conditions on the first day but this did not dampen their spirits. Luckily, the weather improved the following day and the teams took to the hills and displayed excellent team work, navigation skills and determination.
Participants now have the chance to reflect on their experience and prepare for their Assessed expedition in September which will be in the Scottish Borders.
Special thank you to ELC Outdoor Education for providing extra kit for all of the DofE expeditions - without this amazing resource, and their staff, we would not be able to run DofE at such a minimal cost. Thanks also to the DofE staff team and to our minibus driver Mr Mells.
Sports Awards
On Wednesday evening, Musselburgh Grammar School proudly hosted its annual Sports Awards, a celebration of the outstanding sporting achievements of our students throughout the year.
We were honoured to welcome our guest speaker, two-time Paralympian Ben Rowlings, who delivered an inspiring talk. Ben shared his journey into sport, his experiences competing at the Paralympic Games, and the personal sacrifices he’s made to reach the top of his discipline. His message of resilience and determination was a true highlight of the evening.
A range of awards were presented, recognising individual talent, team spirit, and community contribution. These included Team of the Year, Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year, Contribution to Sport in the School Community, and Primary Sports Star.
Our two prestigious awards of the evening were the Junior Sportsperson of the Year and the Richard White Sports Personality of the Year Award.
· The Female Junior Sportsperson of the Year was awarded to Eilidh McIntyre. Orla Harrold was this years runner up
· The Male Junior Sportsperson of the Year went to Hamish Delaney. Tom Ibbs was this years runner up
· The Richard White Sports Personality Award, presented by Richard White’s daughters Fiona and Sheilagh, was awarded to senior student Sophie Davidson, who received the evening’s top honour. Congratulations to Erin Rowley who was the runner up of this esteemed award.
Events like this do not happen without a dedicated team behind the scenes. A heartfelt thank you goes to all the coaches and volunteers who give up their time to support school sport. Your commitment is what makes these opportunities possible for our young people.
Special thanks must go to Mr Michie, who organised the event from start to finish. His leadership and tireless work, often late into the night, brought the whole evening together.
We also wish to thank the many staff and students who helped ensure the event ran smoothly:
· Mr Dickson from the music department for his audio setup
· Libby Henderson and About 08 for their musical performances
· Mr Plenderleith for photography
· The Burgh Baristas for providing refreshments
· Maria Lyle for her behind-the-scenes coordination of presentations, programmes, and logistics
· And finally, the Honest Lads Association for their engaging talk and presentation of the U18 Football Award.
Congratulations to all of our award winners, and thank you to everyone who helped make this a memorable evening celebrating the power of sport in our school community
MGS Sports Award Winners!
MGS Students Represent School at Prestigious Golf Tournament
Two Musselburgh Grammar School students, Lewis Finnie and James Horrell, proudly represented the school at the ESMS Murrayfield Schools Invitational Golf Tournament held on Friday 13 June.
The tournament brought together talented young golfers from across the region for a day of competitive play and sportsmanship. Lewis and James, both keen golfers, rose to the challenge and demonstrated skill, focus, and determination throughout the event.
While the competition was strong, both students enjoyed the opportunity to test themselves against players from other schools and to gain valuable experience on a prestigious course. Their participation is a testament to the growing interest in golf at Musselburgh Grammar and the school’s commitment to encouraging sporting excellence.
Well done to Lewis and James for their efforts and for being fantastic ambassadors for MGS on and off the course.
MGS Athletes Shine on Track and Water at National Championships
It was a weekend of outstanding achievement for four Musselburgh Grammar School students as they competed in two major sporting events: the SSAA Track and Field Championships 2025 and the Scottish Schools Canoe Slalom.
At the Scottish Schools Athletics Association (SSAA) Championships, held at the Grangemouth Stadium, MGS was proudly represented by Thea Cooke, Aggie Cooke, Euan Petrie, and Tom Ibbs.
Thea and Aggie took on the field events, competing in the long jump and high jump, showcasing their versatility and athleticism. On the track, Euan Petrie achieved a new personal best in the 800m, clocking an impressive 2 minutes 48 seconds. Tom Ibbs delivered a strong performance in the 1500m, finishing 5th overall and also setting a personal best time of 4 minutes 25 seconds.
Not content with just one national competition in a weekend, Thea and Aggie also competed in the Scottish Schools Canoe Slalom shortly after their track and field events. Thea raced in the Open CIW Canoe Slalom, recording a best run time of 116.7 seconds. Aggie tackled the C1 Division 3 event, delivering a best run of 153.4 seconds.
These results reflect the hard work, dedication, and multi-sport talent of our students. Congratulations to Thea, Aggie, Euan, and Tom for their achievements and for representing Musselburgh Grammar School with pride across both land and water
Army Leadership Event
On Wednesday 20 S6 pupils took part in an event led by the Army with the aim to develop leadership skills. The programme included ‘voice of experience’ presentations; group discussion – qualities of a leader/challenges of leadership/values-based leadership*; practical leadership tasks; student led reflection. It was a fantastic day and was great to see our pupils working positively and building networks with pupils from both Preston Lodge and Knox Academy.
Music Department
MGS Summer Jam
On Wednesday 25th June, the Music Department will be hosting a Summer Jam to celebrate the excellent musicianship of many of our pupils! This will be held in the courtyard next to the canteen/music department at 7pm. Entry is £2 that can be paid on the night!
We hope to see you there!
St Andrew’s First Aid Training at Musselburgh Grammar School
Ready for Life 2 day Course
Tuesday 2nd September Emergency First Aid at Work SCQF Level 6
Wednesday 3rd September First Aid for Mental Health Awareness SCQF Level 4
Young people need to attend both full days to gain the Award.
This is a fantastic opportunity for your child to gain accredited first aid qualifications through practical experiences and learning modules. This will be an opportunity for them to illustrate their responsibility, citizenship, confidence and capability. Having these skills can not only be lifesaving in the community, it can increase employability of young people entering the work force. By achieving this qualification, the young people will also contribute to the school community and build a legacy within the school.
The qualifications last for 3 years. Employers are required by law to train employees in first aid, therefore holding this qualification has a direct impact on the employability of young people, whether full or part time positions.
East Lothian Works has been fortunate to receive funding to support this course and recognises the value that this course will bring to the young people, the school and their wider community.
St Andrew’s First Aid was founded almost 140 years ago to assist Scottish communities at their time of need. They know from their vast experience in working with young volunteers that this course will encourage self-belief, promote good character and confidence as well as being a rewarding and enjoyable experience – encouraging them to be Ready for Life.
Any pupil 16 + can apply to attend this course. Please sign up at the school office by Tuesday 24th June.
Dress Down Day
Thursday 26 June will be a dress down day for all pupils. Donations will be collected throughout the day and all contributions will be donated to Men Matter Scotland.
Well done and thank you to Ross and Matthew (S5) for organising this as part of their N5 Retailing course.
VENTURING OUT PROGRAMME
Venturing Out will be offering water activities in Musselburgh Lagoons.
17th July 1pm (8 spaces)
31st July 1pm (10 spaces)
To sign up free please complete a consent form for each participant
and this can be filled in online here: https://form.123formbuilder.com/4768720/form.
Year group attendance
Improving attendance to improve attainment is one of our school improvement priorities this year and we expect pupils’ attendance to be at least 90%. We are tracking pupils’ attendance carefully throughout the session and more information about our attendance strategy will follow. I hope parents and carers find this weekly update on each year group's attendance useful.
S2: 90%
S3: 88%
S4: 89%
S5: 92%
S6 93%
Lost Property
A silver bracelet was found in D1 this week. There are also an assortment of jackets - please come to Ms Harvey's room if you think any of these items belong to you. If not collected, all items will be donated to the British Heart Foundation next Thursday 26th June.
School Toilets
Our pupil toilets are checked on a regular basis to ensure everyone’s comfort and safety. These checks may be done by male or female staff
members, and signage is in toilets to make pupils aware of this.
MGS website and School Handbook for parents
Our website can be accessed here MGS (google.com), and it also contains our School Handbook.
School Policies
All of our policies can be viewed on our website
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