MUSSELBURGH GRAMMAR SCHOOL
MUSSELBURGH GRAMMAR SCHOOL
THE GRAMMARIAN
Embedded Files
Friday 06 March 2026
Friday 06 March 2026
The Chromebook roll out this week has gone very smoothly: we are all enjoying using them in class and thanks to all parents for your support with school bags.
S6 pupils have been taking photos for their year books and looking very smart in their Leavers hoodies.
With best wishes,
Jodie
KEY DATES
Friday 27 March: MGS Parade down the High Street as part of our 400th anniversary celebrations. Further information on this is available further down.
Week beginning 30 March: SQA assemblies and SQA timetables issued to S4-S6
Wednesday 1 April: Parent Council online briefing 7-8pm. This will include a discussion with Jennifer Boyle, Quality Improvement Officer, about the proposal to site an ASN provision at MGS.
Study Leave for S4 - S6 Commences: Wednesday 22 April - Ends: Friday 29 May.
STAFFING
Welcome to Ms Stewart who joins the Health and Wellbeing Faculty as Home Economics Auxiliary, and to Ms Caddie who joins the Support for Learning department as Learning Support Assistant.
New appointments I am very pleased to let you know that Mrs Uttley-Carlin will be joining us as acting DHT for Learning and Teaching and Head of Caird House in the second part of Ms Ryan’s maternity leave. Mrs Uttley-Carlin will take up post after the Easter holidays.
Interviews are being held for Teacher of Home Economics, Teacher of PE, and Science Technician next week.
QUALIFICATIONS SCOTLAND
The SQA is now known as Qualifications Scotland, and the exam timetable for 2026 can be viewed here: https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/files_ccc/nq-2026-exam-timetable.pdf
PARENT COUNCIL MEETING DATES
These are the dates for this session’s Parent Council meetings:
Wednesday 1st April 7-8pm online https://meet.google.com/csy-mvmg-mtu?authuser=0&hs=122
Thursday 4th June 6.30-8.30pm in school
READY TO LEARN
Our Ready To Learn routine expects all pupils to be prepared for every class every day as indicated below.
READY TO LEARN Mobile Phones
Once all pupils have their own Chromebook there will no longer be any need for students to use a mobile phone in classrooms for learning purposes.
Our mobile phone policy is clear that mobile phones should be switched off and in school bags, or placed in a receptacle such as a phone tray or phone pocket to avoid all distractions. The policy can be read on the website.
East Lothian Council is currently surveying all parents and carers about mobile phones in school and I encourage you all to respond. Staff and young people will be surveyed in the near future. There are different views on this subject and it’s important that they’re recorded.
To support our Ready to Learn approach, the policy of phones being switched off and away, and not taken to the toilet during class time will continue until further notice and your support with this is appreciated.
EDINBURGH COLLEGE UPDATE
Pupils who have applied for a Full Time College or School College Partnership (SCP) course are reminded to regularly check their emails. Colleges are now beginning to schedule interview dates and important information will be sent directly to pupils via email or on their college account.
If you are required to bring any relevant information or materials, such as a mood board or portfolio, please ensure these are prepared in advance for your interview. It is the responsibility of pupils to monitor their inbox and respond promptly to any correspondence to avoid missing key deadlines or opportunities.
If you are unable to log on, or think you have missed an email, please see Ms Hoffman B16 who will check the College tracker for you.
BEAUTY INTERVIEWS ARE TAKING PLACE ON MONDAY 9TH MARCH, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAILS FOR INFO.
HAIRDRESSING INTERVIEWS WILL BE TAKING PLACE ON MONDAY 16TH MARCH.
400th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
Our 400 Acts of Kindness over January and February has come to an end with Grange recognised for 340 Acts of Kindness! 2G1 accrued 235 acts alone.
Caird was in second place, with 3C1 the kindest class. And 2M1 was recognised as the kindest Moray class.
Well done to everyone for showing and recognising kindness to others to start off 2026.
Acts of Kindness will continue in a slightly different format for the rest of the year as we move on to the next celebration of our incredible 400 year history.
MARCH'S CELEBRATION IS A BIG ONE!
Our recent consultation on our refreshed school values reminded us all, students, families, staff and wider community alike, of how proud Musselburgh has been of our school for 400 years: the Grammar belongs to the town.
It is an honour and privilege to be Head Teacher at the Grammar, and very important for me to place our school and young people at the heart of our community in this landmark year, so what better way to showcase this than a whole school parade!
So please save the date- the MGS parade is on Friday 27 March starting at 9.15am.
This is the route we will be following that morning and it would be wonderful for families to cheer us on from the pavements alongside P6 and 7 classes from our cluster primaries.
Events like these need community support and so I am very grateful to Loretto School for loaning us their pipe band to lead the procession; to the Rotary Club and Old Musselburgh Club for providing safety wardens; and to colleagues in Police Scotland, and ELC Road and Transport for their assistance.
We’re really looking forward to this event and hope you will be able to join us in the town.
S3 Business Trip to Company Bakery
Our S3 Business students recently headed to the Company Bakery in Musselburgh for a fantastic look at the marketing and operations of a thriving local business. This is part of our work in the Business Education department and with ELC’s Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) coordinator to help young people see the real life links between the courses they are studying and real life businesses. This was a great opportunity for them to see how professional production and branding work in practice.
The feedback from pupils was very positive including comments that it has helped them understand the connections between school subjects, specific industries and job roles; feel better prepared for the world of work; and realising the importance of developing the essential skills for life and work.
Now back in the classroom, the students are putting that knowledge to the test. They have started an exciting challenge to design and develop their own Easter-themed cookie, bun, or brownie. We look forward to seeing their creative ideas and business plans come to life over the next few weeks!
Huge thanks to Hollie from The Company Bakery for the time she is investing with MGS Business students in this project (and for the delicious cinnamon buns she sent them back to school with!).
Mr Lynn, Business Education Teacher
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK
Next week, S1 Science classes will be taking part in activities as part of British Science Week. The theme this year is “Curiosity, what’s your question?” - the S1 classes will be choosing a silly Science question such as:
"If you dug a hole straight through the Earth and jumped in, where would you come out?"
"If plants need sunlight, how do seeds know which direction to grow when underground?"
"why does toast always land buttered side down?"
"Could a human outrun their own smell?"
"What if gravity turned off for one second?"
"Do penguins get cold feet?"
OR whatever they want!
They will carry out research and present their findings to the class in any way they like.
The whole school are also invited to enter the poster competition
Hand in to your Science teacher and we will choose the best 5 to submit to the event!
ACTIVE SCHOOLS
Cross Country Success for Musselburgh!
Congratulations to the MGS quartet who competed at the SSAA Cross Country Championships on Wednesday at Hopetoun House.
Dylan Duffy, Tom Ibbs, Euan Petrie and Adam Spence competed in the U15 Boys Race over a tough 4k route. There was individual success for Tom Ibbs, who won the race. This rounds off a stellar XC season for Tom who has had individual success at East District and Borders Series events. As a group, the boys finished as the 4th fastest team on the day.
A big thank you goes to MGS running coach, Mike Malcom-Smith who played a large part in getting the boys ready for the competition. Additionally, thank you to the boys parents and guardians for accompanying them on the day and making the trip possible.
If you are interested in getting into running, we have an Active Schools club on a Wednesday (3.45-4.45pm) at the Pinkie Grass Running Track.
MGS vs MGS - Social Football
Monday evening our S2 boys team were due to play Newbattle at home. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the opposition had to pull out. Without wanting to let the S2’s down, S3 and S1 students stepped in to ensure the team had some match practice.
It was a competitive game with both teams scoring. Our ‘yellow’ team did sneak the win but it was a fun opportunity for the students to socialise over a shared interest.
If you would like us to put on more social football matches/leagues, please get in touch or see Maria Lyle, Active Schools Coordinator in A45.
Sporting Achievements- we want to hear from you!
At Musselburgh Grammar School, we want to celebrate the successes of our young people. If you want to share the achievements of your child with the school, please email mlyle@elcschool.org.uk
ATTENDANCE TIPS
Your child may be refusing to go to school because they don’t like it, find it boring or irrelevant or don’t want to be there. They may be skipping school without your knowledge, going in but not attending classes, arriving late or leaving early. Skipping a day here or there may not seem that bad, but the more school your child misses, the harder it may become for them when they are in class.
Tip 1: We are here to help
If your child is skipping school or classes, the school should get in touch with you, but you can also reach out to the school to start the conversation. We are here to support all students and help everyone make the most of school life. We want to support your child to attend school, and can help you work out ways to engage with them before it becomes a bigger issue.
Tip 2: Encourage them to try new things
School isn’t just about learning. Most schools offer lots of different activities, and some of these may seem relevant to your child even if their lessons don’t. And these activities are also a great opportunity to make new friends. Contact Maria Lyle, Active School Coordinator for information on our Active Schools programme or check out information on the Active Schools page
Tip 3: Show them the bigger picture
It’s easy for children to think things like ‘I’ll never use maths in the real world’ or ‘I don’t need to read this boring book’. But the skills they learn in school help them understand the world around them. For example, they’ll need maths to balance a budget when they get older, and studying texts in English can help them be more critical about everything they read, like internet scams and ‘fake news’.
Tip 4: Talk about their future
It may help to chat to them about what they’d like to do when they leave school. You could have a look at the My World of Work website (myworldofwork.co.uk) to spark some ideas. They could also chat to a Skills Development Scotland careers adviser at school.
Have a look at the Parent Club website, there is a lot of useful information on here to help. Whether it’s managing anxiety, easing stress, or working with the school, Parent Club has practical advice and support for you.
If you are concerned about your child’s attendance, please reach out to the schools Attendance Officer or your child's Pupil Support Leader for support.
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.
FILM MAKING OPPORTUNITY
PLEASE SEE MR DONNELLY IN B28 FOR MORE DETAILS
KOOTH –ONLINE MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING PLATFORM FOR CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE
Kooth is a free, anonymous mental health resource for all 10-26 year olds living in East Lothian. The online platform offers a wellbeing magazine, discussion boards, mini self-care activities and journalling/goal setting tools - all to help support better emotional and mental wellbeing for young people.
Kooth also offers direct text-based support with qualified mental health workers, available 365 days of the year. The messaging service is always available, or young people can join the queue for a live text chat from 12pm-10pm on weekdays and 6pm-10pm at weekends.
All Kooth services are BACP accredited and available without a waiting list or referral. Kooth can offer support with anything that is worrying or bothering a child or young person. All community spaces on the platform are pre-moderated, ensuring that everything that is posted is checked before going live on the site, and there is no way for users to send direct or private messages.
We are a council-commissioned service, and with no thresholds, waiting lists or referrals required, children and young people can access support for any issues they may be experiencing. Many young people find our service particularly useful out of hours when other supports may be unavailable. Sign up is quick and free, and most importantly doesn’t require any identifiable information, to protect children and young people’s anonymity. It’s possible to sign up and use Kooth on any device at www.kooth.com.
For any questions about the service, please reach out to parents@kooth.com or contact@kooth.com
For free webinars and resources, visit www.connect.kooth.com/for-families
THE HONEST THREAD
Our Honest Thread, “free to a good home” initiative is a new way to share gently used school uniforms within our school community. Anyone who is in need of these items are welcome to request them free of charge.
If you would like to receive any uniform items, please complete the short Google Form below. This allows us to organise requests and prepare your order for collection from the School Office.
https://forms.gle/8NGk3eGnr5M9bMd56
The form will be added to on a regular basis and we hope that we will be able to include items other than schoolwear; this scheme is entirely donation based, so families are always invited to donate clean, good-quality items they no longer need. All donations are much appreciated and can be dropped off at the School Office FAO Ms Ritchie.
NHS NEWS - WORK EXPERIENCE OPPORTUNITIES
CAR PARK SAFETY
A safety reminder to all families who drop children off at school in the morning that they should be dropped off in the turning circle
outside the main gates and then use the footpath to the main doors, not walk through the car park.
This is due to a few near accidents recently with the volume of cars in the car park and pupils walking through it. If it is essential to come into the car park then the one way system must be used, again, to prevent accidents.
In addition, any S6 pupils having driving lessons should not be using the school car park for any part of the lesson due to the amount of cars in the area including narrow lanes and parking bays.
Thank you for your support.
NOTES FROM THE OFFICE
NOTES FROM THE OFFICE
Reminder that all absences should be reported before 8am by texting 07860 049075. Please help us cut down on staff time and costs by notifying us before we have to contact you.
Please also remember to let us know in advance of any healthcare appointments for your young person, to save time at the point they need to leave school. If we haven’t been notified in advance, we will need to call you to verify, which may delay their departure from school.
We would like your help to ensure that all young people arriving in school after 08:30am sign in with the QR Code or office staff to avoid any unnecessary messages home.
PUPIL SUPPORT
If you would like to speak with a member of the Guidance Team (Pupil Support Leaders) please email Pupil Support Admin on: pupilsupport@musselburghgrammar.elcschool.org.uk
HEAD TEAM BLOG
Hello everyone! Recently we have visited the Burgh, Campie and Loretto primaries speaking to the next generation of MGS pupils. We did things like teach them how to tie a tie and answer their queries about coming to high school. These visits were really fun and a massive shout out to the pupils that accompanied us: Ava, daisy, Zoa, Chloe, Sam and Abi you were all fab! Exams are quickly approaching so we have started working hard with our studying and would encourage everyone else to do the same! We hope you have a lovely weekend!
Grace, Libby and Holly
UNIFORM REMINDER
Thank you for your ongoing support of our dress code.
Wearing uniform in school continues to be an important feature in school, not least for a safety aspect, as it allows us to identify who all our pupils are.
As our S5 and S6 pupils have chosen to return to school and are aware of the expectations of uniform and attendance laid out at the beginning of the session, I do expect our seniors to uphold our uniform standards. This is not only for safety reasons but also as role models to all younger students.
To encourage this, uniform wearing will be considered alongside attendance as a deciding factor for seniors attending social events.
Our uniform expectations are:
Trousers/ skirt- black only
White shirt and tie
Black jumper
Blue jeans, ripped jeans, cropped/ belly tops, band t-shirts and joggers/ tracksuits etc are not part of our dress code.
Please get in touch with the school office or your child’s PSL (Pupil Support Leader) if we can support with any uniform items.
Thank you for your ongoing support of our dress code.
LOST PROPERTY
LOST PROPERTY
A few new items in lost property, if you have lost anything, please go and see Ms Harvey
A few new items in lost property, if you have lost anything, please go and see Ms Harvey
MEDICAL
MEDICAL
Polio/dip/tetanus/meningitis for all S3 Boys and Girls and catch ups will take place on Thursday 19th March 2026. Please hand all forms back to the school office asap.
HPV will take place on Thursday 11th June 2026. Please return all forms to school asap. All S1 Boys and Girls and some catch ups too.
Asthma - All pupils who have Asthma please make sure you have an inhaler with you at all times.
Thank you C Harvey
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.
Our Healthy Respect drop in service runs every Wednesday lunchtime in the Training Room. This NHS run wellbeing service is in a discreet area of school, is free and confidential, and offers support and advice to young people on a range of matters including sexual health information for pupils over the age of 13.
MGS WEBSITE AND SCHOOL HANDBOOK FOR PARENTS
Our website has lots of useful information for parents, and includes our School Handbook and School Policies. Have a look! We welcome your feedback.
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