MUSSELBURGH GRAMMAR SCHOOL
MUSSELBURGH GRAMMAR SCHOOL
THE GRAMMARIAN
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Friday 15th May 2026
Friday 15th May 2026
I spent a lovely few days in Berwick last week with colleagues and a brilliant bunch of young people on our S3 residential. The sun shone as we laser tagged, zip wired, abseiled and climbed vertical challenges. More details and photos below.
It continues to be busy in school with planning for the new timetable and working on our school improvement priorities for next session.
I hope that exams are going well for S4-6 students and we’re looking forward to seeing our new S5 and S6 back in classes on 1 June.
We will be holding a welcome to Senior Phase information session in school for Senior Phase parents towards the end of May - details to follow.
Jodie
KEY DATES
Monday 18 May: In Service day for staff
Tuesday 19 May: Pupils return to school
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
The last meeting for this session's Parent Council meeting is:
Thursday 4th June: 6.30-8.30pm in school
PARENT COUNCIL NEWS
New S6 Prom Committee: Parent Volunteers Needed
As our new S6 pupils begin their final year, it is time to start thinking ahead to one of the big milestone moments: Prom 2027.
The outgoing S6 Prom Committee has kindly offered to provide a handover, sharing what worked well, useful contacts, timelines, tips and lessons learned. The Parent Council is also happy to offer support and guidance where helpful. Parents do not need to be members of the Parent Council to get involved. In fact, it is better if you act independently of the Parent Council though we will always be a supportive shoulder!
To make a prom possible, a group of S6 parents/carers is needed to come together and form a Prom Committee. This would allow planning to start early, venues and suppliers to be explored, and key costs to be shared with families in good time. You’ll work in partnership with S6 pupil volunteers
Starting now is especially important because prom can be a significant cost for families. Tickets may be in the region of £70–£80, and there are often other costs to consider too, such as outfits, travel, hair, make-up, photography and other extras. The earlier planning begins, the easier it is for families to budget and save if they wish to. We can share ideas for saving and paying up monthly. This has to be arranged independently of the school.
Prom arrangements need parent/carer volunteers to take the lead. A prom can only go ahead if there is a team of parents/carers willing to organise the practical arrangements, from exploring venues and costs to communicating with families. Starting early gives the year group the best chance of creating a celebration that is well-planned, inclusive and memorable.
This is a lovely opportunity to help create a memorable final-year celebration for the year group. The committee does not need to be large, and different people can help in different ways, whether that is researching venues, managing bookings, communicating with families, helping with fundraising ideas or keeping track of payments.
Parents/carers of the new S6 year group who would be interested in helping to form a Prom Committee are warmly encouraged to get in touch.
Please contact Shona Blakeley: shonablakeley@outlook.com if you would like to be involved or find out more.
STAFFING UPDATES
Best wishes to Mrs Mckay, CL Humanities, who has now gone on maternity leave. Ms Dudley will be acting CL Humanities until her return.
As many of you may know Tom Foley our SRU rugby development officer for the school and rugby club is moving on to pastures new today.
We would like to thank him for all his hard work over the last 4 years and wish him well in his new adventure, joining the Police on Monday.
All the best Tom!
STUDY LEAVE FOR S4-S6
Pupils sitting fewer than 3 N5s are still expected to attend school as normal, and we encourage them to attend our ‘Meaningful May’ programme - details of this has already been sent out.
Study leave for S4-6 taking 3+ N5 QS exams:
Commences: Wednesday 22 April
Ends: Friday 29 May
Immersion classes run (usually) the day before the exam, and these are mandatory, unless they clash with another exam.
SPORTS AWARDS
Voting for MGS Sports Personality of the Year 2026 is now open.
We are looking for the young person who has been a stand out participant in all aspects of sport, both in school and in the community. If someone you know has an inspiring story, demonstrated the best version of themselves or achieved in a high level of performance, please make it known!
Previous award winners have included:
-National athletes and champions
-Volunteer coaches, referees and helpers
-Role models within sport
-High level performance and participation across multiple sports
If you wish to submit a nomination for an award, please complete the short survey below, including as much detail as possible. Closing date for nominations will be Monday 18th May.
S3 RESIDENTIAL
Last week our S3 cohort headed to PGL Ford Castle for their residential, taking on new challenges, building confidence and strengthening friendships. The trip offered the perfect mix of fun, learning and personal growth and it was wonderful to see so many pupils step outside their comfort zones. Well done to everyone who took part in the experience.
PUPIL VOICE
Last week 24 of our Junior Pupil Voice members met to reflect and review this year’s work and set priorities for the next session.
The discussions were led by:
Erin Munro (Learning & Teaching)
Ava Menzies & Euan Thompson (School Improvement)
Zoa Strachan & Sam Devlin (Extra‑Curricular/Enrichment)
Pupils shared honest reflections through Padlet activities, exploring what’s gone well, what could be improved, and what they’d like to see next year.
Across School Improvement, Learning & Teaching and Extra‑Curricular, pupils highlighted successes such as increased leadership opportunities through Values Ambassador roles, strong teamwork, successful pupil led projects like MGS Learns, Valentine's day chocolates, and feeling genuinely listened to by staff.
They also identified clear next steps, including finding practical ways to live our new values, improving communication between meetings, boosting participation and commitment from class reps, and creating more “organised fun” to build a stronger sense of community.
The next junior Pupil Voice meeting will take place on Tuesday 26 May, followed by a final meeting with the full 2025/26 cohort on Thursday 4 June.
YEAR GROUP ATTENDANCE
As a reminder, school absenteeism remains a significant challenge across Scotland. In 2023/24, 31.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of the school year. While this has since improved, with a 2.9 percentage point decrease to 28.5%, absenteeism continues to impact learning, wellbeing, and attainment.
ATTENDANCE MATTERS
Supporting Your Child’s School Attendance
School absenteeism is a growing concern across Scotland. Over the past few years, more children and young people have faced challenges that make regular school attendance difficult. The impact of the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis has made this even harder for many families.
We know that school is important, but we also understand that it isn’t always easy. Some children struggle with attending, and as a parent or carer, you may feel unsure about what to do. Please know you’re not alone. Many families face similar challenges, and support is available.
Every child is unique, which is why working together - your child, you, and the school is key to finding the right support. Small steps can help make school a more positive experience, allowing your child to thrive now and in the future.
Struggles with school can affect the whole family, you’re not alone in this journey - the school are here for you and your child, you can also check out Parent Club for information to support.
Together, we can make a difference.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y75SM6qyZeQ
Have a look at Parent Club, 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 school for support
EDINBURGH MARATHON VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITY
🌟 Be Part of the Edinburgh Marathon Festival Event Team! 🌟
Calling all local organisations, schools, and community groups! Want to get involved in one of Scotland's biggest sporting events AND raise vital funds for your cause?
Join the Event Team and play a key role in making the Edinburgh Marathon Festival a success — while fundraising for your school, club, or organisation along the way! 💚
🔗 Register your interest today at eventteam.zone
Once you've signed up, our team will be in touch with all the details.
Don't miss this fantastic opportunity to support your community and be part of the action!
CHILDREN FIRST
CHILDHOOD PRACTICE PATHWAY
MUSSELBURGH CHILDREN'S GALA AND YOUTH GAMES
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.
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.
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
CAR PARK SAFETY
A reminder that for everyone’s safety, the car park is only to be used for staff and visitor parking, not dropping pupils off, waiting for them to leave school at the end of the day, nor for driving lessons.
We have had a few incidents recently, largely due to the volume of cars in the carpark at busy points in the school day. We are fortunate to have a large turning circle right at our school gates, so there is no real need for parents to enter the carpark to drop pupils off. Please drop pupils off at the turning circle instead of driving to the front door. If your pupil has a physical requirement that means they cannot walk from the front gates, please just get in touch with us to let us know in advance. Thank you for your support with this.
MEDICAL
MEDICAL
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.
Asthma - All pupils who have Asthma please make sure you have an inhaler with you at all times.
Our Healthy Respect drop in service runs in school every Wednesday lunchtime. 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.
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.
LOST PROPERTY
LOST PROPERTY
There are a few new items in lost property, if you have lost anything, please go and see Ms Harvey in the Medical room.
There are a few new items in lost property, if you have lost anything, please go and see Ms Harvey in the Medical room.
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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