Please find an update from Mrs Johnston. There is information about the school canteen and a survey for parents and carers to help us support all young people in their learning. Please complete the survey to help us with our planning.

Parent Update 17 August

To ensure all our young people are safe and understand the new procedures, we will have a staggered start on the first day only. All our young people should enter by the front door on day 1 only:

All learners will have the opportunity to meet with their Pastoral Teacher to discuss their health and wellbeing.

Please share the locations below with your child. S1 learners will be reminded of the name of their teacher when they arrive.

Mrs Wallace- R212

Mrs Merrylees- R122

Mr Maybury- R124

Miss Van Looy-R213

Miss Smith- R108

Mrs Mahon- R122

Learners will be able to access the canteen and we will work with young people if they do not have a note of their pin number. Some learners may wish to bring a packed lunch.

Welcome back to Barrhead High.

Dear Parent/Carer,

You will be aware of the recent decision by the First Minister that all schools will return full time on Wednesday 12^th August. We are delighted to welcome back all of our young people to Barrhead High. The arrangements being put in place are based on the latest advice and guidance issued by the Scottish Government.

I appreciate the challenges you and your family have experienced during lockdown. Our priority is to ensure all our young people return to school safely. We will be working on plans to prioritise the health and wellbeing of our young people and to close the learning gap for all learners.

I am aware that a major strength of Barrhead High is the partnership working with parents and carers. I am looking forward to meeting all your young people and working with you to ensure the best possible outcomes for all.

Please take time to read the following briefing. You can contact me via schoolmail@barrhead.e-renfrew.sch.uk if you have any questions or concerns.

Parent Update August 2020 (002)

Best wishes,

Fiona Johnston

Acting Head Teacher

Claire Anderson your School Careers Adviser is here to support you during the summer holidays.  If you have any questions, want to chat about your career ideas or find out more about your options you can contact her on 07770 678 072 or email claire.anderson@sds.co.uk 

Clare also plans to catch up with scheduled appointments for S4-6 pupils so may make contact with you directly over the summer period.

The Skills Development Scotland Exam Results Helpline will also open on Tuesday 4th August. The free number to call is 0808 100 8000 and offers advice, information and guidance for young people and their parents from 8am – 8pm  on results day. The helpline’s careers advisers have unique access to information on UCAS course vacancies at UK colleges and universities, Confirmation and Clearing, advice about Modern, Foundation and Graduate Apprenticeships and jobs or volunteering.

Mr S

I have sent the following as an email to the Main Contact of each pupil but copied it here in case anyone has not received it. 

As you will be aware, today is my last schoolday in Barrhead High – I will still be in post as Head Teacher over the summer until 10^th August, so I can still be contacted vis school mail if required! I would like to take this final opportunity to say a huge thanks to the many people who have made the last 10 years of my teaching experience so special – the pupils, staff and parents of our outstanding community. 

I have already received numerous comments and good wishes from many folk, and it has been good to hear the positive comments about how the school has improved over the years. I am pleased and proud to have played a part in that, but at the end of the day, it has only happened through the way that we have all worked together. I am not going to single out individuals but there are some in each of the pupils, staff and parents categories who have gone way beyond the expectations in their contributions and have been key to the changes that we have enjoyed – you know who you are and I thank you for it – and to every one of you who has played a part over the years.

I came to Barrhead 10 years ago, not knowing very much about the town or school – my childhood memories were driving down the Dams Rd on my way to my Gran’s and loving that view.  Over the past 10 years I have made a point of coming that way every day  (roadworks and weather permitting) and I can honestly say as I look down on the town every morning it has lifted my spirits and I have come to work every day looking forward to the day ahead (apart from a few wobbles in Year 2!!). I don’t think you can ask for anything more from a job than loving to come into work!

… My writing was interrupted there by a number of staff, pupils and some Parent Council reps who came in to the school to wish me well and say a final farewell. The new Head Boy, Kyle, piped me along to the dining area where a whole group of staff and a few parents were waiting. I appreciate the number of people who braved the physical distancing guidelines to be present – I guess it was a dress rehearsal for the full return in August.  There cannot be many folk who have had so many great send-offs when they retire!! Once more it was a special and emotional time for me but once again a real testament to the quality of the Barrhead High  community. The leaving S6 turned out in force to see me out and that was especially nice since they are the ones who have lost out so much due to COVID.

I want to wish you all the best for the years ahead. I have no doubts that the school will continue to thrive moving forward from here and I wish Mrs Johnston all the best as she takes on the Head Teacher role from August – I am sure she will enjoy Barrhead High as much as I have.

My thanks to you all

Mr S

The attached calendar has been updated with all the new additional and changed dates for next session.

Mr S

ERC School Holidays 2020.2021 25.6.2020

One final bit of positive news. I have just heard this morning that we have been given the go ahead to refund in full the remaining school trips – Watersports, Lochgoilhead, Barcelona and New York. The office will aim to process these next week, but please be patient with them. It is a time-consuming job – every individual payment instalment requires to be refunded separately – not just one lump sum to each parent. The money will be refunded to your Parentpay account and you can then have it transferred back to your bank / credit card. Glad to hear that has finally been settled.

Mr S

I am sure you will all be aware by now of the change in planning around the school opening situation in August. This took us a bit by surprise as we had been putting long hours into ensuring that we had an alternative ‘recovery’ timetable ready for issue this week. I had just sent out the fairly substantial Update on Tuesday morning, giving a lot of the detail about what we were expecting to have in place for August when the news came out.  I indicated on Twitter that as a result of this we were no longer issuing the ‘recovery’ timetables at this time – but we do still have them in the background just in case!

I have attached a letter from the Director to all parents which talks a bit more about some of these issues.

Mr S

MS Letter to parents 26.6.20.doc

Following the Deputy First Minister’s announcement in Parliament this afternoon, East Renfrewshire Council have issued the following statement:

We welcome the Scottish Government’s announcement to aim for all pupils to return to school after the summer break.  We look forward to welcoming back all children and young people on 12 August and will now to prepare and plan for this. Of course, we will inform parents if there are any further changes.

All the work carried out to prepare for blended learning and social distancing will be valuable as contingency plans if we are required to move to this model at a later date.

In my earlier update, I referred to our plans to issue the recovery timetables to all pupils this week. These will now be put on hold at this point,  and they will remain part of our contingency plans, and can be issued at a later date if required.

Mr Sinclair