Greenfaulds High School

Head Teacher Blog

Dear Parent/Carer

I hope you have had a good week.

As I sit down to write this blog on Thursday evening, it seems like a long time ago that I wrote last week’s blog. Not because time is dragging, far from it. It really has been a very busy but productive week with lots of good news across the school community. The thing that sits in my mind is always how a school can balance so much going on and still ensure the young people attain well. It is, as Sir John Jones and educationalist once described real ‘magic’ and one that I see happening daily.

As always, if you have any questions in relation to the information contained within this blog or any other school matter please do not hesitate to be in touch with the school. Moreover, I’m always delighted to share good news of pupil achievements outside of school as many pupils are participating at an exceptionally high level in a range of activities. If your son/daughter is involved in something, please do share this with me.

Pick Up & Drop Off Points: Important Safety Message

Can we respectfully ask that parents do not use the area designated for school buses and school contracts to pick up their child/children at the end of the school day. We are concerned that due to the additional traffic in this area pupils are crossing the road of the bus bay where there are no safe crossing points. Thank you for your understanding.

Results Update

As I mentioned in August, the full attainment picture for Greenfaulds was only going to be known once the Scottish Government Attainment Tool, called ‘Insight’ had been updated with the wide range of courses we provided last session. On Wednesday, the Insight Data was released and it reveals a truly fantastic set of figures for us as a school community. My colleagues know that I do love a set of statistics and whilst I will bore them with these in the next few days and weeks ahead, I’d like to draw your attention to one or two amazing examples to give you a flavour of the results.

As a school we have achieved the highest ever numbers of pupils gaining 1 Level 7 Qualification (Advanced Higher, HNC, etc.) in S6. We have also posted the best 5 awards at Level 6 (Higher or equivalent) in S5, thanks to the hard work of the whole school community we have moved from 20% of the year group 5 years ago attaining 5 awards at Level 6 to over 37% of the year group this session. Moreover, of the S5 who stayed on, over 63% of them gained at least 3 Level 6 qualifications gaining them access to college, university or training options.

As an inclusive school we have also ensured that our lowest attaining pupils in S4, S5 and S6 have achieved the best set of results in 5 years which is a testament to the dedication and tenacity of the pupils, their families and their teachers.

This set of results is a huge achievement for our school community, and we should all be rightly proud of what this means for the young people, many more are now leaving with more and better qualifications than ever before.

Recently, I’ve been dipping in and out of a book by Stephen Munby, entitled Imperfect Leadership, at one point he talks about the mountain of education and the challenges it presents but he goes on to say “When walking at a fast pace up a mountain, sometimes it is helpful to stop, have a drink and a rest and look at the view.” The results released today should encourage us to do just that. Yes, we are constantly striving for more and better, but the view right now is really good.

S1 Settling In Evening

We were delighted to be joined by many our S1 families on Thursday night for our annual S1 Settling In Evening. Mrs Adler shared with families key pieces of information regarding clubs, Future Fridays, expectations and answered a range of queries from families. There was also the opportunity for families to meet with their child’s Pupil Support Teacher to ensure that they were progressing well. Nights like these are really important to us to help further build the strong family school connection, however, as always if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to be in touch with the school.

As there are photos of young people within the presentation, we are not able to share the full presentation with families. However, the key dates for all S1 families is here:

S4 Reports

All S4 families should be able to access their child’s first tracking report via Parent Portal today. Parent Portal gives families access to a range of platforms and information which means it is a one stop shop for families to access parent/carer evening appointments, view your child’s timetable, download a copy of their most recent report, make online payments, report absence, monitor their attendance etc.

Whilst almost all families are now signed up to the Portal, if you are struggling to access it, he sign up process is relatively straightforward and is available here. If you are struggling to sign up, please contact the school and we can support you to do so.

Mr Galloway is leaving

As you may know, last session, due to a falling school roll we were tasked with having to reduce our management structure. This was part of an authority wide programme where some schools were given additional management posts and other schools (including ourselves) had to reduce our management posts. As a consequence of this and with a very heavy heart, I had to declare Mr Galloway as the member of staff to be declared surplus.

As part of the authority wide matching process, Mr Galloway has been offered and accepted a PT Pupil Support role within Chryston High School which he will take up on the first Monday after the October Break.

As I know you will agree, Mr Galloway will be a big loss to the Greenfaulds High School Community, and we wish him all the very best in his new post at Chryston. Chryston’s gain is very much our loss.

Whole Staff Meeting

On Monday, we held our first Whole Staff Meeting of the school year. Our intention is to use these sessions to further improve our already strong learning and teaching techniques. Throughout the year all teaching staff have undertaken to develop one area of their practice; mine is to better understand working memory. On Monday afternoon, all staff undertook a session on questioning to share ideas and techniques as well as to take some time to think through and reflect on our own practice.

Maia’s Research Shines

On Thursday Night, Mr Adler attended a STEM event. On the night, Maia in S6 presented her work that she has undertaken as part of her SERCC STEM Research placmenet with Edinburgh Universitty which involed a 2 week placement there. Alongside her mentor she created an understaing the nature of fundamental particles. Mr Adler commented that he was hugely impressed by the level of the work that Maia demonstrated. Making Mr Adler lost for words is no mean feat! Well done Maia.

Theatre Performance for S4

On Wednesday morning all S4s attended a play in the assembly hall called ‘Inseparable’ which focused on challenging the issues of division, racism and hatred through the stories of survivors of the Bosnian War and Srebrenica Genocide of 1995. Whilst for all the pupils their own knowledge of this topic area may not be as strong as other areas of history, the themes of tolerance and acceptance are incredibly important themes for issues that we are all dealing with today. These concepts will be discussed further in their RMPS classes in the next few weeks. A big thank you to Mrs Stewart for the coordination of this impactful session.

Clubs and Activities

As well as our Future Friday’s offerings there are a range of clubs and activities which are now up and running. As you will see, there is a diverse range of activities, and we think something for everyone. There is no need in most cases to sign up to a club, pupils can simply attend on the day when the club is taking place. I would certainly encourage your son/daughter to try one or two new clubs this session.

PISA Testing

On Wednesday morning a number of pupils in S4 and S5 were involved in PISA Testing. The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a worldwide study conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The aim of the PISA programme is to provide data that can help countries improve their education policies and outcomes. It measures literacy, numeracy and problem-solving. In the next year or so you may well see information about PISA scores being discussed at National and International Level. Greenfaulds is part of that discussion.

Phone from the school

Due to a changing phone system when we are making calls from the school, our number will now show as 01698 520022 instead of our usual number of 01236 794876. Please note this is only for outgoing calls and does not affect you being able to call us.

Community Parking

I was contacted this week from a number of residents in the nearby adjoining streets to the school expressing concern as to the number of cars using these streets to pick up children and the impact it is having on residents entering and exiting their homes. Could I please ask families to pick up their child from the school car park? Please also be aware that the school is always open after the school day and as such pupils are more than welcome to wait inside for 5 minutes to avoid families being caught up in the rush at the end of the school day.

Nuts & Special Diets

In response to a growing number of pupils and staff who have a severe allergy to nuts, we would like to work towards reducing the prevalence of nuts within our school as much as possible. This is to protect both pupils and staff.

We would ask that you are vigilant about packed lunches, sweets etc and ensure that no nuts come on to the school grounds. Please do not send your child into school with any nut-based product for a snack or packed lunch – this includes:

Nutella based products / chocolate spread
Cereal bars with nuts
Some types of biscuit containing nuts
Condiments, e.g. satay sauce
Cakes containing nuts
Some snack pots containing nuts

We were also contacted this week regarding special diets applications and whilst we believe we know all pupils for whom this applies, I felt it appropriate to share with all families, in case of a diet change has taken place very recently.

YELLOW DIETS: Religious and Lifestyle diets

If a child has one of the following religious or lifestyle diets, parent/carers can complete the online

Yellow Form.

Buddhism
Hinduism
Kosher
Pescatarian
Sikhism
Vegan
Vegetarian
Halal

PURPLE DIETS – Allergen/Food intolerance

If a child has one of the following food allergen/intolerance diets, parent/carers are required to

complete the online Purple Form.

Food Intolerances
Restrictive Diet
Food Allergy and Lifestyle
Food Allergy – Single Allergens
Food Allergy – Double Allergens
Food Allergy and Religious
Food Intolerance and Religious
Food Intolerance and Lifestyle
Restrictive, Allergy and Religious

Parent/carers will also be required to submit proof of condition to specialdiet@northlan.gov.uk. Please note, that the service will not be able to provide a special diet menu until proof has been

received from the parent/carer. This is to ensure the safety of the child.

RED DIETS – Complex diets

If a child has one of the following health conditions below, a health professional is required to complete the Red Form – Medically prescribed Diet Form which is available here.

Diabetes
Diabetes Coeliac
Coeliac
PKU
Multiple food allergies
Dysphasia/Chocking (SALT) – Textured Diet
Sensory condition – Textured Diet
Requires Blended/textured diet
Any other complex health conditions

Please note, this form MUST be completed by a dietician/medical practitioner prior to submitting. Once completed this can be sent to specialdiet@northlan.gov.uk where a member of the nutrition team will review.

For any more information please contact specialdiet@northlan.gov.uk

P7 Information Evening

We would like to invite any P7 families to attend our information evening for P7 pupils transitioning to Greenfaulds HS in August 2026.

This will be the first of many transition activities planned for the year ahead and we are really excited to welcome our next S1 cohort to Greenfaulds and to working alongside families to ensure each child is supported, included and successful in the Greenfaulds community.

We will be holding these Evenings for the each of the Primaries in Greenfaulds HS on the following dates:

Tuesday 23^rd September 6.00 – 6.45pm for Ravenswood, Woodlands and Westfield Primaries
Thursday 24th September 6.00 – 6.45pm for Baird, Condorrat, Eastfield and any other primaries out with the cluster.

We look forward to seeing you then!

Calling all future Medical Students

This week the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh was in touch about their free events for young people interested in a career in medicine are coming up soon:

At Entry to Med School a panel of medical school admissions staff detail the realities of applying, planning and preparing for life as a medical student.

At Medical Ethics a panel of top medical professionals debate the role of ethics in medicine today, led by audience questions.

All tickets are free.

We’ll be taking questions in person and online via Slido. Both lectures can be watched in person, online via livestream or on catch-up.

School Lecture Series 2025

Entry to Med School

Monday 29^th September 2025, 4:30-6pm (doors 4pm)

Don’t let the application process confuse you – join us to find out everything you need to know when applying to medical school!

Book to watch in person, livestreamed or later on catch-up.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1430173319899

Medical Ethics

Wednesday 1^st October 2025, 4:30-6pm (doors 4pm)

Curious about medical ethics? Sit alongside some of Scotland’s top medical professionals as we discuss the role of ethics in medicine today.

Book to watch in person, livestreamed or later on catch-up.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1430187753069

Clips from the 2024 lectures can be watched on our website –https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/becoming-doctor

Apprenticeships and help with applications

As many families will be aware, pupils and families are regularly updated with opportunities around apprenticeships, work placements, etc. Mr Adler has asked me to share the following information with all families.

Lloyds banking group

https://uptree.co/companies/lloyds-bank/

National: Lloyds Banking Group, ‘Acing the application process’ Virtual Insight SessionOnline event

https://uptree.co/events/lloyds-bank/3186063958/

This event is for: students who are S5/S6, college or gap year who are looking to APPLY for early careers roles in September 2025 to start the role in September 2026.

This event is aimed to support students through the application process by providing information on what to expect plus top tips on what to include in your application to stand out!

Students will also have the opportunity to learn more about Lloyds Banking Group as a company, meet Lloyds Banking Group employees, and discover the variety of roles and career pathways available.

This event is especially helpful for students who want to pursue a career in the finance, banking or tech industry, and APPLY to upcoming apprenticeships and early careers opportunities with Lloyds Banking Group which go live in October 2025!

Lloyds Banking Group are particularly keen to attract applications for their Edinburgh, Leeds and Bristol based roles.

Please note this event is subject to change of date/time.

Date: Wed 24th Sep 10:00AM – 1:00PM

Edinburgh assessment centre

Edinburgh: Lloyds Banking Group, ‘Assessment Centre Workshop’ | Event at Uptree

https://uptree.co/events/lloyds-bank/3011385786/

Edinburgh: Lloyds Banking Group, ‘Assessment Centre Workshop’In person event

This event is for: students who are S5/S6 who are looking to apply for early careers roles in September 2025 to start the role in September 2026.

This event is aimed to prepare students for assessment centres; a key part of the recruitment process where students often don’t know what to expect!

Lloyds Banking Group provide this new and innovative workshop to provide information on the format of assessment centres, what assessors are looking for and best of all, practice and advice on how to impress the employer and secure the job!

Lloyds Banking Group are keen to attract applications Edinburgh but also welcome students from across Glasgow and the surrounding areas to apply – the financial and professional rewards to working for Lloyds Banking Group make a short commute worthwhile!

Date: Tue 18th Nov 10:00AM – 3:00PM

3 ) Lloyds Banking Group: SkillsFest, Multiple Locations

https://uptree.co/opportunities/lloyds-bank/2954733723/

Placement details

Overview

Location: Bristol, Edinburgh, Leeds

Dates of event:

Bristol:

Friday 10th October, 4pm – 6:30pm
Saturday 11th October, 10am – 12:30pm
Saturday 11th October, 2pm – 4:30pm

Edinburgh:

Friday 10th October, 4pm – 6:30pm
Saturday 11th October, 10am – 12:30pm
Saturday 11th October, 2pm – 4:30pm

Booking criteria: You must be aged 14 or above to take part in the day (the lead booker must be 16 or over)

Key things you’ll learn about:

Apprenticeships and options when you leave school
How to develop your skills and use them to enhance your CV and applications
Careers at Lloyds Banking Group

How to apply: Click ‘Apply now‘ at the top of this section, sign up, and register for the session!

Free School Meals

A reminder to all families, if your family normally receives Free School Meals please remember to reapply for continuation of this service as it does not automatically continue each year. Families need to apply annually. There have been a few incidences since we returned of pupils not having money on their cards. We did of course ensure that they received lunch but please do ensure that you have reapplied for Free School Meals. Please apply here: Free School Meals and Clothing Grant Application | North Lanarkshire Council

EMA 2025-26 session

The new EMA form is now live on the NLC website for the new session 2025/2026 starting in August. Any students who got EMA last years has to reapply this year.

https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/additional-support-families-and-children/education-maintenance-allowance

To apply you must meet the following criteria

Gross Taxable income	No. of dependent children in household	Award
Up to £24,421	1	£30
Up to £26,884	2+	£30

Please note – dependent children are all those up to the age of 16 and those over the age of 16 and up to age 25 if they are in full time Further or Higher Education (proof required).

Once students have their form completed and a letter confirming they are getting EMA they should bring their EMA contract to Mr Adler who will then discuss attendance requirements with the students, but to get EMA students must have excellent attendance and be on time to school.

Army Cadets

This week one of our pupils, Jordan Daley, has been publicising the Army Cadets. A number of our pupils already attend this group and benefit hugely from the experience. If your child is interested in finding out more the information is contained within this poster: