Head Teacher Blog
Dear Parent/Carer
I hope you have had a good week.
A shorter week this week due to the long weekend this Friday and Monday and we are now over half way through the exam diet. As some pupils are now entering the final stretch of exams, we continue to wish them all the very best of luck. So far, pupils seem to be content with the papers and we collectively hope that all their hard work is rewarded in August. Next week is the last week, and I know the Greenfaulds Pupils will continue to be amazing. Good luck!!
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.
Family Views
May is a time for planning for next year. Whilst the authority visit report which I shared with families last week, has given us some areas to work on, I’m also conscious that there are some areas I would really value family feedback on as we finalise our plans for next session. One area is the family reports that we changed as a pilot this session. We moved from 1 tracking report and a written report to 3 tracking reports to give families a more regular update on their young person’s progress. I did say last year we would evaluate this at this point and as such could you please give me a very quick response via this Microsoft Form: Tracking Report Consultation – Fill in form . I appreciate that we are often inundated with evaluations but this form is particularly informative to us as a school regarding our reporting plans for session 2026-2027. Thank you in advance.
Timetable Update
A number of pupils and families are already planning for the timetable change a week on Monday and as such I wanted to update all families around this change. Firstly, the timetable is written and is currently nearly completely entered into the system for printing and distribution to pupils. Next week, myself and the rest of the Senior Leadership Team will meet to confirm all arrangements for distribution of timetables to pupils in preparation for the first day of the new timetable on Monday the 1st of June. Due to some staffing changes and capacity within subject teams, there will be a number of senior pupils who will need to choose a new option. These pupils will be prioritised in the first week back. Thereafter, any pupil who wishes to change a subject for other reasons will get the opportunity to do this once all other issues are resolved. Our timeline to complete this is by the end of June to ensure that, with the exception of changes in response to the SQA Exam Results, all pupils will have a settled timetable in August. Next week we will share with all families the plan for the first day of the new timetable.
Gaelic Conference
Greenfaulds High School successfully hosted its third annual Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) Conference, focusing specifically on highlighting future career pathways within Scotland’s vibrant Gaelic sector.
The event welcomed over 60 senior Gaelic Medium Education (GME) pupils from four regional schools across Central Scotland: Àrd-sgoil Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu, Bishopbriggs Academy, Wallace Academy and Greenfaulds High School
Fifteen industry professional partners from a range of sectors attended to share bilingual career insights and lead interactive, language-focused sessions, including representatives from: BBC (BBC Alba media opportunities), Education Scotland (Gaelic educational development), University of Glasgow (Higher education routes) and former Greenfaulds High School GME alumni currently working in Gaelic-essential roles.
Students engaged directly with these experts, gaining valuable advice on how their bilingual skills create a distinct professional advantage in modern workplace sectors.
The conference proved to be a major success in strengthening regional GME network partnerships and reinforcing a commitment to youth employment within the language planning sector. Plans are already underway to continue the conference for many years.
Tinto Hill Walk
A huge well done to the 95 S1 pupils who took part in the Tinto Hill walk on Monday to raise funds for St Andrews Hospice. The pupils demonstrated outstanding determination, resilience, and teamwork throughout the challenge, and they represented the school exceptionally well. The walk was a fantastic achievement for everyone involved, and we are incredibly proud of the effort shown by the pupils on the day.
Any pupil who has collected sponsorship money should hand it in to Miss Kirkwood in Staff Zone 1 by Thursday 28th May.
Thank you once again for supporting such a worthwhile cause.
School Show Ticket
Just a reminder that tickets are now on sale for GHS’s production of Little Shop of Horrors. Show nights are the 9th, 10th and 11th of June with a 7.15pm show start time. The kids have been working really hard and it promises to be a fantastic evening! Tickets are £5 and can be purchased from Ms Duncan or Mr Sharpe in Music.
Mountain Biking Success
Now as much as I love cycling, downhill mountain biking is simply terrifying to me, which means I’m even more in awe of Alfie Golding 2LE on his Silver Medal – gaining a podium finish in Round 2 of the Nevis Range Mini Series. This age group event is number 2 of 4 over the year, that run alongside some of the major European Downhill events such as the IXS. A notable achievement in an exhilarating and often dangerous sport. It was held in Fort William last weekend and attended by talented contenders in a number of categories.
STEM Racing Update
This week, Mr Coughlan provided me with an update on the amazing work that he is leading on in supporting pupils in the STEM Racing Initative. Originally brought to our attention by former pupil Sarah Coggins, STEM Racing challenges students to build their own version of an F1® team. Working in groups of 3 – 6, they design, develop, and race their miniature cars while managing every aspect of their project, including seeking sponsors.
The Cheeky Cheetahs in S4 have currently secured £900 with another £600+ needing finalised based on discussions at the event we were at yesterday. These guys are looking to use their sponsorships to buy 3D printers to use for the competition which will be left for the school to use afterwards. These guys are also looking into raise awareness of environmental issues and get involved with tree planting in the local area and are doing a sponsored run for Cancer Research in June. They have ALSO been talking to different people about potentially leading STEM activities with outside agencies such as the Science Centre and STEMovators and are looking to make a Gaelic version of some of their folio work to give them an extra edge over the competition.
Nadar (S5) have secured £500 of funding and following on from their exams they have been considering raising awareness of litter issues in the school and local area. They’ve also been leading STEM clubs in the tech department for future teams and to go towards a Young STEM Leader Lvl 6 award.
I have an S3 team which is also in the process of securing funding and have at least £200 which they need to confirm. These guys are at the start of the journey and should hopefully be taking over some of the activities the older guys are in the process of starting off.
Overall as you can see above, this is starting to grow some arms and legs, and pupils are doing some amazing things which in turn is benefitting the school.’
The skills they are developing are really building their confidence not just within the competition but as young adults moving into further education and world of work. They are also coming into their own as really strong independent learners and I want to do all I can for fostering this as the pupils who have already done the competition and left to go onto university have told me how much of positive experience this has been for them and really set them up for the future.
If you would like to find out more about the STEM Racing initiative and potentially contribute your expertise or sponsor a team, please don’t hesitate to be in school.
Gaelic Family Learning Week
I was contacted this week by the Community Learning and Development Team about the following opportunity for families with pupils studying Gaelic:
We’re pleased to announce that Seachdain nan Teaghlach (Family Learning Week) will be returning to Sabhal Mòr Ostaig in the Isle of Skye 6–10 July 2026.
This is a week-long event which offers families with children in Gaelic-medium education the opportunity to develop their language skills together in an all-Gaelic environment and to mix with families from a similar background from different parts of the country. Parents will have the opportunity to attend Sabhal Mòr Ostaig’s language courses throughout the week, while their children take part in a wide range of Gaelic-medium activities, bringing families together in the evenings for a mix of family-friendly Gaelic-medium social events. The link for more information is here:
https://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/family-week-2026/?lang=en
Senior Pupil Opportunity
A reminder to families of pupils of our soon to be S5 and S6, that I wrote to you all this week regarding an amazing opportunity for our newest group of Senior Pupils.
Last August a small group of senior pupils spent a week at the Outward Bound centre in Loch Eil in Fort William.
They returned, both suntanned, motivated and enthused by their experience. Not only that but the course that they followed over the week gained them a Level 6 Teams and Leaders Qualification (equivalent to a Higher).
The Teams & Leaders Award builds on personal development of the young people and develops their understanding of how high-performance teams work, how they develop, and how they can be fostered using basic Business and Psychological modelling to explain team and team member behaviours. Over the week, the course will aim to:
- Improve confidence and apply understanding of your reactions and feel increased control
- Develop skills in setting and achieving personal goals.
- Increase self-awareness and personal responsibility.
- Increase awareness of other people and utilise this to develop self and others
- Improve ability to work with other people, and foster high performance team development
- Increase concern for and awareness of the natural environment and the leave no trace principles
- Develop an action plan.
- Design and implement your own learning
- Identify your values and act on them
- Understand how effective teams work in reality
Mr MacLeod who led the trip last year is keen to run the course again this year and to offer it to a slightly larger group of pupils. The trip runs from August 10-15 (Monday to Friday). If your son/daughter would like to be considered for this course, could you please complete this initial interest form by a week today (Loch Eil: Teams and Leaders (Level 6) Course – Fill in form) and I will then link with Mr MacLeod regarding next steps for interested families and pupils.
May is National Walking Month
As the weather is supposedly improving (the hail stones on Wednesday didn’t get the memo!) School communities across Scotland are being encouraged to take a step towards feeling happier, healthier and ready to learn. As many of you know, I’m a keen cyclist and a whole hearted advocate for active travel.
This month-long campaign is highlighting how walking and wheeling can be a part of everyday life. Helping people feel good, keep active and connect with where they live.
They’ve created a short resource with simple ideas to help encourage more walking and wheeling in school, from getting to and from school to getting in some lunchtime steps: Walking-Schools-NWM-one-pager.pdf.
Graduate Apprenticeship Opportunity
Whilst almost all our School Leavers have already secured their first step beyond school, the following opportunity may be of interest to some of our budding Accountants from Laura Gruber
Apprenticeship Liaison Manager of the Global Accounting Centre
We’re excited to be recruiting for our 2026 Accounting Graduate Apprenticeship at our Global Accounting Centre in Glasgow. I’d really appreciate your support in sharing this with any students considering a career in accounting.
This is a fantastic opportunity for school leavers, offering:
✅ An Honours degree in Accountancy & Finance (RGU)
✅ A Chartered Accountant qualification (ICAS)
✅ Five years of hands-on experience in a global finance team
✅ A guaranteed full-time role on successful completion
✅ A strong support network and wider GA student community
🎯 Entry requirements: Minimum BBBB Highers (including English & Maths)
📅 Apply by: 9 June | Interviews: 16–19 June (flexibility available where needed)
Current student insight: A Day in the Life of a Current Gallagher GA Student
Link to apply: Graduate Apprentice – Chartered Accounting
Access to the school
As part of a review on building security, we have now moved to the main doors at the front and rear of the building being locked during class time. This is to ensure that only people can access our school via the visitor entrance and sign in at reception. If your young person is running late for any reason can you remind them of this and that they need to come in through the guest entrance. Thank you.
Support for pupils with ASN
As a parent with a child who has an additional support need, I know that information can be particularly helpful to ensure you are supporting your young person in the best possible way. The Support for Learning department work closely with Speech and Language therapy, Occupational Therapy, Hope for Autism and the Neurodevelopmental Team. If your child is on a waiting list to see any of the services, or have been given an identification of an Additional Support need, the following Facebook pages may be useful to you. They share hints and tips, have rolling programmes of local workshops for parents and children on common themes such as Sleep, Anxiety, language processing, sensory difficulties.
NHS Lanarkshire Children and young people, Occupational Therapy
https://www.facebook.com/share/19hopRtsiN/
Speech and language therapy NHS Lanarkshire
https://www.facebook.com/share/1BevUC39FW/
Neurodevelopmental service-CYS NHS
Hope for Autism
https://www.hopeforautism.org.uk
Young Scot Cards
Increasingly, the use of Young Scot Cards for our pupils are very important, both in and out of school. As such, if your son/daughter loses their card it can be problematic. We are able to apply for a replacement card on their behalf. However, we would ask that if you would like the school to do this, that parents/carers need to email Mr Adler nladlerp@northlan.org.uk with the students full name, date of birth, a photo, their address to send the card to and give permission to apply for a card.
Child Protection and Safeguarding
If you have concerns of a child protection or safeguarding nature, we would encourage you to use the following information.
Condorrat Summer Fayre
I really do value the help and support I receive from my Primary Colleagues across the Greenfaulds Cluster and as such it’s lovely to repay the favour with a shameless plug for the Condorrat Summer Fayre taking place tomorrow (Saturday).
Dates for your diary
Friday 22nd May: School Closed
Monday 25th May: School Closed (except for Politics and Accounts Exams)
I hope you have a lovely weekend.
Moran Taing
Jamie
Jamie Vaughn-Sharp
Head Teacher
