Glossy prospectus 2015

Dream

Believe

Achieve

Determination Respect Effort Ambition Motivation

Lasswade High School Bonnyrigg, Midlothian

“...we treat our young people as important individuals who we value, support and encourage.�

Headmaster, Mr A. Williamson

Welcome Lasswade High School is an educational community whose vision and values embrace the challenges of academic excellence, responsibility and leadership, emotional awareness and participation in a wide variety of activities.

Academic excellence is of vital importance, but more important are the values that go with it. At Lasswade our learners explore their identity and strengths while developing valuable skills and knowledge. Through their hard work Lasswade students are very proud of their accomplishments – accomplishments which will build their feelings of being valued and respected as they move beyond the school in an increasingly complex and competitive world.

Mr Alan Williamson Headmaster

A school with a history Education has flourished in the parish of Lasswade from medieval times in various church and monastic establishments but schooling, as we know it, dates from the 16th century. Lasswade Kirk Session records list the names of the parish schoolmasters from 1646.

The current Lasswade High School opened in August 2013. The school was officially opened by First Minister Alex Salmond on Wednesday 30th October 2013.

“It’s great to meet young people benefitting from one of the first secondary schools of our ‘Schools for the Future’ programme. Lasswade High pupils are developing their skills and talents in a wonderful environment, including bright, airy classrooms and social spaces with excellent, fully-equipped sports facilities.”

Alex Salmond

A school with a purpose Our Vision Statement ‘Dream, Believe, Achieve at Lasswade’ highlights the way we live and work within and beyond the school day. We are focused on ensuring a growth mindset among our students which is embodied in our ‘DREAM’ values of Determination, Respect, Effort, Ambition and Motivation.

Through our outstanding pastoral care and pupil support services (highly praised by HMIe in 2013) we treat our young people as important individuals who we value, support and encourage. This kind of ‘compassionate wisdom’, together with a focus on aspiring to excellence, is what our staff treasure and strive for with all our young people and is a key aspect of what makes Lasswade distinctive today in Scottish Education.

“Relationships between staff and young people are positive and contribute to a calm and purposeful climate for learning.�

HMIe 2013

Our DREAM Values Determination Respect Effort Ambition Motivation

Our ‘Curriculum for Excellence’ The Broad General Education phase (S1-3) of our school curriculum focuses on developing learners who take responsibility for their own progress and are able to reflect and target-set to strive for continuous improvement. Our students experience engaging and challenging opportunities across the full range of curricular areas with a specific focus on developing Literacy, Numeracy and Health and Wellbeing skills and knowledge. This Broad General Education follows on directly from the work our students complete in primary school.

The Senior Phase of the curriculum continues with the development of skills for life and work. The major focus at this time becomes working towards national qualifications which recognise their hard work and achievements across a range of chosen subjects.

Significant support is put in during this Senior Phase to prepare students for life after school and to move on into an appropriate, positive and sustainable destination.

Learning and teaching Excellent learning and teaching is at the core of Lasswade High School.

Our DREAM Values permeate through every classroom experience that the learners have and are promoted through very positive working relationships with our team of staff. Our young people know what they are learning and how to get the best from their opportunities. Our teachers ensure that all students are motivated in their learning through their presentation of engaging, imaginative and challenging lessons.

We celebrate success, reward effort and recognise achievement which makes Lasswade High School a positive learning community.

“Pupils feel like they are encouraged to do their best and value the range of experiences that help them develop skills for learning, life and work.�

HMIe 2013

Supporting our learners The role of our pastoral staff is: 

To have an understanding of the whole student



To encourage development in all aspects of students’ education through planned support

Buddies Extended support is provided for all S1 students through our buddy system. S6 students are linked to each S1 Tutor class and will support new students throughout their first year at Lasswade. S1 students will meet their buddies when they first arrive at the high school on the transition days in June.

How do we do this?

Additional Needs 

Planned programme of personal and social education



Club 10 – lunchtime homework club for students who may need extra help or simply a quiet area to work at lunchtime



Individual interviews



Small group work



Partnerships with parent/carers through good communication



Liaison with teachers, learning support staff and outside agencies

All students with barriers to their learning are supported by our experienced and highly-skilled teams in Pastoral Care and Support for Learning to enable them to fully access their opportunities in school.

Young people are at the centre of planning to overcome any barriers.

Strong communication links with parents and carers, as well as any outside agencies, allow plans to be regularly reviewed and updated.

These supports ensure that young people can focus on achieving their potential.

“The guidance and support, provided by pastoral care teachers in particular, is valued by young people.“ HMIe 2014

“HMIe continued to be impressed by the long established success story of Lasswade’s commitment to extra-curricular activity and wider achievement.”

Headmaster, Mr A Williamson

Trips and excursions Over the course of their time at Lasswade High School, young people have the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of trips and excursions at home and abroad.

In the past year alone these opportunities have included:       

Battlefields trip to Belgium and France French language experience London Fashion Week Gaelic language and culture trip to Skye School band touring visit to Valkenburg, Holland World Challenge Project in Ghana School Partnership Trip to Shanghai

In 2015/16 the school will see visits to New York, Iceland, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Swaziland to name just a few of the exciting educational opportunities available.

Extra-curricular activities Lasswade has a strong tradition in sport and music where the rugby and football teams, orchestras, choirs and bands are well supported and successful.

Other opportunities are also flourishing for students to excel in a wide variety of activities including Drama, Art, Engineering, Cookery, Maths and Creative Writing to name only a few. We encourage all young people to participate in extra-curricular activities which continue their learning beyond the classroom and extend their enjoyable time at school.

A copy of the past session’s extra-curricular activities booklet can be viewed on the school’s website.

LASSWADE HIGH SCHOOL Lasswade High School 11 Eskdale Drive Bonnyrigg Midlothian EH19 2LA

Contact Details School Office

0131 271 4530

School Fax

0131 454 0025

Leisure Centre

0131 271 4533

Community Ed.

0131 271 4535

School Email

Lasswade_hs@midlothian.gov.uk

School Website

http://lasswadehsc.mgfl.net/

Headmaster

Mr A Williamson