At The Berwickshire High School, we set out to make everyone feel welcome –
students, parents and staff alike. As a parent, there are many ways in which this
approach will be obvious to you. You will be kept fully informed as to events in the
school in general as well as to the progress of your child.
Parents’ Consultation Evenings, Reports, Newsletters and occasional letters are all
part of this process of keeping you fully in the picture. In addition, your child will
have a Personal Guidance Teacher (PGT) – a member of staff with a pastoral
responsibility for a particular group of youngsters. Over the years, the PGT will get
to know your son/daughter very well indeed and will thus be well placed to offer
support or advice. The PGT will also get to know you as a family since our House
System is based on continuity, that is all youngsters from the same family have the
same PGT. This bridge between home and school is a vital part of our welcoming
ethos.
Educational research tells us that where there is a high level of interest shown by
parents in their child’s learning, progress tends to be significantly better. I hope you
will become actively involved in your child’s learning by, for example, checking
homework diaries, having a regular look at jotter work and, perhaps, by helping your
child to access information that may be required as part of an investigation. As part
of our emphasis on two-way communication we encourage all parents/guardians to
attend Consultation Evenings and ask them to comment on all Report Cards. These
comments are always acted upon.
I would also encourage parents to come along to the Parents’ Forum. This is a
discussion/information group which meets on the last Thursday evening of each
month in the School Library
As a school we have a duty to open up the curriculum to parents and accordingly, all
departments have produced ‘user-friendly’ curriculum guides for all stages. This
process of ‘demystifying’ the educational experience is a key part of the home-school
partnership which will be crucially important if your child is to obtain maximum
benefit from his/her time at The Berwickshire High School. There are clearly many
ways in which you can help your child to get the most out of school and I would
encourage you not to be put off by your own memories of school days! Schools have
changed and are changing with the times.
I mentioned the word ‘progress’ at the start of my introduction. I would like it to be
defined in the widest possible sense and not in any narrowly academic way. We seek
to provide the best possible educational experience for all our students. To this end,
they will be afforded every opportunity, curricular and extra-curricular, that can be
offered.
Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any comment to make, or
indeed, issues to raise.
