Welcome

I hope that all our pupils, parents and carers enjoyed a relaxing summer break. It has been a pleasure to welcome our young people back to Earlston High School and to have the familiar buzz of school life return.

The first week of the new session has been purposeful and calm. Our pupils have returned with a positive attitude, and standards of uniform, behaviour and engagement in learning have been high. This has allowed us to make a strong and settled start to the school year.

I would particularly like to welcome our new S1 pupils and their families to the Earlston High School community. Our S1 pupils have settled in exceptionally well. They have approached their first week with enthusiasm and have been happy, eager to learn and respectful of their new school community. We look forward to supporting them as they continue to grow in confidence and take advantage of the many opportunities available to them.

Qualifications Scotland Results

I would like to congratulate all our young people who received their SQA results during the summer. Behind every result lies a great deal of effort, commitment and perseverance from our pupils, supported by their families and the staff of the school.

We are delighted that our S4 results at the national benchmark of five or more awards at SCQF Level 5 were our strongest for six years. Our S5 results at the national benchmark of five or more awards at SCQF Level 6 were also the strongest we have achieved in the past five years.

These results represent an important achievement for our school community. While the national benchmarks provide one measure of attainment, we also recognise and celebrate the wide range of individual successes achieved by our young people across different subjects and levels. Every positive destination and qualification matters, and we are proud of the commitment shown by all our pupils.

I would also like to thank our parents and carers for the encouragement and support you provide. This partnership plays an essential role in helping our young people succeed.

School Values and Expectations

During the first week in assemblies, pupils have been reminded of the importance of protecting our values and of the shared responsibility we all have for maintaining a positive, safe and respectful school community.

We have also reinforced our expectations in relation to school uniform, attendance, punctuality, behaviour, effort, engagement in learning and the appropriate use of mobile phones. These expectations help us to create the calm and purposeful environment in which all young people can learn and achieve.

The very high standards demonstrated by our pupils during the first week have been encouraging, and I am grateful to them for the positive way in which they have returned to school. We will continue to work with pupils and families to ensure these standards are maintained throughout the year.

Teaching Staffing Update

We are pleased to welcome a number of new teaching colleagues to Earlston High School this session:

• Imogen Farnsworth and Ángela García – Languages
• Tara Lundie (History) and Andrew Kinnell (Modern Studies) – Humanities
• Eilidh Jaffray – Chemistry
• Caitlin Wallace-Hay – Provisionally Registered Teacher – Art and Design
• Emma Brus – Provisionally Registered Teacher – Physical Education

I am sure our parents, carers and pupils will join me in welcoming them to the Earlston High School community. We wish them every success in their new roles.

Unfortunately, the teacher appointed to our Computing Science post has been unable to take up the position. We are actively recruiting a new Computing Science teacher.

Parent Council

The first meeting of the Parent Council is on 1 September 2026 at 7pm in the School Conference Room. There is an option to join remotely, the link to this will be sent out to parents/carers from the school nearer to the time.

Senior Celebration of Success Evening

Our Senior Celebration of Success Evening will take place on Thursday 27 August, beginning at 6.30 pm.

This will provide us with an important opportunity to recognise and celebrate the achievements of our senior pupils. Invitations are being issued to the families of

the young people receiving awards, and we look forward to welcoming them to what promises to be a very positive evening.

Keeping in Touch

All essential information for parents and carers will continue to be communicated through Eduspot (this system sends out emails and/or SMS messages to parents/carers). Parents Portal allows you to view your child’s reports, real-time attendance and you are able to update your contact details.

You can also notify the school of absences or send general enquiries. For non-urgent communication with the school you can e-mail us earlstonhs@scotborders.gov.uk.

Please ensure that the school holds your current contact details so that you do not miss important messages.

This website has a wealth of information for parents, pupils and the wider community.

We also use our Facebook and Instagram accounts to share pupil achievements and provide a window into the wider life of Earlston High School. I would encourage families to follow these accounts and join us in celebrating the many successes and experiences of our young people.

Thank you for your continued support. The positive start we have made reflects the combined efforts of our pupils, staff, parents and carers. I look forward to working with you throughout the session and to building upon this excellent first week.