The School Day

The times of the school day are as follows:

Highlights of the School Year

There are too many highlights to mention here, but some of the most memorable events in our school year are our:

 Charity fundraising events

 Christmas Fair

 Senior Citizens’ Christmas Party

 Talent Shows

 Prize Giving Evening and Sports Awards Evening

 School Dances

 Student Health and Careers Days

 Wide range of House events

 Educational Excursions at home and abroad

The School in the Community

We encourage all of our students to take a pride in the school and its long-standing reputation in the community. We are delighted that our students contribute so much to that community, with some examples being:

 the many school events which raise thousands of pounds every year for local and national charities

 the school musicians who play at many functions outwith the school

 students who help in local nursery, primary and special needs schools

 the school’s engagement in many community events, such as the local Remembrance Day ceremony

 Our fundraising beach cleans

A number of local people, from footballers to computing students, use school facilities and we welcome any way of fostering links with the community.

What do our students do when they leave school?

Preston Lodge students move on from our school well prepared for the challenges of life ahead. Many of our students move on to Higher Education or Further Education whilst others move into work and training.

Almost all of our students move on to positive and sustained destinations. This means, essentially, education, work or training. The comparison table below shows that our destinations are now above our ‘virtual comparator’, East Lothian and national figures This represents outstanding work from our Pupil Support team in ensuring we recover from the impact of covid on positive destinations across Scotland.

However, although we are currently in a good position we are not resting on our laurels. Our dedicated team of staff continue to work to secure positive destinations for all of our students.

What do I do if …

I wish to enrol my child?

Please contact the school office to make an appointment with our Depute Head Teacher responsible for admissions Our telephone number is 01875 811170. Or contact admin@prestonlodge.elcschool.org.uk Further details on enrolments can be found in Appendix 2.

… my child is absent?

Please contact the school by texting 07860 049084 or email admin@prestonlodge.elcschool.org.uk at the school before 9.00 am on the day of the absence or by a note prior to the absence. When your child returns to school, please make sure they bring a note explaining their absence. We will contact families if we receive no explanation for an absence and our automatic system will contact you by text if your child is absent without explanation. We hope you find this helpful.

… my child has an appointment during the school day?

Please give your child the appointment card, a note, text 07860 049084 or email admin@prestonlodge.elcschool.org.uk. Please ask them to hand this to the office first thing in the morning.

… my child is upset for family reasons? Please let your child’s guidance teacher know that your child is likely to be upset. Details of our Pastoral Support Team are on page 40.

… my child is going on holiday during term time?

Please let the school know in advance of the holiday dates. Please note that other than in exceptional circumstances, and in S4-6 particularly, we advise against holidays during term time

… my child wants to take on an after-school job?

There are complex regulations about employing school children. Please see Appendix 2 for more details. However, by law, the employer must always ask the school for permission. In S4-6, employment can have an adverse effect on subject performance and too much of it is actively discouraged.

… I wish to pass an urgent message to my child?

Please contact the school office with your child’s name, class and a brief message. Please allow plenty of time for the message to reach your child. It would be much appreciated if you limited this service to genuinely urgent messages. Mobile phones are switched off in class unless they are being used for a curricular purpose.

… my child is entitled to free lunches, bus passes or other financial help?

Please see Appendix 2. All enquiries will be treated in confidence.

… I have a complaint?

Please contact the appropriate Year Head or the Headteacher. Please see page 18 for more details.

… my address, telephone number or email changes?

Please write or email to the school office as soon as possible giving your new address, telephone number or email address as we are increasingly using this facility to contact parents