As interim head teacher of Knox Academy, I would like to share my thoughts on my early experience in the school, as well as introduce myself to you. My focus in these first weeks has been on getting to know the staff and the pupils and getting a good sense of ‘how we do things’ here at Knox. I have also spent quite a bit of time trying to orientate myself in the building, an experience that has given me a good understanding of how our new S1 pupils must feel when they arrive in August. Thankfully, there is always someone on hand to point me in the right direction should I get lost.

Since arriving at the school, I am delighted to say that I have found Knox Academy pupils to be polite, friendly, respectful young people and it is a real pleasure to be working with them. In my short time here, I have already seen many examples of our young people being wonderful ambassadors for the school – at a Parent Council meeting, the Senior Phase information evening, the P7 open evening and a Haddington Community Council meeting. For me, the value of respect has to be at the heart of a school community – respect for each other in school, respect for our wider community, and respect for our environment. I am seeing this respect in spades at Knox Academy and it is something that I am determined we continue to build on. In recent assemblies with all year groups I have spoken about respect, tying this in with a story on the importance of kindness in our relationships with each other. Building strong, warm relationships between all in the Knox Academy school community is a theme I will return to throughout the session.

A number of parents have contacted me regarding recent press coverage of the school. Whilst I cannot comment in any detail on an incident involving individual pupils, I can say that the matter referred to in the press was dealt with appropriately in school. The safety of our young people is always paramount and we have clear procedures in place to address behavioural issues. The Respectful Relationships policy, launched earlier this year, enhances these procedures as it encourages high expectations regarding behaviour and it fosters a positive ethos. My role is to ensure that all in our school community abide by the spirit and the practice of the policy, thus ensuring that Knox Academy is a safe, happy place in which to work and learn.

Since joining the management team at Knox Academy, I have been impressed by the vision of staff in how they see the school evolving and where they want it to be. Much of the discussion in team meetings has focused on how we can work together to move the school forward. Our thinking is being shaped by our own observations and shared knowledge of the school, as well as by three key documents: the Summary of Inspection Findings from HMI published in March 2017; the school’s Post-inspection Action Plan; and the School Improvement Plan. A great deal of work has gone into the latter two documents and from these we are identifying our key priorities for the year ahead, as well as targets for future years. I will be sharing more about these key priorities with you very soon. To help us lead the school forward, particularly in terms of strategic vision, I am delighted that Mrs Claire Slowther has been seconded from Dunbar Grammar School. Mrs Slowther may be known to many of you as she previously taught biology in Knox Academy – hence, she knows her way around the building much better than I do. At present, I cannot say how long Mrs Slowther will be with us; indeed, I am not yet certain of how long I will be in post here either. What I can say is that we are both very pleased to have been appointed to Knox Academy, albeit on a temporary basis, and we are completely committed to the school and to working with everyone in its community. Though I am sending out this letter to you in paper form, my intention with future updates is to use the school website. Please do consider subscribing to the website so that you do not miss any updates. You can do this very simply: go to knox.is/newsdesk, fill in your details, then respond to the confirmatory email. Can you also please ensure that the school has your up to date email address as increasingly we are using email as a means of communication. I have been liaising with the chair of the Parent Council and the chair of the PC communications subgroup on how we can improve communication between school and home. I would welcome any comments or suggestions you may have on this.

I said at the beginning of this letter that I would introduce myself to you, so here is a snapshot of my journey to the role at Knox Academy. I grew up in Gullane and went to primary school in the village, then on to North Berwick High School. After six very happy years at NBHS, I went to Aberdeen University to study English. It was a joy to spend four years studying what I was passionate about - literature and language. In particular, I loved reading Scottish texts and studying the Scots language, and I loved poetry. To this day, I always have a poetry book on the go, as well as whatever else I am reading. When I left university, I had just one ambition: to become a mother. My three children were all born south of the border, as my husband’s work took us first to Kent and then to Lancashire. It was in Lancashire that I first became fascinated by how children learn, through watching my own children’s early attempts at reading and through volunteering as a parent helper at their primary school. When I became a school governor there, my interest widened to include more general education issues and I decided to train as a teacher myself. Having completed my teacher training year at university in Manchester, our family moved back to East Lothian and I began working at St Margaret’s School in Edinburgh, where I eventually became Head of English. In my latter years at St Margaret’s, I undertook the Scottish Qualification for Headship at Edinburgh University and began looking for a post in senior management. After eleven years teaching in the independent sector, I was keen to make the move into the state system and I was thrilled to be appointed as Depute Head Teacher at my old school in 2006 and then, seven years later, to take on the role of Head Teacher. While I have thoroughly enjoyed every role I have taken on in education, from parent helper to head teacher, there is no doubt that the role I have found most fulfilling – as well as, admittedly, the most challenging – is that of head teacher. What guides me in this role are my values and what I consider to be the non-negotiables in school:

• strong, positive relationships built on mutual respect and trust;
• a relentless focus on improving teaching and learning for all, fostering a spirit of curiosity;
• rigorous self-evaluation and honest reflection on what we do well and what we can do better;
• lots of opportunities within and beyond the classroom for wider achievement and the development of skills and attributes.

In my experience, if we get these things right then our young people can thrive and flourish in a safe and happy school community. This, in turn, leads to high attainment, thus opening doors for life beyond school. That is my wish for our young people and I trust that parents and carers will support me in this, sharing my pride at being a part of the Knox Academy school community.

Lauren Rodger
Interim Head Teacher