School Updates and Letters

Upcoming events

Dear Parent/Carer,
I hope all Braes families have had a pleasant summer, and we look forward to seeing our young people back in school on Wednesday 12th August. The staff at Braes are proud of the efforts of our young people in the 2026 Qualifications Scotland examinations, and we also look forward to continuing to support our pupils as they progress throughout session 2026/27. Please see an update on a number of matters below :

School Improvement Plan

Please see below the link on our school website to the Standards and Qualities Report and outline of this session’s strategic priorities :

SQR 2025 26

Photographs

A school photograph company will be in school to take photographs of pupils in S1, S3, S5 and S6 on Friday 21st August. Once each pupil has had their photograph taken, they will be issued with a note to take home with details about how to order the picture, should parents/carers wish to do so. There is no obligation to purchase the photograph.

Communications from school

To find out more about the school, or to keep up with latest developments, please visit our school website www.braeshigh.com. The School App has been discontinued. However you will be able to see a record of communications to parents/carers on the website. In addition, there are multiple active Bluesky feeds from departments and the main school feed An electronic newsletter showcasing the many talents and achievements of our young people will also be issued regularly throughout the session. The school calendar can viewed via the link below :

School Calendar | Braes High School | Braes High School | Secondary School Falkirk | Falkirk Education

Parent/Carer groups

Our Parent Council plays a significant role in our school’s ongoing development. The Annual General Meeting of the Parent Council takes place on the evening of Tuesday 1st September at 7pm. If you would like to be part of this discussion please email braeshigh.parentcouncil@gmail.com. We are fortunate to also have a second parent group, Friends at Braes, our parent-led fundraising group. The Annual General Meeting of Friends at Braes takes place on Tuesday 22th August at 6.30pm. For further details of the meeting please email friendsatbraeshigh@gmail.com.

Uniform

Braes High School pupils are well known for their high standards of school uniform. As a reminder, school uniform consists of a school blazer, school shirt, school tie, school skirt, trousers, or leggings (black and unbranded). Pupils can also choose to wear a school jumper or cardigan if they wish to do so. Plain black school shorts can also be worn. Jogging trousers, tracksuit tops, hoodies and jeans are not part of the school uniform and should not be worn to school.

Friends at Braes run a well supported and used uniform recycling facility. There is a uniform rack at the school reception where parents/carers and pupils are welcome to access the available uniform. Donations of pre-loved uniform can also be handed into reception. For further information please contact either your young person’s Pastoral Head, or email Friends at Braes at friendsatbraeshigh@gmail.com.

Staying hydrated during lessons

There are a number of water fountains in the school for use by pupils. We would ask young people to bring a reusable water bottle to school to use these. Pupils can drink water in class and should fill bottles during interval and lunch breaks.

School Buses

As a reminder, Falkirk Council’s school transport policy notes :

Criteria for free school transport
Pupils who are under 8 years of age and live more than 1 mile from their catchment school or are 8 years of age or older and live more than 2 miles from their catchment school.

Under 22 travel passes

At present, the Young Persons' Free Bus Travel Scheme does not cover transport to and from school. Under 22 passes can only be used where there is sufficient excess capacity after all pupils who hold Falkirk Council distance entitled bus passes have been granted travel.

This means that those young people with Falkirk Council distance entitled bus passes will be prioritised for spaces on school buses. Thereafter, young people who have the Under 22 travel pass can use any spare capacity on school buses. At the end of the school day, younger pupils will be offered these spaces first. It is therefore possible that some young people who have an Under 22 travel pass may not be able to access a school bus if there is no spare capacity.

Further information, including timetables can be gained from Falkirk Council’s website, linked below

Schools: Secondary schools - Braes High School - Falkirk Council

At the end of the school day. pupils will be advised to stay on the standing areas on either side of the new Maddiston classroom units and wait for staff to direct them onto buses. Pupils with Falkirk Council bus passes will be invited to board first. Thereafter, young people who have the Under 22 travel pass can use any spare capacity on school buses. At the end of the school day, younger pupils will be offered these spaces first.

Maddiston Primary School P7 classes

We are pleased to have P7 classes from Maddiston Primary School with us this session. While the young people from Maddiston will still follow their own lessons in their own spaces, we look forward to the pupils enjoying being in the Braes High School campus and taking part in a range of events and activities across the school year.

Traffic around school

We are grateful to parents/carers for the sensible approach to driving and parking in and around the school. The only pick-up and collection point for pupils is situated at the front of the school building. No other area in the school grounds should be used for this purpose. This is to ensure pedestrian safety. In particular, the area around the bus bay will be very busy. Unless by prior arrangement parents/carers should not drive in this area.

Extra-Curricular Clubs and Activities

Each session, Braes pupils enjoy the various clubs and activities that staff run for young people. These are being collated at present and will be circulated to pupils and parents/carers in the next couple of weeks.

To conclude, I would wish all our young people the very best for the session ahead. We will be starting the year with assemblies celebrating the many achievements and contributions of our young people last session, and setting standards and expectations for the year ahead. Many thanks for your ongoing support of your young people and the school as parents/carers.

Yours faithfully,

Iain Livingstone

School letters

26/08/2026
Dear Parent/Carer,

For many years, young people in Braes have benefited from having two parent/carer groups ; Friends at Braes and the Parent Council. Friends at Braes is a parent-led fundraising group that supports our pupils by funding a range of clubs, activities and projects. The money is mainly raised by selling refreshments as school shows and events, organising raffles and making bids for grants. The link below gives more information about the impact of FAB on the learning experiences of our pupils.

Friends at Braes

At last night’s Annual General Meeting, only 4 parents/carers were able to attend. Without more parents/carers or wider family members becoming involved in the group, it would be unlikely FAB would be able to continue to operate, or provide this same level of support for our young people. The parents/carers already involved in FAB understand that people lead very busy lives, with a range of time commitments and responsibilities. However they are keen to share the positive experience they have had when working the school, meeting our young people at events, and speaking with pupils at the meetings.

On behalf of Friends at Braes, and having witnessed myself the really positive impact FAB has on our pupils in terms of financial support, and also in helping young people build their confidence and develop new skills, I would ask that any parent/carer of family member who would like to find out more about FAB, or would like to become involved, email me at iain.livingstone@education.falkirk.sch.uk.

The first major event FAB arrange is a welcome disco for S1 pupils, which is scheduled for the evening of Thursday 8th October. Again, this will only be able to run in its current form if we have enough parent/carer support. If you would like to find out more about this event, or would like to help FAB with the refreshment stall at the disco, please email me at the above address.

Yours sincerely,
Iain Livingstone

Dear Parent/Carer,

For many years the school has been well supported by our Parent Council. The Parent Council is a group of parents who meet regularly to represent the views of the wider Parent Forum. The Parent Council works together with the school to make sure that parents/carers feel `part of it’ at Braes, and can represent the views of parents/carers to help inform school developments and plans.

At these meetings, young people from Braes regularly participate in discussion with parents/carers and it has been great to see the strong partnership between the Parent Council and the Pupil Council over the years. The link below gives more information about how the Parent Council has helped shape school policy and plans.

Parent Council

The Annual General Meeting of the Parent Council takes place on Tuesday 1st September at 7pm in the school library. Please come to the main reception and you will be guided to the library.

A number of parents who regularly attended the Parent Council no longer have pupils at Braes and will therefore oi longer be part of the Parent Council. We are therefore keen to welcome any parent/carers who would like to come along to Tuesday’s meeting. At the meeting, Braes staff will give an update on the achievements of our young people last session and seek parents/carers views on how we can extend opportunities for young people in their S5/6 curriculum.

We’d love to see you at the meeting on Tuesday.

Yours faithfully,
Iain Livingstone

25/08/2026
Dear Parent/Carer,

As we move into the second full week of term I would take this opportunity to thank Braes parents/carers for your support in ensuring a smooth start to the school session. Standard of school uniform is high, and we are keen to ensure that this continues throughout the session. As a reminder, tracksuit trousers are not part of the school uniform. Our young people are already getting involved in the wider life of the school and it has been good to see the enthusiasm and positivity from our pupils as we have started the term.

Please see an update on a number of matters below :

School Photographs
On Friday last week, young people in S1, S3, S5 and S6 had their school photographs taken. Your young person will have been issued with a note to take home to you which gives information should you wish to purchase the photograph.

Extra Curricular Clubs and Activities
A great way to meet new friends, develop skills and build confidence is by getting involved in the many clubs and activities on offer in Braes. I am grateful to our staff who provide these opportunities for young people and I would encourage our young to try these out and `be part of it’ at Braes. Information about these can be found at the link below :

Clubs and Activities

Parking
As you will no doubt have noticed, while we do have a drop-off area in the school grounds for parents/carers and pupils, there is not a great deal of room for cars in and around the school grounds. It may be advisable to make alternative arrangements for the collection of your young person after the school day if possible. Please do not drive into the bus bay area or park at the bus turning circle. Thank you for your help with this.

Keeping in touch - Our website and social media
To find out more about the school, or to keep up with latest developments, please visit our school website www.braeshigh.com,. In addition, there are multiple active Bluesky feeds from departments and the main school feed @braeshighschoolbsky.social.

Our Faculty Heads
Should you have a matter relating to a specific subject or curriculum area, please see the email addresses below :

Our Pastoral Heads
Should you have a matter you wish to discuss in relation to your young person’s progress in general, or their wellbeing, please see the email addresses below :

george.burnett@education.falkirk.sch.uk (Ochil)
michael.burns@education.falkirk.sch.uk (Lomond)
Linda.Jones@education.falkirk.sch.uk (Campsie)
Laura.Eckles@education.falkirk.sch.uk (Pentland)

Our parent/carer groups
Finally, as well as our Pupil Council (Pupil Voice Group) playing a significant part in our school’s ongoing development, so too does our Parent Council. The Annual General Meeting of the Parent Council takes place on Tuesday 1st September. For more information about the Parent Council, please email braeshigh.parentcouncil@gmail.com. We are fortunate to also have a second parent group, Friends at Braes, our parent-led fundraising group. The Annual General Meeting of Friends at Braes takes place on Tuesday 25th August (tomorrow) at 6.30pm, also in the school building. For further details of the meeting please email friendsatbraeshigh@gmail.com.

We would encourage parents/carers to become involved in the activities of both groups, as they both provide valuable support to the school and to families across our school community.

Thank you for your ongoing support of your young person and the school.

Yours faithfully,
Iain Livingstone