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2012 2013
Eastern Primary School
Camperdown Street
Broughty Ferry
DUNDEE
DD5 3AE
Telephone: 01382 436900
Fax: 01382 436997
Email: eastern.primary@dundeecity.gov.uk
Website: www.easternprimary.co.uk
E ASTERN P RIMARY S CHOOL H ANDBOOK 2013

Welcome to Eastern Primary School.
We strongly believe that learning and teaching is a partnership between parents, pupils and school staff. At Eastern we aim to provide a learning environment where we are
. This is reflected in the aims we have set out in our School Vision of delivering a curriculum which will encourage your child to be Safe, Included, Healthy,
Responsible, Active and Caring.
We value an ethos which supports all of our children to continually develop and improve their skills for life, learning and work within a supportive learning environment. We continually look for experiences which will allow our children to be creative, imaginative and thoughtful, encouraging everyone to give their best.
We consistently look for ways of involving children in taking responsibility for their learning by setting personal targets and evaluating their own progress.
We value your involvement and interest in your child's education and development as a crucial part of our continuing partnership. No worry concerning your child is too small or unimportant to share with us – please contact us at any time.
Our school is well supported by an active Parent Council. As a school we value your participation in daily routines. Please let us know if you would like to become involved in school activities, have ideas or suggestions, worries or concerns. We are always happy to hear from you.
I fully appreciate that this handbook may not answer all the questions you might have, and if this is the case, please contact the school to arrange a time to visit.
Yours, in partnership,
Gillian Knox
Head Teacher
Safe
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Contents
Pupil Voice
General Information
Concerns or Complaints
Absence Procedures
Placing Request Information
Parental Involvement and Community Links
Promoting Positive Relationships and Behaviour
The Curriculum
Assessment and Reporting
Transitions
Support for Learners
School Improvement
Policies and Useful Information
8
10
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14
17
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5
6
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Each year the children are asked what they think about their school through a Start Stop
Keep activity. They identify things about the school they like as well as the things they would like to change and improve. Here are a few of the areas the children identified in each of these areas:
Start Stop Keep
Goals for pitch /
Basketball hoops
Stop arguing, fighting and
Breaking rules
Keep good work and
Star awards
Would like a school flag
Prefects at lunchtime
Running area
Everyone playing together
Stop detention and black book
Just P4-7 on astro-turf
Cones – want to play with older
Leaving lights on
Hard/challenging work
Swimming
Helping in nursery
Fundraising for school
More seats and tables Packed lunches going in rows and charities
Prefects are selected to support and help children of all ages. We have 2 prefects assigned to each class and they undertake a range of duties from supporting children during assemblies through to helping in the dinner hall. The prefects take their roles very seriously and act with a sense of commitment and responsibility adding greatly to the ethos of the school
Our Pupil council is made up from representatives from each stage of the school. They meet regularly to discuss how to improve the areas which have been identified through the Start,
Stop, Keep activity and provide useful feedback about the work of the school.
The Eco council has class members from P3 upwards and they work hard to make sure we are doing what we can to be environmentally responsible. They help to remind everyone who works in the school to save energy and recycle what we can when we can. Last year they achieved the Silver eco award and this year we hope to build on that success.
Our P7 Playground Leaders are trained to run regular sessions of games in the playground which encourage individuals and groups to take part in structured play and enjoy themselves together. Playground Leaders are encouraged to develop responsibility and develop team working skills in order to select appropriate activities which appeal to a wide age range. They encourage younger children play well together during playtime and lunchtime.
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School Address :
Telephone:
Fax:
Email Address:
Website:
Eastern Primary School
Camperdown Street
DUNDEE DD5 3AE
01382 436900
01382 436997 eastern.primary@dundeecity.gov.uk www.easternprimary.co.uk
School Status : Non-Denominational (3 – 12 years)
The school offers an Enhanced Level of Provision for children with
Additional Support Needs
( No provision for Gaelic Language Education)
School Roll 361 P1 – P7 with 50/50 Nursery Provision
School Hours 9.00am to 12.15pm then 1.15pm to 3.15pm
Head Teacher: Mrs Gillian Knox
Depute Head Teacher (Acting): Mrs Karen Clarke
Principal Teacher: Mrs Fiona Morrison
Early Years Team Class Teachers
Ms Fiona Stewart (Class Teacher) Mrs Kathleen Arcari
Mrs Gaynor Martin (EYP)*
Mrs Gwen Miller (EYP)*
Mrs Louise Christie
Mrs Val Cumming
Mrs Veronica Samson (EYP)*
Mrs Dawn Taylor (EYP)*
School Support Team
Mrs Avril Dick
Miss Alison Dowie
Mrs Alison Gleig
Mrs Tracy Graham
Mrs Jean Whittet (Admin Officer) Mrs Gemma Gray
Miss Ann-Marie Wales (Clerical) Mrs Susan Howard
Mrs Christina Allan (Auxiliary) Miss Claire Jamieson
Additional Support Team
Mrs Jacqui Dobbins (Teacher)
Mrs Mary Glennie (Teacher)
Mrs Morag Logie (Teacher)
Mrs Karen Ellerby (ASNA)*
Mrs Shirley Finnegan (ASNA)*
Mrs Susan McAteer (ASNA)*
Miss Laura Turriff (ASNA)*
Facilities Assistants
Mr Graham Soutar
Mrs Jenni Kernaghan
Health and Wellbeing Assistant Mrs Franclyn Lawrence
Mrs Anne Macpherson Mrs Linsey McDade
Mr Larry Whyte
Mrs Rhona Merry-Donaldson School Crossing Patrol
Classroom Assistants
Mrs Donna Devine
Mrs Aileen Wilson
Music Instructors
Mrs Irene Morton
Miss Stephanie Paterson
Mrs Hilary Richmond
Mrs Charlotte Clark
Mrs Jessie Horne
Mr Terry Horne
Mr Alan Orr
Ms Anne Davidson (Strings)
Mr Robert Duncan (Piano)
Mr Kevin Murphy (Brass)
Educational Psychologist
Mrs Alison Carmichael Breakfast Club Supervisors
Miss Carly Boardly
Mrs Fiona Shannon
Active Schools Co-ordinator
Mr Sama ’an Akel
Lunchtime Supervisors
Mrs Viktorya Rowlands
Mrs Fiona Shannon
*EYP – Early Years Practitioner *ASNA – Additional Support Needs Assistant
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Parents and carers should contact the school to arrange a visit, seek advice, make suggestions or share concerns.
If parents wish to talk to the class teacher, or a member of the senior staff, it is generally better to make an appointment. This ensures that the member of staff is available, that classes are not disturbed and that pupils’ lessons are not affected.
Parents may contact the school directly to ensure that the query is dealt with as promptly as possible, either:
· by telephone to the school office (01382 436900)
· by letter to a member of staff
· by visiting the school in person
Should parents feel that further help is necessary or that their concerns should be passed on, they may contact the Education Department Headquarters.
This can be done either by letter or by telephone. The address is:
Advice and Conciliation Officer
Dundee City Council Education Department
Dundee House
50 North Lindsay Street
Dundee
DD1 1NL
If you wish to telephone, please contact either of the following:
Advice and Conciliation Officer, Kerry Gethins, Tel. 433477 or
Head of Primary Education, Lina Waghorn, Tel. 433718
Any concerns will be listened to and dealt with appropriately by the member of staff who is most suited to do so. We wish to work in close partnership with our parents in order to achieve positive resolutions for all.
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Dundee City Council implements an attendance policy in all schools.
Please contact the school as soon as possible if your child is absent. Please send a note to school with your child on their return explaining the reason for the absence.
If your child is absent and no contact is made by you, a text message will be sent from the school. When three days pass without explanation for an absence an Education Welfare
Officer will arrange to visit you and your child at home.
If your child has an appointment during the school day or needs to leave school for any other reason, please put this in writing. We would appreciate it if routine appointments could be made outwith school hours but understand that this isn’t always possible.
If your child does need to leave school during the school day they must be collected by a parent/carer at the main reception. In the interest of safety we cannot allow children to leave the school unaccompanied.
Regular attendance at school ensures your child is receiving the continuous education they are entitled to.
Dundee City Council asks that, where possible, parents do not take children out of school for family holidays during term time. In accordance with Scottish Executive guidelines for pupil attendance, most holidays are recorded as unauthorised unless there is proof from an employer that this is the only time when holidays could be taken.
The following points are included in the Education Authority’s Attendance Initiative
·
If your child is ill and cannot attend school please contact the school before, or as soon as possible after 9.00am on the first day of absence.
· If the absence is planned, e.g. a hospital appointment, we ask you to let us know prior to the absence.
·
If your child is absent for more than three days please call again or write to tell us.
·
If you have not contacted the school to say your child is absent and have received a text message please contact us as soon as possible.
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A notice in the local press will advise parents of future Primary 1 children when to enrol their child for school. Parents of children living in the Eastern Primary catchment area should then contact the school, so that appropriate paperwork can be completed.
Please bring your child's birth certificate and proof of residence with you so that registration can be completed. For families living outwith our catchment area, a placing request form should be completed and submitted to Dundee House.
Parents will be invited to attend an induction meeting in June. We will share general information about the school and what to expect in Primary 1. Parents will have the opportunity to ask questions and, where possible, meet class teachers and visit the Primary 1 area. We hope to be able to tell parents which class their child will be a part of during this meeting.
Children are invited later in the term to make visits to the Primary 1 classrooms to become familiar with the early years area.
For enrolment during the school session, a placing request form should be submitted to
Dundee House.
Parents who wish to enrol their child at Eastern Primary School should put their request in writing to;
Dundee City Council,
Education Department,
Dundee House,
50 North Lindsay Street,
Dundee
DD1 1NL.
Visits to view the school can be arranged on request.
Parents and children will normally be given a tour of the school with an opportunity to meet their class teacher before starting school.
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All parents and carers of children at Eastern Primary are considered members of the Parent
Forum. Our Parent Council is a group of parents selected by members of the Parent Forum to represent all the parents of children at their school. Parent Councils are flexible and can decide on the type of group they want to represent their views.
The type of things a Parent Council could get involved in may include:-
·
Supporting the work of the school
·
Gathering and representing parents' views to the Head Teacher, Education
Authority and Education Scotland
·
·
Attending social/fund-raising events
Parent information events
·
· open days/evening workshops library/book events
· sharing experience or expertise with the school
We hold class assemblies throughout the year. Each class invites their parents or carers into the school. This allows for parents see their child’s class and hear about their learning and some of the exciting things they have been doing in school.
Shared Start in the early years takes place first thing in the morning. Parents and carers will be invited into their ch ild’s class to spend a short time working and playing with their child. This allows visitors to experience their child’s learning environment, gives the opportunity for children to introduce their special person to their classmates and class teacher and generally gives an insight into your child’s learning.
There are a range of leaflets available which provide information on different aspects of the work of the school. We are continually adding to these with the aim of sharing what we do in a concise and easily accessible way. As each new leaflet is produced it will be placed in the reception area for those who are interested and we hope you find them useful.
How can you support your child and the school?
Attendance at Parents Evenings allows teachers to share information about your child’s learning and progress. It also gives an opportunity for Parents to ask questions and to share information.
Parent’s evenings at Eastern Primary School are in November and June. However if you have anything you would like to discuss about your child, please do not feel that you have to wait until Parent’s evening, appointments can be made throughout the school year.
Personal Learning Logs will come home termly and will inform Parents and Carers about the learning you r child will be undertaking. At the beginning of the term your child’s targets will be shared. At the end of the term your child will reflect on their learning and whether
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targets have been met and it is at this point you will be given the opportunity to comment on your child’s learning.
We often ask for Parents to volunteer their support for activities such as trips, helping with concerts, supporting Parent Council Events and, most importantly, in sharing their expertise.
If, however, we don’t ask but you see an opportunity that you can help with, please let us know as your support is most welcome.
Further information can be found at:
Guidance on the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act 2006 provides guidance on the act for education authorities, Parent Councils and others – http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/09/08094112/0
Parentzone provide information and resource for parents and Parent Councils – http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/parentzone/index.asp
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P ROMOTING POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS AND POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR
Good Behaviour and mutual respect is important to the smooth running of any community. Our school community is no different with all staff, pupils, parents and members of the local community having an important role to play.
We aim to create a happy, friendly and secure environment where everyone feels valued and is encouraged to give of his or her best. Clear expectations are shared with children at the start of each term and are supported by discussions in class and through related Assemblies.
We promote positive behaviour by providing lots of praise and encouragement, developing self-esteem, encouraging positive attitudes, a sense of responsibility and mutual respect.
The school is currently involved in developing
where children are encouraged to solve problems between themselves, to have a better understanding of how their words or actions have hurt or concerned someone else and to work towards putting things right. A key part of this is helping children to
and find good ways to manage themselves in times of conflict or anxiety. A key strategy, for example, is to encourage children to think about “big deal/little deal” before acting.
is when children work together to discuss a problem and come up with agreed solutions. We are planning to train our senior pupils as peer mediators and have already begun to support peer mediation.
These words in bold italics represent some of the current ideas about supporting good relationships in schools but we believe that giving children support in these areas will be important for them throughout their lives. These areas are not tackled in a standalone sort of way. Rather all interaction provides opportunities to practice the skills necessary to develop strong and supportive relationships and to deal effectively with the ups and downs of life. Thus, the conversations children have in the nursery when there is one scooter and three potential riders are important for the development of restorative practices. When we intervene to help an older pupil who has been verbally abused and is therefore very angry, the content of the conversation may well be different. However we would be trying to ensure that the outcomes will be similar in terms of spreading the balance of power, encouraging people to see things from another point of view, make amends for a harsh word or physical aggression and move on with minimum lasting damage to feelings, confidence and self-image.
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The school also supports children through the development of roles such as Prefects,
Playground Leaders and Buddies which enable children to accept responsibilities within the school to benefit our whole school community.
Each class has an agreed system of positive behaviour and agreed consequences.
Consequences can include;
·
Undertaking a restorative task
·
Writing a letter home
·
Losing a class privilege
·
Taking work home to complete
·
Having a discussion with member of Senior Management Team
More serious sanctions for persistent indiscipline can be referred to the promoted staff in school and can include reflection time, parents being called upon to discuss the problems and occasionally and only when all other avenues have been explored exclusion.
Violent language and behaviour is NEVER acceptable in school and is a very serious matter.
If a child’s behaviour is an on-going problem a range of approaches are used in school. These include:
·
Use of a home school diary
·
Consultation with parents
·
Use of agreed reward charts
·
Increased monitoring and intervention by the Principal Teacher, Depute Head teacher then Head teacher
·
Additional support from support staff
·
Establishing an Individual Support Plan, detailing short and longer term targets for improvement
·
Withdrawal from class
·
Referral, with parental agreement, to other agencies and services
Further information can be found at:
Supporting Learners - guidance on the identification, planning and provision of support – http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/supportinglearners/
Journey to Excellence - provides guidance and advice about culture and ethos – http://www.journeytoexcellence.org.uk/cultureandethos/index.asp
Health and wellbeing guidance on healthy living for local authorities and schools – http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education/Schools/HLivi
Building Curriculum for Excellence Through Positive Behaviour and Relationships outlines the Scottish
Gover nment’s priority actions around positive behaviour in schools and is also a source of support – http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/06/25112828/0
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At Eastern Primary School we aim to provide a broad, experiential curriculum that meets the needs of all of our children and which develops skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work. In doing so, we will prepare our pupils to take their place in a modern society.
This means that every child at Eastern Primary School is entitled to a curriculum which is:
·
Coherent from nursery through to their transfer to secondary education
· Founded on sound learning and teaching practices including well-planned learning experiences which are active and engaging and based upon sound pedagogical research
· Based upon developing skills and competences in literacy and numeracy and an ability to make informed choices about their health and well being
·
Real and relevant now and in the future
All staff have a responsibility to build our pupil’s capacity to become;
· Successful learners
·
Confident individuals
·
Responsible citizens
· Effective contributors
By developing a curriculum which is based upon the 7 key principles of
·
Challenge and enjoyment
·
Breadth
·
Progression
· Depth
· Personalisation and choice
· Coherence
·
Relevance
Staff knowledge and understanding of the curriculum and a collegiate approach to developing experiences and outcomes in our school context will underpin development. This in turn will provide teaching and learning of the highest quality for all learners.
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The curriculum has been organised into 8 areas:
·
Languages
·
Mathematics
·
Health and Wellbeing
·
Social Subjects
·
Sciences
·
Technologies
·
Expressive Arts
·
Religious and Moral Education
It is anticipated that there will be a balance of discrete subject learning and contextualised learning in addition to learning across curricular areas. Skill development should be linked to practical application rather than worksheet completion.
Consideration will be given to the way we plan. Learning opportunities should be developed collaboratively with children and at this stage of planning, learning should be linked to the 4 capacities. Termly planning will be broader and more flexible.
Planning will consist of yearly planning, interdisciplinary thematic planning, discrete curriculum planning and Weekly Planning. Learning will be mapped to the experiences and outcomes within each curricular area, both during reflection on learning and within the forward planning process. This will provide a holistic view of the learning achieved in each class, and ensure depth, progression and balance across the curriculum.
Further information about the curriculum can be found at:
Information about how the curriculum is structured and curriculum planning – http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/thecurriculum/
Information about the outcomes a learner can expect to experience and achieve across literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing, as well as the 8 curricular areas – http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/thecurriculum/howisthecurriculumorganised/experiencesandoutcomes/ind ex.asp
Advice, practice and resources to support the experiences and outcomes on literary, numeracy and health and wellbeing – http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learningteachingandassessment/learningacrossthecurriculum/responsibilit yofall/index.asp
Information on Skills for learning, life and work – http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/thecurriculum/whatcanlearnersexpect/skillsforlearning.asp
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A SSESSMENT
Assessment of children’s learning is fundamental to the teaching and learning process. We assess learning in a range of ways to provide evidence to meet learners’ needs and identify next steps. At Eastern we use a range of assessment approaches including formative assessment, summative assessment, personal learning planning, standardised assessments and contextual assessment.
· Formative assessment allows the teacher to monitor how well a child is learning during a course of work. It involves sharing learning goals with children at the beginning of a lesson and talking to them about their progress so that they have an active role in deciding how to improve their learning.
· Summative assessment usually takes place at the end of a course of work to confirm the teacher’s judgement of what your child knows or can do.
· Personal leaning planning is a conversation about learning which will involve you, your child and their teacher. The conversation will focus on what your child is going to be learning and what evidence of achievement and progress will look like
· Standardised tests are used at P1, P4 and P6 to provide an assessment of attainment in the core curriculum areas of reading and maths. These tests allow teachers to build a profile of individual progress for every child as they progress through the primary phase.
· Contextual assessment is used when we gather a wide range of evidence from other professionals and agencies to inform what we do.
How and when we are assessed greatly influences our motivation and confidence. Lack of confidence affects young people with all levels of ability. In school, children cannot avoid activities that they think they are not good at. Nor can they avoid having their performance compared against others. However if we recognise that, when assessment puts too much emphasis on performance and comparisons, children who lack confidence in their own ability will seek simply to ‘get by’ or worse still give up. If children recognise that getting into difficulties and making mistakes is part of learning then they are more likely to keep trying or use different techniques to overcome their difficulties.
Formative assessment involves teachers sharing expectations of what children will learn from undertaking a task. This is what teachers call ‘learning intentions’ . By using ‘ success criteria’ children become more involved in their own learning and understand better what is expected of them. Sharing learning intentions and creating success criteria with learners is an important way of helping them to focus not only on what they are producing or what success they have had but what makes it good and how they can improve their performance.
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In today’s classroom s teachers use a range of teaching methods and try to get feedback from the children about their learning. ‘Tuning into learners’ minds’ is an essential part of classroom methodology. It has three purposes:
· To clarify the learners’ understanding
·
To find out what learning (if any) has taken place and
·
To identify what difficulties the learner is experiencing
These methods include refining questioning techniques to stimulate thinking; giving students think time or wait time to respond after a question; training pupils to ask each other questions, asking them to discuss in pairs and groups and report back, asking them to write down their answers and read out a selected few.
R EPORTING
We are continuing to develop approaches to involve you in your child’s learning and share their progress and achievements. These approaches include;
• Personal learning planning
•
Parents meetings
•
Events within school
•
Progress and achievement updates
•
End of session report
The focus is no longer on ‘how fast’ learners progress and achieve the levels since this can lead to superficial approaches to learning. Reflecting the principles of Curriculum for
Excellence, progress is now defined in terms of ‘how much’ and ‘how well’ as well as of learners’ rate of progress. This approach will promote greater breadth and depth of learning including a greater focus on the secure development of skills and knowledge. It acknowledges that children and young people progress and achieve in different ways and at different rates.
Parent Contact Evenings to discuss pupil progress are held in November and March. These take the form of arranged appointments so that parents may have time to talk with the class teacher.
These evenings provide valuable opportunities to share information which can be of significant benefit to a child's education. Please do not feel that you need to wait for these evenings if you have anything you would like to discuss with us. An appointment can be made at any point during the year to share any anything which may affect your child, either positively or negatively.
Good communication between everyone invested in a child’s progress will ensure that their needs can be met in the most appropriate and helpful way.
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Further information about assessment and reporting can be found at:
Building the Curriculum 5: a framework for assessment provides guidance around the assessment framework – http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/Images/BtC5Framework_tcm4-653230.pdf
Information about Curriculum for Excellence levels and how progress is assessed – http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/thecurriculum/howisprogressassessed/stages/index.asp
Information on recognising achievement, reporting and profiling – http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learningteachingandassessment/assessment/achievement/index.asp
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N URSERY / P RIMARY T RANSITION
We aim to work closely with families to support an effective transition from Nursery to P1.
Parents and carers have a significant role to play in preparing and supporting children at times of change and we wish to work closely to involve all parents and carers as fully as possible.
Transition is planned carefully to ensure children have positive experiences and the move from home to pre-school and pre-school to primary is as smooth as possible. All adults should be interested, reliable and responsive to help young children develop a sense of trust and security.
A variety of events are arranged to support the transition process including;
·
Pre-school children taking part in active maths sessions with P1s after February
·
P6 buddies for nursery children from February onwards
·
A puppet show for all Pre-school and P1 children in June
·
Stay and play day June
·
P1 buddies in June
·
Regular visits to P1 throughout the year
·
Attendance at school assemblies
Teachers share information and visit the Nursery and nursery staff throughout the year and visits to private nurseries are made as and when necessary.
C LASS O RGANISATION
The organisation of classes may vary from year to year dependent upon certain factors, such as the school roll and the number of teachers allocated to the school that session.
Composite classes, made up of children from more than one stage, are a feature of Eastern
Primary. Teacher’s take the needs of all of their children into account when planning and delivering learning and teaching in all classes.
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All classes in school must adhere to the agreed conditions of service for teachers regarding class size, i.e. no more than 33 pupils in a single stage class (25 in P1 and 30 in P2 and P3) and
25 pupils in a composite class. All teachers implement collaborative planning when organising for teaching and learning.
P RIMARY / S ECONDARY T RANSITION
Initially, parents of P7 children are normally informed about transfer arrangements to
Secondary School in January of each school session.
Pupils attending Eastern Primary school normally transfer to;
Grove Academy
Claypotts Road
Dundee
DD5 1AB
Tel – 01382 436800
The Head Teacher of Grove Academy is
For those who wish their child to attend a school other than the one allocated, reference should be made to the ‘Placing in Schools’ section of the ‘Basic Information’ booklet (available for reference within Eastern Primary School). Placing confirmation may be expected by
March 2013.
Thereafter, P7 children are given the opportunity to attend arranged Induction Days in order that they may become more familiar with their future school environment.
Further information about Transitions can be found at:
Curriculum for Excellence factfile - 3-18 Transitions - provides information on the transitions children and young people will face throughout their education and beyond – http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/publications/c/publication_tcm4660285.asp
The Additional Support for Learning page provides links to relevant legislation and guidance, including the arrangements that should be in place to support pupils with additional support needs- http://www.scotland.gov.uk/topics/Education/Schools/welfare/ASL
Supporting Children's Learning Code of Practice includes specific requirements on education authorities and others under the new legislation in relation to transition – http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2011/04/04090720/21
Enquire is the Scottish advice service for additional support for learning – http://enquire.org.uk/
Parenting Across Scotland offers support to children and families in Scotland – http://www.parentingacrossscotland.org/
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The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 places duties on local authorities, and other agencies, to provide additional support where needed to enable any child or young person to benefit from education.
Additional Support for Learning means giving children extra help or support so they can get the most out of their education and reach their fullest potential.
A child or young person is said to have ‘additional support needs’ if they need more – or different support – to what is normally provided in schools or pre-schools to children of the same age.
The term Additional Support Needs doesn’t just apply to children who have long -term learning difficulties or disabilities. Children can need support for many reasons. Some may need a lot of support all the way through school. Others will only need a small amount for a short time.
P LANNING FOR L EARNING
All children will have the appropriate planning documentation that best suits their individual needs. In the vast majority of instances this will be captured within the Personal Learning
Planning (PLP) process which is presented in our Personal Learning Logs.
Parents will have access to the Learning Logs and have opportunities to discuss and feedback on progress with the class teacher on a regular basis.
Where a child presents with learning or behavioural difficulties, which cannot be planned for within the PLP process in the Learning Log, more in depth planning may be required. Where this is the case, staff will discuss the process with you to involve you in planning for next steps and agreeing on suitable strategies which will support your child.
E NHANCED P ROVISION
Eastern Primary School is one of a number of schools across Dundee which provides an enhanced level of provision for children with additional support needs.
In all schools with an enhanced level of provision, children have access to appropriate learning environments which include opportunities to feel a sense of belonging in mainstream as well as small group support as required, staff with relevant experience, training and skills and specialist resources.
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One of our school aims is for everyone to feel included. We are working towards developing an ethos and environment which promotes and encourages everyone to feel a sense of belonging to their class, school and community.
With this in mind, Class Teachers, Specialist Teachers and Additional Support Needs
Assistants are timetabled to work with all of our children with additional support needs, allowing them to participate in their mainstream class as fully as possible. This support may be provided in class at an individual or group level or, where a need is identified, opportunities will be planned for individual and/or group tasks to be undertaken in breakout spaces or rooms suitable for the purpose.
All teachers and support staff are working with the targets identified for each child within their Summary of Planned Intervention (SPI) or Additional Support Plan (ASP). These targets will be reviewed with key staff on a termly basis and parents will be invited to discuss targets and progress twice a year.
If you have any concerns about your child’s progress in learning, please contact the school and a member of our Additional Support Needs team will be happy to discuss them with you.
Further information about Support for Pupils can be found at:
The Additional Support for Learning page provides links to relevant legislation and guidance, including the arrangements that should be in place to support pupils with additional support needs- http://www.scotland.gov.uk/topics/Education/Schools/welfare/ASL
Information about the universal entitlement to support that underpins Curriculum for Excellence – http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/supportinglearners/whatissupport/universalsupport/roleofkeyadult.asp
Supporting Children's Learning Code of Practice (Revised edition) - provides Statutory guidance relating to the
Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 as amended – http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2011/04/04090720/21
Getting It Right For Every Child and Young Person, is essential reading for anyone involved or working with children and young people, including practitioners working in adult services with parents and carers – http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/Young-People/gettingitright
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S
I
During 2011-12 a range of developments were undertaken, not least of which was a move of school premises from Whinneybrae to Camperdown Street. Despite great upheaval the children took the change in their stride and contributed to many other exciting events including;
·
Fun-tastic Fundraising activities for Children in Need, Kilts for Kids and Cash for Kids.
· Sporting success included a P7 Basketball competition, Regional finalists for Athletics, top Hockey team in our Cluster, Handball introduced to P7 and an Olympic Week for the whole school.
·
Our Burns Day celebrations and the Parent Council led Scottish Evening involved everyone across the school as well as pipers from our local Boys Brigade unit.
·
Gaining our Silver Eco Award.
·
A wonderful P6 and P7 performance of ‘Pirates of the Currybean’ at the Gardyne
Theatre.
·
A massive Olympic week which celebrated the success of all of our children participating in a variety of sporting events and enjoying our very own medal ceremony.
Other whole school developments included;
· enhancing the learning and teaching experience through the use of interactive whiteboards and developing the use of active learning
· exploring cross curricular learning at all stages
· developing cluster moderation and assessment frameworks for writing and maths
· producing our school travel plan with staff, children and parental involvement
· greater involvement of staff in leading aspects of the school improvement plan
· expanding the role of Prefects to enhance their involvement in the life of the school
Our Parent Council contributed greatly towards engaging parents in the life and work of the school. They successfully organised and ran a variety of events throughout 2011-12 including;
·
Halloween disco
·
Scottish Evening
·
Beetle Drive
·
Spring Fayre
· Leaver’s disco
A group of parents were also involved in planning for the development of the playground.
These plans will be shared and work started in 2012-13.
A separate document on school improvement is available from the school office on request.
The following diagram illustrates areas that have been identified through our self-evaluation process for improvement over the next 3 years.
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Learning
Communities
Align Planning with
CfE ensuring & principles of
Curriculum design
Establish
Personal
Learning
Planning
Ensure and develop
Progression in Literacy and Numeracy
Curriculum for
Enable use of IT across curriculum
Co-operative learning
Teaching and
Learning
(Staff Development)
Practice promotes inclusion for all
Care & Welfare processes strengthened
Symbolisation used across learning environment
Developing approaches to
Tracking attainment
& achievement
Assurance
Effective Professional
Review & Development
( PRD ) / Continuing
Professional Development
( CPD )
Establish Personal
Learning Planning
Working
Raise awareness of
Curriculum for
Excellence
Explore
Parental
Partnership opportunities
Self-evaluation linked to
Improvement priorities e.g.
Impact of Co-op learning, Impact of Personal Learning Planning,
Impact of improved IT
Effective PRD / CPD
(see above)
Involve stakeholders in
Improvement planning process
* GIRFEC – Getting It Right For Every Child
Further information about School Improvement can be found at:
Scottish Schools Online - provides a range of school information, including contact details, school roll, facilities, website, inspection reports – http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/scottishschoolsonline/
Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) – http://www.scqf.org.uk/
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POLICIES AND USEFUL INFORMATION
S CHOOL UNIFORM
School uniform is widely supported by parents, school managers and staff. A uniform not only helps pupils to identify with the school but it enhances security being able to readily recognise our children. A school community is often judged by the appearance of its children and we believe it is important that all pupils show consistently high standards of dress.
We recommend that all pupils wear grey or black trousers or skirts, a red or grey school sweatshirt with a white polo shirt or shirt and tie. Pupils should wear black school shoes rather than trainers.
In order to promote our school dress code, pupils will also be required to come to school without makeup or fashion jewellery. Pupils are not allowed to wear football colours or hooded tops at any time.
A gym kit is part of our school uniform. Pupils must come prepared for a variety of activities that will encourage physical exercise. This will require changing into shorts, a t-shirt and gym shoes or suitable non-marking trainers. A change of footwear is always necessary as outdoor shoes or trainers may damage the floor of the gym hall.
For health and safety reasons, pupils are not allowed to wear jewellery, ear-rings or watches when involved in P.E. and therefore we discourage pupils from wearing jewellery to school as these activities may be done on any day of the week. Ear-rings must be removed or taped up at home on gym days.
While we ask pupils to wear uniform, we are always understanding and flexible when family circumstances make this difficult. Parents should be aware that assistance with provision of clothing and footwear may be available in certain cases.
S CHOOL C LOTHING G RANTS
If parents are in receipt of Income Support, Income based Job Seekers Allowance, Income
Related Employment and Support Allowance, support under Part VI of the Immigration and
Asylum Act 1999, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit, Child Tax Credit or Working Tax
Credit and an annual income of less than £15,860, the Authority will consider one application per year for a grant towards the cost of purchasing essential clothing to enable their children, up to the age of 16, to attend school. These income figures may be subject to change.
The school clothing grant payment will be made through BACS transfer into a nominated bank account or paid by cheque.
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Application forms may be obtained from your child's school, Dundee House or you can download these from the Council website.
We are proud of our school, proud of our pupils and proud of the support we receive from all parents and guardians for ensuring the maintenance of our school uniform code.
An order form for items of school uniform is available from the office on request.
H OMEWORK
It is the policy of the school to give appropriate homework that meets the needs of individual children. Homework will reinforce the work being covered in class. Homework provides a link between home and school and parents are asked to look at and to sign the work completed.
S CHOOL MEALS
If school children are unable to go home at lunchtime, children can opt for a school dinner or bring in a packed lunch. Where school meals are taken, it is of great assistance to the school if payment is made for any day of the week on the first day of the school week using the resealable money bags provided. From 18 August 2012, the cost per day for a school lunch is
£2.00.
There are two sittings for school meals and packed lunches with the younger children going to the first sitting. Packed lunches are eaten in the dining hall.
In the interest of safety, parents are asked to ensure that there are no glass containers with packed lunches and that vacuum flasks be of the plastic type which do not keep liquids dangerously hot.
We discourage the practice of pupils going into Broughty Ferry to eat in restaurants or wander around. However, if parents wish their child to do this, we request that a note be sent to alert us. Should the child fail to return after lunchtime we will presume that they are in their parents’ care.
In the nursery, snack is provided every day for the children. Snack usually takes the form of fruits, breads, milk and water, however, children are given the opportunity to try to experience a variety of foods. The cost of this – £1 – is covered in the weekly fee.
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F REE S CHOOL M EALS
Free school meals are available to children whose parents are in receipt of Income Support,
Income based Job Seekers Allowance, Income Related Employment and Support Allowance,
Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, Guaranteed Pension Credit, or in receipt of Child Tax Credit only and have an annual income of less than £15,860 or
Working Tax Credit and have an annual income of less than £6420.
L UNCHTIME
Our Health and Well-Being Assistant and the auxiliary are on duty at lunchtime to supervise the school lunches, and two lunchtime supervisors are on duty in the playground. Two classroom assistants also assist with supervision of packed lunches and playgrounds.
To assist us to lessen the difficulties of supervision at this time and ensure the safety of your child as far as possible I would ask you to instruct your child as to which of the following alternatives you wish him/her to follow: -
·
If he/she goes home for dinner he/she should not return to school before 1.10pm
. This is especially important in inclement weather.
·
All children, both infants and juniors, who take lunch in school must remain in the school playground to ensure their safety from traffic, etc. They should make use of the sheltered areas around the dining hall, in inclement weather. On very wet days children are kept indoors after lunch at school.
E MERGENCY CLOSURE / TEXT MESSAGING / COMMUNICATION
Should an unplanned early closure of the school have to take place, e.g. power failure, severe snowstorm etc., the school will alert all parents via the text messaging system. Parents will then be expected to collect their child(ren) from school as soon as possible. It is important, therefore, that you keep us informed of any changes in your own address/telephone, or that of your family's emergency contact.
If a decision has to be made during school hours for next day, notes would be given to the children, and in the event of a decision being taken out with school hours a broadcast to that effect would be made on Radio Tay.
Any information regarding school closures will be made available through the Dundee City
Council website www.dundeecity.gov.uk
, local radio, and local press and through the Council’s
Twitter feed http://twitter.com/dundeecouncil .
A CCIDENTS / ILLNESS AT SCHOOL
In the event of a child having an accident or becoming ill at school we will attempt to contact the parents so that they can collect the child from school. However, if we cannot contact the parents, we will contact the Emergency Contact whose name and telephone number should be
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given to us by the parents. Therefore it is very important that parents inform the school of the name, address and telephone number of the Emergency Contact and advise the school immediately of any changes that occur. It follows that parents should also advise the school straight away of any changes in their own address, telephone number etc.
N.B.
In the event of a child having a serious accident or condition requiring immediate medical attention we will take whatever steps we feel are necessary to ensure the well-being of the child, e.g. taking the child straight to hospital. We will inform parents as soon as possible of the action taken.
R ELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE
The school welcomes and encourages diversity and individuality while emphasising our common commitment to moral values such as honesty, respect for others, compassion and justice. It is a fundamental principle in our school that all who are involved in the life of our school have both the right to be respected as individuals and carry the responsibility to act in a considerate and respectful manner towards others.
We implement the Council policy for Equal Opportunities and ensure that all pupils have access to the full range of educational experiences available within the resources of the school. We are firmly committed to the elimination of any form of discrimination on the grounds of race, religion, gender and disability.
The programme for Religious Education in our school aims to help pupils learn about
Christianity and other major world religions and to recognise religion as an important expression of human experience. Pupils will also be encouraged to learn from religions by helping them develop their own beliefs, attitudes, moral values and practices through a process of personal search, discovery and critical evaluation. Our religious education is nondenominational. A collection supporting a charitable cause is made before each church assembly. Parents have the right to withdraw their children from any or all parts of Religious
Education. Requests to do so should be made in writing to the Head Teacher.
We have a star pupil assembly each week to celebrate and encourage achievement in work and behaviour. Once a month, Rev Catherine Collins leads our assemblies, which also include a moral/religious focus.
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E XTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Outdoor and extra-curricular activities depend on the availability of staff and co-operation of interested parents.
·
The installation of the Astroturf pitch and climbing wall in the playground has enabled all classes and nursery to make use of these outdoor facilities on a regular basis.
· Both of Eastern’s Football teams compete in the Dundee Schools League and Festivals.
·
Pupils have had the opportunity to be involved in the school football teams, netball team, basketball team, athletics, multi sports and gymnastics. Pupils take part in
Sports Festivals and events when opportunities arise.
· From time to time we are fortunate to have the services of qualified coaches, on a seasonal basis, in cricket, athletics, rugby, football, tennis, etc.
·
Eastern Primary School has a high reputation for musical education and pupils participate in Music Festivals and other events.
·
P6 and P7 children perform an end of year show to celebrate their senior years.
·
Each year P7 Pupils have the opportunity to participate in a week of Outdoor Education at Dalguise Centre.
·
P5 pupils take part in a Tayside Police Wildlife Crime Project.
·
P6 pupils attend swimming lessons for two terms at Grove Academy.
·
P7 pupils also benefit from additional swimming lessons at Grove.
Due to the improved facilities in our new building we are able to provide numerous clubs this year running over lunchtime and at the end of the school day.
Clubs this year include:-
· Computer,
·
Netball,
·
Eco Group,
· Boys’ and Girls’ Football,
·
Infant Football,
· Dance Club,
·
Athletics Club
Our sports partner agencies are offering the following clubs Athletics, P1 – P4 Football,
Basketball, Dance and Handball
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T ERMS AND H OLIDAYS
Autumn Term
August
October Holidays
2012 – 2013
Monday 13 th
Tuesday 14 th
Friday 5th
Monday 8 th
Winter Term
November
Friday 19th
Monday 22 nd
Thursday 8 th
Friday 9 th
December
Christmas Holidays
Friday 21st
Monday 24 th
Friday 4 th
January
Spring Term Monday 7th
February Thursday 7 th
Friday 8 th
Monday 11 th
March Thursday 28 th
Friday 29 th
Spring Holiday - April Monday 1 st
Summer Term
Friday 12 th
Monday 15 th
In-service Day 1
Start of term for Pupils
End of term
In-service Day 2
In-service Day 3
End of term
In-service Day 4
Mid-term Holiday
Mid-term Holiday
End of term
Good Friday Holiday
May Monday 6th
Friday 24 th
Friday 28 th
May Day Holiday
In-service Day 5
June End of term
th
th
.
S CHOOL D AY
9.00am – 12.15pm and 1.15pm – 3.15 pm.
Primary 1 pupils attend for half day only (mornings) for the first three weeks. Thereafter they attend for the hours stated.
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I NSTRUMENTAL T UITION
This provision usually applies to pupils of P4 and over. Letters are sent out to the children during Term 1 offering piano, brass, strings or chanter.
Pupils are afforded the opportunity of instrumental tuition after having been assessed by an
Instructor as showing willingness and aptitude.
Instruction to those pupils selected by the Instructor is provided free during the first term of their tuition.
Pupils are exempt from instrumental tuition fees if their parents are in receipt of a clothing grant and/or free school meals. Alternatively, pupils are exempt from instrumental tuition fees if their parents are in receipt of Income Support, Income Related Employment and
Support Allowance, Income based Job Seekers Allowance, support under Part VI of the
Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, Guaranteed Pension Credit, Child Tax Credit or Working
Tax Credit and an annual income of less than £15,860.
The fee is set each year by the Education Committee Fees for 2012-2013 were £132 for the year and Instrument Hire was £83.
A DDITIONAL C ONTACT D ETAILS
Education Scotland’s Communication Toolkit for engaging with parents – http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learningteachingandassessment/partnerships/engagingparents/ toolkit/index.asp
Choosing a School: A Guide for Parents - information on choosing a school and the placing request system – http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/11/10093528/0
A guide for parents about school attendance explains parental responsibilities with regard to children’s attendance at sch ool – http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/12/04134640/0
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