Our Lady & St. Joseph’s Primary School School Handbook 2012 Our Lady & St. Joseph’s Primary School NORTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL DEPARTMENT OF LEARNING & LEISURE MOTTO: Services & People First PLEDGE Improving learning and teaching Raising achievement and realising potential Encouraging lifelong learning Working with communities for a better future Listening and learning together Celebrating success Respecting the dignity and value of all Giving pupils and staff a safe, happy and attractive place to work OUR LADY & ST.JOSEPH’S PRIMARY GOLD HEALTH PROMOTING ECO SCHOOL MOTTO: A CARING & SHARING SCHOOL Dear Parents, Welcome to Our Lady & St. Joseph’s Primary School. This handbook will help you understand more about our school and provides essential information which I hope you will find interesting and helpful. Throughout the school year various activities, events and meetings will be arranged in order to involve parents and the community in the life and work of the school. Education starts long before children come to school. It is continuous from home to nursery and primary school. Parental involvement is crucial to raising achievement. Should you wish to discuss your child’s progress or have any concerns, please do not hesitate to contact school immediately. We are a community school and place special emphasis on partnership between school, home, church and the community. We actively encourage co-operation and dialogue. We welcome comments and suggestions. You are welcome to visit our school and to meet with staff & pupils to find out more about Our Lady & St. Joseph’s. Mrs E. M. Turnbull Head Teacher. AIMS OF OUR LADY & ST. JOSEPH’S: To provide a happy, caring and secure environment with equal opportunities for all to develop their full potential. To develop numeracy, literacy and communication skills through a variety of active teaching and learning experiences. To promote fairness, honesty, compassion and spiritual development of everyone within the community of school and nursery. To actively challenge children to develop responsibility for their own learning and behaviour. To develop self esteem and self worth through a broad range of learning experiences and to prepare children for responsible citizenship. To promote the school by providing a welcoming atmosphere and fostering genuine partnerships with parents and the wider community. To encourage a climate of mutual respect where all are encouraged to show care and consideration for others and the world in which they live. OUR GOLDEN RULES: DO DON’T Be gentle Be kind & helpful Be honest Work hard Look after property Listen to people Hurt anyone Hurt people’s feelings Cover up the truth Waste time Waste or damage things Interrupt SCHOOL INFORMATION: Name: Our Lady & St. Joseph’s Primary Address: 5 South Medrox Street Glenboig ML5 2RU Telephone: 01236 757680 Fax: 01236 870097 E-mail: ht@ourlady-st-josephs.n-lanark.sch.uk Present Roll: 151 plus 60 in nursery. Capacity: 170 pupils. Parents should note that the working capacity of the school may vary dependant upon the number of pupils at each stage and the way in which the classes are organised. Stages: Primary 1 – Primary 7 and Nursery classes Denominational Status: Roman Catholic Type: Co-educational ACCOMMODATION: There are 7 classes, a shared gym; AV area; dining room/GP room; noisy/quiet room; library and parent’s room. COMMUNITY EDUCATION: It is council policy that school accommodation is made available as far as possible out with school hours for use by the community. Such use by groups, clubs etc. will be in accordance with approved letting procedures and enquiries should be directed to the Area Community Education Offices. Parent Councils under the direction of the Education Authority assist in the letting of the school premises. Rules governing Conditions of Let are given at time of application. ASSOCIATED SECONDARY SCHOOL: St. Andrew’s High School, 9 Old Monkland Road, Coatbridge. Tel: 01236 757657 STAFF Teaching Staff Mrs Ellen Turnbull Miss Karen McLelland Miss Paula Neil Mrs Joanne Brown Miss Lisa McGinness Mr David McIntosh Head Teacher Principal Teacher & Primary 7 Principal Teacher & Primary 2/3 Primary 1 Primary 2 Primary 3/4 Mrs Elizabeth Locke Mrs Margaret McBride Mrs Eileen Hyland Mrs Jennifer Potts Miss Stephanie Devine Mrs Donna Callaghan Primary 5 Primary 6 Support for Learning Nursery Staff Mrs Gabrielle Baxter (Teacher) Mrs Susan Kelly Mrs Clare Parker (0.5) Mrs Jacqueline McEwan (0.5) ASN Assistants Mrs Roberta Marsh Mrs Linda Douglas Clerical Staff Mrs Margaret Kelly Mrs Leeann Connelly Classroom Assistants Mrs Heather Muir Mrs Patricia Sandeman Facilities Managers Mr Jim Kerr Mr Stephen O’Byrne Cleaning Staff Mrs Lesley McGovern Mrs Catherine Anne Lewis Mrs Marie Duffy Mrs Isabel Campbell Mrs Margaret Phinn Catering Staff Mrs Cath Stewart Mrs Margaret Lawless Mrs Margaret Morgan Mrs Marie Walsh SCHOOL HOURS School Commences Interval Lunch School Closes NURSERY HOURS 9.00am 11.00 – 11.15am 12.15 – 1.00pm 3.00pm Nursery AM Session Nursery PM Session 9.00am – 11.30am 12.30pm – 3pm OUT OF SCHOOL CARE FACILITIES: One Out of School Care Facility operates within the Glenboig area: Ms Rhonda McLean (FAST) Out of School Care 01236 873882 or 07824884601 Parents should contact Ms McLean directly if interested in Out of School Care for their child. THE SCHOOL YEAR 2013 – 2014 Summer 2013 Schools close Inservice days Pupils return Thursday 27 June 2013 Wednesday 14th August 2013 Thursday 15th August 2013 Friday 16th August 2013 September 2013 September Weekend Friday 27th and Monday 30th September Mid Term October 2013 Monday 14th October to Friday 18th October 2013 (inclusive) November 2013 Inservice Day Monday 18th November 2013 Christmas 2013 Schools close Friday 20th December 2013 Schools re-open Monday 6th January 2014 February Mid Term 2014 School closes Friday 7th February 2014 School re-opens Thursday 13th February 2014 Inservice Day Wednesday 12th February 2014 Easter 2014 School closes School re-opens Friday 4th April 2014 Monday 22nd April 2014 May 2014 May Day Inservice Day May Weekend Monday 5th May 2014 Tuesday 6th May 2014 Friday 23rd May and Monday 21st May 2014 Summer 2014 School closes Friday 27th June 2014 ENROLMENT: Parents who may wish to enrol a child for attendance at school are invited to make an appointment with the Head Teacher to discuss details. Appointments may be made by telephone or by calling at the school. Children being enrolled for the very first time are generally invited to the school for this purpose during January. Parents who have children who are due to come to school for the first time will be informed of the dates for enrolling the children by an advertisement in the local press and an announcement in Our Lady & St. Joseph’s Church. Parents who wish to enrol children who are transferring from another school should telephone Our Lady & St. Joseph’s Primary and make an appointment with the Head Teacher. A visit by children prior to entry to school will be arranged. Pre-entry days are organised for the parents of the new intake. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND SOCIAL INCLUSION: We have a commitment to achieving the best for all our pupils. The school is committed to assessing all policies and practises to ensure there is no negative impact on any group of people. Issues of class, race, ability and disability are of central concern. We believe that all children are different, are special, are of equal worth, have equal claim on the school and have equal rights within it. A CURRICULUM FOR EXCELLENCE: What is Curriculum for Excellence? Curriculum for Excellence aims to achieve a transformation in education in Scotland by providing an improved, more flexible and enriched curriculum for all children and young people from 3 – 18. The curriculum includes all of the experiences which are planned for children and young people through their education, wherever they are being educated. All schools and nurseries in North Lanarkshire are working hard to raise standards so that children and young people will develop all of the skills necessary to continue to be successful when leaving school and entering the world of higher education, training or work. Curriculum for Excellence is underpinned by the values inscribed on the mace of the Scottish Parliament – wisdom, justice, compassion and integrity. The purpose of Curriculum for Excellence is encapsulated in the four capacities – to enable each child or young person to be a successful learner, a confident individual, a responsible citizen and an effective contributor. What are the curriculum areas in Curriculum for Excellence? There are eight curriculum areas:Expressive Arts Health and Well Being Languages (literacy) Mathematics (numeracy) Religious and Moral Education Sciences Social Studies Technologies Importantly literacy and numeracy are given added importance because these skills are so vital in everyday life. All teachers will have responsibility to teach literacy and numeracy. Learning is divided into two phases. The GENERAL PHASE is from nursery to the end of Secondary School Year 3. Learning is divided into levels. These levels will replace the 5-14 levels that you are familiar with. The new levels are as follows:- LEVEL STAGE Early the pre-school years and P1 or later for some First to the end of P.4 but earlier or later for some Second to the end of P7, but earlier or later for some Third and Fourth S1-S3, but earlier for some The SECOND PHASE is from Secondary School Year 4 and beyond Senior Phase S4 – S6 and college or other means of study. How will my child’s learning be assessed? There will be new ways of assessing each child’s progress to make sure that potential is achieved. New qualifications are being developed: Literacy and Numeracy Tests(at the end of S3) from 2012/13 National 4 and 5 qualifications from 2013/2014 Access, Highers and Advanced Highers to be updated to reflect Curriculum for Excellence In playrooms and classrooms staff will be using improved ways of assessing children’s learning taking account of national and local advice and guidance. Your child’s progress will be reported to you so that you know how well your child is doing. Each year your nursery/school will let you know what is being done to implement Curriculum for Excellence so that you can be confident that your child is receiving a high quality education. Raising Achievement for All forms the overarching strategy for the service. Subtitled ‘Experiences to Last a Lifetime’, this strategy aims to harness the combined forces of Learning and Leisure Services to provide a rich set of learning opportunities and experiences for young people and adults which begin in the classroom, nursery or learning centre and extend out into the community and the wider world beyond. In seeking to offer ‘Experiences to Last a Lifetime’, we will also look to draw upon ‘a lifetime of experiences’ already there in the communities which make up North Lanarkshire.” Here, in Our Lady & St. Joseph's Primary School we have an active approach to teaching and learning across all curricular areas. We are fully implementing North Lanarkshire’s Literacy Initiatives. These include guided reading, novel studies and phonics into spelling. Cohesive and progressive programmes have been developed and incorporate active learning strategies. Parents have been invited to workshops and encouraged to support their children’s learning through the use of magnetic letters and whiteboards. Developments in ICT have enabled teachers to fully explore active learning strategies with children through the use of smartboards. This encourages children to be engaged and offers greater opportunities for personalisation, choice and decision making. Numeracy development includes oral number work, skills practice and problem solving within real life contexts. Our homework format has been standardized following consultation with staff, pupils and parents. This allows families greater flexibility and choice in supporting their children’s learning. Interdisciplinary Learning offers children exciting challenges and opportunities to work co-operatively. EXPRESSIVE ARTS There are numerous opportunities for pupils to develop the skills of Music, Drama, Art and Design and Physical Education. Music is taught and developed using a range of tuned and untuned percussion instruments. The children have the opportunity to perform in school shows and activities. Instruction is given for wind instruments and bagpipes which are available for use by pupils. We also have a Kodaly instructor who works with our P5 pupils fortnightly. A Drama programme is in place as well as in Art & Design. A wide range of craft materials are available in school. Our Out of Hours Learning Programme will begin from January – March and will provide many opportunities for Expressive Arts. MODERN LANGUAGES French is taught to all pupils in Primary 6 and Primary 7. The French programme also includes reading and writing as well as talking and listening. Miss McLelland has undertaken additional inservice training to deliver this programme. RELIGIOUS & MORAL EDUCATION In accordance with the guidelines issued at least 2.5 hours per week is given to religious education throughout the school year. The R.E. curriculum in all Catholic schools is determined by Bishop Devine and the Diocesan Advisors. Our religious programme ‘This Is Our Faith’ offers a lively and stimulating presentation of the Christian way of life appropriate to the age and stage of development of the child. The programme comprises of Christianity, other world religions and also provides the opportunity for celebration, prayer and reflection. Children are prepared for the Sacraments of Reconciliation at Primary 3, First Communion at Primary 4 and Confirmation at Primary 6 & 7 every 2 years. Father Tom Devine is also a frequent and welcome visitor to our school. As well as visiting classes, First Friday Mass is celebrated each month. There are opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation during Advent and Lent. The Religious Programme plays a vital role in supporting our policy of ensuring that all pupils, irrespective of belief, race, gender and disability are provided with an education which allows them to develop their full potential. In the case of the children who are not Catholic, parents can be reassured that religious education is approached sensitively and with respect for those of other faiths and of none. HEALTH AND WELLBEING In Physical Education, the children have two sessions of quality PE every week. They have the opportunity to experience gymnastics, dance, active health and ball handling skills. On occasion, PE specialists are brought in to enhance our programmes for the children. Pupils throughout the school enjoy sports festivals. Our latest acquisition is Cybercoach that is being implemented to extend P.E. opportunities. We are a Health Promoting School with an emphasis on Healthy Lifestyles. We have gained our Gold Award. We have received training and materials from Focus on Food. We have developed a healthy tuck shop and a breakfast club with the help and co–operation of the catering staff. We have an annual Health Week for the benefit of the whole community. Personal and Social Development is an important part of school life and is taught throughout the curriculum, especially in Religious and Moral Education. We use Paths to promote positive attitudes, self esteem and self confidence and each week have a period of Golden Time to promote good behaviour and attitude. The Cool in School programme may be used in the senior school to encourage pupils to realise that although all feelings and emotions are acceptable not all resulting behaviours are. Children and staff treat each other with respect at all times. Primary 6 children are trained in our peer mediation with a view to take on responsibility as peer mediators in Primary 7 and buddies for Primary 1 pupils. Restorative Practice strategies are used throughout the school and in conjunction with Glenboig Primary. PARENTAL PARTNERSHIP Parents are actively encouraged to participate in their child’s learning. We link with home through our monthly newsletters and updates. We encourage parents to come along to the Parent Council meetings to help support the work of the council in various activities and fundraising throughout the year. We look for the ideas, opinions and suggestions of our parents to continually improve our service. This is done through tear off slips on the newsletters and through surveys and questionnaires. Parents are invited to comment regularly on their child’s work which is sent home in their folders. They are also encouraged to share home learning with the school through the comment sheets which are included. We have two parent evenings per year where your child’s progress is discussed and next steps in learning shared. The children are part of this three way dialogue about their learning and this format has been particularly successful over the past couple of years. You will also be kept informed of any sensitive aspects of your child’s learning such as relationships and sex education by letter prior to any units of work commencing and there will be opportunities to discuss the programme with staff. Useful Web Links More details about current developments in education can be accessed on the Education Scotland website at http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/ Other useful sights are listed below. Engage for Education http://engageforeducation.org/ Early Years Curriculum for Excellence for Parents http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/earlyyears/curriculum/parentsandcarers.asp Parentzone http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/parentzone/ ADDITIONAL SUPPORT NEEDS: Our Lady & St. Joseph's Primary School complies with the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 as amended by the Education (Additional Support for Learning)(Scotland) Act 2009. North Lanarkshire Council’s policy is contained within “Support for Learning Policy into Practice 2”, a copy of which is available in the School. The school has a Support for Learning Policy, available from the school on request, which is consistent with North Lanarkshire Council guidelines. Sometimes children experience barriers to their learning. This can take many forms and may be temporary or need more intervention over a sustained period of time. Sometimes children need stretched and challenged in their learning and this need must also be addressed. The staff of Our Lady and St. Joseph’s are guided by Mrs. Eileen Hyland, our designated Support for Learning Teacher. Children are identified by staff as having a particular need. Then we follow Learning and Leisure Services staged intervention process to ensure we are providing the correct levels of support and accessing resources appropriately. There are four levels of staged intervention as detailed below. Level 1 – Internal support, where education staff identify that a child or young person needs support or planning which can be met within the existing classroom or playroom setting. Level 2 – Internal support, where education staff identify that a child or young person needs support or planning from within the school or early years establishment. Level 3 – External support where education staff identify that the child or young person requires support or planning from beyond the school or early years establishment but within education. Level 4 – External support provided on a multiagency basis, where the child or young person’s needs are identified as requiring support or planning from other agencies outwith education such as health, social work and/or voluntary services and these support needs are likely to last for more than one year. Children are assessed regularly and plans made to target the next steps in their learning. This is reviewed regularly and the progress made is evaluated and shared with child and the parents. Looked After Children i.e. children who are cared for directly or whose care is supervised by the local authority are deemed to have Additional Support Needs unless assessment determines otherwise. The Headteacher is the designated person who co-ordinates all information regarding Looked after Children who attend Our Lady and St. Joseph’s. She attends review meetings, liaises with carers, foster parents and Social Work and co-ordinates Additional Support Plans. Children with English as an additional language are supported in school through differentiated programmes of work designed by class teachers and also through visits from specialist staff from the English as an Additional Language (EAL) unit on a weekly basis to support children. This type of specialist support generally starts at the P2 or P3 stage. Parents and young people can request an assessment at any time to establish whether a child or young person has additional needs and /or requires an Additional Support Plan (ASP) or a Coordinated Support Plan (CSP). Parents and pupils are an essential part of the assessment; planning and review processes and your views will be actively sought. Planning Additional Support Plans (ASPs) enable staff to plan effectively for children and young people with Additional Support Needs. Some children and young people may require significant support from education and at least one other agency, such as health, social work and/or voluntary agency to help them meet their learning targets. Where this support requires a high level of co-ordination the opening of a Coordinated Support Plan (CSP) may be considered. A CSP may be initiated by the school or another agency. Parents and young people can, if they wish, request that a CSP be considered and would be involved in the process. Parents will receive letters from the Education Authority throughout the CSP process. Parents and young people will be invited to take part in multi-agency meetings and their views will be recorded in the plan. Dispute Resolution North Lanarkshire Council is committed to resolving any differences of views through discussion, dialogue and building on common ground. If the matter cannot be resolved with the Education Authority you have the right to request mediation. An independent mediation service is available to parents and young people through Resolve (see contact details at the back of this handbook). Mediation is free and independent of the Education Authority. In the event that a disagreement cannot be resolved through mediation, then an application for Independent Adjudication (see contact details at the back of this handbook) can be made by parents free of charge. The Independent Adjudicator will make recommendations to the Education Authority about how the dispute should be resolved. The Additional Support Needs Tribunal has been set up to hear appeals made by parents or young people on the decisions made by the Education Authority relating to Co-ordinated Support Plans, placing requests and post school transition. If you disagree with any decision relating to your child’s Co-ordinated Support Plan, either the creation of a CSP, or the content of it, you may be entitled to refer to the Tribunal. IMPROVEMENT PLAN Schools are required to carry out regular reviews of their work in relation to the document “How Good Is Our School 2” and other audit tools. This enables us to recognise good practise and identify areas for development and improvement in order to maintain high standards of service. Staff, pupils and parents are consulted regarding policies and practices. Each year staff review the Improvement Plan in detail and set future priorities. From this review, we produce a School Improvement Report. The School Improvement Report is shared with parents annually and copies are available on request. This document details our successes over the year and sets the agenda for our improvement targets over the coming year. Our Improvement Plan As a result of our self-evaluation process with staff, pupils and parents, Our Improvement Plan priorities this session for both the school and nursery are as follows. Numeracy should be less scheme-led and children should have the opportunity to apply learning in familiar and unfamiliar real life contexts. Assessment and moderation work should continue across the curriculum with particular emphasis on the moderation of writing across the cluster schools. On Track with Learning will be used by staff from August to plan areas of teaching and learning. Assessment and evaluation information will also be added to pupil data. Philosophy for Children will be extended to P3 and P4. Science and This is Our Faith work will continue to be developed in all stages for a second year. The profile of pupil voice will be raised. There will be a greater recognition of wider pupil achievements and work relating to the life and ethos of the school will be enhanced. By involving pupils in further implementation of learning logs, Personal Learning Plans and Philosophy for Children, children will become effective contributors by applying and transferring their learning in new and unfamiliar circumstances. Nursery staff will continue to develop the use of floor-books and Learning Stories to record the significant learning of our children in all aspects of their work in nursery. HOMEWORK The arrangements for homework are based on the pupil’s age, aptitude and ability. School policy is to provide homework each week Monday to Thursday. The support and cooperation of parents is both encouraged and invaluable. Homework tasks may include re-enforcement of reading, number work, spelling, research or investigated work. All homework should be signed by parents. Some main aims regarding homework are: To promote positive attitudes towards school and school work To allow parents and school to work together To support aspects of school work already taught To inform parents of the work of the school With your support, we may also send work which has not been completed during the school day. Please feel free to comment in your child’s homework diary. Homework has been standardised throughout the school. SCHOOL ETHOS In Our Lady and St. Joseph’s we have an ethos of mutual respect and hard work. Children know that the key principal underpinning the life and work of the school is that of respect; respect for ourselves, for each other and for the property of others. Our school aims, motto and Golden rules listed above, highlight our focus and dedication in creating a happy, secure learning environment for all of our pupils. SPIRITUAL, SOCIAL, MORAL & CULTURAL VALUES: As a Catholic Primary School in the community, we work with the children in all aspects of their spiritual and moral development. We endeavour to support our pupils on their Faith Journey through daily prayer and religious education as well as preparing them for the sacraments of First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion and Confirmation. Relationships and Sex Education programmes are guided by the Diocese and parents are informed of any sensitive areas of learning which are due to be undertaken by the children. Children of all cultures are valued and respected in our community. We learn and celebrate our own Scottish culture. We value and respect the diversity of other cultures in our community. Parents have the right to withdraw their children from religious education by letter to the Head Teacher. Parents from ethnic minority religious communities may request that their children be permitted to be absent from school in order to celebrate recognised religious events. Only written requests will be considered. Appropriate requests will be granted on not more than three occasions in any one school session and the pupil noted as an authorised absentee in the register. EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: We work jointly with our colleagues from Glenboig Primary to offer a range of activities for our pupils. This includes cooking, arts and crafts and various sports such as cross country running, football and netball. Parents have supported us in running a cybercoach club and any help and expertise you can offer is much appreciated. FREEDOM OF INFORMATION: The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 came into force in January 2005. The Act allows anyone to ask for information held by the Council and imposes a time-scale of 20 working days for the Council to respond. To deal with Freedom of Information requests, the Council has appointed a Corporate Freedom of information Officer with the support of an officer in each Service. The Freedom of Information and Records Management Officer can be contacted by telephone on 01698 524712. DATA PROTECTION: The processing of your personal information by North Lanarkshire Council is carried out in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. The information you give is held securely, treated confidentially and only used for statutory educational purposes or to improve the quality of the service. Under the Data Protection Act 1998 you are entitled to access the information held. In terms of section 7 of the Act such requests should be sent to Freedom of Information and Records Management Officer. TRANSFERRING EDUCATIONAL DATA ABOUT PUPILS: Education authorities and the Scottish Government Education Portfolio (SGEP) exchange data about pupils either on paper or electronically through the ScotXed programme. The data collected and transferred covers areas such as date of birth, postcode, registration for free-school meals, whether a pupil is looked after by his/her local authority, additional support needs including disability, attendance, absence and exclusions from school. Pupil names and addresses are collected by the school and the council but they are not passed to SGEP. The postcode is the only part of the address that is transferred. Data is held securely and no information on individual pupils can be published by SGEP Providing national identity and ethnic background data is entirely voluntary. You can choose the ‘not disclosed’ option if you do not want to provide this data. However, we hope that the explanations contained in this message and on our website will help you understand the importance of providing the data. Why do we need your data? In order to make the best decisions about how to improve our education service, SGEP and education authorities need accurate, up-to-date data about our pupils. We are keen to help all our pupils do well in all aspects of school life and achieve better educational outcomes. Accurate and up-to-date data allows SGEP, education authorities and schools to: plan and deliver better policies for the benefit of all pupils, plan and deliver better policies for the benefit of specific groups of pupils, better understand some of the factors that influence pupil attainment and achievement, target resources better. Your data protection rights The collection, transfer, processing and sharing of ScotXed data is done in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. We also comply with the National Statistics Code of Practice requirements and other legislation related to safeguarding the confidentiality of data. The Data Protection Act gives you the right to know how we will use your data. This message can give only a brief description of how we use data. Fuller details of the uses of pupil data can be found on the ScotXed website (www.scotxed.net). SGEP works with a range of partners including Education Scotland and the Scottish Qualifications Authority. On occasion, we will make individual data available to partners and also academic institutions to carry out research and statistical analysis. In addition, we will provide our partners with information they need in order to fulfil their official responsibilities. Any sharing of data will be done under the strict control and prior agreement of the Data Access Panel in SGEP, which will ensure that no subject specific data will be made public as a result of the data sharing and that such data will not be used to take any actions in respect of an individual. Concerns If you have any concerns about the ScotXed data collections you can email school.stats@scotland.gsi.gov.uk or write to The ScotXed Support Office, SEGP, Area 1B, Victoria Quay, Leith, EH6 6QQ. Alternative versions of this page are available, on request from the ScotXed Support Office, in other languages, audio tape, braille and large print. Want more information? Further details about ScotXed data exchanges are available on the ScotXed website, www.scotxed.net. CHILD PROTECTION: Every adult in Scotland has a role in ensuring all our children and young people are safe and protected from harm at all times and in all situations. The Head teacher is responsible for the schools actions in response to Child Protection concerns. If there are any Child Protection concerns the Head Teacher or the Child Protection Coordinator will follow North Lanarkshire Child Protection Procedures and Guidelines Child Protection Co-ordinator is: Mrs Ellen Turnbull Telephone Number: 01236 757680 SCHOOL DISCIPLINE All pupils are expected to be well behaved at all times with their class mates and all members of the school community. It is essential that home and school work together to ensure a learning environment where all can learn and teach in safety and with mutual respect. We aim to reward positive behaviour and encourage an ethos of pride and achievement in our school by giving praise, rewards, certificates etc. Minor misdemeanours are normally dealt with by the class teachers or support staff as they occur. Serious cases of indiscipline e.g. bullying, vandalism or behaviour likely to endanger the pupil or others are reported to the senior management team. Actions could include verbal reprimands; discipline exercises; deprivation of privileges, referral to parents and in extreme cases will involve exclusion from school for a period of time. ANTI-BULLYING: Our Lady and St. Joseph’s Policy on minimising bullying. Rationale Bullying in school can only be effectively dealt with if parents, teachers and pupils work together to find a solution. It is necessary to acknowledge that bullying does exist and is a problem common to all schools. It should therefore consistently be given a high profile within the school, where an open, caring and responsive climate should be created. At Our Lady & St. Joseph’s we are very aware of the distress that can be caused not only to the children involved but also to the parents who feel anxious about the situation. We are all too aware that children who bully are often in need of help and support. We make every effort through religious, moral and social development programmes to prevent bullying from taking place in our school. Aims To develop awareness that bullying is unacceptable. To develop a shared view of bullying. To work in partnership with parents to minimise bullying. To encourage a climate of openness and a listening culture. To develop a range of strategies to deal with bullying. To engender a sense of shared responsibility among pupils. Identifying Bullying Bullying is a persistent, intentional abuse of power to hurt. It is not always purely physical. The more serious bullying is usually verbal, social or emotional in nature. It can manifest itself in any of the following ways: Tripping Name calling Ignoring Pushing Kicking Talking about Hitting The class teacher should involve the silent majority by making pupils aware that there are no innocent bystanders. The Role of Head Teacher To work with staff to create a caring and supportive ethos throughout the school by: Fostering a whole school approach to bullying Promoting the partnership between parents and school Supporting class teachers in their efforts to deal with bullying Ensuring that both victim and bully are counselled and supported Applying sanctions where deemed necessary The Role of Teacher To support children in order to both prevent and deal with bullying by: Discussing bullying and its effects on a regular basis ( the first week of each term would seem an appropriate time) Taking steps to avoid allowing or encouraging bullying in their own interaction with pupils Being aware of and diffusing potential situations before they escalate Encouraging pupils to report bullying Taking action or advice where necessary Monitoring and recording incidents of bullying Reporting serious or persistent problems to management The Support Staff The Support Staff should: Observe and monitor the children’s behaviour while outside the classroom Intervene to diffuse incidents Report incidents which give rise to concern The Clerical Staff Provide a channel of communication through which bullying could be reported Support the children Report any incidents of bullying to appropriate teaching staff Procedures for dealing with bullying The Role of Parents Parents should support their children by: Letting them know they are pleased they have been told Believing them, Telling them it’s not their fault and their parents are sorry it has happened Helping them to express any feeling of anger Reporting repeated or serious incidents to the school Allowing the school sufficient time to deal with the matter - bullying can be complex and difficult Co-operating with the efforts of the school in dealing with the problem Strategies for Children When bullying is being discussed advice should be given to children about how to react to and to deal with bullies and bullying. They should be aware that they should not: Blame themselves Think like a victim Put themselves at risk Show they are upset They should try to: Stay calm Look confident Stay with friends Pretend they don’t care Tell someone: friend, janitor, teacher, parent Avoid worrying Keep in control No Hitting Policy In the school’s effort to minimise incidents of bullying, it must be stated that any form of physical retaliation is unacceptable, the drawbacks of hitting are: It can lead to escalation of the situation It can cause injury It can make it more difficult to establish who is at fault It encourages violence It undermines all efforts to develop self control The only acceptable approach is to encourage children to defend themselves by using the strategies already outlined. HOME AND SCHOOL LINKS: Parents are welcome to contact the school at any time. We have an open door policy and actively encourage parents and members of the community into school. If a child has to attend a medical appointment during school hours, the child must be collected and returned to school by a parent or other responsible person. Please sign your child out and back in for health and safety reasons. There is a book at the reception desk. Twice yearly, parent interviews are held in order that parents and teachers can discuss children’s progress. An end of year report is sent to each family. A monthly newsletter is sent home to inform families of events and dates. Curriculum workshops are held to inform parents of curriculum matters. Open afternoons for new entrants and their parents are held each year in May and June. ATTENDANCE AT SCHOOL: Section 30 of the 1980 Education Act lays a duty on every parent of a child of “school age” to ensure that their child attends school regularly. Attendance must be recorded twice a day, morning and afternoon. Regulation 7 of the Education (School and Placing Information) (Scotland) Amendment, Etc., Regulations 1993 requires each child’s absence to be recorded in the school register as authorised: i.e. approved by the authority or unauthorised as defined by the Scottish Executive. At the start of each school session, parents will be asked to provide contact details including at least one emergency contact number. Parents are required to inform the school if these contact details change during the course of the year. Parents/guardians are asked to inform the school by letter or by telephone if their child is likely to be absent for some time and to give the child a note on his or her return to school confirming the reason for absence. As Our Lady and St. Joseph’s has a nursery, the protocol for attendance is the same as detailed for the school. FAMILY HOLIDAYS DURING TERM TIME: Every effort should be made to avoid family holidays during term time as this both disrupts the child’s education and reduces learning time. Parents/guardians should inform the school by letter of the dates before going holiday. A family holiday judged to be important to the well being and cohesion of the family, following serious or terminal illness, bereavement or other traumatic events. A family holiday classified under the ‘authorised absence’ will not include such reasons – The availability of cheap holidays The availability of desired accommodation Poor weather experience during school holidays Holidays which overlap the beginning or end of term Parental difficulty obtaining leave ( except in cases where evidence is provided by the employer that it cannot accommodate leave during school holidays without serious consequences) Family holidays with the above similar characteristics will be classified as unauthorised absence. Where the head teacher’s prior agreement has not been sought the absence will automatically be classed as unauthorised. Where most family holidays will be recorded as unauthorised absence (see above) extended leave with parental consent will not be considered the same as a family holiday. Leave in such circumstances will be authorised under circumstances such as: Extended overseas educational trips not organised by the school Short-term parental placement abroad Family returning to its country of origin (to care for a relative or for cultural reasons) Leave in relation to the children of travelling families Parents may request permission for such leave in writing and the school may authorise such requests under the following circumstances: The period immediately after an accident or illness A period of serious or critical illness of a close relative A domestic crisis which causes serious disruption to the family home, causing temporary relocation. The school attendance officer investigates unexplained absence and that the authority has the power to write to, interview or prosecute parents or to refer pupils to the reporter of the children’s hearings, if necessary. In Our Lady & St. Joseph’s we are actively involved in reducing absence and encourage attendance. It is better to be late than not be present. Absences are monitored timely and letters of concern sent to parents seeking their help. SCHOOL/COMMUNITY: The school is at the heart of the local community and as such both work together for mutual benefit. As the school and children are an integral part of the community, children, all staff, parents and the people of Glenboig are actively encouraged to respect and work together to develop meaningful relationships. CLOTHING AND UNIFORM: All North Lanarkshire schools must have a dress code which encourages pupils to dress in a way which is appropriate to attendance at school. This dress code must not lead to direct or indirect discrimination on the grounds of race, religion, gender or disability. Prior to drawing up the dress code the parents, pupils and staff were fully consulted. It is the expectation of the education authority that parents will be keen to support the dress code and written agreement may be sought. Clothing which is unacceptable in school under any circumstances includes items which: Could potentially encourage factions (e.g. football colours) Could cause offence (e.g. Anti-religious symbolism or political slogans) Could cause health and safety difficulties, such as loose fitting clothing, dangling earrings and other potentially dangerous jewellery Are of flammable materials which may be a danger in certain classes (e.g. Shell suits) Could cause damage to flooring Carry advertising in particular for alcohol or tobacco Could be used to inflict damage on other pupils or to be used by others to do so Parents in receipt of a grant for footwear and clothing from the council will be encouraged to purchase items which are in accordance with the school dress code. Approval of any requests for such grants in other circumstances, are at the discretion of the Executive Director of Learning & Leisure Services. Information and application forms may be obtained from any school or First Stop Shop. Parents are entitled to receive a clothing grant if they are in receipt of any of the following benefits: Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance (income based), Employment & Support Allowance (income based), housing benefit, and council tax rebate. Whilst in general terms it would not normally be the policy of the authority to exclude a pupil from school solely on the basis of his/her dress, persistent refusal to respond to a reasonable dress code might be deemed to be a serious challenge to the head teacher’s authority and be detrimental to the well being of the whole school community. In such circumstances a head teacher may justify the use of the school discipline procedure. The council wishes to minimise claims arising from the loss of pupils’ clothing and/or personal belongings. Parents are asked to assist in this area by ensuring that valuable items and unnecessarily expensive items of clothing, jewellery etc. are not brought to school. Parents should note that and any claims submitted to cover the loss of such items are likely to be met where the authority can be shown to be negligent. At Our Lady & St. Joseph’s the school community of staff/parents positively encourage the wearing of school uniform to encourage a sense of belonging and pride in our school. Our uniform is both very practical and smart and consists of: Grey skirt/trousers White shirt/blouse White/blue polo shirt Blue sweatshirts Blue/silver tie The range of school wear is suitable to mix and match. SCHOOL MEALS: Our Lady & St. Joseph’s has a production kitchen. The meals are very well prepared and the serving area is attractive. Our kitchen staff look after the children very well. The management teams from both schools on the joint campus ensure that the children are supervised at all times in the dining hall. Children from both Our Lady & St. Joseph’s and Glenboig are encouraged to socialise while having their meal. Special diet may be arranged after consultation with parents and the school medical officer. Children who bring packed lunches are catered for in the main dining room. The availability of special diets Diets required as a result of a medical condition (a medically prescribed diet e.g. coeliac disease, diabetes, food allergy or intolerance) can be provided in school. A medically prescribed diet form must be completed by the child’s Registered Dietician or General Practitioner. Procedures and forms can be accessed from the child’s school or dietician, or from North Lanarkshire’s catering service. Occasionally, parents/carers may be asked to supply prescription foods or attend a meeting to discuss the child’s dietary requirements. Some children with additional support needs may require food to be adapted to an appropriate texture and consistency. In this instance the child’s Registered Dietician or Speech and Language Therapist will liaise with the Head Teacher and school catering service to ensure appropriate food provision. Special diets required for ethical, religious or cultural reasons should be requested in writing to the Head Teacher, who will liaise with the school catering service. All children who bring packed lunches will be seated in the dining hall with all other pupils. Nursery snacks are taken within the nursery. Children of parents receiving Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance (income based), Employment & Support Allowance (income related) are entitled to a meal without charge. Information and application forms for free school meals may be obtained from schools, first stop shops and Municipal Buildings, Coatbridge. Parents are entitled to receive a clothing grant if they are in receipt of any of the following benefits: Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance (income based). Employment & Support Allowance (income related), housing benefit, council tax rebate. Only those children who receive a free school meal are entitled to free milk. Milk may however be available for purchase in the school during the lunch period. TRANSPORT: General: The Council has a policy of providing free transport to all primary pupils who live more than one mile from their local school by the shortest suitable walking route. This policy is more generous than the law requires. This means that the provision of transport could be reviewed at any time. Parents who consider they are eligible should obtain an application form from the school or Learning & Leisure Services. These forms should be completed and returned before the end of February for those pupils beginning school in August to enable the appropriate arrangements to be made. Applications may be submitted at any time through out the year but may be subject to delay whilst arrangements are made. There is discretion in special circumstances to grant privilege transport for pupils to travel in transport provided by the authority, where spare places are available and no additional costs are incurred. Not necessarily at the start of the term. Pick up points: While free transport is provided it may be necessary for pupils to walk a certain distance to the vehicle pick up point. Walking distance in total including the distance from home to the pick up point and from the drop off point to the school in any one direction will not exceed the authority’s limits (see above paragraph). It is the parent’s responsibility to ensure that their child arrives at the pick-up point in time. It is also the parent’s responsibility to ensure the child behaves in a safe and acceptable manner while boarding, travelling in and alighting from the vehicle. Misbehaviour could result in a loss of the right to free transport. Placing Requests: The Council does not provide transport for those pupils in receipt of a placing request other than in exceptional circumstances. In the case of early entry requests if the child is offered a place in the catchment area school, transport will be provided in accordance with the Council’s policy stated above. MEDICAL AND HEALTHCARE: Our Lady & St. Joseph’s is a Health Promoting School and as such we care for the health needs of all. Mrs Sandeman is our trained first aider. Necessary administration of drugs/medication etc. is routinely carried out in conjunction with parental wishes and written consent. It is necessary to inform the school of any particular medical requirements and all medical information is treated in the strictest confidence. Permission for doctor/dental appointments should be sought from Mrs. Turnbull. Routine medical and dental inspections are also carried out. All Primary 1 pupils receive a general medical examination (with parents in attendance), normally in their first year of schooling. In some case of minor illness or accidents, children may be given simple first aid in school. In the case of more serious illness or accidents the parents will be contacted and the child may be collected from school if necessary taken to hospital by ambulance. In all cases every effort will be made to contact parents. It is important therefore that each pupil has an emergency contact. If a child has an appointment which necessitates him/her leaving school during school hours he/she must be collected by their parent or some other named responsible person. Please call at the office when coming to collect a child for such an appointment. No child is allowed to leave school unaccompanied. It is vital that parents inform the school of any particular medical requirement of the child. If a parent requests that their child requires medicine to be administered during the school day, written permission must be given. INFORMATION IN EMERGENCIES: We make every effort to maintain a full educational service but on some occasions circumstances arise which lead to disruption. For example, schools may be affected by severe weather, temporary interruption of transport, power failures or difficulties of fuel supply. In such cases we shall do all we can to let you know about details of closure or re-opening. We shall keep you in touch by using letters, notices in local shops and community centres, announcements in local churches, announcements in the press, on local radio and North Lanarkshire Council’s website and Twitter. THE PARENT FORUM: As a parent of a child at this school you are automatically a member of the Parent Forum. The Parent Forum is composed of all parents and carers of children at the school. As a member of the Parent Forum you can expect to: Get information about what your child is learning. Get information about events and activities at school. Get advice/help on how you can support your child’s learning. Be told about opportunities to be involved in school. Have a say in selecting a Parent Council to work on behalf of all parents at the school. Be invited to identify issues for the Parent Council to work on within the school. THE PARENT COUNCIL: Parent Councils came into force on 1st August 2007. The members of the Parent Council are as follows: Mrs M. McGuire – Chairperson Mrs C. Smith – Vice-chairperson Mrs E. Best – Treasurer Mrs E. Lafferty – Secretary Mr M. McGillivray – Parent Member Mrs S. McGuinness _ Parent Member Mr Donald MacDougall – Parent Member Mrs S. Rae – Parent Member Mrs R. Phimster – Co-opted Member Mrs J. Gaffney – Church Representative Miss K. McLelland – Staff Representative Mrs M. Kelly – Clerk to the Parent Council The Parent Council’s rights and duties include: (a) supporting the work of the school (b) representing the views of parents (c) consulting with parents and reporting back to the Parent Forum on matters of interest (d) prompting contact between the school, parents, pupils, providers of nursery education and the wider community (e) fundraising (f) taking part in the selection of senior promoted staff (g) receiving reports from the head teacher and education authority (h) receiving an annual budget for administration, training and other expenses (i) improving home school partnership and facilitating parental involvement Members of Parent Council’s, on a voluntary basis, may also have an advisory role in decisions on placing requests by parents in respect of those in situations where the number of placing requests for a particular school or for a particular stage in a particular school exceeds the number of places available. Parent Council elections: All parents will be duly notified when the Parent Council election is due. Details of how many parent representatives needed will be included. Any parent who would be interested in becoming a Parent Council Member is encouraged to make his/her interest known to the Head Teacher. If there are more parents interested than places available, balloting of parents will follow. Elections are usually held every 2 years in September. The head teacher has a right and duty to attend all meetings of the Parent Council. Meetings of the Parent Council are open to members of the public. These are usually held in the staffroom of Our Lady & St. Joseph’s on a Tuesday evening at 7pm. SUPERVISION IN NON-CLASS TIMES: An adult presence is provided in playgrounds at break times in terms of the Schools (Safety and Supervision of Pupils) (Scotland) Regulations, 1990. Our classroom assistants and ASN Assistants all supervise in the playground. PLACING REQUESTS: You have the right to make a placing request for your child to be educated in a school other than the catchment school. In December each year, the authority will advertise its arrangements for placing requests. There are sound educational reasons for trying to ensure that the transfer or admission of children to a school takes place at the start of a school session. Other than those who are moving home, to a new area, parents are advised to time any placing requests so that they take effect from the beginning of the new school session. Every effort will be made to try to meet the parental wishes, but you should note that it is not always possible to grant every placing request to a particular school. Placing requests to Primary School does not necessarily ensure that your child will have a direct entry into the associated secondary. Advice on this must be sought from the Primary School Head Teacher. Further information on placing requests details and procedures are available from the school or the council’s website. Parents and Young People have a right under the Additional Support for Learning Act 2009 as amended by the Education (Additional Support for Learning)(Scotland) Act 2009 to make a placing request for their child or young person to attend a nursery (including partnership nursery), special school or, special class managed by the home authority. In the event of a successful placing request the authority are not required to provide transport. The Act also enables parents and young people to make a placing request to attend a school/establishment belonging to another authority. TRANSFER FROM PRIMARY SCHOOL TO SECONDARY SCHOOL: Pupils normally transfer between the ages of 11½ and 12½, so that they have the opportunity to complete at least 4 years of secondary education. Parents will be informed of the arrangements no later than December of the year preceding the date of transfer at the start of the new session. St. Andrew’s High School 9 Old Monkland Road Coatbridge Tel: 01236 757657 Head Teacher – Mr Michael McKenna IMPORTANT NAMES AND ADDRESSES: LEARNING & LEISURE SERVICES Kildonan Street Coatbridge ML5 3BT Mrs L. WILSON QIO & Mr J. McAVOY QIM Learning & Leisure Services Kildonan Street Coatbridge ML5 3BT CHRISTINE POLLOCK Executive Director Learning & Leisure Services PO Box 14 Civic Centre Motherwell ML1 1TW Tel: 01698 302222 CLLR. MICHAEL MCPAKE CLLR. WILLIAM SHIELDS CLLR. JULIE MCANULTY CLLR. FULTON MCGREGOR PO Box 14 Civic Centre Motherwell ML1 1TW Tel: 01698 302222 COMMUNITY LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT OFFICE 9 Old Monkland Road Coatbridge ML5 5EA FR. TOM DEVINE Our Lady & St. Joseph's Church South Medrox Street Glenboig ML5 2RU Tel: 01236 872608 Although this information is correct at the time of printing, there could be changes affecting any of the matters dealt with in the document – (a) before the commencement or during the course of the school year in question (b) in relation to subsequent school years Education Authorities by law are required to issue a copy of the school handbook to parents in December each year. It details the current policies and practices of both the council and the school. Contacts in relation to Support for Learning Help and advice on any matters relating to Support for Learning can be obtained from: Roma French Coatbridge Area Additional Support Manager St Gerard’s Primary School Kelvin Road Bellshill ML4 1LN 01698 841743 Roma French may be contacted directly or through the school. You can also get more help and advice from: Enquire – the Scottish advice service for additional support for learning. Operated by Children in Scotland, Enquire offers independent confidential advice and information on additional support for learning. Enquire also provide a range of factsheets, 0845 123 2303 info@enquire.irg.uk www.enquire.org.uk for parents and practitioners www.enquireorg.uk/yp for children and young people Resolve 0131 222 2456 (Independent Adjudicator) Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance Melrose House 69a George Street Edinburgh EH2 2JG 0131 260 5380 enquiry@siaa.org.uk www.siaa.org.uk Reference to Additional Support Needs Tribunal (Scotland) 5th Floor Highlander House 58 Waterloo Street Glasgow G2 7DA Helpline: 0845 120 2906 Fax: 0141 305 4185 E.Mail: inquiries@asntsscotland.gov.uk NHS Lanarkshire Coatbridge Coatbridge Health Centre 01236 432200 Social Work Coatbridge 122 Bank Street Coatbridge ML5 1ET 01236 622100