In between the September downpours, Sanquhar Academy S1 students enjoyed a sunny trip to the Allanton Peace Sanctuary, near Auldgirth, to celebrate the International Day of Peace on Thursday 21st September 2023. The Sanctuary has been closed to groups and school visitors since the Covid pandemic and Sanquhar Academy were delighted to be the first group invited back to the site.

The day consisted of a very warm group welcome and a volunteering task conducted by the young people and staff, as thanks to the charity for involving us in this special day. After a short break the group split into three smaller groups to participate in a meditation activity in the Chowa House, a release of fears and anxieties around the Fire Pit and consideration of their future hopes at the Wishing Tree and Labyrinth.

In the afternoon, after being well fed and fighting of the wasps, the students took part in a flag ceremony where they sent their positive thoughts and wishes for peace across the world to each of the 192 countries in the United Nations.

The students conducted themselves admirably throughout the day and were a credit to their school, parents and community. We hope this is the first of many visits to the sanctuary and send gratitude to all at Allanton House for their hospitality and organisation of a wonderful event.

Our new app for parents has gone live. Click on the link below and watch the video for joining instructions to get your children’s information directly to your phone.

Congratulations to all our pupils who collected their prizes last night. It was wonderful to see so many pupils there and to celebrate their success. Well done! Official photographs will be available soon.

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Welcome back to all our pupils and staff. We hope you had a wonderful first day back!

Yesterday afternoon we held our Staff vs Pupil football match.

Staff 8 – 10 Pupils

Well done pupils team!

Free School Meals and School Clothing Grants (FSM-SCG) for parents/guardians with an active means tested claim for Council Tax Reduction (CTR)

If you have a child or children that have been in receipt of Free School Meals-School Clothing Grant for the 2022-23 academic year, and you are in receipt of Council Tax Reduction (CTR), and you meet the qualifying criteria (as noted below), you do not need to reapply.

We will use the information we have on your CTR claim to assess your continued entitlement to FSM-SCGs, and your claim will be carried into the next school year.

Payments will begin being issued to parents in mid-June 2023 and continue regularly thereafter.

If you meet the above noted points, and have not received your SCG for your child or children in P1 to S4 by July, please contact us for further guidance/information via email at EducationBenefits@dumgal.gov.uk. Please make sure you include your full name, address and your child/children’s name(s), date(s) of birth and the school they attend. We will then reply to advise whether you need to apply again or not.

If your child or children is moving into S5 or S6, we cannot pay their School Clothing Grant or award Free School Meals until their school has confirmed attendance in August.

The qualifying criteria for the upcoming school year are:

• Child attends a Dumfries and Galloway Council school, and the parent/guardian is in receipt of:
  • Income Support
  • Job Seeker’s Allowance (Income Based)
  • Employment and Support Allowance (Income Based)
  • Universal Credit with a monthly income of not more than £726
  • Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit with an annual taxable income of less than £8,717
  • Child Tax Credit on its own, with an annual taxable income of less than £18,725
  • Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
  • Coordinated Support Plan (CSP) (FSM only)

Free School Meals and School Clothing Grants (FSM-SCG) for parents/guardians who do not have an active means tested claim for Council Tax Reduction (CTR)

If you currently do not have an active means tested award for Council Tax Reduction, you will need to reapply for Free School Meals and School Clothing Grant, even if you have received FSM-SCG for the 2022-23 academic year.

Applications can be made online at http://www.dumgal.gov.uk/schoolmeals.

Please remember that Council Tax Reduction is a means tested assessment that you will have had to apply for and provide proof of your household and income details. It is not to be confused with a discount (or standard reduction) to your Council Tax bill, for example a Single Person’s Discount. Such discounts are not means tested, which means we will not have confirmation of your household income details, and therefore are unable to assess your entitlement to FSM-SCGs.

Parents/guardians that have received FSM-SCG for their child or children for the 2022-23 academic year, who do not have an active CTR claim, will need to reapply. In the meantime, if you know you do not have an active CTR claim, please apply via the above noted link.

If you are unsure of your circumstances, but have been receiving FSMs, please email EducationBenefits@dumgal.gov.uk with any queries you have or for further guidance.

Unsure about whether your claim(s) will be carried forward or not? Please email and ask.

 If your child/children has received means tested Free School Meals-School Clothing Grant(s) in the 2022-23 academic year and you are unsure whether you should reapply, please email us and ask at EducationBenefits@dumgal.gov.uk.

Send us an email with your name, address and your child/children’s name(s), date(s) of birth and the school they attend. We will then reply to advise whether you need to apply again or not.

Please use the following link for further information.

https://www.cbrfa.com/