Due to Industrial Action our school will be closed to pupils on Monday the 16th of January 2023. The school will reopen for children on Tuesday the 17th of January 2023.
Free School Meal/Breakfast Club Grant and Clothing Grants
Dear Families,
As you may be aware some families are entitled to financial support in the form of free School Meal/Breakfast Club and Clothing grants. Free school meal support includes free access to breakfast club which runs in school, each day from 8-8.45am. The School Clothing Grant award of £120 for a Primary aged child or £150 for a Secondary aged child is available on an annual basis to assist with the cost of purchasing essential school clothing for families who are on a qualifying benefit.
We are aware that many of our families who are entitled to this support have not signed up yet. For many families this may be because their child in in Primary 1-5 and free school meals are provided as standard for all pupils at these stages. However, we would like to remind families that applying for the free Meal/Breakfast Club grant will also allow pupils to access Breakfast club free of charge where pupils are provided with a full breakfast and have the opportunity to socialise and play with friends.
We would like to encourage all of our families who believe they may be entitled to the free School Meal/Breakfast Club and Clothing grant to apply. Please click on the link below for further information –
https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/article/17885/Clothing-Grants-and-Free-School-Meals
If you require any support or assistance with your application please contact as at the school where we are more than happy to assist you.
Yours
Miss L Davidson
Acting Head Teacher
Visitor Feedback November – December 2022
We are very proud of our school and want all of our pupils, staff and visitors to feel safe and welcome. Read below some of recent feedback visitors gave our wonderful school –
During your visit, what impressed you most about Camstradden Primary?
- Camstradden Primary is welcoming, has a calm atmosphere and staff are committed to the school.
- Camstradden Primary is friendly and child centred.
- Camstradden Primary is friendly and staff are professional.
- There is a great ethos at Camstradden Primary. The school felt very welcoming and the children and staff were lovely.
- Camstradden Primary is a wonderful school doing a fantastic job in the community.
Overall how did you find your visit?
- Very Good = 50%
- Excellent = 50%
Strike Action January 2023- Parent Letter from Douglas Hutchison (Executive Director of Education)
Dear Parent/Carer,
School closures update due to ongoing industrial action – 10, 11 & 16 January 2023
I wrote to you before the end of term about the next round of industrial action that has been called by several teacher unions and I said I would update you when the schools went back.
Unfortunately, there has been no change to the planned strikes and because we have no certainty on how many teachers will report for work, we have been left with no option but to close schools to pupils on the following days:
Tuesday 10 January 2023: All Primary schools, including ASL primary schools (Secondary
schools open as normal)
Wednesday 11 January 2023: All secondary schools, including ASL secondary schools
(Primary schools open as normal)
Monday 16 January 2023 – Primary and Secondary schools, including ASL schools.
Our intention is that nursery classes and standalone nurseries will open as normal. I apologise once again for a situation that is beyond the Council’s control, since pay negotiations take place at a national level. I know that having to make alternative arrangements so soon into the
new term is difficult for families. Details of free school meal payments for eligible families to cover the strike days will be posted on our website in the next few days.
We will continue to keep you informed as soon as we have any new information and will update the Council’s normal communication channels.
Yours sincerely
DOUGLAS HUTCHISON
Executive Director of Education
Primary 4 Attendance & Latecoming (October – December 2022)
Overall attendance and late coming statics at Camstradden Primary are not where we would like them to be.
Every child has a right to an education and it the expectation that every child will attend school each day on time. Being late for school impacts on many things including pupils attainment as well as their social and emotional development.
We have identified poor attendance as being our biggest barrier to learning. Almost all class teachers have shared that if the children who are regularly absent from school were in school on time each day, their attainment would improve significantly. As such a relentless focus for us this term will be on improving attendance and reducing late coming. This focus is supported by the HMI Inspectors who visited us in December which will be highlighted in their upcoming report. We have provided further information within this months newsletter in relation to late coming and attendance.
Each month we will share with families the average late coming and attendance rates for each class. We hope that this, alongside our Improving Attendance Action Plan, will help to improve attendance at Camstradden Primary and significantly reduce late coming. This in turn will allow all of our pupils to achieve their full potential and access the learning that they are entitled to.
| Weekly Attendance | |
| Primary 4 | |
| Week Ending | Average Attendance |
| 29.10.22 | 78% |
| 05.11.22 | 79% |
| 12.11.22 | 80% |
| 19.11.22 | 84% |
| 26.11.22 | 81% |
| 03.12.22 | 81% |
| 10.12.22 | 86% |
| 17.12.22 | 62% |
| 24.12.22 | 62% |
| Weekly Latecomings | |
| Week Ending | Number of Latecomings |
| 10.12.22 | 14 |
| 17.12.22 | 21 |
| 24.12.22 | 13 |
January 2023
Welcome back! We hope you had a fabulous Festive Break. Click on the link below to view our January 2023 Newsletter.
Merry Christmas from P4!
Miss Gordon and Primary 4 want to wish all our families a very merry Christmas! Hope you all have a lovely holiday and we look forward to seeing the children back in the New Year x
A Festive Head Teacher Message – December 2022
Dear Families,
The weather outside may be frightful, but our Christmas celebrations have been delightful! Our Nativity was a fabulous show and we have also had a little snow!
Our festive celebrations have been spectacular this year. Our Christmas Fair was a huge success, raising over £1700 for School Funds. A huge thank you to everyone who donated items and / or came along. There was a great atmosphere and it was lovely to see everyone in such festive spirits!
This years Nativity ‘It’s A Baby’ was a huge hit and gave Broadway a run for its money. Well done to our Primary 1 and 2 pupils who worked tirelessly alongside their teachers and Support for Learning Workers to put on such a fantastic show. Well done everyone!
As you will be aware we had some very special visitors in our school last week – Our HMI Inspectors. The team very much enjoyed their time with us and provided lots of positive feedback in relation to our school journey and how we support our young people and their families. A full report of our inspection will follow in due course. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our pupils, staff, families and partners who contributed in many different ways to our inspection. We really are a fantastic team here at Camstradden!
Late-coming – In our last newsletter, I reminded you about our school day, but lateness remains a huge concern. Please remember, our school day runs from 9am until 3pm. The start of the school day is vitally important, as routines, expectations, learning intentions and news are shared at this time. The expectation is that everyone lines up outside at 9am and we look forward to welcoming all of our pupils back to school on time each day following the Festive Break. We also respectfully ask that pupils are collected on time at 3pm.
Free Bus Travel Reminder- All young people in Scotland aged 5 – 21 are now entitled to free bus travel using a valid National Entitlement Card. The website freebus.scot has lots of information about free bus travel, how it works, how to apply, the benefits and some tips for travelling safely too.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all our staff team for their continued hard work and dedication to our wonderful school. Each member of staff works tirelessly to ensure we are getting it right for the young people we work with. I am sure you will join me in wishing them all a well-deserved, restful holiday.
School starts back on Wednesday the 4th of December 2022 at 9am and we look forward to seeing our fabulous pupils then. I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and all the best for the New Year. I look forward to continuing to work with you all in 2023.
Yours
Miss L Davidson
Acting Head Teacher
Letter to Families Regarding Ongoing Industrial Action – 10, 11 & 16 January 2023
Potential school closures due to ongoing industrial action – 10, 11 & 16 January 2023
Dear Parent/Carer,
I wanted to write to you ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays to let you know about
planned strikes by several teacher unions.
Since the dates are at the beginning of the new term, it does not give us much time when the
schools return to let you know about potential disruption. However, the unions have notified the Council of their intention to take part in industrial action on the following dates affecting primary and secondary schools on different days.
The planned strike days are as follows:
Tuesday 10 January 2023: All Primary schools, including ASL primary schools
Wednesday 11 January 2023: All secondary schools, including ASL secondary schools
Monday 16 January 2023 – Primary and Secondary schools, including ASL schools.
If nothing changes in the next few weeks, it is likely that our schools will be closed to pupils on the above dates, as we have no way of knowing in advance how many staff will be reporting for work. In addition, different unions have coordinated their action this time to take place on the same days.
Our intention is that nursery classes and standalone nurseries will open as normal.
I know that this uncertainty is far from ideal and will mean that you may need to make alternative arrangements at short notice once again.
I apologise once again for a situation that is beyond the Council’s control, since pay negotiations
take place at a national level. Thank you for your understanding during this difficult period.
As always, we will continue to keep you informed as soon as we have any new information and will update the Council’s normal communication channels.
Yours sincerely
DOUGLAS HUTCHISON
Executive Director of Education
Pupil Of The Day in P4
Each class selects a pupil randomly every day to be ‘pupil of the day’. The pupil of the day receives compliments all day. Primary 4 love receiving compliments and say it makes them feel happy. All children get a shot of being pupil of the day and when it is your child’s turn you will get a message on Seesaw with some of their favourite compliments from that day. Look out for a post with this attached to it!
