School Handbook

 https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/na/kilmoryprimary/school-handbook/

 

North Ayrshire Council: Communities and Education Directorate

 

 

Kilmory Primary School

handbook

2024 – 2025

 

Contents

Head Teacher Introduction 3
Communities and Education Directorate 4
§  Directorate Aims and Priorities  
Section 1: School Information 5
§  School Vision, Values, Aims  
§  School Contact Details  
§  School Staff  
§  School Calendar  
Section 2: School Procedures 9
§  School Security  
§  Positive Relationships  
§  Playground Supervision  
§  Absence from School Premises at Breaks  
§  School Dress Code  
§  Dress Code for PE  
§  Personal Belongings  
§  Mobile Phones  
§  Information in Emergencies  
§  Listening and Learning  
Section 3: Educational Grants: Footwear, Clothing, Free School Meals and Transport 14
§  Footwear and Clothing Grants  
§  Free School Meals  
§  School Transport Policy  
Section 4: School Registration, Enrolment and Attendance 16
§  Registration and Enrolment  
§  Attendance at School  
§  Structure of Classes  
§  Transfer to Secondary School  
Section 5: Curriculum for Excellence 18
§  Curriculum for Excellence  
§  The Capacities  
§  Extra-curricular Activities  
§  Assessment and Reporting  
§  Homework

§  School Trips Off-island

  
Section 6: School Improvement 23
§  Standards & Quality Report/Improvement Plan  
Section 7: Support for your Child 24
§  Additional Support for Learning  
§  Dispute Resolution Procedures  
§  Further Support  
§  Equalities  
§  Equality Act 2010  
§  Child Protection  
§  Inclusion  
§  GIRFEC  
§  Psychological Services  
§  Data Protection  
§  Medical and Health Care  
Section 8: Parental Involvement 28
§  Parent Council  
§  Home School Links  
§  Reports to Parents  
§  School Committees  
Section 9: Pupil Data Collection and Protection Policies 30
Appendix 1: Important Contacts 32

 

 

Head Teacher Introduction

 

Dear Parent/Carer

On behalf of all staff, parents, and pupils, it is my great pleasure to welcome you to our school.

We work hard to create a safe, nurturing, happy and creative learning environment for all our pupils, encouraging every child to achieve their full potential and have high standards and expectations for all. We believe that learning is lifelong and aim to develop the skills required for learning, life and work in our rapidly changing world. We educate the whole child, and everyone feels valued, respected, and listened to. Our curriculum supports this through learning a broad general education for all, to develop successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors.

The home school partnership plays an important role. Your home environment provides a wealth of learning opportunities to support your child’s development. This will be encouraged by teachers, who will provide opportunities for home learning.

You are encouraged to become involved in the life of the school. We have an active Parent Council who would be delighted to welcome you to join them. Parents are encouraged to participate in school life, for example, by assisting with activities or accompanying on school trips. We continue to follow Government and NAC guidelines regarding this as appropriate.

We look forward to having you as part of our school family, as a positive and successful partnership which will strengthen throughout your child’s school career.

Please feel free to contact me for any further information.

 

Mr Quinton Black

Acting Head Teacher

Kilmory, Pirnmill, & Whiting Bay Primaries & EYC

 

 

 

Communities & Education Directorate

 

What we want to achieve

 

 

Our Overall Aim

 

Ensuring our children and young people experience the best start in life.

 

 

Our Priorities

 

  • We will create the conditions for our children and young people to access the highest quality learning experiences from ages 3-18.

 

  • We will support our children and young people to become successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens.

 

  • We will offer opportunities to our young people and their families to play a more active role in school life and encourage more participation in learning.

 

  • We will work with all young people to build their resilience, supporting their mental health and physical well-being.

 

 

 

Rights Respecting Schools

 

The United Nations created the Convention on the Rights of the Child detailing 42 rights, which all children are entitled to.  Our work through Rights Respecting School Award (RRSA) teaches children about these rights, which are embedded throughout our school handbook and policies.

 

Kilmory Primary is a Rights Respecting School and we currently have our Silver Award.

 

 

 

 

 

Section 1: School Information

 

Article 29 (goals of education)

Education must develop every child’s personality, talents, and abilities to the full. It must encourage the child’s respect for human rights, as well as respect for their parents, their own and other cultures, and the environment.

 

Kilmory Primary School Vision, Values and Aims

 

Vision

 

To be an Island of Excellence

 

Values

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aims

 

The school recognises the importance of the partnership between parents and teachers in achieving its aims, which are: –

 

Successful Learners

 

  • We will try to help our pupils to learn to be prepared for the ever-changing world.

 

  • We aim to make our learning fun and to the point.

 

Confident Individuals

 

  • Our pupils will be able to pass on knowledge to others.

 

  • We aim to motivate children to do their best.

 

Responsible Citizens

 

  • We will try to prepare our pupils to be ready to be able to do any jobs in the future.

 

  • We will give our pupils chances to connect with the community.

 

Effective Contributors

 

  • We will give our pupils chances to develop relationships.

 

  • We will help our pupils understand their role in keeping everyone safe at Kilmory Primary School.

 

 

School Contact Details

 

 

SCHOOL NAME Kilmory Primary School
   
ADDRESS              

Kilmory

Isle of Arran KA27 8PQ

KA27 8DW
   
TELEPHONE 01770 870 262
   
EMAIL kilmory@ea.n-ayrshire.sch.uk
   
WEBSITE https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/na/kilmoryprimary/
   
TWITTER @kilmoryprimary
   
PRESENT ROLL 24
   
CAPACITY 33
   
STAGES COVERED P1-7
   
DENOMINATIONAL STATUS Non-Denominational
   
SINGLE SEX/CO-EDUCATIONAL Co-Educational
   
PREDICTED ROLL 2024 P1             P2             P3             P4             P5             P6                 P7

1               5               6               0               4               4                 2

 

 

 

 

 

School Staff

 

HEAD TEACHER (Acting) Mr Quinton Black
   
DEPUTE HEAD TEACHER (Acting) Mrs Kirsten Picken
   
TEACHING STAFF

 

 

 

 

CLASSROOM ASSISTANT

 Mrs Alison Currie

Mrs Victoria Steel

Mrs Laura Parker MacDonald

 

Mrs Vivien Crichton
   
EARLY YEARS PRACTITIONERS

 

 

EARLY YEARS CLASSROOM ASSISTANT

 Mrs Jessica McGuire

Mrs Debra Adam

 

Miss Ania Klatecka
   
ACTIVE SCHOOLS CO-ORDINATOR Mr Ross Dobson
   
AREA INCLUSION WORKER Mrs Camilla McGregor
   
EDUCATION BUSINESS ASSISTANT Miss Linda Tudhope
   
CLEANER Miss Paula McGuire
   
CATERING ASSISTANT Miss Annelies Slaats

 

 

School Hours

 

OPEN 9:00 am
INTERVAL 10:30 am – 10:45 am
LUNCH 12:15 pm – 1:00 pm
CLOSE 3:00 pm

 

School Holiday and In-Service Dates 2024/2025 (Arran Schools)

 

Term Dates of Attendance Day Date
 
Term 1 Teacher (In-Service) Monday 19-Aug-24
  Pupils Return Tuesday 20-Aug-24
  Teacher (In-Service) Monday 23-Sep-24
  Close Friday 04-Oct-24
Term 2 Pupils Return Monday 21-Oct-24
  Teacher (In-Service) Monday 25-Nov-24
  Close Friday 20-Dec-24
Term 3 Re-open Monday 06-Jan-25
  Teacher (In-Service) Monday 17-Feb-25
  Close Thursday 04-Apr-25
Term 4 Re-open Tuesday 22-Apr-25
  Teacher (In-Service) Friday 23-May-25
  Close Friday 30-Jun-25

 

Section 2: School Procedures

 

School Security

North Ayrshire Council has introduced procedures to ensure the safety and security of children and staff when attending or working in a school.  A number of security measures are used including the use of a visitors’ book, badges and escorts while visitors are within the school building. Any parent/carer or visitor at a school for any reason will be asked to report to the school office. The school staff will then make any necessary arrangements in connection with the visit to the school.

 

It is the policy of the school that any member of staff will approach a visitor and ask for verification of identity. This measure ensures that children work in a safe and protected environment. We appreciate your support in carrying out all the above measures.

 

Positive Relationships

Article 23

We support all children to be included in the school day.

 

Kilmory Primary School is committed to developing a nurturing approach and promoting positive relationships. Like every community, our school is built on the relationships within it, across it and its connections with others.   Every member of staff is responsible for establishing and maintaining positive relationships with each other, with parents and with partners and most importantly with the young people in their care.

 

Our expectations of behaviour for children and young people are high.  Some children may require additional support in relation to their behaviour, and the school will work positively with the young person and the parents, and other partners, as appropriate, to ensure positive outcomes are achieved.

 

North Ayrshire Council is committed to the principles of restorative practices. This is a solution-focused approach to managing behaviour and resolving difficulties and which promotes healthy relationships that enable better behaviour and better learning.

 

Kilmory Primary School has a code of conduct to ensure the safety and well-being of all and parents are asked to support the school fully in this matter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Playground Supervision Article 3

The best interests of the child must be a top priority in all decisions and actions that affect children.

The Council meets the terms of the legal requirement that pupils be supervised in the playground by at least one adult during the interval or lunchtime if there are fifty or more pupils at the school. Our policy reflects that of North Ayrshire Council in terms of the Schools (Safety and Supervision of Pupils) (Scotland) Regulations 1990.

 

An adult presence is provided in playgrounds at break times. Pupils who travel by contracted school transport and arrive at school more than ten minutes before the start of the school day have accommodation allocated to them within the school during inclement weather.

 

Absence from school premises at breaks

Schools have a duty to look after the welfare of their pupils. This means that the staff should take the same care of pupils as a sensible parent would take, and this includes taking reasonable care of pupils’ safety during intervals and lunchtimes.

 

It is the policy of North Ayrshire Council that pupils should not leave the school grounds at intervals. Primary pupils should only leave school grounds at lunchtimes when they are going home for lunch with their parents’ agreement. Parents should put this request in writing to the Head Teacher. Pupils will leave and return through main entrance door of the school.

 

Parents should encourage their children to follow these rules in the interests of safety.

 

School Dress Code

It is the policy of North Ayrshire Council to support the introduction of a reasonable and flexible dress code in schools in its area. The Council encourages each school to adopt its own code, after consultation with parents and pupils.

The Council believes that establishing a school dress code has many benefits. These include improvements in safety, security, positive behaviour and community spirit and a decrease in bullying and in expense for parents.

The Council will support schools in encouraging and helping pupils to conform to the chosen dress code. Some types of clothing will not be allowed at school in any circumstances, for reasons of safety, decency or wellbeing.

Types of clothing which will not be allowed include:

  • Clothes which are a health or safety risk
  • Clothes which may damage the school building
  • Clothes which may provoke other pupils
  • Clothes which are offensive or indecent
  • Clothes which encourage the use of alcohol or tobacco

 

 

Kilmory Primary School Dress Code is as follows:

 

  • Purple school sweatshirt/cardigan (badged)
  • Black trousers/shorts/skirt/pinafore
  • Navy blue/white school polo shirt

 

All items of clothing should be clearly labelled with the child’s name in case of loss. It is appreciated that parents and pupils are distressed over the occasional loss of pupils’ clothing and/or personal belongings. Parents are asked to assist in this area by ensuring that valuable items of clothing or personal belongings are not brought to school.

 

Dress Code for PE

 

For health & safety reasons all children must wear suitable clothing for PE.

Newly pierced ears may be covered at home during the initial healing process (approximately six weeks).  After this time earrings must be removed for PE/swimming lessons.  Please note that staff are not permitted to remove or tape over earrings.

 

Our PE Dress Code is as follows:

  • Navy blue t-shirt
  • Black or navy shorts/sports leggings/cycling shorts
  • Gym shoes or “indoor” trainers

 

 

 

 

 

 

Personal Belongings

It is appreciated that parents and pupils may be distressed over the occasional loss of pupil’s clothing and/or personal belongings.  Parents are asked to assist by ensuring that valuable items of clothing or personal belongings are NOT brought to school.

Parents should note that the authority does not carry insurance to cover the loss of such items.

School Meals

Meals are served daily from the multi-choice cafeteria.  Meals are delivered from Shiskine kitchen.The meals are planned to offer a healthy diet for the children. Please inform us if your child has any specific allergies.  Parents of children who require a special diet can arrange this by contacting the school or Early Years Class and providing a medical note from their doctor.

 

There are arrangements in place for children who would prefer to eat a packed lunch.

 

Lunches can be ordered in advance, from home using iPayImpact.

 

Mobile Phones

While the benefits of mobile phones are recognised, they can be a serious distraction to work.  Pupils whose mobile phones disrupt lessons can have them confiscated until the end of the school day.  Repeated disruption may result in phones being retained until uplifted by a parent.

 

Inappropriate use of text messages and/or photographs/recordings (video and audio) whilst in school may be treated as a breach of the school’s code of conduct or a serious incident, which could be referred to the police.

 

Information in Emergencies

We make every effort to maintain a full educational service but on some occasions, circumstances arise which lead to disruption. Schools may be affected by, for example, severe weather, and 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 the details of closure or re-opening. We will keep you in touch by using letters, texts, NAC website, notices in local shops and community centres, announcements in the press and West FM.

 

Should you have doubts about deteriorating conditions during the day, it may be advisable to contact the school.  Parents should ensure that the school is aware of the emergency arrangements made for their child and have responsibility to update us with contact numbers.

 

Listening and Learning

The North Ayrshire Council Education Service encourages feedback from parents and pupils and forms part of the Council’s overall commitment to providing the best possible service and to support partnership working.

 

We are therefore very interested in feedback of all kinds, whether it be compliments, suggestions or complaints.  If you wish to raise a comment of any type about the school you can do this in writing, by telephone or by making an appointment to see someone.  All feedback is welcome and helps us keep in touch.

 

If, in particular, you have a complaint about the school, it is better that these things are shared openly so any damage to the home/school relationship can be minimised.  There are no negative consequences arising from making a complaint and we will deal with the issue sensitively and confidentially if required.  If we have made a mistake we will apologise and try to put things right.

 

There are some things which you should note in relation to making a complaint:

 

  • The Council has a Two Stage procedure when handling complaints from parents and members of the public.  More details on the two stages can be found in the Council’s complaint page here:

 

https://www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/contact-us/complaints-and-feedback/make-a-complaint.aspx

 

  • It is helpful if complaints are made initially to the school’s Head Teacher.  This ensures the school is made aware of what is going on and has an opportunity to investigate and try to resolve the issue at Stage One first.

 

  • We try to resolve all complaints as quickly as possible but if a complaint is complex more time may be needed to investigate.  It is therefore helpful if you can provide full details of the issue at the outset and ask for an early appointment to discuss it.

 

 

  • If you are not satisfied with a response you receive at Stage One, you can ask that your complaint is escalated to Stage Two.  Should you wish to do this you should contact Education Services at Cunninghame House, Irvine, KA12 8EE or by telephone on (01294) 324400.

 

  • If, after receiving the Stage Two final response letter you remain dissatisfied you can ask the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman to consider your complaint and we’ll tell you how to do this in the Stage Two response letter.

 

  • Parent Councils have an important role in developing links between the school and the wider parent body and can often be helpful in dealing with issues of general concern.  However, parents are advised that individual, personal complaints are not appropriate for raising via Parent Councils due to the possible need for confidentiality.

 

  • Please note you can also raise concerns you may have with your local Councillor, MSP or MP but these will be handled under a different process to the Two Stage complaint process.

 

 

 

 

Section 3: Educational Grants: Footwear, Clothing, Free School Meals and Transport

 

Footwear and Clothing Grants

Parents receiving Universal Credit will normally be entitled to grants for footwear and clothing for their children.   Universal Credit claimants’ monthly income must not exceed £660.00, however, some parents earning more than this may still be eligible.

Parents who receive Income Support, Income based Job Seeker’s Allowance, any income related element of Employment and Support Allowance, Support under part V1 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, Child Tax Credit only (with income under £17,005), both Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit (with an income up to £7,920) may also still be entitled to grants for footwear and clothing for their children.

Parents who may be unsure whether they can apply should contact the Council Contact Centre on 01294 310000 or the Council’s Welfare Reform Team on 0300 99 4606 for further advice.   Information and application forms may be obtained from schools.

Free School Meals

Children of parents receiving Universal Credit (claimants’ monthly income must not exceed £660.00), Income Support, Income based Job Seeker’s Allowance, any income related element of Employment and Support Allowance, Support under part V1 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, both Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit (with an income up to £7,920) are entitled to a free midday meal and free milk. Parents and Carers should contact 01294 310000 for further information.

Please Note: All pupils in Primary 1 to 5 are entitled to a free school meal, which includes milk.

Other than Primary 1 to Primary 5 pupils, only those children whose parents receive job seeker’s allowance or income support will be entitled to free milk.  Milk may however be available for purchase in the school during the lunch period.

Further information can be found on the Grants and Allowances webpage.

Pupils are supplied with a menu in advance, and we encourage you to discuss this with your child before school and pre-order their lunch options on the iPay site.

You are welcome to provide your child with a packed lunch if you prefer and we encourage pupils to make healthy choices and eat a balanced diet. We request that pupils do not bring in cans or bottles of fizzy or isotonic juice to drink and that take-away food is not provided as a packed lunch.

School Transport

North Ayrshire Council has a policy of providing free transport to all pupils who live more than two miles walking distance from their catchment primary school or three or more miles from their catchment secondary school using the shortest suitable walking route. In addition, free transport may also be provided for whole or part of the journey between a pupil’s main address and school (or other educational establishment) when the criteria outlined in section 4 of the School Transport Policy is met.

Applications for mainstream transport are made by parents and carers using North Ayrshire Council’s Transport Hub transport system. Applications may be submitted throughout the year and should be made as soon as confirmation of a place at a catchment establishment has been received. Please note free school transport will not be provided following a successful placing request. If you believe your child may require transport for another

 

reason, please review the entitlement criteria in the School Transport Policy under Section 4 before discussing this with the school.

If places are available and no additional costs is incurred by the local authority, it may be possible to apply for privilege seat in transport provided by the authority, please liaise with North Ayrshire Transport Hub for further information (transporthub@north-ayrshire.gov.uk / 01294 541613). Where free transport is provided it may be necessary for pupils to walk a short 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 Council’s limits (see above section). It is the parents’ responsibility to ensure that their child arrives at the pick-up point on time. It is also the parents’ responsibility to ensure that their child behaves in a safe and acceptable manner while boarding, travelling in and leaving the vehicle.  Misbehaviour can result in children losing the right to free transport.

 

 

School Trips Off-Island

For off-island trips, a Risk Assessment will take place beforehand regarding forecasted weather conditions on the trip day, affecting travel on the ferry.  Should the predicted weather be unfavourable the trip may be cancelled in advance, with as much notice as possible.

 

Should CalMac issue an Amber alert in advance or on the morning pre-travel, then we will not go ahead with the trip in case the ferry is subsequently cancelled and the group is stuck on the mainland.

 

Section 4: School Registration, Enrolment and Attendance

Article 28

Every child has the right to an education.  Primary education must be free and available to every child.

 

Registration and Enrolment

The date for registration of school beginners is advertised in the local press and is normally in January each year. Pupils will be registered in the school for their catchment area.

 

Parents are provided with information about the school and procedures for making placing requests, if required.  Arrangements for meetings with parents and induction days for pupils will be notified during the spring and summer terms.

 

Parents of pupils who have moved to the area or who wish their child to transfer to the school should contact the school office for information about appropriate procedures and to arrange a visit to the school.

 

Parents are welcome to contact the Head Teacher at any time by visiting or telephoning the school.

 

Attendance at School/Lateness

It is the responsibility of parents of children of school age to educate their children. Most do this by ensuring that their children attend school regularly.

 

Attendance is recorded twice a day, morning and afternoon. Absence from school is recorded as authorised, unauthorised or temporarily excluded.

 

Parents are asked to inform the school by letter or 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. If there is no explanation from a child’s parents, the absence will be regarded as unauthorised.

 

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 should inform the school by letter, before going on holiday, of the dates. Such absence will be authorised only where certain and very specific family circumstances exist. The majority of family holidays taken during term time will be categorised as unauthorised absence.

 

Parents may request that their children be permitted to be absent from school to make an extended visit to relatives. Only written requests detailing the destination, the duration and the provision that will be made for their continuing education will be granted. Such extended absences will be recorded separately from the normal attendance and absence information.

 

The School Inclusion Worker investigates unexplained absence, and the authority has the power to write to, interview or prosecute parents, or refer pupils to the Reporter to the Children’s Panel, if necessary.

 

Structure of Classes

Primary schools educate pupils at seven broad year stages, Primary 1 to Primary 7.  A year stage is defined as a group of pupils entering primary education at a common date. Schools are staffed based on the total number of pupils. However, the numbers of pupils at each year stage will vary.  This means that Head Teachers are required to organise classes to make best use of available staff, resources and space to the benefit of all children in the school.

 

Pupils may, therefore, be taught in a single stage class or a composite class where two or more year stages are grouped together.  This may also change as pupils move from one year to the next.

 

National guidelines on the curriculum indicate that pupils should progress through learning experiences tailored to their own needs and abilities.  This means that pupils in all classes follow programmes designed to help them progress at their own level.  This applies to all pupils regardless of whether or not they are in a composite or single year stage class.

 

The National agreement on class sizes states that the maximum number of pupils in a class is 25 in P1, 30 in P2 – P3, and 33 in P4 -7.  In a composite class the maximum number is 25.

 

Transfer to Secondary School

Pupils are normally transferred between the ages of eleven and a half and twelve and a half, so that they will have the opportunity to complete at least 4 years of secondary education. Parents will be informed of the arrangements no later than January of the year preceding the date of transfer at the start of the new session.

 

Kilmory Primary School is an associated primary school of:

 

Arran High School

Lamlash

Isle of Arran

KA27 8NG

Tel. 01770 600341

 

 

During their time in P7, pupils are taken to Arran High School as part of the induction programme. Teachers from local primary schools and their secondary colleagues have worked together to create a Pupil Profile of Achievements which will be completed in Primary 7 and passed onto the secondary school.  Teachers from both schools liaise to ensure a smooth transition which focuses on progression for pupils.  Parents will be informed of the details of the visits when appropriate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Section 5: Curriculum for Excellence

Curriculum for Excellence is the national curriculum for Scottish schools for learners from age 3 to 18.  It aims to raise standards; prepare our children for a future they do not yet know and equip them for the jobs of tomorrow in a fast-changing world.

Curriculum for Excellence enables professionals to teach subjects creatively, to work together across the school and with other schools, to share best practice and explore learning together. Glow, Scotland’s unique, world-leading, online network supports learners, teachers, and families in this.

Teachers and practitioners will share information to plan a child’s “learning journey” from 3-18, ensuring children continue to work at their own pace whilst providing challenge upon which they can thrive.

Curriculum for Excellence balances the importance of knowledge and skills. Every child is entitled to a broad and deep general education where every single teacher and practitioner will be responsible for literacy and numeracy – the language and number skills that unlock other subjects and are vital to everyday life.  There is emphasis too on health and wellbeing – to ensure that the school is a place where children feel safe and secure.

Curriculum for Excellence develops skills for learning, life and work to help young people go on to further study, secure work and navigate life.  It brings real life into the classroom, making learning relevant and helps young people apply lessons to their life beyond the classroom.  It links knowledge in one subject area to another helping children understand the world and make connections.  It develops skills so that children can think for themselves, make sound judgements, challenge, enquire and find solutions.

Children’s progress is assessed using a broad range of approaches to ensure children achieve their potential. Ultimately, Curriculum for Excellence aims to improve our children’s life chances, to nurture successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors, and responsible citizens, building on Scotland’s reputation for great education.

 

Curriculum for Excellence: The Capacities

 

Further Information about Curriculum for Excellence and the Experiences and Outcomes can be found on the Curriculum for Excellence website.

 

 

 

 

Extra-Curricular Activities

Article 31 (leisure, play and culture) Every child has the right to relax, play and take part in a wide range of cultural and artistic activities.

After school activities on the island include: Multi Sports Club at Arran High School run by Active Schools Coordinator; Sailing (summer term for P7s); pipes, drums and clarsach tuition through the Isle of Arran School; P7 afterschool club run by Arran Youth Foundations at AHS.

                                    

  

          

 

Assessing Children’s Progress in the Broad General Education (BGE) Early Years – end of S3

 

Assessment is a central part of everyday learning and teaching for children and young people. Evidence of progress is gathered on an ongoing and informal basis through asking questions, observing children working together and making formative comments on their work.  Children may also assess their own work or that of their classmates; this is called self and peer assessment. Some assessment is more formal such as projects, investigations and standardised assessments.

 

The assessment of children’s progress throughout the BGE (Early Years – S3) is based on teachers’ professional judgement.  Teachers draw on their professional knowledge and understanding of the child; on the benchmarks for literacy and numeracy, which provide clear information about what children and young people should be able to do and demonstrate by the end of a Curriculum for Excellence Level; and on a wide range of assessment information.

 

Teachers of P1, P4, P7 and S3 are asked at the end of every school year whether children have achieved the relevant Curriculum for Excellence level for their stage in reading, writing, talking and listening (literacy), and their ability to understand and work with numbers (numeracy). Most children are expected to have achieved the early level by the end of P1, first level by the end of P4, second level by the end of P7 and third or fourth level by the end of S3.

 

The government has also introduced new national standardised assessments (SNSA) which cover some aspects of reading, writing and working with numbers. These assessments are completed online and are automatically marked by the online system giving teachers immediate feedback to help plan next steps and support children’s progress.

 

Teachers remain best placed to know how the children in their class are progressing. Their professional judgement will continue to be the most important way of assessing your child’s progress at school.

 

Parents, families and carers have a key role in helping children to learn.  Your child’s teacher will keep you informed about their progress.  Please contact us if you have any concerns about their learning, assessment or for more information on how you can support your child’s learning at home.

 

Homework

Parents, carers and families have a very important role in helping children get the best out of school and it is important to take an active interest in your child’s progress at school. This can be done by:

 

  • encouraging hard work and high standards at all times
  • stressing the importance and relevance of what is learned at school
  • supporting the school’s policy on homework and discipline

 

The type of homework will vary depending on the age and ability of individual pupils.  Reading commonly forms part of the homework set and will be specified by the teacher.  Learning to read can be challenging and the process is made easier if families read with their child and discuss the story and pictures in a way that encourages enjoyment and a love of books and stories.

 

In the early and middle stages oral reading should be practised regularly at home whereas in the upper primary, where children are competent in the mechanics of reading, a greater emphasis may be placed on silent reading and comprehension. Reading for enjoyment should be encouraged at all stages. Kilmory Primary participates in the Accelerated Reading™ programme and enjoys a wide range of books to be shared in our library.

 

Spelling is also an important part of homework from P3 onwards (although some children may be asked to practice even earlier).  Maths homework will be given to consolidate understanding and proficiency at all stages of the school.

 

From time-to-time pupils are given assignments and personal projects which may involve research, investigation, preparing a speech, learning a poem or a similar activity.

 

We really appreciate the involvement of parents, carers and families and are very grateful to those who so faithfully sign work to confirm that they have seen each piece of work and for leaving comments on their child’s Seesaw posts.

 

Seesaw is a platform for student engagement which is used in Kilmory Primary School. Teachers can empower students to create, reflect, share, and collaborate. Students “show what they know” using photos, videos, drawings, text, PDFs, and links. It’s simple to get student work in one place and share with families.

Section 6: School Improvement

 

Standards & Quality Report and Establishment Improvement Plan

 

Schools in North Ayrshire follow a Quality Improvement process designed to highlight strengths and identify areas for improvement. The process is based on the school’s self-evaluation process with Heads of Service and Senior Managers involved in formal validation visits each session.

 

This validation process involves talking to pupils, staff and parents about learning and improvements made by the school. This results in actions for improvement for the school to take forward in their planning process.

 

In addition, themed reviews are undertaken from time to time e.g. to look and report on the quality of the Broad General Education (3-18) and Senior Phase Education within secondary schools. This process is based upon standards and expectations contained within the following National Standards documentation:

 

  • National Improvement Framework
  • How Good is Our School?
  • How Good is Our Early Learning and Childcare?

 

A Standards and Quality Report and Establishment Improvement Plan are produced on an annual basis by every school and centre. Staff, Parents/ Carers, Young People and School Partners will play an active role in the development of these key school documents.

 

If you would like to view our improvement plan, you can contact the school for a copy using the contact details above.

 

 

 

 

 

Section 7: Support for your Child

 

Equalities

In line with North Ayrshire Council policy, educational provision is open to all pupils, regardless of sex, age, religion, race, disability or any other potential barrier and all reasonable measures will be taken to ensure that the curriculum is available to every child. Schools also have a duty to promote equality and to eliminate racist and other discriminatory behaviours.

Equality Act 2010

The Equality Act 2010 has been drawn up to tackle inequality and prevent discrimination against people on the basis of protected characteristics.  It brings together several existing laws and aims to make understanding the law simpler and also introduces a new single public sector equality duty, which requires public bodies to actively advance equality.

The duties set out in Chapter 1 of Part 6 of the Equality Act apply to all schools.  These provisions protect pupils at the school and in the case of admissions, those applying or wishing to apply for admission.  Former pupils are also protected from discrimination or harassment.

Guidance on the Act and its requirements for schools in relation to the provision of education can be accessed via the Scottish Government website.

Child Protection

Education Services has a fundamental duty to contribute to the care and safety of all children and young people in North Ayrshire. In fulfilling this duty, the service must engage in close partnership with parents/carers and relevant agencies, primarily the Health and Social Care Partnership and where appropriate the Scottish Children’s Reporter’s Administration. The Service will work in partnership with a number of levels within the establishment or school within the cluster or local area and through Integrated Children’s Services and Community Health Partnership.

The Standard Circular entitled, “Protecting and Safeguarding North Ayrshire’s Children” provides guidance for policy and practice within all educational establishments. The Council is one of the key partners in the North Ayrshire Child Protection Committee, a multi-agency group which takes the lead role in ensuring that our children and young people are cared for, protected from harm, and grow up in a safe environment.

Each school has a named Child Protection Co-ordinator who is the main point of contact for school staff and for external agencies seeking contact with the school on child protection matters. There is an extensive staff-training programme available to staff and, in addition, at the beginning of each school session all staff receive an update on child protection policies, safeguarding and procedures.

Inclusion

North Ayrshire Council is committed to supporting the well-being and educational progress of all learners including those with additional support needs. Including learners requires all staff to demonstrate commitment, innovation, and flexibility in order to ensure that all children and young people have access to quality learning opportunities and experiences. Our Inclusion Strategy states that:

An inclusive approach to education supports an ethos of achievement and high expectation, recognises difference, respects these differences, and sees differences between learners as opportunities for learning.

An inclusive approach to education promotes tolerance and a positive understanding of diversity.

 

An inclusive approach to education alleviates the barriers to learning, supports the achievement of all and has positive relationships at its heart.

The presumption of mainstream as outlined in Standards in Scotland’s Schools (2000) sets out that children will be educated in a mainstream setting unless exceptional circumstances apply. North Ayrshire has a duty to ensure clear assessment outline the additional needs of a child or young person which may require support in an alternative provision.

Where this is the case, North Ayrshire has a clear process that supports the Team Around the Child (TAC) to make a recommendation for consideration of alternative provision. This is outlined in the Standard Circular E19 and requires establishment staff to work with parents and carers to ensure all supports have been put in place for a child or young person in their mainstream context before submitting clear evidence before requesting alternative provision.  North Ayrshire council staff will then make a recommendation based on the evaluation of this evidence, a review of the needs of the young person and the current peer group in each setting.

The Education (Disability Strategies and Pupils’ Educational Records) (Scotland) Act, October 2002, requires local education authorities to prepare and implement accessibility strategies to improve, over time, access to education for young people with disabilities.  Access covers:

  • The physical building and grounds
  • The curriculum (both formal and informal)
  • Information on any educational planning that might affect the child oryoung person’s education.

The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) (2009) Act sets out certain duties on local education authorities and confers certain rights on children and their parents.  These duties include the need to:

  • Identify, assess, and address the need for additional support for any child or young person failing to benefit from school education, for whatever reason.
  • Seek and take account of the views of the child or young person on issues relating to their education.
  • Engage in helpful partnership working with parents/carers and staff from other agencies.

 

Additional Support for Learning

Any child who needs more or different support to what is normally provided in schools or early years is said to have ‘additional support needs’. This includes children who may need extra help with their education as a result of issues arising from social and emotional difficulties, bullying, physical disability, having English as an additional language, a sensory impairment or communication difficulty.

The Additional Support for Learning Act

The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 came into force in November 2005. In June 2009, the Act was amended. These amendments form the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009 and came into force on November 2010.

Main provisions of the Act

  • The Act provides the legal framework underpinning the system for supporting children and young people in their education, and their families.
  • This framework is based on the idea of additional support needs. This broad and inclusive term applies to children or young people who, for whatever reason, require additional support, long or short term, in order to help them make the most of their school education and to be included fully in their learning.
  • The 2009 Act automatically deems that all looked after children and young people have additional support needs unless the education authority determine that they do not require additional support in order to benefit from school education.
  • In addition, education authorities must consider whether each looked after child or young person for whose school education they are responsible requires a co-ordinated support plan.

Duties under the ‘Additional Support for Learning’ legislation

North Ayrshire must assess any pupil with additional support needs and provide any support necessary for them to benefit fully from their education. All the evidence says that it is best to intervene early to prevent difficulties developing and taking root.  For example, by making sure reading is well taught and that all pupils gets encouragement and support at home we can hopefully reduce the likelihood of the young person encountering literacy difficulties later on.

Whatever the type of challenge that arises, it is important to detect it early, develop a shared understanding of what is needed (the establishment may request extra specialised help to do this) and take action to help to pupil achieve. Whenever we start this process for any child or young person, we will always explain to them and to their parents or carers our concerns and what we will do to help.

The establishment can get support from a range of visiting professionals including educational psychologists. Each establishment has a link educational psychologist and staff can ask for informal advice on supporting learners.  If more detailed individual help is required, they will talk to you about formally involving the educational psychologist. The educational psychologist can only be involved in consultation, collaborative assessment, and planning interventions for your child with your agreement.

Staged Intervention

A young person’s need for support is addressed through a cycle of identification, assessment, planning, support and review. This process is called Staged Intervention.

In North Ayrshire we organise support under the following headings:

  • Enhanced Universal Support
  • Stage 1
  • Stage 2

Universal support is a fundamental element of the service provided by all educational establishments. There may be times when a child or young person needs some additional support to help them achieve their full potential and this is where the stages of support need to be identified and explained.

Enhanced Universal

Some supports are considered as Enhanced Universal, reflecting that they are provided within universal services but are planned and delivered with enhancement to day-to-day practice.

Within Enhanced Universal a young person may require a higher level of support due to concerns surrounding their wellbeing or learning, or a combination of both.

The needs of the child or young person are met within their classroom or playroom with some adjustment to their environment, curriculum, and/or approaches to learning and teaching. Some aspects of work may be planned individually or as part of a group however this will be recorded as part of playroom or classroom planning. Class teachers and keyworkers will monitor and record progress.

Stage 1

This stage applies to children and young people whose support needs cannot be met through Enhanced Universal services. They require additional support available within their own establishment which may include Support for Learning and/or targeted pastoral support.

Stage 2

This stage signifies that the needs of the young person are significant and/or exceptional and are not being fully met through Enhanced Universal or Stage 1 supports and services. The young person requires more specialist and/or intensive support.

At both Stage 1 and 2, a Team Around the Child discussion will review the learner’s strengths and needs, agreeing appropriate interventions and supports. The learner and their parent/carer must be fully involved in this process and the young person’s targets and progress will be recorded using the North Ayrshire Staged Intervention planning format.

Where a child or young person has additional support needs, extra planning is required when they move to a new class, new school or when they are moving on from secondary school.  How far ahead this transition planning needs to start depends on the young person’s individual needs, but for most children and young people with Additional Support Needs transition planning should start at least one year before the date of the planned move.

Further advice and guidance around supporting needs can be found on the ENQUIRE website.

             

Section 8: Parental Involvement

 

Parental Engagement and Involvement

NAC Parental Involvement Strategy

All schools have clear systems in place for communicating with everyone in the parent forum. Communications with parents are clear, jargon-free, specific and easily accessible. A variety of methods and approaches are used by schools to communicate with the parent forum including face to face, traditional communication methods and digital media for example, Twitter, Facebook. Considerations will always be given when communicating with parents who have literacy, language and communication challenges.

Schools ensure that parents know who to contact when they wish to discuss their child’s learning or wellbeing and will seek to provide a private space for such discussions and make sure parents are given adequate time and support. Consideration will be given to family circumstances.

Parents are welcome to contact the school at any time to arrange an appointment to discuss any matter with the class teacher, Depute Head, Head Teacher or Head of Centre. New families are welcome to contact the school and request a suitable visiting time at any point throughout the session.

Parents are given opportunities to understand the way learning and teaching takes place in the classroom. This may be in the form of class visits to take part in the learning experience alongside their child or attending events which share the learning. Frequent invitations are issued to parents to participate in school activities such as open days, class assemblies, workshops and to assist with outings and visits, sports and concerts. There will be a series of early meetings for the parents of Primary 1 pupils and parents are kept informed of events with a range of newsletters, website updates, texts, invitations and social media sites.

A variety of methods will be used to ensure information about your child’s progress is shared. Schools are encouraged to provide parents/carers with information on their children’s progress at regular intervals throughout the year through a range of activities. There is an expectation that part of this will be in a written format.

Reporting Examples:

Individual Learners

  • Written reports/ tracking reports
  • Learning conversations with pupil/teacher/parent/carer
  • Pupil reflections on their learning in logs
  • Parent/ carer consultation / parents’ meetings involving parent/teacher/pupil, as appropriate.
  • Home/school diaries
  • Profiling activities
  • Learning walls and displays.

Groups of learners

  • Assemblies
  • Open day events
  • School concerts/shows
  • Social media
  • Curriculum workshops led by children, young people and staff
  • Parent Council meetings
  • School/class newsletters

 

 

 

Parent Council

 

All parent/carers are automatically members of the Parent Forum at Kilmory Primary school and will be entitled to have a say in what happens at the school.

 

As a member of the Parent Forum parents will have a say in selecting the Parent Council (the representative body) to work on behalf of all the parents at the school.

 

The Head Teacher is the professional adviser to the Parent Council and has the right to attend and speak at Parent Council or Parent Forum meetings.

 

The objectives of the Parent Council are:

 

  • To work in partnership with staff to create a welcoming school, which is inclusive for all parents
  • To promote partnership between the school, its pupils and all its parents
  • To develop and engage in activities which support the education and welfare of the pupils
  • To identify and represent the views of parents on the education provided by the school and other matters affecting the education and welfare of pupils
  • To be involved in the recruitment process for appointing the Head Teacher and Depute Head Teacher of the school

 

The Parent Council meets at least once a term.

 

Current Office Bearers are:

 

Chairperson:               Mrs Katy Brookes

Secretary:                    Mrs Kirsten Picken

Treasurer:                   Mrs Vicki Sturgeon

 

 

For more information on the Parental Involvement Act or to find out about parents as partners in their children’s learning, please contact the school or North Ayrshire Council Educational Services or visit the Parent zone website on www.parentzonescotland.gov.uk

 

 

 

 

 

Parentzone Scotland is a unique website for parents and carers in Scotland, from early years to beyond school.  The website provides up-to-date information about learning in Scotland, and practical advice and ideas to support children’s learning at home in literacy, numeracy, health and wellbeing and science.

 

Information is also available on Parentzone Scotland regarding additional support needs, how parents can get involved in their child’s school and education.  Furthermore, the website has details about schools including performance data for school leavers from S4-S6; and links to the national, and local authority and school level data on the achievement of Curriculum for Excellence levels.

 

Parentzone Scotland can be accessed at:

 

https://education.gov.scot/parentzone

 

 

 

Section 9: Pupil Data Collection and Protection Policies

 

The Scottish Government and its partners collect and use information about pupils through the Pupil Census to help to improve education across Scotland. This note explains why we need this information, how we use it and what we do to protect the information supplied to us.

 

Why do we need your data?

In order to make the best decisions about how to improve our education service, Scottish Government, education authorities and other partners such as the SQA and Skills Development Scotland 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 examination results.  Accurate and up-to-date data allows us 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 which influence pupil attainment and achievement
  • plan and implement targeted approaches to reducing the poverty-related attainment gap
  • share good practice
  • conduct teacher workforce planning
  • target resources better
  • enhance the quality of research to improve the lives of young people in Scotland
  • provide a window on society, the economy and on the work and performance of government by:
    • Publishing statistical publications and additional table about school education
    • Providing school level information

https://www.gov.scot/publications/pupil-census-supplementary-statistics/

 

Data policy

Information about pupils’ education is collected through our statistical surveys in partnership between the Scottish Government and Local Authorities through the ScotXed Programme which aims to help schools and Local Authorities by supporting efficient collection, processing and dissemination of statistical information.  The Scottish Government then provides analysis of the data to support research, planning, management and monitoring of education services as well as to produce National Statistics publications.

 

Education data within Scottish Government is managed effectively by secure systems on secure servers and is exploited as a valuable corporate resource, subject to confidentiality restraints.  As part of its data policy, Scottish Government will not publish or make publicly available any information that allows individual pupils to be identified, nor will data be used by Scottish Government to take any actions in respect of individuals. Data is held securely and no information on individual pupils can or would be made publicly available by Scottish Government.

 

The individual data collected by Scottish Government through the Pupil Census is used for statistical and research purposes only.

 

Your data protection rights

Any sharing or linkage of data will be done under the strict control of Scottish Government, and will be consistent with their data policy and the National Data National Data Linkage Guiding Principles Guiding Principles.  Decisions on the sharing or linkage of data will be taken in consultation with relevant colleagues and individuals within and outwith Scottish Government as part of a Data Access Panel.  At all times the rights of the individual (children or adults) under the GDPR and other relevant legislation will be ensured.  Further information can be found on:

 

https://www.gov.scot/collections/scottish-exchange-of-data-scotxed/

Concerns

If you have any concerns about the ScotXed data collections you can email the Data Protection & Information Assets Team on dpa@gov.scot  or the Head of Education Analytical Services, Mick Wilson, at mick.wilson@gov.scot or by writing to Education Analytical Services, Area 2A-North, 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.

 

Alternatively complaints may be raised with the Information Commissioners Office at casework@ico.org.uk.

 

Appendix 1

Important Contacts

 

Head of Service

Andrew McClelland

North Ayrshire Council

Cunninghame House

IRVINE

KA12 8EE

01294 310000

 

 

 

School Contact Details

Kilmory Primary School

Kilmory

Isle of Arran KA27 8PQ

Telephone:          01770 870262

Email:    kilmory@ea.n-ayrshire.sch.uk