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

The 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.

The 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

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

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.

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.

Dress Code for PE

For health and safety reasons all children must wear suitable clothing for PE. This consists of shorts and t-shirts with soft shoes for indoor activities.

We adhere strictly to health and safety guidelines and pupils must remove any item that may cause danger, i.e., metal buckles, jewellery. These items are the responsibility of the pupil. Long hair should be tied back.

School Meals

Meals are served daily from the multi-choice cafeteria.  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.

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

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.