Education and Families
St Bernadette’s
Primary School
2024-2025
Handbook
Dear Parent/Guardian,
I am delighted that you are considering St. Bernadette’s Primary School for your child’s education.
In St. Bernadette’s all staff are committed to achieving excellence. We aim to build positive and effective partnerships with Parents and Carers to ensure our young people become successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens.
Parents are most welcome to visit or contact the school at any time.
This handbook contains a variety of information related to the school which I hope you will find useful.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs. Christine Boyle
Headteacher
CHILDREN LEARN WHAT THEY LIVE
If a child lives with CRITICISM,
he learns to CONDEMN.
If a child lives with HOSTILITY,
he learns to FIGHT.
If a child lives with RIDICULE,
he learns to be SHY.
If a child lives with SHAME,
he learns to feel GUILTY.
If a child lives with TOLERANCE,
he learns to be PATIENT.
If a child lives with ENCOURAGEMENT,
he learns to be CONFIDENT.
If a child lives with PRAISE,
he learns to APPRECIATE.
If a child lives with FAIRNESS,
he learns JUSTICE.
If a child lives with SECURITY,
he learns to have FAITH.
If a child lives with APPROVAL,
he learns to LIKE HIMSELF.
If a child lives with ACCEPTANCE and FRIENDSHIP,
he learns to find LOVE in the world.
St Bernadette’s PS “Happy to Learn”
1. ST. BERNADETTE’S PRIMARY:
School Vision, Value, Aims & Curriculum Rationale:
Our Motto: HAPPY to Learn.
Our vision: Every child will be supported, nurtured and challenged on their learning journey in our pursuit of excellence and equity.
Our values are: Love
Faith
Forgiveness
Self Discipline
Integrity
Curriculum Rationale: St. Bernadette’s is a nurturing and growth mindset school. Our curriculum will offer pupils opportunities to develop core knowledge and skills in literacy, numeracy and maths. Health and Wellbeing and Religious Education will be central to the work, life and values of our Catholic school.
All of this will be set within the wider curriculum which will give opportunities for developing skills for learning, life and work. Strategic planning will ensure all children participate in progressive learning in expressive arts, science, technologies and social studies. The use of digital learning, ICT and learning for sustainability will be intrinsic to all planning. Children will learn in an inclusive ethos whilst developing knowledge, understanding and respect for other cultures.
Aims: We aim to ensure equity and achieve excellence for children in a happy, stimulating and safe environment.
We aim to work in partnerships with the whole school community to provide all pupils with opportunities to experience success in their learning, to enable them to become successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors. Everyone will be valued as an individual and nurtured to develop their whole person.
We aim to provide a curriculum for excellence offering a wide range of experiences, setting high standards of learning and teaching and celebrating achievement.
We aim to achieve highly effective management of staff, resources and finance to maximize the benefits to the school as a whole.
We aim to develop and facilitate leadership at all levels to ensure continuous progression and achievement in line with our shared vision.
We aim to strive for continuous improvement through rigorous and effective self-evaluation to ensure equity and achieve excellence in all areas.
2. SCHOOL INFORMATION:
A. School Name: St. Bernadette’s Primary
B. School Address: Vickers Street, Motherwell, ML1 3RE
C. Telephone No: (01698) 274993
Fax No: N/A
Email: enquiries-at-st-bernadettes@northlan.org.uk
Website: https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/nl/StBernadettes/
Twitter: @BernadettesPS
D. Denominational Status: Roman Catholic
E. Capacity: Planning capacity is 292. Working capacity is 292.
F. Stages covered: Primary 1 – Primary 7
G. Present Roll 150
H. Class Structure: Where we form composite classes we do so using the criteria of North Lanarkshire Council. A variety of factors are used to identify class membership. These include nursery or school reports, information from teachers, academic ability, emotional development, friendship groups and, if applicable, family membership.
Room 1 Primary 1 23 pupils
Room 2 Primary 2 pupils Room 3 Primary 3 pupils
Room 5 Primary 4 pupils
Room 7 Primary 5 pupils
Room 8 Primary 6 pupils
Room 10 Primary 7 pupils
I. Community Facilities: Hall and stage are available for community letting.
Applications must be made through Culture NL Ltd.,
Summerlee Heritage Park, Heritage Way, Coatbridge
ML5 3BT.
Tel: Coatbridge (01236) 632778
J. Associated Secondary: Our Lady’s High School
Dalzell Drive
Motherwell
ML1 2DG
Telephone Number: (01698) 274925
Head Teacher: Mrs L McGraw
K. Parent Organisations: Parent Council & Fundraising Group
Parent Council Email: stbernadettesparentcouncil@yahoo.co.uk
or make contact via the school.
L. Gaelic Language: There is no provision for teaching Gaelic Language
in the school.
3. TEACHING STAFF:
A. Head Teacher: Mrs. Christine Boyle
B. Promoted Staff: Mrs. C. Cutler (Principal Teacher)
Mrs. P. Purdue (Principal Teacher)
C. List of Staff:
Mrs. C. Collins Primary 1
Mrs. F. McSweeney Primary 2
Mrs. C. Booth Primary 3
Miss. K. McVeigh Primary 4
Mrs. W. Robinson Primary 5
Mr. G. O’Raw Primary 6
Mr. S. McAree Primary 7
Mrs. C. Bradley (0.5)
Mrs Devlin (0.4)
D. Total number of Teaching Staff: 9.40
E. Non-Teaching Staff: Mrs L Leech Senior Clerical Assistant
Mr K Wong Clerical Assistant (0.32)
Mrs. J. Swinfen Classroom Assistant
Mrs. L Roebuck Community Learning & Development
Worker
Mrs. C. Fisher ASNA (1.0)
Mrs. G. Devine ASNA (1.0)
Mrs. J
Mrs F Lewis ASNA (0.8)
Mrs Dining Room Supervisor (0.3)
F. Janitor: Mrs. A. Barclay
Cleaners: Mrs. E. Cowan Mrs. B. Neill
Mrs. S. Neill Mrs. F. Fleming
G. Dinner Staff Mrs. K. Moon
Mrs. J. Higgins
Mrs. B. Miller
Mrs. E. Cowan
4. A. SCHOOL HOURS:
Opening: 9.00am
Interval: 10.30am – 10.45am
Lunch Break: 12.15pm – 1.00pm P1-4, 12.00 – 12.45 P5-7
Children’s Dismissal: 3.00pm
Children in Primary 1 should attend school full time from the first day of session Wednesday 17th August 2022 at 10am.
Please make sure your child is in the line at 8.55am. It is important for your child’s well being and confidence that they are in school in good time alongside their peers. Persistent
Late-coming is a very bad habit and results in a poor start to your child’s morning. Latecomers are recorded in the daily class register and parents will be contacted if there appears to be a pattern of late-coming.
B. OUT OF SCHOOL CARE:
Out of school care facilities available are:
Lanarkshire Child Care Services (Motherwell) in Elim Church, Airbles Road, Motherwell.
Telephone: (01698) 253018.
Clydesdale After School Care in Aquatec, 1 Menteith Road, Motherwell.
Telephone: (01698) 352270
5. THE SCHOOL YEAR:
August 2022
Teachers return and in-service day: Monday 15 August 2022
In-service day: Tuesday 16 August 2022
Pupils return: Wednesday 17 August 2022
September 2022
September weekend: Friday 23 September to Monday 26 September 2022 (inclusive)
October 2022
October week: Monday 17 to Friday 21 October 2022 (inclusive)
November 2022
In-service day: Monday 14 November 2022
December 2022 – January 2023
Schools close: Thursday 22 December 2022 at 2.30pm
Christmas and New Year holidays: Friday 23 December 2022 to Friday 6 January 2023 (inclusive)
Schools return: Monday 9 January 2023
February 2023
Mid-term break: Monday 13 February 2023 and Tuesday 14 February 2023
In-service day: Wednesday 15 February 2023
April 2023
Schools close: Friday 31 March 2023 at 2.30pm
Spring holiday (Easter): Monday 3 April to Friday 14 April (inclusive)
Good Friday: 7 April 2023
Easter Monday: 10 April 2023
Schools return: Monday 17 April 2023
May 2023
May holiday: Monday 1 May 2023
In-service day: Tuesday 2 May 2023
May weekend: Friday 26 May 2023 to Monday 29 May 2023 (inclusive)
June 2023
Schools close: Wednesday 28 June 2023 at 1pm
Please note pupils taking holidays outside the above times will be marked as unauthorised
absences. Parents must put this in writing to the school. (See section 11.I )
6. TRANSFER / ENROLMENT:
Enrolment details for Primary 1 children are given in the local press, in local shops and nurseries, through school newsletters and announced in our Church. We have a very full pre-school entry programme and through visits to their classes and talks with parents we prepare the children for that very important first step.
Publication of Enrolment dates – January, local press, local shops,
Church bulletin.
Enrolment days – Online enrolment due to COVID19 restrictions
Visit / interview with Headteacher/ – pre-school visits take place in April, May and June. Parent/Child.
Pupils arriving during school term – Visits are arranged for a suitable date/time to allow the new pupils to meet their Class Teachers and tour the school premises. Parents will also have a short informal interview with the Head Teacher in respect of codes of practice, policies, uniform etc. They are also welcome to have a tour of the school.
7. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES and SOCIAL INCLUSION:
In accordance with Council Policy and the Equality Act 2010 equal opportunities exist in the school for every pupil in all areas of the curriculum. Pupils are encouraged to realise that everyone is entitled to be treated fairly at all times. We are committed to eliminating all forms of discrimination including disability, gender and religion. We promote equality of opportunity and promote positive relationships within our community.
The school is committed to ensuring its policies and practices do not impact adversely on any particular group(s) of people and opportunities to promote equality are actively pursued.
Implementation of the Education, Youth and Communities Equality Policy including The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Technical Guidance for Schools in Scotland is the essential guide for the school community to promote equality. This can be accessed at:
http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/publication-dowload/technical-guidance-schools-scotland
8. CURRICULUM for EXCELLENCE:
What is Curriculum for Excellence?
Curriculum for Excellence is Scotland’s national curriculum. It provides a coherent and inclusive
curriculum from 3 – 18 years wherever learning is taking place, including early learning childhood
centres, schools, colleges and community learning. It places children and young people at the heart
of Scottish Education.
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
These four capacities govern the entire curriculum from age 3 to 18 and aim to raise the standards
of achievement for all learners.
Curriculum for Excellence is underpinned by the values inscribed on the mace of the Scottish
Parliament – wisdom, justice, compassion and integrity.
Throughout Curriculum for Excellence there is a strong focus on Literacy, Numeracy and Health and
Wellbeing across all aspects of learning and every teacher will support learners with the
development of these, including digital literacy skills.
Curriculum for Excellence is defined as:
The totality of all that is planned for children and young people throughout their education.
The opportunities for learning and teaching are governed by the Four Contexts for Learning, which
ensure that the education your child receives is informative, interesting, relevant and fun.
These context are:
• Ethos and life of the school as a community
• Curriculum areas and subjects
• Interdisciplinary learning
• Opportunities for personal achievement.
What are the Curriculum for Excellence levels?
There are five levels and these are flexible depending on pupils’ needs and abilities (some children
and young people may achieve these levels earlier or later dependent on ability):
Early level pre-school to P1
First level to the end of P4
Second level to the end of P7
Third and fourth levels S1 – S3
Senior phase S4 to S6 and other forms of study.
What is the Broad General Education?
The Broad General Education (BGE) is the first phase of two closely connected phases of education.
The BGE phase stretches from age 3 until the end of S3 after which learners move into the Senior
Phase which starts in S4.
Curriculum Areas and subjects
The BGE is delivered via 8 curricular areas which, in secondary school cover years S1 to S3, and may
be subdivided further into individual subjects.
There are eight curricular areas are:
Expressive Arts Languages and Literacy
Health and Wellbeing Mathematics and Numeracy
Religious and Moral Education Sciences
Social Studies Technologies.
The Senior Phase
The senior phase curriculum, from S4 to S6, follows a young person’s broad general education,
building firmly on the experiences and outcomes they will have experienced and achieved by the
end of S3. It enables them to extend and deepen their learning and continue to develop skills for
learning, life and work, through qualifications and also through a range of opportunities for personal
development such as awards and wider achievements. It is designed to support young people in
moving on to positive sustained destinations, whether that is college, university, training or
employment. In the Senior Phase, schools and their partners (such as colleges, employers or
community learning and development providers) now have flexibility to offer a range of pathways
that meet the needs and raise the attainment levels of all learners – including pupils who might
previously have become disengaged from education.
Schools are taking a range of approaches to the senior phase and are able to offer greater
personalisation and choice for young people in a variety of ways, for example by:
• designing the senior phase as a three-year experience rather than planning each year separately
• delivering qualifications over different timescales in response to young people’s needs and prior
• achievements
• developing pathways for able learners, which bypass qualifications at lower levels to allow more
• time to be spent on more challenging learning at higher levels
• providing specific and appropriate programmes that maximise achievement and attainment for
• young people planning to leave after S4.
Personal Support/Career Planning
From 3-18 years, learners are supported to achieve their full potential and, as they progress through
broad general education into senior phase, to plan and prepare for further learning, training or
employment. 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. As part of
developing skills for learning, life and work, young people will be offered careers information advice
and guidance to ensure they leave school and enter a positive post-school destination of higher
education, further education, pre-employment training, employment (including modern
apprenticeships), activity agreement or volunteering.
Assessment and Reporting
Assessment is an important part of the Curriculum for Excellence and, at all levels, pupils’ progress is
closely monitored by teachers and staff.
In turn, teachers and staff work with pupils to reflect on their results, looking at their strengths and
learning needs, agreeing next steps and action based on these. As they progress, pupils become
more involved in this process, as they develop the skills to make effective judgements on their own
learning, developing personal expertise that will be important to them throughout life. Assessment
also helps teachers plan learning experiences which are motivating and challenging. Children who
may have additional support needs will be assessed using methods best suited to their individual
requirements.
ASSESSMENT and REPORTING.
• Each child’s progress is continuously assessed in all areas of the curriculum with particular focus on Mathematics, Reading, Writing, Talking and Listening.
• Each child has an assessment folder to track progress and achievements through the CFE levels.
• A full report on each child’s progress for the year is issued annually in May/June.
• Interim Reports are sent out to parents of Primary 1-7 pupils in December.
• Parents’ Evenings are held during the 1st and 3rd term – appointments are issued to all parents to discuss his/her child’s progress (October & March).
• Open Day in November to allow you to see your child at work in class.
If you have any concerns with your child’s progress at any time please do not hesitate to contact the school for information, or to arrange an appointment with the Head Teacher or Class Teacher.
Please call us if you need help or information: Telephone: (01698) 274993
Curriculum for Excellence: St. Bernadette’s Primary School
At the heart of A Curriculum for Excellence is the principle that through planning we should create learning opportunities which will enable children to become:
Successful Learners
Effective Contributors
Confident Individuals
Responsible Citizens
Literacy, Numeracy, Health and Wellbeing underpin our curriculum.
Language enables children both to communicate with others effectively for a variety of purposes, and to examine their own and others’ experiences, feelings and ideas, giving them order and meaning. As language is central to children’s intellectual, emotional and social development, it has an essential role across the whole curriculum.
The school adheres to NLC’s Active Literacy policy. This promotes active learning and research confirms the success of the approach.
The school also uses an active approach in numeracy and mathematics.
We aim to give our children the best possible learning experiences. Consequently, we endeavour to provide relevant contexts for learning, giving children opportunities to practise the skills they have learned across the curriculum. Through planning, we make links across the curriculum encouraging the children to engage in interdisciplinary learning projects.
We focus on ‘how much’ and ‘how well’ our children have learned by encouraging depth of learning, ensuring appropriate challenge and providing opportunities for children to apply their skills in unfamiliar contexts.
Hence, emphasis is placed on making meaningful connections across the curriculum to encourage the transfer of skills and to deepen learning while avoiding unnecessary repetition.
We try to give the children first-hand learning experiences through out-of-school field work, educational visits and speakers coming in to school. All pupils have the opportunity to become part of our Pupil Council, Growth Mindset, Languages, Health Education, Enterprise, Community Links, Outdoor Learning, Media, Celebrations of Faith or Junior Road Safety committees.
Our children benefit from two hours of P.E. each week which is in line with Scottish Government recommendations.
At present we hold the Gold Award for Health Education and we have won our 3rd green ECO Flag.
To encourage pupils’ fitness we have a variety of after-school clubs and “Walk to School” weeks throughout the school year.
We have a current and well established Global School Partnership with Namulenga Girls’ School in Malawi. Through our global school partnership our children have gained a deeper understanding of another country and culture and their rights and responsibilities as global citizens. In future we hope to allow them to develop the skills needed to work in a global economy and build a fairer, more sustainable world.
The partnership is of mutual benefit for both schools. Whilst it is recognised in our partnership we are not similar in terms of resources, each school is fully committed to sharing culture, experiences, skills and knowledge which are abundant in both schools. We have achieved Bronze Status as a Rights Respecting School.
I.C.T. is used across all areas of the curriculum. The skills needed to use I.C.T. are progressively taught from Primary 1 – Primary 7. Parents are required to sign a form for their child’s use of the internet in school. The school also has a School Website, this will be accessed at http://www.st-bernadettes.n-lanark.sch.uk. X is used for regular and instant updates – please follow us @BernadettesPS. We also have a free school App for parents available in the App Store for IOS or Android, simply search for St Bernadette’s. We have achieved the Digital Award for Schools in Scotland.
9. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT NEEDS:
1. St. Bernadette’s Primary School complies with the Learning (Scotland) Act 2004 as amended by
the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009 and the Additional Support for Learning: Statutory Guidance 2017.
2. 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.
3. It is school policy to continually monitor pupils’ progress to alert staff and parents to possible difficulties. In line with North Lanarkshire Policy, we operate a system of staged intervention to support our children.
Staged Intervention Model
Universal
Where a child has been identified in need of support, the area of difficulty will be specified and discussed with the teacher, Head Teacher, parents and the child – where appropriate. Initial support will be planned and provided for internally within the classroom setting. This may be group or individual support.
Additional
Where more targeted support is required, this will again be provided internally within the school. Some children requiring support for learning will have a Getting it Right for Me (GIRFME) plan which will set out short and long term targets to be addressed. This will be done in consultation with parents and pupils.
Where support is required from agencies out with the school but within Education. Support will be planned with the school and parents to ensure children’s needs are met.
Intensive
Support from agencies out with education such as Health or Social Work.
4. Pupils with English as an additional language may be referred for ‘English as an additional language support’.
5. 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.
6. Parents and young people can request an assessment to establish whether a child or young person has additional support needs or requires a Co-ordinated Support Plan.
Planning
Getting it Right for Me plans (GIRFMe) enable staff to plan for children and young people when interventions are required to support their learning and improve outcomes. Parents and pupils are an essential part of the assessment, planning and review processes and their views will be actively sought.
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 Co-ordinated 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.
Where more intensive support for a child or young person needs to be planned for, usually when a number of agencies are involved in supporting their wellbeing then a Child’s Plan may be developed. The plan will tell you what actions need to be taken and who will help with each action. It will usually be someone called a ‘Lead Professional’ who will have the job of making sure that the actions outlined in the plan take place and things get better for the child or young person.
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, ASN 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.
10. IMPROVEMENT PLAN:
Our proposed priorities for improvement for Session 2023 – 2024 include:
Improve attainment in literacy and numeracy
Improve HWB through nurture and outdoor learning.
Our school regularly attains very good averages for attainment across the stages. Details of school performance can be found on Education Scotland Parent Dashboard
Primary School Information Dashboard (shinyapps.io)
Select – Primary Schools, North Lanarkshire, St Bernadette’s PS
11. HOMEWORK
Homework is regarded as an important part of the home/school partnership. Our policy is available on request. All pupils have access to GLOW, Mathletics and Bug Club where home learning is uploaded. All written homework should be signed by the parent/guardian. All pupils are asked to complete homework challenges on a regular basis. These allow the children to apply learning in different contexts. Homework tasks will include online activities in reading and maths. If your child does not have internet access at home please let us know.
12. SCHOOL ETHOS
The school ethos is reflected through our Vision and Values as detailed in Section 1. We work closely with St. Bernadette’s Parish, Our Lady’s High School, Ailsa Nursery, Logans Nursery, Forgewood Nursery and other local schools and churches.
We benefit from the support of the Community Learning and Development Team Officer, Lisa Roebuck.
We have regular awards ceremonies and our children are encouraged to achieve ‘H’
Factor Awards recognising hard work, ambition and good manners. Friendship Awards for good relationships with peers and Xtra Factor Awards for learning and achievements at home and in the community.
13. SPIRITUAL, SOCIAL, MORAL and CULTURAL VALUES:
Religious instruction and observance form an integral part of the religious traditions and ethos in any Catholic school, and so play an important part in the education provided in this school.
The recent publications of ‘This is our Faith’ and ‘God’s Loving Plan’ are central to the teaching and development of Catholic teaching within our school and its community.
The school along with the parents and clergy prepare the children for the Sacraments of Reconciliation (First Confession) Primary 3 and First Holy Communion at Primary 4 stage with Confirmation at Primary 6/7. Parents are invited to a meeting prior to the enrolment of children for these Sacraments. They are asked to participate as fully as possible in the preparation e.g. by working with the child on his/her workbook at home or joining the children’s liturgy group.
Father Ricky Mallya is a frequent and welcome visitor to our school. As well as visiting the classes he will regularly celebrate Mass in the classroom or Assembly Hall, helping the children to express, develop and deepen their faith which has been taught and discussed in the R.E. programme in school and at home with parents. There are also opportunities for Prayer Services and for children to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation in school.
Where children and families are not Catholic, parents can be reassured that religious education is approached sensitively and in a climate of respect for those of other faiths and none.
In choosing a Catholic School for your child it is accepted that, as parents, you are exercising your right to have your child included in Religious Observance and R.E. classes which are an integrated part of the ethos and curriculum within the school.
Nevertheless, such parents reserve the right to withdraw their child from Religious Observance and R.E. classes and should contact the Head Teacher to discuss this further.
Parents/Guardians 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.
14. EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES:
Children are encouraged to participate in a variety of after school activities. Parents will be provided with specific information about these activities as and when on offer.
We have a choir which participates in assemblies and competitions.
As part of their class work the children are regularly taken on educational excursions. We also invite a variety of speakers and theatre groups into school throughout the year. We like all our pupils to take part in these outings and you should encourage your child to do so. Many of these experiences are funded or subsidised from our Pupil Equity Funding.
We also need lots of parent helpers when we go out so if you are free to help do not hesitate to give us your name. * Please note: any parent who would like to help will be asked to submit to the legislation in respect of Protecting Vulnerable Groups. This was previously known as the ‘Disclosure Process.’
In Primary 5 swimming is part of the physical education programme which we fund through the Pupil Equity Fund. All pupils are expected to take advantage of this professional coaching.
Parents must give written permission at the start of each year to allow their child to take part in excursions.
All pupils are encouraged to walk, scoot or cycle to school.
We have Strathclyde Park, a wonderful learning resource on our doorstep and from Primary 1–7 our pupils visit the park to learn about animal and plant life and environmental issues from our Ranger.
Instrumental and vocal tuition are available. Instruments are available, though limited, and pupils may have to hire one. Pupils are selected by auditions which take place during the school day. These activities are currently on offer, however the programme changes on a termly basis.
Mathletics/Bug Club – Mrs. Devlin – Primary 4-7
Nature Club – Mrs. Boyle – Primary 5-7
Vocal – Mrs. Ewart – Primary 4
Cross Country – Miss Nolan – Primary 5-7
Guitar – Mr. O’Raw – Primary 6/7
Experienced Gymnastics – Mrs. Purdue – Primary 5-7
Storybook – Miss McVeigh – Primary 1-2
Mindfulness – Miss McVeigh – Primary 4
Stitch Club – Mrs. Booth – Primary 5-7
Board Games – Mrs. Robinson – Primary 4-5
Football – Mr. O’Raw – Primary 5-7
15. FREEDOM OF INFORMATION:
The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 came into force in 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 Freedom of Information Officer with the support of an officer in each Service. The Freedom of Information Co-ordinator can be contacted by telephone on 01698 302484.
16. (a) GENERAL DATA PROTECTION REGULATIONS (GDPR) Statement for Education:
What is this statement?
This statement explains when and why we collect personal information about you, your child or young person and how this information is used, the conditions under which it may be disclosed to others and how it is kept secure.
Who are we?
North Lanarkshire Council is a Local Authority established under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994. Education, and Families is located in Civic Centre, Motherwell ML1 1AB
Why do we need your personal information and that of your child or young person?
The Council has a legal obligation to deliver an effective education service to all children and young people in North Lanarkshire. In order to do this we need to collect personal information about children, young people and their families so that we can help them to learn and keep them safe.
Legal basis for using your information
We provide this service as part of our statutory function as your Local Authority. Processing your personal information is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest by the Council. If the information we have asked for is not provided, then we will not be able to provide this service to your child or young person.
Your personal information
Education and Families uses the national IT system, SEEMiS, to store personal information electronically. We ask parents/carers during registration and enrolment to provide us with their child’s name, date of birth, gender, address, family contact details (phone/email). We will also ask you to update this information annually.
We may also ask you for information about medical conditions, additional support needs, religion, and ethnicity. We may also record information you might wish to provide about your family circumstances.
We require this information to ensure children and young people are educated appropriately, supported, and that we take account of their health and wellbeing.
During a child’s journey through education a pupil’s record is kept, this core record is mainly paper based and is stored securely in the child or young person’s establishment. If the establishment has requested assistance from educational staff outwith the nursery or school, key staff from these services may also store information securely about your child or young person.
How will we use this information?
Your personal information will be used:
• to enrol your child or young person in nursery or school
• to provide your child or young person with an appropriate education
• for teaching, enrolment and assessment purposes and to monitor educational progress of children and young people
• to support pupil learning, improve outcomes and identify where additional support is needed to help children and young people
• to provide appropriate pastoral care to support health and wellbeing of children and young people
• to keep children and young people safe
• to maintain records of attendance, absence and behaviour of children and young people (including exclusions)
• to support children and young people during transitions when moving on each year from nursery to primary, primary to secondary and when they move or leave school
• to enable schools and establishments to process personal data in support of SQA and Further Education
• to monitor and report on pupil attainment and achievement in relation to the national improvement framework issued by the Scottish Government
• to assure the quality of our education services in line with national expectations from Education Scotland
• when we require to contact you by post, email, telephone or text.
Who do we share information with?
To support your child or young person’s access to appropriate education and meet our legal obligation, personal information may be shared internally between departments of the Council. From time to time, education staff may also need to share information about you, your child or young person with another person from another agency or service, e.g. Social Work, Health.
We also share information with Scottish Government and bodies such as Education Scotland, Scottish Qualifications Authority, Skills Development Scotland and other organisations that support children and young people’s learning.
When a child or young person moves or transfers to another school the Council has an obligation to pass on information with regards to pupil records to the new school.
Only identified staff and those who require to have the information to enable them to carry out their job, will have access to you, your child or young person’s information. We care about the information we hold in respect to the education of children and young people. We will keep this information safe and secure.
How long do we keep your information for?
We only keep personal information for the minimum period of time necessary. Sometimes this is set out in law, but in most cases it is based on what we need to fulfil our function. We maintain a ‘records retention and disposal schedule’ which sets out how long we hold different types of information for. You can view this on the Council website.
Your rights under data GDPR
You can:
• Request access to your information – you have the right to request a copy of the personal information that we hold about you, your child or young person. You can ask us to confirm what personal information is being used and with whom it has been shared with.
• Request a correction to your information – we want to make sure that all personal information is accurate, complete and up to date. Therefore you may ask us to correct any personal information that you believe does not meet these standards.
• Request the restriction of processing – this enables you to ask us to suspend the processing of personal information about you, your child or young person, for example if you want us to establish its accuracy or clarify the reason for processing it.
• Request the transfer – you can request the transfer of your information to another party.
• Deletion of your information – you have the right to ask us to delete personal information about you, your child or young person where:
• you think that we no longer need to hold the information for the purposes for which it was originally obtained
• you have a genuine objection to our use of personal information
• or, use of personal information is contrary to law or our legal obligations.
If you wish to update any personal information, retrieve it, or have it removed from records please contact your child or young person’s head teacher or head of establishment in the first instance.
(b) 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 GDPR rights
The collection, transfer, processing and sharing of ScotXed data is done in accordance with the GDPR. We also comply with the National Statistics Code of Practice requirements and other legislation related to safeguarding the confidentiality of data. GDPR 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.
Further details are available on:
https://www2.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/ScotXed/PrivacyInformation
Any 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, http://www.scotxed.net. https://www.gov.scot/collections/scottish-exchange-of-data-scotxed/
17. 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 school’s actions in response to Child Protection concerns.
If there are any Child Protection concerns the Head Teacher or the Child Protection
Co-ordinator will follow North Lanarkshire Child Protection Procedures and Guidelines.
Child Protection Co-ordinators are: Mrs. C. Boyle, Mrs C Cutler & Mrs. P. Purdue
Telephone Number: (01698) 274993
18. (a) Adult Protection
The Council has responsibility under the Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 for the protection and support of adults at risk of harm within North Lanarkshire. Its employees therefore have the responsibility to ensure the welfare of all adults at risk of harm with whom they come into contact, as well as providing the highest possible standard of care for some of the most vulnerable members of our society.
The Head Teacher is responsible for the school’s actions in response to Adult Protection concerns.
If there are any Adult Protection concerns the Head Teacher or the Adult Protection Co-ordinator will follow North Lanarkshire Adult Protection Procedures and Guidelines.
Adult Protection Co-ordinators are: Mrs. C. Boyle, Mrs c Cutler & Mrs. P. Purdue
Telephone Number: (01698) 274993
19. (i) SCHOOL DISCIPLINE:
We promote positive behaviour within our school and we have a wide variety of certificates and awards to recognize effort in terms of school work, excellent manners, positive attitude towards others – and many more! We follow the Go for Green behaviour programme and children can be nominated for an “H” Factor award if they remain on green.
Children can be nominated for awards by all of our staff and by their peers. Success and achievement is recognised publically during school assemblies. Children’s achievements and awards for activities out with school are also celebrated and recognised at assemblies.
Other major awards include: John Muir Award Certificates, Athletics Certificates and Graduation Certificates. These are awarded at special assemblies to which parents and families have been invited.
Through our work in class, our R.E. programme, Health and Well-being programme and Citizenship we constantly seek to encourage positive behaviour throughout the school.
We also have a Pupils’ Council who listen to pupils’ queries and concerns in the school and represent their views at regular meetings.
The relationship between teacher and child is similar to that of the parent and child, requiring mutual consideration on both sides and an acceptable code of behaviour.
We operate Golden Time as a reward for all classes. Pupils can lose Golden Time as a result of inappropriate behaviour. In addition a red consequence card may be issued which will result in an additional homework activity to allow the child to reflect on their inappropriate behaviour in discussion with parents.
Our school uses Restorative Practices to help to resolve any conflict among pupils. Children are encouraged to discuss an issue in order to seek a solution themselves.
On occasions parents will be invited into school to discuss specific issues with staff and with the child. We make every effort to work closely with parents to ensure children’s behaviour is always at an acceptable level. Our policy aims to encourage every child to take responsibility for his/her behaviour.
(ii) ANTI-BULLYING:
The school has an anti-bullying policy. Issues connected to anti-bullying are addressed during school assemblies, during Health and Well-being class and in each individual class.
Discipline and Anti-Bullying Policies are available on request. An adult presence is provided in playgrounds at break times in terms of the Schools (Safety and Supervision of Pupils) (Scotland) Regulations 1990. Our anti-bullying policy exists within the framework of NLC’s Promoting Positive Relationships: Respect for All: Anti Bullying Policy (May 2019)
20. HOME AND SCHOOL LINKS:
We greatly value our partnership with parents. We keep in regular contact with our parents through monthly/termly newsletters and messages on our St Bernadette’s App. The App is our main way of letting our parents know about the many activities and events which take place in our school. Newsletters can be emailed to any parent and if required a taped or larger print version can also be offered. Please let us know your preference for receiving information.
We also hold regular assemblies, book weeks, open days etc. to which our parents are invited and made most welcome. Parents also help out with excursions during term-time.
We have a small band of excellent Parent Helpers who work alongside our staff and pupils with Paired Reading, Purposeful Play and Active Learning.
We appreciate any offer of help from our parents and we are always in need of your support.
*Please note: any parent who would like to help will be asked to submit to the legislation in respect of Protecting Vulnerable Groups. This was previously known as the ‘Disclosure Process.’
If you have any concern about your child you are advised to phone the school on 01698 274993 to request a call from the class teacher or the Head Teacher.
(i) COMMUNITY LINKS:
The school encourages children to participate in all aspects of the community as today’s children are tomorrow’s citizens. We have close links with St Bernadette’s Parish, local Nurseries, Playgroups, Community Police, Health Visitors, and Strathclyde Park Staff.
Our pupils entertain the residents of two nearby residential centres at Christmas and Halloween.
COMMUNITY EDUCATION:
Our school is used in the evening for various clubs for both youths and adults.
All children are encouraged to participate in all activities associated with the school. At times there are costs related to these activities, however, where payment would prove difficult the school will support families in order that no child misses out. Please contact the school office if you feel we can support you.
21. ATTENDANCE AT SCHOOL:
Section 30 of the 1980 Education Act places 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 from school to be recorded in the school register as authorised or unauthorised as defined by the Scottish Government.
At the start of each school session, parents will be asked to provide contact details including at least two emergency contact numbers. Parents are required to inform the school if these contact details change during the course of the year.
Excellent attendance is expected from everyone. Attendance rates can often be an indicator for pupil achievement in school – children who attend well are much more likely to progress well in school. Please help your child to be successful in school by ensuring they attend everyday as far as possible. Where a child has a prolonged absence due to a medical condition, alternative arrangements for education will be made. (See Medical & Health Care).
Parents and carers are asked to inform the school if a pupil is unable to attend from the start of the school day on the first day of absence. Failure to do so will result in school staff accessing all contact numbers provided for the child. In terms of child safety police will be contacted if all attempts to locate the child have been exhausted.
Parents/carers should be asked to inform the school by letter or telephone (or ParentPortal) 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.
(a) 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 on holiday.
Absences will be classified as authorised only in exceptional circumstances. Such circumstances may include:
A family holiday judged to be important to the wellbeing and cohesion of the family, following serious or terminal illness, bereavement or other traumatic events.
A family holiday classified under the ‘authorised absence’ category will not include such reasons as:
• 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.
All absences are carefully monitored by the Head Teacher where a concern arises. Every absence must be covered by a phone call or letter. Late-coming, too, is recorded.
Please note we have an answering service for early morning callers.
(b) EXTENDED LEAVE WITH PARENTAL CONSENT:
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
(c) EXCEPTIONAL DOMESTIC CIRCUMSTANCES:
Parents\carers 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.
It should be emphasised that the school investigates unexplained absence, and that the authority has the power to write to, interview or prosecute parents/carers, or to refer pupils to the Reporter of the Children’s Panel, if necessary. A statement of the school’s policy including procedures for the enforcement of attendance.
22. 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.
Our school uniform is always proudly supported by our parents and consists of:
Boys: Grey trousers, pale blue shirt, school tie and either wine or grey pullover, sweatshirts.
Girls: Grey skirt/trousers, pale blue blouse, school tie and either wine or grey cardigan, sweatshirts.
School Uniform may be ordered directly from Logoxpres or School Trends via their websites.
Primary 7 wear their own special ties which are available from the school.
For P.E. lessons children must wear a blue or white T shirt, dark shorts and trainers.
P.E. bags are available to hold these items. Outdoor P.E. kit is also required eg sweatshirt and jogging trousers.
Clothing which is unacceptable in school under any circumstances includes items which:
l could potentially encourage factions (e.g. football colours)
l could cause offence (e.g. anti-religious symbolism or political slogans)
l could cause health and safety difficulties, such as loose fitting clothing, dangling
earrings, and other potentially dangerous jewellery
l are of flammable materials which may be a danger in certain classes (e.g. shell suits)
l could cause damage to flooring
l carry advertising in particular for alcohol or tobacco, and
l could be used to inflict injury to other pupils or to be used by others to do so.
Parents\carers in receipt of a clothing grant 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 is at the discretion of the Assistant Chief Executive, Education, Youth and Communities. Information and application forms may be obtained from the Council website www.northlan.gov.uk
Parents/carers 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), Universal Credit (with an income below £660 per month), housing benefit (please note that the housing element of Universal Credit is not housing benefit), council tax reduction (please note that single person’s discount/council tax exemption is not council tax reduction). The deadline for school clothing grants is 31 March 2024.
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 may 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 any claims submitted to cover the loss of such items are likely to be met only where the authority can be shown to have been negligent.
23. MEALS:
Meals are prepared in keeping with North Lanarkshire Council’s policy of healthy eating and served on the premises. A varied menu is offered by the Dining Staff. A vegetarian meal option is offered on a daily basis.
Special Diet Procedures
Diets required as a result of a medical condition (a medically prescribed diet e.g. coeliac disease, diabetes, PKU, food allergy or intolerance) can be provided in school by our catering staff. A medically prescribed diet form 1a must be completed and signed by the child’s Registered Dietician or General Practitioner. Procedures and forms can be accessed online through North Lanarkshire Council’s website, by the school, the catering service or also in some cases by the child’s dietitian or doctor. For some conditions (PKU, coeliac) parents/carers may be asked to supply prescription foods or attend a meeting to discuss the child’s dietary requirements.
For information; a vegetarian meal option is offered on a daily basis.
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 including the nutritionist to ensure appropriate food provision. In this case a form will still need to be signed by a medical professional including a Speech and Language Therapist.
It is important that the Head Teacher is aware of any medically prescribed diets within the school and, on occasion, parent/carers may be asked to attend a meeting.
Forms that have not been signed by a medical professional will be rejected. The form will be returned to the parent along with a letter stating the reason for the refusal and also they will be issued with a new form.
Any change in the child’s dietary requirements must be advised through a Registered Dietitian or Medical Practitioner to the Facilities Support Services (FSS) Nutritionist. When children move to a High School or change schools FSS will need to be informed as soon as possible. Special Diets such as Vegan and ethnic diets can also be accommodated. In this case a form b should be completed and can be signed by the parent.
All completed forms should be returned to the email specialdiet@northlan.gov.uk
The price of a school meal is £2.10 (2 courses including milk).
Other
Children of parents/carers receiving Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance (income based), and Employment & Support Allowance (income related), Universal Credit (with an income below £660 per month), are entitled to a meal without charge.
All P1 to P5 pupils are entitled to a free meal and free milk. Pupils in P6-P7 who qualify for a free school meal are entitled to free school milk. However, milk will be available for purchase in the school during the lunch period and at snack time. All nursery pupils are entitled to free milk and a fruit or vegetable snack.
Information and application forms for free school meals can be downloaded from the council website www.northlan.gov.uk
Arrangements for those bringing packed lunches are made to allow all children to sit together in the dining hall.
Information and application forms for free school meals may be obtained from the council website. www.northlan.gov.uk
Additional Information
o Children in Primary 1 -7 are welcome to bring a packed lunch which is taken in the dining hall.
o A breakfast service is offered to all pupils from 8.15am – £1.00 each, £1.50 family of 2, £2.00 family of 3 and free to those entitled to a Free School Meal including all P1-P5 pupils.
o We operate a Snack Service at morning interval, serving a variety of healthy snacks e.g. toast, fruit etc. Infants are encouraged to spend only 30p.
o Menus are available on North Lanarkshire Council’s website and from the school office.
o We now operate a Cashless system where children use a terminal to pay money onto a card which is then used for Breakfast, Snack and Lunch Times. Money can be paid on weekly or daily but should be done before 9am.
24. PLACING REQUESTS:
You have the right to make a placing request for your child to be educated in a school other than the local 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.
Once a pupil has reached the school leaving age the pupil, not the pupil’s parents may choose which school to go to.
Placing requests to Primary School does not necessarily ensure that your child will have a direct entry to the associated secondary. Advice on this must be sought from the Primary School Head Teacher.
Further information on placing requests and procedures is available from the school or the council’s website.
Parents and young people have a right under the Additional Support for Learning 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.
25. TRANSPORT:
(i) 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 provision may be reviewed at any time.
Parents/carers who consider they are eligible can apply on the Council website. Applications should be submitted by 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 throughout the year but may be subject to delay whilst arrangements are made.
There is discretion in certain 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.
(ii) Pick up points:
Where 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.
All enquiries regarding school transport should be directed to:
NLC Transport Section 01236 812782 or
Strathclyde Passenger Transport 0141 333 3108
(iii) 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 policy stated above.
There is a school bus leaving Greenacres at 8.33am (approx.) stopping at Strathclyde Road (Jet Petrol Station), Brogan Crescent and Ladywell Road arriving at school at 8.55am (approx). The bus leaves school on the homeward journey at 3.05pm.
Parents are asked to please avoid parking directly outside the school in the interest of pupils’ health and safety. Only staff cars and service vehicles are permitted to enter the school drive way.
26. MEDICAL AND HEALTH CARE:
Although the school nurse visits the school on a regular basis for routine checks on vision, hearing and general health, the medical examination of each child is normally in the first year of primary schooling. Staff of Lanarkshire Health Board are in attendance. Dental inspections are also carried out on a routine basis in primary schools and parents are offered necessary treatment for their children although they may choose to go instead to a family dentist.
Please note that it is essential that parents inform the school of any particular medical requirements and of arrangements should a child have to be taken home from school.
If a child takes ill or has an accident in school, parents or emergency contact will be contacted so that there will be no delay in the child receiving attention.
It is essential that the school has 2 names and addresses for emergency contact for each pupil.
If a young person is unable to attend a suitable educational establishment as a result of prolonged ill-health, North Lanarkshire Council must make special arrangements for the pupil to receive education elsewhere, other than at an educational establishment.
In North Lanarkshire, children and young people are treated in the paediatric in-patient unit within Wishaw General Hospital. It is not common for children and young people to have extended stays in Wishaw General, and therefore North Lanarkshire Council does not require a dedicated hospital education service. Children and young people resident in North Lanarkshire and in hospital in Glasgow, may access education through the Hospital Education Service (HES).
The service is provided by Glasgow City Education Department and Social Work Services. For further information, please contact the school.
At times, unfortunately we continue to be troubled by head lice within the community and the school. To help alleviate this problem requires co-operation from everyone. Should head lice be found please report to the school immediately. Treatment is available by prescription – please follow the instructions for use carefully – or obtain advice from pharmacist or G.P.
Mrs. G. Devine – ASNA First Aid for minor accidents and illnesses in school.
Mrs L Leech – Clerical Assistant First Aid for minor accidents and illnesses in school.
27. INFORMATION IN EMERGENCIES:
We make every effort to maintain a full educational service, but in Emergencies some 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 the details of closure or re-opening. We shall keep you in informed by using letters, notices in local shops and community centres, announcements in local churches and announcements in the press and on local radio, and the North Lanarkshire Council’s website, School App and Twitter/X.
28. 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 the parents and carers of children at this 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 the school
• get advice/help on how you can support your child’s learning
• be told about opportunities to be involved in the 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 with the school.
THE PARENT COUNCIL:
1. A Parent Council has been established and there are currently 10 members.
Chair: Mr B McMahon
Vice-Chair: Mrs A Waldron
Treasurer: Mrs. E. Campbell
Fundraising Rep: Miss F. Thomson
Staff Rep: Mrs. C. Cutler
Church Rep: Mrs. G. Fleming
Clerk: Mrs J McQuarrie
Parent Members Ms E. McDonald
Mrs. M. Grew
Mrs. K. Lennon
The Head Teacher has a right and a duty to attend all meetings of the Parent Council. Meetings of the Parent Council are open to members of the public and will be announced in the monthly newsletter. If a vacancy becomes open on the Parent Council all parents will be informed and invited to nominate themselves. The Parent Council in St Bernadette’s is very supportive of the school and works hard to represent the views of the wider Parent Forum. Any parent can make direct contact with members of the Parent Council if they have a concern related to the general work of the school.
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) promoting 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; and
(i) improving home school partnership and facilitating parental involvement.
Members of Parent Councils, on a voluntary basis, may also have an advisory role in
decisions on placing requests by parents in respect of those 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.
The Parent Council can be contacted in person, care of the school or via our email address: stbernadettesparentcouncil@yahoo.co.uk
PARENT COUNCIL FUNDRAISING GROUP:
Chair: Mrs. A. Waldron/Mrs. M. Grew
Treasurer: Mrs. E. Campbell
Secretary: Vacancy
Our Fundraising Group meet in the school. Every parent is warmly invited to join in with all fundraising activities. They organise a variety of events e.g. Family Nights, Christmas Fayre, Pupils’ Discos, throughout the school year which help to subsidise events and materials e.g. ICT equipment, our school library, outdoor jackets etc. for the pupils. Meetings are held in tandem with the Parent Council meetings and prior to an event. Dates and times of meetings will be announced in the monthly newsletter.
PUPIL COUNCIL
The Pupil Council is made up from representatives from all classes. The role of the pupil council is to represent the views of all pupils and put forward ideas for the continuing improvement in the school.
29. 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.
During intervals when there is heavy rain children will remain in class for break time.
Primary 7 pupils monitor Primaries 1-6 with an adult presence in close proximity. The Head Teacher and/or Principal Teacher, Janitor, Classroom Assistants and ASNA supervise during intervals.
Primary 1 – 7 Interval 10.30 – 10.45a.m.
Primary 1 -4 Lunch break 12.15pm – 1.00pm P5-7 12.00 – 12.45
Children are not permitted to play on grass or field when weather is wet due to the lack of changing facilities.
30. TRANSFER FROM PRIMARY SCHOOL TO SECONDARY SCHOOL:
A programme of primary/secondary liaison begins in Primary 6 & 7. This includes visits from high school staff to speak to our Primary 6/7 children. In their last term in St. Bernadette’s, our Primary 7 pupils visit Our Lady’s High School for two days. This facilitates the transition from primary to secondary.
Handbooks for Our Lady’s High School are issued to Primary 7 in December.
Pupils normally transfer between the ages of 111/2 and 121/2, 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 December of the year preceding the date of transfer at the start of the new session.
Our Secondary School is:- Our Lady’s High School, The Head Teacher is:- Mrs L McGraw
Dalzell Drive,
Motherwell.
Tel. No. (01698) 274925
Additional Information
NL Digital School
It is recognised that digital technology is already making a significant contribution to learning and teaching practices. When used appropriately and, with all stakeholders being supported it can enrich learning and teaching, help to raise attainment.
North Lanarkshire Council have developed a range of supports to enhance the use of digital learning within our schools. This includes the development of resources and training materials to support school staff, young people and their families with their digital learning and the provision of a universal offer the NL Virtual Classrooms, providing digital learning materials for all curricular areas at every level, up to and including the BGE.
Parents Portal
Parentsportal.scot is a digital service to help provide direct communication to parents and carers through a selection of online services. This includes
• Annual data checks
• Online payments
• Permission slips
• Reporting absence
• Viewing timetables (secondary schools)
• Pupil reporting
Information and guidance relating to North Lanarkshire Council Digital offering including how to access parentsportal.scot can be found on the NL Digital School page available on the Councils website https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/nl-digital-school
Glow and M365
All pupils in staff in NLC have access to Glow – Scotland’s national digital learning platform provided by Scottish Government and managed by Education Scotland. It provides learners and educators across North Lanarkshire with an environment that can support learning across the whole curriculum through. This is primarily achieved in NLC using the services found within Microsoft M365.
Pupils will be given a login to Glow when they start school, and these details will follow the young person throughout their school journey. Glow passwords are issued directly to pupils, and it is Education Scotland policy that these passwords should not be shared with anyone else. Guidance on Glow passwords can be found here. All staff in schools have the ability to reset a pupil’s Glow password.
Once logged into Glow, pupils will have the ability to use the full range of apps available via M365. These include MS Teams, OneNote, PowerPoint and MS Word. Users also have the option of downloading O365 to install on up to 5 additional personal devices and this can be accessed from the national section of the Glow Launchpad.
Armed Forces Covenant Duty
North Lanarkshire Council is committed to the Armed Forces Covenant.
The Armed Forces Covenant Duty – Statutory Legislation 2022 is a legal obligation placed on relevant bodies, when exercising relevant functions, such as Education, Health Care and Housing Services, to have due regard to the three principles of the Armed Forces Covenant.
Further details on the Armed Forces Covenant can be found on Scottish Armed Forces Education Support Group – gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
31. NAMES AND ADDRESSES:
Education and Families: Municipal Buildings 01698 403140
Kildonan Street
Coatbridge
ML5 3BT
Councillors associated with Mr. P. Kelly 01698 302222
the school: Mrs. A. Valentine 01698 302222 Miss M. Gallacher 01698 302222
Member Services
Civic Centre
Motherwell
ML1 1AB
Chief Executive Area Office: Civic Centre 01698 302222
Motherwell
ML1 1AB
Community Learning & Development: Our Lady’s High School 01698 403838
Dalzell Drive
Motherwell
ML1 2DG
Continuous Improvement Officer Mrs B Hunter
North Lanarkshire Council 01698 812222
Quality Improvement Officer
Education and Families
Municipal Buildings
Kildonan Street
Coatbridge
ML5 3BT
32. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
GAELIC provision is available in North Lanarkshire at Tollbrae Nursery Class and Condorrat Primary School.
A ready reckoner for the vital information contained in this handbook is available in School Profile form.
Arrangements for translations into other languages and formats is also available from the school office.
33. Glossary of Specialist Terms
A.S.N. Additional Support Needs
A.S.N.A. Additional Support Needs Assistant
Cluster The primary schools linked to a specific high school
C.S.P. Co-ordinated Support Plan
SMT Senior Management Team
34. Qualifying Statement
Although this information is accurate at 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 certain
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 –
Gillian Goldie
Cluster Additional Support Lead
Gillian Goldie may be contacted 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.org.uk
www.enquire.org.uk for parents and practitioners
www.enquireorg.uk/yp for children and young people
Resolve
Children in Scotland – Resolve Mediation
0131 313 8844
Email: resolve@childreninscotland.org.uk
Independent Adjudication
Scottish Government
Directorate for Learning
Support and Wellbeing Unit
Area 2C North
Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ
Reference to Additional Support Needs Tribunal (Scotland)
ASNTS
Health and Educational Chamber
First Tier Tribunal for Scotland
Glasgow Tribunals Centre
20 York Street
Glasgow
G2 8GT
0141 302 5860
www.asntscotland.gov.uk
NHS Lanarkshire
Motherwell Health Centre
01698 242610
Social Work
Motherwell
Scott House
73/77 Merry Street
Motherwell
ML1 1JE
01698 332100
Motherwell CLD Locality Office
Our Lady’s High School
Dalziel Drive
Motherwell
ML1 2DG
Tel: 01698 403830
E: CLD-Motherwell@northlan.gov.uk
Information related to curriculum and parental involvement can be accessed via the Education Scotland website www.educationscotland.gov.uk
