North Lanarkshire Council
St Ignatius’ Primary School & Nursery Class
Handbook 2020 – 2021
Welcome to St Ignatius’ Primary School
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Welcome to St Ignatius Primary School. The Handbook is made available to all parents/guardians to support and provide information to all about our school.
At St Ignatius Primary we believe that we provide a very caring, nurturing and Christian community for all. Children are encouraged to do their very best and achieve their full potential in a vibrant and stimulating environment. All children have the opportunity to develop the four capacities of Curriculum for Excellence, becoming;
- Responsible Citizens
- Successful Learners
- Confident Individuals
- Effective Contributors
At St Ignatius Primary we take great pride in the home, school and Church partnerships. Staff, pupils and parents are very ably supported by Father Gerry Maguiness. Parental involvement in our school and parish promotes a very strong and thriving community.
Mrs Anne Marie Pearson
Head Teacher
Vision and Aims
St Ignatius’ – A school like no other!
In St Ignatius’ Primary we strive to provide all of our children with a love for our Catholic School community where all have opportunities to become Confident Individuals, Effective Contributors, Responsible Citizens and Successful Learners.
Our ethos of welcoming all visitors and our community and parish links with our pupils, staff, families and friends, ensures that St Ignatius’ Primary is an integral part of Wishaw, and proud of Wishaw’s role within Scotland.
St Ignatius’ Primary is a family. We nurture our family and we encourage each other. Our faith make us stronger and is inclusive of everyone. We laugh, cry, make mistakes and succeed together. We try our best, and we do it with a smile on our faces!
Our children and staff learn together. We encourage a love for learning, for asking questions, reading more, learning in new ways and being active. Our pupils are confident in talking about their learning and know where they are going next.
St Ignatius’ Primary strives to close the gap for our children and we do so by knowing them, their families and our local community. We celebrate the achievements of all and, as a team, we look for ways to improve attainment and equity for all.
St Ignatius’ Primary is a ‘Have a go!’ school. We sing, dance, create, perform and reach for the stars. We encourage our children to persevere, to join in and take risks.
Our children build aspirations with us and look to the future with confidence. As they leave St Ignatius’ Primary we hope they will…
A CHARTER for CATHOLIC SCHOOLS in SCOTLAND
The mission of the Catholic school is to develop as a community of faith and learning, providing the highest quality of education, and offering formation through the promotion of Gospel values, through celebration and worship, and through service to the common good.
All Catholic schools in Scotland, in honouring Jesus Christ as the Way, the Truth and the Life, will feature the following characteristics:
- a commitment to the integrated education and formation of the whole person, in close partnership with parents as the first educators of their children;
- an inclusive ethos which aims to honour the life, dignity and voice of each person, made in the image of God;
- a commitment to the search for wisdom in life and to the pursuit of excellence, through the development of each person’s unique God-given talents;
- a commitment to the spiritual formation of the school community, through the shared experience of prayer and liturgy, and in partnership with local parishes;
- the provision of religious education programmes which will enable young people to develop their understanding of Gospel values and of how to apply them to life;
- a commitment to uphold the moral teaching, faith tradition and sacramental life of the Catholic Church;
- a commitment to communicate Catholic social teaching and thereby to promote social justice and opportunity for all;
- a commitment to ecumenical action and the unity of Christians;
- the promotion of respect for different beliefs and cultures and for inter-faith dialogue;
- a commitment to support the continuing professional and spiritual development of staff.
All staff appointed to a Catholic school are expected to support and promote the aims, mission, values and ethos of the school, as illustrated in this Charter.
Within the Motherwell Diocese, the school now uses the Religious Education programme called “This is our Faith” and “God’s Loving Plan”.
School Information
| Address | St. Ignatius’ Primary School
Loch Park Wishaw ML2 7EB
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| Telephone | (01698) 522736
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| E-Mail
App
School Blog |
HT@st-ignatius.n-lanark.sch.uk
St.Ignatius’PS@HtIgnatius
Username – stig Password – 2007
https:blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/nl/stignatius/
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| Inclement Weather | For updates log on to: www.northlan.gov.uk
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| Present Roll
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188
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| Planning Capacity | 254
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| Denominational Status | R.C. Co-educational School |
All stages are covered from Primary 1 to Primary 7.
Parents should note that the working capacity of the school will vary dependent upon the number of pupils at each stage and the way in which the classes are organised.
Teaching Staff
Senior Management Team
Head Teacher Mrs AM Pearson
Depute Head Teacher (Acting) Mr S Fionda
Principal Teacher (Acting) Mrs C McIntyre
Principal Teacher (Acting) Mrs M Ferguson
Teaching Staff
P1 Miss L. McDermott
P1/2 Mrs L. McGinley
P2/3 Mrs E. Kydd/Mrs A. Sweeney
P3/4 Miss E. McGovern
P4/5 Mr D. Anderson
P5/6 Miss J.A. Quinn
P6/7 Miss L. Irvine
P7 Mrs C. McIntyre
Remits
Mrs Pearson – Head Teacher
- Overall responsibility for the management of the school.
Mr Fionda – Acting Depute Head
- Deputise for Head Teacher
- Support for Learning
- Supporting Nursery PT Remit – Nursery Transition Procedures/Home Nursery Link
- Health & Wellbeing
- Data Analysis
- Musical Liturgy
- PTFA
- Maths SIP – Closing the Gap
Mrs McIntyre – Acting Principal Teacher
- Literacy Coach
- RE Co-ordinator
- Student Mentor
- Coordination of Mass Liturgy
- Supervision of House Captains and P7 Duties
- PTFA
- Pope Francis Faith Award
Mrs Ferguson – Acting Principal Teacher
- Transition in learning for early level
- Learning Outdoors
- Parent/Family Partnership – engaging beyond the school
Ancillary Staff
| Clerical Staff | Mrs Phee Mrs McLeod
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| Classroom Assistant | Mrs Cassidy
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| ASN Auxiliary
Dining Room Assistant |
Mrs McAvoy Mrs Clifford Mrs Leonard
Mrs McLaughlin
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| Janitor | Mr Mackie Mr Forrest
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| Catering Supervisor | Mrs N McCahon
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School Hours
Opening/Closing: School begins at 8.55 am and finishes at 3.00 pm for all children
Breakfast Club: 8.15 am – 8.55 am
Intervals: 10.30 am – 10.45 am Lunch time: 12.10 pm to 1.00 pm
All children are encouraged to come to school on time and persistent late coming will be monitored.
Wet Intervals/Lunchtime: Children are allowed to remain indoors with limited adult supervision. Good behaviour and co-operation is expected at all times.
An adult presence is provided in playgrounds at break times in terms of the Schools (Safety and Supervision of Pupils) (Scotland) Regulations 1990.
Primary 1 pupils will attend full day from Thursday 13th August 2020.
School holidays and term dates 2020 – 2021
August 2020
In-service day: Tuesday 11 August 2020
In-service day: Wednesday 12 August 2020
Pupils return to school: Thursday 13 August 2020
September 2020
September weekend holidays: Friday 25 September 2020 to Monday 28 September 2020
October 2020
October break: Monday 12 October 2020 to Friday 16 October 2020 (inclusive)
November 2020
In-service day: Monday 16 Nov 2020
December 2020 – January 2021
Christmas and New Year Holidays: Wednesday 23 December 2020 – Tuesday 5 January 2021 (inclusive)
February 2021
Mid-term break: Monday 8 February 2021 and Tuesday 9 February 2021
In-service Day: Wednesday 10 February 2021
April 2021
Thursday 1 April 2021 and re-open on Monday 19 April 2021
(Good Friday 2 April 2021 and Easter Monday 5 April 2021)
May 2021
May Day holiday: Monday 3 May 2021
In-service day: Thursday 6 May 2021
May weekend holiday: Friday 28 May 2021 and Monday 31 May 2021
June 2021
School closes: Thursday 24 June 2021
NURSERY
The nursery is non-denominational and at present is a 50/50 establishment, from August 2020 the roll will be 48. The Nursery is managed by Mrs Pearson, Head Teacher. Nursery Application Forms will be available to collect from the school office when they become available for the August 2020 intake. Children attending nursery establishments in North Lanarkshire are eligible to start nursery in line with the following:-
- Children who reach three years of age after 1st March 2020 and 13th August 2020 – the start date will be during the month of August 2020
- Children who reach three years of age between 13th August 2020 and 28th February 2021can start nursery the day after their third birthday.
Please note, these dates are subject to change and you are advised to check local press and North Lanarkshire Council web-site.
Nursery Hours
Session: 8.45am – 2.45pm
Nursery Staff
Mrs M Ferguson Nursery Teacher
Mrs J Pearson Lead Early Years Practitioner
Mrs D Campbell Early Years Practitioner (Job-Sharer)
Mrs K Magee Early Years Practitioner (Job-Sharer)
Miss L McKenny Early Years Practitioner
Miss D Hughes Early Years Practitioner
Mrs S Marshall Early Years Practitioner
Mrs V Murphy ASNA
Mrs D Henry ASNA
Transfer from Primary School to Secondary School
Pupils normally transfer between the ages of 11½ and 12½, 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.
Pupils normally transfer to:
St Aidan’s High School
Waverley Drive
Wishaw ML2 7EW
(01698) 522738
Equal Opportunities
At St Ignatius PS we fully endorse the NLC Equality Policy and we are committed to eliminating all forms of discrimination including disability, gender and religion and we strive to promote equal opportunities and positive relationships.
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 and Families 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:
https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/publication-download/technical-guidance-schools-scotland.
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 contexts 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: P2 to the end of P4
- Second level: P5 to the end of P7
- Third and fourth levels: S1 to 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.
The 8 curricular areas are:
- Expressive Arts
- Languages and Literacy
- Health and Well Being
- Mathematics and Numeracy
- Religious and Moral Education
- Sciences
- Social Studies
- Technologies
There will be new ways of assessing each child’s progress to make sure that their potential is achieved. New qualifications have been developed and implemented as outlined below:-
National 4 and 5 qualifications were introduced in 2013/2014.
Access, Highers and Advanced Highers are being updated to reflect Curriculum for Excellence
New Highers in most subjects were introduced in almost all North Lanarkshire schools in August 2014
In playrooms and classrooms staff will be using improved ways of assessing children’s learning taking account of national and local advice and guidance. Your child’s progress will be reported to you so that you know how well your child is doing.
Each year your nursery/school will let you know what is being done to continue to implement Curriculum for Excellence so that you can be confident that your child is receiving a high quality education.
English Language
Reading, Writing, Listening, Talking
All of these aspects are encouraged through a progressive, balanced approach. A variety of commercial materials and schemes are used to develop English language. Library and reference skills are developed and reading for enjoyment is actively encouraged. An annual book fair is a feature and visits to local library organised and when possible, author visits are arranged. A comprehensive language policy has been devised and agreed by staff which gives more detail of the language programme and is available on request.
Mathematics
Problem Solving, Information Handling, Number, Money and Measure
Shape, Position and Movement
Within each element, careful attention is given to the learning of skills, the use of practical materials to enhance understanding and the development of mathematical language. At all levels of development, opportunities are provided to apply mathematical skills learned to real life situations. Mathematical skills are developed using a variety of resources which encourage practical activity towards understanding. A school pack for problem solving has been developed and implemented by staff. Calculators and computer programmes are used extensively to develop mathematical concepts and a variety of practical activities encouraged to promote understanding. There is a comprehensive policy in place for the delivery of our Mathematics programme.
Environmental Studies
Science, Social Subjects, Technology
Our aim is to develop informed attitudes towards our environment and to give children greater understanding of the environment and our society. Our programme is designed to ensure balance in each of the elements and details of the topics to be investigated at each stage of the school. Emphasis is placed on involving the children in first hand observation through school field work. We follow national and local advice in the comprehensive delivery of the Environmental Studies Programme.
Expressive Arts
Music, Art & Design, Drama, Physical Education
In music, we encourage the children to experience the enjoyment of being involved in music making. Activities are planned to include singing, playing percussion, listening and moving to music. Our children also benefit from a Kodaly singing tutor.
In Art & Craft, opportunities are provided for the children to express their ideas and feelings using a wide range of materials. There are continuous progressive programmes in place for Drama and Physical Education. These cover all aspects of Curriculum for Excellence, Experiences and outcomes.
A range of visiting specialists in all areas of expressive arts are employed to enhance our Expressive Arts programme.
The school also promotes school concerts and assemblies in order to fully extend the skills taught in each area of expressive arts.
Religious & Moral Education
In accordance with the Scottish Office guidelines, a minimum of 10% curriculum time (i.e. 2.5 hours per week) is given to religious education throughout the school year. The religious education curriculum in all Catholic schools is determined by the Church authorities. In Saint Ignatius’ school, we follow the guidance given by Bishop Joseph Toal of Motherwell and the Diocesan R.E. Advisers.
Our RME Programme offers a systematic presentation of the Christian events, the Christian message and way of life in ways appropriate to the age and stage of development of the child.
The RME Programme provides the opportunity for celebration, prayer and reflection in implicit and explicit ways. Preparation for the sacraments of Reconciliation, First Communion and Confirmation is effectively implemented.
The RME Programme also provides the children with the language of religious experience, whereby they can explore their faith and the faith of others within the terms of their own understanding.
All of the above is done, in the formal curriculum mainly through the “This is our Faith” programme approved by the Bishops of Scotland for Catholic Primary Schools. Fr Gerard Maguiness is a frequent visitor to our school. There are opportunities for Class Masses, Prayer Services and for the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the Eucharist and Confirmation.
Our RME Programme plays a vital role in our policy of ensuring that all pupils, irrespective of belief, race, culture, class, gender and disability are provided with an education which allows them to develop their full potential. In our RME programme, we promote and foster positive values, respect, love, tolerance, understanding and fairness. At the same time, we strive to identify and combat stereotyping, racism, and all forms of discrimination.
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.
We work closely with Wishaw Academy Primary on joint Ecumenical events throughout the year.
ICT
The school has a variety of hardware and software to support the NLC policy for ICT. The school follows closely the guidance for NLC on internet access. Each class has a Smart Board.
PSHE
The school has devised a comprehensive programme for the delivery of Personal, Social and Health Education. This programme is delivered throughout the year and covers topics such as Drug Awareness, Road Safety, Citizenship and Racial Equality; it supports our school positive ethos and positive approach to behaviour management.
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 judgments 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.
Reporting to Parents
Over the course of the session there will be 2 formal Parents Evenings and 1 end of session report. There are many opportunities throughout the session for parents to engage with class teachers through “Meet the Teacher events” Curriculum Evening/Afternoons and class assemblies. If required, review meetings are organised to support children and their families on a regular basis.
Parents will be kept informed by the usual forms of communication regarding any sensitive aspects of learning that will affect their child/children. e.g. “God’s Loving Plan” and “Drug Awareness”.
Developing the Young Workforce
Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) is the Scottish Government’s national strategy for strengthening links between businesses and education to better prepare children and young people for the world of work. The headline aim of the programme is to encourage and support more employers to engage directly with schools and colleges to recruit more young people and promote diversity in their workforce. St Ignatius’ Primary school works with a variety of partners to give children opportunities to find out about the world of work.
Improvement Planning
Every year the school is required by the authority to produce a school improvement plan. The Self- evaluation process carried out by staff and pupils, with consultation from the parents, helps to form this plan. Priorities are then produced taking account of local and national priorities.
School and Nursery Priorities for 2019/20 session are:
- Improvement in attainment in Numeracy and Literacy across the Nursery and School (Early –Second level)
- Closing the attainment gap between the most and least disadvantaged children
- Improvement in children and young people’s health and wellbeing and ‘Developing the Faith’
- Broad General Education: Expressive Arts, Digital Literacy, Developing the Young Workforce & STEM
This plan is reviewed on a regular basis throughout the session with the self –evaluation process taking place in May where new priorities are set for the next session. Again staff, pupils and parents are consulted throughout this process.
Throughout the session learning is monitored at all levels with a particular focus on literacy, numeracy and health and well-being. Teachers’ Professional Judgement and Scottish Standardised Assessments results for 2018/19 session are shown in the following table.
Information on every school’s performance at local and national level can be found on the Education Scotland website:
| Achievement of Expected Level | SNSA | Malt
(Numeracy) |
||||
| Literacy | Numeracy | Reading | Writing | Numeracy | ||
| Primary 1 | 62% | 73% | 73% | N/A | 85% | 65% |
| Primary 2 | 63% | 63% | N/A | N/A | N/A | 72% |
| Primary 3 | 42% | 42% | N/A | N/A | N/A | 63% |
| Primary 4 | 59% | 59% | 63% | 63% | 70% | 89% |
| Primary 5 | 33% | 67% | N/A | N/A | N/A | 63% |
| Primary 6 | 39% | 42% | N/A | N/A | N/A | 89% |
| Primary 7 | 56% | 52% | 92% | 89% | 89% | N/A |
| Overall | 51% | 57% | 76% | 76% | 81% | 74% |
Attainment Data: Session 2018 – 2019
Further information is available on our school website:
https:blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/nl/stignatius/
School Ethos
In St Ignatius’ Primary we strive to provide all of our children with a love for our Catholic School community where all have opportunities to become Confident Individuals, Effective Contributors, Responsible Citizens and Successful Learners.
Our ethos of welcoming all visitors and our community and parish links with our pupils, staff, families and friends, ensures that St Ignatius’ Primary is an integral part of Wishaw, and proud of Wishaw’s role within Scotland.
St Ignatius’ Primary is a family. We nurture our family and we encourage each other. Our faith makes us stronger and is inclusive of everyone.
Our children and staff learn together. We encourage a love for learning, for asking questions, reading more, learning in new ways and being active. Our pupils are confident in talking about their learning and know where they are going next.
At St Ignatius’ Primary School we are a community of faith, inclusion and learning. Our faith permeates all aspects of our learning and is brought to life in our school.
Faith
Our children are active members of the local parish and attend St Ignatius’ Church and with the spiritual guidance of both Father Gerry and Monsignor Conway they are fully immersed in their faith. Pupils worship on a daily basis through their Religious Education lessons following the Motherwell Diocese resources, ‘This is Our Faith’ and ‘God’s Loving Plan’, their daily prayers and through their pastoral care and respect for their peers interwoven throughout our school values, ethos and rules.
Active Worship
To further develop their understanding of their relationship with God and Faith, many of our pupils volunteer to be part of the ‘Minnie Vinnies’ at Primary 4 and 5. This group work in partnership with our local St Vincent De Paul Society supporting their work in the Parish.
Many of our senior pupils at Primary 6 and 7 fully embrace the principles of the Pope Francis Faith Award. As well as engaging with the local community, supporting the residents in McAlpine Court and performing carols in Wishaw General Hospital their main focus is to become a more active participant during Mass.
Our children attend daily Mass in St Ignatius’ Church throughout Lent, Stations of the Cross on each Friday and re-enact the Easter story at the Good Friday service.
Charities
During Lent our whole school community focuses very much on alms-giving. Throughout the season our pupils organise charitable events and all proceeds are donated to local, national and international children’s charities. We are also active supporters of ‘The Lanarkshire Basic Food Bank’ and bi-annually collect to support this great cause.
Ecumenical Involvement
As part of a shared campus with Wishaw Academy Primary, where both schools actively promote social integration, we also participate annually in joint learning opportunities with local Churches and their representatives. Successful events to date include, ‘Bubble-gum and Fluff’ and the transition project ‘The Divided City’.
Prayer of St Ignatius of Loyola
Dearest Lord, teach me to be generous; teach me to serve You as You Deserve; to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labour and not to ask for reward save that of knowing I am doing Your Will.
Additional Support Needs
St Ignatius Primary School complies with the Additional Support for Learning (Scotland) Act 2004 as amended by the Additional Support for Learning (Scotland) Act 2009 and the Additional Support for Learning: Statutory Guidance 2017.
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
St Ignatius’ policy states that all pupils with additional support needs are identified and assessed as early as possible so that appropriate planning and provision may be made to ensure that their needs are met. Plans are regularly reviewed and parents/carers are involved at all stages of the process.
We adhere to the staged intervention process as outlined below:-
Level 1 – Internal support, where education staff identify that a child or young person needs support or planning which can be met within the existing classroom or playroom setting.
Level 2 – Internal support, where education staff identify that a child or young person needs support or planning from within the school or early years establishment.
Level 3 – External support where education staff identify that the child or young person requires support or planning from beyond the school or early years establishment but within education.
Level 4 – External support provided on a multiagency basis, where the child or young person’s needs are identified as requiring support or planning from other agencies out with education such as health, social work and/or voluntary services and these support needs are likely to last for more than one year.
Specific support is available for children with English as an additional language.
Looked After and Accommodated 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.
Parents and young people can request an assessment at any time to establish whether a child or young person has additional needs and/or requires a Co-ordinated Support Plan.
Getting it Right for Me plans – GIRFMe
Enable staff to plan effectively for children and young people when interventions are requires to support their learning a improve outcomes. Parents/carers 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 or 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/carers and young people can, if they wish, request that a CSP be considered and would be involved in the process.
Parents/carers will receive letters from the Education Authority throughout the CSP process.
Parents/carers and young people will be invited to take part in multiagency 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/carers and young people through Resolve (see contact details at the back of this handbook). Mediation is free through Resolve 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/carers 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/carers or young people on the decisions made by the Education Authority relating to Co- ordinated Support Plans, 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
Homework
In St Ignatius Primary School, we strive to provide the best educational experience for all of our pupils. As such, we feel that in light of much recent research, that some of our current practices are now in need of modification. For many schools, a growing concern in the past few years has been how we ensure that your children are given appropriate homework to help further the learning taking place in school, and whether or not this learning is in fact resulting in greater attainment.
It is our strong belief that children should be out playing of an evening, spending time with their families and experiencing a range of hobbies and clubs. The benefits of these experiences have been proven to allow our young people to develop into more confident, nurturing and social young adults.
In discussion with our staff and a number of educational figures we have found that staff believe that managing homework, chasing incomplete work and devising more inclusive activities has become almost unmanageable. We also find as a staff, that the benefits of additional work being sent home is almost unquantifiable. This is very much supported by research across a number of countries. Research very much indicates that pupils of Primary age are not benefitting from spending time in the evening on formal, written school work.
Thus, in response to discussions with pupils, parents and staff, and in light of our research we have decided as a school to no longer set homework tasks in the traditional sense.
Pupils and their families can undertake home learning tasks which are sent home monthly by the Teacher. P1-P3 will continue to take home a formal reading book and we would continue to encourage families to read together.
Homework packs that support class learning and can be provided with resources for your child to use. However, we would not expect this work to be returned to school and such, activities would be set by parents as and when they see fit.
Please refer to the School website for a range of apps, websites and other educational resources which will support you further at home.
Extra-Curricular Activities
Facilities are available for children to take part in a variety of after school clubs such as football, netball, art/craft, skipping etc. Clubs are rotated termly and parents/children will be notified of the clubs available prior to the start of each new term. Any parent wishing to become involved in after school clubs should contact the school. All parent helpers must complete a PVG check and the Head Teacher will assist in this process.
The school campus has an all-weather astro turf pitch.
There are external agencies that deliver Out of School Learning and Childcare. Details of which are available in the School.
Freedom of Information
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 Corporate Freedom of Information Officer with the support of an officer in each Service. The Freedom of Information Coordinator can be contacted by telephone on 01698 302484
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, Youth and Communities is located in Kildonan Street, Coatbridge ML5 3BT.
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, assessment and planning 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 e.g. of attendance, absence, attainment 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 our website at http://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=15003 or you can request a hardcopy of this from Education and Families, Kildonan Street, Coatbridge ML5 3BT.
Your rights under 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 as 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
| The Council’s Data Protection Officer |
| If you have any questions or are unhappy about the way that we use the personal information of your child, young person or yourself you can contact the Data Protection Officer. |
| Data Protection Officer (DPO) |
| Civic Centre, |
| Windmillhill Street, |
| Motherwell ML1 1AB |
| or by email to AITeam@northlan.gov.uk |
| The Information Commissioner |
| You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner about the way the Council has handled your rights, to enquire about any exercise of these rights or to complain about the way the Council has dealt with your rights (or any other aspect of data protection law). |
| Information Commissioner’s Office, |
| 45 Melville Street, |
| Edinburgh, EH3 7HL |
| or by e-mail to |
| casework@ico.org.uk |
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.
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 schools 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-ordinator is: Mrs Anne Marie Pearson (Head Teacher)
Telephone Number: 01698 522736
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. 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-ordinator is: Lindsey Mitchell. Telephone 01236 812294
School Discipline
At St Ignatius Primary we operate a policy on discipline whereby children are involved in establishing class rules in partnership with their class teacher. All children are expected to follow school rules which are discussed and revised during assemblies with the Senior Management Team. Within St Ignatius, children are rewarded for good behaviour through the “Promoting Positive Behaviour” policy. Restorative Practice is used by all Staff throughout the school to examine and reflect any unacceptable behaviour. This is supported by Primary 7 Peer Mediators. Parents are fully involved in this initiative/policy.
Anti-Bullying
Children support “Promoting Positive Behaviour” and this is revised and discussed during Personal, Social and Emotion development time – “Knowing Me Knowing You” (Playback material) and at assembly.
Supervision in Non-Class Times
All Support Staff have designated areas to supervise during non-class times. ASNA will support any individual children if and when required.
An adult presence is provided in playgrounds at break times in terms of the Schools (Safety and Supervision of Pupils) (Scotland) Regulations 1990.
Supporting Social and Emotional Development-Relationship Policy
A relationship policy is in place and can be made available to all parents. This policy is explained clearly to all pupils and appropriate rewards are agreed on an annual basis. The relationship between a pupil and teacher is similar to that between a child and his or her own parents, requiring mutual consideration. Our aim is to encourage and foster self-discipline in our pupils. To this end, pupils, teachers and parents should have similar expectations with regard to good behaviour and consideration for others.
On certain occasions it will be necessary for a class teacher to deal with unacceptable behaviour. If the child does not respond the Head Teacher will be informed. Consistent breaking of rules will result in parental involvement. Parents will be informed and discussions will take place to devise a co-operative approach to discipline.
The school will use strategies from the relationship policy to support pupils. All issues of bullying will be dealt with on an individual basis. Children are encouraged to report any incidents of bullying to the class teacher or to their parent. A copy of the schools’ Anti-bullying Policy is available.
Home and School Links
The support of parents/guardians in their child’s education is of great importance and it is our desire to strengthen home/school links. Home learning is prepared by teachers and is sent home monthly to support learning in class. The school operates a policy whereby parents are welcome to contact the Head Teacher on any matter concerning their child’s progress or welfare. Notice boards giving up to date news and events is maintained by a parent volunteer. There is an active Parent Council and Parent Teacher Friends Association who give great support to the school.
Attendance at School
Section 30 of the 1980 Education Act, lays 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.
Parents should 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 the absence.
At the start of each school session, parents will be asked to provide contact details including at least one emergency contact number, including where possible, a number that will accept a text message. Parents are required to inform the school if these contact details change during the course of the year.
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 and may result in the school sending a text message. In terms of child safety police will be contacted if all attempts to locate the child have been exhausted.
Letters are sent out once a month to children sitting with less than 95% attendance. If the attendance does not improve, a meeting with the Head Teacher is then arranged.
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.
Extended Leave
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
Exception Domestic Circumstances
Parents 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
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 Education and Families services that parents/carers will be keen to support the dress code and written agreement may be sought.
Clothing which is unacceptable in school under any circumstances includes items which:
- could potentially encourage factions (e.g. football colours), could cause offence (e.g. anti-religious symbolism or political slogans)
- could cause health and safety difficulties such as loose fitting clothing, dangling earrings, and other potentially dangerous jewellery.
- are of flammable materials which may be a danger in certain classes (e.g. shell suits)
- could cause damage to flooring
- carry advertising in particular for alcohol or tobacco; and
- 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 are at the discretion of the Executive Director of Education and Families. Information and application forms may be obtained from any school or First Stop Shops. Parents 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 £610) per month, housing benefit, council tax reduction.
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 to be detrimental to the wellbeing 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. Parent/Carers 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.
St Ignatius’ School Uniform
The uniform at St. Ignatius Primary School has been agreed with parents.
Black blazer with school badge, white shirt and school tie/white polo shirt with school badge. Black jumper or cardigan. Black/grey trousers or skirt.
PE Uniform
Black shorts, white polo and gym shoes.
All items of clothing should be clearly labelled with the child’s name and class
Meals
Hot meals are served daily in the school and exemplar menus are on display in the school hall. Children who bring packed lunches eat them in the school hall. Special diets are catered for and milk is available for those who wish it. The School promotes “Hungry for Success”.
At St Ignatius Primary, a cashless system is operated. Children are given a card to upload money and they are allocated a band colour coded to their choice of dish. Money needs to be paid in advance of purchased meals.
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 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 Facility Support Service 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 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.
Other
If dining supervision arrangements alter at different stages this should be outlined.
Children of parents/carers receiving Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance (income based), and Employment & Support Allowance (income related), Universal Credit (with an income below £610 per month), are entitled to a meal without charge.
All P1 to P3 pupils are entitled to a free meal and free milk. Pupils in P4-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. All nursery pupils are entitled to free milk.
Information and application forms for free school meals may be obtained from schools, first stop shops and Council offices, Kildonan Street, Coatbridge. Application forms can also be downloaded from the council website www.northlan.gov.uk
Arrangements for those bringing packed lunches should also be included.
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 (income below £610 per month), housing benefit and council tax rebate.
Information and application forms for clothing grants may be obtained from schools, first stop shops and Council offices, Kildonan Street, Coatbridge. Application forms can also be downloaded from the council website www.northlan.gov.uk
From August 2020, all eligible two year olds and all children aged from 3 to those not yet attending primary school, that attend a North Lanarkshire Council Nursery or a Funded Provider (childminder or voluntary/private nursery), will be entitled to 1140 hours Early Learning and Childcare provision . Those children attending for four hours per day, or more, will receive a free meal as part of the Early Learning and Childcare entitlement
Arrangements for nursery snacks should also be included.
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\carers 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 |
| 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), ASN school or ASN 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. |
Transport
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.
Parent/Carers who consider they are eligible should obtain an application form from the school or from Education and Families. These forms should be completed and returned before 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.
Pick up points
While 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/Carers responsibility to ensure that their child arrives at the pick-up point in time. It is also the parent/Carers responsibility to ensure their 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.
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’s policy stated above.
Medical and Health Care
The medical examination of children at St Ignatius PS is undertaken at the early stages- normally in the first year of primary education, and at ages parents may refer their child at other times to the clinical Medical Officer for examination or advice. Dental inspections are also carried out on a routine basis in primary schools and parents are offered any necessary treatment for their children although they may choose to go instead to their family dentist. Secondary pupils receive examination and treatment at the local community clinic on request. Parents should inform the school of any particular medical requirements and of any arrangements to be made if a child has to be taken home. The school nurse visits the school on a regular basis.
Procedure for children taking ill
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.
Information in Emergency
We make every effort to maintain a full educational service, but on some occasions 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 informed by using letters, notices in local shops and community centres, announcements in local churches and announcements in the press, on local radio and the North Lanarkshire Council’s website and Twitter.
The school will make use of the school web-site and Facebook page to inform parents.
Procedure for Children taking ill at school
All children need to be seen by a member of the Senior Management Team before a decision is made. A telephone call to parents/guardians will be made and a final decision will be made as to whether the child should be sent home.
A First Aider is available at the school.
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 parents/carers of children at the 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
A Parent Council has been established in St Ignatius Primary School. They meet eight times a year. These dates are set at the Annual General Meeting and the dates are passed on to all local elected Councillors.
Parent Council Members
Chairperson – Mrs N McConnell
Vice Chair – Mrs D Allan
Clerk – Vacancy
Church Rep – Mrs M Donnelly
Mrs AM Pearson – Head Teacher – Advisor
The Parent Council’s rights and duties include:
- supporting the work of the school;
- representing the views of parents/carers;
- consulting with parents and reporting back to the Parent Forum on matters of interest;
- promoting contact between the school, parents, pupils, providers of nursery education and the wider community;
- fundraising;
- taking part in the selection of senior promoted staff;
- receiving reports from the head teacher and education authority; and
- receiving an annual budget for administration, training and other expenses.
- 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.
Information must be provided on whether or not a Parent Council has been established and the reason(s) given for the non-establishment or dis-establishment of a Parent Council.
The name and status of each Parent Council member and the clerk should be included. It should be indicated that the head teacher has a right and duty to attend all meetings of the Parent Council. Meetings of the Parent Council are open to members of the public.
Procedures for electing parent representatives to the Parent Council should be included.
If appropriate, mention should be made of any necessary arrangements for Nursery Parent groups.
The Pupil Council
The opportunity for pupil representation and involvement in the Pupil Council or any similar body
PTFA
There is also a PTFA within the school.
Chairperson – Mrs Marie Frances Leonard
Vice Chairperson – Mrs M Turnbull
Details of meetings and events are posted on the notice board within the school.
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 –
- before the commencement or during the course of the school year in question.
- 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.
Important Names and Addresses
Education and Families
Assistant Chief Executive,
Education and Families,
North Lanarkshire Council,
Civic Centre,
Windmillhill Street
Motherwell ML1 1AB
Tele: 01698 302222
Continuous Improvement Officer for School
Irene Pandolfi
Education and Families,
Municipal Buildings,
Kildonan Street,
Coatbridge ML5 3BT
Tele: 01698 403140
William Collum
Education and Families,
Municipal Buildings,
Kildonan Street,
Coatbridge ML5 3BT
Tele: 01698 403140
Councillor Information
Admin & Member Services,
Civic Centre,
Windmillhill Street,
Motherwell ML1 1AB
Tele: 01698 302222
- Burgess (Cons)
- Feeney (Lab)
- Fotheringham (SNP)
- Hume (SNP)
Support for Learning
Bob Duncan / Donna McCann
Additional Support Manager
St Aidan’s High School
Waverley Drive
WISHAW ML2 7EW
Tele: 01698 274656
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,
Tele_ 0345 123 2303
www.enquire.org.uk for parents and practitioners
www.enquire.org.uk/yp for children and young people
Resolve
0131 313 8844
(Independent Adjudicator)
Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance
Mansfield Traquair Centre
15 Mansfield Place
Edinburgh
EH3 6BB
Reference to Additional Support Needs Tribunal (Scotland)
ASNTS
Health and Educational Chambers
First Tier Tribunal for Scotland
Glasgow Tribunals Centre
20 York Street
Glasgow
G2 8GT
0141 302 5860
www.asntscotland.gov.uk NHS Lanarkshire
Wishaw Health Centre
Kenilworth Avenue
Wishaw ML2 7BQ
Tele: 01698 355511
Social Work
Kings House
King Street
Wishaw ML2 8BS
Tele: 01698 348200
Community Learning & Development Area Office
Wishaw/Shotts CLD Locality Office
Coltness High School
Mossland Drive
Wishaw
ML2 8LY
Tele: 01698 274331
Email: CLD-Wishaw@northlan.gov.uk
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