All posts by A. cochranecastl

Letters, School Blog, Shared Campus, Whole School News

Free Schools Meals and Autumn Hardship Payment

For families in receipt of free school meals on an income basis (so not all P1 to P4 children), there will be an Autumn hardship payment in October (£160).

Families will need to have applied for free school meals in order to get the payments – they won’t be made retrospectively.  If you think you may be entitled to free school meals on an income basis, but have not applied because of the universal free school meals for P1-4, please apply in order to receive these payments.   More information and a link to the online application are here:  https://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/Freeschoolmealsandclothinggrants

For those who qualify for free school meals on an income basis (so not all P1 to P4 children), there will be a payment of £11.25 per child for the October break.

Letters, Place2Be Posts, School Blog, Shared Campus, Whole School News

Place2Be

Hello Cochrane Castle Families,

Welcome back! It has been so wonderful seeing your wonderful children back in the school. These past few months have been such a whirlwind and it’s totally understandable if you find yourself having a lot of mixed emotions about the return to school.
The Place2Be counselling program on West Johnstone Campus has resumed. Including our work with parents, one-to-one counselling, and our lunch time self-referral service called Place2Talk, which was hugely popular last year with students.

Last year signed permission slips were required for students to be able to use the Place2Talk service. This year we are moving to a negative consent. Meaning that if you want your child to have access to this service no signed permission slip is required, just do nothing. How simple is that!

If you DO NOT want your child to have access to this service please contact me or the school (via email, phone, or morning drop off), or print off the negative consent form below and we will remove your child from the approved list. You can change your consent at any time.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me or your head teacher. I am so excited to be working with your kids this upcoming academic year.

Attached at the bottom of this post is the negative consent form as well as a FAQ sheet about the Place2Talk program.

Click the link below and the file will download. If you have any trouble viewing the document please contact me, and I can send you a copy via email or home with your child.

Place2talk Negative Consent Letter-WJSC

Claire Blaney (School Project Manager)
Claire.Blaney@place2be.org.uk

School Blog, Shared Campus, Whole School News

Information for Parents/Carers

The school office will close at 2.30pm today until Wednesday 6th January. If you have to phone to let us know that your child has tested positive for COVID 19, please be advised that Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board (PHPU) will share this information with us. If we are advised that your child has displayed symptoms and/or tested positive within 48 hours of being in school someone will be in touch to gather information about close contacts.

School Blog, Uncategorized, Whole School News

£100 winter hardship payment for low-income families (Reminder)

Scottish government have confirmed that children in primary and secondary school who receive a free school meal on the basis of low income are eligible for an additional £100 winter hardship payment. We encourage parents whose child is eligible for a free school meal to apply this week so they can receive this payment – www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/freeschoolmealsandclothinggrants

Anyone who has previously applied for a free school meal for this school year (2020-21) will receive the payment directly into their bank account before Christmas. Anyone who applies between Monday 30 November and Friday 18 December will receive this payment by mid-January at the latest.

P1-P3 pupils are not automatically eligible for this payment as every child receives a free school meal regardless of their family’s circumstances. We would urge all families on low incomes with a P1-P3 child to apply for free school meals by Friday 18 December.

Nursery children of low-income parents aren’t entitled to the winter hardship payment, but are entitled to the £27 free school meal payment to cover the festive break. If you are eligible, please apply at www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/freeschoolmealsandclothinggrants

Further information on the COVID winter hardship payment (£100 per child) can be found on Scottish Government’s website.

Letters, School Blog, Shared Campus, Uncategorized, Whole School News

Christmas News Items

This year due to the current restrictions pupils will not be able to exchange Christmas cards in the school.  They are, however, going to be creating a  class digital message to be shared throughout the school.

Our Christmas Lunch is being held on Thursday, 10 December, pupils can wear something Christmassy (hat, tinsel, hair band, jumper etc) to make things even more festive.

The Joint Campus Christmas Jumper Day is being held on Friday, 11 December.  Again, pupils can wear something Christmassy, it does not necessarily have to be a jumper.  As explained above it can be a hat, tinsel etc.