All posts by Mrs McDONALD

School Blog

Our Aims and Values

As part of our School Improvement Plan we are looking at our School Aims and Values.

Thank you to all parents who took the time to read and offer their feedback at our Parent’s Evening last night.

Our next step in this process is to consult with our children and staff to make our aims  and values are written in a more child friendly language.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parent Council, School Blog

Anti-Bullying- Respect Me

Please show your support for your children and save the date…..

Wednesday 7th November- 3:15- 5:30pm

We have been working with Brian Donnelly who is an independent consultant who has been involved in anti-bullying work since 2007. He led the national anti-bullying service respectme, for 10 years and helped write the Nation Policy on two occasions.

Brian operates independently now and he does not represent the school or the Council. Within St. Fergus’ his role is to come in and engage with parent’s, carers and pupils to gather their views and experiences.  He will deliver workshops to the upper school and then meet with parents and carers at the school to share the context for his work as well as answer questions and address concerns you may have about bullying and how it can be dealt with effectively.

Brian’s aim to help develop environments where bullying cannot thrive, this requires input from parents and carers especially. Schools that deal with bullying well have listened to parents and they agree ways to respond and deal with bullying.

On 7th November the children will deliver a presentation on bullying and then teaching staff will work with them to allow Brian to meet with parents and carers on his own. After this session there will be pizza and refreshments for everyone.

Brian wants to hear what you have to say. This is a vital part of the school creating a new policy and the school community creating an environment where bullying cannot thrive.  He is there to listen and share his experience. Brian is not there to speak on behalf of the St. Fergus’, Renfrewshire Council  or The Scottish Government but to listen to you and incorporate this into the work the school will be doing on anti-bullying.

Brian has created  a short survey that is designed to gather your thoughts as well, he would really appreciate you taking 5 minutes to complete this as it provides a chance for those who cannot come along to still share their views . Please click on the link below:

https://bit.ly/2Reiexs

More information will follow this week along with a tear of strip to indicate attendance which will allow the school to purchase enough Pizza.

We really hope to see as many as possible there.

Primary 1/2, Primary 2, Primary 2/3, Primary 3/4, Primary 4/5, Primary 5/6, Primary 7, School Blog

Respect Me Assembly – We are all Unique !

On Monday we talked about respect and how we all need different supports to succeed.

We watched a short clip about fairness.

We realised that we all don’t need the same in school to succeed. We compared school to medical care.

We decided that we would all try to live out our school values daily as this would help us to understand each other’s needs.

We now know that:

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Click the link below to look at our Assembly PowerPoint.

Whole School Assembly 17 September 2018

Parent Council, Primary 1/2, Primary 2, Primary 2/3, Primary 3/4, Primary 4/5, Primary 5/6, Primary 7, School Blog, Whole School News

Nut Free Zone Reminder

Image result for nut free zone sign

We are a nut free zone as we have children with a severe nut allergy. I would ask for your co-operation and ensure that no nuts are brought in to school, please check all labels of your child’s snacks.

This includes chestnuts collected from the park, especially during this time of the year.

Please note that we are unable to accept birthday cakes to be shared out in class as there could be traces of nuts.

School Blog

Education Scotland Inspection Report

We are delighted with the recognition from Education Scotland on the quality of our school.

As always our school community, children, staff, parents and partners came together to share their experiences of St Fergus’.

Please see below the Report and the Summarised Inspection findings.

Education Scotland Report August 2018

Summarised Inspection Findings August 2018

More Information can be seen by clicking on the link below.

https://education.gov.scot/inspection-reports/renfrewshire/8625921

Information

Composite Classes

STRUCTURE OF CLASSES

Primary schools have pupils at seven broad year stages, Primary 1 to Primary 7. A year stage is a group of pupils entering primary education at a common date.

  • Pupils are organised within single year classes, e.g. Primary 3 or in composite classes, e.g. Primary 3/4 which contain more that one year group.
  • Renfrewshire Council’s normal maximum number of pupils in a single year class is 25 for P1-P2, 30 for P3 and 33 for P4-7 and the maximum number of pupils in a composite class is 25.
  • Schools are staffed to agreed standards based on the total number of pupils within the school regardless of the numbers of pupils at each year stage. This means that head teachers need to organise classes to make best use of available staff, resources and space. Balancing up the various factors involves both educational and organisational considerations.
  • The head teacher is responsible for structuring classes on the basis of advice given by the council.
  • In all classes pupils working at broadly the same pace and level in language and or mathematics are grouped together. This arrangement uses teaching resources most effectively and causes least upset to pupils.

SELECTION OF PUPILS

  • In forming new classes full account must be taken of existing successful groupings of pupils. Schools should use language and/or mathematics groupings as the basis for allocating children to classes. Within this broad guideline a language or mathematics working group could be described as:“A number of pupils of broadly the same attainment who show the capacity of working well as a learning group.”
  • Where a composite class is being formed, specific criteria have been provided by the council.
  • Where a single year Primary 1 class and a composite Primary 1/2 class are being formed, the head teacher, Primary 1 class teacher and, where appropriate, pre-five colleagues, will make use of their professional judgement and all available information to form the two classes.

COMMUNICATION

  • Normally, classes will be formed before the start of a new school year so that all involved know what class structures exist for the new school session.
  • In certain circumstances class restructuring may have to take place during the summer break or after a school session has started.
  • Parents will be informed of the arrangements for annual class structuring arrangements.
  • The head teacher will be happy to meet with you to answer any questions on class structure or any other matter.

IN CONCLUSION

  • You should be confident that the professionalism of the staff in your school will ensure that your child will always work within a programme appropriate for his/her age, ability and aptitude. At both school level and education authority level quality control procedures exist to ensure that your child is making good progress within the nationally agreed curriculum guidelines.
  • The national guidelines on the curriculum indicate that pupils should proceed through learning experiences tailored to fit their personal level of attainment. This means that pupils in all classes will follow programmes constructed to help them progress at their own level.
  • The school makes every effort to involve pupils in any one year group in activities which bring the whole year group together. In this way pupils will be able to continue to identify with children of the same age especially at important times such as transfer to secondary school. At the same time the school ensures that the natural identity of each primary class group is maintained.