A decision on any school closures in West Lothian will be made before 7am on Wednesday morning. Conditions and weather forecasts will continue to be monitored overnight. Parents and Carers will receive an update via Groupcall before 7am, with updates on website/social media.
West Lothian Anti-Poverty Strategy Consultation
West Lothian are seeking views from people living in West Lothian to help shape a new, refreshed anti-poverty strategy. They want to know what people in West Lothian think about poverty related issues, particularly if they have experienced challenges in their life relating to financial difficulties. They are also interested in hearing ideas about what they can do at a local level to help people experiencing poverty or money worries.
Your views are important and will be used to help develop an action plan to address poverty and deprivation in West Lothian.
If you would like to complete the survey then please click on the link below:
Glowing report for Pumpherston and Uphall Station Community Primary School
Pumpherston and Uphall Station Community Primary School has been praised for its positive relationships between children and staff.
The school, received praise in a number of areas following a recent routine inspection by Education Scotland.
Inspectors highlighted a number of key strengths including the high quality, inclusive ethos which permeates the school, resulting in children, staff and stakeholders feeling valued and respected, the quality of the learning experiences in the nursery and the leadership of the headteacher in creating the conditions for staff to build on their strengths and take forward the agenda for school improvement.
The report also noted that the pupils are happy, confident and caring children who are eager to learn, they have a strong voice and contribute enthusiastically to bringing about change in their school.
Executive councillor for education, David Dodds, said: “This is a fantastic report for Pumpherston and Uphall Station Community Primary and everyone involved with the school should take great pride in their work. It is wonderful to hear of the inclusive ethos that is embodied throughout the school and the fact that pupils are so enthusiastically involved in school life. With this attitude I’m under no hesitation that the school will continue to thrive and achieve in the future.
Inspectors also recommended that the school continues to strengthen approaches to planning, tracking and monitoring to identify which interventions are having the greatest impact on outcomes for all children and raises attainment and achievement.
Acting Headteacher Sarah Burton added: “We are delighted to have received such a positive report and I have to commend all the staff here at the school for the fantastic work they put in on a daily basis to deliver for our pupils. The report is great testament to the work of my predecessor, Steven Eagleson who was headteacher at the time of the inspection and to the positive contribution of parents and the wider school community.
There are always areas to work on and I can assure parents and carers that every member of staff will continue to work towards providing pupils with the very best environment for learning. We always try to put the pupils at the heart of everything we do at the school, allowing them to partly shape their own learning and it is great to see the inspectors have acknowledged this.”
(Issued by media and communications officer Lewis Carr)
School Website
West Lothian Council are moving towards all school having the same front facing school website meaning there is a consistent approach across West Lothian. Our blog will still be our main method of sharing information, however this information will filter through the website.
During this change over you might notice some changes to our blog, sorry for any inconvenience. If you would like to see any changes to the information we share on the blog, please leave some comments on this blog post/ Facebook post.
Winter Ready
Regional Improvement Collaboratives (RIC)
- Performance and Quality Improvement
- Literacy
- Numeracy
- Early Learning and Childcare
- Leadership of Learning and Professional Learning
By working together we will ensure a greater level of support to schools to ensure best outcomes for all of our children and young people in order that they meet their full potential. If you have any questions about the Regional Improvement Collaboratives then please do not hesitate to contact the school.
Information on How to Apply for Free School Meals and Milk
Application forms
How do I apply?
An application can be downloaded. Alternatively, one can be obtained from schools or from Council Information Services, Libraries, Jobcentres, Advice Shop (Bathgate) or at the Civic Centre. All P1-P3 pupils are entitled to free school meals. Pupils from P4 upwards may also be eligible for free school meals if their parents are in receipt of a qualifying benefit as detailed below. P1-P7 pupils whose parents meet the criteria below are also entitled to free school milk.
When can I apply?
There is no cut-off date for applying, we can accept applications up to the last school day of the academic year, but please be aware that entitlement cannot be backdated.
How long will my application take to process?
We will aim to process an application within 10 working days from receipt, and provided you receive a qualifying benefit as detailed below, you will be notified, and the school your child/children attend with be notified automatically. Pupils can receive Free School Meals from P1 to S6, but a fresh application must be submitted each academic year.
Who qualifies?
Pupils with parents in receipt of any of the following are entitled to free school meals:
- Income Support
- Income-Based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Any Income Related element of Employment & Support Allowance
- Child Tax Credit (with no working tax credit) and whose annual income is £16,105 or less
- Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit whose annual income is £6,420 or less
- Universal Credit where the monthly earned income does not exceed £610
If you are applying using Tax Credits as your qualifying benefit, then you must be able to provide a Tax Credit Award Notice detailing payment starting on 06 April 2017. A Tax Credit Annual Review can also be accepted, however on page 1 it must read “If you do not have anything to tell us you need do nothing more…”.
If applying using a Jobcentre benefit as described above, then you must provide a benefit letter dated within 3 months of application, or have the form stamped at Jobcentre Plus.
Free School Milk
All pupils of nursery schools and classes, and all pupils at Beatlie, Burnhouse, Cedarbank, Ogilvie School Campus and Pinewood Schools where consumption of the milk is part of the educational programme as agreed with Psychological Services, are entitled to 200ml of milk daily free of charge.
P1-7 pupils whose parents are in receipt of a qualifying benefit must apply for milk using the application form, even if you do not wish to take meals.
Anyone not entitled to Free School Milk, can purchase milk for their child or children through the school who will charge 18p per 200ml.
I want to apply for free school meals for more than one child. Do I need to complete an application form for each child?
No, there is space to apply for free school meals for up to six children on the application form.
https://www.westlothian.gov.uk/article/3787/Free-School-Meals
