3 1 - 2 1 0 2 AGUIDE TO EDUCATION SERVICES Successful Learners Confident Individuals Responsible Citizens Effective Contributors www.aberdeencity.gov.uk AGUIDE TO EDUCATION SERVICES www.aberdeencity.gov.uk s t n e Section 1 Page 1 Welcome t n o C Section 2 Page 3 Enrolment Section 3 Page 10 Responsibilities, Rights & Regulation Section 4 Page 15 Support for Learners Section 5 Page 31 Health and Safety Section 6 Page 36 Nursery / School Listings Section 7 Page 45 Special Schools Section 8 Page 46 Learning Support Services Section 9 Page 50 Community Centres Section 10 Page 54 Library and Information Services Section 11 Page 58 Useful Contacts Section 12 Page 61 Comments, Complaints & Feedback e Welcome to Aberdeen City Council’s m o Guide to Education Services for Parents c l e Welcome to our Guide for Parents. The aim of this guide is to provide you with the information you will need about all the local authority education services available in W Aberdeen. I hope you find it informative and easy to use. Our aim in Aberdeen is to be a City of Learning. We believe that high quality services delivered through schools, library and information services and community learning will enable children, families and communities to obtain the education and skills they will need throughout life. We are proposing that schools and other places where learning happens will become learning hubs in each community. Our vision and values are set out in our learning strategy. We want Aberdeen to be a place which recognises, values and celebrates learning; a place where all sectors work together to ensure access to learning; a place where citizens accept learning as an essential and integral part of their lives; and a place where citizens take responsibility for learning throughout their lives. We want to make sure that our children and young people get the best possible start in life and high quality learning experiences. We believe that through education we are helping children and young people achieve their full potential. Parents and families have a key role as first and main educators to support children and young people to get the best from their educational experiences. We also believe that by working with parents in a creative and innovative way we can develop the resilience, health and well being of our children. Scotland has introduced the Curriculum for Excellence. This approach to delivering the curriculum will help to ensure that children and young people become: Successful learners; Confident individuals; Responsible citizens; and Effective contributors. These improved outcomes will be at the heart of learning in our pre-school nurseries, schools, community activities, additional support needs services and the music, arts, culture, sport, drama, outdoor learning, museums and galleries and library and information services we provide. I hope this booklet helps you understand the services we deliver in the city, access those services and that you and your child enjoy a safe, happy and fruitful experience in all of our services. Annette Bruton Director, Education, Culture and Sport January 2012 1 Introduction The aim of this guide is to provide you with information about the education, culture and sport services that are available in the city and the contact details of schools, learning support services and library and information services. It also provides you with information about the government legislation that relates to education services. Our community planning vision in Aberdeen is that all children and young people should enjoy being young and we will be a city where children and young people are safe, nurtured, healthy and active; are included, respected and responsible; achieve their full potential; and are supported to participate in decisions that affect them. The vision also reflects the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and embraces international, national and local policies and priorities. The council and its community planning partners have agreed that we will work together to: • Get It Right for Every Child by ensuring a common, co-ordinated approach across all agencies that supports the delivery of appropriate, proportionate and timely help to all children as they need it; • promote and deliver integrated services of the highest quality; • ensure that services are accessible to all and promote the rights and responsibilities of those who use them; • raise achievement; and • reduce inequality. The council therefore aims to provide good quality, continually improving education, music, art, sport, drama, outdoor learning and library services to meet the needs of individual children and young people to support them to reach their full potential. The council provides nursery, primary, secondary and additional support needs education (including educational psychology), and youth and communities services. It offers Gaelic and Roman Catholic denominational education and secures additional pre-school education from voluntary and private sector organisations. All council schools are co-educational (pupils of both sexes). Primary schools are normally for children from nursery through to primary 7. All secondary schools are six-year comprehensives. The council also provides a range of complementary learning opportunities including family learning, outdoor education, culture, music, art and sport. The council’s Education, Culture and Sport Committee oversees the education, culture and sport policy for the city. Notes: 1. Where we use the word “parents” this refers to anyone with parental responsibilities, a guardian, and/or any person who is liable to maintain or has parental responsibilities (within the meaning of Section 1(3) of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995) in relation to a child, or has care of a child or young person. 2. All the contact details in this guide are correct as at January 2012. For the most up to date information please contact the Family Information Service on 01224 814803 or visit the FIS website www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/fis . 2 t n Enrolment e All schools have the same start date in the middle of August each year. This year, the m l first day of term is 21 August 2012. Nursery and primary children may have a phased o r start date. n E Pre-School Education Entitlement A child may start nursery in the school term after his/her third birthday. The Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000 defines the three school terms as follows: Autumn Term August to December Spring Term January to March Summer Term April to July Children in their immediate pre-school year are entitled to a whole year of pre-school education. Children in their ante-pre-school year are entitled to a place in the school term following their third birthday as follows: Month of Birth Entitled to place from: January to February April - After the Easter Holidays March to August August – After the Summer holidays, children may start once they have reached the age of three September to December January – After the Christmas holidays Applying for a Nursery Place If you wish your child to attend a local authority nursery class, you should apply for a place directly to the school of your choice. Applications for session 2012-13 will be available from 16 January. Applications received before 10 February will be included in the main round of allocations in March. If you miss the deadline for the first round of allocations, you may still apply for a place before the start of term or during the school year. The council also commissions pre-school education from private, independent and voluntary sector pre-school education providers. If you wish to access a place at one of these pre-school centres, you should contact the provider of your choice to negotiate a place. A list of registered pre-school education centres in your area can be obtained from the Family Information Service (FIS) (See useful contacts page 58). 3 Primary/Secondary Education Aberdeen City Council has a zoning policy for all primary and secondary schools in the city. All schools serve a local “zone” which has been determined by the council. The school zones are known as delineated areas in the legislation and the 2012-2013 school zones can be found on page 36. Parents have the right to ask for their children to be enrolled in a school other than the local zoned school, and the authority has a duty to agree to such requests whenever possible. Zones exist (a) to ensure that school places are locally available to children within the delineated area; (b) for the purpose of determining the right to provision of transport; and (c) for determining priorities (if required) in relation to admission of children to schools. The authority reserves the right to vary school zones from time to time in order to take into account demographic or other factors. This will be done in accordance with local and national consultation guidelines and requirements. In order to address the needs of families affected by variations in zones and who wish younger children to attend the same school as elder brothers or sisters in continuing education at that school, the younger children will continue to be regarded as living in-zone. Parents are advised that they should always check the zone in which their existing or proposed address lies. This can be obtained from the School Placements, Education, Culture and Sport, Business Hub 13, Second Floor North, Marischal College, Broad Street, Aberdeen, AB10 1AB, telephone 01224 522753. Roman Catholic Education Roman Catholic education is available to primary children from Roman Catholic families. School zones have been defined in relation to the three primary schools Holy Family, St Peter’s and St Joseph’s Primary Schools. Parents of children from Roman Catholic families will be asked to establish eligibility for this provision by producing the child’s Baptism Certificate.