Duddingston Primary School

Information for Prospective P1 Parents and Carers.

October 2019

P1 registration at your catchment school week is 4th- 8th November 2019

P1 registration at your catchment school week 4th – 8th November 2019

All children must register at their catchment school regardless of any intent to apply for an out of catchment request. Our Depute Head Teacher Karen McCay is available to enrol children starting School in August 2019 on these dates between 8.30am and 3.30pm. A sign up sheet with appointment times is available on the open day. Appointments can also be booked by calling the school office.

When registering your child at your catchment school you will need to provide the following documents for checking:

• The child’s birth certificate • The Council Tax demand notice for this current year in the parent’s name • A utility bill [i.e gas, electricity, landline telephone or broadband] in the parent’s name and dated within the last 6 months

The online non-catchment placing request form goes live on the 4th November 2019. These non- catchment requests can be processed online at www..gov.uk/placingrequest The deadline for all non- catchment requests is 24th December 2019. An acknowledgment letter or automated email is sent by the CEC to parents confirming receipt of this.

The Council aims to provide places for P1 and S1 pupils at their catchment school if they are living in the catchment area by the end of November of the year before the start in P1 and S1. This means that all in catchment children registered during November 2019 will receive a place at their catchment school.

You will be invited to bring your child for 3 introductory visits to school in the summer term 2020. On the 3rd of these dates you are invited to attend an introductory meeting in the school hall while the children will spend time in their new classrooms with their new teachers. Depute Head Teacher Karen McCay who oversees Primary 1 will share relevant information with you for starting school on that morning. If you cannot join us on that day we will make sure, we send your information pack out to your home address.

School Information

Address: 70A Road, Edinburgh, EH15 1SW

Telephone No: 0131 669 5092

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Email: [email protected]

Web: duddingstonprimaryschool.wordpress.com

Twitter: @DuddingstonPS

School Hours School Begins: 8.45am Morning Interval: 10.30 – 10.45am Lunchtime: P1–P2: 12.00-1.05pm; P3–P7: 12.20-1.10pm School ends: Monday – Thursday: P1-P2: 2.55pm; P3–P7: 3.15pm Friday: P1-P2: 12.10pm; P3–P7: 12.20pm

School Staff

Here are some of the key staff you may meet during enrolment and transition.

Senior Management Team • Head Teacher: Mrs Karen Morris • Depute Head Teacher: Mrs Karen McCay [oversees Nursery and Primary 1 Transition] • Depute Head Teacher: Mrs Karen Brown • Business Manager: Mr John Wall

Support Staff • School Administrator: Ms Kim Millard

• School Administrator: Mrs Jo Apted

• Clerical Assistant: Mrs Sandra Duff

• Service Support Officer: Mr Allan Sloan

School Aims

• Duddingston Primary School strives to provide a welcoming, safe and caring environment, which inspires good behaviour, self-discipline and respect for others. • Each pupil is encouraged to achieve their full potential across the whole school curriculum.

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• We build and maintain effective partnerships with families, support agencies and the wider community.

The school in context Duddingston Primary School is a co-educational, non-denominational primary school built in 1959, which serves the east side of Edinburgh. The pupils come from a variety of backgrounds, economically, ethnically and socially and learn together in a tolerant and caring manner.

Duddingston Primary School is a traditional building with space for 14 classes in the main building. A brand new Nursery building opened in the grounds of the school in August 2015. This is situated in our playground near the P1 and P2 side of the building. The accommodation also consists of a temporary unit where a music room and resource room are housed. The main school building includes an ICT suite, a gym hall, a dining hall, a general purpose room and a support for learning room. The school has an extensive playground and grass field. Our existing wildlife garden is being further developed for outdoor learning. There are visiting specialist teachers for Music and Physical Education. There is Instrumental Teachers for Cello and Violin for P4-P7 year groups.

Our associated cluster schools are: Parsons Green, Towerbank, Royal High Primary, Brunstane and Portobello High School.

The school roll as of October 2019 is 376 excluding the nursery children. In the current session, 2019-20 there are 14 classes in the school.

Parent Groups

We have an active Parent Council at Duddingston Primary School. Parent Councils across welcome parents/carers as active participants in the life of the school, help parents/carers become more involved with their child’s education and learning and provide easier ways for parents to express their views.

We also have a very active and hardworking Fundraising and Events Team [FET] who organise events for our pupils and families. They incorporate fundraising in their work. Duddingston Primary School has successfully established a Charitable Trust to support and improve the life and work of the school. The trust’s aims are to provide supplementary funds to develop initiatives, which benefit the children who attend Duddingston Primary School and its community. School Uniform

The wearing of school uniform helps the children to identify themselves with the school community and be proud of belonging to it.

The school uniform is as follows:

Yellow or white Polo Shirt with or without school badge Blue Sweatshirt with school badge for P1 - 6 Darker Blue Sweatshirt with school badge for P7

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Navy or grey trousers or skirt Shorts for PE Change of shoes [gym shoes] for PE Change of t-shirt for PE Gym bag for PE Kit

School ties are available from our school office

Uniform Order forms will be issued in June 2019 or can be collected from the school office. Please return all order forms with the correct payment prior to the end of the summer term. Additional uniform can also be ordered during term time in the school year from the school office. Our PTA has also started a second hand uniform sale throughout the school session. This will be available during the transition meeting for parents/ carers in June 2019. Please label all items of clothing. Lost property is located in the front entrance of the school.

Meals, Clothing and Milk Payments

School meals are available at no cost for all Primary 1- 3 pupils. These free meals are ordered in advance online using ParentPay. Milk is ordered and purchased on an annual basis.

The Council can provide children from low-income families with free school meals and assistance towards the purchase of school clothing subject to certain criteria, usually those whose parent/carer is in receipt of certain benefits/tax credits. Young people over the age of 16 and living independently may also apply. Parents/Carers must ensure that the appropriate forms have been completed and sent to the City of Edinburgh Council. These forms must be filled in on a yearly basis.

For children who wish to bring their own packed lunches, tables are set up in the dining hall. Children eat their lunch under the same supervision as the school dinner children. No child is allowed out of school at lunchtime to buy food. Children can go home for lunch; younger children must be collected.

Security Parents/Carers are asked to support our efforts to make our school a safe and secure environment. Parents should drop their child off in the playground and class teachers will collect lines at the beginning of the school day. Smoking in the playground is not permitted. Dogs are not allowed into the school playground with the exception of Blind Dogs. Visitors are asked to report to the school office where they should sign in and collect a visitor’s badge, please ensure the badge is visible at all times.

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Wet Mornings

On very wet mornings, children should come into the school hall. Children will be supervised by the School staff until 8.45am when they will then go to their classes.

Breakfast Club

We have a Breakfast Club facility, which is provided by KidzCare within the dining hall in the school campus. It is open from 7.45am until the 8.45am school bell [signalling the start of the school day] each morning Monday to Friday. Please email Kidzcare at [email protected]

After School Club

After school care facilities are provided by KidzCare within the dining hall in the school campus. The Manager (Millie) can be contacted on 07917 575572 General KidzCare enquires: 0131 668 2792

Clarification of Arrangements for Transition into Primary 1 August 2020

Your child will start school on Wednesday 19th August 2020 in a small group for the first day. You will find out which group your child is in on the induction day in June 2020. If you cannot join us that day we will make sure we send your information pack out to your home address.

The first group will come in from 9-10.15 am on Wednesday 19th August 2020. The second group will come in from 10.45- 12 Noon on Wednesday 19th August 2020. All children will come in between 8.45-12 Noon on Thursday 20th and Friday 21st August 2020.

All Primary 1 pupils will then attend for the full day from Monday 24th August 2020. The Primary 1 day at Duddingston is 8.45-12 Noon. Lunch is 12 Noon until 1.05pm. The afternoon is 1.05pm- 2.55pm. Friday finishing time is 12.10pm.

Occasional Arrangements

Notification will be given to children and their parents/carers, who for any reasons of an educational visit or after school activity, which will finish outside normal school hours. On occasions, when returning to school from any such activity that occurs in the evening, parents will be consulted about collection arrangements.

Severe Weather & Unforeseen Emergencies We will make every effort to maintain a full educational service, but on some occasions circumstances arise which lead to disruption. Schools may be affected for example by severe weather. In the case of any unforeseen emergencies, every effort will be made to contact all parents to make arrangements for pupils. Pupils will never be sent home without first ascertaining there is someone to receive them and any children for whom arrangements cannot be made will be kept in school until the end of the normal school day. Therefore, it is important that the school is kept informed of any changes to your address, telephone number or emergency contact details to ensure that our records remain accurate. We shall keep you

6 informed by using our texting service, our website and announcements in the press and local radio.

The Curriculum for Excellence

The Curriculum for Excellence is embedded across Scotland for all 3 – 18 year olds. It aims are to raise standards, prepare our children for their future and equip them for the jobs of tomorrow in our fast changing world.

The Experiences and Outcomes of this curriculum framework are structured within five levels. Some children and young people will start learning at these levels earlier and others later, depending upon individual needs and abilities.

In line with all schools in Edinburgh, we take a more play-based approach to the curriculum in Primary 1. This means that children are learning through a combination of taught and play experiences; with literacy and numeracy while still following the Council programmes. There are opportunities to embed and consolidate the learning through play both indoors and outdoors. The play activities are planned by teachers to link to the experiences and outcomes at the Early Level of Curriculum for Excellence. Children have choice and challenge in the range of play opportunities.

Early Level The pre-school years and P1 or later for some. First Level To the end of P4, but earlier or later for some. Second Level To the end of P7, but earlier or later for some. Third and Fourth S1-S3, but earlier for some. The fourth level broadly equates to Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework level 4. The experiences and outcomes of the fourth level are intended to provide possibilities for choice and young people’s programmes will not include all of the fourth level outcomes. Senior S4 to S6, and college or other means of study.

The curriculum includes all of the experiences, which are planned for children and young people through their education. Teachers will share information to plan a child’s ‘learning journey’, helping their progression from nursery to primary, across primary stages, primary to secondary and beyond.

Curriculum for Excellence balances the importance of Knowledge and Skills across the eight curricular areas of Literacy & English, Numeracy & Mathematics, Health & Wellbeing, Social Studies, Sciences, Technologies, Expressive Arts and Religious Education (Religious & Moral Education in Non-Denominational Schools)

The way in which these areas are taught strives to bring real life into the classroom, making learning relevant and helping children apply what they have learned to their life beyond the

7 classroom. Interdisciplinary Learning links knowledge in one curricular area to another, helping children to understand their world and make connections.

Additional Support Needs

An additional support need comes from anything, which is a barrier to learning. All schools will have children with additional support needs of some kind. Our education authority has legal duties towards pupils with additional support needs. Information about this is contained in ‘In On The Act: Information for the General Public’ which is published on the website at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/inontheact

Attendance at School

Section 30 of the 1980 Education Act lays a duty on every parent/carer of a child or young person of School Age to ensure that their child attends school regularly. Attendance must be recorded twice a day, morning and afternoon. We ask that Parents/Carers telephone the school on the day of their child’s absence at the beginning of the school day and before 9.30am. Your message will be passed on to the class teacher. A telephone call is also vital if your child is unable to return to school after a home lunch. If a telephone call is not received and your child is absent, our office staff will activate our attendance system and the emergency contact will be contacted to ensure that your child is safe.

The 48 Hour Sickness Guidance

Any episode of vomiting or diarrhoea should be treated exactly the same. This means that any pupil or staff member should remain off from school for 48 hours from when the symptoms were last displayed. These measures are issued by the City of Edinburgh Council and NHS and are in place to protect everyone in the school and limit the spread of infection.

Health Care and Administration of Medicines

It is the Parent/ Carer’s responsibility to ensure that all relevant information regarding their child’s health is given to the Head Teacher or School Office at the earliest opportunity. Parents/ Carers of children who require long term prescribed medication should supply the school with medicines and replenish as required. Out of date or surplus medicines are collected at the end of the school session. Medication will be stored and administered following the procedures stipulated by the City of Edinburgh Council. Please note Medication can only be administered if the necessary paperwork is completed (These forms are available from the school office and the school website.)

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School term dates 2020/ 2021

Autumn Term starts Wednesday 19th August 2020

Mid-term holidays

• Monday 21st September 2020, autumn holiday

• Monday 19th to Monday 26th October 2020, mid-term break

Term ends Friday 23rd December 2020 at 12 NOON

Christmas holidays

Monday 26th December 2019 to Wednesday 6th January 2021

Spring Term starts Thursday 7th January 2021

Mid-term holidays

• Monday 8th February to Monday 15th February 2021, mid-term break

Term ends Thursday 1st April 2021

Easter holidays Friday 2nd April to Monday 19th April 2021

Summer Term starts Tuesday 20th April 2021

Mid-term holidays • Monday 3rd May 2021, May Day • Tuesday 4th May 2021, staff only day • Monday 24th May 2021, Victoria Day

Term ends Friday 2nd July 2021 at 12 NOON

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