Holmston Primary School School Handbook 2017 - 2018 Contents Welcome Page 3 School Policies and Practical Information Contact Details Page 4 • Choosing a School Page 38 Staff List Page 5 • Homework Page 38 Registration and Transition Page 6 • Pupil Council Page 39 Parental Involvement Page 7 • Playground Supervision Page 39 Parent Council and Forum Page 8 • Attendance Page 40 School Ethos, Aims and Vision Page 10 • Transferring Educational Data Page 42 The Curriculum Page 13 • School Uniform Policy Page 44 Health and Wellbeing – School Discipline Page 20 • Parental Complaints Procedure Page 45 Religious and Moral Education Page 22 • School Meals and Free School meal Information Page 45 Wider Achievement Page 23 • Footwear and Clothing Grants Page 46 Composite Classes Page 24 • Insurance and Valuable Items Page 46 Equal Opportunities and Inclusion Page 25 • Transport Guide for Parents Page 47 Assessment and Reporting Page 26 • Mobile Phones and Social Media Page 49 Support for Pupils – Additional Support Needs Page 29 • Health and Medical Information Page 50 Psychological Service Page 34 • Health Promotion and Nutrition Page 51 Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) Page 35 • National Dental Inspection Programme Page 51 Child Protection Page 36 • Data Protection Act and Freedom of Information Page 53 School Improvement Page 37 Appendix A – Helpful Addresses and Websites Page 54 2 Welcome Dear Parents, Welcome to our school handbook. I hope that you We aim to work in partnership with parents and will find it interesting and valuable. It is designed to actively encourage you to take a positive role in give you an accurate picture of life in Holmston the education of your children. With your support Primary School and what we offer our pupils and we can work together to make sure your child their families. gets the very best primary education available. Holmston Primary is at the heart of the local Please feel free to visit the school at anytime. We community that it serves and is very much a aim to ensure that any queries are dealt with community school. It has been called “the village speedily and courteously. Please also visit our school in the town”. We work hard to create a safe, website for further information. welcoming and positive ethos, which ensures that all We look forward to getting to know you, your pupils have the opportunity to have their individual children and your family better in the future. learning needs met. Our school places a strong emphasis on tailoring Welcome to Holmston! learning and teaching to ensure that every child’s needs are met. Pupil attainment and their wider achievements are important to us in ensuring that every child is given the opportunity to reach their full potential. R Hardy Head Teacher 3 Contact Details Holmston Primary is a non-denominational co- educational school situated in the centre of Ayr. At School Address present the school roll is 192 from P1 to P7. The capacity of the school is 216. Parents should note Holmston Primary School that the working capacity of the school may vary Holmston Road dependent upon the number of pupils at each stage Ayr and the way in which the classes are organised. We KA7 3BB do not have a nursery but several feeder nurseries from the local area. Tel: 01292 612705 E-mail: holmston.mail@south–ayrshire.gov.uk The origins of Holmston Primary School can be Website: blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/sa/holmstonps/ traced back to the early nineteenth century when Captain John Smith, a mariner, bequeathed the sum Opening Hours of £2000 to fund a school for educating the children Open .......... 9.00am of the poor. The original school was built in Smith Interval .......... 10.45 am - 11.00 am Street in 1825. In 1884 the school transferred to Lunch .......... 12.30 pm - 1.15 pm the present site in Holmston Road and in 1930 Close .......... 3.00 pm changed its name to Holmston Public School and later to Holmston Primary School. Please note that pupils in Primary 1 finish school at 12.30pm until the 1st Monday in September. After this they The school has been extended and added to. We stay until 3.00pm. have a Gym Hall/Dining Room, library, Work Room, Catchment Details classrooms for each class and a fully resourced ICT suite. Our lunches are provided from Kincaidston Details of the school's catchment area and street names Primary School. are available for inspection at the school and parents can also access them on the Council's website at www.south- Each pupil is part of a house: Belmont, Craigie, ayrshire.gov.uk. Catchment map and area are available Castlehill and Greenan and our House Captains are from the School Management Section, Educational elected from our Primary 7 class. Services, County Buildings, Wellington Square, Ayr KA7 1DR Holmston Primary School is part of the Belmont Academy Cluster alongside Alloway, Doonfoot, Braehead, Useful links to additional information to be found in Kincaidston, Tarbolton and Southcraig schools. Although Appendix A certain streets are also part of the Ayr Academy 4 4 catchment. Holmston Primary School Staff List Senior Management Team Head Teacher / Named Person R Hardy Janitor J Wilson Depute Head Teacher K Reid Cleaner L McDowall Cleaner L MacInally Teaching Staff Catering Assistant S Heathcote P1 Teacher D Slider Catering Assistant A Cuthbert P2 Teachers A Dickson Catering Assistant J Kirk P3 Teacher G Mackenzie P4 Teacher E Pollock / G Davies Violin Teacher Ms Burns P5 Teacher C Taylor / R Shanta Brass Teacher Mr McGraten P6 Teacher S Hunter P7 Teacher T Gunning Minister Rev. D Gemmell Creativity H Messner Campus Cop S Gilmour School Assistants (Classroom Assistants) F McLaren Parent Voice N Rae E Scott Chair Mrs Hannigan L Bell Vice Chair Mrs Curragh L McKelvie Treasurers Mrs Fraser and Mrs Russell Secretary Mrs Shields Clerical Assistants R Duffy S Young 5 5 Registration and Enrolment Transition In South Ayrshire the main enrolment exercise Pupils are normally transferred between the ages of takes place in January when pupils register for 11½ and 12 ½ so that they will have the opportunity education. The dates and times are selected by the to complete at least four years of secondary Education Authority and published in the local education. Parents will be informed of the school press. Enrolment dates are also displayed in all arrangements no later than December of the year local nurseries. preceding the date of transfer. There are excellent transition opportunities Prospective parents and their children are available to our pupils. These include transition welcome to visit the school, have a look around days, STEM workshop days and visits from staff. and have an informal chat about any aspect of There are extended transition arrangements for school life. identified pupils to support this process. At all other times please telephone the school Pupils from Holmston Primary usually transfer to : prior to a visit in order to arrange a mutually convenient time to meet with the Head Teacher. Belmont Academy 8 Nursery Road Ayr Please note: KA7 3SN The definition of ‘parent’ used is the broadly framed definition set out in the 1980 Act which is Tel: 01292 612054 as follows: ‘Parent’ includes guardian and any Website: http://www.belmont.sayr.sch.uk/ person who is liable to maintain or has parental responsibilities in relation to, or has care of a child Certain streets within the Belmont Academy or young person. This is a wide definition which catchment are also part of the Ayr Academy can include, by way of example, non-resident catchment. Please see the South Ayrshire website parents who are liable to maintain or have parental for further details. responsibilities in respect of a child and others with parental responsibilities, e.g. foster carers or kinship carers 6 Parental Involvement Parents as Partners At Holmston we value our links with parents as Parents’ meetings are held twice a year in partners in their child’s education. We have an October and March where an appointment open door policy where parents can contact the system is used. Classrooms are open to allow school at anytime to discuss their child. If the head parents to see the work going on which is teacher is not available parents can discuss the displayed on the wall, through class or group matter with the depute head teacher or make an projects and individual pupil work. Parents then appointment at a mutually suitable time. At all meet with the class teacher. Parent information times parents are kept informed of events taking evenings on aspects of Curriculum for Excellence place at school, through regular e-mailed and open days are held throughout the year and newsletters and letters sent home in school bags. we also encourage parents into the school to help Parents’ views are sought through parent focus out in classes, lead workshops and share their groups, questionnaires and evaluations. expertise. Teachers provide information for parents on processes pupils use for example in mathematics to Parents can contact the school on 01292 612705 allow parents to support their child at home. or through the school e-mail: [email protected] Homework is sent home regularly and parents are encouraged to communicate through the homework diaries. 7 Parent Council and Parent Forum Parent Councils are the formal representative body for The Parent Forum decides how their parents with children attending school. Parent representatives on the Parent Council are Councils are different in each school to enable them to chosen and how the Parent Council operates. meet the needs of parents locally. Parents are encouraged to volunteer or put themselves forward to be chosen as Parents are welcomed to be: representatives of the Parent Council if they wish.