Parents & Carers Information Booklet

2020-21

CONTENTS

Vision, Values and Aims ...... 1

Quick Contact List ...... 2

About Our School ...... 3

School Staff ...... 5

Managing Covid-19 in School ...... 6

Keeping You Informed ...... 7

School Organisation ...... 8

School Calendar ...... 9

Being Absent ...... 10

Daily Checklist ...... 10

Play and School Clubs ...... 14

Curriculum...... 15

Religious Observance & Learning ...... 18

Working with Parents and Carers ...... 19

Pupil Council ...... 21

Additional Learning Needs ...... 22

Behaviour Management ...... 23

Enrolment and Transition ...... 24

Travel to School ...... 25

Safety at School ...... 26

Medical Matters ...... 27

Educational Excursion Policy ...... 28

School Improvement and Planning ...... 29

School Policy Documents ...... 29

Complaints & Compliments ...... 30

Plan of the School ...... 31

VISION, VALUES AND AIMS

Dounby Community School

Vision, values and aims

We value:

happiness, health and respect;

questioning, creativity and

perseverance; friendliness,

fairness and good manners.

Together, as a community of pupils, parents, staff and residents of the three parishes of , and Sandwick we aim to:

1. Be the best that we can be.

2. Aspire to develop as: Successful learners Confident individuals Responsible citizens Effective contributors

3. Achieve widely, attain highly and be happy and healthy.

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QUICK CONTACT LIST

SCHOOL: Tel: (01856) 771234 email: admin.@glow.orkneyschools.org.uk HEADTEACHER: Tel: (01856) 771234 email: [email protected]

SCHOOL WEBSITE: http://www.orkney.co/dounbycs/ SCHOOL BLOG: http://dounbycommunityschool.blogspot.co.uk/ FACEBOOK PAGE: http://facebook.com/dounbycommunityschool PINTEREST BOARDS: https://www.pinterest.com/dounby/

If contacting school staff by email please would parents use, [email protected] except if you wish to contact the headteacher directly, [email protected] , thank you.

If your child is unwell please phone or e-mail the school and telephone your child’s conveyor.

CONVEYOR Home Telephone Mobile Ronnie Ballantyne (01856) 721 386 0776 324 0948 Billy Hay (01856) 841 722 0776 982 8534 Wendy Kirkness (01856) 841 724 0795 839 9410 Katrina Muir (01856) 761 608 Kristan Petrie (01856) 771 297 0773 659 6344 Pam 0774 558 6461 Derry Sinclair (01856) 771 708 0774 530 5073 Marion Leask (01856) 721 247 0755 569 5255 (Arthur Spence) Stewart Spence (01856) 721 301 0751 670 1151 (Ann Spence)

PARENT GROUP (Parent Council): Gavin Barr (Co-Chair) Tel: (01856) 721 273 email: [email protected] Sarah Scarth (Co-Chair) Tel: (01856) 771 259 email: [email protected] Geraldine Ferguson (Clerk) Tel: (01856) 771 839 email: [email protected]

SCHOOL NURSE: Tel: (01856) 888 262 email: [email protected]

DOCTOR’S SURGERY: Tel: (01856) 771 209

STROMNESS ACADEMY: Tel: (01856) 850 660 email: [email protected]

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ABOUT OUR SCHOOL

This booklet is intended to help you know more about your child’s school. We hope that many of your questions may be answered within its pages but we would encourage you to contact us by telephone, email or in person if you need to know about something that is not included here.

Our intention is to provide high quality learning opportunities for your child in an environment where they are safe, well cared for and happy. If you have any worries or concerns about what is happening at school for your child please do not hesitate to contact us.

CONTACT US Address: Dounby Community School, Tel: 01856 771 234 Dounby, Fax: 01856 771 701 , email: [email protected] KW17 2JA Web page: http://www.orkney.co/dounbycs/

Dounby Community School Directions: Leave on the A965 and head west; or leave on the A965 and head east. At the junction with the A986 turn and head north, signposted Harray, Dounby and Birsay. The school is on the right as you enter Dounby before the village centre. Please park in the large car park beside the school.

Dounby School and Community Centre was opened in 1976 to serve the parishes of Harray, Sandwick and Birsay. In response to demand, in 2000, a large hall was added and the community and school facilities were upgraded. Accommodation and amenities are provided within the buildings and grounds for community use and we are fortunate to be able to share these facilities. The school is classed as a non-denominational

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primary school with nursery, however since August 2017 the nursery has a nursery manager on site and is managed by an officer at School Place in Kirkwall.

The school facilities include class teaching areas, a nursery, a learning support base, a small hall with a stage, a music room, an art room, a computer room, a library and a kitchen/utility room. There is also an administration block comprising reception area, headteacher’s office, janitor’s room, medical room and staff room.

The community facilities include a large sports hall with changing rooms and showers, a fitness suite, games room, multi-purpose community rooms and a cafeteria facility in the reception area. All facilities have access for the disabled. The school is able to offer internet access for meetings and clubs.

The shared grounds include two pitches marked out for rugby and football. There is a play park, tennis court, tarred play areas and car parking area with bus drop off/pick up points.

A plan of the Dounby School and Community Centre is included at the end of this booklet.

Dounby Community School from the air.

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SCHOOL STAFF

HEADTEACHER: Alastair Forsyth

TEACHING STAFF: Rachel Garson (Principal Teacher) Hazel McKinlay Rhona Black Nicola Moar Katherine Diaper Natalie Rendall (maternity leave) Lesley Harcus (Support for Learning) Eileen Sandison Juliane Hodkinson Charlene Shearer Freya Thomson

SPECIALIST TEACHERS: Vacant (PE) Karen Shearer (Music) (maternity leave) Eilidh Harcus (Art) Vacant (Music)

TEACHING SUPPORT STAFF: Mai Banks (Early Years Worker / Support for Learning Assistant) Parnell Inkster (Support for Learning Assistant)

NON-TEACHING STAFF: Donald Foubister (Janitor) Kerry Flett (Auxiliary) Pam Rendall (Auxiliary) Pauline Morrice (Clerical Assistant) Linda Johnston (Clerical Assistant) Jean Copland (Head Cook) Lyn Groundwater (Assistant Cook) Moira Garson (Kitchen Assistant) Karen Chalmers (Kitchen Assistant) Karen Sinclair (Kitchen Assistant) Lorraine Campbell (Head Cleaner) Tina Lamont (Cleaner)

INSTRUMENTAL INSTRUCTORS: Brian Jones (Brass) Karen Griffith (Strings) Adam Clarkson (Guitar) Eilidh Wilkinson (Percussion)

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MANAGING COVID-19 IN SCHOOL

At the time of writing, mid-June 2020 the school is closed to pupils and about to re- open again to staff so that we can prepare for the new school year. We are not sure what restrictions will be in place when we re-open but safety, understanding, wellbeing and inclusion will be the themes that we will keep foremost in our minds.

Transition into school will be a sensitive process, children will respond in different ways. We intend to enable the transition by ensuring that familiar and trusted adults are available to children, that there is space to talk and that children understand that we are happy to spend time making them feel safe and comfortable. Children will not be ready to learn unless they are assured that school is a good, safe place to be.

A range of safety measures will be in place, these will include a much higher standard of hygiene and sanitation, for example, we expect to have foot pedal bins throughout the school, a small measure but one that will help control any infection. We will be following the guidance from and from the Scottish Government and we will be teaching the children directly about safety and hygiene.

We understand that children may return to, or start school with a range of knowledge of Covid-19. We will work thoughtfully with the children, beginning at each individual’s starting place, to help them learn about the disease.

The children’s wellbeing is the essential foundation to their learning. Our school year will start with a programme of health and wellbeing learning and our school staff will be paying careful attention to the personal wellbeing of each individual pupil.

We will do our best to understand and respond to children’s individual needs, doing all we can to always ensure their wellbeing.

Please see the parents’ risk assessment for attendance at school this term. If your child is unwell with any of the symptoms of Covid-19 please do not send them to school.

Some of the information that follows presumes that school is functioning full-time for every pupil. Due to the current measures in place to control the spread of Corvid-19 we are unsure at the present time how school will operate from August 2020 but are preparing for children’s part-time attendance in smaller learning groups for the first few weeks at least. We will keep you informed via Seesaw, email, text and school newsletters of changes as they occur.

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KEEPING YOU INFORMED

We intend to keep you well informed about what is happening in school.

 Each class has a termly letter that is published early in each term. The class letter will give you information about your child’s learning in the forthcoming term and other class news.  There is a weekly Learning Log, telling you about the learning in the upcoming week, the Learning Log comes home with your child at least weekly, if not daily, and gives you information about what is happening week to week in your child’s class.  Once or twice a term we will send home Learning Folders with samples of your child’s work, there is an opportunity for you to comment and give us feedback when you return the Learning Folder to school.  The school uses an app called Seesaw, this app enables your child to share their achievements in school with you via your mobile phone, tablet or computer. The school is working towards all children sharing one item of learning a week with you. If you need more information about Seesaw please ask your child’s teacher.  Parents are welcomed to assemblies and other performances several times a year. The school also holds open afternoons and coffee mornings to give parents a window into children’s learning.  Every month a school newsletter is published which will include a diary of forthcoming school events and current information about events in school.  We send letters home to you for a variety of reasons including, information about class educational excursions, news of fundraising and charity events and notices of meetings. We will usually send a text to you to inform you that these letters are on the way home.  The school has a website, see below http://www.orkney.co/dounbycs/ where there is information about school, documents, policy and recent newsletters and letters to parents. Seesaw has a new school announcement function which we may begin to use to share additional information with you. We have a Facebook page for information about forthcoming events. We have some resources for parents on our Pinterest site which is also accessed from our website.  We use text to inform you that letters or other information is coming home from school that day, or to give you other information about school. If you download the Xpressions App from App Store (Apple devices) or Google Play (Android devices) then these texts are sent to you at no cost to the school.  Agendas and minutes of the school’s parent council, which is called Parent Group, are sent out by email and posted on the school’s website. Please see below for more information about Parent Group.

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 If you want more specific information about your child, or wish to arrange an appointment to meet your child’s teacher or the headteacher please telephone 01856 771234 or email [email protected] .

SCHOOL ORGANISATION

Year group Organisation Staffing

Shapinsay Class Taught as a single One teacher full-time (Rachel Garson), (Primary 1) age cohort class. released one day a fortnight in order to carry out principal teacher management duties (Lesley Harcus to teach then) and a support for learning/early years practitioner (Mai Banks) for most sessions.

Rousay Class Taught as a Two part-time teachers (Nicola Moar and (Primary 2/3 years) composite class. Eileen Sandison), supported by learning support and auxiliary staff as required.

Graemsay Class Taught as a Two part-time teachers (Hazel McKinlay (Primary 3/4 years) composite class. and Charlene Shearer), supported by learning support and auxiliary staff as required.

Hoy Class Taught as a Two part-time teachers (Rhona Black and (Primary 4/5 year) composite class. Katherine Diaper), supported by Parnell Inkster.

Westray Class Taught as a single One teacher full-time (Juliane Hodkinson), (Primary 6 year) age cohort class. supported by learning support and auxiliary staff as required.

Flotta Class Taught as a single One teacher full-time (Freya Thomson), (Primary 7 year) age cohort class. supported by learning support and auxiliary staff as required.

The projected school roll at 1st September 2020, Primary 1 to Primary 7, will be 128.

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SCHOOL CALENDAR 2020/2021

On Monday, 10th and Tuesday, 11th August the school year will start with two in-service days. We will then have half of the school roll in school on Wednesday, 12th August, and the other half of the school roll on Thursday, 13th August. We will send you a letter informing you about which day your child / children should attend. The following day, Friday, 14th August will be used to respond to any of the issues that became apparent on the previous two days and for talking to parents individually as necessary. From Monday, 17th August all children will attend school full-time.

The school calendar is being revised by Orkney Islands Council due to changes made in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The following calendar contains information that will change during this school year, we will keep you up-to-date with these changes as they occur.

Autumn Winter

In-service Mon 26 /Tue 27 October Start Mon 17 August Start Wed 28 October End Fri 09 October End Fri 18 December

Spring Summer

Start Wed 6 January 2021 Start Mon 19 April In-service Wed 10 & Thu 11 February May Day Mon 03 May Mid-term break Fri 12 - Mon 15 February In-service Mon 07 June End Fri 02 April End Fri 02 July

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BEING ABSENT

If your child is unwell or going to be absent from school for the day please: o contact your child’s school transport provider if your child comes to school by minibus o contact school before 10:00 a.m. and let us know why your child is absent.

If you want to take your child out of school for part of a day or longer during term time please let us know in school first. Most absences other than those for medical reasons are now classed as unauthorised absence from school. However, there are certain circumstances for which authorised absence is granted, please come and talk to us.

Exceptional absence from school may be granted for musical, other arts and sporting events. Please talk to us if your child’s absence may be in relation to these activities.

DAILY CHECKLIST

The School Day

Morning Session 9.20 a.m. - 11.00 a.m. Play Time 11.00 a.m. - 11.20 a.m. Morning Session 11.20 a.m. - 12.45 p.m. Lunch Time 12.45 p.m. - 1.30 p.m. Afternoon Session 1.30 p.m. - 3.25 p.m.

Clothing For much of the year a warm coat is an essential. Children play outside in most weather and their coat needs to be warm, shower-proof and cosy. In winter and during the colder months a hat and gloves are useful. Footwear should be practical for an active day and suitable for playing outside in all weathers. Children should also have a pair of trainers in school that are for indoor use.

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In summer and autumn children should wear clothing that protects them from the sun. A cap or hat is required. Shoulders should be covered.

There is a school uniform which is a blue sweatshirt or hoody top with the school logo. These may be ordered and purchased from Leviathan International, Stromness, 850395

Children should wear practical, warm clothing for school. Children have an active day so footwear should be suitable for safe play on the playground and on the school pitch. In winter, wellies or stout shoes for outside and a pair of indoor shoes is recommended. We recommend combat trousers, “trackie bottoms” or jeans or other comfortable, hard-wearing trousers. Girls may also wear skirts or dresses, tights are advised in the colder months. For safety reasons clothing needs to be relatively plain, without decorative buckles or other adornments. Most importantly, for younger children, clothing should be easy for them to take on and off themselves.

We strongly discourage the wearing of necklaces, dangling ear-rings and large bracelets. These can be a hazard at play times. Children may be asked to remove these items of jewellery if they are considered to be likely to cause an injury during play or P.E. We encourage older children to wear watches, however, some of these can be large and potentially be a danger during playtimes, children may be asked to remove them for play. Children will be asked to remove watches for P.E. sessions.

Children need a change of clothes in school so they may take part in Physical Education (P.E.). Children need a pair of shorts, a T-shirt and a pair of trainers.

Please would parents and carers ensure that children’s clothing and shoes are labelled with their child’s name. Finding the owner of one of twenty blue sweatshirts can be a frustrating task!

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Other equipment Children need a bag to carry books, equipment, letters, other paperwork, packed lunch if they have one, and clothing, between home and school. A small rucksack is recommended but any hard-wearing, practical bag will do. The school will provide a homework pack to children in Primary 1 and 2. We will ask parents to replace this if it wears out or is lost.

Children may bring a pencil case with favourite pens and pencils and a toy to school. We would prefer toys to be of a size that will fit into school bags. Large or expensive toys are generally discouraged or may be brought only by arrangement with class teachers. If a child brings something to school that we judge to be inappropriate, for safety or other reasons, we may remove it from your child and only return it at the end of the school day.

Children should not bring expensive electronic equipment to school unless by prior arrangement with their teacher. This equipment is brought at parents’ and carers’ own risk and school cannot be held responsible for its safe-keeping. Use of children’s own tablet computers in school is only by agreement with the class teacher.

Children should not bring mobile phones to school. In exceptional circumstances (for example, if your child is going away for the weekend), please ensure class teachers are aware that your child has brought a mobile to school. Mobile phones will be stored in the school office during the school day if they are brought to school with this prior agreement.

Children may bring small sums of money to school. During the school day children may buy a play piece from our tuck shop. Children will also need to pay for their school lunch, see prices below.

Food and school meals School lunches are cooked on site. A menu is sent out to parents termly and we do our best to inform you of any changes to the menu during the school term. You may choose on a daily basis if your child will have a school meal or you will provide a packed lunch. Meals can be paid for daily, weekly or termly in advance at the kitchen. School lunches consist of a hot meal, or a baked potato with a selection of fillings, or a sandwich and a choice of salad available from the salad bar. Fresh fruit and yoghurt are available as alternatives to pudding each day. Meals are free to Primary 1, 2 and 3 children. Otherwise the charges are: Child’s lunch £2.40 If you send your child to school with a packed lunch there is a website that gives advice on ideas for children’s lunches at: https://www.netmums.com/back-to-school/the- lunchbox-kit

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Children may bring a play piece to eat at break time. Class pupils operate a Tuck Shop at morning break where they sell a variety of healthy foods including cereal bars, fruit, flavoured water, biscuits etc. Children should not bring sweets to eat at school.

Sun protection Protecting our children from the sun is increasingly an issue we all are concerned about. Please ensure that in periods of sunny weather, particularly August to October and March to June you apply sun screen lotion before your child comes to school, and please give them sun screen to reapply during break and lunch times. Please encourage your child to wear a hat and long sleeved clothing during periods of sunny weather. We have asked you to give consent for us to apply our sun screen lotion if we think that is required.

Road safety and school transport During the winter months we provide children with reflective waistcoats, please ensure they wear their waistcoat every morning.

If your child travels to and from school by school transport minibus you will be given the name and contact information for your child’s conveyer. Please ensure that you keep this name and telephone number safely. In times of poor weather the drivers will not always phone you about which roads they are and are not driving on, and you will need to phone them to get this information. On the whole the drivers are good at keeping you informed but it is parents’ and carers’ responsibility. In particular, when snow has fallen, the roads in Quoyloo are not always accessible.

Please listen to Radio Orkney at 7.30 a.m. (93.7 F.M.) each morning during periods of inclement weather to find out if school is open. Information will also be posted on the OIC Twitter page: http://twitter.com/#!/OrkneyCouncil and on the OIC Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/OICUpdates/155210207847669 .

Our emergency closure procedure, if snow, ice or high winds occur during the school day is that we will phone you, and must speak with you, before allowing your child to board a bus to come home. Please make sure we have up-to-date contact numbers for yourself and your emergency contacts. Weather predictions can be found at: https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/forecast/gft8n94bt#?date=2018-06-12 If a weather warning is in force please make sure that someone will be available to receive your child from the school bus or would be able to collect your child from school. Please keep your mobile switched on during these times.

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PLAY AND SCHOOL CLUBS

Play is an important part of every child’s school day. Children learn through play especially within the Early Level of Curriculum for Excellence and play takes place in the classroom as well as on the playground and pitches. There is time for children to play when they arrive at school in the morning, at morning break time, at lunch time and at the end of the school day. The time available for children’s play varies depending on the time of their bus run. However, all children will have 20 minutes to play at morning break and a period of time within the 45 minutes lunch time.

Play before and after school, at playtime and at lunchtime is supervised by our auxiliary staff and our janitor. The ratio of one adult to 50 children is always maintained. Students on placement and other school staff augment this staffing for play times. During the Summer Term children from Dounby Nursery join our playtime session quite often as part of their transition activities, Nursery staff are present on the playground at these times. In poor weather play takes place indoors, usually in the foyer, a community room and in the sports hall. Outdoor play takes place on the playground and when the ground is dry enough in the play park and on the pitches.

We have a variety of things for children to play with at school. We have the traditional footballs, netballs, skipping ropes and hoops. We have two small sandpits in the main playground with sand toys. We have purchased scooters for all children to use on a designated area of the playground. We have Didicars for younger children to use in another area of the playground. We have some “small world” equipment for children to play with including wooden building bricks. We are encouraging children to bring toy vehicles and dolls. All toys brought from home are brought at parents’ discretion. The school has recently opened a Scrapstore/Playpod to enable children to engage in “loose parts play”. Essentially this is cleaned and safety inspected waste materials and components that the children play with. Our staff have been trained to supervise and support “loose parts play”.

There are before or after school clubs at varying times of the year for badminton, football and netball. There are a wide range of activities that children may attend at the community centre at weekends and during the evening, including sporting activities, Boys Brigade, Brownies and Guides. Full details of all these activities are available from the Dounby Centre, telephone 771 280.

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CURRICULUM

Curriculum for Excellence is ’s schools’ curriculum. Curriculum for Excellence has been developed in consultation with schools since 2004 and was implemented in all Scottish schools in August 2010.

Curriculum for Excellence is based around the Four Capacities:  Successful learners  Confident individuals  Effective contributors  Responsible citizens

The curriculum in school is designed on the basis of the following principles:  Challenge and enjoyment  Breadth  Progression  Depth  Personalisation and choice  Coherence  Relevance

The principles are taken into account for all children and young people. They apply to the curriculum both at an organisational level and in the classroom and in any setting where children and young people are learners. Further information about Curriculum for Excellence is available for parents and carers at: https://education.gov.scot/parentzone/learning-in-scotland/About%20the%203- 18%20curriculum

Videos are available here: Primary 1 to Primary 7 - http://vimeo.com/37305253 General - http://vimeo.com/36972450

Curriculum for Excellence encompasses eight curriculum areas:  Expressive arts  Health and well-being  Languages  Mathematics  Religious and moral education  Sciences  Social studies  Technologies

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Within these areas we provide a wide range of experiences which give the children knowledge and understanding of the individual subjects. The personal and social development of our pupils is of equal importance and at all stages, we encourage children to become independent thinkers and learners who respect the needs and views of others.

Learning is structured across four Levels in the primary years. The Levels are a continuum and children move from Level to Level as their learning needs are met. Thus, there are no specific beginning years for the Levels beyond Early. However, as a guide, the levels correspond approximately to the years below:

Early Level - Nursery and P1 or later for some.

First Level - usually beginning for children in P1, and extending to the end of P4, but earlier or later for some.

Second Level - usually beginning for children in P5, and extending to the end of P7, but earlier or later for some.

Third Level - beginning for some children in P6 or P7, but the majority of children engage with this level at S1.

Curriculum for Excellence is a thematic approach to learning. That is not to say that the skills and knowledge required for the learning of mathematics, language or science, for example, will not be taught clearly and directly. However, learning will most often be addressed within themes. For example, a theme of “Ourselves” in Primary 1 would include aspects of biology, history and geography, however English and mathematics learning would be set within that context as well, as far as possible.

Teachers will keep you informed about what your child is learning via a termly class letter. The class letter will be posted on our website so it is available for reference. Your child’s Learning Folder will come home to you once or twice a term and if you sign up to the Seesaw app you will usually be able to see an item of your child’s learning each week during term time.

The school assesses children against a range of criteria using a number of tools. Teachers will be able to report to you which Level your child is learning within during the school year. The school shares information with the Scottish Government through its assessment of children in Primary 1, Primary 4 and Primary 7 using the Scottish National Standardised Assessments. The school also shares information with the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring at Durham University whose PIPS assessments we use, currently in Primary 1, Primary 3, Primary 5 and Primary 7. The school uses two online apps which include assessment elements within them. We use Sumdog as a practice opportunity for mathematics learning, but this includes ongoing assessment of 16

the children against Curriculum for Excellence Levels, thus we are sharing information with Sumdog. We also use IDLCloud which is a literacy intervention programme and to ensure this intervention is individual to each child we carry out a literacy assessment with the children and share the information with Ascentis, the company who own IDLCloud. The information that we gather from our assessments is shared with you through our parent/child/teacher meetings three times a year.

Within Curriculum for Excellence children have an entitlement to be involved in planning their own learning. At Dounby Community School we take this entitlement seriously through the school. Teachers discuss themes and topics with their class and children’s ideas are incorporated within the learning framework. One of the most important aspects of learning is receiving and discussing feedback from teachers about learning. These discussions between children and their teachers lead to agreement about children’s next steps for learning and learning targets. We involve parents and carers in these discussions in our parent, pupil, teacher consultation evenings. Children’s targets and next steps are often recorded in their Learning Logs, or they may be recorded in Individualised Educational Plans (IEPs) or in Child’s Plans for some children. The Learning Logs, Child’s Plans and IEPs will be sent home for parents to view and discuss with their child.

Parents may always enquire of the school about any aspect of their child’s learning. Please contact us by phone or by email, [email protected] .

When children are learning about sensitive issues, we will inform parents about this, either in the class teacher’s termly letter, or by a letter relating specifically to that learning. Parents will be given opportunities to discuss this learning with school staff if they so wish. However, we do give children the opportunity to lead discussions through Circle Time activities and we cannot always predict in advance what the children will choose to discuss in those sessions that occur approximately weekly in class. Please be assured that our staff will always talk sensitively with children about any complex or difficult issues that they wish to discuss. 17

RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE & LEARNING

Dounby Community School is a non-denominational school. Religious observance and religious education are a statutory element of a school’s provision. In common with many Scottish schools our assemblies may frequently include a “time for reflection” and are not often specifically religious. Parents may request that their child does not attend our assemblies, be they a time for reflection or more specifically religious. Please contact the headteacher to make this request and arrangements will be made for your child to be supervised and involved in other activities during this assembly time.

Religious and moral education enables children and young people to explore the world’s major religions, and to understand views which are independent of religious belief. Children are asked to consider the challenges posed by these different beliefs and values. Religious and moral education supports children in developing and reflecting upon their own values and morals. Through developing awareness and appreciation of the value of each individual in a diverse society, religious and moral education encourages children to develop sensitive and responsible attitudes to other individuals. Our aim is that children’s awareness and understanding of beliefs and values different from their own, as well as further developing their own beliefs and moral values, will assist in counteracting prejudice and intolerance as children and young people consider issues such as sectarianism and discrimination more broadly.

Parents may also choose for their child not to attend Religious and Moral Education (RME) lessons. Again the headteacher should be contacted if parents would like to arrange this provision for their child.

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WORKING WITH PARENTS AND CARERS

Parents are children’s first educators. Successful education comes about from a partnership between the pupil, their parents or carers, and school.

Before children begin the Primary 1 year we meet with you so that you know what to expect during your child’s first year in the next phase of their school based learning.

Class teachers and the headteacher are always happy to discuss your child’s progress or any concerns you may have, and an appointment can easily be made by phoning the school office or via email. We will always meet you a soon as we are able to. If you have an immediate concern it will usually be possible to meet the headteacher or class teacher the same day.

Please do feel free to contact the school about anything to do with your child’s education or their care that we could help you with. Sharing a concern is usually the first step towards its resolution.

Homework In our view homework should not disrupt or impose upon your family life. Our homework is voluntary and no child will be criticised or reprimanded for not completing any homework. The best homework is for you to be going out and about with your child and talking to them about the things that they experience and observe. We do believe that reading with your child and to them is very helpful and improves their reading skills. Saying nursery rhymes together is a lovely activity for younger children.

The other important homework that parents can carry out with their child is to read with or to their child. Some older children in Primary 5, 6 or 7 may not especially want you to read to them or read with them. Taking an interest in what your child is reading and talking about their reading with them, helping them to access the library or helping them to purchase appropriate books are all valuable activities to support their learning. Reading does not have to be just about books, The Orcadian, Farmers’ Weekly, the daily paper, online reading are all valuable. Children continue to learn to read throughout the primary school years and your input makes a difference. The school has picture books, novels and non-fiction books that the children may bring home. The school publishes an advice leaflet to help you support your child’s reading at home. It is on the school website here: http://www.orkney.co/dounbycs/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Reading- leaflet-May-2014.pdf and we are very happy to print a copy for you, please ask at the school office.

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The school uses the internet to provide learning opportunities at home for all our children. Children are currently able to use Study Ladder, IDL Cloud, Doorway Online, Oxford Owl, Sumdog and other internet resources, class teachers will guide the children and parents in the use of the internet for learning at home. During school closure days due to inclement weather these resources can be valuably accessed from home.

Communication with parents Please see “Keeping you informed” at the beginning of this booklet.

The school occasionally carries out meetings with parents and carers in focus groups. This can be to informally explore potential changes in school policy or to gain a sense of how parents are feeling about particular issue. Focus groups are chosen randomly, using an online random number programme. If you are asked to participate in a focus group we are very grateful for your participation and it is a useful way of parents contributing to school improvement.

We also carry out surveys of parents occasionally in order to gauge your feelings about a variety of issues. We try to publish outcomes of surveys as soon as possible after they have been completed, usually with our monthly newsletter.

Parent Group (Dounby’s parent council) Because parents have an important role to play in their children’s education, the Scottish Parliament passed the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act 2006 to encourage and support more parents becoming involved with their children’s education. The main aims of the Act are to:

* Help parents become more involved with their child’s education and learning. * Welcome parents as active participants in the life of the school. * Provide easier ways for parents to express their views and wishes.

All parents are welcome at the meetings of Parent Group. Parents can volunteer or be nominated as year group representatives. There may be up to two representatives for each year group. In the event of more than two people standing for any year group then an election will take place involving the parents of that year group. Year groups are: Nursery, Primary 1, Primary 2, Primary 3, Primary 4, Primary 5, Primary 6 and Primary 7.

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Friends of Dounby School (F.O.D.S) This organisation was created as an informal way in which parents could become involved in the school. Over the years its help has been invaluable in fund raising activities, sports days and supervision on school and class outings, and in many other ways. F.O.D.S. is officially a part of Parent Group.

F.O.D.S. consists of a volunteer parent representative from every class with new members appointed at the start of each school year.

We are very lucky to have supportive parents who, as well as their involvement with their own children, are prepared to share their time and skills for the benefit of other children in the school. We are always grateful for help with projects, concerts and extra-curricular activities. If you would like to help in any way please get in touch!

In general In school we are always happy to see parents or carers and work with you. One way you can help in school is by sharing your knowledge and expertise. An important aspect of Curriculum for Excellence is the sharing of knowledge and experiences with children. You may like to volunteer to help in school on a regular basis, helping in the class room for example. Alternatively, we are always keen to have parents or carers come in and tell us about their work or an interest or special skill that they have.

PUPIL COUNCIL

The school has an active pupil council. At the beginning of the school year randomly selected children are given the opportunity to join the pupil council. Usually the council has three representatives from each of the year cohorts Primary 3 to Primary 7. A pupil from Primary 7 is usually the chair of the council. The council usually meets weekly. The council discusses a range of issues including safety in school, school rules, travel to and from school, school meals and play and the playground. The discussions in pupil council are often discussed further in each class and children’s views from across the school are brought back to the pupil council.

Younger children have the opportunity for discussion in class about the things in school that are important to them. The school has occasional focus group meetings with younger children in Primary 1 and Primary 2 in order to find out what the younger children are thinking about their school. These views can then be fed back to the pupil council.

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ADDITIONAL LEARNING NEEDS

Some children have additional learning needs. These needs may be temporary, for short periods of time, or they may be more permanent. Teaching staff at Dounby Community School work with Orkney Islands Council staff, the Health Service and other agencies to identify and help to meet children’s additional needs. Our support for learning teacher leads our small support team, she advises teachers, works directly with children and meets with parents and carers. If we believe that your child might need some help in school with their learning, or in other ways, we will get in touch with you to discuss their needs as soon as we are able to.

During the process of identifying children’s learning needs we may need to ask specialist staff from other agencies to help us. In these circumstances we will always consult parents and carers and request your permission for these staff to work with your child.

Some children who have identified additional learning needs will have Child’s Plans or Individualised Educational Plans (IEPs). These plans are drawn up in consultation with parents or carers and usually with the involvement of the children as well. IEPs set out the methods we will use to help individual children learn. IEPs are always shared with parents or carers and are reviewed at least annually with parents.

If you think your child might have additional learning needs it is best to talk to the class teacher about what you think these needs might be in the first instance. Talking about your concerns at an early stage can often help us to resolve small difficulties early on.

The Support for Learning staff are part of our teaching team from Primary 1 to Primary 7. Children may sometimes work outside the classroom in small groups with Support for Learning staff, and these groups may include children who do not have identified needs.

If you think your child might have additional learning needs it is best to talk to the class teacher about what you think these needs might be in the first instance. Talking about your concerns at an early stage can often help us to resolve small difficulties early on.

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BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT

Most children in our school are polite and well-behaved most of the time. Our expectation in school is that children will be polite and well-behaved. We have a Well- being Promoting School policy in school which sets out our expectations clearly. This policy is regularly updated and it is available on our website, if you would like a hard copy please ask at the school office.

Almost all children occasionally exhibit behaviour that is less than we expect of them, and our policy sets out how we will respond to these occasional lapses.

There are a very few children in school who for a variety of reasons, some of which may be beyond their own personal control, find polite and good behaviour challenging to achieve consistently. Please be assured that the school staff work actively in partnership with these children and their families to manage unwanted behaviours in school. We are an inclusive school and as such we do adapt our teaching and our routines to help every child have access to the educational opportunities to which they are entitled.

If you have any special concerns about your child’s behaviour or the behaviour of other children in school which is impacting on your child, please contact school for a discussion.

Bullying We are working with the children to help them understand that bullying behaviour is unkind and unacceptable.

Children are regularly informed that they need to tell someone about being bullied. If your child tells you they are being bullied please contact school quickly and inform us. If you can give us as many details as possible it helps us in our work to prevent further bullying. The school has an anti-bullying policy, the policy is available here: http://www.orkney.co/dounbycs/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/anti-bullying-policy-May- 2013.pdf or please request a hard copy from the school office. The anti-bullying policy is currently being updated in order to include the latest advice from the local authority and from respectme http://respectme.org.uk/ the Scottish anti-bullying organisation.

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ENROLMENT AND TRANSITION

Enrolling Pupils Pupils may be enrolled into the Primary 1 year for the term beginning in August preceding their fifth birthday, if their birthday occurs before the end of the following February.

Parents of children with birth dates in January and February have an automatic right to defer their child’s Primary 1 year and if they choose to do this their child will have entitlement to a Nursery place from August. These deferrals are termed “automatic deferrals”. Parents of children with birth dates between September and December inclusive, may defer the Primary 1 year for their child, however, their child will not be entitled to a Nursery place during that year. The children may attend Nursery but only if there are available places. These are termed “discretionary deferrals”. Parents of children with earlier birth dates may be able to request deferment of their child’s entry into Primary 1 but these deferments are termed “out of year placements” and can only be made on the recommendation of the Principal Educational Psychologist for Orkney Islands Council.

Parents of children who are due to begin Primary 1 the following August will be invited to a transition meeting the preceding June. At this meeting school staff will give information about beginning the Primary 1 year and parents and carers will have the opportunity to have their questions answered.

The catchment area of the school is the parishes of Harray, Sandwick and Birsay. Parents living outwith this area may request a place for their child at Dounby Community School but transportation would be at their own expense.

Moving On At the end of Primary 7 most children will transfer to Stromness Academy. Dounby Community School and Stromness Academy have close links and a transfer procedure is in place which involves visits of the Primary 7 pupils to the Academy and visits from Academy staff to Dounby.

If you wish to withdraw your child from Dounby Community School for any reason, it may be that you are to move away, for example, then please contact the headteacher directly so that the appropriate paperwork and arrangements can be made.

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TRAVEL TO SCHOOL

School transport The school will arrange with Education and Leisure Services of Orkney Islands Council for your child to be transported to and from school if your home lies outwith the walking limits.

Qualifying distance from school Child’s age Easter to October October to Easter 7 years and under Over 2 miles Over 1 1/2 miles 8 years and older Over 3 miles Over 1 1/2 miles

For more information about school transport please see the Education and Leisure Service website at: http://www.orkney.gov.uk/Service-Directory/S/School- Transport.htm

Emergency closure of school There are occasions when school may close during the school day. This can occur for a variety of reasons but most common is the onset of bad weather. We will only put children on school transport in these circumstances if we have contacted yourselves, or an agreed emergency contact. During the winter months please check our website, listen to BBC Orkney Radio or check the Education and Leisure Services Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/#!/OrkneyCouncil and Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/OIC-Updates/155210207847669 for weather and school closure information. Please ensure you, or a named emergency contact, is always contactable and able to make arrangements for your child’s care if the school were to close at short notice.

Travel safety All buses are fitted with seatbelts and the children are told to wear the belts by school staff and the bus drivers. If children refuse to wear seatbelts, or persistently endanger the safety of themselves, the other children, or the bus driver, by their behaviour then school transport may be withdrawn. The buses are met by school staff, usually the janitor and auxiliary staff. The children are supervised on to the buses at the end of the school day by the janitor and the auxiliary staff. Parents are responsible for the safety of children who walk to school.

Parents are also fully responsible for the safety of children who cycle to school. Children who cycle to school should wear a helmet and high visibility clothing. The 25

school carries out Bikeability training with children in Primary 5 and 6. The A986 is a fast road with several blind bends the school strongly recommends that children do not cycle on this road unless they have completed their Bikeability training.

If you drive your child to school please park in the car park in a designated parking place. Please do not park in the bus bay. Please drive slowly in the vicinity of the school at all times. Please take special care driving on the approach road to the car park, and in the car park itself.

Supervision for children by school staff begins at 8.45 a.m. Children left at the school earlier than 8.45 a.m. are left at your own risk, school does not supervise children prior to that time. For health and safety reasons the school front door will be locked until 8.45 a.m. and there will be no access to the building by children until that time.

The roads around school are quite busy and the crossroads in the village is a dangerous area as there can be parked cars and vehicles travelling through quite quickly. With this in mind we believe that children younger than Primary 4 should be brought to and collected from school by an adult. If you instruct your child to walk home alone at an age younger than Primary 4 we will risk assess that request and contact you for a discussion about safety.

SAFETY AT SCHOOL

We aim to provide a safe and secure school for your children. The school has a health and safety policy and complies with all relevant legislation. We comply with all directives from Orkney Islands Council with regard to health and safety and actively keep up-to-date with the latest health and safety advice.

All playtimes are supervised by the janitor and two auxiliary staff. Our staff try to resolve any problems and help the children to play happily together. Difficulties during play times are communicated to class teachers. Any significant incidents during play times involving your child will be reported to you at the earliest opportunity.

Several members of our staff are trained first-aiders and deal with minor first aid incidents at school. In the case of a more serious accident the doctor or the emergency services will be contacted and you will be informed.

Regular fire drills are held at school to ensure that everyone is familiar with procedures. 26

MEDICAL MATTERS

Parents’ first point of contact for medical advice is the school nurse. The school nurse can be contacted on 888262. The Dounby Surgery is close by the school in Dounby village and the GPs can be contacted there on 771209.

We need your written permission in order to dispense medicines to your child at school. If you need us to administer any medicine to your child during the school day please ask at the school office for an appropriate form. The school is no longer permitted to hold analgesic medicines on site unless they are supplied by yourself, are solely for use by your child, and there is prior agreement by signed pro-forma that the school will accept their administration.

If your child has any known medical condition, for example asthma or an allergy, please ensure that information is noted on the school information form. If it is a serious allergy, or a potentially life threatening condition, please make an appointment to discuss this with the headteacher before your child starts school.

There is a tooth brushing scheme that takes place in school. This innovative scheme is supported by OIC and NHS, we would encourage you to allow your child to take part in this scheme. Dental inspection takes place in school once a year and parents will be informed when this is occurring. There is a programme of fluoride varnishing of children’s teeth that takes place in school, we hope you will give your consent for this to be administered to your child.

Vision and hearing screening and growth monitoring are carried out at different times during your child’s school career and you will be informed with further details of this prior to the screening events taking place.

If your child has a temporary medical condition which requires special consideration, for example they may need to stay in at playtimes or being excused from P.E. please inform us by letter.

If your child is taken ill during the school day we will try to contact you in the first instance. We will then contact your emergency contacts. One of our first aid trained staff will make the decision whether your child needs to go home from school. If the illness is more serious, or your child is injured and requires professional medical treatment, we will either consult the nearby Dounby Surgery or, in a more serious case, we will call the ambulance. Please make sure that we can always contact either yourself or one of your emergency contacts by telephone during the school day.

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EDUCATIONAL EXCURSION POLICY

Educational excursions are an important part of Curriculum for Excellence and are opportunities for your child to learn out of the environment of school.

All parents should complete an Excursion Consent Form EX D1 and a Medical Information EX D2 and return these forms to school as soon as possible. These forms will cover your child going out of school on Level 1 and 2 educational excursions which we will inform you of in advance. Prior to children going on an educational visit you will be sent details which will include the level of the excursion that is to be undertaken.

The school has in place a system for local visits to a small area of Dounby, outwith the school boundary. For visits to this immediate area around the school, with your annual consent, we may just inform you on the day of a visit taking place.

Level 1 - An activity occurring on a regular or routine basis, for example, travel by minibus or coach, and visits to places of worship, swimming pools, theatres, libraries, sports grounds. Level 2 - An activity occurring on a less regular but routine basis: a) visits to ancient buildings or historic sites, natural or bird reserves and farms; b) travel involving air or sea passage on approved carriers within Orkney.

Parents will be required to complete an Excursion Consent Form EX D1 and a Medical Information EX D2 each time a Level 3 excursion is to be undertaken.

Level 3 - a) boat or aircraft journeys with carriers other than those officially contracted by the Education Department; b) any journey outwith Orkney; c) visits to beaches, foreshores, or any offshore installation; d) coastal/moorland/hill/upland walks or journeys; e) adventurous or hazardous activity, including for example, cold or open- water activity, cycling, horse riding, orienteering. Level 4 - a) any activity run or organised by an Adventure Activity Licensing Authority (AALA) provider; b) any excursion, activity, journey or visit outside the .

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SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT AND PLANNING

The school carries out a process of self-evaluation and self-assessment on a continuous basis. The process is based on Education Scotland’s booklet, “How Good is our School” which is available on the Education Scotland website. Parents are consulted about significant documentation related to our self-evaluation processes, we do this via a variety of means that include focus groups, questionnaires and working with the Parent Group (parent council). The school publishes a Standards and Quality Report annually which is the overview of the performance and progress the school has made over the past academic year. The school uses its self-evaluation processes to identify items for improvement. The School Improvement Plan sets out the school’s priorities for improvement over the following one to three years. Parents are consulted about the contents of the School Improvement Plan annually.

The Standards and Quality Report and the School Improvement Plan are available on the school’s website. Hard copies of these documents are available to parents by request, please ring the school office. The school also produces a synopsis of each of these documents

SCHOOL POLICY DOCUMENTS

School policy documents are generally available via the school’s website. Any policy is available to parents as a hard copy by request to the school. Please telephone the school office.

This school handbook is available on the school website. If you would like a paper copy please request one from the school office.

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COMPLAINTS AND COMPLIMENTS

If you wish to make a complaint about some aspect of your child’s schooling in the first instance you should raise the matter with the headteacher who can be contacted by telephone, letter to the school or by email, [email protected]

The school complies with the complaints procedures of Orkney Islands Council which may be found here: http://www.orkney.gov.uk/Council/C/compliments-and- complaints.htm

If you feel that your complaint has not been dealt with by the headteacher or you do not wish to involve the headteacher in your complaint you can complain in person at the Council Offices, School Place, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NY; or in writing; by telephone, 01856 873535; or by email to [email protected]

Compliments may be directed to the headteacher at the school or to the Council Offices at School Place.

Excursion to

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