Forthill Primary School Contents
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School Handbook December 2015 Forthill Primary School Contents Section 1 Welcome & Vision Section 2 School Ethos Section 3 School Information Section 4 School Policies and Practical Information Section 5 Parental Involvement Section 6 Curriculum Section 7 Support for Pupils Section 8 School Improvement Section 9 Extra Curricular Activities Section 1: Welcome and Vision Dear Parents, Forthill is a non-denominational primary school and has been open since 1965. Over the following 50 years, the school has undergone a series of additions and annexes as the roll has grown. It is currently the largest primary school within the city with a primary role of around 640 and a nursery class with 40 available places for both morning and afternoon sessions. Forthill is a non-denominational school situated in a residential area, within walking distance of local amenities and leisure facilities in the Broughty Ferry area. Forthill is a part of the Grove Cluster. At Forthill we aim to develop our children’s capacity to be responsible citizens, effective contributors, successful learners and confident individuals who will be well equipped for their role in the ever changing society of which they are a part. Central to this, is our commitment to developing strong and purposeful partnerships between home and school. I look forward to working with you throughout your child’s time here. Alison Macgregor Head Teacher Section 2: School Ethos Our Mission Statement: ‘Dream it, believe it, achieve it!’ Our school aims to: • maintain a happy, safe and supportive environment in which each child, parent and staff member is valued and works co- operatively • provide a stimulating, appropriate, progressive and balanced curriculum which promotes independence and meets the needs of each pupil • through a process of continuous self-evaluation, maintain a high quality of learning and teaching • encourage responsible, self-disciplined, well-mannered pupils with positive, caring attitudes towards others and the environment • encourage good health in all pupils through strategies which promote physical and mental wellbeing and self-esteem • equip pupils with the foundation skills, attitudes and expectations required to prosper in a changing society and to encourage creativity and ambition • prepare pupils for responsible citizenship by developing values, beliefs and attitudes compatible with living in a modern, democratic and multicultural society • build and maintain effective partnerships between the school and its parent body, external agencies and its wider community • recognise and appreciate personal strengths and achievements • promote equality and fairness Section 3: School Information School Address: Fintry Place, Broughty Ferry, Dundee DD5 3BE Telephone: 01382 436935 Fax: 01382 436936 Email Address: [email protected] Website: forthillprimary.ea.dundeecity.sch.uk Head Teacher: Mrs Alison McGregor Depute Head Teacher: Ms Clair Peterson, Mrs Nicola Munro Principal Teacher: Mrs Lesley Butler School Status: Non denominational School Roll: Primary 638 / Nursery 80 School Hours: 9.00am - 12.15pm, 1.15pm - 3.15pm Parent Council Contact Info: Doreen Phillips, Chair Parish Priest or Minister: Rev Brian Talbot Parish Address: Broughty Ferry Baptist Church 86 St Vincent Street Broughty Ferry DD5 2EZ Section 3: School Information For the first three weeks in the first term (August – early September), Primary 1 will be dismissed at 12.15pm. Office Hours The school office is open from 8.45am - 4.30pm. Please help us by making routine telephone calls within office hours. The answering machine is switched on for your convenience when the school office is unmanned. Please do leave a message and we will return your call as quickly as possible. School Entry System: Visitors should enter via the main entrance, where there is a secure entry system. Please report to reception, where staff will be pleased to help. Class Organisation The organisation of classes may vary from year to year dependent upon certain factors such as the school roll and the number of teachers allocated to the school that session. At any stage of the school, pupils may be in a straight class which comprises of pupils from the same stage e.g. all Primary 2 pupils or they may be part of a composite class which comprises of pupils from more than one stage, for instance a class with some Primary 2 and some Primary 3 pupils. You should be confident that the professionalism of the staff in the school will ensure that your child will always work within a programme appropriate for his/her age, ability and aptitude. Section 4: School Policies & Practical Information AUTUMN TERM Monday 15 August 2016 - Staff resume Tuesday 16 August 2016 - Pupils resume Friday 7 October 2016 - Mid Term, All break WINTER TERM Monday 24 October 2016 - All resume Thursday 10 November 2016 - In service day, schools closed Friday 11 November 2016 - In service day, schools closed Monday 14 November 2016 - All resume Friday 23 December 2016 - Term ends SPRING TERM Monday 9 January 2017 - All resume Thursday 9 February 2017 - In service day, schools closed Friday 10 February 2017 - Mid term, all break Monday 13 February 2017 - Mid term, all break Tuesday 14 February 2017 - All resume Friday 31 March 2017 - Term ends SUMMER TERM Monday 17 April 2017 - All resume Monday 1 May 2017 - May Day, schools closed Tuesday 2 May 2017 - All resume Friday 26 May 2017 - In service day, schools closed Monday 29 May 2017 - Victoria Day, schools closed Tuesday 30 May 2017 - All resume Thursday 29 June 2017 - Term ends Section 4: School Policies & Practical Information School Uniform There is an expectation for all pupils to wear the correct school uniform. This helps us in our aim of encouraging children to take a pride in their appearance and to have respect for their school. BOYS GIRLS grey / navy skirt or trousers grey / navy trousers white school blouse white school shirt school tie school tie school jumper school jumper blue checked summer dress Please note that football strips are not to be worn. All items of clothing should be labelled. This assists greatly in recovering lost property. School Clothing Grants If parents are in receipt of Income Support, Income based Job Seekers Allowance, Income Related Employment and Support Allowance, support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit and an annual income of less than £16,105, the Authority will consider one application per year for a grant towards the cost of purchasing essential clothing to enable their children, up to the age of 16, to attend school. The school clothing grant payment will be made through BACS transfer into a nominated bank account or paid by cheque. Application forms can be made online at: https://mydundeeaccount.dundeecity.gov.uk/secure-info or are available from the school office or from Dundee House. Section 4: School Policies & Practical Information School Meals School lunches cost £2.00 per day and all children are provided with a lunch menu by Tayside Contracts. All children staying for lunches within school will eat in the dining hall. Safety flasks containing hot food may be brought to school, but not the glass vacuum type, which may be dangerous, as they are liable to break. Glass bottles should not be brought to school. Please inform us in writing if your child has any special dietary needs so that arrangements can be put in place to accommodate their needs. The dining room is supervised by support staff at all times. Please note that the school does not approve of pupils going out of school to buy their lunch due to safety reasons. Free School Meals Free school meals are available to all pupils in Primary 1 – 3 from January 2015. For all other stages, free school meals are available to pupils whose parents are in receipt of Income Support, Income based Job Seekers Allowance, Income Related Employment and Support Allowance, Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, Guaranteed Pension Credit, or in receipt of Child Tax Credit only and have an annual income of less than £16,105 or Working Tax Credit and have an annual income of less than £6420. Application forms can be made online at https://mydundeeaccount. dundeecity.gov.uk/secure-info or are available from the school office or from Dundee House. Instrumental Tuition Tuition fees are currently free and instrument hire is £83.00 per year. Section 4: School Policies & Practical Information Emergency School Closure Procedures In exceptional circumstances the school may be unable to function normally. The school may be affected by severe weather or power failures. We shall do all we can to let you know about the details of closure and re-opening through the local radio, press, text messages and letters home. You can be assured that we will never send a child home without first checking that there is an adult at home. Enrolment & Placing Requests Parents of prospective Primary 1 pupils who reside in the school’s catchment area are asked to register their child’s name at the school office between December and the February of the year the child starts school. The child’s full birth certificate and a proof of address, in the form of a Benefit Book, Council Tax letter or recent (within two months) utilities account must be shown. Parents of children living out with the school’s catchment area, who wish their child to attend the school, are asked to make a placing request. Forms can be obtained from Customer Services, 50 North Lindsay Street, Dundee. Parents making a successful placing request for the school will be notified of this by Dundee City Council. A planned transition programme, with opportunities for new Primary 1 pupils and parents to learn more about and become familiar with the school, takes place in the summer term.