Draft Template for School Handbooks
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Mintlaw Academy School Handbook Please note that whilst all information within this booklet is correct at the time of printing, it is possible that some items may change during the course of the year. This document is available in alternative formats (Please contact the Head Teacher) - 1 - Miintlaw Academy Station Road Mintlaw Peterhead AB42 5FN Telephone 01771 622994 Fax 01771 624228 [email protected] www.mintlawacademy.aberdeenshire.sch.uk Information line: 0870 054 4999 Pin number: 021100 Dear Parent, Welcome to Mintlaw Academy. I hope that our partnership will be productive and enjoyable and that your child settles quickly with us. We take pride in the fact that this is a happy and industrious school with a real sense of team spirit. We hope that your child enjoys his/her time at Mintlaw Academy. The education of a child is far too important to be left to a school alone. Parents have a very important part to play too. The school handbook explains what you can expect of the school and also indicates what the school expects of you in the way of partnership, help and support. Aberdeenshire Council School Handbooks are designed to inform parents of as many aspects of life at Mintlaw Academy as we can, and has been written in response to ‘School Handbook Guidance (Scotland) Regulations 2012 .’ The coloured sections in this handbook will be updated annually and you will be asked to replace certain pages with new information. We hope you find our handbook clear and informative. Please feel free to contact us with any suggestions for improvements. Yours sincerely Mr Alan Horberry Head Teacher Please note – “Parent” includes guardian and any person who is liable to maintain or has parental responsibilities (within the section 1 (3) of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995) in relation to, or has care of a child or young person. - 2 - CONTENTS PAGE Section 1 – General School Information School Background Organisation of School Day School Ethos Contact Information School Session Dates Visits of Prospective Parents School Zone School Uniform School Meals Pupil Absence Procedures Communicable Diseases Emergency Closures/Adverse Weather School Transport Essential Charges Pupil Belongings & Valuables Lockers Sports Facilities Use of ICT resources Library Section 2 – Curriculum & Assessment Curriculum Positive Behaviour Management Exclusion Bullying Assessment & Reporting Extra Curricular Activities Educational Visits Instrumental Tuition Sensitive Aspects of the Curriculum Careers Guidance Work Permits School Leaving Dates - 3 - Section 3 – Parental Involvement/Pupil Welfare & Support Parental Involvement & The Parent Council Communication Pupil planners, Homework and Revision Health Care Transitions Child Protection Support for Learners Additional Support Needs Concerns & Complaints Section 4 – School Improvement & Data Protection School Improvement, Standards & Quality & Improvement Planning School Performance Data Transferring Educational Data Data Protection Parental Access to Records Section 5 - Annual Updates School Clothing Grants & Free School Meals Staff List School Calendar Map of Catchment Area Lunchtime and After School Activities and Opportunities Plan of the School - 4 - Section 1 General School Information - 5 - Mintlaw Academy Background Information Mintlaw Academy is a 6-year local authority comprehensive secondary school with a current roll of approximately 750 pupils. It serves the rural area of Central Buchan in which are a number of villages, namely Mintlaw, Longside, Strichen, New Pitsligo, New Deer, Maud, Old Deer, Stuartfield, Auchnagatt and Fetterangus. The people of Central Buchan appreciate the fact that there is a secondary school to serve their community and hold the school in high regard. It is a co-educational, non denominational school and does not teach by means of the Gaelic language. The school was opened in 1981 with a projected roll of approximately 600 and expanded steadily through the 1980s and 1990s up to 990 in 1995. The roll is now falling slowly. The Mintlaw Academy badge is a Celtic Knot of Eternity taken from the artwork in the Book of Deer produced at the Celtic Abbey which existed close to the school. The endless nature of the knot can be taken to represent the lifelong process of education and the involvement of all of us in it. In school, the slogan ‘Putting Learning First’ is also used with the school badge ORGANISATION OF THE SCHOOL DAY It is divided up as follows: Period Time Registration 0840-0850 Period 1 0850-0940 Period 2 0940-1030 Monday and Interval 1030-1045 Tuesday Period 3 1045-1135 Period 4 1135-1225 Period 5 1225-1315 Lunch 1315-1410 Period 6 1410-1500 Period 7 1500-1550 Period Time Registration 0840-0850 Period 1 0850-0940 Wednesday, Period 2 0940-1030 Thursday Interval 1030-1045 and Friday Period 3 1045-1135 Period 4 1135-1225 Lunch 1225-1320 Period 5 1320-1410 Period 6 1410-1500 School Ethos Statement of Values for Mintlaw Academy Pupils and Staff Mintlaw Academy is a school where learning, in all its forms, is valued and central to what we do. Our core values, on which we seek to develop a positive learning environment, are: Achievement Inclusion Success Respect Opportunity Motiviation Statement of School Aims At Mintlaw Academy, our aims are: 1. To provide a learning and teaching experience of high quality, which challenges, motivates and meets the needs of each learner. 2. To provide a high quality curriculum which meets the needs of the individual, addresses national requirements and promotes an enterprising culture. 3. To ensure that all learners have the opportunity to realise their full potential through the promotion and recognition of achievement. 4. To promote responsible citizenship and to help the young person to develop values, beliefs and attitudes compatible with being a responsible citizen. 5. To provide a secure environment to support and nurture the personal, social and emotional development of each young person. 6. To promote health awareness and encourage the adoption of a healthy lifestyle. 7. To develop and sustain effective partnerships between the school and the wider community for the benefit of learners. By meeting our aims, we hope pupils develop as successful learners, effective contributors, confident individuals and responsible citizens. SCHOOL MINTLAW ACADEMY Station Road Mintlaw Peterhead AB42 5FN Tel No: 01771 622994 Absence Line Tel No: 01771 620000 Fax 01771 624228 [email protected] www.mintlawacademy.aberdeenshire.sch.uk HEAD TEACHER Alan Horberry QUALITY IMPROVEMENT Fiona Cruickshanks OFFICER Banff Education Office St Leonards Sandyhill Road BANFF AB45 1BH Tel No: 01261 813343 DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, & Maria Walker CHILDRENS SERVICES Aberdeenshire Council Education & Children’s Services Woodhill House Westburn Road Aberdeen AB16 5GB Tel No: 01224 665420 LETTING OF PREMISES AND Administration Office ALL-WEATHER PITCHES Mintlaw Academy Station Road Mintlaw PETERHEAD Tel No: 01771 622994 SCHOOL GUIDANCE STAFF BRUCKLAY House - Mr Kilpatrick DEER House - Mrs Grant MORMOND House - Ms Martin UGIE House Mr Reid All at Tel No: 01771 622994 ADVERSE WEATHER AND Information Line 0870 054 4999 EMERGENCY CLOSURE (school pin no 021100) (Please do not use this line to leave messages for the school.) https://online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/Apps/schools- closures/ SCHOOL SESSION DATES - DIARY OF KEY EVENTS - 2015/16 Please note that the dates below may be subject to change, please check the Mintlaw Academy website for updates, www.mintlawacademy.aberdeenshire.sch.uk AUGUST 2015 Monday 17 IN-SERVICE Tuesday 18 School opens for pupils/First day of term 1 Monday 24 Tempest photographer in school Tuesday 25 Tempest photographer in school Thursday 27 Career Ready Parents’ Evening SEPTEMBER Aberdeen University open day Tuesday 1 Thursday 3 Whole School Photo – Tempest photographer Tuesday 15 S5/6 Higher Education Convention (am only) Wednesday 16 Whole School Sponsored Walk Tuesday 29 S1 Tracking Report issued to parents OCTOBER Thursday 01 S1 Parents’ Evening Thursday 08 S3-6 Tracking Report issued to parents Friday 09 Last day of Term 1 OCTOBER HOLIDAY : Monday 12 – Friday 23 October 2015 (Inc) OCTOBER Monday 26 First day of term 2 NOVEMBER Tuesday 03 Safe Drive/Stay Alive Event Tuesday 10 S5/6 Parents’ Evening Monday 16 IN-SERVICE Tuesday 17 IN-SERVICE Thursday 19 Parents Conference Thursday 26 S3 Parents’ Evening DECEMBER Wednesday 09 S2 Parents’ Evening Friday 11 S4-6 Reports issued to parents Wednesday 16 S4 Parents’ Evening Thursday 17 Christmas Concert Tuesday 22 Last day of term 2 CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY : Wednesday 23 December 2015 – Tuesday 5 January 2016 (Inc) JANUARY 2016 Wednesday 06 First day of term 3 Wednesday 13 S3-5 Options Evening Monday 18 S3 Reports issued Tuesday 19 S3-5 Option Forms issued Friday 29 S3-5 Option Forms due to be returned FEBRUARY Monday 1 Prelims start Friday 5 S2 Tracking Report issued to parents Wednesday 10 Prelims end Thursday 11 Burns Supper Friday 12 OCCASIONAL HOLIDAY Monday 15 MID-TERM HOLIDAY Tuesday 16 IN-SERVICE Wednesday 17 IN-SERVICE Thursday 18 Art Exhibition Tuesday 23 Feb S2 Option Forms issued Monday 29 Feb S2 Option Forms due to be returned MARCH Tuesday 08 S4-6 Tracking Report issued to parents Thursday 10 Business Dinner Tuesday 15 Transition Science/Engineering Event Wednesday 16 Transition Science/Engineering Event Thursday 17 S1 Report issued to parents Friday 25 GOOD FRIDAY HOLIDAY Wednesday 30 Mar P7 concert Thursday 31 Mar S2 Report issued to parents APRIL Friday 1 Apr