Chapel of Garioch School Pitcaple Inverurie Aberdeenshire AB51 5HH Tel: 01467 681227 Session 2014-15 Chapel of Garioch School Chapel of Garioch School Pitcaple Inverurie AB51 5HH Telephone - 01467 681227 E mail - [email protected] Website - www.chapelofgarioch.aberdeenshire.sch.uk Dear Parent, We are pleased to welcome you and your family to our community and especially into Chapel of Garioch School to what we hope will be a long and happy association. We take pride in the fact that this is a happy and industrious school with a real sense of team spirit. We aim to offer warmth, security and familiarity within our school in which the intellectual, physical, social and emotional wellbeing of your child can be developed. We also look forward to creating a close working partnership with you and your child so that you and your child can benefit fully from school life at Chapel of Garioch School. Aberdeenshire Council School Handbooks are designed to inform parents of as many aspects of life at Chapel of Garioch School as we can, and has been written in response to ‘School Handbook Guidance (Scotland) Regulations 2012 .’ We hope you find our handbook clear and informative. Please feel free to contact us with any suggestions for improvements. Yours sincerely Scott Calder 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. 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. - 2 - Chapel of Garioch School CONTENTS PAGE Section 1 – General School Information PAGE Contact Information 6 School Background 7 Visits of Prospective Parents 8 Admission/Enrolment/School Zone 9 Organisation of School Day 9 School Uniform 9 Pupil Belongings & Valuables 10 School Equipment 10 Arrival at School & Playground Information 11 School Office 12 School Meals & Snacks 12 Pupil Attendance & Absence 13 Communicable Diseases, Head Lice & Asthma 15 Emergency Closures/Adverse Weather 16 Parking 19 School Transport 19 Section 2 – Curriculum & Assessment PAGE School Ethos/Aims/Values 21 Positive Behaviour Management 22 Bullying & Exclusion 22 Curriculum 24 Policies 25 Educational Visits 25 Learning & Teaching 26 Assessment and Reporting 28 Extra Curricular Activities 30 Instrumental Tuition 30 Sensitive Aspects of the Curriculum 30 - 3 - Chapel of Garioch School Section 3 – Parental Involvement/Pupil Welfare & Support PAGE Parental Involvement & The Parent Council 36 Communication 37 Health Care/Dental Inspection & Administration of Medicines 38 Transitions & Transfer to Secondary School 40 Child Protection 42 Support for Pupils & Key Worker 44 Support for Learners 45 Additional Support Needs 45 Concerns & Complaints 51 Insurance 52 Section 4 – School Improvement & Data Protection PAGE School Improvement, Standards & Quality & Improvement Planning 54 Transferring Educational Data 54 Data Protection 55 Parental Access to Records 57 54 Section 5 - Annual Updates PAGE School Clothing Grants & Free School Meals 59 Staff List & Class Allocations 61 Annual Holiday Calendar 62 Map of Catchment Area 63 Plan of the School 64 - 4 - Chapel of Garioch School Section 1 General School Information - 5 - Chapel of Garioch School SCHOOL CONTACT DETAILS Head Teacher Scott Calder School name Chapel of Garioch Address Pitcaple, Inverurie, AB51 5HH Telephone No 01467 681227 (You can leave a message on this line.) Website www.chapelofgarioch.aberdeenshire.sch.uk Email Address [email protected] Type of School Primary Present Roll 29 Pupils (P1-4 : 15, P5-7 : 14) For further information about the roll and structure of classes please see coloured section at the back of this book. Denominational Status – Chapel of Garioch School is a non denominational school. The school does not teach by means of the Gaelic Language. All Aberdeenshire Schools are Co-educational, providing education for both boys and girls. Parent Council Chair : Mrs Debbie Paton and Mrs Frances Swanston (see p37 for further details) Information Line 0870 054 4999 (school pin no 021450) (Please do not use this line to leave messages for the school.) Adverse weather and emergency closure - www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/closures Please see p16 for further information regarding adverse weather and emergency closures. Local Area Office Quality Improvement Officer Gordon House Audrey Hendry Inverurie Gordon House Tel: 01467 620981 Inverurie Tel 01467 620981 Contact details for Director of Education, Learning and Leisure Mrs Maria Walker Woodhill House Westburn Road Aberdeen AB16 5GB 01224 665420 - 6 - Chapel of Garioch School Our school is set amidst beautiful scenery near the foot of Bennachie, only four miles from Inverurie. Built over 100 years ago, the building is typical of many rural schools in Aberdeenshire. Although old, the building is in good repair. There are three classrooms, a general purpose hall, cloakroom and toilets, two offices and a staff room. Meals are cooked freshly each day in the kitchen, which also supplies lunches for nearby Logie Durno School. Outside, there is a hard playground area to the rear and side of the school. There is also a large playing field which has a football pitch (complete with goal posts), a climbing wall and other timber play equipment, as well as an extensive willow tunnel, flower and vegetable garden, picnic bench seating area and Totem pole! The field is surrounded by spruce trees which give shelter. The present roll is 29 pupils. The composite classes are Primary 1-4 and Primary 5-7. The school is part of the Inverurie schools cluster, feeding into Inverurie Academy for secondary education. The school works closely with the other primary schools within our cluster (Hatton of Fintray, Keithhall, Kellands, Market Place, Newmachar, Oyne, Port Elphinstone, Strathburn and St Andrew’s Special School). Normally, all children of school age who live in the catchment area may come to the school. If places are available, children from other areas may apply to be enrolled, but in these cases, transport is not provided by Aberdeenshire Council and becomes the responsibility of parents. For details of the catchment area, please contact the school or view the map in the appendix. The school is non-denominational. The local Minister, is also the School Chaplain and visits the school regularly. Chapel of Garioch is a very welcoming and supportive community, and residents of the village are invited to school events, including end of term services in the parish church. - 7 - Chapel of Garioch School As well as the Head Teacher, Chapel of Garioch School has three part time teaching staff. The Head Teacher is class committed. Specialist teachers help with the delivery of Drama, Music and Physical Education. We also have a visiting specialist who provides support for learners one day per week. The school also works closely with a range of other support agencies and volunteers in order to provide the best possible experience for children with additional support needs. Our Active Schools Coordinator provides a range of additional active and sporting activities for the children. The staff are supported by a school administrator, 2 pupil support assistants, three kitchen staff, a cleaner and a part time janitor. The school has a very supportive Parent Council. These groups support school improvement activities and raise additional funds to provide many extras for the pupils in the school. HMIe last inspected the school in May, 2006, with a follow up visit in June, 2008. The school is accredited at commended level as a Health Promoting School, has a bronze Eco School Award and is working towards the Rights Respecting School Level 1 Award. VISITS OF PROSPECTIVE PARENTS Prospective parents can contact the School Office and request an appointment to come and visit the school and meet with the Head Teacher. During this visit you will get a tour of the school and have an opportunity to ask any questions and discuss any particular needs for your child(ren). Primary Admissions New entrants to P1 are enrolled early in the calendar year for entry to school in August. This is for children who will be five between 1 March, 2014 and 28 February, 2015. Details of the enrolment dates are advertised in the local press by Aberdeenshire Education, Learning and Leisure Department. Further information is available at: www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/parentscarers/information/choosing.asp Parents of children joining the school in classes other than P1 or in the middle of a school session should contact the head teacher who will agree a start date for the child and make arrangements for the parents and child to visit the school. Primary One Pupils at Chapel of Garioch → - 8 - Chapel of Garioch School School Zone A map showing the school zone/catchment area is included at the back of this booklet. Please note that children who live within the school catchment zone are automatically entitled to a place in school. Please use the zone map to check whether or not you live within the Chapel of Garioch School catchment. If you live out with the zone, the Education (School and Placing Information) (Scotland) Regulations 2012 will allow you to seek admission to the school. The main point to note is that out of zone admissions are not guaranteed and pupils out of zone are not entitled to free transport. They are also not guaranteed a place at Inverurie Academy and parents would need to submit a further placing request before transition to S1. Further information is available in Notes for Parents Aberdeenshire Council www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/parentscarers/information/NotesforParents2012.pdf ORGANISATION OF THE SCHOOL DAY School Hours Morning Session 9.00 – 12.15 Break 10.30 – 10.45 Afternoon Session 1.15 – 3.15 Lunch 12.15 – 1.15 SCHOOL UNIFORM We encourage all pupils to wear school uniform.