INVERARITY PRIMARY SCHOOL INFORMATION FOR PARENTS 2011 Curriculum Award 2000 This document is available in alternative formats (please contact Head Teacher) CONTENTS PAGE NUMBER Introduction 2 School Delineated Area 3 Factual Information (Historic Interests etc) 4 School Aims 5 Visits for Prospective Parents 5 Organisation of School Day 5 P1 School Commencement Arrangements 5 School Uniform 6 School Clothing Grants 6 Curriculum 6 Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Values 8 Extra-Curricular Activities 11 Discipline 12 School Rules 12 Attendance and Absence 12/13 Health Care 14 Administration of Medicines 15 Transport (including Special Schools and Bases) 17 Special Dietary Requirements Statement 17 School Meals 17 Instrumental Lessons 18 Parent Councils 19 Parental Involvement 19 Insurance 20 School & Community Links 20 Parental Access to Records 20/21 Child Protection 21 Policy on Provision to meet Aditional Support Needs 21 Transferring Educational Data about Pupils 23/24 School Costs 26 School Term Dates 26 Visit to School 26 Emergency Closures 26 Liaison with Secondary School 27 Transfer to Secondary School 27 Overall Achievements of Pupils & Other Awards Obtained 27 Non-Academic Achievements of Pupils 27 Drugs Education 28 Sex Education 31 School Holiday Dates 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 33/34 Statistical Information 35 Page 2 Inverarity is a small rural school in which each child is treated very much as an individual. Each teacher takes a personal interest in every pupil in the class and this attitude produces a caring “family” atmosphere. A child’s education starts in the home and is continued as a partnership between home and school. It is essential that we have your co-operation in order to work together to give your child the best possible chance of success. We consider it extremely important that the school creates a learning atmosphere where all aspects of the curriculum contribute to produce a well-balanced education. All we do should enable our children to develop in every possible way for the world they live in now and for their future world. The fact that each child is allowed to develop at his or her own rate, in a secure atmosphere, helps to make this a happy and successful school. This prospectus has been produced to formalise the information given to parents about our school, but it is not meant to take the place of personal contact between parents and school. We consider personal contact extremely important and encourage parents to This prospectus will be reviewed and updated annually. Yours sincerely, Jennifer Grant Head Teacher Page 3 DELINEATED AREA OF INVERARITY SCHOOL North Mains of Kinnettles, North Mains of Invereighty, Spittalburn, Wester Meathie, Little Lour, Greenhillock, Mains of Kirkbuddo, Whitebrae, Smiddyhill, Moss-side of Kirkbuddo, Birns Farm, North Downiemuir, Harecairn Farm, Bractullo Farm, Carrot Farmhouse, South Happas Farm, West Tarbrax, North Tarbrax Farm, Muirside Farm, Govals Farm, West Mains of Kincaldrum Farm, Kincaldrum Mill Cottage, Kinnettles Mill, Kerbet House, Brigton House, Kinnettles House. Area map attached. FACTUAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL School address: Inverarity Primary School Inverarity By Forfar DD8 2JN Tel/Fax:- 01307 820262 E-mail:- [email protected] Present roll: 32 mainstream pupils - 5 pre-school class Stages covered: Pre-school - P1-7 Head Teacher: Mrs Jennifer Grant The classes at present are divided thus: Pre-school Mrs J. Turrent – Teacher Mrs P. Croll – Early Years Practitioner P1-4 Miss P. Baxter P5-7 Miss N.Wright/Mrs J Grant Visiting Specialists: Music: Mrs M. Grier Art: Mrs A. Sharp P.E: Mrs P. Fletcher Kodaly: Mrs J. Bruce Primary/Clerical Assistant: Mrs N. Anderson Address of Education Department - Director of Education Angus House Orchardbank Business Park Forfar DD8 1AE Tel: 08452 777778 Fax: 01307 461848 E-mail: [email protected] Page 4 SCHOOL AIMS ♦ To promote effective learning and teaching by providing an appropriate curriculum which meets the needs of all pupils and takes into account National and Local Authority guidelines. ♦ To be a happy school – a school to which the pupils will enjoy coming. A school which will provide an atmosphere of mutual respect and common commitment between pupils and teachers and a school which will be very much a community, in which attitudes of tolerance, self respect and goodwill be promoted. ♦ To plan for continuous improvement through target setting and raising standards. ♦ To promote equality and help every pupil benefit from education. ♦ To provide a stimulating environment for learning. ♦ To further develop a spirit of co-operation between school, parents and the wider community. ♦ To set achievable and realistically high standards and expectations. VISITS FOR PROSPECTIVE PARENTS Prospective parents should telephone the school, in the first instance, to make an appointment to visit. Towards the end of the Summer Term, the new entrants for the following August are invited to come to school for two afternoons to meet their teacher, the other children who will be in their class, and generally to sample school life. Parents will be informed of these afternoons well in advance. ORGANISATION OF SCHOOL DAY School hours: Morning session 9.00 a.m.-12.30 p.m. Morning interval 10.30 a.m.-10.50 a.m. Afternoon session (P1-7) 1.30 p.m.-3.20 p.m. Pre-school: Morning session 9.00 a.m.-11.30 a.m. School will close at 12 noon on the last day day of term before the Christmas and Summer holidays. PRE-SCHOOL ENROLMENTS Parents are invited to enrol pre-school children in the pre-school class whose catchment area contains their normal place of residence. Any parent wishing to request a place in a pre-school class other than that serving her/his normal place of residence is free to do so, and that request will be granted if it is possible. Page 5 More information is available from school. P1 SCHOOL COMMENCEMENT ARRANGEMENTS Primary 1 induction takes place at the school during the beginning of the Autumn term and ends on the second Monday in September. Parents are notified of this induction period by letter or newsletter prior to the school summer holiday period. UNIFORM AND CLOTHING We encourage the wearing of a grey uniform with a white sports shirt which may be worn with school sweatshirt in either red or grey. In PE, the children should change into shorts, T-shirt and gym shoes. For Health and Safety reasons hair should be tied back to prevent it obscuring pupils vision. It is advisable to provide your child with some kind of protective clothing - an old shirt is ideal, when they are doing “messy” work e.g art activities. It is important that all childrens’ clothes should be clearly named. SCHOOL CLOTHING GRANTS Parents or carers who have a child under 16 attending an Angus school and receive any of the following: • Income Support • Income-based Job Seeker’s Allowance • Income-based Employment Support Allowance • Child Tax Credit, but not Working Tax Credit, and where your income is less than £16,190 (in 2010/11 as assessed by the Inland Revenue) • Support provided under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 • Both Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit with an income below the threshold for receipt of maximum Working Tax Credit, currently set by the Government at £6,420 • Working Tax Credit with an income less than £16,190 qualify for a School Clothing Grant. Entitlement to Clothing Grants is assessed as part of the application process for Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit and you should complete an application form which is available at your local benefit enquiry office or by telephoning 01382 536500 or FREEPHONE 0800 252056 (mobiles may be charged). However, if you are not eligible for Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit a separate application process exists and you should still contact any of the telephone numbers above for details. Page 6 THE CURRICULUM The curriculum of the primary school is child centred. We aim at providing learning situations which are appropriate and meaningful to the individual child. The main areas of the curriculum are language, mathematics, environmental studies, expressive arts, religious and moral education and personal and social development. In delivering the above curriculum, it is important that there is differentiation, continuity and progression in each child’s learning. While more time is allocated to some aspects of the curriculum than others, this should not be interpreted to mean that some aspects of the curriculum are considered more important than others. As a means of ensuring sufficient breadth – the following Curriculum Subjects have been identified as follows: Language Language is at the heart of children’s learning and has an essential role across the curriculum. It is central to intellectual, emotional and social development throughout life. The Language curriculum will value children’s own sets of experiences, build on children’s early knowledge of language, value cultural diversity in language and value dialects and other languages. It should develop an awareness of our literary heritage, including that of Scotland. The Language curriculum will, therefore, provide appropriate forms of support for all children and ensure progression and continuity by careful monitoring and assessment. It will allow children to negotiate realistic targets with teachers. All our aims will best flourish in a climate of positive motivation where Language is clearly perceived by both learner and teacher as worthwhile and interesting for its own sake. 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