MINTLAW ACADEMY PROSPECTUS MINTLAW ACADEMY Welcome Dear Parent, 5. I hope you will find this prospectus interesting and informative and that it will provide you with an insight into the life of students at our school. A prospectus can only offer you a glimpse of the breadth of opportunity available to our students but I hope it does capture something of the learning which goes on here and also something of the excitement of school life. Our prospectus starts by describing our educational ethos and aims. These apply to each and every individual who attends. I am proud to be Headteacher of a comprehensive school which values all students equally, whatever their background or ability, I am proud to lead a school which prepares our young people for adulthood and enables them to make a positive contribution to the Buchan community and the wider world. Thank you for reading our school prospectus and for your interest in our school. Yours sincerely Mrs Linda Duthie Headteacher 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 your person. Mintlaw Academy Mintlaw Academy is a 6-year local authority comprehensive 6. To provide a secure environment to support and nurture secondary school with a current roll of approximately 750 pupils. It the personal, social and emotional development of each serves the rural area of Central Buchan in which are a number of young person. villages, namely Mintlaw, Longside, Strichen, New Pitsligo, New 7. To promote health awareness and encourage the adoption Deer, Maud, Old Deer, Stuartfield, Auchnagatt and Fetterangus. of a healthy lifestyle. The people of Central Buchan appreciate the fact there is a 8. To develop and sustain effective partnerships between the secondary school to serve their community and hold the school in school and the wider community for the benefit of learners. high regard. The school was opened in 1981 with a projected roll of By meeting our aims, we hope pupils develop as successful approximately 600 and expanded steadily through the 1980s and learners, effective contributors, confident individuals and 1990s up to 990 in 1995. responsible citizens. Ethos Aims & Values School Week Statement of Values for Mintlaw Academy Pupils and Staff The school day starts at 8.40am and finishes at 3.50pm on Monday and Tuesday, and at 3pm on Wednesday, Thursday and Mintlaw Academy is a school where learning, in all its forms, is Friday. The week is contained of 32 periods of 50 minutes. It is valued and central to what we do. divided up as follows: Our core values, on which we seek to develop a positive learning environment, are: Monday-Tuesday Achievement Registration 8.40 - 8.50 am Inclusion Period 1 8.50 - 9.40 am Success Period 2 9.40 - 10.30 am Respect Interval 10.30 - 10.45 am Opportunity Period 3 10.45 - 11.35 am Motivation Period 4 11.35 - 12.25 pm Period 5 12.25 - 1.15 pm Statement of School Aims Lunch 1.15 - 2.10 pm At Mintlaw Academy, our aims are: Period 6 2.10 - 3.00 pm 1. To provide a learning and teaching experience of high quality, Period 7 3.00 - 3.50 pm which challenges, motivates and meets the needs of each learner. Wednesday – Thursday – Friday 2. To provide a high quality curriculum which meets the needs of the individual, addresses national requirements and promotes Registration 8.40 - 8.50 am an enterprising culture. Period 1 8.50 - 9.40 am 3. To ensure that all learners have the opportunity to realise their Period 2 9.40 - 10.30 am full potential through the promotion and recognition of Interval 10.30 - 10.45 am achievement. Period 3 10.45 - 11.35 am 4. To promote responsible citizenship and to help the young Period 4 11.35 - 12.25 pm person to develop values, beliefs and attitudes compatible with Lunch 12.25 - 1.15 pm being a responsible citizen. Period 5 1.20 - 2.10 pm Period 6 2.10 - 3.00 pm 1 MINTLAW ACADEMY Dress Policy Pupils are expected to wear school uniform while at school Mintlaw Academy blazer (S5/S6, optional for S1-S4) Mintlaw Academy tie White shirt Mintlaw Academy black jumper/cardigan (optional) Black trousers or skirt Black shoes Other Dress Information: o For PE classes, pupils are expected to have a full change of PE kit including footwear and clothing suitable for participating in indoor and outdoor activities. o Football tops and sportswear are acceptable for PE, but not in other classes. o Only Mintlaw Academy embroidered knitwear is allowed. o No hats or headgear should be worn indoors. How to order school dress items: Transport Uniforms may be purchased: Pupils who live more than 3 miles walking distance from the Online at http://www.academyuniformsltd.co.uk/ school or from their home to the nearest bus “pick up” point are Pom Print (Unit 2/3, Mintlaw Industrial Estate, Station Road) entitled to free transport to and from the school. This applies only Donalds (7 St Andrews Street, Peterhead) to pupils who live within the Mintlaw Academy Catchment Area. School ties may be purchased from the school office. Parents who live out with the catchment area but wish their children to attend Mintlaw Academy may have to meet the full cost Clothing Grants are available for parents or carers on a lower of transport. income to help with the cost of buying a school uniform. For more information, please contact the school or go to the Aberdeenshire Pupils not entitled to transport under the 3 miles walking council website http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/ distance rule may, however, be entitled to transport on medical or safety grounds but only if a suitable service bus is available. Lost Property It is the pupils‟ responsibility to look after their own belongings in Parents should note that pupils carried on either service or the school. Valuables can occasionally be left at the School Office contract buses are subject to the conditions of the hirer. Hirers or with a member of staff. During P.E. lessons, valuables must be can refuse to transport a pupil who persistently misbehaves on the handed in to staff for safekeeping. Aberdeenshire Council has no buses thus endangering the safety of other travellers. Similarly insurance to replace articles lost in school. It would greatly assist the school can withdraw bus passes from pupils who persistently in the return of lost property if the pupil‟s name was clearly marked misbehave. Normally a warning will be given and a letter sent to on property. parents informing them of the action to be taken. Adverse Weather Information School Zone In the event of severe weather, school closures information can be found on the Aberdeenshire Council website. Please note that children who live within the school catchment zone are automatically entitled to a place in school. If you live out Aberdeenshire also operates a telephone information service and with the zone, you may seek admission to the school. The main parents can obtain information on any closure of Mintlaw Academy point to note is that out of zone admissions are not guaranteed by phoning: 0370 054 4999 and using the pin number 021100 for and pupils out of zone are generally not entitled to free transport. Mintlaw Academy. The local radio stations also broadcast information on school closures. Generally, information about the Further information is available on the Aberdeenshire Council school being closed will be posted on the website and information website: line before 7am. The policy of the school is to make every attempt to avoid closing the school and sending pupils home part way http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/ through the day to homes where they are not expected. Newsletters If, because of bad roads, the morning bus does not come, parents should not send their children to school by other means as it is Each term a Parents‟ Newsletter is issued containing news about most likely that the bus won‟t be able to bring them home again at the school, forthcoming events, holiday dates and appeals for the end of the day. In addition, on stormy mornings, parents help. Suggestions as to the form of the Newsletter and the type of should instruct their children to wait no longer than 15 minutes for items preferred are always welcome. the school bus before returning home. Newsletters are available on our website, parents will be sent a http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/closures/ text message when they are available at the end of each term. 2 MINTLAW ACADEMY EDUCATION Curriculum CURRICULUM FOR EXCELLENCE Curriculum for Excellence has now been introduced across Scotland for all 3 – 18 year olds – wherever they learn. Principles for Curriculum Design Pupils will be given an experience of subjects within each area over Schools and learning communities in Aberdeenshire apply the the 3 years: principles for Curriculum Design that are drawn from national Expressive arts – Art, Drama, Music advice but reflect our unique Aberdeenshire context. Those Languages & Literacy – English, French, German principles are: Mathematics & Numeracy Challenge and enjoyment in learning Health & Wellbeing – Home Economics, Physical Education, Breadth of learning Personal & Social Education Progression in learning Religious & moral education Depth of learning Sciences – Biology, Chemistry, Physics Personalisation and choice e.g. in how to present learning Social studies – History, Geography, Modern Studies Coherence (with other areas of learning) Technologies – ICT, Technical Education Relevance of learning In addition there will be opportunities during the school year for Curriculum Entitlements pupils to participate in a range of interdisciplinary projects which provide the opportunity for them to apply cross-curricular The following entitlements are also provided for all pupils in skills.