SMITHTON PRIMARY SCHOOL 2021-2022 “Believe and you will achieve” Head Teacher Aileen Mackay Telephone 01463 791606 https://smithtonprimary.wordpress.com Twitter - @SmithonPS email: [email protected] The current pandemic has affected the normal running of schools in many ways. This Handbook reflects the way the school usually runs but does not cover all of the changes that we have made because of the pandemic. Our arrangements have changed in many ways this session, and may well change again, depending on how the pandemic develops. For the most up-to-date information about any aspect of the work of the school, please make contact and we will be able to tell you about our current arrangements. For the latest information about how the pandemic affects children, young people and families across Scotland, please visit the Scottish Government website, which has helpful information about Coronavirus and its impact on education and children. Every endeavour has been made to ensure the accuracy of this document at the time of printing but parents should note that changes may occur throughout the session. Please consult our school blog for up to date information. Smithton Primary School Smithton Inverness IV2 7PD Dear Parents and Carers Welcome to Smithton School. I do hope that your child will be happy in our school. We aim to provide a safe and secure environment through which our children strive to be the best they can be and given a wide variety of opportunities to achieve their potential. Our school community promotes healthy attitudes to education and stresses the importance of healthy minds to allow literacy and numeracy to develop naturally through play, activity and recorded in a variety of ways using IT as well as conventional methods. Other areas of the curriculum are inter related throughout the day and the staff is dedicated to encourage learning suitable for 21st century living. We currently have approximately 348 children in P1-7 and 69 in our Early Learning and Childcare centre (nursery) Parents, carers and friends of the school are important to us. Please don’t hesitate to contact the school about anything which concerns you or pleases you. Parents are very open at Smithton and we regularly receive feedback. You are part of the Parent Forum from which the Parent Council is formed. Your views about the school in general as well as the education of your child sought on a regular basis. Expect to take a full part in your child’s education while attending the school. This booklet is updated annually and you can find the latest version on the school website www.smithtonprimary.wordpress.com or just ask for one. You are kept informed about the life and work of the school through the weekly newsletters. The newsletter is available on the website with alerts sent to individual phones when it is posted. Paper copies can also be requested from the school office. Read on to get a flavour of the school where your child will be nurtured, encouraged and expected to grow and develop physically, mentally and developing a positive attitude to lifelong learning. Yours sincerely Aileen Mackay Head Teacher Our Values, Vision and Aims Our Vision: Believe! You will achieve! Values Honesty Respectful Friendly Caring Positive These are summarised by Paul Dix, a book studied by all staff in the school 2017, as Ready, Respectful and Safe. August – October 2020 we revised these with the Learning Council and discussed at the Parent Council AGM later publishing for the wider community on the school blog and we extended the values to make sense at all levels what this looked like and sounded like across the nursery and school. Smithton Primary School and community is a place where Everyone has a sense of belonging Experiences and opportunities develop skills for lifelong learning Everyone is inspired to be ambitious and to achieve their best Expectations are high Everyone is supported and listened to, confidence and resilience instilled Our Aims In partnership with the parents/carers and the wider community, we aim to Value, respect and include everyone Nurture and support each individual Work together to help children reach their full potential Challenge and motivate children in their learning Provide wide and varied learning experiences In fulfilling these aims we are doing so through the context of national and international priorities: Getting it Right for Every Child, Curriculum for Excellence and the UN Rights for the Child. Global Goals 2030 and OECD Learning Compass 2030 through Developing the Young Workforce will start to shape our curriculum and contexts for learning as we all ‘reboot’ after lockdown in 2020. We continue to promote a sense of community through: Children’s Services Worker (based at the school but employed by Social Work) Positive links between Residence Association, local churches and visitors to the school Extracurricular clubs run by volunteers – almost all run for no cost to pupils Citizenship groups that meet weekly involving children from P4 – P7 in their local as well as global community to take pride in taking part and knowing that their ideas are taken on board. Nursery – P3 hold weekly citizenship sessions in their classes. STAFF (In bold = full time) Management Team Head Teacher Aileen Mackay Depute Head Teacher Mr David West Depute Head Teacher Mr Jim Lyon Childcare Manager (Nursery) Mrs Lisa Stuart Class Teachers Miss J Blair P1 Miss K MacKay (Principal Teacher) P1 Mrs C Gray P1/2 Mrs J Morison P2 Mr N Speakman P3 Mrs R Tough P3 Mr S Hardie (Principal Teacher) P4 Miss C Noble P4 Mrs L Mitchell P5 Mr R Jamieson P5 Miss A Nicol P5/6 Mr I Grandison (Principal Teacher) P6 Miss L MacDonald (Principal Teacher) P7 Mrs Munro (was P1/2 now due to COVID-19 restrictions is working with groups P5-7 and then on maternity leave) Various other people are employed in the school to help in the education of our pupils. They work alongside class teachers, sometimes with the whole class, sometimes with groups and sometimes with individuals. They offer support to children of all abilities. Support Staff CCR Mrs Goodall SFL Teachers Mrs L Davidson, Mrs A Wright Pupil Support Assistants Miss S Bills, Ms S Miller, Mrs J McCormack, Mrs D Stevenson, Mrs S Bell, Mrs V MacMillan, Mrs J Aitken, Mrs P Lambert, Mrs C Falconer, Mrs C Fraser, Miss S Bennett, Mrs M Bigham Children’s Service Worker Miss M Boyle (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) SMT on duty daily 8.45am and PSA’s throughout the day in the playground Active Schools Coordinator Mrs L Fraser Clerical Assistant Mrs N Cornish Mrs M Matheson Facilities Assistant Mr D Aitchison Childcare Manager Mrs L Stuart Early Years Education Support Officer Mrs C Blair Early Years Practitioners Mrs Harvey, Ms Macleod, Mrs Cassie, Mrs Brand, Mrs Hendry, Mrs Walker, Mrs A Stewart, Mrs McNeil, Miss Hall, Mrs Cassie, Mrs Cranstoun Early Years Support Workers Mrs Blanchard, Mrs Gibson Smithton Family Team The Scottish Government is addressing the attainment related poverty gap by using the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) to identify children and families who require extra support. Each school is given extra money to support families in this bracket. At Smithton we have created The Smithton Family Team with three social care workers, direct access to the Transitions Coordinator, direct access to Primary Mental Health Team Leader and a Seasons for Growth Children’s Services Worker. These all work in conjunction with the school staff and work directly with families in their homes, in the community and with the children in the school. If you require support with family budgeting, housing issues or some support to try different parenting and family techniques please contact the head teacher in the first instance. We have a range of support activities from wellbeing walks, family walks in the woods on Saturdays, breakfasts and workshops based on parental suggestions. See the Smithton Family Board in the foyer or look out for blog posts. EARLY LEARNING AND CHILD CARE(ELCC)/NURSERY The ELCC has been a feature of our school for over a decade and can provide up to 84 places in the morning and afternoon. Places are available for both three and four year olds, children are eligible to receive 30 hours funded per week from the term after their third birthday. However, parents may choose to pay for nursery provision from the week after their child’s 3rd birthday. Our nursery is inspected regularly by the Care Inspectorate, a body set up under the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001, to regulate care services throughout Scotland. For more information, you can contact their website ELCC - Opening hours We are open between 8am until 3pm with additional hours between 3pm and 5.30 in discussion with child care manager. Parents/Carers have flexibility in their child’s pattern of hours. Additional hours over the 30 funded hours can be booked and are charged at £4.40 per hour. Information packs on registration, bookings and payment can be obtained from the school office or the childcare manager. Please note bookings and cancellations have to be done 48h in advance. SCHOOL LUNCH AND SNACKS A healthy snack is provided for the children both morning and afternoon, we encourage a flexi- snack where children choose when to have snack and are encouraged to be independent by activities including spreading, pouring and tidying up. School lunches are available at the cost of £2.30 per day. The menus offer a choice of freshly cooked, nutritionally balance meals. Menus are available online http://www.highland.gov.uk Free school meals are available if you are in receipt of certain benefits, please ask at reception for more information.