Lochardil Primary School School Prospectus Session 2011-12 Prospectus revised December 2010 1 CONTENTS 1. THE SCHOOL’S VISION, VALUES AND AIMS 2. GENERAL INFORMATION The school facilities; ethos and uniform; catchment area and Secondary School. 3. EDUCATIONAL POLICY OF THE SCHOOL The curriculum; teaching methods; subjects covered; homework; Equal Opportunities & Multicultural Education; Additional Support needs/GIRFEC; assessment of pupils and information to parents. 4. SOCIAL AND CULTURAL EDUCATION Development of cultural values; school rules; discipline and anti-bullying policies. 5. PARENTS/CARERS Parents/carers and their contribution to the school; Lochardil Parent Forum; School Fund. 6. PUPIL WELFARE Website Information; visiting the school; school times; attendance and absence; children‟s possessions & lost property; school meals& morning snack; packed lunches; illness or accident in school; health & medical arrangements; safer routes to school; child protection; technology in school; photography in school; adverse weather conditions and school closures; emergency contacts. APPENDICES 1 - Curriculum Map 2 - Term Dates session 2011-2012 3 - Advice on Packed Lunches 4 - Advice on Dental Health 5 - Information relevant to school session 2010-2011: school roll, classes, staffing, School Parent Council membership; 6 - Budgeted Running Costs; Absence statistics; 2 1. THE VISION, VALUES and AIMS of the SCHOOL Our vision, values and aims Vision Statement (agreed March 2009): Lochardil School is a happy, environmentally aware place where enthusiastic, polite and responsible people experience the opportunity to be creative, caring and healthy. All will experience respect, fairness and equality Motto (agreed March 2009): Share and care, work and learn. Values – based on the word Lochardil (agreed March 2009) L Loyal learners O Organised occupants C Confident carers H Hardworking helpers A Appreciative aspirants R Responsible and ready D Determined and dedicated I Independent Individuals L It’s LOCHARDIL 3 EVERYONE IN LOCHARDIL PRIMARY SCHOOL AND THE WIDER COMMUNITY AIMS TO BE: These aims were reviewed during December 2009 by a working party made up of pupils, parents, carers and a cross section of staff. 4 2. GENERAL INFORMATION 2.1 THE SCHOOL FACILITIES Lochardil Primary School was built in 1964, at the same time as the Lochardil housing area was developed. The school is situated in spacious grounds with a sports-field, grass and tarmac play areas and shelters. The Security system has recently been up-graded and the windows in the main building have been replaced with double glazed units to help conserve energy. There are seven classrooms in the main teaching block, three classrooms and a nursery unit in the adjacent annexe blocks. All rooms are well equipped and have open outlooks. There is an excellent hall with a wide range of P.E. equipment, a stage with curtains and spotlights, and an adjacent Studio which is used for drama, circle time and various other activities. All the classrooms are well stocked with teaching materials and have areas set aside for class libraries. Additional teaching resources are stored at several locations in the school. The school is equipped with computers with at least two for each classroom and a computer suite in the Studio. (This is currently under review) School meals are cooked on the premises in the School Kitchen and served in the adjacent dining room. 2.2 THE SCHOOL ETHOS and UNIFORM Lochardil School has always been a happy school with high standards of education. We provide a caring, happy, safe and stimulating environment for the children where their views are valued. Our pupils are encouraged to be caring, polite and respectful. A wide range of activities are offered in the school during the school session and achievements are celebrated on a regular basis both in class and at whole school level. School uniform is recommended and encouraged. It is worn on a regular basis by all the pupils. This adds to the sense of community within the school and reduces the need for unnecessary expenditure by parents to meet changes in fashion. Visitors to the school remark on the high standard of uniform worn by our pupils. This reflects the important support for uniform shown by parents. Uniform is a contributory factor to a good school community atmosphere. The uniform is the standard low-cost school wear available through most retailers with the addition of the purple Lochardil School tie and the purple v-neck sweatshirt available from the school: The guidance for parents on uniform is as follows Boys: Black/Grey trousers, white shirt, school tie, grey pullover or purple v-neck sweatshirt, black shoes. Girls: BlackGrey skirt or trousers, white blouse, school tie, purple v-neck sweatshirt, black shoes; (In addition: White or purple polo shirts; Gingham dresses; Black shorts or cycle shorts for P.E) To maintain a high standard of appearance and to reduce the undue influence of fashion trends, it is recommended that designer sweatshirts, sports and football wear should not be worn to school. It is ultimately the parents' decision to what extent they follow this advice. The school will continue to encourage uniform and ask for pupils to wear uniform for representational events. 2.3 CATCHMENT AREA AND SECONDARY SCHOOL At the end of the primary stage of education, pupils from the Lochardil catchment area transfer to Inverness Royal Academy, Culduthel Road, Inverness, IV2 6RE Telephone number 01463 222884. Parents/carers of pupils who currently live outside the catchment area of the Royal Academy are required to make a placing request to the Area Education Manager if they wish their child to transfer to the Royal Academy. AREA EDUCATION MANAGER 13 ARDROSS STREET INVERNESS 01463 663800 5 3. EDUCATIONAL POLICY OF THE SCHOOL 3.1 THE PURPOSES OF THE CURRICULUM The purposes of the Curriculum are outlined in the Scottish Executive‟s document „A Curriculum for Excellence (2004)‟: By engaging in the Building your Curriculum process, the school has been able to focus strategically on what we want our curriculum to look like in the future, decide what we will have to change and how we are going to achieve this. As part of this process, we will involve the school community comprising staff, parents, pupils and partners. To date we have identified, and are building on, our existing strengths and have also identified our priorities for change. We have created a curriculum plan to map out our proposed journey to show what the school will look like in a few years' time. Please see appendices 1a, b, c, & d. We aspire „To enable all young people to become Successful Learners; Confident Learners; Responsible Citizens and Effective Contributors‟ We work towards the 8 curricular areas of Curriculum for Excellence:- Expressive Arts Health and Social Subjects Wellbeing Religious and Science Moral Education Language Technology Mathematics 6 3.2 TEACHING METHODS Challenge should be an important element of that enjoyment. We are more likely to learn when we are motivated, feel valued and see the relevance of what is being taught. Our emotional wellbeing is closely linked to our ability to learn effectively. We should also encourage the ability to read and be sensitive to other people’s feelings. We should encourage the development of three emotional competences: emotional awareness; accurate self assessment; self esteem. There is no such thing as a single, fixed, general intelligence. We all have much greater potential for learning than is commonly recognised. We should nurture and celebrate the many types of intelligences, for example, visual/spatial; verbal/linguistic; logical/mathematical; bodily/kinaesthetic; musical/rhythmic; interpersonal; spiritual. It is both an individual and a social activity. We acquire, process and use information in different ways and at different rates. As individuals, we all have preferred learning styles. There are three main types: visual, auditory, tactile/kinaesthetic People take responsibility for their own learning and the school will provide various opportunities afforded by emerging technologies. In lifelong learning, school staff should be role models. 7 There are differences in age, maturity, ability and personality of the children in each class. Each child has different educational strengths and needs. Effective teaching and classroom organisation has, therefore, to be flexible and varied to extend the abilities of all the pupils. 3.3 LITERACY AND ENGLISH Language and literacy are of personal, social and economic importance. Our ability to use language lies at the centre of the development and expression of our emotions, our thinking, our learning and our sense of personal identity. Language is itself a key aspect of our culture. Through language, children and young people can gain access to the literary heritage of humanity and develop their appreciation of the richness and breadth of Scotland‟s literary heritage. Children and young people encounter, enjoy and learn from the diversity of language used in their homes, their communities, by the media and by their peers. Literacy is fundamental to all areas of learning, as it unlocks access to the wider curriculum. Being literate increases opportunities for the individual in all aspects of life, lays the foundations for lifelong learning and work, and contributes strongly to the development of all four capacities of Curriculum for Excellence. The Literacy and English framework promotes the development of critical and creative thinking as well as competence in listening and talking, reading, writing and the personal, interpersonal and team-working skills which are so important in life and in the world of work. The framework provides for learners, parents and teachers, broad descriptions of the range of learning opportunities which will contribute to the development of literacy, including critical literacy, creativity, and knowledge and appreciation of literature and culture. The Highland Literacy Project focuses on the methodologies employed in the teaching of Literacy which allow the pupils to become increasingly independent learners.