Monkton Primary School

H A N D B O O K

2007/2008

Station Road Monkton KA9 2RH

Contents

Page No. SECTION A General School Information 1 1. Introduction by Head Teacher 1 2. Statement of School Aims and Values 2 3. School Information 3 4. School Staff 4 5. Management Team 4 6. The School Year and School Hours 5 7. Enrolment 6 SECTION B Teaching and Learning 1. The Core Curriculum 7&8 2. Extra Curricular Activities 9 3. Homework Policy 10 4. Assessment and Reporting 11 5. Determined to Succeed 11 6. Additional Support Needs/Accessibility Strategy 12 7. Composite Classes 13 8. Religious and Moral Education 14 9. Equal Opportunities and Inclusion 15 10. Personal, Social and Health Education/Citizenship 15&16 SECTION C Home / School / Community 1. Attendance 17&18 2. Statistical Information 19&20 3. School Uniform Policy 21 4. Home School Links 21 5. Choosing a school 22 6. Transfer to Secondary School 23 7. School Board and Parent Teacher Association 23 8. Pupil Council 24 9. Public Private Partnership (PPP) Programme 24 10. Parental Complaints Procedure 24 SECTION D Care and Welfare 1. Child Protection 25 2. Playground Supervision 25 3. School Meals and Free School Meal Information 25 4. Footwear and Clothing Grant Information 26 5. Transport Guide to Parents 26 6. Insurance 27 7. Valuable Items 27 8. Use of Mobile Phones 27 9. Health and Medical Information 28

10 Data Protection Act 29 11 Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 29 12 Helpful Addresses 30

SECTION A – General School Information

1. Introduction by Head Teacher Dear Parent,

Thank-you for choosing Monkton Primary School as your child’s place of education. Monkton primary is a very friendly, welcoming school set in the heart of the village. The school’s catchment area extends beyond the village into the cottages, farms and hamlets within the surrounding green belt area. We are a very happy, hard working school that strives to provide the very best in education for your child. We create many opportunities for the children to be confident, successful, responsible and effective in their understanding and contributions to the local and wider community. There are also many opportunities for you to become involved in the life of the school through the very active Parent Teacher Association, School Board or in a more informal way by volunteering to helping out in the classroom or at organised events. We hope that this handbook will be helpful to you and give you a valuable insight into the life of the school. If you have any further enquiries, please do not hesitate to call into the school or telephone at any time. We look forward to meeting and getting to know you and your child. Yours sincerely Maria McIntosh Head Teacher

2. STATEMENT OF SCHOOL Aims and Values of Monkton Primary School and Nursery School We aim to promote high standards of learning and teaching throughout the school and nursery by:

• Reviewing the balance of the curriculum, addressing principles of A Curriculum for Excellence 3 -18

• Reviewing and developing programmes in literacy from Nursery – Primary 7 • Providing a range of teaching approaches and opportunities for children to learn

in a rich literacy environment • Further developing the use of ICT throughout the school • Developing further Assessment is for Learning initiative in school and nursery

We aim to promote the highest possible standards of care and welfare for our children, so that they grow and learn in a caring and supportive environment in which everybody wants to work by:

• Recognising each child and adult as a valued individual • Developing cluster values • Further developing the Pupil Council • Ensuring all staff is trained in Child Protection procedures

We aim to ensure that all children have fair and equal access to all available experiences which will help them to achieve their full potential both as learners and also as individuals by:

• Raising awareness of new Additional Support Needs bill • Reviewing staged intervention programme • Promoting race equality and tackling discrimination

We aim to work alongside parents, School Board, PTA and the wider community by:

• Promoting a spirit of co-operation and collaboration • Involving all staff and children in Enterprise – Determine to Succeed initiative • Developing productive partnership with the local and wider community • Ensuring good communication

We aim to ensure that all teaching and support staff are encouraged in the process of self-evaluation and continuous professional development by:

• Ongoing consultation with staff • Building a culture of trust and developing team spirit • Developing a policy on open and consultative management • Ensuring all staff has access to appropriate CPD opportunities • Involving staff, parents and children when planning for improvement

SOUTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL AIMS AND VALUES

• Help for those who need it most • To be committed to providing quality public service • To have pride in our community • To give service to others • To provide lifelong education • To create partnership

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3. SCHOOL INFORMATION Name: Monkton Primary School Address: Station Road Monkton KA9 1EY Telephone: 01292 4777918 Email Address: monkton.mail@south-ayrshire.gov.uk Denomination status: Non denominational and co-educational Accommodation and capacity: The present roll is 113. The planning capacity of

the school is 158 pupils and the working capacity is 148. Parents (parents meaning anyone with parental responsibility i.e. Natural parents, guardians and carers) should note that the working capacity of the school may vary dependent upon the number of pupils at each stage and the way in which the classes are organised.

Nursery Provision: The Nursery class provides for 20 morning

children. Three and four year olds attend. Catchment map and area: Details of the school's catchment area and street names are available for inspection at the school and parents can also access them on the Council's web site www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk.

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4. SCHOOL STAFF

Teaching Staff Designation Mrs Maria McIntosh Head Teacher Mrs Janice Hardie Depute Head Teacher & P2/3 Mrs Jean Clements Principal Teacher & P6/7 Teacher Ms Donna Breakey P5/6 Teacher Mrs Hazel Meikle 0.8 P3/4 Teachers (Job Sharing) Mrs Karen McSheffiry 0.2 P3/4 Teacher (Job Sharing) Mrs Anne Bowman 0.6 P1 teacher (Job Sharing) Mrs Nan Tuckerman 0.4 P1 teacher (Job Sharing) Mrs Val Clark 0.2 Cluster Learning Support Teacher Mrs Karen McShefferey 0.1 Learning Support Mrs Elaine Govan P2/3 Reduced Contact Time

Ancillary Staff Designation Mrs Rhonda McCandlish Nursery Nurse Mrs Helen Stewart Clerical assistant Mrs May Ross Clerical Assistant Mrs Mandy Goldie Classroom Assistant Mrs Karen Fraser A.S.N. (part time) Mr Sam Darroch Janitor Mrs Anne McColm Cleaning Supervisor Mrs Mary Nowak Cleaner Mrs Jeannette Brown Dining Room Supervisor Mrs Elizabeth Hull Crossing Patrol

5. Management Team

Mrs Maria McIntosh Head Teacher Mrs Janice Hardie Depute Head Teacher Mrs Jean Clements Principal Teacher 4

6. THE SCHOOL YEAR AND SCHOOL HOURS School Hours These are from 9.00am - 3.15pm Morning interval is from 10.30 - 10.50am Lunch interval is from 12.20 - 1.15pm Nursery hours are from 9.00 – 11.30am and 12.30 – 3.00pm. Children go to the cloakroom on hearing the bell, hang up their coats and line up as instructed by their teachers. Nursery children must be accompanied into school by a parent or other adult carer at all times, and must also be collected daily. Nursery parents wait until P1-3 have entered the school building and then follow them up the corridor to the Nursery. Please note that, once pupils begin Primary 1, parents are not expected to accompany them into school (except on the very first day). Primary 1 children will attend school mornings until the first Monday in September, 3rd September, 2007. The School Year First Term Teachers (Inservice) Thursday 16th August 2007 Teachers (Inservice) Friday 17th August 2007 Pupils return Monday 20th August 2007 Local Holiday Friday 21st September 2007 Local Holiday Monday 24th September 2007 Mid Term Close Friday 12th October 2007 Teachers (Inservice) Monday 22rd October 2007 Pupils return Tuesday 23rd October 2007 Christmas Close Friday 21st December 2007 Second Term Re-open Monday 7th January 2008 Mid - Term Close Thursday 7th February 2008 Local Holiday Friday 8th February 2008 In-Service Monday 11th February 2008 Re-open pupils Tuesday 12th February 2008 Holiday(Good Friday) Friday 21st March 2008 Holiday Monday 24th March 2008 Close Wednesday 4th April 2008 Third Term Re-open Monday 21st April 2008 May Day Monday 5th May 2008 Teachers (Inservice) Friday 23rd May 2008 Local Holiday Friday 26th May 2007 Close Friday 27th June 2008

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7. ENROLMENT The main enrolment exercise takes place in January when pupils register for education. To enrol a 3 or 4 year old in the Nursery, or a 5 year old in P1, parents should initially follow the instructions as notified in the local press. Parents can make their initial enrolment only in the zone school. Subsequent placing requests to another school will be dealt with by the Head Teacher and thereafter by the Director of Education Culture and Lifelong Learning. Induction of Nursery pupils is done by a visit in the term prior to their starting Nursery. Induction of P1 pupils is dealt with during the pre-school year at Nursery, when there is regular contact with the P1 classroom and teacher and a programme of visits takes place. To enrol a child at any stage in school, parents should contact the Head Teacher to make individual arrangements.

6 SECTION B – TEACHING AND LEARNING

1 THE CORE CURRICULUM Our curriculum and assessment is based on the Scottish 5 – 14 guidelines and is accessed by all pupils. At Monkton these guidelines have been taken into account to provide a balanced curriculum, which is: • Language - Listening, Talking, Reading, Writing, • Mathematics - Number, Money, Measurement; Shape, Position and Movement;

Problem-solving and Enquiry; Information Handling, • Environmental Studies - Science, Social Subjects, Technology • Expressive Arts - Drama, Art and Design, Physical Education, Music • Religious & Moral Education - Christianity, Other World Religions, Personal

Search • Personal and Social Education - Self Awareness, Self Esteem, Interpersonal

Relationships, Independence and Interdependence • Health Education – Physical Health, Emotional Health, Social Health • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) - Learning in ICT,

Learning Through ICT • Primary French – P6 and P7 are taught basic French language. In the nursery class we follow the advice given in the national guidelines ‘The Child at the Centre’, the curriculum for three and four year old pupils. A separate booklet about the 3-5 Curriculum and other information particular to the nursery is made available. If you would like a copy, simply call the school and ask for one. Language There are four main areas of study in the 5 - 14 Language programme - Reading, Writing, Talking and Listening. A language programme involving a range of texts, which develop all language skills, is in place throughout the school. New Ginn 360 Reading is used throughout the school. On Target English and Nelson Grammar supports the teaching of language from P3 – 7. Spelling Made Easy is our basic spelling scheme. This scheme uses the “family lists” method of teaching spelling. It introduces and reinforces common spelling rules and seeks to develop increasing confidence with spelling. Dictation also gives opportunities to reinforce the skills of punctuating text correctly.

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The teaching of phonics as a very important part of our pupils’ word attack skills and is achieved through ‘Think About It ‘approach to phonics. A more structured approach to talking and listening is supported by audio tapes and individual /group discussion. Common words, which pupils use often in writing tasks, are being introduced as spelling words from the latter stages of P1.

Mathematics The 5-14 guidelines detail four areas of study within the broad heading of Mathematics - 1. Number, Money and Measurement, 2. Shape, Position and Movement, 3. Problem Solving and Enquiry and 4. Information Handling. Our basic Maths scheme, Heinemann Maths is a structured course, which seeks to cover all four areas during the year. It is used throughout the school. Homework and reinforcement sheets have been produced to supplement the programme of study and these are used in all classes where appropriate. A variety of mental arithmetic books and other materials, such as mini whiteboards, are used to improve our pupils’ ability to calculate quickly and accurately and emphasis is put on the importance of the ability to perform quick, accurate oral mental calculations. A focus on interactive maths and mental maths is now being put in place. Children are also being encouraged to work independently where appropriate.

Environmental Studies There are many aspects to Environmental Studies. These are Social Subjects – People and Place, People in the Past, People in Society; Science – Living Things and Processes of Life, Energy and Forces, Earth and Space; Technology - Technology in Society, The Design Process. Children study topics from these aspects suitable for their age, stage and ability. A rolling programme of topics to accommodate our composite classes is in place throughout Monkton. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) The focus of ICT is: • Learning through ICT, which is use of ICT to improve pupil’s knowledge,

understanding in a range of curriculum areas and subjects. • Learning in ICT, which is development of pupil’s general ICT skills. ICT is now part of our curriculum. Programmes of study are being developed based on national and local guidelines.

8 Expressive Arts The Expressive Arts cover the subjects of Art and Design, Drama, Music and Physical Education. 5-14 Programmes of Study are followed in all these areas, and concerts provide a particular showcase for our pupils’ achievements. There are also very attractive displays of the children’s artwork throughout the school. Our Woodwind Instructor, Mrs S Hay, is able to take on a small number of pupils from time to time. Prospective players must undergo a basic musical aptitude test as well as have their suitability for available instruments assessed. Lessons take place once per week during class time. When places are available, all parents of children in the relevant year group(s) will be informed. Health Education South Ayrshire guidelines ensure that children gain skills and knowledge over a range of issues including Physical and Emotional Health and Relationships. Excellent support is given to us by our School Nurse and Community Police Officers in the delivery of our Personal, Social and Health Education Programme 2. EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES We have a wide range of extra curricular activities for children at lunchtime and at the end of the school day. All activities are very popular and well attended. Thanks to our volunteers for giving their time freely.

Football training takes place for pupils in P.5-7, for one hour each week after school. It is hoped that we will take part again in various tournaments. We have two Netball teams who play in league matches during the summer term. These are coached by Ms Breakey and Mrs Goldie. A Computer Club meets regularly and is run by Mrs McMillan, a parent volunteer. Mrs Clements takes the School choir (P.4-7) which meets weekly at lunchtimes (October - April). A Scripture Union group meets on Tuesdays at lunchtime. This group is run by Mrs A Anderson, a parent volunteer. An Art and Craft Activities Club meets weekly . This is run by,Mrs Goldie in the run up to Christmas and at other times throughout the year. Children from P7 have been trained by Mrs Goldie in Cycling Proficiency.

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3. HOMEWORK POLICY We are committed to promoting homework which makes learning progressive, open-ended and fun for pupils as well as engaging for parents. We aim to achieve this by setting homework that is related to class topics, reflects Forward Plans, is challenging, encourages a variety of learning styles and allows pupils to learn and interact with others. Homework has been shown to make learning effective when, it is in a context that is meaningful to the learner, advances the needs of the learner, serves some ‘real world’ purpose and builds on prior learning. Every child is given a homework diary which sets out the homework routine for both parent and child and serves as an important means of communication between parents and teacher. Homework tasks will vary in length depending on stage, ability of the child and area of the curriculum. Parents should encourage children to complete homework but no child should sit ‘stuck’ for any length of time. If this happens please refer back to school. Parents/Guardians should at all times read and sign their child’s home work diary. Through parental consultation Appendix 1 of our Homework Policy is issued to all parents at the start of the Session. If you wish a copy of the full policy please contact the school.

10 4 ASSESSMENT AND REPORTING Pupil’s progress is continually assessed by their class teacher. Much of this ongoing assessment is informal - discussing work produced, making suggestions to improve the quality of writing, how to read more expressively, etc. More formal tests in mathematics and spelling are given by the class teacher. Check - ups for each Heinemann workbook (Number / mathematics) are used to judge the pupils’ understanding of the content of each stage. In English language, examples are kept which show the pupils’ progress towards completing their current 5 - 14 level. The Assessment for Learning initiative, launched by the Scottish Executive is also being developed throughout the school. This ensures children are more involved in self and peer assessment and therefore taking more responsibility for their own learning. Parents will be kept up to date with progress. In the current session, one written report will be issued to parents. In November and in March, an afternoon and evening are set aside for individual parent interviews. These give an opportunity for parents to discuss their child’s progress. If parents are concerned about their child’s progress out with these dates, they are encouraged to telephone the school to make an appointment to see the class teacher or the head teacher. All children’s progress is tracked systematically by the class teacher and Head Teacher to ensure a good pace of learning. Children also are involved in setting individual learning targets for themselves. National Assessments in Mathematics, Reading and Writing are carried out when pupils complete each level of the appropriate 5 - 14 target. The results of these assessments are confidential and are reported only to the parents of the child concerned. A report, which summarises the assessment results without identifying individual pupils, is given annually to the School Board. National Assessments should be regarded as only one element of a professional approach to assessment in school. Children with Additional Support Needs have Individualised Educational Programmes (IEPs), which are monitored termly. 5. DETERMINED TO SUCCEED Everyone involved in a young person’s development should be aiming to realise their full potential so that they can become the best they can be in work and life. Determined to Succeed puts young people at the centre, ensuring that they have the chance to experience and participate in enterprise, not just as a one off activity but as part of the way they learn.

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Determined to Succeed is about being:

• Creative • Innovative • Enterprising

Thus ensuring that our young people are better prepared to face the challenges ahead in a rapidly changing world. All children in Monkton take part in enterprising activities e.g. Christmas Fayre, raising money for charities, inviting senior citizens to assemblies, Grandparents Day, visits to various places, working with industry etc. 6 ADDITIONAL SUPPORT NEEDS/ACCESSIBILITY STRATEGY Accessibility Strategy The school has a duty to ensure that all our pupils have equal access to the curriculum, supported as appropriate to their individual needs. This covers not only the content of lessons and teaching strategies but also minor adaptations to the physical environment of our building to address the needs of pupils with physical and sensory impairment, including the relocation of classes to the ground floor where feasible. We also need to ensure that parents who have a disability have equal access to information about their children. This will involve, for example, relocating the venue for parents meetings to facilitate physical access; provision of an interpreter for deaf people; agreeing a phone contact system to provide feedback for parents. Physical Access The school can be accessed via a ramp and handrails at the front and back of the buildings. Communications If any parent or carer has a disability we can ensure equal access to school for parents meetings etc. Interpreter Services An interpreter service is available through a language line facility. Curriculum We will take a pro active approach to address appropriate differentiation.

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Staff Development A comprehensive staff development programme ensures that staff are fully briefed on issues e.g. Disability Awareness raising, Inclusion documentation etc. Physical Intervention At Monkton we follow the authority’s Physical Intervention Policy. Additional Support Needs New legislation, concerning the provision for children with additional support needs came into effect in Scotland on 14th November 2005. The term ”special educational needs” no longer exists and has been replaced with “additional support needs” which refers to any child or young person who experiences a barrier to learning, however temporary in nature. From this date Records of Needs will no longer be statutory documents. Over the next two years there will be a period of transition for children and young people with a Record of Needs so that education authorities can establish whether those children and young people require a co-ordinated support plan (CSP). Many children have additional support needs at some time in their school life. Mostly these are short-term, possibly caused by absence due to illness or a failure to understand a new process – and are dealt with by the class teacher. A simpler programme of work or a little extra help may give a solution. If more serious long-term difficulties are suspected children are placed on the staged intervention program and sometimes the help of the School Psychological Service is sought with a view to getting a more precise identification of the specific problem and some help in setting a suitable learning programme for the pupil. This may lead to extra teaching support or to suitable learning material from out with the school or aid from an auxiliary. Speech problems are referred to the speech and language therapist who deals with our pupils. Any approaches made to either of these Services only proceeds after the parents of the pupil concerned have been consulted. Our school has an allocation of learning support assistance from the Cluster Support Team. This session we have 0.3, of support each week. Mrs Clark & Mrs Shefferey are our Support for Learning teachers. At present we use this help to support pupils who have a record of special needs, pupils who are experiencing learning difficulties and occasionally to support teachers when they are introducing new material.

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6 COMPOSITE CLASSES Primary schools have pupils at seven broad year stages, primary 1 t o primary 7. A year stage is defined as a group of pupils entering primary education at a common date. C omposite classes are those where children of more than one year stage are grouped together to form a class. Schools are staffed to agreed standards based on the total number of pupils within the school regardless of the numbers of pupils at each year stage. This means that the head teachers are required to take management decisions to organise classes to make best use of available staff, resources and space. B alancing up the various factors involves both educational and organisational considerations. Selection of pupils to classes including composite classes: In the formation of new classes full account must be taken of existing successful groupings of pupils. Schools should use language and/or mathematics groups as the baseline for decisions as to which class children are allocated. W ithin this broad guideline a language and/or mathematics working group could be defined as: “A number of pupils of broadly the same attainment who have shown the capacity of working well as a learning group”. Normally such classes will be formed before the start of a new school year so that all involved know that class structures exist for the new school session. In certain circumstances class restructuring may have to take place during the summer break or after a school session has started. However such cases will be very exceptional. Parents will be informed at the earliest opportunity of likely re-classification of classes to allow appropriate discussions to take place. Further information is available at the school. 7 RELIGIOUS AND MORAL EDUCATION We are following the 5 - 14 guidelines in Religious and Moral Education. Our programmes of study are in line with the advice given in the national guidelines on religious education 1993. The main areas of study are Christianity, other World Religions and Personal Search. We study Judaism and Hinduism as our other world religions. In Personal Search pupils are encouraged to respond to the wonder of the natural world, to show care and concern for others and develop increasing understanding of the principles of fairness, tolerance, justice, etc. Parents are invited to join us for religious services, which are usually held at the end of each term. School assemblies, which are not always based on a religious theme, take place weekly. Our School Chaplain is Rev Arthur Christie, minister of Monkton and Prestwick North Parish Church.

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Parents have the right to withdraw their children from religious education. They should contact the Head Teacher for such arrangements to be made.

Parents from religions other than Christianity may request that their children be permitted to be absent from schools in order to celebrate recognised religious events. Only written requests detailing the proposed arrangements will be considered. Appropriate requests will be granted on not more than three occasions (days) in any one school session and the pupil noted as an authorised absentee in the register. These policies have regard to national advice set out in SOIED Circular 6/9, the Education (Scotland ) Act 1980 and SEED Circular 1/2005. 9 EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND INCLUSION Equal opportunities are afforded to both boys and girls throughout the school in all areas of learning. Care is taken to ensure that no treatment of children reinforces outdated gender stereotypes. There is no segregation of the sexes for lessons, which involve craftwork, technology etc. All staff take great care to promote good behaviour patterns within the school environment and to develop in each pupil a sense of justice and fair play which we hope will lead to a caring, well - balanced attitude in other areas of life outside school. Programmes within the Personal Search area of Religious Education, Health Education, Personal and Social Development and Citizenship tackle issues in equal opportunities, bullying, anti-racism, social justice, etc. These are used throughout the school. Please contact the Head Teacher if you require further information 10 PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION/CITIZENSHIP

(INCLUDING THE SCHOOL DISCIPLINE POLICY) Personal and Social Education At Monkton Primary we try to educate the whole child. From Nursery onwards the staff encourage their pupils to gain self-confidence and to take increasing responsibility for their schoolwork. We work hard to develop attitudes in which the value of fair play, justice, respect and a willingness to share with and help others is understood and acted upon.

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Within our health education programme are lessons where personal safety is taught. Spiritual and moral issues come under discussion increasingly within the Personal lSearch element of our Religious Education programme. We have put in place a discipline policy whose content came from our pupils’ ideas of good and bad behaviour. The essential message of the policy is to emphasis behaviour that is acceptable rather than unacceptable. By the end of primary seven we would hope that our pupils are confident, keen to further their education and able to mix socially with others. Citizenship All the schools in the Prestwick Academy cluster are working jointly to promote positive values and good citizenship to our children. In Monkton Primary, our Pupil Council is made up of a group of pupils elected by their classmates to put forward the views of their classes on a range of aspects of school life which affect pupils directly, such as conditions in the playground, issues about school rules, what our new school should be like, etc. By doing this, we are teaching our children how to become involved in the practical decision making processes of our society. Our statement of ten things ‘Good Pupils’ do was drawn up by taking pupils’ views into account. The cluster has drawn up a set of five core values. These are: - • Honesty • Respect • Responsibility • Equality • Compassion Our Pupil Council discussed these and amended our ‘Good Pupils’ list, so now these two lists fit together very well. Our programme of Personal, Social and Health Education teaches our children about choices in life and encourages them to adopt responsible attitudes to relevant issues. Our Religious and Moral Education programme aims to help children, not just to be understanding and tolerant of the deeply held views of others, but also to respect and show interest in them. Through exposure to multi-cultural issues, we hope our children will be able not just to respect racial and cultural differences, but to enjoy and celebrate the diverse world of which we in Scotland are but a small part. Our anti-bullying policy, F.A.B (Friends Against Bullying) sets out to resolve conflicts between pupils by making clear the importance of mutual understanding of how our individual behaviour may impact on the feelings or experiences of others.

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It seeks to provide guidance to all involved on how to share responsibility for a positive solution, rather than on allocating blame to one side or another. Working with ‘Parents as Partners’, we seek active co-operation in promoting positive behaviour. As members of a school community, we seek to uphold these core values in the way we relate to one another each day ‘as an example of the harmonious world we seek to live in’ to quote one of our school aims at the front of this handbook.

SECTION C – HOME / SCHOOL / COMMUNITY

1. ATTENDANCE

section 30 of the 1980 Education Act lays a duty on every parent of a child of ‘school age’ to ensure that their child attends school regularly. Attendance must be recorded

twice a day, morning and afternoon. Regulation 7 of The Education (Scotland and Placing Information) (Scotland) Amendment etc Regulations 1993 r equires each child’s absence from school to be recorded in the school register as authorised: e.g. approved by the authority, or unauthorised; e.g. unexplained by the parent (truancy) or excluded from school. FAMILY HOLIDAY NOT AUTHORISED BY THE SCHOOL The majority of family holidays taken during term time will be categorised as unauthorised absence. However, it is acceptable under exceptional circumstances for schools to authorise a family holiday during term time. S uch circumstances may include: A family holiday judged to be important to the well-being and cohesion of the family following serious or terminal illness, bereavement or other traumatic events A family holiday classified under the ‘authorised absence’ category should not include such reasons as:

• The availability of cheap holidays • The availability of desired accommodation • Poor weather experienced during school holidays • Holidays which overlap the beginning or end of term • Parental difficulty obtaining leave (with local judgement applied in cases

where evidence is provided by the employer that it cannot accommodate leave during school holidays without serious consequences)

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EXTENDED LEAVE WITH PARENTAL CONSENT Where most family holidays will be recorded as unauthorised absence (see below), extended leave with parental consent will not be considered the same as a f amily holiday. Extended leave with parental consent will be recorded separately outside the figures for attendance and absence, and include circumstances such as:

• Extended overseas educational trips not organised by the school • Short-term parental placement abroad • Family returning to its country of origin (to care for a relative, or for cultural

reasons) • Leave in relation to the children of travelling families

ADVICE TO FAMILIES Schools will now follow-up all instances of pupil non-attendance in order to accurately record the reason for absence using the above coding system. It would be extremely helpful in this regard, if parents contact school at the beginning and end of the absence period – indicating their awareness of the absence and reason for absence at the beginning of the period and expectation of return to school at the end of the absence period. Where no information is provided absences will be considered to be unexplained and therefore recorded as unauthorised.

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1. STATISTICAL INFORMATION 1919

2005/2006 Attendance data for Monkton Primary School School Data

Attendance & Absence For School Year 2005/06

Stage P1 5806 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P1-P7

Total Number of Possible Attendances (Pupil Half Days) 4968 6434 5548 6324 4286 6928 4029

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Percentage Authorised Absences (%) 3.3 2.9 1.2 2.9 3.4 4.4 3 2.9

Percentage Unauthorised Absences (%) 0.7 0.5 06 0.9 0.8 0.4 0.2 068

Minimising Overall Absence

Absence recorded (2003/2004)

Average number of half days absence per pupil

Absence recorded (2004/2005) Average number of half days absence

per pupil Absence School 13.8 1338

Education Authority 16.7 18.1

National 18.0 18.9

Education Authority Data for South Ayrshire

Attendance & Absence For School Year 2005/06

Stage

P1 386,307 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P1-P7 Total Number of Possible Attendances (Pupil Half Days) 407,107 466,071 433,424 474,173 443,396 469,112 3,079,690

Percentage Authorised Absences (%) 3.7 3.57 3.1 3.3 3 3.6 23 3.4

Percentage Unauthorised Absences (%) 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.4

National Data

Attendance & Absence For School Year 2005/06

Stage

P1 18,996,743 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P1-P7 Total Number of Possible Attendances (Pupil Half Days)

19,805,030 20,600,193 20,992,950 21,101,678 21,429,454 21,717,477 144,643,52

Percentage Authorised Absences (%) 4.2 4 3.90 4 4 4 4.1

Percentage Unauthorised Absences (%)

0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9

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2005-06 budgeted school running costs for Monkton Primary School School Data

2005-06 budgeted school running costs School Roll at September 2004 103

Total School Running Costs at April 2005 (£) 357,492

Cost per Pupil (£) 3,471

Education Authority Data for South Ayrshire

2005-06 budgeted school running costs School Roll at September 2005 8,196

Total School Running Costs at April 2005 (£) 25,836,528

Cost per Pupil (£) 3,152

National Data

2005-06 budgeted school running costs School Roll at September 2005 390,257

Total School Running Costs at April 2005 (£) 1,264,772,698

Cost per Pupil (£) 3,241

5-14 Attainment Data for …Monkton………. Primary School 5-14 attainment levels for June 2005 and June 2006 Previous level of performance

(June 2004) % P3, P4, P6 and P7 roll attaining or exceeding the appropriate * 5-14 levels for their stage

Present level of performance (June 2005) % P3, P4, P6 and P7 roll attaining or exceeding the appropriate * 5-14 levels for their stage

Reading (School) 86.9 90.3 Reading (South Ayrshire) 83.7 85.1 Writing (School) 85.2 85.5 Writing (South Ayrshire) 77.3 77.8 Mathematics (School) 88.5 91.9 Mathematics (South Ayrshire)

87.7 88.1

• Appropriate levels – P3 level A or above, P4 level B or above, P6 level C or above, P7

level D or above.

3 SCHOOL UNIFORM POLICY Given that there is a substantial parental and public approval of uniform, schools in South Ayrshire are free to encourage the wearing of school uniform. In encouraging the wearing of uniform, account must be taken in any proposals to prevent any direct or indirect discrimination on the grounds of race or gender. Any proposals will be the subject of widespread consultation with parents and pupils. Against this background it should be noted that it is the policy of the Lifelong Learning Committee not to insist on pupils wearing uniform or having specialist items of clothing as a prerequisite to their attending and engaging in all of the activities of the curriculum. There are forms of dress, which are unacceptable in school, such as items of clothing which: -

• potentially, encourage faction (such as football colours); • could cause offence (such as anti-religious symbolism or political slogans); • could cause health and safety difficulties, such as loose fitting clothing,

dangling earrings, are made from flammable material for example shell suits, in practical classes;

• could cause damage to flooring; • carry advertising, particularly for alcohol or tobacco; and could be used to

inflict damage on other pupils or be used by others to do so. Our formal school uniform is grey skirt or trousers, white, blue or grey shirt, school tie, black blazer with the school badge. A less formal uniform of blue sweatshirt, white polo shirt, blue fleece and rain jacket is very popular. The sweatshirt, fleece and rain jacket are all embroidered with the school badge. Orders for uniforms are taken early on in the summer term. From time to time we may have surplus items which can be made available for sale during the year. Since almost all our pupils wear uniform, the effect is very pleasant, and is often commented on by visitors to the school, as is the high standard of behaviour and general courtesy achieved by our pupils. 4 HOME/SCHOOL LINKS Parents are kept informed by the Head Teacher of all school activities and are invited to participate in all appropriate events. Many parents offer help in various ways, from attending school assemblies to transporting children to games. Parents are encouraged to make appointments to discuss with the Head Teacher any problems concerning their child. Thus an atmosphere of co - operation is encouraged between school and parents to their mutual benefit. Our homework diary also helps establish good home/school links. An open evening is held annually to allow parents and teachers to exchange information, views, policy etc. This gives an opportunity for parents to meet other parents and the school staff informally. More formal parent interviews are arranged twice a year in November and March, when pupils’ progress is discussed privately with their parents.

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Written Progress Reports will also be issued. Should parents be unable to attend parent interviews, other mutually suitable times may be arranged. Parents of P.7 pupils are invited to a meeting at Prestwick Academy prior to their child’s transfer to Secondary School. Parents of children entering P.1 are invited to bring their children to school for two visits in June. Parents of pupils in the Nursery have the opportunity to visit the nursery once each term, and also to exchange library books once a fortnight. In Primary 1 parents exchange story bags once a fortnight for around half the session. These bags provide them with books and related toys and games to share with their children at home, thus helping to support their child at home with good quality learning materials in the early stages of their learning. We have a Parent / Teacher Association which has taken an active role in fund raising throughout the years. The committee are keen to provide extra opportunities for our pupils. School/Community Links The children are encouraged to take part in local activities. Various aspects of the local environment are studied by pupils as part of their Environmental Studies programme. We use the local Carvick Webster Hall for our end of term services / concerts and many members of the local community attend, in addition to the parents of our pupils. Links with local churches have already been described. We also have links with local businesses, including BAE Systems, who in the past have sponsored aspects of our drugs education programme, supported our P6 topic on Conservation and Pollution, and given us money for improvements to our school environment. Many community members and people who work in our community are well-known faces in the school, some visiting us from Nursery through to P7 to support our school aims. 5 CHOOSING A SCHOOL Under the placing request arrangements parents have the right to choose a school other than the catchment school for their area. This is known as a placing request and application forms can be obtained from the school office or the Council Offices at Wellington Square, Ayr, telephone 01292 612268. Unfortunately it is not possible to guarantee that a placing request will be successful but parents will have the right of appeal should it be unsuccessful. Full details of the placing request arrangements are contained in the application form. You should be aware that if you decide to make a placing request your child would no longer be automatically considered for a place in their catchment school.

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6 TRANSFER TO SECONDARY SCHOOL Pupils are normally transferred between the ages of 11 ½ and 12 ½ so that they will have the opportunity to complete at least four years of secondary education. Parents will be informed of the school arrangements no later than December of the year preceding the date of transfer at the start of the new session. Monkton pupils normally transfer to Prestwick Academy, Newdykes Road, Prestwick. Telephone 477121. The Head Teacher is Mr Colin Paterson.

7 SCHOOL BOARD AND PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION

PTA We have a very committed Parents’ Association who work hard, give their time to help in school and raise funds to support school activities. They organise fun events and social occasions such as a Halloween Party, Fun Day and Daffodil Tea. The Chairperson is Mr David Parker. School Board The School Board (Scotland) Act 1988 led to the establishment of school boards in primary, secondary and special schools. Boards, which are composed of parents, staff and co-opted members with the Head of Establishment as professional adviser, have duties, rights and responsibilities in relation to the management of the school. These include:

• consulting with parents and reporting to parents on matters of interest: • encouraging the development of links between the school and parents: • taking part in the selection of senior promoted staff to the school; • discussing and approving the Head of Establishment’s plans for purchasing

books and educational material; • setting dates for occasional holidays in consultation with interested parties; • assisting in the letting of school premises under the direction of the education

authority; • receiving reports from the Head of Establishment and education authority; • receiving an annual budget for administration, training and other expenses;

and • having power to raise funds and spend these for the benefit of the school after

consulting the Head of Establishment; Members of School Boards, on a voluntary basis, may also have an advisory role in the investigation of cases of non-attendance and suspected truancy. Members of our current School Board are: Chair Person Rae Anderson telephone 475098 Members Jennifer Foulkes Ian Davies Tonia McClelland Mrs Elizabeth – Anne Ewing Mrs Mary Yuille Ms Donna Breakey Staff Member Please note that all school board members can be contacted via the school. 23

The Scottish Executive has recently consulted on “what kind of reformed and more flexible statutory framework will meet our needs and protect parents’ rights while offering them a more flexible involvement”. This had led to the publication of a draft Bill entitled Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Bill. H owever, the current system of School Boards will continue until the new legislation is considered and adopted by the Scottish Parliament 8 PUPIL COUNCIL Consultation with pupils about their views on their school environment and their learning is increasingly accepted in our school. Giving young people a “voice” as partners in the process of school improvement, leads to more effective learning organisations. Pupil Councils is one means of ensuring that young people develop positive attitudes and an opportunity to take part in “real life” decision making within their own school setting. In Monkton our pupil council meet regularly and bring issues and ideas from their class for discussion. This session they enjoyed meeting to discuss and liase with their peers on how to spend their budget of £724.00 . 9 PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP (PPP) PROGRAMME Monkton Primary School is due to be replaced with a modern school, which will enhance the learning experience of all our learners. T he enabling work to allow access to the site is due to commence on the 8th of January 2007. The proposed date of completion is Deceber 2007. All going well we hope to move into the new school January 2008. 10 PARENTAL COMPLAINTS PROCEDURES If you have any comments or complaints please approach the Head Teacher in the first instance. If the Head Teacher does not resolve the issue to your satisfaction, you should write to Director of Education, Culture and Lifelong Learning, County Buildings, Wellington Square, AYR If the project is due for completion in December 2007. Up-date information on these dates and work in progress will be made available to all parents and pupils. Up-dated information on these dates and work in progress will be made available to pupils and parents. 2

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SECTION D – CARE AND WELFARE

1 CHILD PROTECTION School staff provides support to children and young people in their daily work and have a vital role to help protect them from harm. School staff helps keep children and young people safe and well by:

• Helping them learn about their personal safety • Being a trusted adult who children and young people may turn to for help, and

who will take them seriously • Identifying when children and young people may need help • Understanding the steps that must be taken when there are concerns for

children’s and young people’s safety and well-being. The school has a Child Protection Co-ordinator who will co-ordinate the school’s response to concerns for children and young people’s safety and well-being. T he Authority has a designated officer for Child Protection who will ensure schools work effectively to keep children safe and well. If you have any concerns about the safety and well-being of a child or young person, including a ‘gut feeling’, talk about this to the school’s Child Protection Co-ordinator or another member of staff. 2 PLAYGROUND SUPERVISION An adult presence is provided in playgrounds at break times in terms of the Schools (Safety and Supervision of Pupils) (Scotland) Regulations, 1990. 3 SCHOOL MEALS AND FREE SCHOOL MEAL INFORMATION These are provided by the Education authority at a current cost of £1.50 per meal, £7.50 per week. This money should be brought on a Monday morning. Parents should inform the school of any foreseen absence in order that the meal may be cancelled. Children will be credited with any meal missed through unforeseen absence. Any child on a special diet may have it catered for on production of a note from his doctor. Any parent who wishes to apply for free school meals for his her child may do so by contacting the Head Teacher / Clerical Assistant. Children may also bring packed lunches, which they eat, in the dining room under staff supervision. As there are a limited number of seats in the dining hall, a rota system operates so that each class has a fair chance to be first. Only those children who receive free school meals will be entitled to free milk. At Monkton milk is available (at present at a cost of 9p per day) before the interval. Milk money is collected weekly on Monday mornings.

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Children of parents receiving Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance (Income Based) and Child Tax Credit only (where income is less then £13,910*) are entitled to a free midday meal. Information and application forms for free school meals may be obtained from schools and from the Council Offices at Wellington Square, Ayr, telephone 01292 612268. 4 FOOTWEAR AND CLOTHING GRANT INFORMATION Children of all parents receiving income support, income based job seekers allowance, housing benefit, or council tax rebate will normally be entitled to monetary grants for footwear and clothing for their children. Those parents who are in receipt of Working Family Tax Credit and who also qualify for assistance with Health Care Charges. Information and application forms may be obtained from schools, Area Offices and from Education Culture and Lifelong Learning, County Buildings Ayr. 5 TRANSPORT GUIDE TO PARENTS In law it is the parents’ responsibility to ensure that the children attend school and make suitable travel arrangements for them. However where children attend and live more than a specified walking distance from their catchment school the Council will assist with school travel by making available free school transport for all or part of the journey. South Ayrshire Council has a policy of providing free transport to all primary pupils who live more than one mile from their local school by the recognised shortest walking route. This policy is more generous than the law requires. This means that the provision of transport could be reviewed at any time. Parents who consider they are eligible should obtain an application form from the school or Education, Culture and Lifelong Learning, County Buildings, Wellington Square, Ayr. T hese forms should be completed and returned before the end of February for those pupils beginning school in August to enable the appropriate arrangements to be made. Applications may be submitted at any time throughout the year but may be subject to delay whilst arrangements are made. The appropriate officer has discretion in special circumstances to grant permission for pupils to travel in transport provided by the authority, where spare places are available and no additional costs are incurred. The authority has an Exceptional Circumstance policy relating to e.g. Homelessness, parental disability etc. Details are available from the school. T here is also a procedure to request transport on m edical grounds. T he school can advise on procedures.

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Where free transport is provided it may be necessary for pupils to walk a certain distance to the vehicle pick up point. Walking distance in total including the distance from home to the pick-up point and from the drop-off point to the school in any one direction will not exceed the authority’s limit (see above paragraph). It is the parent’s responsibility to ensure that their child arrives at the pick-up point in time. It is also the parent’s responsibility to ensure the child behaves in a safe and acceptable manner while boarding, travelling in and alighting from the vehicles. Misbehaviour could result in your child losing the right to free transport. The education authority does not provide transport for those pupils in receipt of a placing request other than in individual exceptional circumstances where appropriate legislation applies. Children who qualify for school transport at Monkton are transported by Mini bus or taxi. Forms for free school transport are available at the school office. Privileged Seats Pupils who are not entitled to free school transport may on occasion apply for a privileged seat. A privileged seat is where there is a vacant seat on a dedicated school contract. Parents can make an application for a privileged seat by submitting a letter to South Ayrshire Council, Education Culture and Lifelong Learning, County Buildings, Ayr, KA7 1DR at any time during the year. Parents should note that privileged seats are not available on local services contracts and are allocated during October. Privileged seats can be withdrawn if an entitled pupil requires transport and cease at the end of each school session. 6 INSURANCE South Ayrshire Council hold Public Liability, Employer Liability and Officials Indemnity Insurance, with AIG Europe (UK) Ltd – New Hampshire Insurance Company under policy number 21005023. In addition, the school will provide information on School Excursion Insurance when necessary. Further information regarding insurance and an appropriate claim form can be obtained from the school or County Buildings, Wellington Square, Ayr, telephone 01292 612264. 7 VALUABLE ITEMS The Council is concerned at the level of claims being received regarding the loss of pupils’ clothing and/or personal belongings. Parents are asked to assist in this area by ensuring that valuable items and unnecessary expensive items of clothing are not brought to school. Parents should note that the Council does not carry insurance to cover loss of such items and any claims submitted are likely to be met only where the Council can be shown to have been negligent. 8 USE OF MOBILE PHONES

Pupils should not bring mobile phones to school. Any exceptional circumstances should be discussed with the Head Teacher. 27

9 HEALTH AND SAFETY MEDICAL INFORMATION Children have two routine medical examinations, with parents’ full advance knowledge and presence where desired. These are on the entry in Primary 1 and before leaving from Primary 7. These are routine vision and hearing tests at intermediate stages, of which parents are informed and these are followed up by further investigations where necessary. The school dentist carries out routine inspections and advises parents if treatment is necessary. Parents are expected to have treatment carried out by their family dentist. Parents are requested to inform the Head Teacher of any particular medical requirements. It is essential that parents inform school of any changes of address, telephone number or emergency contact person immediately in order to keep our records up-to-date and prevent delay in contacting an adult known to and willing to be responsible for your child in an emergency situation should you be unavailable. Cleanliness of Pupils - Head Lice From time to time, head lice affect a small number of children in school. Anyone can get Head lice. They are very small insects, which like to live on clean healthy hair. They can only move if a warm clean head is close by. They cannot jump, fly or hop and are not spread by hats or combs. HOW TO CHECK FOR LICE A regular check each week when the hair is being washed will quickly detect any problem. Use a fine toothed comb and comb the hair forward from the nape of the neck when the hair is wet. If you find lice are present: - 1.Contact your local chemist, doctor or school nurse for advice about the current recommended treatment. 2. Treat everyone in the immediate family at the same time. 3. Please tell the school. Any information given will be treated confidentially. Should you wish more information please contact the Head Teacher or the school nurse - Nurse McKay, telephone 885541. Emergencies If a child takes ill at school a parent will be contacted and the child will be supervised until taken home. If we are unable to contact the pupil’s parents, we then try the emergency contact number in the pupil’s file. For this reason parents are asked to ensure this information is accurate and up to-date. School also holds the name of the family doctor and his / her phone number. This would only be used in cases where a serious medical condition became apparent and appeared to require urgent treatment. If parents or emergency contact cannot be reached, the school will take further steps, which are necessary for the child’s well-being

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10 DATA PROTECTION ACT Information on pupils and parents is stored on a computer system and may be used for teaching, registration and assessment and other administrative duties. The information is protected by the Data Protection Act 1998 and may only be disclosed in accordance with the Code of Practice. For further information please contact the school. 11 FREEDOM OF INFORMATION (SCOTLAND) ACT 2002 The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 e nables any person to obtain information from Scottish public authorities. The Act applies to all Scottish public authorities; Scottish Executive and its agencies; Scottish Parliament; Local Authorities; NHS Scotland; Universities and further education colleges; and the Police. Public Authorities have to allow access to the following information: The provision, cost and standard of its service; Factual information or decision-making; The reason for decisions made by it. The legal right to access includes all types of ‘records’ information of any data held by the Scottish public authorities. From 1st January 2005, any person who makes a request for information must be provided with it, subject to certain conditions 29

6. Helpful Addresses

Organisation

Address

Telephone Number

Mr M McCabe

Director of Education & Lifelong Learning

South Ayrshire Council

Wellington Square Ayr KA7 1DR

01292 612000

Area Officer

Area Office 43 Sandgate

Ayr

01292 284988

Ayrshire Career Partnership

Boswell Park

Ayr

01292 281421

Community Education Office

25 Wellington Square

Ayr

01292 612655

Councillor Hugh Hunter*

* the only elected

representative directly responsible for Education,

Culture and Lifelong Learning in the area whether

or not a member of the Lifelong Learning

Committee.

County Buildings Wellington Square

Ayr KA7 1DR

01292 612289

Although this information is correct at the time of printing, there could be changes affecting any of the matters dealt with in the document:- a) before the commencement or during the course of the school year in question

b) in relation to subsequent year

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