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Mill of Mains

Primary School

Handbook

2013

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This booklet has been written to give parents who are enrolling their child in Mill of

Mains Primary, or who are considering doing so, some information about the school.

Mill of Mains Primary School opened in October, 1972. The school comprises three

buildings. The West building consists of four classrooms, usually Primaries 1 and 2,

our Nursery classroom and the Out of School Club.

The central building contains the Administration Offices with Staff Room, Gym Hall,

General Purpose Room, Dining Area and Medical Services and the Main Entrance.

Primaries 3 – 7 are taught in the East building which contains six classes, our Support

for Learning base and our computer suite.

The school caters for boys and girls from the age of 3 to 12 years. The present roll of

the school is approximately 300.

We strive to create a secure and happy atmosphere within which the needs and

interests of every pupil can be addressed.

Parents and carers are welcome visitors in our school. Good teacher/parent co-

operation and communication are encouraged. All visitors must first report to the

school office, in the Administration building.

The photograph on the cover of this booklet shows our 40th Anniversary Art

Exhibition.

The information given in this booklet offers only a glimpse of school life in Mill of

Mains Primary School. Should you require further details, please do not hesitate to

contact me in school, I shall be pleased to arrange an appointment.

Helen I. Tipping,

Head Teacher.

Contact details Mill of Mains Primary School

Barns of Claverhouse Road

Dundee DD4 9RD

Tel. No. 01382 438568

Fax. No. 01382 438551

email – millmains.primary@dundeecity.gov.uk

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Contents

Page

Assessment, Recording & Reporting 23

Attendance 8

Breakfast Club 27

Catchment Area 9

Child Protection 26

Communication 10

Curriculum 14 – 19

Dates – Terms and Holidays 4 – 5

Enrolment 8 – 9

Homework 13

Instrumental tuition 19

Medication 25

Out of School Club 27

Parental Involvement 11

Parent Council 11 – 12

Safety 25

School Aims 12 – 13

School Clubs 20

School Hours 4

Scholl Improvement Plan 24

School Meals 6 – 7

Special Educational Needs 21 – 22

Staff Information 3

Transitions 27 – 28

Trips 19 – 20

Uniform 5 – 6

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Staff Information

School Status Non denominational

Roll 300

Head Teacher Mrs Helen Tipping (retires February 2013)

Acting Head Teacher Mrs Caroline Fenwick

Acting Depute Head Teacher Mrs Carolyn Whyte

Class Teachers Miss J. James P 1

Mrs E. Milne P 1/2

Mrs L. Cowper P 2

Mr. J. Thomson P 3

Miss C Young P 3/4

Mrs J. Gardyne P 4

Mrs S. Watkin P 5

Mrs C. Henderson P 6

Mrs P. McLaggan P 6/7

Mrs M. Clark P 7

RCT Teacher Miss K. MacFarlane

Nursery Class Mrs Carolyn Whyte

Mrs S. Ramsay – Early Years Practitioner

Mrs L. Harris – Early Years Practitioner

Support for Learning Miss J. Gibson

Mrs G. Duffy

Classroom Assistants Mrs V. Clark

Mrs M Gellatly

Admin. Officer Vacant

Clerical Officer Mrs J. Duncan (Acting Admin. Officer)

Auxiliary Mrs D. Anderson

Facilities Assistants Mr. H. Keerie

Mr. J Hayter

Lunchtime Supervisor Mrs. L. McDonagh

Mr J Hepburn

Health & Wellbeing Assistant Ms W Kitt

Breakfast Club Supervisor Mr J Hepburn

School Crossing Patrol Mr. P. Docherty

Active Sports Co-ordinator Mrs J. Quinton

Brass Instructor Mr P McGregor

String Instructor Mr S Thomas

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School Hours

Morning Session 9.00am - 12.15pm

Morning Interval 10.30am - 10.45am

Lunch 12.15pm - 1.15pm

Afternoon Session 1.15pm - 3.15pm

Primary 1 pupils attend only for the morning session for the first three weeks of term.

Nursery Hours

Morning pupils 9.00am - 11.30am

Afternoon pupils 12.45pm - 3.15pm

Any urgent communications will be sent via text message to parents.

In the event of a planned closure, written notification by the Head Teacher will be

sent to parents in advance.

School Term Dates and Holiday

Session 2012/2013

Autumn Term Starts Monday 13th August 2012 (Staff)

Tuesday 14th August 2012 (Pupils)

Autumn Term Ends Friday 5th October 2012

Winter Term Starts Monday 22nd

October 2012

Winter Term Ends Friday 21st December 2012

Spring Term Starts Monday 7th

January 2013

Mid Term Holiday Friday 8th

February 2013

Mid Term Holiday Monday 11th February 2013

Spring Term Ends Thursday 28th

March 2013

Summer Term Starts Monday 15th April 2013

May Day Monday 6th

May 2013

Victoria Day Monday 27th May 2013

Summer Terms Ends Friday 28th

June 2013

In Service Days

Day 1 - Monday 13th August 2012

Day 2 - Thursday 8th

November 2012

Day 3 - Friday 9th

November 2012

Day 4 - Thursday 7th

February 2013

Day 5 - Friday 24th

May 2013

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Session 2013/2014

Autumn Term Starts Monday 12th August 2013 (Staff)

Tuesday 13th August 2013 (Pupils)

Autumn Term Ends Friday 4th October 2013

Winter Term Starts Monday 21st October 2013

Winter Term Ends Friday 20th

December 2013

Spring Term Starts Monday 6th

January 2014

Mid Term Holiday Friday 14th

February 2014

Mid Term Holiday Monday 17th February 2014

Spring Term Ends Friday 28th

March 2014

Summer Term Starts Monday 14th April 2014

Good Friday Holiday Friday 18th

April 2014

May Day Monday 5th

May 2014

Victoria Day Monday 26th May 2014

Summer Terms Ends Friday 27th

June 2014

In Service Days

Day 1 - Monday 12th August 2013

Day 2 - Thursday 14th

November 2013

Day 3 - Friday 15th

November 2013

Day 4 - Thursday 13th

February 2014

Day 5 - Friday 23rd

May 2014

Uniform and Clothing

The wearing of school uniform is encouraged in the belief that it helps children to

feel that they belong and are part of the school community.

Uniform

Grey Blazer with badge (optional)

Skirt/pinafore/trousers/shorts – grey or black

Shirt – white or blue

School polo shirts – white, purple or jade with school badge

Pullover/Cardigan/School Sweatshirt/Fleece – purple, black or grey

School tie

Black shoes (not trainers)

During the summer months, blue or purple and white checked/striped dresses may be

worn. These are available from several stores.

School sweatshirts, polo shirt and fleeces can be purchased/ordered from the school.

It is advisable for pupils to have an overall or old shirt for painting etc.

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Prices for uniform items will vary but the following will act as a guide.

Blazer - £60 Badge - £6.00 Tie - £5.00 approximately

Local suppliers include:

The Schoolwear Shop, Commercial Street, Dundee (blazer, badge and tie)

Marks & Spencer, BHS, Debenhams, Asda, Tesco etc.

Physical Education

All pupils are expected to have clothing and footwear suitable for physical education.

1. T-shirt (not football strips)

2. Shorts

3. Gym shoes – (younger pupils should have the type with elastic sides)

At all times, we discourage the wearing of jeans, any items connected with

professional football and ‘extravagant’ fashions of dress, including items with ‘brand’

logos.

In the interest of safety, the wearing of jewellery, in particular, looped or dangling

earrings, rings, pendants or neck chains, is discouraged. All jewellery, even small

earrings, must be removed during P.E. lessons.

We encourage our pupils to take a pride in their school uniform and appearance and

are confident that you will support us in our efforts to maintain a high standard of

dress.

For identification purposes all items of clothing and footwear should be clearly

marked with the owner’s name.

If parents are in receipt of Income Support, Income based Job Seekers Allowance,

Income Related Employment and Support Allowance, support under Part VI of the

Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit and an

annual income of less than £15,860, the Authority will consider one application per

year for a grant towards the cost of purchasing essential clothing to enable their

children, up to the age of 16, to attend school.

The school clothing grant payment will be made through BACS transfer into a

nominated bank account or paid by cheque.

Application forms may be obtained from your child's

school, Main Reception, Dundee House, or download from

the Council website.

School Meals and Milk

Within the Nursery class the children are provided daily with a healthy snack

consisting of milk or water and a choice of cereals, fruit, yoghurt, crackers etc. There

is a small charge of £1.50 per week to cover the cost.

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School meals are cooked off-site and served in our dining area. The price of a school

meal is £2.00. Free school meals are available to pupils whose parent(s) is/are in

receipt of Income Support, Income Based Job Seekers Allowance, Income Related

Employment and Support Allowance, Support under Part VI of the Immigration and

Asylum Act 1999, Guaranteed Pension Credit, or in receipt of Child Tax Credit only,

and have an annual income of less than £15,860 or Working Tax Credit and have an

annual income of less than £6420. Enquiries should be made to our Acting Admin

Officer, Mrs J. Duncan, or School Support, Dundee City Council, Dundee House,

North Lindsay Street, Dundee.

There are also facilities for children with packed lunches. In the interest of safety,

food and drink brought for packed lunches must be carried in plastic containers,

labelled clearly with the pupil’s name. For hot liquids, vacuum flasks of the

traditional kind are not permitted, as they are very fragile and create a high accident

risk. The contents of these flasks also remain dangerously hot.

However, there are flasks available for purchase, which meet acceptable safety

standards. Snacks requiring boiling water to be added should not be brought to

school. All glass containers are also forbidden.

For safety reasons, pupils who eat lunch on the school premises are not permitted to

leave the school playground during the lunchtime break. Arrangements have been

made to enable pupils to be indoors during inclement weather when possible.

Children going home for lunch during inclement weather should not return until just

before 1.15pm.

The Authority does not provide free milk for primary pupils in any of its schools,

except where such provision is authorised by medical certificate.

Emergency Arrangements

If your child becomes unwell during the school day, you will be telephoned on the

numbers we have in the school office. If your child requires to be taken home an

adult must pick them up from the school office.

In the event of an accident at school necessitating hospital treatment, the parent or

emergency contact person will be telephoned. If no reply is forthcoming,

arrangements would be put into operation to take the child to hospital.

In the event of an emergency, such as an unplanned closure, every effort will be made

to ensure that each pupil has a safe place to go. Parents / carers will be texted on the

first contact number we have on our computer system. Pupils who must remain in

school will be kept as warm and comfortable as is possible until the normal school

closing time.

In the event of such emergencies, the importance of up-to-date and accurate

information on the Pupils Emergency Contact Form cannot be stressed enough.

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Please inform the school immediately if there is a change of address, telephone

number or emergency contact.

Attendance

It is the legal requirement of parents to ensure that their child attends school

regularly. It is also important that children arrive at school punctually. Late coming

is noted.

If your child is ill please telephone the school on the first day of absence to notify the

office. If your child is absent and no contact has been made by you, the school will

text you on the first day of absence, asking you to contact school. If unexplained

absence continues the School Community Support Service will arrange to visit you

and your child at home.

All pupils returning to school after a period of absence should bring a note from a

parent explaining the reason for absence. Unexplained absence will be recorded as

‘unauthorised’ – i.e. truancy.

Permission to leave school during school hours must be requested in writing and

medical or dental appointment cards sent in. All pupils must be collected from the

school office by a responsible adult. In the interest of safety, we cannot allow pupils

to leave the building unaccompanied.

Regular attendance is highly valued to promote continuity and progress. With this in

mind, we would discourage parents, from withdrawing their child from school during

term time because of family holidays, unless unavoidable. All holidays within term

time will be recorded as unauthorised, unless parents can provide information from

their employer stating that they have to take their annual leave at this time or if there

is some other exceptional circumstance.

A guide for parents about school attendance explains parental responsibilities with regard to children’s attendance at school – http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/12/04134640/0

Enrolment Procedures

A notice in the local press in November/December will advise parents of future

Primary 1 pupils when to enrol their child in school. Parents living within our

catchment area, should then contact the Head Teacher or Depute Head Teacher as

soon as possible, to arrange an appointment when appropriate registration details can

be taken. The child’s birth certificate and proof of address must be produced before

registration can be completed.

In May/June, parents will be invited to attend a meeting with the staff when the

organisation and policies of the school, as they affect new Primary 1 entrants, will be

explained. Parents will have the opportunity to ask questions and to share in informal

discussions concerning procedures for starting school.

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Your child is also invited to spend some time in a Primary 1 classroom to help

familiarise them with their new surroundings. This first ‘taste’ of school life can go a

long way in helping a child to feel less anxious when coming to school in August and

we would urge every parent to take advantage of this opportunity.

In August, on the first day of term, parents should bring new entrants to the West

building, according to appointments given in advance.

Parents and prospective parents are welcome to visit the school. This should be done

via an appointment with the Head Teacher or Depute Head Teacher.

When wishing to enrol older children, or Primary 1 pupils not living within our

catchment area, parents should make a Placing Request, in writing, to School

Support, Dundee City Council, Dundee House, North Lindsay Street, Dundee

Once a Placing Request has been granted, parents are asked to make an appointment

to visit the school, when enrolment details can be exchanged. Parents and children

will normally be given the opportunity to see round the school and to meet the

appropriate class teacher.

Catchment Area

The delineated catchment area for our school is:-

NORTH BOUNDARY Eastwards from Old Glamis Road by Old City

Boundary to Forfar Road

EAST BOUNDARY Southwards from Old City Boundary by the centre

of Forfar Road to the Kingsway

SOUTH BOUNDARY Westwards from Forfar Road by the

Centre of the Kingsway to Old Glamis Road

WEST BOUNDARY Northwards from Kingsway by the centre of

Old Glamis Road to Old City Boundary

Nursery Enrolment

A notice in the local press will advise parents of future Nursery pupils when to enrol

their child for nursery. Part time places are available in either morning or afternoon

sessions. Each session lasts for 2½ hours. Parents wishing to enrol their child should

contact Mrs C Whyte at the school.

Choosing a School: A Guide for Parents - information on choosing a school and the placing request system –

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/11/10093528/0

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Communication

Close co-operation between the home and school is important and parents/carers are

invited to contact the school to arrange an appointment whenever problems occur or

advice is needed. This partnership is, of course, a two-way process.

Parents are also kept well informed by written communication, when appropriate, and

through a newsletter, which is distributed several times throughout the session. We

also encourage parents to join us for various events throughout the year. We further

value your assistance on our school trips and in helping with a range of other school

activities, forms are given out at the start of each session inviting parents to volunteer

for a range of opportunities.

If we have urgent information for parents a text will be sent to each child’s main

contact number.

Confidence in a school comes from knowing and understanding what is happening

within it. Contact, dialogue and discussion all help to promote mutual understanding

and trust, the basis of our shared responsibility.

We are at present in the process of developing a new school website which will

provide us with an additional communication tool.

If you need help, have a concern or wish to make a complaint, please contact the

school. This will ensure that this can be dealt with as quickly as possible.

If you wish to speak to your child’s teacher or a member of the management team it

is generally better to telephone and make an appointment. This ensures that the

member of staff is available, classes are not disturbed and that pupils’ lessons are not

affected.

For security and safety reasons, please note that you must not go straight to a

classroom when entering the school. All visitors should report to the school office,

sign in, and then you will be referred to the most appropriate person to help.

If you need further help you can contact the Education Department Advice,

Conciliation and Information Officer. This can be done either by letter, email or

telephone. If you wish to meet with the Education Department Advice, Conciliation

and Information Officer it is generally better to make an appointment.

Contact details – Kerry Gethins, Floor 2, Dundee House, 50 North Lindsay Street,

Dundee, DD1 1NL, Tel.- 01382 433477, email – kerry.gethins@dundeecity.gov.uk

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Parental Involvement

At Mill of Mains Primary we encourage parents to become involved in the life of the

school in a number of different ways. Education is a partnership between school and

home and if we work closely together it will ensure the best opportunities for your

child.

All pupils are given a homework diary which keeps parents up to date with the work

their child is focusing on in school and also provides an opportunity for brief notes

between teachers and parents.

Our Home-link folders /jotters go home three times each session and once again this

shows parents how their child is progressing. Parents are encouraged to discuss this

with their child when it comes home and make comments on their work and progress.

Each September a Primary 1 Parent Information Evening is held for our new Primary

1 parents. This gives them an opportunity to see the type of work that their child will

be covering during Primary 1 and also gives parents a chance to ask questions about

anything they would like to know.

In September 2012 we introduced a ‘meet the teacher’ evening, so that all parents

could get to know their child’s class teacher early in the session.

All parents are given an individual appointment with their child’s teacher in late

October or early November at our Parent Contact Evenings. This is an ideal

opportunity to find out about your child’s progress and discuss any issues about your

child. By doing this we can ensure that parents and teachers are working together to

provide the best for your child.

Each session we try to have at least one Information Evening, covering some aspect

of the school curriculum. We usually have a good attendance which is encouraging

to see, as the more parents find out about how we work in school, the more they are

able to support their child in their education.

We are always pleased to see a large attendance at concerts, services and other events

in school. We also have a good number of parents who support us in practical ways

helping classes with art & craft, doing extra admin. duties and going on school trips.

A form is given out each session to ask for volunteers.

Questionnaires are sent home to parents regularly to seek their views on a number of

aspects of school life.

We encourage parents to contact the school at any time if they wish to discuss any

matter pertaining to their child.

Parent Council

Our Parent Council is a group of parents who have been selected in accordance with

the Parent Council constitution to represent all the parents of children at our school.

Parents of any child at Mill of Mains Primary can seek to be part of the Parent

Council in line with arrangements set out in the constitution.

The Parent Council can co-opt other members as it sees fit.

The aims of the Parent Council are:-

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- To work together with everyone involved in school life - parents, learners,

teachers, school staff and the wider community

- To make sure that all parents have a say in their children's education - and are

able to express their views and wishes

- To build links between the school, parents, pupils, nurseries and pre-school

groups and the community

Our Parent Council meets at least once each term and meetings are open to all

parents. Information is included in school newsletters and pupils are given a sticker in

homework diaries to remind parents of the date and time.

Our Parent Council organise various events throughout the year for parents and

families. From the money raised in the past they have purchased an additional

interactive whiteboard and various other resources, and also fund the transport for our

Primary 7 Residential Trip to Dalguise each year.

If you would like more information about the Parent Council please contact the

school or the chair to the Parent Council by the mail box in the school office.

Our Parent Council chair at present is Mrs Gillian Boland.

Parentzone provide information and resource for parents and Parent Councils –

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/parentzone/index.asp

School Ethos

At Mill of Mains Primary we strive to ensure a welcoming and happy environment

for all members of our school community. Everyone is expected to treat everyone

else with respect and we encourage good manners.

A programme of events is built into each school year to remind everyone of how we

can best achieve this.

Our School Aims

Curriculum

To ensure a broad and balanced curriculum that provides our pupils with the best

possible learning opportunities and experiences.

Attainment

To ensure that all pupils are able to realise their potential through the promotion and

recognition of achievement and excellence.

Learning and Teaching

To provide high quality learning and teaching experiences that enable pupils to enjoy

their education and develop positive attitudes towards learning.

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Support for Pupils

To provide effective support systems for all pupils which promote personal and social

development to raise academic achievement.

Ethos

To provide a welcoming, safe and caring environment which promotes good

behaviour, self discipline and respect for others.

Resource Management

To improve the quality of learning and teaching through the effective organisation

and management of the school’s resources.

Professional Development

To improve the quality of educational experiences for pupils through a programme of

continuing professional development for all staff.

Partnership

To build and maintain effective partnerships between the school, parents, external

support agencies and the wider community.

Learning for Life

To equip pupils with the skills, attitudes and expectations required to prosper in a

changing society and to encourage creativity and ambition.

Health Promotion

To ensure good health in all pupils through strategies which promote physical and

mental wellbeing and self-esteem.

The educational aims of the school are to provide a broadly based curriculum for all

pupils. Staff follow the SOEID Curriculum for Excellence Guidelines to provide

appropriate opportunities for all pupils. Children may be taught as a class, in groups

and individually. The curriculum includes, Languages, Mathematics, Religious and

Moral Education, Health and Wellbeing, Social Studies, Sciences, Technologies and

Expressive Arts,

Homework

A homework leaflet is distributed at the start of each session to explain the type of

homework that your child will have during that school year.

In Primaries 1 and 2 homework is usually limited to passages of reading, handwriting

practice or learning alphabet sounds.

Work running parallel to class work is given to Primary 3 – 7 pupils. This normally

includes reading, spelling, maths and sometimes work related to a particular topic the

children are working on.

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We value the co-operation and support of parents and ask that you discuss homework

tasks with your child and sign completed activities.

All pupils have a pupil planner to record what they have for homework and this also

provides a useful communication link between home and school.

Language

The curriculum gives high priority to developing pupils’ ability to use language

accurately, confidently and appropriately, to communicate with others for a variety of

purposes and to examine their own and other’s experiences, feelings and ideas.

Our language learning and teaching is structured under:-

Listening & Talking

Children listen individually and in groups to gain information, understand what they

have heard and respond to speakers and texts. Our pupils have

opportunities to use cd recorders and headphones to allow small groups of pupils to

be involved in a listening activity while the others complete another task.

Group, class and individual activities encourage the development of communication

skills; giving information and instructions, talking about feelings and opinions,

talking about texts, learning to talk to different audiences and in different situations,

learning how to be involved in a group discussion where everyone has rights and in

being confident.

Reading

Children are involved in activities which develop skills in reference work, reading for

enjoyment, learning to understand and interpret texts and recognising different types

of text (e.g. newspaper reports compared to novels).

The core reading scheme in Pr.1-3 is ‘Oxford Reading Tree’ a carefully planned and

graded scheme which takes a whole language, story-based approach to reading.

Parents are asked to support reading through the use of extended stories in homework

time. The scheme is supported by big books, story tapes and games, computer

software and pupil workbooks and sheets. Reading skills are further developed by a

phonics programme.

Older pupils develop their reading skills using a wide range of resources and texts.

Children have access to fiction and non-fiction materials. Oxford Tree Tops and

group sets of novels, sometimes with accompanying tasks, follow on as children

become more confident and independent in their reading.

Writing

Regular spelling tasks are a feature of school work and homework. Pupils in Pr.2-7

use ‘Jolly Grammar’ followed by ‘Nelson Spelling’. In addition, children learn

vocabulary related to topic work.

Other ongoing activities include punctuation and grammar, and the development of

fluent and legible handwriting.

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Teachers plan opportunities for pupils to develop functional, personal and

imaginative writing.

In all aspects of language work, children are acquiring knowledge about language,

showing that they can understand and use language terms (e.g. nouns, verbs,

sentences, character, dialogue, script, conversation, discussion, dialect, accent,

audience, volume etc.)

English language activities are taught and developed across the whole curriculum.

Burns Competition - Each year pupils from Pr.1 – Pr.7 focus on Scots language

during December and January. All pupils have the opportunity to enter our Burns

Competition. Our winners entertain parents and friends at our Scottish Evening

Concert.

Mathematics

Children are likely to be involved in some aspect of mathematics on a daily basis in

school. Our core scheme of texts is Scottish Heinemann Maths & Heinemann Active

Maths. The materials cover all aspects of Mathematics and come in the form of

workbooks, text books, cards, sheets and games. Many tasks are of a practical nature,

involving the use of concrete materials (cubes, beads, shapes etc.), calculators and

Information Technology. The scheme includes assessment and extension materials.

Children develop skills at different rates and it is not appropriate to suggest here,

what your child will learn in a particular term or even class. Teachers plan work for

groups and individuals taking account of their needs and abilities. It is usual for a

range of levels of texts to be in use in each class.

In addition to ‘Heinemann’ your child will learn mathematics in meaningful contexts

related to daily life, and topics being studied, (e.g. shape work when learning about

houses and homes, money in the classroom shop corner.)

Another regular aspect of Mathematics in school is ‘mental arithmetic’.

Your child experiences Mathematics in school under the following headings:-

Number, Money and Measurement

As the pupils develop numeracy skills they will tackle: addition and subtraction,

multiplication and division, fractions and percentages, ratio, patterns and sequences,

functions and equations.

Children are given regular experience of using money in mathematical activities.

Through practical activities they learn about units to estimate and measure length,

height, weight, area and volume. Non-standard units feature in the early

years and then pupils learn to use metric units. Imperial units may also feature on

occasion.

Children work with 12 and 24 hours times, using digital and analogue displays.

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Shape, Position and Movement

In this aspect of mathematics children learn about 3D and 2D shapes, their names and

properties. Symmetry is also a feature of shape activities.

Pupils complete tasks measuring angles and degrees and learn to use grid references,

compass points and scale. Often, this work will link closely with the development of

Map Reading Skills in Geography.

Information Handling

In this area of mathematics children are required to collect, organise, display and

interpret information. Pupils conduct surveys, use tally sheets, tables, spreadsheets

and databases and display their findings in different types of charts, graphs and

tables.

Environmental Studies

Pupils work through a series of topics covering Sciences, Social Studies and

Technologies over the 4 terms of the school session. These have been carefully

selected and offer the children appropriate opportunities to acquire and develop

knowledge, understanding and skills in the areas of:

Sciences -

Planet Earth

Forces, Electricity and Waves

Biological Systems

Materials

Topical Sciences

Social Studies -

People, Place and Environment

People, Past Events and Societies

People in Society, Economy and Business

Technologies -

Technological Developments in Society

Craft, Design, Engineering and Graphic contexts for developing Technological Skills

and Knowledge

Business contexts for developing Technological Skills and Knowledge

Food and Textiles contexts for developing Technological Skills and Knowledge

Health and Wellbeing

Mental, Emotional, Social and Physical Wellbeing

All pupils work through a progressive programme of activities under the four

headings – Nutrition, Personal Safety, Drug Education and Sexual Health &

Relations.

We have also adopted the principles of the Health Promoting Schools programme.

At present we have achieved our Silver Award and are working towards our Gold

Award.

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Pupils are involved in daily physical activity and have a healthy tuck shop.

All pupils are encouraged to drink water during the school day.

Nursery and Primary 1 pupils are involved in Tooth brushing and pupils across the

school are involved in the Child Smile Programme.

Physical Education, Physical Activity and Sport

All classes have 2 hours of timetabled gym time each week. Lessons are taken by the

class teacher. Several classes each session have further opportunities to develop P.E.

skills, led by Sports Development and Active Schools coaches.

Our Active Schools Coordinator, Mrs J Quinton, works in school each term to

encourage our pupils to be more active.

Primary 6 pupils have approximately 10 sessions of swimming at Craigie High

swimming pool.

Expressive Arts

Art & Design, Drama and Music make up this subject area and provide opportunities

not only to learn and develop appropriate skills but for personal enrichment and the

development of interests which may give life-long satisfaction and enjoyment.

The Expressive Arts curriculum also provides pupils with insight into their heritage

and understanding of their own and others’ cultures.

Every year our Pr.7 pupils have the oppoertunity to take part in the Leng Medal

competition. Our 2012 Silver medal winner was Jack Teviotdale.

Modern Languages

Several members of staff are trained in the teaching of Modern Languages and Pr.6 &

Pr.7 pupils have an opportunity to start to learn French or German.

Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Values

The development of Pupils’ Values

In our school we are committed both through the ethos and the curriculum to provide

appropriate opportunities for the development of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and

cultural values. This will be undertaken in partnership with parents and will take

account of the individual needs of pupils and the views of parents.

The school welcomes and encourages diversity and individuality while emphasising

our common commitment to moral values such as honesty, respect for others,

compassion and justice. It is a fundamental principle of our school that all who are

involved in the life of our school both have the right to be respected as individuals

and carry the responsibility to act in a considerate and respectful manner towards

others.

We implement the Dundee City Council policy of Equal Opportunities and ensure

that all pupils have access to the full range of educational experiences available

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within the resources of the school. We are firmly committed to the elimination of

any form of discrimination on the grounds of race, religion, gender and disability.

Religious and Moral Education

Our programme for Religious and Moral Education in school, aims to help pupils

learn about Christianity and other major world religions and to recognise religion as

an important expression of human experience. Pupils will also be encouraged to

learn from religions, by helping them develop their own beliefs, attitudes, moral

values and practices, through a process of personal search, discovery and critical

evaluation.

Parental Rights

Under the terms of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, “any pupil may be withdrawn

by his/her parents from any instruction in religious subjects and from religious

observance”. Any parent who wishes to exercise this right must first discuss the

matter with the Head Teacher.

Religious Observance

The school holds regular assemblies which provide opportunities for pupils to share

together and celebrate as a school community those things which we value. They

also provide opportunities for our pupils to reflect on spiritual and moral concerns.

Through this, pupils can increase their understanding of religious practices and the

experience which underlies them.

Assemblies take place every week. These are conducted by the Head Teacher or the

Depute Head Teacher or a number of visitors from a variety of churches. Each class

in the school also has the opportunity to lead one assembly each year. Special

assemblies also take place at other times of the year e.g. Christmas, Easter, End of

Session.

Personal and Social Development

An important part of school life is learning to work and play with other children.

Discipline is necessary to make our school function smoothly, efficiently and, most

important of all, happily. Certain qualities are needed to ensure this happens. These

are tolerance, politeness, good manners and respect for others and their property. We

ask your co-operation and support in developing these qualities and sustaining our

code of discipline and behaviour.

Our policy exists to promote good behaviour and ensure a happy and safe

environment. All pupils are involved in incentive/award schemes in class. All

classes use Circle Time, a group listening system, enhancing self-esteem, promoting

moral values and building a sense of team and social skills.

Our Golden Rules Are:

Do be gentle - don’t hurt anybody

Do be kind - don’t hurt people’s feelings

Do be honest - don’t cover up the truth

Do work hard - don’t waste time

Do look after property - don’t waste or damage things

Do listen to people - don’t interrupt or use bad language

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In addition, each class also has its own classroom rules, agreed by the pupils.

All pupils take part in our ‘Good to be Green’ award scheme. Pupils work towards

Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum certificates and awards.

Staff employ a range of strategies should incidents arise and rules be broken. When

appropriate, pupils may receive a withdrawal of privileges or detention and in

extreme cases, exclusion from school for a number of days. Close contact is kept

with parents regarding pupils’ behaviour. Aggressive, vindictive or racist behaviour

is not tolerated. Pupils are encouraged to report incidents to a member of staff with

whom they feel confident. Parents should not hesitate to contact the school should

concerns arise, as all matters will be addressed.

Instrumental Tuition

Tuition in strings(from Pr. 4), and brass (from Pr.5) is available for a limited number

of pupils. Pupil selection is at the discretion of the music instructors. Normally a

trial period of lessons is given to establish the pupil’s compatibility with the

instrument.

At present fees for instruction are £132.00 per year. There is also a charge of £83.00

per year for the loan of an instrument. Options for payment are available to

parent/guardian (a) Dundee City Council employees only. Fee can be deducted from

salary in the months of November and May (form available from school) (b) Sales

invoice – one invoice to be raised for full fee on 30th November or by two

instalments on 30th November and 31

st May. (c) Direct Debit – to be deducted in the

months of November and May (form available from school)

Pupils are exempt from instrumental tuition fees if their parents are in receipt of a

clothing grant and/or free school meals. Alternatively, pupils are exempt from

instrumental tuition fees if their parents are in receipt of Income Support, Income

Related Employment and Support Allowance, Income based Job Seekers Allowance,

support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, Guaranteed Pension

Credit, Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit and an annual income of less than

£15,860.

Parents wishing further information should contact the school.

Useful links – Information about how the curriculum is structured and curriculum planning – http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/thecurriculum/ Information about the outcomes a learner can expect to experience and achieve across literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing, as well as the 8 curricular areas – http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/thecurriculum/howisthecurriculumorganised/experiencesandoutcom es/index.asp Advice, practice and resources to support the experiences and outcomes on literary, numeracy and health and wellbeing – http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learningteachingandassessment/learningacrossthecurriculum/respo nsibilityofall/index.asp

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Trips and Sports Activities

The school is fortunate in having extensive playground space including a large grass

area, which is used for outdoor activities, when weather permits. Our annual sports

are held there in the summer term.

During each session, there are occasions when pupils will be involved in educational

visits related to their work in Environmental Studies. These range from short outings

into the immediate locality to trips further afield. Parents will be notified of such in

advance. Our Pr. 7 pupils have an opportunity to take part in a 5 day residential trip.

Extra Curricular Activities

The involvement of pupils in extra-curricular activities depends very much on the

availability of personnel and appropriate expertise. At present, the following

activities are offered: (Days and times vary from term to term).

Football – Netball – Athletics – Dance – Basketball – Hockey

Football and netball matches are regularly organised with local school teams.

Sports Development also run Basic Moves and Funky Feet classes each week.

Playground Activities

Activities are organised in the playground at intervals and lunchtimes. Children may

choose from a range of equipment available, or find a quiet place to sit and read or

draw. We also have large equipment installed in our playground. This provides

further opportunity for our pupils to be active.

Any personal possessions e.g. toys, which are brought to school are the child’s

responsibility.

Children are not permitted to leave the playground during intervals, or play near the

car park area of the school.

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Special Educational Needs

Children with special educational needs are catered for in the school within the terms

of the Education Department policy on “Support for Learning”. This policy sets out

the procedure by which an individual child’s needs are identified and addressed, the

central element of the process being a case conference involving parents, school and

Education Department staff and, where appropriate, other specialist agencies.

The School’s policy is to support as much as possible the education of pupils with

special needs, along with their peer group, in the normal classroom situation.

Individually targeted work at a level accessible to the child and designed to support

learning progress is normally provided by the class teacher and Support for Learning

staff. Promoted staff may also be involved in co-operative teaching. Progress is

monitored from day to day and is regularly reported to parents who are also consulted

if any change in the programme of support is being considered.

Although staff are regularly deployed as necessary, the aim must always be to

promote the maximum degree of independence in learning, personal management and

social activity of which the child is capable.

In cases where specialised equipment is identified as being necessary to facilitate a

child’s progress within the peer group, the school and Education Authority will take

action to provide it where possible.

Some children with significant additional support needs may need the support of an

Additional Support Plan.

A very small number of children with significant and long-term additional support

needs may need a Co-ordinated Support Plan as well as an Additional Support Plan.

These will be children who also receive a lot of support from people outside

education; for example, from health or social work staff.

If necessary, please contact the school for further advice.

As a parent/carer you can access a wide range of information with regard to

additional support needs. The information is available both at your local school and

on the Dundee City Council website on this internet page

http://www.dundeecity.gov.uk/education/support/

The following are available for you at the above internet page.

• Assessing Additional Support Needs

• Attending Pupil Support Planning Meetings

• Co-ordinated Support Plan

• Dispute Resolution

• Dispute Resolution Referral Form

• Mediation - Parent to Parent leaflet

• Supporting Learning (Dundee City Council Education Department, Support for

Learning Policy)

• Supporting Learning in Dundee

22

This internet page also has many other leaflets on related topics which might be of

interest to you.

If you cannot access the internet, please ask the school office if you would like a copy

of any of these documents.

The Additional Support for Learning (Scotland) Act 2004 as amended by the 2009

Act came into force on 15 November 2010. We try to keep all our documents as

current as possible. They are in the process of being revised to reflect the

amendments brought in by the 2009 Act to ensure the information is as up-to-date as

possible.

Information on additional support needs is also available to you from outside Dundee

City Council.

Enquire - the Scottish advice service for additional support for learning

Operated by Children in Scotland, Enquire offers independent, confidential advice

and information on additional support for learning through:

a telephone helpline - 0845 123 2303

an email enquiry service - info@enquire.org.uk

an online enquiry service

two websites - www.enquire.org.uk (for parents/carers and practitioners) and

www.enquire.org.uk/yp (for children and young people)

Enquire also provide a range of clear and easy-to-read guides and fact sheets

explaining everything from 'additional support in the early years' to 'what planning

should take place for moving on from school'.

The Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance Ltd

The Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance: is a charitable body under registration

number SC033576. It offers a free of charge advocacy service which provides

support for parents and young people from the time they have grounds to make a

reference to the Additional Support Needs Tribunal for Scotland (ASNTS).

Advice and information regarding this service can be obtained from their website -

www.siaa.org.uk

Scottish Child Law Centre,

The Scottish Child Law Centre is a charitable body registered in Scotland under

registration number SCO12741.” It offers advice and support for families in regard of

additional support needs.

The School Pupil Records (Scotland) Regulations 1990

These regulations make provision for granting access by parents and pupils to

manually maintained records held on pupils.

Parents and pupils wishing to avail themselves of this service must submit their

request on an application form obtainable from the Head Teacher.

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Assessment, Recording and Reporting

Assessment is an integral part of learning and teaching at Mill of Mains Primary

School. Teachers identify at the planning stage, what they want children to learn, the

activities involved and how it will be assessed.

Teachers share these ‘Learning Intentions’ and ‘Success Criteria’ with their pupils

and involve pupils in regular discussion about their learning.

Many assessment strategies are used: observing the children at work, talking to them

and asking questions, the regular marking of pupil tasks, written examples and tests.

Many of our core materials have built in assessment tools.

Pupils in Primary 1 are assessed using the PIPS assessment materials, and are again

assessed using INCAS in Primary 4 and again in Primary 6. This enables us to

monitor pupils progress and address any concerns raised.

Class teachers keep a folio of pupils’ work. This folio is handed on to the next

teacher at the end of the year. Individual records and examples of work are kept for

each child in maths and language work.

Each year a Report Sheet is issued to parents in May. A copy of this is kept

electronically and is passed on when pupils transfer to secondary school or to another

primary school in Scotland.

Parent Contact Evenings, to discuss pupil progress, are held in October/November

and June. These take the form of arranged appointments in order that parents may

have a private interview with the class teacher. These evenings provide valuable

opportunities for the interchange of information, which can be of significant benefit

to a child’s education.

However, should matters of concern arise at other times in the session, parents are

welcome to approach the Head Teacher and every effort will be made to arrange an

interview with the appropriate member of staff. Likewise, class teachers or promoted

staff may invite parents into school to discuss pupil performance, if this is considered

necessary.

Useful links

Building the Curriculum 5: a framework for assessment provides guidance around the assessment framework – http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/Images/BtC5Framework_tcm4-653230.pdf Information about Curriculum for Excellence levels and how progress is assessed – http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/thecurriculum/howisprogressassessed/stages/index.asp Curriculum for Excellence factfile - Assessment and qualifications – http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/publications/c/publication_tcm4624968.asp Information on recognising achievement, reporting and profiling – http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learningteachingandassessment/assessment/achievement/index.asp

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School Improvement Plan

Our priorities for Session 2012 – 13 are as follows:

Project 1 Approaches to Learning, Teaching & Assessment

Target 1 Cooperative Learning – Programme drawn up for first 9 members of

teaching staff to attend 3 day course. In-school developments – from

January ‘13 – Led by Mrs Gardyne & Mrs Fenwick. Remainder of

staff will be trained 2013/14 and full implementation by 2014/15

Target 2 On Track with Learning – Computer based planning, recording and

tracking program. Staff volunteers to pilot as soon as we gain access –

hopefully January 2013 onwards.

Developed with all staff from 2013/14

Project 2 Developing the Curriculum

Target 1 Language – Further develop cluster approach to recording and tracking. -

Staff Development sessions – all teaching staff involved

Led by Mrs Fenwick and Mrs M Clark.

Target 2 Social Studies – Review framework and planning sheets and amend as

appropriate. - Staff Development sessions –Aug. – Nov. 2012 - Led by Mrs

Tipping.

Religious & Moral Education – Review framework and planning sheets

and amend as appropriate. Staff Dev. sessions Oct.– Dec. 2012 - Led by

Mrs Tipping.

Target 3 Active Maths – Working group – Led by Mrs Whyte – Oct.’12 – June ‘13

Target 4 Health & Wellbeing - Physical Education, Physical Activity & Sport

Working group – Led by Mr Thomson – Oct’12 – Apr.’13

Food & Health – Working group– March – June ’13 – Led by Mrs Gardyne

Target 5 Technologies - Led by Mrs Henderson

ICT coordinators – Mrs Henderson, Mr Thomson, Mrs McLaggan & Mrs

Duffy - Staff Development – further whiteboard training, GLOW, DoBe &

school website.

Project 3 Meeting Needs

Target 1 Restorative Practices – cluster project - Audit planned October 2012

Chris Scott, Dundee Educational Psychology Service, to lead 4 Staff

development sessions Nov.’12 – Feb.’13 & ½ day Cluster Inset on

Restorative Practices Session for all staff – February 2013

Target 2 Review of Support for Learning – Aug.’12 onwards

ABLe training for all staff - Led by Mrs Fenwick & Mrs Whyte

Project 4 Staff Development & Leadership

Target 1 Mandatory Staff Training – Led by Mrs Tipping

Fire Safety Training & Asthma Training – Nov.’12

Target 2 Senior Management Team - Establish working practices and roles & remits

of new SMT - Mrs Tipping, Mrs Fenwick & Mrs Whyte

Target 3 Revise Quality Improvement Strategy – Mrs Tipping & Mrs Fenwick

Target 4 Leadership – Mrs Tipping & Mrs Fenwick

Target 5 Career Long Professional Learning – Mrs Fenwick

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Medicine in Schools

All schools within Dundee Education Department are now required to operate within

the new framework of guidance with regard to medicines in schools.

There is no obligation on school staff to administer medication of any kind to any

pupil and parents are asked to note that routine medication will not be administered

by the school. This includes antibiotics, cough bottles, painkillers, creams, eye, ear

and nose drops. Parents should make arrangements for children to take this

medication when at home and should not send it to school.

Where pupils require regular medication to be administered or self-administered

during the school day, parents should complete the relevant request form available

from school. You must include written guidance from a medical professional (your

GP or Specialist). The written guidance on the medication will generally be

sufficient but in some cases a meeting may be called.

Some pupils carry inhalers for asthma and related illnesses which they self-administer

at school. It is necessary that parents of pupils who carry inhalers complete a form,

so that an up to date record is held for each child carrying an inhaler to school.

If a pupil suffers from a chronic illness requiring long-term medication or where

medication may be required in an emergency situation, parents must contact the Head

Teacher to discuss the situation. On no account should medication be sent to the

school with a pupil unless this has been agreed in advance with the Head

Teacher.

Safety

There are safety regulations which apply to all aspects of school life. As a staff we

encourage in our pupils a responsible attitude to safety and would invite parental

support in this.

There is a fire drill regularly when pupils practise the sequence to be followed in the

event of a fire in the school building.

Tayside Police are regularly invited into school to assist with our programme for

Health and Wellbeing, which is a regular feature of our curriculum.

Children from Mill of Mains should use the path on their way to and from school and

cross Hebrides Drive where the Crossing Patrol Officer is on duty.

It would be most helpful if you could support us in improving the safety of our pupils

by complying with the following:

(a) Pedestrians - When crossing with the School Crossing Patrol, obey his

instructions to the pupils i.e. wait on the pavement until the traffic has stopped

and he has beckoned the children to cross.

26

(b) Drivers - All drivers should use the turning/parking area when collecting

or depositing children at school. It causes a hazard to our children if vehicles

stop or park close to the school gates.

It is also with safety in mind, that we would advise parents of younger pupils to

accompany their child to and from school until they are competent to go home by

themselves.

Child Protection

As one of Dundee City Council’s professional services, the Education Department

has an important responsibility in keeping the children and young people of Dundee

safe from harm. This is an extension of the care and protection which you as a parent

provide for your child and so we see our partnership with you as important in meeting

that responsibility. Supporting us in this work are inter-agency agreements protecting

children with our partners services in Health, Social Work Department and Tayside

Police.

If at any time you have child protection concerns about your child or any other child

who attends this school, you are encouraged to talk about your concerns with a

member of the school staff. It will also be useful for you to know that in every

school, there is a specially trained member of staff who is the school’s Designated

Child Protection Officer. This person takes a co-ordinating role whenever a child

protection concern for a child is reported. In your school, the Designated Child

Protection Officer is Mrs C Fenwick, Acting Head Teacher, (tel: 438568).

Alternatively, if you do not want to speak to school staff, you can contact the Dundee

Child Protection Line on 01382 307999.

Where concerns are expressed about a child, those concerns will be considered with

our partner agencies in confidence to ensure that the child is kept safe.

Insurance

Dundee City Council insures against its legal liability for (a) accidental personal

injury (b) loss or damage of third parties. Parents are advised that no insurance cover

is maintained for circumstances in which the Council does not have a legal liability.

Parents may wish to consider their own insurance arrangements.

Transport

Dundee City Council’s policy as approved by the Education Committee is that

transport is provided (i) to all primary school pupils attending their delineated area

school and living more than 2 miles from that school (ii) to all secondary school

pupils attending their delineated area school and living more than 3 miles from that

school (iii) to those pupils whose journey between home and delineated area school is

deemed to be unduly hazardous.

27

Parents who have made successful placing requests for their children at other schools

of their choice have to make their own transport arrangements.

Out of School Club

An Out of School Club operates in our building from 3pm – 6pm and during the

school holidays 8am – 6pm. For further information, please contact the club,

telephone number 438576.

Breakfast Club

We have a Breakfast Club in school. This operates each day between 8am and

9.00am. Pupils are served breakfast and then have an opportunity to join in a number

of activities and games. The cost is 25p per day. There are a limited number of

spaces available and when full, a waiting list operates. If you would like further

information please contact the school.

Transition from Nursery to Primary School

Transition is the word that is used to describe the process of a child moving from

nursery into primary school and, in Dundee, the planning for transition begins the day

your child enters nursery.

For most children, moving into primary school needs no additional, detailed

planning, in terms of meeting their learning needs. For some children who have or

may have additional support needs, there is an ongoing process, which consists of

professional observation, assessment and consultation with parents.

The outcomes of the observation, assessment and consultation, of the child’s

additional needs inform and support the appropriate route into primary education in

the city. A child may enter a primary school where their needs can be addressed by a

combination of class teacher and support for learning staff. The child’s needs may be

such that the best place for them might be a primary school with enhanced provision.

These are schools where additional staff are in place to help children with significant

additional support needs with their learning. Lastly, a child may need the highly

specialised support and care provided in Kingspark School.

There are 5 mainstream primary schools with additional staffing to support more

vulnerable Dundee children in small groups. These are:

o EasternPS

o Gowriehill PS

o Rowantree PS

o St Fergus RC PS

o St Vincent’s RC PS

o St Joseph's RC PS

There are a further 8 mainstream primary schools with additional staffing where

Dundee children who have more specific and defined needs can be supported.

28

o Craigowl PS (Physical Disability)

o Claypotts Castle PS (Hearing Impairment)

o Clepington PS (Autistic Spectrum Disorder)

o Craigiebarns PS (Visual Impairment)

o Fintry PS ( Language and Communication Disorder)

o Hillside PS (Autistic Spectrum Disorder)

o Ballumbie PS (Physical Disability)

o Our Lady’s RCPS (Physical Disability)

Kingspark School supports children and young people with complex and profound,

physical and cognitive needs, as well as children and young people with autistic

spectrum disorder.

It is important to note that we presume that children and young people in Dundee will

attend their local school or a school in which they can access enhanced provision,

unless, through our process of observation, assessment and consultation, it is

considered, (i) that such education is not in the best interests of the individual child,

(ii) that such placement would not be in the best interests of other children, or (iii)

that the cost of providing necessary additional resources would be prohibitive and

unrealistic.

Transition to Secondary Education

Pupils attending Mill of Mains Primary School normally transfer to:

Braeview Academy

Berwick Drive

Dundee DD4 9NL

Tel: 01382 438452 Rector: Mrs B. Hadcroft

Parents are informed about transfer arrangements in December and given information

in respect of placing procedures, should they wish their child to attend a school other

than the one allocated.

Primary 7 pupils are visited by staff and pupils from Braeview Academy who provide

basic information relating to secondary school life. At the same time, there is an

opportunity for staff to exchange information regarding pupils’ performance and

needs. Mill of Mains Primary School works closely with Braeview Academy to

ensure a smooth transfer for our pupils, several projects are underway to assist this.

Staff from Braeview visit our Pr.7 pupils during their Primary 7 year. A two-day

visit to Braeview Academy is arranged for June. This enables our pupils to become a

little acquainted with their future environment.

Good relationships also exist between the school and other local secondary schools.

The information in this booklet was correct at the time of its completion but changes

may occur as the session progresses.

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Transferring Educational Data About Pupils

Education authorities and the Scottish Executive Education Department (SEED) collected data about pupils on paper

forms for many years. We now work together with schools to transfer data electronically through the ScotXed

programme. Thus SEED has two functions: acting as a ‘hub’ for supporting data exchange within the education system

in Scotland and the analysis of data for statistical purposes within the Scottish Executive itself.

What pupil data is collected and transferred?

Data on each pupil is collected by schools, local authorities and SEED. The data collected and transferred covers areas

such as date of birth, Scottish Candidate Number (SCN), postcode, registration for free-school meals, whether a pupil is

looked after by his/her local authority, additional support needs including disability and English as an Additional

Language (EAL), and attendance, absence and exclusions from school. The SCN acts as the unique pupil identifier.

Pupil names and addresses are not passed to SEED. Your postcode is the only part of your address that is transferred

for statistical purposes, and postcodes are grouped to identify ‘localities’ rather than specific addresses. Dates of birth

are passed on as ‘month and year’ only, again to ensure that individuals are never identified. Data is held securely and

no information on individual pupils can or would be published by SEED.

Providing national identity and ethnic background data is entirely voluntary. You can choose the ‘not disclosed’ option

if you do not want to provide this data. However, we hope that the explanations contained in this message and on our

website will help you understand the importance of providing the data.

Why do we need your data?

In order to make the best decisions about how to improve our education service, SEED, education authorities

and other partners such as the SQA and Careers Scotland need accurate, up-to-date data about our pupils. We

are keen to help all our pupils do well in all aspects of school life and achieve better examination results.

Accurate and up-to-date data allows us to:

• plan and deliver better policies for the benefit of all pupils,

• plan and deliver better policies for the benefit of specific groups of pupils,

• better understand some of the factors which influence pupil attainment and achievement,

• share good practice,

• target resources better.

Your data protection rights

The collection, transfer, processing and sharing of ScotXed data is done in accordance with the Data Protection Act

(1998). We also comply with the National Statistics Code of Practice requirements and other legislation related to

safeguarding the confidentiality of data. The Data Protection Act gives you the right to know how we will use your

data. This message can give only a brief description of how we use data. Fuller details of the uses of pupil data can be

found on the ScotXed website (www.scotxed.net).

SEED works with a range of partners including HM Inspectorate of Education and the SQA. On occasion, we will make

individual data available to partners and also academic institutions to carry out research and statistical analysis. In

addition, we will provide our partners with information they need in order to fulfil their official responsibilities. Any

sharing of data will be done under the strict control of SEED, which will ensure that no individual level data will be

made public as a result of the data sharing and that these data will not be used to take any actions in respect of an

individual. Decisions on the sharing of data will be taken in consultation with colleagues within and outwith SEED.

Concerns

If you have any concerns about the ScotXed data collections you can email the Senior Statistician, Peter Whitehouse, at

Peter.Whitehouse@scotland.gsi.gov.uk or write to The ScotXed Support Office, SEED, Area 1B, Victoria Quay,

Leith, EH6 6QQ. Alternative versions of this page are available, on request from the ScotXed Support Office, in other

languages, audio tape, braille and large print.

Want more information?

Further details about ScotXed are available on the ScotXed website, www.scotxed.net., which contains a section on

‘frequently asked questions’ at https://www.scotxed.net/jahia/Jahia/lang/en/pid/220.