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Tomnacross
Primary School
Handbook
2018/2019
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CONTENTS
1. THE SCHOOL AIMS
2. GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Contact details, Staffing, the school facilities, the school atmosphere and
ethos.
3. EDUCATIONAL POLICY OF THE SCHOOL
The curriculum, teaching methods, subjects taught, homework, learning
support & special needs, assessment of pupils and reports to parents;
4. SOCIAL EDUCATION
Development of spiritual, moral, social and cultural values, school rules,
discipline and anti-bullying policy;
5. CONTRIBUTION OF PARENTS
Parents and their contribution to the school, Tomnacross Parent Council,
School Uniform, School Funds;
6. PUPIL WELFARE
School Information; visiting the school, school times, attendance and
absence, children’s possessions & lost property, school meals, milk and
packed lunch provision, health check-ups, adverse weather conditions,
emergency contacts, safer routes to school, child protection; technology in
school; photography in school, complaints procedure, term dates.
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1. THE VISION AND AIMS OF THE SCHOOL ‘We see our school as a place where everyone is listened to and their opinions valued. The adults think carefully about the things we need to know and how they are going to teach us in a fun and interesting way. The teachers treat and teach us as individuals. They know where we are in our learning and how to help us progress. Our school has good resources to deliver he curriculum, from sports equipment to the latest technologies (with adults that know how to use them), to prepare us for the world of the future. A clean, warm and friendly place, our school welcomes everyone. We are at the heart of our community and with our parents’ support we shall build on the very good strengths we already have.’
Our aims have been updated to reflect the aims and principles of the Curriculum
for Excellence.
Successful Learners
We will: Provide a broad and balanced
curriculum with significant
opportunities for depth, which
challenges and motivates all
pupils.
Provide a range of teaching
and learning experiences in a
fun and innovative
environment
Effective Contributors
We will: Encourage our pupils to
communicate effectively in
many different situations.
Help them to think critically
and develop skills in many
contexts
Confident Individuals
We will: Help our pupils to grow and
develop respect, knowledge and
understanding of their world.
Encourage independence, success
ad the development of life skills for
all our pupils.
Responsible Citizens
We will: Encourage our pupils to develop
respect, knowledge and
understanding of their world.
Help our pupils to make
informed choices and decisions.
Help our pupils to understand
the wider world and their place
in it.
TOMNACROSS
SCHOOL AIMS
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2. GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
2.1 CONTACT DETAILS
Tomnacross Primary School, Kiltarlity, Beauly, IV4 7HW. Tel: 01463 741497.
E-mail: [email protected].
Website: http://tomnacrossprimary.wordpress.com.
2.2 STAFFING
We currently have a school roll of 78 pupils.
Tomnacross also welcomes student placements into the school.
Acting Head Teacher – Mrs. Sandra MacLennan [cluster HT]
P1 – Mrs Heather Hedderwick
P2/3 – Miss Katy Hardiment
P4/5 – Mr Richard Syred/Mr Tyrone Betts (Covering Vacancy)
P6/7 – Mrs. Roxanne Main & Mr Les Golder
Support for Learning – Mrs Kim Lamont
Part time Management time/CCR – Mr Les Golder
School Secretary – Mrs Joan Mack/Mrs Jane Embleton
Pupil Support Assistants – Mrs. Audrey Matheson, Ms. Christine Paton,
Mrs. Linsay Stewart, Mrs. Linda Cassels-MacGregor
General Auxiliary & Playground Supervisor – Mrs. Tina Balfour-Paul
2.3 THE SCHOOL FACILITIES
Tomnacross Primary School was built in the late 19th century and added to
over the years. It used to be a junior secondary but now is very much a
primary school. Many generations of local families have graced its doors. The
school has grown with the village of Kiltarlity and now offers a wonderful
educational environment housed in a mixture of refurbished and new build
facilities.
The school is of a traditional design with a very modern extension and all is
situated in spacious grounds with a sports field, grass and tarmac play areas
and shelters. There are four classrooms in the school with the fifth being
used as an ASN base within the school. There is also an external building
which is uses as a multi-purpose room and also serves as a resource area and
Library area. The nursery is housed opposite the main school building in a
separate unit. All rooms are in good condition, well equipped and have open
outlooks. There is an excellent hall which was only officially opened in 2010
with a range of P.E. equipment, stage facility, lighting and sound equipment.
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All the classrooms are well resourced with teaching materials and have areas
set aside for class libraries. All classrooms also have computers within them.
School meals are cooked on the premises in the very modern School Kitchen
and served in the adjacent PE hall.
2.4 THE SCHOOL ATMOSPHERE AND ETHOS
Tomnacross School strives to be a happy school with high standards of
education.
Our pupils are encouraged to be caring, polite and respectful. The education
offered is a blend of the best of traditional and up-to-date methods.
Language and mathematics are crucially important in the primary school
curriculum and achievement in these subjects is stressed. A wide range of
activities are offered in the school during the school session and
achievement in subjects such as music and sport is widely encouraged.
School uniform is recommended and is worn on a regular basis by almost all
pupils. This adds to the sense of community within the school and reduces
the need for unnecessary expenditure by parents to meet changes in
fashion! The uniform is described in the last section of the brochure.
The parents and the Parent Council provide very good support for the school.
3. EDUCATION WITHIN OUR SCHOOL
3.1 THE PURPOSES OF THE CURRICULUM
In Tomnacross we are engaging with the Curriculum for Excellence and staff
plan using the experiences and outcomes for the curricular areas. Learning
Logs [or Personal Learning Plans] have targets agreed with children based
also on these.
Experiences and outcomes
The experiences and outcomes describe the expectations for learning and
progression in all areas of the curriculum.
The title ‘experiences and outcomes’ recognises the importance of the
quality and nature of the learning experience in developing attributes and
capabilities and in achieving active engagement, motivation and depth of
learning. An outcome represents what is to be achieved.
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They describe learning which has a clear purpose at levels from early to
fourth in the acquiring of knowledge and the establishment of
understanding. They also support the development of skills and attributes.
The purposes of the Curriculum are outlined in the Scottish Executive’s
document ‘A Curriculum for Excellence (2004)’:‘To enable all young people to
become Successful Learners; Confident Learners; Responsible Citizens and
Effective Contributors’
The Primary Curriculum consists of Languages, Mathematics and Numeracy,
Social Studies, Sciences, Technologies, Expressive Arts, Health and
Wellbeing, Religious and Moral Education.
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3.2 TEACHING METHODS
In Tomnacross Primary we have composite classes [i.e. more than one
primary group per class].
There are differences in age, maturity, ability and personality of the
children in each class. Each child has different educational strengths and
needs. Effective teaching and classroom organisation has, therefore, to be
flexible and varied to extend the abilities of all the pupils.
These methods include:
Class teaching and discussion to introduce, emphasise and revise the main
points in all the pupils’ learning;
Group work to accommodate and extend groups of pupils at a similar stage of
development;
Co-operative learning to extend understanding and sharing of ideas in ability
or mixed ability groupings;
Individualised work and activities to allow children to work independently at
their own level.
In Tomnacross we also ensure that children are part of the planning process
for learning and also aid assessment.
Where possible we include parents at times in the assessment process. We
are also starting to include our working partners in planning [e.g. Aigas
Centre; School Nurse].
Staff are encouraged to share good practice to ensure we maintain high
quality access to teaching and learning for our children.
3.3 ENGLISH LANGUAGE
The development of a child’s language skills is a top curriculum priority
because good language development provides the sound basis for
understanding and communicating in all parts of the curriculum. A broad
based curriculum with a variety of experiences and activities will nourish the
development of language.
Talking, listening, reading and writing are all parts of language. We all
recognise the importance of reading and writing in the curriculum, but oral
expression and careful listening are also very necessary parts of learning. All
pupils must have opportunities to develop these skills in the classroom.
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The teaching of reading goes on right through the primary school. We are
very fortunate to have all of our staff trained in the Highland Literacy
Project which focuses on the teaching of reading as opposed to the listening
of such. Pupils are taught to read text fluently, with oral expression and
with good understanding. This teaching continues into the senior years,
developing skills of comprehension and broadening the awareness of the
function and structure of language. In particular, we wish to encourage an
interest in recreational [or personal] reading as this improves a child’s
language abilities substantially and can give them a joy throughout life.
The pupils are taught how to write and to use their writing skills for
different purposes. They will be writing reports, notes, stories, poems,
letters and sometimes plays. The children are encouraged to write for an
audience and as such should be able to be read by them, i.e. read what they
write. Punctuation, spelling and presentation are important aspects of
writing. Spelling is taught in a variety of ways to ensure capacity for use.
Computers are often used to enhance the presentation of work and aid
editing.
3.4 MATHEMATICS AND NUMERACY
Mathematics is a subject that permeates many aspects of modern life. An
understanding of mathematics is therefore very important for our pupils for
their intellectual development and future prospects. The mathematics
curriculum includes work in number, money and measurement, shape, position
and movement, information handling and problem solving.
Pupils are introduced to new number work and mathematical concepts
through practical experiences and situations. They learn to use mathematical
materials, counters, cubes, etc. to gain a good understanding of the concepts
involved. When the opportunity arises, work in class is directly related to
real situations, so pupils know just why they are doing such work.
Particular attention is given to making the pupils numerate - a necessary
aspect if children are to deal competently with the mathematics in later
stages. In this respect, pupils have to become adept at mental arithmetic,
using calculators and also with traditional paper and pencil methods of
calculation. Active learning is encouraged as is outdoor learning.
Problem solving is given importance at all stages as this involves a real use of
thinking skills.
All classrooms have access to resources for stretching the more able in
mathematics.
Computers are increasingly being used for problem solving activities and for
information handling using databases and spread sheets.
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3.5 SOCIAL STUDIES
Through social studies, children and young people develop their
understanding of the world by learning about other people and their values.
The Scottish dimension will feature highly in our new programme which is
currently being agreed with staff.
This involves the study of a social studies topic or pupil interest approach.
Some of these pupil interests may well include elements of each of the
subject areas mentioned above, whereas others may stay within one area.
The topic method is well developed in our primary school. The teacher uses
the theme of the project and the interest of the children as a starting point
to stimulate an attitude of enquiry among the pupils, encouraging them to
question, listen, observe, read and find out information about the topic.
The children identify what they know already about the topic; what they
want to find out and then decide how they will go about this. This input at
the planning stage is crucial to ensure that all children have access to real
learning and building on former knowledge throughout the topic. This plan in
a choice of formats is displayed in the classroom and is a working reference
for the duration of the topic, allowing for additions, deletions and changes.
This develops personalisation and choice in pupils’ learning.
This information is discussed, organised and presented in the form of a class
book, floor book, individual topic books, diaries, wall displays or an oral
presentations. ICT presentations through PowerPoint or videos are also very
popular methods of recording learning by the children.
Throughout the topic, the basic skills of mathematics, science and language
are prominently being used in real contexts. Topic work lends itself to
interdisciplinary learning and this is encouraged but should not be contrived.
Social Studies work best when the children become closely involved with the
topic - hence the importance of using the child’s own experiences, locality
and environment as a starting point and to use this to move out to a fuller
understanding of the world.
The school ensures a comprehensive coverage of the subject areas during
each session and in subsequent sessions through a planned but flexible
programme of topics.
3.6 RELIGIOUS AND MORAL EDUCATION
The aim of Religious & Moral Education in school includes learning about
Christianity and other world religions, and supports the development of
beliefs and values. The school programme includes Christianity and other
world religions and the more general topics of morality, including
truthfulness, kindness and care for others. All classes follow a programme
of Religious Education.
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The School Assemblies have a role in giving children experience of
participation in song, prayer and story. School assemblies take varied
formats – Chaplain led, Class led, Head Teacher led, School Groups led,
Awards, visiting groups led [Charity]. Parents and friends in the community
are welcome to attend any of our assemblies. Parents who desire the
withdrawal of their child from these activities may do so by contacting the
school. Suitable arrangements will then be made.
3.7 HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Learning in health and wellbeing ensures that children and young people
develop the knowledge, understanding and skills which they need now and in
the future. Health & well-being are positive concepts that embrace physical,
emotional and social dimensions. These aspects are developed through whole
school strategies of Health Education including Relationships and Sexual
Health Education and Personal & Social Development. These include:
Health Education and Personal & Social Development as integral parts
of the curriculum;
A positive school ethos and promotion of safety and good health;
Engaging in regular physical activity.
Relationships with the community, ‘parents as partners’ and the Health
Services and other agencies.
3.8 EXPRESSIVE ARTS
The inspiration and power of the arts play a vital role in enabling our children
and young people to enhance their creative talent and develop their artistic
skills. Pupils enjoy the expressive arts because this is an active part of the
curriculum from which they can directly gain a sense of satisfaction and
achievement. The importance of these subjects in child development is now
well recognised. The expressive arts constitute a positive factor in
developing a child’s self-image, confidence, maturity and personality.
Expressive Arts often gives some children, who are not confident in some
academic areas of the curriculum, a chance to succeed.
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3.9 PHYSICAL EDUCATION
The P.E. programme is broad based. Pupil skills and co-ordination are
developed according to age and ability in the areas of gymnastics, apparatus
work, athletics, dance and games. Shinty, Cross-country running, and
athletics are also offered. Scottish Dances are taught in the winter term.
Pupils in Primary 6 and 7 receive a block of weekly swimming lessons.
3.10 MUSIC
All children are involved in singing and music making activities via the class
teacher and also blocks of input from Feis Rois. Singing and music making is
also an important part of school assemblies. Senior pupils receive
opportunities to play instruments.
3.11 ART
Pupils are given experience with a variety of skills and techniques, painting,
collage, modeling, drawing, marbling, etc. Drawing is an important feature of
self-expression for all children, particularly in the early years. Certain
themes and topics allow for the exploration of children’s expression through
art and visual media e.g. Christmas, Easter, and topics of study which allow
children to explore art of the world. We also encourage children to look at
artists’ work and style. Where possible we enable children to visit art
galleries or bring representatives to the classroom. We also encourage staff
to use real artists to visit classrooms to showcase their skills.
3.12 DRAMA
A variety of activities are taken to promote drama. These may be based
from plays in reading materials or on short plays or puppet productions
written by the pupils themselves. Importance is placed on presenting
information and expressive activities performed to the class or school
through showing items at school assemblies and concerts. Larger, whole
school productions are also encouraged [e.g. Pantomime] as is use of the
Scots language.
Through drama productions children learn the use of computerized sound
system and also use of stage lighting.
3.13 INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
Learning in the technologies enables children to be informed, skilled,
thoughtful, adaptable and enterprising citizens.
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Information and Communication Technology is used in the school at all
stages. It is integrated into the curriculum and permeates it. Pupils have
access to ICT equipment in the classroom and in the ICT suite. Pupils learn
to use ICT for word processing, multimedia work, organising data, and
research from CD Roms and the internet. Use is also made of digital cameras
and i-pads. Children learn to use enhancement for photographs and also edit
video appropriately. Internet access is restricted and monitored carefully in
school. All classes are equipped with smartboards that the staff use
constantly with the children as a learning and teaching tool.
It is essential that children understand the role ICT has in Scotland and the
wider global community.
3.14 MODERN LANGUAGES
There is increasing importance being placed on the learning of modern
languages, the school teaches French to P1-7. Pupils will get an input every
session. Classroom instructions are used daily and more focused learning is
done within the timetable. Some staff have been trained to deliver this.
Where possible we will bring a native French speaker to allow the children to
have the experience of hearing the native tongue.
3.15 HOMEWORK
Research has shown that homework contributes to the educational progress
of the child by consolidating the work of the classroom. The school has a
policy of giving a set amount of homework to pupils over the course of one
week to suit children and teacher.
The homework consists of a revision of skills already taught. Reading is
encouraged every day. In Primary 1-3 core readers are sent home daily but
this ceases at P4 and above. This is due to our commitment to the Highland
Literacy Project. This is not to say there is no reading for home. A personal
home reader can be chosen, advised by class teachers, from the school
library. Parents can listen to their children read orally; parents can read
with their children; parents can read to their children.
Bonds and times tables knowledge is essential to encourage mental agility in
mathematics and numeracy. These can be practiced every day also.
The aim is to encourage regular study habits, consolidate skills and to give
parents an insight into school work.
3.16 EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES & MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION
The school is opposed to all forms of prejudice and discrimination.
It provides equality of opportunity through ethos and working practices.
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It promotes understanding and respect for other people's cultural identity
and beliefs.
It continues to assure antiracist attitudes are embedded in the school.
All staff have had training in this.
3.17 ADDITIONAL SUPPORT NEEDS
Support for learning in school follows a staged approach to ensure the child
in need of support receives the most appropriate with external agency
involvement where deemed necessary.
Children differ in their strengths and needs. Some children will find most
aspects of school straightforward and will need little individual support.
Other children may find some aspects of schooling difficult and may require
some kind of extra help. From time to time children may need support
because of particular circumstances e.g. an extended illness, or a family
situation. All these children qualify for ‘additional support needs’. The school
will regularly review the ‘additional support needs’ of the pupils in each class
through dialogue between class teachers, school management and support
staff. In most cases these needs merely require to be ‘flagged up’ for
monitoring, consideration and accommodation in day to day classroom
activities. In some cases support for learning may be achieved by altering
expectations and providing support from classroom assistants and other
support staff.
In the cases of pupils who have additional support needs which merit
planned, and regular support, parents will be involved at an early stage to
discuss the best ways to support the child and to decide whether more
information is required. If planned and long term support is required then
the appropriateness of an Individualised Education Plan (I.E.P.) may be
considered. This plan provides the means to share information and address,
through an agreed agenda, the specific needs of the pupil.
It will sometimes be necessary to take appropriate advice from outside
agencies e.g. the educational psychologist service, speech, occupational or
physiotherapist. When the needs of a particular child need the co-ordinated
support of other agencies i.e. Medical and Social work, then parents are
invited to discuss the best solutions for progress at a School Liaison Group
meeting of all the relevant agencies.
The school can also access time from the CSW [Children Service Worker]
who will work in school and in the home to support children. CSW can help
with anger management, confidence building, social skills etc.
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3.18 ASSESSMENT OF PUPILS & INFORMATION TO PARENTS
The teacher supervises the pupils in their class on a day to day basis,
throughout the session, and keeps an appropriate record of their progress in
the class progress folder. At certain times of the session the class teacher
focuses on a particular aspect of the curriculum for a close look i.e. Reading
for Enjoyment, Writing for Information etc.
Assessment tasks are sometimes used to pinpoint educational strengths and
needs in order to give the appropriate help and feedback to the pupils. It is
important not to discourage young pupils with a sense of failure, and so self-
assessment activities should first give the pupils self-awareness of what
they can do well and what they need to do next in learning.
In the Curriculum for Excellence progress is made through five stages.
Level Stage
Early The pre-school years and P1, or later for some.
First To the end of P4, but earlier or later for some.
Second To the end of P7, but earlier or later for some.
Third and
Fourth
S1 to S3, but earlier for some. The fourth level broadly equates to Scottish Credit and
Qualifications Framework level 4.
The fourth level experiences and outcomes are intended to provide possibilities for
choice and young people's programmes will not include all of the fourth level outcomes.
Senior
phase S4 to S6, and college or other means of study.
The experiences and outcomes describe the expectations for learning and
progression in all areas of the curriculum. They are written at five levels,
with progression to qualifications described under the senior phase. The
path most children and young people are expected to follow through the
levels reflects the stages of maturation of children and young people and
the changing ways in which they engage with learning as they develop.
Progress will be tracked in the core subject areas and this will be built on
across all areas of the curriculum in time. The use of assessments will be
carried out in a low-key manner with groups of pupils and may be used at any
time of the session. Parent-teacher liaison activities are offered in
September, November, and April. Reports will highlight the pupil’s strengths
in the curriculum and approach to learning, particularly in mathematics and
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language work. The reports and self assessments will identify particular
targets for individual children to work towards. Parents are also welcome to
contact the school at any time, and make an appointment to see the Head
Teacher, Principal Teacher, the Class Teacher or Learning Support Teacher
to discuss their child’s progress.
The Highland Reporting formats will be used.
4. SOCIAL EDUCATION
4.1 DEVELOPMENT OF SPIRITUAL, MORAL, SOCIAL AND
CULTURAL VALUES
The school has an important contribution to make to the development of a
child’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural values. Whilst the school’s
programmes of Religious and Moral Education, Socials and the Expressive
Arts will provide knowledge and awareness of these values and promote a
sense of identity for the child, the ethos and atmosphere of the school will
be crucial in developing these important attributes in a practical way.
The school ethos is based on high aspirations and expectations of good
behaviour, conduct and achievement. The friendly atmosphere is often
commented on by visitors. These aspects are being developed by the
involvement of pupils in decision making in the school through the Pupil
Council and discussions in classroom opportunities. The School Rules, Positive
Behaviour Policy and Multicultural and Anti-Racist Guidelines underpin the
ethos and serve to protect the vulnerable.
4.2 THE SCHOOL GOLDEN RULES
The school rules are designed for the safety of the pupils. It is a clear
expectation that the pupils know these rules and follow them in all
situations.
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There are also some specific shared understandings to keep children safe.
(a) Pupils are required to move about the school in an orderly way.
(b) The driveway and car park are out of bounds.
(c) Cycling is not allowed in the school grounds.
(d) Ball games are allowed on the playing field only,
(e) Pupils, who remain in school over lunchtime, are not allowed to leave the
school grounds.
(f) Pupils are not allowed to play with anything that could cause harm to
themselves or others.
4.3 DISCIPLINE
Occasionally, when a pupil’s behaviour is less than satisfactory, a verbal
reprimand is given in the first instance and this usually suffices. However, if
this does not remedy the situation, the school has a staged positive
behaviour policy that will then be adhered to. Copies of this are available to
parents.
The Class Teacher or the Head Teacher may, if appropriate, contact the
parents.
4.4 ANTI-BULLYING ADVICE
Bullying, should it occur, is taken very seriously. While it is not in any way
prevalent in this school, it can be very distressing for those involved if it
happens. This is why we wish to explicitly address this subject and provide
clear guidance for pupils, parents and staff on what to do if a situation
should arise:
What counts as bullying?
Bullying can take many forms. Sometimes it involves physical harassment i.e.
kicking or hitting.
Less visible, but no less distressing, is name calling, ‘sending to Coventry’,
exclusion from playground games, or taunting.
Bullying is the deliberate hurting, threatening or frightening of an individual
or group by another individual or group. It is distinct from the spontaneous
upsets and disagreements which may happen among children from time to
time.
Note: The victim of bullying may show signs of being unhappy, unduly quiet or
weepy, play separately, feel ‘ill’, and/or not wish to go to school. If these
symptoms occur frequently then the question of bullying should be
considered.
Reacting to bullying incidents:
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If parents see, or are told about bullying taking place, they should ensure
that someone at the school knows about it. Situations are made far worse,
when bullying continues over a period of time without the school being aware
of what is happening. On the other hand, bullying is often quickly stopped
when addressed at its onset.
If your child is involved in bullying, you should reassure him or her and talk
about the full scenario. Try to ascertain the facts of the incident and
contact someone at the school as soon as possible. Do not wait to see if the
matter resolves itself.
If pupils see or hear about bullying taking place, they should speak up and
come forward to establish the truth and hopefully end the unpleasantness.
To have knowledge of bullying and not to speak up is to condone this
behaviour.
If the school is told about an incident of bullying, we will address the matter
seriously and sensitively and in co-operation with the parents of the victim.
We will seek to reassure the victim, encourage others to speak up to
establish truth and fairness and make clear that the bully’s behaviour is
unacceptable. The bully will be encouraged to see the victim’s point of view
and, if appropriate, be set a punishment and have his/her parents contacted.
We emphasise the importance and success of early intervention.
5. CONTRIBUTION OF PARENTS
5.1 PARENTS AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO THE SCHOOL
The school recognises the role of the parent in the education process as
that of a partner.
School and parents having different but complementary roles.
The individual interest and support of parents in their child’s education is
crucial, and the school welcomes the involvement of parents in helping their
child with reading and homework, etc.
The school also looks for the support of parents for the school rules and the
code of conduct.
Parents also contribute to the success of the school by voluntary activities:
Helping with auxiliary type duties - cutting paper, making workbooks,
photocopying worksheets etc. volunteers contact the class teacher.
Helping with an educational outing or visit - volunteers are asked, if
required, from parents of the class involved.
Contributing to the educational life of the school - by talking or
showing something of interest to the pupils in the classrooms, or at
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assembly. Please contact the school if you have something of interest
to offer!
Organising fund-raising and social events for the school and the pupils
- parents meet from time to time through the Tomnacross Parent
Council and Fund Raising Sub Committee to organise various social and
fund raising activities. All parents and staff are welcome to
participate.
‘Hands on’ help in the classroom by helping with curricular work [e.g.
helping with a reading or writing group].
5.2 TOMNACROSS PARENT COUNCIL
Tomnacross School has a Parent Council.
The purpose of the Parent Council is to establish close links between schools
and parents. A Parent Council’s duties and functions include:
Keeping in touch with parents’ views;
Encouraging links between the school and parents;
Taking part in the appointment of senior staff;
Monitoring the use of the school out with normal school hours.
Working closely with the staff and Head Teacher to support
and benefit the school as a whole.
Meetings are open to the public, and dates, times and agenda and minutes of
meetings are published on the school website.
5.3 SCHOOL UNIFORM
The wearing of uniform is recommended and encouraged. Visitors to the
school remark on the high standard of uniform worn by our pupils. This
reflects the important support for uniform shown by parents. Uniform
reduces the need for unnecessary expenditure by parents to meet changes
in fashion and is a contributory factor to a good school community
atmosphere.
The uniform is the standard low-cost school wear available through most
retailers with the addition of the red school sweatshirt with our school logo
of the learning tree looked after by Brock the Badger, available from school
wear specialists in Inverness.
The guidance for parents on uniform is as follows
Boys: Grey, navy or black trousers, white poloshirt, school sweatshirt.
Girls: Grey navy or black skirt or trousers, white poloshirt, school
sweatshirt.
(In addition: T shirt and shorts for PE and also a pair of indoor shoes.)
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It is recommended that sports and football wear should not be worn to
school on an everyday basis.
It is ultimately the parents' decision to what extent they follow this advice.
The school will continue to encourage uniform and ask for pupils to wear
uniform for representational events.
5.4 SCHOOL FUND
The Highland Council allocates an allowance to the school for everyday
expenditure on books, jotters, stationary and supplies. The School Fund
helps to meet the cost of additional expenses and equipment that normally
cannot be met by the local authority’s funding.
Most income for School Funds comes indirectly from parents. The main
sources are, photograph sales, fund-raising events and parental
contributions for extra-curricular visits and events.
Parents are also asked for a voluntary contribution per family to School Fund
at the beginning of the session.
School Funds cover the cost of many items e.g. The Christmas Parties -
decorations, ice cream, drinks, and presents etc; The School Sports -
extra sports equipment, athletic and sports strips, Affiliation and entry
fees, and travel costs to sporting events; Extra items of classroom
equipment including computers and library books; subsidising the cost of
theatre visits, school visits and music, puppet and drama performance costs
in school.
School Funds are audited annually.
6. PUPIL WELFARE
6.1 INFORMATION, ENQUIRIES AND VISITS TO THE SCHOOL
The school’s website at http://tomnacrossprimary.wordpress.com. contains
comprehensive information about the school including the handbook, term
dates, forthcoming events and school meal menus.
The school telephone information service gives up to date information on
times of forthcoming events and holiday dates. Notice will also be given on
this service about closure of the school because of adverse weather
conditions, and the status of events like Sports Afternoons, pantomimes etc.
In addition, general enquiries can be made by phoning or calling at the school
office.
Parents seeking a place for their child in the school are welcome to visit the
school by appointment.
Parents are encouraged to contact the school about welfare issues and
anything that is important for the well being of the pupils.
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A copy of our concerns and complaints policy is displayed in the school main
entrance display board.
6.2 SCHOOL TIMES
The school times are:
Primary 1 to 3 Monday – Thursday 09.00 – 15.00
Friday – 09.00 to 12.15
Primary 4 to 7 Monday – Thursday 09.00 – 15.30
Friday – 09.00 to 12.15
The school has a morning break for 15 minutes and lunch is 12.15- 1.00p.m.
Primary 1-3 children who wait for the bus are looked after by an auxiliary.
6.3 ATTENDANCE AND ABSENCE
Good attendance is vital if pupils are to achieve their full potential. But if a
pupil is absent from school, a parent or guardian should phone the school on
the first day of absence, on either the school message number: 0800 564
2272 (PIN is required) or the school number <insert number>. When
returning to school after an absence, the parent or guardian must give
written reason for the time absent.
Permission to leave during the school day: If a pupil needs to leave during
the school day for an appointment etc, pupils need to bring with them a note
from parent or guardian. Pupils must report to the school reception and ‘sign
out’, if returning the same day, they must report again to the reception and
sign in. Where at all possible, medical and dental appointments should be
made outwith school hours.
If pupils fall ill during the day, parents are contacted for them to collect
their child, therefore it is essential that we have up to date day time
contact numbers and emergency contact numbers for all pupils.
Schools are required to keep an attendance register by law. We have a
responsibility for the care and welfare of all pupils during the school day
therefore need to know the whereabouts of absent pupils.
6.4 CHILDREN’S POSSESSIONS AND LOST PROPERTY
Items of clothing should be clearly marked with the child’s name or initials -
otherwise they are unlikely to be identified if lost. Please note that the
school cannot be responsible for money or valuables that are brought into
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school. We therefore ask that valuable personal possessions are left at
home. Younger children should carry school money in a purse or envelope,
marked with the purpose, and hand it over to the teacher when they come in
to school in the morning. Lost property is held in a tub inside the pupil
entrance to school.
6.5 SCHOOL MEALS AND PACKED LUNCHES
A two-course lunch is served daily in the dining room. A menu is issued at the
start of a block and will be served on a rotational basis.
Lunches may be paid monthly or weekly in advance on Mondays.
As part of promoting health, the menus are balanced and varied with plenty
of healthy options.
Every day there is always a choice of vegetables, yoghurt, milk, fruit juice or
water, fruit and bread.
Children of families receiving Income Support qualify for free meals.
Application forms are available online from the Highland Council Website and
should be submitted to, Care & Learning, Catering Service, Ruthven House,
Drummond Road, Inverness, IV2 4NZ. All P1 – P3 pupils will receive free
school meals from January 2015.
Toast is available at interval. As part of health promotion all our infant
children receive fresh fruit each day.
6.6 PACKED LUNCHES IN SCHOOL
Tables are allocated in the dining room for pupils with packed lunches.
The Highland Council has drawn up a set of guidelines in order that certain
standards of health, hygiene and safety are maintained.
1. All food must be carried in a semi-rigid container with a secure lid. i.e.
Tupperware, ice cream containers or similar, Containers should be clearly
marked with the name of the pupil,
2. Glass bottles or containers are not permitted under the Health & Safety
Regulations.
3. Vacuum flasks containing hot liquid are not permitted because of the
danger of scalding.
4. Aerated drinks in cans or bottles are not permissible because of the
obvious dangers these present.
5. Water beakers will be available in all dining areas.
6. Packed meals must be consumed in the area allocated within the school
building.
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6.7 SCHOOL DENTAL HYGIENIST
A dental hygienist visits the school annually to talk to the pupils about the
importance of dental hygiene. Through consultation with the dental officer
and parents, the school has drawn up some guidelines for pupils and families
about dental care in school.
6.8 ILLNESS OR ACCIDENT IN SCHOOL
If a child becomes unwell in school or is hurt at break times, the parents are
immediately contacted. It is, therefore, very important that parents keep
the school informed of their emergency contact arrangements for such
eventualities.
6.9 HEALTH AND MEDICAL ARRANGEMENTS
The School Nurse visits the school regularly and advises on the health of
the children. The following inspections are carried out by the School Doctor
and Nurse:
Health reviews are done on children in Primary 1 and Primary 7.
Health Education talks by the Nurse, Mary Finlay are arranged for classes
to enhance topic work and also to aid expertise in certain fields of Health
and wellbeing. Relationships and sexual health education is also done in
school. Parents will be made aware of the content of this through parental
workshops. Parents are notified when this is about to take place.
Parents are asked to keep the school informed of any relevant details
concerning their child’s health. The School Nurse is available for advice on
health problems and can arrange, if required, a home visit.
Parents wishing their children to have medicine administered during the school day must pay heed to the rules regarding administration of medicines at the back of this book. Any ongoing medicines [e.g. inhalers] will be stored in the school office. Such medicines should be clearly marked with the child’s name and the dosage. The parent should ensure the medicines are kept up to date; the school will try to remind you when the medicine we hold is approaching its shelf life.
6.10 SAFER ROUTES TO SCHOOL
The school promotes the “Safer Routes to School” initiative and encourages
pupils and families to walk and cycle to and from school. The school supports
and promotes “safer routes” by Road Safety instruction and Cycling
Proficiency courses, the improvement of facilities for bicycles in school, and
the improvement of safe routes to school through the community.
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It is, of course, the responsibility of parents to see that their child’s bicycle
is safe and to decide whether their child is mature enough to cycle on the
open road. In making a judgement about this, parents should take into
account the fact that children under the age of nine may not have fully
developed their perceptive abilities, are unable to properly judge the speed
of traffic and to recognise potentially dangerous situations. It is for this
reason that Road Safety Officers do not consider any child of nine years of
age “ready” for cycling proficiency instruction and to be fully competent to
cycle on roads with traffic. Those pupils, who do cycle to school, are asked
to be particularly careful when arriving and leaving the school. The wearing
of cycle helmets is essential. No child will be allowed to ride to school on
their bicycle without a helmet. The Parent Council through Safer Routes to
School funding have kindly allowed the children to have a backpack high
visibility cover.
6.11 CHILD PROTECTION
From time to time incidents can arise when information about a child’s
welfare causes concern and could indicate that a pupil is suffering some
form of abuse.
Education Service staff through the Head Teacher, must report such
incidents to Social Work Services which can lead to a joint Social
Work/Police investigation.
All agencies involved in Child Protection are obliged to make the welfare of
children their paramount consideration and this will be the priority for
Education Service staff.
More information about Child Protection Procedures within Highland can be
accessed in the Highland Child Protection Folder held in the Head Teacher’s
room. No member of staff will interrogate a child.
6.12 TECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOL
The use of modern technology can make a significant contribution to the
teaching of the curriculum making learning more interesting and engaging.
Pupils will therefore have access to different types of technology at
appropriate times.
Unfortunately the use of computers and modern technology can be abused.
Therefore the school has drawn up an Information Communication
Technology Access Policy to protect all parties – the pupils, the staff and
the school. The policy includes the following points:
All ICT use should be appropriate to the pupil's education. Computers should
not be personalized by changing desktop settings. Unauthorised software
should not be loaded as it may not be compatible and may alter the operation
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of existing software. Pupils’ access to the internet is carefully supervised by
the school and is also filtered by the Council’s servers. E-mail will be
under direct teacher supervision i.e. one computer with the teacher and
relevant pupils. Children will not have access to chat rooms at school.
There have been very few instances of abuse of computers at Tomnacross.
However, it is necessary to state that any pupil found maliciously abusing
access to ICT, may lose the opportunity to use the school system.
Other items of modern technology (mobile phones, digital cameras, CD and
DVD players etc.) are becoming increasingly attractive items for children to
own. However, given the desirability, expense and potential loss of these
items, as well as on-going safety concerns, we ask that pupils do not bring
these items into school.
6.13 PHOTOGRAPHY IN SCHOOL
Photography in school has an important place to record events for sharing,
and providing parents and the school with mementos and records of
occasions.
This photography should be discreet, not intrusive, respect the views of
pupils, staff, and parents and comply with ‘child protection’ guidelines e.g.
Faces of children would not appear on the school internet site.
Photography of children participating in sports events, classroom activities
and at public performances should be carried out by an approved school
photographer, a member of staff, or pupils using school equipment under the
supervision of school staff. This would be edited and, if appropriate and
copy-write allowing, made available for parents to purchase, normally as hard
copies.
A professional school photographer would photograph the children each
session (with parent permission). This would normally be for stage groups
and family and individual pictures.
6.14 CATCHMENT AREAS AND SECONDARY SCHOOL
At the end of the primary stage of education, pupils from the Tomnacross
Primary School catchment area transfer to Charleston Academy.
Contact details are: Charleston Academy, Kinmylies, Inverness, IV3 8ET
Telephone: 01463 234324 Fax: 01463 715 352
email:[email protected]
Parents of pupils who currently live outside the catchment area of the
Academy are required to make a placing request to the Area Education
Manager if they wish their child to transfer to any other secondary School.
Placing request forms can be obtained from
http://www.highland.gov.uk/info/878/schools/11/school_enrolment/2
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Transportation to and from school, for placing request pupils, is a parental
responsibility.
6.15 ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND SCHOOL CLOSURES
Tomnacross School is sometimes disrupted by the adverse weather
conditions that are prevalent in the winter months. Whilst a decision by the
Head Teacher to close the school due to adverse weather is never taken
lightly, it is occasionally inevitable.
In line with Highland Council policy, details of all the methods used for
school closures is detailed in Appendix
In the event of school closure during the day because of weather conditions
or other emergency, every attempt will be made to see that children will be
sent home in family groups and/or with friends. To enable this to take place
smoothly, all children and the school should be made aware of their
emergency arrangements.
Parents should advise the school of an alternative address which may be
used by their children in such emergencies.
6.16 COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
If a parent has any concerns they should contact their child’s Named Person
in the first instance, Mrs Alison Donald, Head Teacher.
The school will always endeavour to resolve issues by listening to parents and
seeking solutions in partnership. Should a situation not be resolved, parents
can contact the Area Education Manager.
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6.17 TERM DATES
2018 – 2019
Autumn
Autumn term starts - 21 August 2018
Autumn term ends - 12 October 2018
Winter
Winter term starts - 29 October 2018
Winter term ends – 21 December 2018
Spring
Spring term starts - 7 January 2019
Mid term break – 18 and 19 February 2019
Spring term ends – 05 fApril 2019
Summer
Summer term begins – 23 April 2019
Summer term ends – 04 July 2019
Public holidays
Good Friday - 19 April 2019
Easter Monday - 22 April 2019
May Day – 6 May 2019
In-service days
20 August 2018
17 September 2018
18 September 2018
20 February 2019
3 June 2019
