Handbook | Musselburgh Burgh Primary School

You can read the Musselburgh Burgh Primary School Handbook below, or download a copy by clicking the download button.

LIST OF CONTENTS

Introduction
Addresses
Burgh School Council Office Bearers
Staff List
Vision Statement and aims
Basic Information about School
Organisation of Staff
Curriculum and Assessment
Assessment and Reporting
Inclusion Policy
Homework Policy
Parents and the School
School Procedures
Attendance
School Dress Code and Kit
School Positive Behaviour Policy
E.L.C. Exclusion Policy
Anti-Bullying School Policy
Transport
School Health Service
Health and Safety Arrangements
Data Policy and Protection
Complaints Procedures

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to Musselburgh Burgh Primary School.

This booklet is designed to introduce you to the Burgh, acquaint you with our aims, policies and curriculum and to give general information about procedures related to the school.

I hope you will find the information useful. Please keep the booklet for reference. When and where necessary you will be informed of any changes through school newsletters.

The staff at Musselburgh Burgh Primary School strive to create a caring and secure environment in which everybody feels happy, confident and valued. We can best achieve this when we work in partnership with parents/carers and families, so please take every opportunity to become involved in your child’s life at the Burgh.

We look forward to a long and happy partnership with you.

Karen Fleming Head Teacher November 2019

ADDRESSES

School Musselburgh Burgh Primary School

Kilwinning Street
Musselburgh
East Lothian
EH21 7EE

Telephone No: 0131-665-3407
E-mail: musselburgh.burgh.ps@musselburghburgh.elcschool.org.uk

Business Support Administrator: Mrs Morag Aitken

Education Department Address

East Lothian Council Resources & People Services
John Muir House
HADDINGTON
EH41 3HA

SCHOOL COUNCIL OFFICE BEARERS

Chair Michelle Peet
Vice-Chair Sally Olds
Treasurer Jackie Molloy
Clerk Graeme Stuart

Staff List 2019/20

Head Teacher: Mrs Karen Fleming
Depute Head Teacher: Mr Jon Doyle

Nursery

Senior Early Years Practitioner: Miss Jodie Stockman
Nursery Nurses: Miss Viv Cowie, Mrs Heather Jordan, Mrs Nicole Orr, Mrs Sinead Sinclair, Mrs Alison Spence

School

Class	Teacher(s)
P1A	Mrs Natalie Copland	Principal Teacher
P1B	Mrs Emily Macdonald
P2A	Mrs Amy Hainey
P2/3	Mrs Emily Wright NQT / Mrs Vikki Wilson
P3A	Mrs Nicola Davies-Jenkins / Mrs Fleur Hoole
P3/4	Mrs Moira Gilbert
P4A	Mrs Rebekah Jones	Principal Teacher
P5A	Mrs Diane Chiole
P5/6	Mrs Samantha Fulton
P6A	Mrs Emma Stewart NQT / Mr David Barrett
P6/7	Miss Rachel Gallagher	Principal Teacher
P7A	Mrs Lisa Livingstone

Support for Learning: Mrs Fleur Hoole, Mr David Barrett
Additional Teachers: Mrs Vikki Wilson, Mrs Mary Cooper
N-Zone: Mrs Eleanor Sherry (Nursery Nurse)
ASN Auxiliaries: Mrs Karen Anderson, Mrs Hazel Baptie, Mrs Rena Brown, Mrs Lyndsay Crawford, Mrs Susan Garden, Mrs Leanne Louden, Mrs Lynne Montgomery, Miss Amy Scott, Mrs Susan Tomlins, Mrs Helen Young

PE	Mrs Fiona Sellwood	Monday
Art	Mrs Morag McLeod	Tuesday
Cello	Vacancy	Friday
Music	Miss Kirsten Ireland	Thursday
French	Mrs Fiona Scott	Thursday
Violin	Mrs Carolyn Wilson	Friday

- Janitor: Mr Gordon Galloway
- Admin Assistant: Mrs Morag Aitken
- Clerical Assistant : Mrs Maureen Sangster
- School Auxiliary: Mrs Sheila Brown
- Playground/Dining Hall Supervisors: Mrs Hazel Warnock, Mrs Janet Stachow, Mrs Alana Sleigh
- Cook: Mrs Lynda Forrest
- Kitchen Assistants: Mrs Mary McMillan, Mrs Laura Campbell

This list is subject to change since personnel may vary from year to year. Parents will be notified of any changes through school newsletters.

VISION STATEMENT

‘Everything is possible’

VALUES

At Musselburgh Burgh Primary School we will promote opportunities for everyone to become:

Successful learners
Confident individuals
Responsible citizens
Effective contributors

AIMS

To make the school a welcoming happy place for everyone; to encourage respect for our school environment and to foster and develop links with parents and the local and wider community.
To raise attainment by employing a range of strategies to enhance and extend pupils’ learning, including maximising the impact of Pupil Equity Funding to close the gap for our identified vulnerable children.
To promote consistent, high-quality learning and teaching.
To promote a sense of individual worth in all members of the school community.
To create a culture that is positive, safe, caring and aspirational and where everyone is treated with respect.
To offer an educational experience appropriate to the needs of individuals that will raise standards for all by embedding current guidance and making effective use of all available data.
To ensure that all staff have access to positive development opportunities.

BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The Burgh School is a non-denominational, co-educational Local Authority School, which caters for pupils from 3-12 years of age.

Musselburgh Burgh Primary School was built in 1965. The school building has been adapted to provide access for people with disabilities. The school is situated in the centre of the town behind the buildings on the south side of the High Street. There is access for pedestrians at three points.

A car park is situated in front of the main entrance, which is for the use of staff and visitors only. Parents are requested to use local car parking facilities. Pupils must not be brought to school through the car park.

School Roll

The current school roll is 313 excluding nursery. There is a nursery class which caters for 48 full-time places. At present, there are 12 mainstream classes in the school, in addition to the nursery class.

P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7
44 42 48 44 41 53 41

School Times

Nursery

Full-time Session: Monday – Thursday 8.45– 3.30pm
Friday 8.45 – 11.45am
Morning Session: Monday – Thursday 8.45 – 12.30pm
Friday 8.45 – 11.45am
Afternoon Session: Monday – Thursday 1.00 – 3.30pm

P1 & P2
Monday – Thursday 8.55 – 12.15pm 1.15 – 3.00 pm
Friday 8.55 – 12.20pm

P3 – P7
Monday – Thursday 8.55 – 12.30 pm 1.15 – 3.20 pm
Friday 8.55 – 12.30 pm

ORGANISATION OF STAFF

Number of teaching staff: 15 Mainstream & 2 Support for Learning.

This may change from year to year according to the school roll.

Head Teacher

The Head Teacher has overall responsibility for leading and managing the school and is responsible for ensuring that the school is a safe, healthy environment in which to work and learn. She manages the staff, plans, coordinates, implements and evaluates developments and innovations to ensure that every pupil receives the best possible educational experiences. She is also responsible for close liaison with home and the wider community.

The Head Teacher has strategic curricular and pastoral responsibility for all pupils from Nursery to P7, with specific responsibility for Nursery to P4 pupils. The Head Teacher’s remit may vary from year to year according to the needs of the School Improvement Plan.

Depute Head Teachers

The Depute Head Teacher has pastoral responsibility for P5-P7 pupils and for pupils within the Child Planning process. He assists the HT in the management and organisation of the school and deputises for the Head Teacher as required. Again, the DHT’s remit may vary according to the needs of the School Improvement Plan.

Principal Teachers

The 3 Principal Teachers have full-time teaching responsibility with a half-day for management time. Mrs Copland shares responsibility for the Early Team (Nursery – P1) with Mrs Fleming. Mrs Jones shares responsibility for the First Level Team (P2-P4) with Mrs Fleming. Miss Gallagher shares responsibility for the Second Level Team (P5-P7) with Mr Doyle. Mrs Copland is also leading the Literacy Learning Team. Mrs Jones is leading the Outdoor Learning Team and Miss Gallagher is leading the Numeracy Learning Team.

Class Teachers

Teaching Staff work with the pupils on a day-to-day basis and are responsible for organising and implementing the curriculum at their stage. Pupils are taught individually, in groups or as a class where appropriate.

Support for Learning Teachers

The Support for Learning Teachers liaise with all members of staff, Speech Therapists, Psychological Services, SfL teachers from the Musselburgh Cluster schools and parents/carers on matters concerning the education of pupils with additional support needs. They act as consultants for class teachers as well as teaching pupils individually or in groups.

Pupils may work individually or in small groups with the SfL Teachers in their room or remain in the classroom when they may be involved in co-operative teaching with the class teacher. They maintain close contact with parents.

Visiting Specialist Teachers

The provision of specialist teachers varies from session to session. They visit the school regularly on a specified day, teach groups or classes of children and work co-operatively with class teachers.

This session we have specialists for P.E., Art, Music, Violin and Cello. Mrs Scott, from Musselburgh Grammar School, teaches French in P6 and P7.

OTHER STAFF

The Business Support Administrator

The School Business Support Administrator is responsible for all the clerical and administrative tasks related to the running of the school.

Other Non-teaching Staff

To assist with the smooth running of the school we have a janitor, school auxiliary, clerical support, nursery nurses, additional support needs auxiliaries, kitchen staff and cleaners as well as supervisory assistants in the dining room and playground.

CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENT

The Burgh Primary School follows the principles and practices of A Curriculum for Excellence. This 3-18 curriculum aims to ensure that all pupils will be ‘Successful Learners, Confident Individuals, Responsible Citizens and Effective Contributors’. These four main aims are referred to as the Four Capacities and underpin the work undertaken in school. A Curriculum for Excellence comprises 8 curricular areas:

Mathematics and Numeracy
Languages and Literacy
Expressive Arts
Health and Wellbeing
Religious and Moral Education
Sciences
Social Studies
Technologies

The curriculum is expressed in learning experiences and outcomes for learners. The principles of challenge and enjoyment, breadth, progression, depth, personalisation and choice, coherence and relevance inform the learning of all pupils. Pupils are encouraged to think about why they are learning a particular topic and how associated skills can be used in real life and in other areas across the curriculum. All pupils are engaged with teachers in planning and assessing aspects of learning and often have the choice of topics and ways to present their learning. Whilst there are eight subject areas, learning will often be linked across subjects to help children apply their knowledge and skills in new and different situations.

Each curricular area is broken down into a set of experiences and outcomes. The Experience describes the learning whilst the Outcome represents what the learning will achieve. This is often explained from the pupil’s perspective as an ‘I can….’ statement. These experiences and outcomes in each area are then grouped across five levels: early, first, second, third and fourth, and senior. In other words, they give a broad indication of what children are likely to experience at various stages in their school career.

The levels are: –

Early – pre-school and Primary 1 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 SCQF Level 4
Senior Phase – S4 to S6 and college or other means of study.

Further information on Curriculum for Excellence can be found at: http://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/curriculumforexcellence http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/thecurriculum http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/thecurriculum/whatcanlearnersexpect/skill sforlearning.asp

Early Level Curriculum

The Nursery aims to nurture each child and educate him/her intellectually, socially, emotionally, physically and aesthetically and to assist him/her to reach his/her potential.

In the early years, the basis of the curriculum is play, which is a natural activity for young children. The Nursery team uses play to extend and develop children’s learning.

A prepared, structured environment is essential in the Nursery classroom. Provision includes sand, water, paint, clay, building bricks, craft materials, small world, books, musical instruments, house, dressing up clothes, nature corner, climbing apparatus (indoor and outdoor), cooking and snack table. Incidental areas, e.g. sewing and finger painting will be provided if an interest arises.

In this carefully structured environment, language is enriched and the acquisition of skills – reading, early maths, number, writing and observation – begins. The Nursery has close links with the main school.

As part of our Early Literacy Programme, the Nursery runs a Storybag Library. Each Storybag contains a book, CD of the story, game relating to the story and a soft toy. There are hints for parents and an evaluation form for parental feedback. Nursery children can join the scheme for £2.00, which covers the cost of borrowing the Storybags for the year. The Storybag library is organised by Nursery staff.

Mathematics and Numeracy

Skills in mathematics and numeracy are important throughout everyday lives whether it be for working out total costs of shopping, calculating a pay rise, measuring carpets, etc.

The maths curriculum is divided into 8 areas: –

Estimation and Rounding
Number and Number Processes
Fractions, Decimal Fractions and Percentages
Money
Time
Measurement
Data and Analysis
Ideas of Chance and Uncertainty

Where appropriate, Maths and numeracy are taught within the context of what the children are studying e.g. Social Studies.

Languages

Early Literacy

The school has adopted an Early Literacy programme, which begins in P1 and usually takes place for half an hour up to 4 days per week in P1 and P2. Teachers, ASN Auxiliaries and Support for Learning staff use the programme to teach/consolidate initial sounds and blends, rhyme and analogy and early reading skills. This programme aims to develop early literacy skills. The programme is progressive and differentiated according to need and ability.

The Curriculum for Excellence Guidelines separate Language into 3 main components: –

Reading
Writing
Listening and Talking

1 Reading

The school aims to develop children’s understanding of reading and to teach them the skills to adopt the appropriate reading strategy to the given reading task. We also aim to develop a love and enjoyment of reading.

We use a wide variety of reading material to develop all the reading skills needed in life.

A core reading scheme is used at Early and First Level. The Oxford Reading Tree is bright, motivating and encompasses all aspects of language. This is supplemented by a variety of story, poetry and reference books.

Graded sets of fiction are extensively used to extend and enrich the children’s reading experiences throughout the school. Initiatives in reading such as Book Detectives and Accelerated Reader have been introduced to raise attainment in this crucial area of the curriculum.

2 Writing

The school has developed its own Extended Writing programme to ensure a cohesive, progressive programme for writing throughout the school. Children have writing targets within each activity and become aware of their strengths and development needs through regular feedback.

Pupils’ work is tracked on a regular basis throughout the session to ensure appropriate pace and challenge.

Handwriting – Children are taught to write quickly and legibly through a progressive programme, beginning with the formation of letter shapes, adding flicks then to joining. The school has a policy for presentation of work.
Spelling – This is taught using the school’s Interactive Spelling programme.
Talking – Children are encouraged to talk about their own experiences and to communicate effectively in a variety of situations.
Listening – In the early stages children are helped to acquire the necessary skills, which make effective listeners. This can be through stories, poems and also sessions where they are encouraged to listen carefully for instructions. They are taught to value others’ contributions to a discussion.

Expressive Arts

Music, Art and Design, Drama and Dance are an integral part of the curriculum at all stages.

Music

Emphasis is placed on the child making music. The specialist music teacher is a valuable resource in this area, mainly from P4-P7. Pupils are encouraged to listen, compose and perform.

Early Years staff work with the younger children using a variety of hands-on, fun strategies for making music.

Violin and cello instructors visit the school each week to teach small groups of pupils.

Art

Pupils explore the techniques of painting, drawing, working with natural materials and model making.

Drama

Through drama pupils can explore relationships in real or imaginary situations. Some, but by no means all, drama lessons develop pupils’ performance skills.

Dance

Through dance pupils have rich opportunities to be creative. Aspects of dance will include creating and performing.

Health and Wellbeing

Learning in health and wellbeing ensures that children and young people develop the knowledge and understanding, skills, capabilities and attributes which they need for mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing now and in the future. The four areas covered in health and wellbeing are:

Mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing.
Planning for choices and changes.
Physical activity and sport.
Relationships.

Physical Activity and Sport

The aim is to make the pupils aware of their physical environment, the potential of their own bodies and to enjoy movement and sport for its own sake.

It is a very important part of the curriculum for developing both self-reliance and teamwork. Parents are asked to provide T-shirt, shorts and gym shoes for PE lessons. Football strips are not suitable for P.E.

Swimming lessons are provided for P4 pupils by the local authority.

Religious and Moral Education

Religious and moral education is a process where children and young people engage in a search for meaning, value and purpose in life. This involves both the exploration of beliefs and values and the study of how such beliefs and values are expressed.

Religious observance should provide opportunities for the school community to reflect on and develop a deeper understanding of the dignity and worth of each individual and their contribution to the school and wider communities. In recognition of Scotland’s Christian heritage, schools are encouraged to use the rich resources of this tradition when planning religious observance. Our school community contains pupils and staff from faiths other than Christianity or with no faith commitment. This is taken fully into account in supporting spiritual development. It is of central importance that all pupils and staff can participate with integrity in forms of religious observance without compromise to their personal faith stances. As a school we provide opportunities for our whole school community to visit the chapel at Loretto Independent School at Christmas and Easter.

Religious education might include opportunities for class, year or stage groups to visit places of religious significance such as the Sikh temple. There is a statutory 16 provision for parents to withdraw children from participation in religious observance. This right should always be made known to parents and their wishes respected. Parents should be provided with sufficient information on which to base a decision.

Where a child is withdrawn from religious observance, schools should make suitable arrangements for the child to participate in a worthwhile alternative activity. In no circumstances should a child be disadvantaged as a result of withdrawing from religious observance.

Further information can be found at: www.eastlothian.gov.uk/religioninschools

Sciences

Through learning in the sciences, children and young people develop their interest in, and understanding of, the living, material and physical world. These important skills allow them to become creative, inventive and enterprising adults in a world where the skills and knowledge of the sciences are needed across all sectors of the economy.

The key concepts are identified as:

Planet Earth
Forces, Electricity and Waves
Biological Systems
Materials
Topical Science

Social Studies

Through social studies, children and young people develop their understanding of the world by learning about other people and their values, in different times, places and circumstances; they also develop their understanding of their environment and how it has been shaped.

The three main concepts are:

People, past events and societies.
People, place and environment.
People in society, economy and business.

Technologies

Learning in the technologies enables children and young people to be informed, skilled, thoughtful, adaptable and enterprising citizens. The main concepts are:

Technological developments in society.
ICT to enhance learning.
Business.
Computing science.
Food and textiles.
Craft, design, engineering and graphics.

Composite Classes

It may be necessary to form composite classes in the school at certain stages. The policy for formation of composite classes in the school would be to follow East Lothian Council Guidelines, which stipulate that in normal circumstances this must be according to age, for example, when forming a P4/5 composite class this would comprise the youngest P5 pupils and the oldest P4 pupils. Maximum size of a composite class would be 25 pupils.

Educational Excursions

These are designed and planned to enrich pupils’ experiences of their environment and are linked to work in the classroom. You will be informed of the visit by letter and may be asked to make a contribution towards the cost or to accompany the class on the outing. If we are unable to enlist sufficient volunteers, outings may have to be cancelled at short notice.

Further information can be found at:
http://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/educationalexcursions

Outdoor Education

Outdoor Education is provided to school through the East Lothian Outdoor Education Service based in Unit 3, Musselburgh Racecourse Complex, Balcarres Road, Musselburgh, East Lothian EH21 7SR. The aim of the service is to provide first class experiences of outdoor education for schools and other groups and to offer a support and advice service for outdoor activity in East Lothian.

Further information can be found at:
http://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/outdoorlearning

ASSESSMENT & REPORTING ON PUPIL PROGRESS

What is meant by Assessment?

Assessment tells us what children and young people know, understand and are able to do. Assessment is a process which supports your child’s learning from Nursery through to S3, and not a series of events ‘done to them’. By involving your child in the whole process of learning and assessment and allowing them to take responsibility for their own learning, it raises their standards of achievement and develops their skills for learning, life and work. Progress therefore becomes a measure of your child’s success in setting high expectations and successfully achieving them.

What is assessed?

Curriculum for Excellence comprises 8 curricular areas (listed on page 5). There are also three key areas which all teachers are responsible for teaching – Literacy across learning, Numeracy across learning and Health and Wellbeing across learning.

What’s in an Outcome?

The learning within each outcome is given to your child as a series of learning intentions.
Each learning intention is supported by success criteria which are your child’s steps to achieving success in learning.
As each pupil achieves the success criteria, both the teacher and your child can see the progress in learning which is being made across outcomes within each curricular area.

How are we assessing?

Pupils are assessed for a variety of reasons, to measure progress, evaluate understanding and mastery of a skill, diagnose difficulties and assess strengths. The school assesses all aspects of the curriculum. Evidence of children’s progress and achievements will come from day-to-day learning and through the things they may write, say, make or do. A variety of strategies are used by staff to assess the children.

The class teacher is the person who is most closely involved with the child and who, on a day-to-day basis, assesses and evaluates their work. Teachers look at a range of evidence of learning which your child has produced such as:

self-assessment of a written story focusing on paragraphing, use of descriptive language and a coherent plot;
a maths check-up worksheet on equivalent fractions;
a PowerPoint presentation on a country’s climate, land composition and geographical landmarks;
a teacher’s observation of ball control in PE.

Marking completed assignments, observing children involved in a variety of activities and talking to them about their work are all valuable ways of evaluating children and their progress. More formalised assessment is used where appropriate. Through the Child’s Plan process, the Support for Learning teachers carry out specific assessments if required to identify areas for support.

The HT and other promoted staff are involved in assessing children as and where appropriate.

When do schools assess?

Assessment takes place as part of everyday learning and teaching, periodically and at key transitions. As part of everyday learning, teachers are continuously assessing their pupils’ progress using learning intentions and success criteria as measures of pupils’ success. From time to time teachers will use tests to assess children’s progress and achievements to enable them to plan ahead, record and report on progress and support learners.

Transitions are the moves children make from home to nursery, from stage to stage, from primary to secondary, to further education and employment. Information about a learner’s progress and achievements will be passed on to make sure their broad general education continues at the correct level and at an appropriate pace. From summer 2018, children at P1, P4 & P7 have taken part in SNSAs (Scottish National Standardised Assessments).

Recording Progress

Each pupil has a writing jotter or folder. Examples of imaginative, functional and personal writing are stored in the folder each term. This is passed on to the next class. In addition, each pupil’s writing is tracked several times in a school year.

Checklists of progress in reading and maths are kept by each teacher. Every teacher’s forward plan details work in all curricular areas and this is tracked by 20 the class teacher and Senior Management Team to ensure appropriate pace and challenge.

Online Learning Profiles are being used by staff and pupils from Nursery to Primary 7 to record evidence of each child’s learning. The OLPs are accessible to parents at home on phones, tablets etc.

Reporting to Parents

Progress is now defined as ‘how much’ and ‘how well’ your child is learning, and not solely on ‘how fast’ although pace is still important. The curriculum is designed to enable your child to achieve greater breadth and depth of learning whilst also securing the development of skills and knowledge. Therefore, reporting must now include information on the level achieved , detailing how well your child has developed a breadth of learning, in challenging aspects and applied this learning in other curricular areas or contexts.

If your child has demonstrated knowledge, understanding and skills across a breadth of learning, whilst meeting challenges across this breadth to deepen learning, and has applied all of this in another context or curricular area consistently, then the teacher will report that your child has ‘achieved the level’.

All learning is a journey of progress which is rarely linear and takes many routes and pathways. Your child may take longer to progress in some areas in order to ensure the security that will enable them to make progress confidently. Teachers will report also on your child’s effort as ‘Very Good’, ‘Good’, ‘Fair’ or ‘Unsatisfactory’. They will also report on the level of support given as ‘Little’, ‘Some’, ‘Frequent’, or ‘Considerable’.

Parental Interviews to discuss individual children’s progress are held twice during the school year in November and May. Written reports are issued in April. Parents are welcome at any time to come to school to discuss their child’s progress or any concern they may have. Appointments can be made through the school office.

Further information can be found at:

CULTURAL, COMMUNITY LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIVISION

Cultural Services can facilitate enhanced learning opportunities for children through provision of and support of:-

School Library Service
Instrumental Music Tuition
Drama provision/Theatre
Educational visits in Museums/projects.
Study Support and After School Activities
Sport

The Service is committed to facilitating access to the widest range of creative and learning opportunities and supports a broad range of information services and access.

Further information can be found at:
http://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/communitylifeandleisure

EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Extra-curricular activities vary from term to term and may include the following depending on the changing expertise and interests of staff and pupils:

Running: P6 – P7
Cycle Club (Bikeability): P5 – P7
Theatre Group: P6 – P7
Girls Football: P6 – P7
Boys Football: P6 – P7
Rugby: P6 – P7
Cheerleading: P5 – P7
Librarians: P6
Journalism: P7
Mandarin: P4 – P6
Singing Club: P4

PUPILS WHO HAVE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT NEEDS / INCLUSION POLICY

All East Lothian schools offer a range of support for children and young people with additional support needs. There are a number of additional services within the Authority that offer enhanced support to pupils with additional support needs. Provision and resources are accessed through the local authority’s processes of resource allocation and Child’s Planning framework, in consultation with professionals, the child or young person and their family. The Council’s Policy document “Framework for Meeting Additional Support for Learning Needs” provides a framework for full and effective inclusion of pupils who have additional support needs.

The Authority has an Accessibility Strategy for schools which enables access to Communication, Environment and the Curriculum for all pupils. Schools also take account of the Equalities Act 2010.

The Education (Additional Support for Learning Act) (Scotland) 2004 (amended 2009 & 2016) states that:-

A child or young person who has additional support needs, and also his/her parents or carers, should be involved in any decisions-making. They can have a supporter with them at meetings or have an advocate present to present their case for them. A young person’s views must be taken into account for post-school transitions.
Young people and parents/carers should be provided with information and advice about their own, or their child’s additional support needs. They can also request, at any time, an assessment to establish additional support needs or if a Co-ordinated Support Plan is required, or for a Co-ordinated Support Plan to be reviewed.
A young person who has additional support needs or his/her parent or carer can make a placing request to another education authority or an independent school.
The local authority is required to provide a free mediation service. Common Ground Mediation is East Lothian Council’s provider. It promotes collaboration between parents, children, school and education services. Anyone involved in a disagreement can access this service.
Young people and parents or carers can make an application to use the free, national Dispute Resolution process to resolve certain types of dispute.
Young people and parents or carers can appeal to the national Additional Support Needs Tribunal to challenge a decision about a Co-ordinated 23 Support Plan and certain other matters relating to additional support needs. Free advocacy can be provided for this.

Information is available from:

Department of Services for People,
Business Unit,
John Muir House,
Haddington,
East Lothian,
EH41 3HA.

Further information can be found at:
http://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/additionalsupportneeds

There is a range of specialist advice available to support staff in meeting the learning and development needs of all children and young people. There are various approaches used to support children and young people who have social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.

The philosophy of education in East Lothian encompasses the view that all children should be educated locally wherever possible. The council has a policy of promoting the inclusion of pupils including pupils with Additional Support Needs. Additional resources may be given to the school to enable it to support the needs of pupils with significant ASNs. Support Bases are situated in some of the cluster areas of East Lothian. Wallyford and Campie Support Bases are the local area resources for pupils with significant ASNs. East Lothian’s Communication Provision is based at Dunbar Primary School.

The Burgh Primary school has been adapted to ensure that the school is in line with the Council’s Accessibility Strategy and the Disability Discrimination Act in relation to access to buildings, the curriculum and associated services.

Placement into all specialist provision is made following assessment by Psychological Services and relevant professionals in co-operation with parents.

HOMEWORK

HOMEWORK POLICY – INTRODUCTION

A wide range of knowledge and skills are required in today’s world and it is important that all children learn the value of independent learning and self- discipline. Having consulted extensively with our whole school community, we understand that, while a large majority of our families are in favour of homework, there are many who, for a number of reasons, do not feel that this is a priority. Our new homework policy offers families the opportunity to choose whether or not they wish to receive homework and an opt-out option will be available at the beginning of each school year for those who don’t.

Homework should cover a wide range of possibilities, which will include a number of common factors. Homework is learning which: –

is relevant to the curricular objectives
provides a link between home and school
takes place outwith formal class teaching
is primarily the responsibility of the learner
encourages the pupil to use his/her initiative
varies according to the needs of the individual child.

AIMS

Our aims are to: –

help reinforce and extend children’s learning
provide opportunities to work independently thus developing good study habits and self-discipline
encourage ownership and responsibility for learning
help train pupils in planning and organising their time
offer challenging opportunities for research and discovery
promote partnership between school and home
provide tasks which are relevant to the child’s age, aptitude and ability.

WHAT HOMEWORK WILL MY CHILD GET?

There is an expectation that all children will practise their set Reading texts regularly.
Homework activities will often be linked to the work 25 undertaken in class.
Homework activities may include: Literacy, Numeracy or Maths and Spelling. There may be other activities related to another area of the curriculum e.g. Topic research or Art.

WHEN WILL MY CHILD GET HOMEWORK?

Homework will be issued on a Tuesday for return on the following Monday. Reading practice will be set more frequently. During focus weeks such as Health Week when there is no setting, homework may be linked to class topic activities and/or specific themes.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Pupils should: –

take homework home and return it on time
ask for further help or advice when needed
show their parents or carers their homework
set aside plenty of time to do their homework carefully
ask their parent/carer to check or give help and sign homework
complete their homework to the best of their ability
look after their homework jotter and reading book etc.

Teachers should: –

set homework tasks which are varied, interesting and challenging
ensure that clear instructions are given for each task including the deadline for completion
set work which is appropriate to children’s ability and classwork
provide suitable feedback on children’s efforts.

Parents/Carers should: –

check their child’s homework
encourage their child to complete homework tasks
ensure a reasonable standard of presentation of work
sign completed tasks
comment on the pupils homework if appropriate
contact the school if there are any concerns about their child’s progress

HOW LONG SHOULD BE SPENT ON HOMEWORK?

Early stages (P1-3) – no more than one hour per week or 10-15 minutes per night, including reading.
Upper stages (P4-7) – no more than two hours per week or 15-30 minutes per night, including reading.

There may be times when it is appropriate to issue homework over a longer period e.g. individual research/project tasks may take a full term to complete.

WHEN SHOULD I DO MY HOMEWORK?

Take responsibility and plan ahead, particularly if you have other commitments during the week which will take up a lot of your time. Make sure you have identified a suitable time to do your homework.
Try to organise a weekly routine for doing homework.
Don’t leave it until the last minute!

We understand that some families who are keen for homework to be provided are not always able to offer the support required to allow children to complete it. We feel that there is an additional responsibility for us to provide opportunities for this support to be available within school. As such, we will offer weekly homework clubs during school time where pupils at all stages will be supported to complete their set homework tasks.

WHAT HAPPENS IF HOMEWORK IS NOT COMPLETED?

Teachers will discuss with the child why an assignment was not completed.
Support and help will be given where needed.

If homework is not handed in on three separate occasions, and the family have indicated that they do wish to receive homework, a member of the Management Team will contact parents to discuss how best to support the child.

MONITORING AND SUPPORT

Homework will be checked by the class teacher.

When a positive approach is adopted, pupils will see homework as having a value and will be motivated to complete their tasks.

The Senior Leadership Team will monitor homework throughout the school as part of the school’s programme of evaluating the effectiveness of learning and teaching.

Homework can only be successful if it is regarded as a partnership between home and school. This policy seeks the co-operation of all stakeholders – pupil, parent and teacher – in accepting and carrying out these requirements.

This policy has been compiled in consultation with Pupils, Parents, Staff and the Burgh School Council.

PARENTS AND THE SCHOOL

Communication with Parents

The Children (Scotland) Act 1995 amended the definition of “parent” in the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 to “Parent includes guardian and any person who is liable to maintain or has parental responsibilities in relation to, or has care of, a child or young person”. Communication with parents can take many forms and have many purposes. Schools are supported by East Lothian Council to use a range of ways to ensure that all parents have the information they need to support their own child’s learning and to help them become involved in the life of the school.

Effective communication between school and parents is vital. This can sometimes be difficult when parents separate or divorce. If parents are separated or a divorce was granted after November 1996, both parents will retain parental responsibilities, unless the court has specifically removed those responsibilities. In relation to placing requests, appeals against certain educational decisions and access to pupils’ records, both parents will normally have equal rights. Even if a divorce was granted prior to November 1996, the parent without custody may not have lost all rights to information and to be involved in decision-making. The above definition may also give others rights.

Schools will therefore request the names and addresses of both parents at the time of enrolment and at the annual update of data. The parent(s) with whom the pupil resides will automatically receive all communications from the school. If a parent lives away from the family home they will, when the school is first informed of their address, receive a Recorded Delivery letter enquiring whether or not they wish to receive information about their child’s education. If no reply is received it will be assumed they do not wish to be kept informed and there will be no further communication unless a request for information is subsequently received. If they wish to be kept informed they will receive copies of all communications regarding the pupil including copies of reports and notification of Parents’ Meetings. The parent with whom the pupil resides will be informed that this is happening.

The school is dependent on the parent with whom the pupil resides supplying the appropriate information, ie. the address of the parent not living in the family home, details of Court proceedings prohibiting that parent’s involvement in the child’s education or any other relevant documentation.

Parents/carers should note that children can only be collected from school by the parent with whom they reside unless the parent/carer has authorised an alternative arrangement. If someone else is to collect the pupil, the school should be informed in advance.

Parents and the School

Parents are warmly encouraged to become involved in the life of the school. During the time that your child is a pupil at the school close links will be maintained with you about your child and what is happening in the school. Parents can contact the school at any time to make an appointment to see the Head Teacher, DHT, Class Teacher or Support for Learning Teacher depending on circumstances.

Contact with Parents

Contact is generally through: –

Individual letters and phone calls about child’s progress or any concerns, which may arise.
School report, which is issued in April/May
Parent/teacher interviews held twice each year.
Class notes, e.g. information about visits.
Drop-in session for P1/P2 parents every Thursday from 3.00 – 3.20pm, and 3.20 – 3.40pm for P2/3 – P7. There is also a weekly ‘Stay & Play’ session for Nursery parents.
School Newsletter which is issued monthly.
School functions, e.g. concert, end of term service.

Responsibility of Parents

Education begins in the home and continues as a partnership between family and school. To ensure that your child achieves maximum benefit from his/her time at the Burgh you are asked to : –

Make sure that your child attends regularly, on time and follows the school dress code. Brightly coloured hair, costume jewellery and make-up are not encouraged.
Take an active interest in all his/her work and progress.
Support the school in any way you can.

PARENT FORUM AND PARENT COUNCIL

The Scottish Parliament passed a law called the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act 2006 to encourage and support more parents/carers to become involved in their children’s education.

The main aims of the Act are to:

Help parents/carers become more involved with their child’s education and learning;
Welcome parents/carers as active participants in the life of the school;
Provide easier ways for parents/carers to express their views and wishes.

To help achieve these aims, all parents/carers will automatically be members of the Parent Forum at their child’s school and will be entitled to have a say in what happens at the school. As a member of the Parent Forum parents/carers will have a say in selecting their Parent Council (the representative body) to work on behalf of all parents/carers at the school.

The role of the Parent Council is to:

Support the school in its work with pupils
Represent the views of all parents/carers
Encourage links between the school, parents/carers, pupils, pre-school groups and the wider community
Consult with and report back to the Parent Forum.

Parent Councils have been recognised in law since August 2007. For more information on the Parental Involvement Act or to find out about parents as partners in their children’s learning please contact the school or Principal Officer, Resources & People Services on 01620 827228 or visit the Parentzone website http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/parentzone or East Lothian website http://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/parentcouncils .

IMPROVING COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS

– Information from Scottish Parent Teacher Council

The Scottish Parent Teacher Council is the national organisation for Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) and Parent Associations (PAs) in Scotland and runs an independent helpline service for all parents.

You can contact the Scottish Parent Teacher Council:-

Phone: 0131-474-6199
e-mail: sptc@sol.co.uk
Website: http://www.sptc.info
Address:
SPTC,
15 Mansfield Place,
Edinburgh,
H3 6BB.

SCHOOL PROCEDURES

School Procedures

There are certain standard school procedures starting with the enrolment of your child for Nursery Class. These may seem strange and time consuming at first, but are very helpful for running the school smoothly and efficiently and are concerned with the care and well-being of your child.

Nursery Enrolment

Parents may obtain enrolment forms from the School Office. Please complete and return to the Business Support Administrator.

Children’s names may be placed on the waiting list as soon as they are two years old.
Only one nursery application form per child should be completed and returned to the preferred first choice of nursery.
The completed form and child’s Birth Certificate should be brought to school when enrolling.

Nursery Admission

Admission is generally at the start of the school session or at the beginning of the term following your child’s third birthday. A staggered start is arranged enabling individual children to “settle in” before the next child is admitted. There are 36 places in the Nursery Class, including 16 full-time. Enrolment in the Nursery Class does not guarantee your child a place in P1 if you live outwith our catchment area.

It is East Lothian Policy that every 3 year old should be offered a place in nursery but the following should also be noted:

Order of Priority for Admission to Nursery

EL children retained in Nursery (ASN children age-eligible for school)
EL children offered a deferred year in nursery
EL children with Additional Support Needs, both pre-school and 3 year olds
EL pre-schoolers according to their date of birth
EL 3 year olds
Applications where parents wish to access fewer than 5 nursery sessions per week for an EL child
Children eligible for nursery education, not resident in East Lothian

It is understood that a three year old in an afternoon place would normally move to a morning place in the pre-school year. This will be discussed with the parent/carer.

Enrolment for P1

This takes place in the autumn term preceding your child’s entry to school. You are invited to come to the school and have an informal talk with a member of the Management Team. Please bring your child’s Birth Certificate, current Council Tax assessment letter and a utility bill dated within the preceding 6 months. Further meetings are held for parents/carers and children to talk about starting school, meet the P1 teachers and see the classrooms. This helps to dispel any worries about this important stage in your child’s life. Fortunately, the excellent pre-school provision available in the area gives children experiences to meet this next stage in their education with confidence.

Attendance at a Non-District School

Non-district parents should apply to the Local Authority for a place at P1 and P7.

Liaison – Transfer to Secondary School

Pupils attending Musselburgh Burgh Primary School normally transfer to Musselburgh Grammar School. If you wish your child to attend a non-district secondary school, information will be sent to your home address when your child is in P7. It should be noted that attendance at an associated primary does not mean transfer to the attached secondary school. Links with the Grammar School are established and developed within the Primary School. Pupils from the Primary enjoy a taste of Secondary School life when they visit the Grammar School in the summer term preceding their transfer and on other occasions throughout the session.

Meals and Milk

Milk is provided daily for the Nursery. Pupils in P1 – P7 may purchase milk. A free lunch is provided to children in P1-P3. School lunches are available at the Cash Cafeteria in the Dining Room. A variety of hot and cold meals, fruit and drinks are available every day.

“Under the Council Committee for Education policy, children in attendance at schools under the management of the Council are entitled to free school meals if their parents are in receipt of Income Support or Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance (income related) or Child Tax Credit (but NOT Working Tax Credit) with an annual income of less than £16,105 or Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit with an annual income less than £6,420. No other children are eligible for free meals.”

Further information and an application form can be obtained from the school or from:

Department of Services for People,
Education Business Unit,
John Muir House,
Haddington,
EH41 3HA.

SchoolPay

East Lothian Council use an online payments system called SchoolPay, operated by iPayimpact, to provide parents/carers with the opportunity to make all school related payments online, including paying for school meals. This system also provides reports for parents/carers which can show outstanding balances for any school trips, and multiple payments can be made in one transaction, for more than one child.

The system enables you to;-

Create your own personal account and see at any time what your balance information is.
Pre-order meals for your child in advance, giving you options for their lunch (for primary schools)
Make and track instalments payments for larger items such as school trips.
Manage costs for all of your children – across nursery, primary and secondary schools – from the same account, making things easier and faster for you.

We prefer you to pay online for school-related expenses as this ensures your school gets the maximum benefit from the money you pay and ensures that the education service meets its statutory duty to secure best value for the services it provides. However, we recognise you may choose to pay by cash and we will continue to provide this service to you. If you do wish to continue to pay by cash, we would very much appreciate you paying the exact amount to the school.

Packed Lunches

These may be eaten in the Dining Hall or the Assembly Hall.

Free Fruit

Pupils in P1 and P2 are currently benefiting from an East Lothian Council initiative to provide them with an item of free fruit three days per week.

Interval

There is a morning interval each day. For P1-4, 10.30 – 10.45am, and for P5-7, this takes place from 10.45 – 11.00am. Pupils are expected to remain within the school boundaries. Only if it is raining very heavily, the children will remain in their classrooms and are supervised by promoted and non-teaching staff.

Lunchtime

Pupils may either stay for school lunch at the cash cafeteria, bring a packed lunch or go home for lunch. However, if your child normally stays in school for lunch and you decide to take him/her home, it would be helpful if you could inform the school in advance of your intentions. Children are not permitted to go to the shops during lunch break.

Playground Supervision

Pupils are supervised in the playground at morning interval and at lunchtime by Supervisory Assistants. School staff are on duty in the Infant Department corridor during the morning interval and at lunchtime to give first aid to any injured pupils.

School Crossing Patrols

Crossing patrols are on duty at 8.30 – 9 am, 12 noon – 1.30 pm and 2.55 – 3.40 pm each school day. Children are expected to cross the road under their supervision. The crossing patrols are situated at Dalrymple Loan, High Street (R.S.McColl), Town Hall, Loretto RC School and Newbigging.

Visiting the School

When visiting the school please call at the front door and ring to be admitted. The Admin staff will arrange for you to meet the Head Teacher or a member of promoted staff, or collect your child for an appointment. They will collect any forms, notes or other information you wish to give to the school about your child. Visitors to the school are requested to sign in and out and wear a visitor’s sticker whilst in the building.

Staff Car Park

The school car park is only for the use of staff and visiting staff. Parents are requested to use local car parks. For health and safety purposes we request that parents do not walk up the main school drive when bringing children to, or collecting them from, school. Please use the gate and path adjacent to the Nursery to access the front entrance.

Staffing

The exact number of staff varies from session to session, depending on the school roll. The general structure is: –

Head Teacher
1 Depute Head Teacher
3 Principal Teachers

P1 – 7

15 Class Teachers
10 ASN Auxiliaries

2 Support for Learning Teachers

6 Visiting Specialist Teachers

Nursery Class

1 Senior Early Years Practitioner
5 Nursery Nurses

School and Community

The school is used outwith school hours to develop and support links with the local community. Each weekday a Breakfast Club operates from 7.45am until school starts and the After School Care Club runs until 5.45 pm. This is managed by a committee of parents and provides local children with a safe place to stay 35 before school or, in the afternoon, until their family collects them. This also operates during school holidays.

A musical association and local councillors use the school facilities in the evenings. The school itself uses the building for meetings with parents such as School Council.

ATTENDANCE

Parents are responsible for ensuring that their child attends school regularly. In cases of unsatisfactory attendance, the Head Teacher will discuss any attendance issues with parents. If such unsatisfactory attendance persists, the Head Teacher, following discussions with the Children’s Wellbeing Team and other agencies, will decide whether the case should be referred to the local Area Attendance Advisory Group. This Group has been formed to make recommendations to the Director on the statutory responsibilities of the Authority with regards to defaulting parents.

The Musselburgh schools have a strategy to improve attendance whereby parents/carers are informed if a child’s attendance falls below 90%. A discussion takes place between school and home and, if there is no improvement, further meetings take place.

Absence

Please inform the school when your child is absent, by phone call on each day of your child’s absence, unless you are able to indicate on the first day how long the absence will last. The school operates a system whereby parents of children who do not arrive in school are contacted.

Please call the school number on 0131 665 3407 and select Option 1 to notify us of your child’s absence.

Parents are reminded of the importance of children arriving at school on time as this prevents disruption to the learning and teaching. Children who arrive late for school must report to the school office.

Leave of Absence

Requests for Leave of Absence are not refused (up to 10 days per session). However, it should be remembered that family holidays taken during term time 36 remain classified as unauthorised. It would be appreciated if you would give the school adequate written notice of any leave requests.

Requests for longer absences should be made to the Head of Education.

Research indicates that poor attendance equals low attainment. Please work with us to ensure that your child attends school whenever possible.

SCHOOL DRESS CODE AND KIT

Dress Code

The school Dress Code states that all pupils should dress in an appropriate way for school. The wearing of jeans (particularly skinny jeans), tops with logos and football colours is not allowed. School uniform is recommended with black shoes or trainers. In the interests of safety, jewellery is restricted to stud earrings only.

School Uniform

The school uniform for P1-P7 consists of white or red school polo shirt, red or grey school sweatshirt (currently navy for P7) worn with a grey or black skirt, pinafore or trousers. The polo shirts and sweatshirts can be purchased through the school. A red fleece and a reversible waterproof jacket are also available. Following an extensive consultation with parents and pupils, there is also the option to wear a black cardigan or sweatshirt.

Wearing the school uniform is encouraged, as it is reasonably priced, comfortable to wear, easy to put on/take off and washes well. Pupils are not allowed to wear football shirts or sports scarves or hats of any sort in school. Fashion shoes are not safe or good for growing feet and must not be worn at school. Our school community has agreed that black footwear is the preferred option for school.

PE Kit

A pair of shorts, T-shirt, training or gym shoes are needed for PE lessons. Girls are not permitted to wear tights for PE. Pupils will be informed on which days to bring the kit and parents will be notified if their child persistently does not bring the required kit.

Assistance with Provision of Clothing and Footwear

The Council operates a scheme of provision to ensure that a pupil is sufficiently and suitably clad to take full advantage of the education provided. Families in receipt of Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance or Income Support will automatically qualify for such a scheme. Other cases will be determined according to the personal circumstances of the family. Parents who wish to apply for the scheme should complete an application form which is available from Resources & People Services, Education Business Unit, John Muir House, Haddington, EH41 3HA.

SCHOOL POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR POLICY

Children who have a healthy, challenging day should behave in a positive, thoughtful way. As pupils progress through the school, they should develop and demonstrate responsible behaviour at all times.

In class, pupils are expected to work and to co-operate with teachers and other pupils. In the playground, they are expected to play with others in an appropriate way according to their age and stage of development. The whole school community works hard to ensure a common understanding of the Golden Rules.

The Golden Rules at the Burgh encourage respect for yourself, respect for others and respect for property. The school encourages and actively promotes honesty and fairness. There are six Golden Rules:

Do be gentle
Do be kind
Do work hard
Do look after property
Do listen to people
Do be honest

All of our behaviour policy is based around these six rules. No matter what has happened, a child’s behaviour choice can be linked back to these rules. Every pupil in the school is assigned to one of four houses – Dalrymple (green), Inveresk (yellow), Kilwinning (blue) and Mansfield (red). Siblings are kept in the same house to avoid any disharmony within families.

Pupils who do not behave appropriately in and around the school will, in the first instance, be verbally reprimanded for their lack of consideration. If a child continues to disregard the Golden Rules then this may result in the loss of a 38 house point. A member of the Management Team may have to contact parents if more than 3 house points are lost in one day and there is no improvement in the child’s behaviour.

Unacceptable behaviour includes disruption in the classroom, continued refusal to follow adult instruction and school rules, violent or aggressive behaviour in school or in the playground and use of abusive language.

Positive Behaviour

Our intention is to promote self-discipline and positive attitudes towards peer groups, adults and the wider school community. The following are to be positively encouraged: –

Good manners when speaking to others; please, thank you, excuse me, etc.
Holding doors open for adults and peers.
Responsible behaviour when moving around the school, the playground and on outings.
Older pupils given the opportunity to integrate with younger children in a helpful, caring way.
Respect for people and property.

Definition of Unacceptable Behaviour

Persistent disruptive behaviour.
Swearing or bad language in classroom or playground including offensive or discriminatory remarks concerning race, religion, gender and sexuality.
Physical violence to others or bullying. (see East Lothian’s Anti-Bullying Policy – Respect for All)
Unsafe behaviour around the school and playground or on outings.
Carelessness with equipment and furniture, particularly of the type that could endanger other pupils, e.g. pulling chairs away, damaging property.
Theft.
Spitting.
Misbehaviour on outings.

Strategy

Teachers are responsible for the discipline of children within their own classrooms. They may occasionally need to refer a child to, or discuss his/her behaviour with, the Senior Management Team.

School staff are responsible for the safety of all children in the school and should, where necessary, take appropriate action e.g. stop children running in corridors, ask children to refrain from unsafe behaviour in the playground.

Specialist teachers – Art, PE, Music, French – are responsible for pupils in their care and should take appropriate disciplinary measures as and when required.

P1 – 7

In order for all pupils to know what these expectations are, we, as a whole school, will make sure the following procedures are in place.

Every classroom will have the Golden Rules on show at all times.
In each class, all four houses will begin the week with 10 house points.
These points (coloured counters) will be clearly visible in a prominent place within the classroom.
The house which has the most points at the end of each week will receive an extra playtime with access to the all-weather football pitch.

Class Teacher behaviour management strategies may include the following:

Look/Name
Initial verbal warning (with specific reference to the Golden Rule not being followed)
Final verbal warning
Loss of house point
Time-out within own classroom or, occasionally, sent to another classroom with work to complete
Discussion with parents/carers
On occasions where a child loses 3 or more house points in one day, they will be referred to a member of the Senior Management Team.

Earning back lost house points:

If a pupil shows an awareness of the Golden Rule they have broken, and their behaviour is suitably modified, then lost house points can be earned back. The responsibility for this lies with the child.

Senior Management Team strategies:

Playtime/lunchtime detention.
Phone call to parents/carers.
Request meeting with parents/carers.
Letter to parents/carers.
Temporary exclusion.

In spontaneous cases of serious indiscipline:

Head teacher/Depute Head teacher to make contact with parent. Child may be excluded from school.
Head teacher and parents must always be informed immediately if a child leaves school without permission.

EAST LOTHIAN COUNCIL EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY SERVICES EXCLUSION POLICY (circular 2/99)

East Lothian Council, Department of Education and Community Services, acknowledges the vital partnership between schools and parents for support, behaviour and guidance of pupils.

Pupils’ views must be taken into account in accordance with the principles of the UN Convention 1989 and the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 which provides for the rights and responsibilities of pupils to be exercised in accordance with the age, maturity and understanding of the pupil.

In implementing the Council’s guidelines and procedures, Head Teachers and other agencies must take into account the child’s best interest. The education and welfare of the individual pupil has to be given the highest priority in any balance the Head Teacher requires to make between the needs and safety of the school as a whole and the needs of individual pupils.

In this respect, the Secondary School Head Teacher shall be advised by and must consult with the School Liaison Group (SLG), or its representative, at the earliest opportunity. The Head Teacher will be expected to take this advice into consideration and to advise the School Liaison Group of the outcome.

Primary Head Teachers should seek advice on Exclusions from the Director of Education and Community Services and should consult with other agencies, or Psychological Services, as appropriate.

The Council is committed to supporting the Head Teacher in doing everything possible to ensure good behaviour and effective attendance at school. Where there is indiscipline, Head Teachers must use all means at their disposal to bring about improvements in behaviour and this must include extensive contact with parents and other agencies, seeking their support.

Two criteria will be used to judge indiscipline: whether the effective education of the pupil is possible given the indiscipline; and whether the level of disruption to the education of other pupils is such that serious action must be taken to prevent this. NB. It is not appropriate to exclude a pupil for failure to attend school, as this does not meet either of the above criteria.

Temporary Exclusion

Under delegated power the Head Teacher may exclude a pupil for a maximum of 5 working days. The aim of such a Temporary Exclusion is to allow a cooling-off period during which the school, the pupil and the parent can consider and develop strategies which will help to bring about improvements in behaviour. Crucial to the success of any strategies will be the willingness of parent, pupil and school to work together. Every effort should be made to welcome parents as active partners in the process of improving behaviour, whilst recognising that changing behaviour is not easy and will require extensive and extended support. In East Lothian, the Department of Resources & People Services has delegated the power to exclude a child from school attendance to the Director of Resources & People Services, who has, in turn, delegated to Head Teachers the power to exclude for a period of up to 5 days. Where the proposed period of a Temporary Exclusion is longer than 5 days, the decision reverts to the Head of Education. Under delegated power a Head Teacher is acting on behalf of the Council in any decision on Temporary Exclusion.

It must be emphasised that the delegation of power is to the Head Teacher, or, in his/her absence, to the teacher nominated to represent him/her. Therefore, only the Head Teacher, or, if absent, his/her representative, may sign letters dealing with Exclusion matters. Head Teachers must ensure that a record is kept of incidents of pupil’s difficult behaviour and assessments of progress. It is important to record all strategies employed to support the pupil to remain in school and that copies are kept of notes of all meetings with parents and of letters to them in respect of behavioural matters. In view of the fact that there may well be important and critical events in an appeal case when the Head Teacher has to give evidence and may be questioned by the Appeal Committee, 42 the appellant and /or the appellant’s representative, reports should be legible, preferably typed and on official notepaper.

Exclusion (Removal from the Register)

A Head Teacher may recommend Exclusion (Removal from the Register) to the Director of Resources & People Services when s/he has serious doubts as to the ability to continue the pupil’s education in the school. A Head Teacher may not remove such a pupil’s name from the roll unless the Director has agreed to its removal and the pupil is on the role of another school. Temporary Exclusion continues until the pupil is on the roll of another school. Where the Head Teacher wishes to recommend Exclusion (Removal from the Register) and is supported in that recommendation by the Head of Education, the Head Teacher of the excluding school will actively help the Director of Resources & People Services to arrange for the admission of the pupil to another mainstream school where this is indicated.

Respect for All East Lothian Anti-Bullying Policy

Introduction East Lothian Council is committed to creating and sustaining a safe, positive and inclusive environment where respect is shown to and is given by all of its children, young people, staff and parents/carers. Positive relationships are central to developing and maintaining inclusive environments.

Every child and young person in East Lothian has the right to grow up free from bullying behaviour and prejudice-based bullying and experience a learning environment which welcomes diversity and nurtures respect for all. East Lothian Council is therefore committed to protecting children and young people from all forms of bullying.

This commitment is consistent with the policy of the Scottish Government as outlined in the National Approach to Anti-bullying for Scotland’s Children and Young People (2010) and is supported by the work of respectme, Scotland’s national anti-bullying service. The context of this policy in relation to other national and local policies can be found in Appendix 1.

In addition to ensuring this policy is in line with the National Policy the views of children and young people, parents/carers and staff across East Lothian were sought through initial consultation with stakeholders in order to identify key issues and further consultation on the draft policy to ensure the policy meets local need.

1 Policy Statement

East Lothian Council aims to:

Reduce and wherever possible, prevent the instances of bullying behaviour and prejudice-based bullying in all our educational establishments.
Ensure that all those who play a role in the lives of children and young people are enabled to promote positive relationships and respond effectively to all forms of bullying behaviour.
Ensure systems are in place to care for and support all those involved in bullying behaviour, as well as ensuring children and young people can report incidents in the knowledge that they will be dealt with promptly and effectively.
Actively seek the involvement of children, young people, parents/carers and staff in the continuing development of social behaviour and emotional literacy which supports the growth of a positive ethos.
Ensure that there is an effective system of recording incidents of bullying behaviour and prejudice-based bullying within all educational establishments.
Use information concerning bullying incidents to monitor, evaluate and report on the effectiveness of this policy.

2 Policy in Practice

All key stakeholders have a role to play in ensuring the effectiveness of this policy. This is only possible if we have an agreed definition of bullying behaviour and clear guidelines regarding roles and responsibilities. 2.1 Definition of Bullying Behaviour In line with the Scottish Government and respectme, we define bullying as ‘a mixture of behaviours which can impact on a person’s capacity to feel in control of themselves. Bullying behaviour takes place in the context of relationships; it is behaviour that can cause people to feel hurt, threatened, frightened and left out’.

For the purposes of this document bullying behaviour can include:

Being called names, teased, put down or threatened
Being hit, tripped, pushed or kicked
Having belongings taken or damaged
Being ignored, left out or having rumours spread about you
Receiving abusive messages on social media or electronic communication
Behaviour which causes people to feel like they are not in control of themselves
Being targeted because of who you are or who you are perceived to be

This behaviour can harm people physically and/or emotionally and, although the actual behaviour may not be repeated, the threat may be sustained over time, typically by actions: looks, messages, confrontations, physical interventions, or the fear of these. Bullying is both behaviour and impact. (respectme 2015)

Prejudice-base bullying

Prejudice-based bullying is when bullying behaviour is motivated by prejudice. Prejudice-based bullying can be based on any characteristic unique to a child or young person’s identity or circumstance: some of these characteristics are protected by law. Research recommends that only by embedding all protected characteristics across learning will children, young people and the adults have the language, understanding and confidence to respond to prejudice-based bullying effectively.

The Equality Act 2010 sets out that it is unlawful to discriminate against a person because of the following personal characteristics –

Age
Disability
Gender reassignment
Pregnancy and maternity
Marriage and civil partnership
Race. This includes colour, ethnic / national origin or nationality.
Sex
Religion or belief. The Act covers any religion, religious or non-religious beliefs
Sexual orientation

Please see Appendix 2 for more detail on these and other forms of prejudice- based bullying.

Online Bullying

‘Online bullying shouldn’t be treated differently. Online bullying, or ‘cyberbullying’ as it often referred to, is the same type of bullying behaviour but it takes place online, usually on social networking sites and online gaming platforms. A person can be called names, threatened or have rumours spread about them and this can (like other behaviours) happen in person and online. Online is where the bullying is happening, it is not what is happening. We address online bullying effectively when we address it as part of our whole anti-bullying approach, not as a separate area of work or policy.’ (respectme 2016)

East Lothian Council recognises that new digital technologies (such as smart phones, computers and tablets) and online applications (such as gaming and social 45 networks) are constantly being developed. It, therefore, wants to see all policies and practice include advice on online bullying and is committed to:

Supporting children and young people to use electronic technology and the internet, safely and responsibly.
Help children and young people understand the implications and potential criminality of displaying bullying behaviour and or images via social media or electronic communication.
Providing training and support to children and young people on what to do if they experience bullying behaviour online. This is carried out via programmes on the safe and positive use of digital technologies in schools. Similar programmes are also available to parents in East Lothian.
Remaining up to date with latest changes and trends of how digital technology is being used by children and young people in order to be able to provide relevant support.

Responsibilities

2.2 Local Authority Education Staff

Embed this policy through training and monitoring.
Consult with stakeholders about the effectiveness and further development of the policy.
Share good practice.
Ensure initial training for Head Teachers.
Provide advice to Head Teachers.
Work with partner agencies to support the prevention and reduction of bullying behaviour and prejudice-based bullying.
Provide clear guidelines on recording and reporting of incidents. Regularly review the policy to take into account new developments in technology or legislation at a minimum of every 3 years.

2.3 School/Establishment Senior Management

Ensure the policy is implemented and is communicated to all staff, students, parents/carers and partners.
Ensure the policy is embedded and reviewed in the School Improvement Plan and is linked with targets for the school’s Health and Wellbeing framework.
Ensure staff development activities are available.
Ensure staff are fully aware of the importance of the policy and create a climate of respect and positive relationships and a culture where bullying behaviour is not accepted.
Ensure bullying incidents are recorded and monitored in line with council policy.
Provide appropriate training and support on anti-bullying to all staff, students, parents/carers and partners.
Regularly review policy to take into account new developments in technology or legislation at a minimum of every 3 years.

2.4 Individual staff

Contribute to a positive school ethos through modelling appropriate behaviour (online and offline) and actively supporting and celebrating diversity.

Be aware of the policy and understand the procedures for managing incidents and supporting and managing children and young people who have been involved in bullying incidents.

Keep relevant colleagues informed of significant information concerning individual pupils as appropriate.

Deal promptly and effectively with all allegations of bullying.

Promote digital citizenship and the appropriate, responsible and positive use of digital technologies as an integral part of maintaining positive relationships.

Self-evaluate practice in relation to the anti-bullying policy within the Professional Review and Development process.

Communicate with parents/carers promptly where possible and appropriate.

Through the curriculum and related activities, build the capacity of children and young people to understand and challenge bullying behaviour.

2.5 Children and Young People

Continue to learn about and develop positive relationships and attitudes and challenge bullying behaviour and prejudice-based bullying if they feel able to do so.
Tell a trusted person if they have any worries about bullying behaviour.
Keep themselves and others safe with the support of adults if needed.
Actively engage in learning about bullying behaviour and prejudice-based bullying and consider the role they can play in preventing it and supporting those who may be impacted by it.
Engage in safe, responsible use of social media and digital technologies such as smart phones, computers and tablets to build a clear understanding of how we should act online.

2.6 Parents and Carers will

Continue to promote and model positive social skills and emotional literacy for their children and young people.
Encourage and model safe and responsible use of social media and digital technologies such as smart phones, computers and tablets.
Communicate respectfully any concerns to relevant staff.
Work in partnership with other stakeholders to implement policy.

3 Managing Incidents

The recording and monitoring of instances of bullying behaviour and prejudice- based bullying is essential to enable the local authority and schools/educational establishments to self-evaluate impact in relation to;

Monitor incident response and follow-up action.
Identify any reoccurrence of incidents and patterns of behaviour.
Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the policy.
Identify future training needs.

East Lothian Council aims to ensure that individual incidences of bullying behaviour will be dealt with consistently and in a constructive and fair manner. It is the role of staff to:

listen
explore thoughts and feelings
explore the impact and
help the child or young person feel safer

All staff should be aware of this policy and its appendices which include a staff information booklet and links to respectme information for parents/carers, children and young people.

To ensure consistency across all East Lothian schools/educational establishments will record incidents on SEEMIS. (See Appendix VI for guidance notes).

It will be the responsibility of individual schools to decide who will input this data. A suggested protocol is outlined below.

Protocol

Step 1
When an alleged incident of bullying behaviour is reported it will be taken seriously.

The person making the allegation (child/young person experiencing the bullying, witness, parent/carer) will be reminded of the definition of bullying and supported through the procedure. Basic details should be recorded on SEEMIS.

Step 2
If the alleged incident cannot be dealt with effectively ‘there and then’ and requires further investigation, the initial member of staff will liaise with colleagues to confirm who is best placed to undertake the investigation.

Where further investigation is required the incident must be referred to

Primary Sector: Member of the Senior Management Team
Secondary Sector: Guidance Teacher/Faculty Head/Senior Management Team/Duty Manager as appropriate.

Step 3
Where a further investigation is being undertaken, parents/carers of those directly involved in an incident will be contacted and updated by the person undertaking the investigation

Step 4
Any incident will be investigated promptly by a member of the Senior Management Team in both Primary and Secondary Schools (or a delegated member of staff) by the School Management Team. A decision will be made based on evidence as to whether bullying behaviour occurred or not. Where an incident of bullying behaviour is found to have occurred the outcome of the investigation will indicate one or more of the following.

Bullying Behaviour/Prejudice-Based Behaviour

The outcome of the investigation will be reported to the appropriate member of the Senior Management Team in both Primary and Secondary Schools. The incident will be dealt with as such and recorded on the Bullying Behaviour/ Prejudice-Based Bullying Incident Record either directly on to SEEMIS or using the paper format (Appendix VII) and then uploaded.

Racial Incident

Behaviour but no impact

Behaviour will be dealt with in line with the school /establishment positive behaviour policy and recorded accordingly.

Perceived bullying behaviour where there is no evidence

Support will be offered to individual/s making the allegation and recorded in pastoral notes.

Step 5
The appropriate member of the Senior Management Team in both Primary and Secondary Schools (or delegated member of staff) will ensure the Monitoring and Conclusion section of the Bullying/Equalities Incident Form is completed and uploaded on to SEEMIS.

Monitoring and Review

The school Senior Management Team will be able to produce reports from the information collated on SEEMIS Vision (See Appendix VII for guidance notes). It is recommended this is done at least on an annual basis to help inform School Improvement Plans.

The local authority Lead Officer responsible for Inclusion and Equality will also use this information to assess the effectiveness of the current policy and update it accordingly.

Equality Impact Assessment

This policy has been screened using the East Lothian Equality Impact Assessment Toolkit.

TRANSPORT

The council provides transport for pupils living in the school catchment area who have to travel a distance of more than 2 miles.

Bus passes are issued where public transport exists and contract transport is arranged where there is no suitable public transport. Where there are vacant seats on contract buses, these may be made available to pupils who are not normally entitled to free transport on a “grace and favour basis” but must be applied for each session. These can be withdrawn should the seat be required for pupils who qualify for this provision.

Travelling expenses are also met in the case of any pupil whom the Authority requires to attend a school other than the district school, if the pupil meets the distance qualification. Where appropriate, free travel is provided for pupils attending any of the Authority Bases.

Consideration may also be given to requests for assistance with travel in exceptional circumstances, e.g. where the road between home and school is deemed dangerous by the Authority (through consultation with the Police Road Safety Department) and where there is no public transport available.

Parents who choose to send their children to a school other than the district school will not receive assistance in relation to travel to and from school.

Road Safety

In East Lothian there are currently almost 15,000 Nursery, Primary and Secondary school pupils. In 2009, 24 school age children were injured on East Lothian’s roads, four seriously. Nearly 35% of all pedestrian casualties occurred (2009) to children in the 5-15 year age group. East Lothian Council, working with Police Scotland and other agencies, are committed to reducing the numbers and severity of road casualties.

They have identified a number of important initiatives to help reduce the number of road casualties. These will require a notable change of behaviour by everybody, particularly from drivers in built-up areas.

These initiatives aim to reduce the number of car journeys to and from school by pupils, parents and staff to:

Encourage children to walk or cycle to school, thereby improving the safety for the pupil on the journey to school.
Provide pupils and parents with appropriate training to allow them and their children to journey to and from school safely.
Improve pedestrian safety in and around school.
Raise awareness amongst pupils, parents, and staff of the wider health and environmental problems associated with increase car use.
Improve the local environment for everyone by reducing pollution, congestion and addressing safety issues around the school.

Parents are asked to review their current or intended mode of travel to and from school and consider whether or not it should be changed or modified to help the school, pupils, staff and other parents to reduce the number of child casualties. (Statistical source: Road Casualties Scotland 2009)

THE SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICE

Throughout your child’s years at primary and secondary school, Health Service staff will be seeing him/her as part of a planned programme to make sure that s/he benefits as much as possible from all that school has to offer, and to help prepare him/her for life after leaving school. The School Health Service is part of the Community Child Health Service and has direct links with those who carry out health checks of children before they start school.

Many different services are provided. The issue of maintaining confidentiality is taken seriously by the School Health Team at all times. The staff involved make every effort to work closely with parents and with others who are caring for your child, both at school and in other branches of the Health Service. Some of the services, e.g. testing for vision is normally provided to all children on entry to Primary 1 to discover which children may need further tests or treatment. Parents are not notified of these screening tests at the time of screening and any parent who does not want a child to be included should notify the school at the beginning of the session. Naturally, if treatment is thought to be required, the child’s parents will be informed and consent requested.

Some of the staff concerned and the parts they play are as follows: –

School nurses are involved with health promotion and education, prevention of ill health, immunisation, health surveillance and screening. The attention of the School Doctor is drawn to any possible problems, and parents and the family doctor are informed if any further action is considered necessary.

The School Nurse may be helped by a Health Assistant. The School Nurse acts as an important link between home and school. She contacts the school regularly and liaises with the Head teacher to find out whether any pupil has a health need that requires to be addressed. The School Nurse can link with other members of the health team, in the community or in hospital, concerned with a child’s health. The Nurse reviews the notes of all Primaries 1, 4, 7 and S3 as well as those of all new entrants.

An information booklet about the School Health Service is issued to all Primary 1 pupils and to any new pupils coming from outwith the Lothian area. Parents are also asked to complete a health questionnaire about their child at Primary 1, 7 and S3 and asked if they would like their child to have a medical consultation with the School Doctor.

The School Doctor is trained in community paediatrics and is part of a team of doctors, including a Consultant Community Paediatrician, for your area.

In addition, the doctor may ask for your consent to examine your child if his/her medical records are incomplete or if the doctor particularly wishes to check on his/her progress. You will be invited to be present at any medical examination and kept informed if the school doctor wishes to see your child again or thinks that s/he should be seen by your family doctor or a specialist in paediatrics. You can, if you wish, arrange for your family doctor to undertake the examinations instead of the school doctor but you may be charged a fee for this. In secondary schools the school doctor may consider whether any special information should be provided for the Careers Service.

The school doctor will be pleased to see you and your child at a mutually convenient time if you are concerned about his/her health or general progress at school.

Hearing

The audiometric team, who check children’s hearing, will not visit the school to check pupils’ hearing. Instead they will provide a local clinic-based, appointment- only service for all school age children requiring a hearing assessment. These include:

All children who are due to have a routine re-test as a result of being found to have a hearing loss at a previous test in school or as a pre-school child.
All school age children newly referred for assessment, either Primary 1 or other years.
The school medical officer will inform schools of the result of any assessment.

Speech and Language Therapist

The speech therapist can provide assessment and, if necessary, treatment, if you, a teacher, your GP or the school doctor feels that your child may have a speech or language problem.

Dentist

Any enquiries concerning the provision of dental services should be made to:

Director of the Community Dental Service,
16 Duncan Street,
Edinburgh,
EH9 1SR

Telephone number: 0131-667-7114

We hope that the School Health Service can, together with yourselves, contribute to your child’s overall well-being and development. Please do not hesitate to arrange through the Head Teacher to see the school doctor or school nurse if you want any more information.

HEALTH AND SAFETY ARRANGEMENTS

The Education and Children’s Services Department has prepared statements of safety policy for all areas of its responsibility in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

School staff are fully instructed in their responsibilities in this respect, and safety regulations apply to all aspects of school life, both on and off the premises. It is expected that pupils will behave responsibly and comply with all safety requirements. The support of parents in promoting good practice in health and safety matters is of great importance to the school. Parents are reminded that they must report to the school office rather than going straight to their child’s class.

Medical/First Aid

Accidents to pupils do occur from time to time. Basic first aid will be administered by members of staff. In the case of a more serious accident, or your child being taken ill at school, you will be contacted immediately. Please ensure that the school is informed of any changes of address, telephone number or emergency contact.

Administration of Medicine and Medical Procedures

Drugs and medicine can be given only to children whose parents have given written permission on a standard form available from the School Office.

NB: A note from parent/carer is not acceptable.

All members of staff who have agreed to be trained in the administration of specific drugs to pupils suffering from epileptic seizure or a severe allergic reaction, and who are required to apply specific drugs to those pupils, will be covered by East Lothian Council’s Public Liability Policy.

Occasional and Emergency Arrangements

In the event of an emergency such as a heating failure and pupils having to be sent home without warning, please make sure the school has up-to-date information about addresses, telephone numbers for yourselves, and also emergency contacts. Information about such emergencies would be broadcast on local radio (usually Radio Forth) and by text through Groupcall.

Wet Weather

In wet weather please do not send your children to school too early for morning or afternoon sessions. During such weather the Infant door and the door under the covered area will be open from 8.45am. Children should make their way to the Assembly Hall where they will be supervised by a member of the Senior Management Team until the bell rings. It is not necessary for parents to accompany their child to the hall.

Employment of Children

Children under the statutory school leaving age can only be employed within the terms of the bye-laws on the Employment of Children.

These regulations do not permit the employment of children under 13 years of age, and for those over that age there are limits on the hours and type of employment which are allowed. Parents and employers must both complete an application form for an employment permit before the employment begins.

Further details can be obtained from the Department of Services for People, Inclusion and Equality.

DATA POLICY AND PROTECTION

Professionals Visiting Schools

Schools can call on professionals from a number of different agencies/services for help and advice. These include Educational Psychologists, Officers within the Inclusion and Equality Division, School Doctor, School Nurse, Careers Advisor and Social Worker. Formal referral to any of these agencies/services would take place only with the consent of parents/carers.

There will, however, be occasions when issues may be discussed in confidence without formal referral and therefore, without such consent. If parents are concerned about this, they should contact the school for further information.

Consulting with Pupils

Under the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 the views of children should be taken in to account when major decisions are being made which will affect their lives. Generally children over 12 are presumed in law to have a view but younger children may also be mature enough to have a view and should be given the opportunity to express it. This could include formal consultation through Pupil Councils, pupils co-opted to School Councils, questionnaires, suggestion boxes, review and planning meetings, as well as arrangements to consult with individual pupils at appropriate times (subject choice, exclusions etc.).

ASL Act 2009

The Education (Additional Support for Learning)(Scotland) Act 2009:-

Promotes involvement of a child and young person with additional support needs and their parents/carers in the decision making process.
The views of the child/young person and parents/carers will be recorded in the Co-ordinated Support Plan.
The child or young person and parents/carers should play a key part and could have a supporter available at meetings. (see Code of Practice).
Permits young people or parents/carers to make a reference to a Tribunal – they can attend or have the opportunity to put their views to the Tribunal if a Hearing is called.
Parents of pupils with additional support needs can make an application for Dispute Resolution – they should contact the Inclusion & Equality Team to discuss how to apply.
Common Ground Mediation promotes collaboration among parents, children, schools and educational services. To use this service parents can contact Inclusion & Equality Team for further information.

Child Protection Procedures

Edinburgh, the Lothians and Borders, including East Lothian Council, have reviewed and re-issued the “Inter-Agency Child Protection Procedures”. The Procedures promote a high level of inter-agency co-operation when working with children who may be in need of protection. Training is available for all staff in East Lothian Council to ensure that their skill and commitment is used effectively in identifying and protecting children who have been abused or may be at risk of abuse. The Procedures will further encourage the partnership that exists between the Department of Education & Children’s Services, Health and the Police in East Lothian and will help towards buildings a partnership with parents in carrying out our duties and responsibilities to East Lothian children and young people.

Transferring Educational Data

Education authorities and Scottish Government Education Department (SGED) have 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 Scottish Government 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 Scottish Government itself.

What pupil data is collected and transferred?

Data on each pupil is collected by schools, local authorities and SGED. The data collected and transferred covers areas such as date of birth, Scottish Candidate 58 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 SGED. 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 can or would be published by SGED.

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, SGED, education authorities and other partners such as 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 exam 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).

Scottish Government works with a range of partners including HM Inspectorate of Education, Careers Scotland 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 Scottish Government, 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 Scottish Government.

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,
SGED,
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

COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

Most complaints can and should be resolved at school level. If you have cause for concern, the first person to approach will normally be the Head Teacher. If a meeting is required with the Class Teacher, Head Teacher or another senior member of staff then this should be arranged as quickly as possible. If parents still remain dissatisfied, then the procedures contained within “How to make a comment, compliment or complaint about a Council service” should be followed.

Further information can be obtained at: http://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/complaints

The list of ‘useful telephone numbers’ in the next section includes the names of the relevant people to contact.

Depute Chief Executive	Alex McCrorie	01620-827864
Head of Education & Children’s Services	Vacancy	01620-827222
Chief Operating Officer (Quality Improvement and Early Learning and Childcare and East Lothian Works	Lesley Brown	01620-827647 60
Principal Educational Psychologist	Lynne Binnie	01620-827998
Education Service Manager (Strategy & Operations)	Richard Parker	01620-827494
Parental Involvement Act (Parent Councils/Forums)	Bev Skirrow	01620-827228
Free School Meals, Clothing Grants, Education Maintenance Allowance, Pupil Placement & Home- to-School Transport Policy	Fiona Brown	01620 827415
Primary School Lets		01620-827811

Scottish Government Education Department
Victoria Quay
EDINBURGH
EH6 6QQ

Telephone Number: 0131 556 8400

The information contained in this booklet is accurate at the time of compilation (November 2019), but is subject to changes in roll, staffing and resources in the future.

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