Leslie Primary School 2011-12 - Home Page

EDUCATION SERVICELeslie Primary School2011-12

2Information for Parents/Carers

Information for Parents/CarersThe Big 8 - Making the DifferenceIn order to deliver its vision of making Fife a great place to live, work and visit foreveryone, Fife Council is focusing on its Big 08 priorities.These are:Improving educational attainment and achievement for allMaking Fife the leading green Council in ScotlandImproving local conditions for economic developmentIncreasing access to housingImproving community safetyTargeting support to vulnerable peopleImproving sport, leisure and cultural opportunitiesMaking Fife a top performing council3

Excellence for AllInformation for Parents/CarersBy continuing to improve pupil attainment, achievement and inclusion, theEducation Service plays a key role in taking forward the wider aims of thecouncil.AimsValuesAttainmentAchievementInclusionImproving the environment for allCompassionIntegrityFairnessOutcomesSuccessful learnersResponsible citizensConfident individualsEffective contributorsEDUCATION SERVICEwww.fifedirect.org.uk/schools4

Information for Parents/CarersThe information contained in this booklet refers to the current school year and isaccurate at the time of publication.We hope this information will be helpful to you and will answer many of yourquestions about the school. Should you have any further enquiries, please donot hesitate to call in at the school where we shall be pleased to help you.Dear ParentThis booklet is designed to give you information about Leslie Primary School.The school has a very positive ethos and is committed to celebrating successand encouraging high self esteem in all of its pupils.The staff have high expectations of the pupils and work hard to provide anappropriate and stimulating education for all of the childrenWe are delighted to welcome your child to our school. If you wish any furtherinformation please do not hesitate to contact us to arrange a visit to the school.Yours sincerelyMrs L. ProudfootHeadteacher5

Information for Parents/CarersBUILDINGPupils and adults who have mobility difficulties can access the ground floor ofthe school.6

Information for Parents/CarersGENERAL INFORMATIONRothes Park Leslie, Fife. KY6 3LLTel No: 01592 583433E Mail: leslieps.enquiries@fife.gov.ukSchool Roll: 168Room 1 - 16 P1 - Miss Vance/Miss LathangieRoom 2 - 17 P1/2 - Mr O'Hart/Mrs StewartRoom 3 - 16 P2 - Mrs HamptonRoom 4 - 25 P3 - Mrs Bryson/Mrs ParryRoom 5 - 19 P4 - Miss Keys/Mrs StewartRoom 9 - 24 P5 - Mrs HoustonRoom 12 - 24 P6 - Mrs Hay/Mrs BandRoom 13 - 27 P7 - Miss YoungerMorning Roll - 168 Afternoon Roll - 168Mrs. L. Proudfoot -HeadteacherMrs. M. Glen - Principal TeacherClassteachers - 12Mrs. K. Conway - Non-Class Contact TeacherMrs. D. Roberts - L.S. TeacherMrs. L. McMurchie - Temp Administration AssistantMrs. H. Thomson - Clerical AssistantMrs. S. Kinnear -Classroom AssistantMrs. J. Ross - Early Years OfficerS.E.N. Auxiliaries - 8Janitor - Mrs J MenziesCook - Mrs.L. Fernie7

Information for Parents/CarersSCHOOL HOURSMorning - 9.00 a.m. - 12.35 p.m.Lunch - 12.35 p.m. - 1.25 p.m.Afternoon - 1.25 p.m. - 3.05 p.m.Morning Interval - 10.40 a.m. - 10.55 a.m.SCHOOL UNIFORMThe school uniform consists of White Polo Shirt with a Red Sweatshirt with theschool logo on both. Black or Grey skirt, Black or Grey trousers.SCHOOL CLOTHING GRANTA grant of up to £55 per year is available to each pupil attending full-timeeducation in Fife towards the cost of school clothing provided that the parent isentitled to Child Benefit and receives one of the following:Income SupportJob Seeker’s Allowance (Income Based)Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999Child Tax Credit (but not Working Tax Credit) with an annual incomebelow £16,190Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit with an annual income below£6,420Employment and Support Allowance (Income Related)Working Tax Credit (total income is below £16,190)Long Term Incapacity Benefit (over 28 weeks)Widows Allowance (and not in full time employment)Payment is made directly into a bank account by Bank Giro Credit. Fife CouncilLocal Services Centres issue application forms on request and processclaims. Please contact your nearest Local Services Centre for anapplication form.8

Information for Parents/CarersENROLMENTChildren who reach the age of 5 on or before 15 August 2011, must normallystart school in August 2011. Children who reach the age of 5 after 15 August2011, but before 29 February 2012, may also start school in August 2011,though parents are not obliged to send their child to school until the first entrydate after their fifth birthday.Parents of children in either of these categories are asked to enrol their child attheir local school before Friday, 21 January 2011.Headteachers must provide information to parents on how to make a placingrequest for the school of their choice. Placing requests should be made as soonas possible, and not later than Tuesday 15 March 2011.Children who reach the age of 3 on or before 29 February 2012 must apply for aplace in a Fife Council nursery before the 31st January 2011. Nursery placesare allocated in accordance with Fife Council's Early Years Admissions Policy.Information and application forms are available from all Fife nurseryestablishments and at www.fifedirect.org.uk from December 2010. Applicationsshould be made for children due to commence nursery at any point in thefollowing academic year and be submitted to the nursery of their first choice.This means that even though the child may not be entitled to start nursery untilnext January or April they must apply for a place now. All places are allocatedby the Admissions Panel held in March 2011 and places will be offered by letterby 30 April 2011.9

Information for Parents/CarersSCHOOL YEAR 2011-2012School Term and Holiday Dates 2011-2012Term/Holiday Start Date End DateAutumn TermMonday 15 August2011(teachers)Tuesday 16 August (pupils)Friday 7 October 2011(40 teacher; 39 pupil days)Autumn Holiday Monday 10 October 2011 Friday 21 October 2011Winter Term Monday 24 October 2011 Friday 23 December 2011(45 teacher; 44 pupil days)ChristmasHolidayMonday 26 December 2011 Friday 6 January 2012Spring Term Monday 9 January 2012(teachers)Tuesday 10 January 2012(pupils)Spring Holiday Monday 2 April 2012(Good Friday is on 6 April)Friday 30 March 2012(58 teacher; 56 pupil days)Friday 13 April 2012Summer Term Monday 16 April 2012 Thursday, 28 June 2012(52 teacher; 51 pupil days)SummerHolidayFriday 29 June 2012 Friday 10 August 2012(teachers)Monday 13 August 2012(pupils)The above pattern provides for 190 school days, once the four holidays and 5Inservice days for teachers are deducted.In Service Days - All SchoolsMonday 15 August 2011Friday 18 November 2011Monday 9 January 2012Wednesday 15 February 2012Tuesday 5 June, 2012Additional Holidays - All SchoolsThursday 16 February 2012Friday 17 February 2012Monday 7 May 2012 (May Day)Monday 4 June 2012 (Victoria Day)10

Information for Parents/CarersSCHOOL MEALS AND MILKSchool meals are provided in all primary schools and now meet the ScottishNutrient Standards as laid down by Hungry for Success. School meals nowinclude more fruits and vegetables and all ingredients used are low in salt andfat.What is a school meal?Home Made Soup...OrOne of our Daily DessertsPlusOne of the Hot Main Courses...OrA Baked Potato with Filling...OrA Self Selected Salad LunchPlusA Glass of Fruit Juice And Unlimited Bread and Salad...OrA Self Filled Baguette and Salad with a Glass of Fruit Juice...Menus are changed twice a year and are issued to all pupils.The current cost of a school meal is £1.70 (from 1st April 2011).School Meal money is collected on a daily basis priced £1.65 or weekly £8.25.SPECIFIC DIETARY REQUIREMENTSFife Council is committed to providing a school meal service to all pupils whorequire them. Within this, they recognise the need to provide a specialiseddietary service for certain children. Fife Council Catering and Cleaning Servicetherefore are committed to accommodate all special dietary requirements,although it is recognised that this must be a joint process between the child,parent/guardian, and the school. For therapeutic diets, the doctors anddieticians are included in this process.Special diets will be provided on the basis ofReligious requirementsCultural/ethical reasonsTherapeutic diets will be provided on the basis of Medical conditions (asrecommended by a doctor or dietician.)It should be noted that individual requests for certain items not based on thereasons above will not under usual circumstances be catered for.If the child is known to have an allergy to nuts/nut products then the Allergies –Policies/Guidelines should be read in conjunction with this policy.11

Information for Parents/CarersSCHOOL MILKFresh chilled milk is available in all Primary Schools, and currently costs 17p percarton (from 1st April 2011).Milk Money is collected on a termly basis.FREE FRUIT IN SCHOOLSThe Free Fruit in Schools initiative targets the youngest children, where eatingfruit and vegetables is most likely to be habit forming and where the health gainmight be the greatest in the long term.All nursery, primary 1 and 2 pupils receive free fruit three times a weekWATER IN SCHOOLS SCHEMEAll pupils have access to chilled water throughout the school day. All newentrants are given a sports bottle at the start of the academic year. If the sportsbottles are mislaid then additional bottles can be purchased through the schooloffice.HEALTHY TUCK SHOP INITIATIVEA healthy tuck shop can help encourage children to adopt good eating habits.Therefore as part of the whole school approach to food schools are beingencouraged to establish healthy tuck shops within their schools. The Food inSchools group has developed a Healthy tuck shop/Vending policy which givesschools guidance on suitable products for inclusion in a healthy tuck shopinitiative.12

Information for Parents/CarersCURRICULUMScotland is currently pursuing its biggest education reform programme for ageneration under the Scottish Executive’s Ambitious, Excellent Schools agenda.A Curriculum for Excellence is central to this reform agenda. It aims to provide:More freedom for teachersGreater choice and opportunity for pupilsA single coherent curriculum for all young people aged 3-18.A Curriculum for Excellence challenges us to think differently about thecurriculum. It encourages those working in education to plan and act in newways. It also poses challenges for learning and teaching.More information is available from the curriculum for excellence national websiteat http://www.acurriculumforexcellencescotland.gov.uk.PLANNING AND REVIEWS FOR PUPILSSchools in Fife are developing the use of Personal Learning Planning (PLP)which is a process involving the class teacher, pupil and parents. Some pupilswho require additional support and the involvement of a wider group of staff andprofessionals will have their own Integrated Support Plan (ISP). A few pupilswith significant additional support needs will have a Co-ordinated Support Plan(CSP). All of these plans will be reviewed at least annually and often moreregularly.INSTRUMENTAL INSTRUCTIONChildren who show musical promise may qualify for instrumental instruction. Thetypes of instrument offered by Fife Education Service are violin, viola, cello,clarsach or woodwind, brass, piano/keyboard, double bass, guitar, bagpipes.The type of instrument available differs from school to school and generally onlyone type will be available in a school.There is a charge for tuition. The rate may be subject to change but the currentrate would be notified at the time of interview. This may be paid in instalmentsor by Direct Debit and concessions may be available.Please tell the Headteacher if you do not wish your child to be considered forinstrumental instruction.13

Information for Parents/CarersATTENDANCEAs a parent you are legally obliged to send your child to school on a regularbasis. To prevent any misunderstanding, I should be grateful if you wouldcontact the school immediately in any case of absence from school. It would beappreciated if you would send an explanatory note with your child when he/shereturns to school. Otherwise it will be recorded as an unauthorised absence.In cases of long term illness it may be possible for instruction to be given athome on a part-time basis.HEALTH CAREShould your child be taking medicine or suffer from a medical condition whichmight affect his/her school life, it is essential that you notify the school of thecondition and its implications. This information will be treated in the strictestconfidence to allow the school to ensure the wellbeing of your child.Should your child become ill or have an accident while at school so that medicaltreatment is required, the following action will be taken:(a) I shall try to contact you by telephone, if this is possible, or I shall arrange fora message to be sent to you.(b) I shall telephone the health service, if necessary, and arrange to have yourchild taken to get help accompanied, wherever possible, by you or someoneelse nominated by you.From time to time children are examined in school by doctors from the SchoolHealth Service. These are routine examinations carried out for all children andyou will be notified in good time so that you may be present if possible.Nursery AbsenceFor reasons of Care and Welfare we ask that you contact us as early aspossible on the first day of absence. If we do not hear from you then we areobliged to begin formal absence and attendance procedures. A copy of theseprocedures are available in school.14

Information for Parents/CarersCHILD PROTECTIONOur school, like all schools in Fife, is concerned with all aspects of a child'shealth and well being. We aim to provide a safe and supportive environment andwork together with other agencies to ensure that all children are safe andprotected from any type of harm. The Education Service Care and Welfareguideline explains procedures in relation to Child Protection and these can bemade available to parents on request. Our school has a child protectionco-ordinator who will deal with all child protection issues and with whom anyconcerns can be discussed.TRANSPORTIf you live more than one mile from your catchment area primary school, or twomiles from your catchment area secondary school, measured by the shortestreasonable walking route for an accompanied child, then the Council will meetthe cost of transporting your child to school. However, if you choose a schoolother than your catchment area school, the Council will not give any assistancewith the cost of transport.LEARNING SUPPORT SERVICELearning Support specialists visit all schools in Fife. Their work focuses onassisting class teachers to meet the needs of all pupils through appropriatelearning strategies. Their role includes co-operative teaching, consultation, shortterm specialist support, direct tuition and staff development.BILINGUAL SUPPORT SERVICEThis team of visiting specialist teachers and assistants helps schools to supportand raise the attainment of children and young people who speak English as anadditional language.VISITING TEACHERSTeachers of art and design, drama, music and PE visit all primary schools in Fifeproviding specialist expressive arts input in the four disciplines for pupils, whileat the same time making a valued contribution to the reduction in class contacttime for staff.PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICEConsultation and advice are provided by the school's link educationalpsychologist about learning and behavioural difficulties, additional supportneeds, assessment and intervention, research, legislative requirements, andeducational provision. The link psychologist is in regular contact with the schooland provides support and advice to school staff, pupils, parents and carers.15

Information for Parents/CarersEQUAL OPPORTUNITIESFife Council’s schools are covered by Fife ’s policy on Equal Opportunities for allpupils. All schools take problems of bullying and racism very seriously, and haveprocedures laid down for dealing with them and supporting pupils and parents.TRAVELLER EDUCATIONThis team of visiting specialist teachers works with schools and families tosupport the education of Gypsy and Traveller children and young people.THE SCHOOL TO WHICH YOUR CHILD WILL TRANSFEROn completion of your child’s primary education the normal arrangement is forchildren to transfer to your local secondary school. You will of course be awarethat you can make a parental placing request to attend a secondary school,other than the catchment school. Further information on how to make a placingrequest is available in the booklet - Choosing a school – a guide for parentswhich is available online at www.scotland.gov.uk.16

Information for Parents/CarersDATA COLLECTIONFife Council collects information on pupils, parents and other carers to enablethe provision of educational and other support services including personal data,contact details, pupil’s attainment records and health information.We are keen to help all our pupils do well in all aspects of school life andachieve better exam results. Sometimes the best way is by sharing informationwith our partner agencies including NHS Fife, Fife Constabulary, CareersScotland and the Scottish Government Education Department. These agencieshave a responsibility to protect children, young people and vulnerable adults andsharing information between agencies helps to do this. Examples include: theprovision of dental services, immunisation programmes and road safetycampaigns.The benefits of data sharing.Sharing information between partner agencies ensures integrated serviceprovision which provides a positive contribution to the safety and well-being ofchildren and young adults.Data sharing helps:protect children and young people from suffering harm, abuse or neglect;ensure children and young adults with additional needs get the servicesthey require;enable pupils to achieve their academic potential and attain their goals;plan future servicesWhat information can be shared?Information collected through enrolment forms or provided by parents and othercarers will be held on computer systems and used within Fife Council for thepurposes of furthering education and training, pupil care, career guidance,health monitoring and Parent Council elections and advice.Information will be shared with partner agencies when there are clear concernsabout the care, safety and welfare of children, young people or vulnerable adultsand to aid careers planning.Personal data will not be shared out-with the above circumstances andinformation will not be disclosed to any third parties except where permitted orrequired by law or where informed consent has been received. The uses of theinformation are covered by the Council’s registration under the Data ProtectionAct 1998.17

SHARING INFORMATION WITH THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENTEducation authorities and the Scottish Government Education Department(SGED) manage and transfer data about pupils electronically through theScotXed programme.The data collected and transferred covers areas such as date of birth, postcode,registration for free-school meals, whether a pupil is looked after by his/her localauthority, additional support needs including disability, attendance, absence andexclusions from school. Pupil names and addresses are collected by theirschool and education authority but they are not passed to SGED. The postcodeis the only part of your address that is transferred. Data is held securely and noinformation on individual pupils can or would be published by SGED.Providing national identity and ethnic background data is entirely voluntary. Youcan 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 thewebsite will help you understand the importance of providing this data.DATA PROTECTION RIGHTSThe collection, transfer, processing and sharing of both ScotXed and CareersScotland data is done in accordance with the Data Protection Act (1998). It alsocomplies with the National Statistics Code of Practice requirements and otherlegislation related to safeguarding the confidentiality of data. The DataProtection Act gives you the right to know how your data will be used. Fulldetails of the uses of pupil data can be found on the ScotXedwebsite(www.scotxed.net).SGED works with a range of partners including HM Inspectorate of Educationand the Scottish Qualifications Authority. They may make individual dataavailable to partners and academic institutions to carry out research andstatistical analysis. They will provide partners with information they need inorder to fulfil their official responsibilities. Sharing of data will be done under thestrict control and prior agreement of the Data Access Panel in SGED, which willensure that no individual level data will be made public as a result of the datasharing and this data will not be used to take action in respect of an individual.ACCESS TO RECORDSInformation for Parents/CarersIn most circumstances, pupils and their parents and / or appointed guardianshave the right to see all the information held by Fife Council about the pupil.Parents, guardians and other carers have the right to see personal data aboutthemselves under the Data Protection Act 1998.18

Information for Parents/CarersWANT MORE INFORMATION?Further information on Fife Council’s use of data and the Data Protection Act1998 can be found on Fife Council’s website www.fifedirect.org.ukCOMPLAINTS PROCEDUREShould you have a complaint, including one that relates to the AdditionalSupport for Learning (Scotland) Act 2004, concerning the school or your child’seducation you should contact the school office in the first instance and, ifnecessary, arrange to discuss the matter with the Head Teacher.If the matter cannot be resolved at this stage then you will be advised to write tothe Executive Director Education.Fife Council Education Service has produced a leaflet Compliments, Concerns& Complaints which explains the procedure for providing feedback; it can beobtained from the school office, public libraries or Fife Council Local ServicesCentres.19

Information for Parents/CarersSevere Weather ConditionsIn the event of early closure due to severe weather conditions parents areadvised to arrange for children to be received at home or by a neighbour, etc.Listen to Kingdom FM (95.2 and 96.1), Radio Forth (97.3), Radio Tay(102.8 and 96.4) or other local radio stations.Or call the Council’s Closure Line on 08451 55 11 99 (calls charged atlo-call rate, charges from mobiles may vary).Or log on to www.fifedirect.org.uk/news.Or access the information on your Sky or Virgin digital set-top box. See‘Fife Council TV’ on the A-Z of Services on www.fifedirect.org.uk, or in theUseful Guide to Council Services.Parents can receive text or email alerts sent direct regarding school and othercouncil facility closures. Please note if your child has moved from a primaryschool to a high school in August you should amend the school details on FifeDirect to ensure you receive the correct school information.1. Log on to www.fifedirect.org.uk/closures.2. Click on Closure Alerts.3. Click on School Closure Alerts and follow the instructions to either sign inor registerPlease use these options before trying to call your school:Using Fife Council Closure Line:a. Call 08451 55 11 99.b. Choose Option 2 for Schools Information.c. Choose:1 - for Kirkcaldy Schools2 - for East and Levenmouth Schools;3 - for Cowdenbeath, Glenrothes and Lochgelly Schools or4 - for Dunfermline , Inverkeithing and West Schools.d. Then choose:1 - for Primary2 - for Secondary3 - for Other Establishmentse. Schools will be listed in alphabetical order so listen carefully for yourschool.20

Information for Parents/CarersStatistical Information for Parents/CarersAttendance and Absence 2009-10Total number of possibleattendances (pupilhalf-days)Percentage authorisedabsencesPercentageunauthorised absencesStage School Fife NationalP1 10,718 1,470,056 19,136,227P2 8,540 1,411,075 19,091,222P3 7,590 1,351,203 18,545,411P4 8,430 1,410,477 18,823,231P5 8,875 1,378,033 19,175,554P6 11,142 1,401,057 19,573,622P7 10,528 1,449,362 20,175,467P1-P7 Total 65,823 9,871,263 134,520,734P1 4.1 4.2 4.3P2 4.6 3.9 4.1P3 6.3 3.5 3.9P4 5.4 3.4 3.8P5 3.4 3.6 3.9P6 3.5 3.7 4.0P7 4.8 3.4 3.9P1-P7 4.5 3.7 4.0P1 1 1.5 1.1P2 3.9 1.6 1.2P3 1.8 1.5 1.1P4 1.1 1.5 1.1P5 0.8 1.4 1.1P6 0.5 1.5 1.1P7 1.5 1.4 1.1P1-P7 1.4 1.5 1.1Minimising Overall AbsenceAverage number of halfdays absence per pupilYear School Fife National2008-09 24 18.5 18.32009-10 24 19.7 19.4Budgeting School Running Costs For Financial Year 2010-11School Fife NationalSchool roll Sept 2009 177 26,418 367,146Total running costs April 10 (£) 642,704 97,309,735 1,478,797,126Cost per pupil (£) 3,631 3,683 4,02821

Information for Parents/Carers5-14 Attainment Levels and TargetsPercentage of P3, P4, P6 and P7 roll attaining or exceeding 5-14 levels for theirstageSubject School FifePrevious level June 09 Reading 75.7 84.4Writing 73 79.3Mathematics 74.8 86.2Previous level June 10 Reading 77.6 85.8Writing 75.5 80.0Mathematics 77.6 86.4Caution should be exercised in interpreting statistical data.In publishing this information about individual schools' performance, theEducation Service of Fife Council would stress the following points:Parents should consider all the parts of the life of the school in thinkingabout this information. Fife schools review all areas of their work to try toachieve all that they can for their pupils.The data relating to costs are significantly affected by school size, e.g. fora small school an increase of one in the number of teachers produces amuch greater effect on the cost per pupil than the same increase in alarger school.The 5-14 levels are very broad descriptions of the sort of work we expectpupils to do at different stages in their education. 5-14 curricularassessments are not standardised and were never intended to provide abasis for comparing schools. Because of the breadth of the levels there iswidespread doubt about the comparability of such data between schools.22

23Information for Parents/Carers

This booklet is available in large print, in Braille and on tape on request.