SStt CCllaarree’’ss

PPrriimmaarryy SScchhooooll NNeewwttoonn MMeeaarrnnss

School Handbook 2021-2022

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Contents 3 Welcome and Contact Information 4 School day, School Information and Lets 5 Attendance Information 6-8 Parental Involvement 9 Equalities 10 Our School Vision, Values and Aims 11 Our Patron 12 A Charter for Catholic Schools in Scotland 13 St Cadoc’s Roman Catholic Church 14-15 Anti-Bullying Information for Parents 16-17 Curriculum for Excellence 18-23 Curricular areas and subjects 24 School Improvement 24 School Policies and Practical Information 25 Pupil Voice 25 School and Community 26 Citizenship 26 Achievement 26 Extra-Curricular Activities 27 Learning at Home 28-30 Assessment and Reporting 31-32 Transitions and Placing Requests 33 Additional Support for Learning 34 School Holiday Arrangements 35-36 School Uniform: Dressing for Excellence 37-38 School Lunches 39-40 Transport 41 Medical and Health Care 42 Class size 43-47 Pupil Records/Data Protection Act 48 Child Protection 49 Concerns and Complaints 50 Important Address

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Welcome

Due to the current pandemic this year, we are implementing a recovery curriculum to address loss of learning for all of the children in St Clare’s. Further information in relation to our approach to Recovery can be accessed through the Recovery page on our school website. Welcome to St. Clare’s Our school motto, “Love God, Serve God” is the foundation on which we have built the community of St. Clare’s. We encourage our learners, staff and families to always strive to be the best version of their self. This attitude enables everyone to ensure we have a community which is founded on love and service for others. Our staff, children and parents have worked collaboratively to create our School, Vision, Values and Aims. We believe this clearly articulates who we are and what we hope to achieve for everyone connected with our school. St. Clare’s is a modern, state of the art facility which we share with our friends in Calderwood Lodge. The building provides a high quality learning environment, where learners feel empowered. We are ambitious and have high expectations for every child. Every child is encouraged to demonstrate independence and take ownership of their learning. This in turn, will help them to foster a love of learning which will develop well beyond their primary school years. We value the importance of relationships and work closely with our families to ensure every child is happy and achieves their aspirations and ambitions for the future. Kind regards, Anne Marie Absolom Head Teacher

School Day

St Clare’s Primary School Waterfoot Road Newton Mearns East Renfrewshire

G77 5GP

Phone: 0141 570 7070 schoolmail@st-clares.e-renfrew.sch.uk

https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/er/stclares/

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School Day

Early entry from 8:45 am Starting Time 9.00 am Interval 10.40am - 10.55am Lunch 12.35pm - 1.35pm Dismissal 3.15pm Supervision of Playground and break times An adult presence is provided in playgrounds at break times in terms of the Schools Safety and Supervision of Pupils (Scotland) Regulations 1990. When the weather is poor (e.g. heavy rain) the children are kept inside to play in their classrooms. Teachers are having their break so supervision is provided by support staff and the Senior Leadership Team. We therefore require, in the interests of safety, the highest standards of behaviour.

School Information

St Clare’s is designed to accommodate two streams, from Primary One to Seven, a capacity of 420 children. The school has its own entrance and teaching wing with open learning spaces outside each classroom. Shared areas include the Hub, gym hall, drama, art and science rooms.

St. Clare’s school building is available for evening community use.

Information on letting applications can be obtained from:-

Community Facilities

East Renfrewshire Council

St John’s Campus

18 Commercial Road,

Barrhead,

G78 1AJ

Telephone: 0141 577 3900

Email: community.facilities@ercultureandleisure.org

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Attendance Information East Renfrewshire has a clear policy on attendance, which is listed below: “Section 30 of the 1980 Education Act lays a duty on every parent of a child of ‘school age’ to ensure that their child attends school regularly. Attendance must be recorded twice a day, morning and afternoon. Regulation 7 of the Education (School and Placing Information) (Scotland) Amendment, Etc. Regulations 1993 requires each child’s absence from school to be recorded in the school register in four different ways:

as authorised: i.e. approved by the authority and this includes sickness, religious observance, bereavement etc. as extended leave with parental consent i.e. when the family moves abroad for a short time

as unauthorised: i.e. unexplained by the parent (truancy) or most family holidays during term time

as temporarily exclusion from school

Every effort should be made to avoid family holidays during term time. If you have a question about the categorisation of attendance or absence please contact the school.

Procedure in Cases of a Pupil’s Absence or Sickness

Parents are asked to inform the school by telephone or e-mail if their child is absent unless prior notification was given to their teacher for an absence known in advance. If by 9.15am we find that pupils have not turned up at school and there has been no prior communication from home, we will endeavour to phone parents or emergency contacts. In order that we do not have to telephone unnecessarily I would ask you to assist us by:

Ensuring that absences are reported to the school office by phone before 9am on the first day of the absence

Indicating the estimated length of non-attendance

Informing us of changes in mobile phone numbers or land lines

Making sure that children arrive at school on time Parents should still give their child a note on his/her return to school, confirming the reason for absence. Family holidays during term time disrupt the child’s education and reduce learning time. Parents should inform the school by letter, before going on holiday, of the dates. Holiday absence during term time will usually be categorised as unauthorised and parents must advise the school in writing. The school will monitor attendance on a termly basis. If concerned about any child who has regular patterns/periods of unexplained absence we will meet with parents to discuss these concerns and offer support. However, if the problem is not resolved the Authority has the power to write to, interview or prosecute parents, or to refer pupils to the reporter of the children’s hearings, if necessary.

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Parental Involvement

Research suggests that when parents are actively involved and support their child’s learning, children thrive. Therefore, in St Clare’s we strive to work with parents to build strong relationships founded on trust and respect in order that your child works hard to achieve their full potential. What you do matters, and can make a real difference to your child's education and achievement. Different opportunities for parents to become involved in the life and work of our school will be available. There are many ways of fostering such participation such as:

Regular newsletters and school website giving up to date information about school events, diary dates

Pupil reports to inform each parent of their child’s progress

Twice yearly parents’ meetings

Jotters Home Programme

Parental Invites to Assembly and Christmas Performances

School Masses

Discovery Day programme

Primary One Induction Programme

Workshops to inform parents of curricular developments

Meetings to discuss Sacramental Programmes

You can find more information at

http://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/er/curriculinks/links-for-parents/

St. Clare’s Parental Involvement Policy can be found on our school Website.

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The Parental Involvement Act 2006 School Boards were replaced in August 2007 by a new system of Parent Councils. The Act makes provision for all parents to be members of the Parent Forum at a school, and to have their views represented to the school, education authority and others, through a representative Parent Council for the school. The legislation aims to help all parents to be:

Involved with their child’s education and learning

Welcomed as active participants in the life of the school

Encouraged to express their views on school education generally and work in partnership with the school

The Parent Council also has a role in the appointment of Head Teachers and Depute Head Teachers.

The role of the Parent Council

The Parent Council is made up of parents/carers of children within the school that are self-nominated and then elected annually at the AGM. Our role is to:

Provide a voice for parents and carers on issues that are important to them and their children

Support the school and Headteacher in developing strong home/school partnerships

Engage in activities and fund raising to support the school and advance the education and welfare of our pupils

Promote and encourage the Catholic Faith and its ethos within our school Parent council meetings are held each term and all parents/carers are welcome to attend. If you have any comments or suggestions that you would like discussed at the meetings they can be forwarded to us at stclarespc@gmail.com to our class reps on What’s App or speak to one of us in person at school drop off, pick up or school events.

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How to Have Your Say At St. Clare’s we work with you to help us give your child the very best education we can provide. As a parent of a child in attendance at the school, you are automatically part of what is called the Parent Forum for the school. As a member of the Parent Forum:

You can ask the school for advice and information on your child's education and how you can support this

You will have the opportunity to come along to meetings and to feed in your ideas in other ways

The Parent Council for your child's school is a group of parents who represent the views of all parents in the school

All members of the Parent Forum are eligible to serve on the Parent Council and at the AGM parents will be nominated and voted in as core members of the Council taking specific roles as Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. The Head Teacher, staff representatives and local councillors may attend all meetings as advisors to the Parent Council and have the right to speak although, not being members of the Parent Council, no right to vote.

Further information is available on www.parentzonescotland.gov.uk

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Equalities

East Renfrewshire Council Education Department is committed to ensuring equality and fairness for all. In accordance with the requirements set out by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission. Our school is committed to the educational and social values of sustainability, equality and justice. We seek to support our community through fair, transparent, inclusive and sustainable policies and practices in relation to age, disability, pregnancy and maternity, gender and gender identity, race, religion or belief, and sexual orientation. We take a values based approach to our work with children, staff, parents and the wider community. We respect all learners’ rights and our work is underpinned by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The school regularly gathers and reflects upon the views of children, families and community partners in order to continually improve our approaches to promoting equality and equity. We work to remove or minimise all forms of disadvantage suffered by our learners, including economic disadvantage. We value the diversity of the St Clare’s school community and wish for all parents to be involved in the life and work of the school. In accordance with the Equalities Act 2010 we seek to:

Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct that is prohibited by the Act

Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not

Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not The St Clare’s School Equalities Coordinator is Mrs Callaghan, who can be contacted by telephoning or emailing the school. We encourage any concerns be raised with us.

Equal Opportunities and Social Justice In St Clare’s we are committed to Gospel values, equality of opportunity and social justice for all members of the school community irrespective of social background, creed, disability or race. All members of staff are required to take account of this when carrying out their various duties and are supported by our anti-bullying policy.

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Our School Vision, Values and Aims The creation of our school vision, values and aims involved our whole school community. Pupils visited our friends in Mearns Primary to share good practice and sent home family talking homework tasks to ascertain the views and opinions from all of our families. Alongside this our Rights Respecting School Committee worked hard to decide and agree the rights of the child which underpin this work. Our Vision, Values and Aims are authentic and I believe clearly reflect who we are and what we do. They embrace our school motto “Love God, Serve God” promote our faith and demonstrate the importance of our Gospel values within our vibrant school community.

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Our Patron St Clare of Assisi

The founder of the Order of Poor Ladies, St. Clare of Assisi was an Italian saint and one of the first followers of St. Francis of Assisi. We have a beautiful statue of St Clare in our main entrance which was gifted to us by the community of St Ninian’s, our cluster High School.

St. Clare of Assisi was born into a wealthy Italian family but soon shunned her luxurious upbringing to embrace the life of piety and poverty. Inspired by the words of Francis of Assisi, Clare fled her home and joined Francis, establishing her own religious order. The group became known for their austere and devout lifestyle and for the power of their prayer, which is credited with saving Assisi from invaders twice. After Francis' death, Clare continued his work and broadened her own influence. Clare died in 1253 and was canonized two years later by Pope Alexander IV. St. Clare's feast day is celebrated on August 11.

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A Charter for Catholic Schools in Scotland

The mission of the Catholic school is to develop as a community of faith and learning, providing the highest quality of education, and offering formation through the promotion of Gospel values, through celebration and worship, and through service to the common good. All Catholic schools in Scotland, in honouring Jesus Christ as the Way, the Truth and the Life, will feature the following characteristics:

a commitment to the integrated education and formation of the whole person, in close partnership with parents as the first educators of their children;

an inclusive ethos which aims to honour the life, dignity and voice of each person, made in the image of God;

a commitment to the search for wisdom in life and to the pursuit of excellence, through the development of each person’s unique God-given talents;

a commitment to the spiritual formation of the school community, through the shared experience of prayer and liturgy, and in partnership with local parishes;

the provision of religious education programmes which enable young people to develop their understanding of Gospel values and of how to apply them to life;

a commitment to uphold the moral teaching, faith tradition and sacramental life of the Catholic Church;

a commitment to communicate Catholic social teaching and thereby to promote social justice and opportunity for all;

a commitment to ecumenical action and the unity of Christians;

the promotion of respect for different beliefs and cultures and for inter-faith dialogue;

a commitment to support the continuing professional and spiritual development of staff. All staff appointed to a Catholic school are expected to support and promote the aims, mission, values and ethos of the school, as illustrated in this Charter.

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St Cadoc’s Roman Catholic Church

St Clare’s has strong links with our local Parish of St Cadoc’s and Canon Eddie, who is our School Chaplain and a very important member of the school community.

St. Cadoc’s Catholic Church

24 Fruin Avenue,

Newton Mearns,

G77 6HA

TEL: 0141 639 1073

Website: www.saintcadocschurch.co.uk

Email: stcadoc@rcdop.org.uk

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Anti-bullying- Information for Parents

East Renfrewshire is committed to the Scottish Government’s vision of anti-bullying. “Every child and young person in Scotland will grow up free from bullying and will develop respectful, responsible and confident relationships with other children, young people and adults. Children and young people, and their parents or carers, will have the skills and resilience to prevent or respond to bullying. All children will expect help and know who can help them; while those adults working with them will follow a consistent and effective approach in dealing with and preventing bullying from early years onwards.” A National Approach to Anti-Bullying for Scotland’s Children and Young People, Scottish Government, November 2010. When talking about bullying behaviour, we do not label children and young people as ‘bullies’ or ‘victims’; instead, we talk about those experiencing and those demonstrating or exhibiting bullying behaviour. What is bullying behaviour? Bullying behaviour can be physical, emotional, verbal or threatening behaviour and leaving someone out. Something need only happen once for a child or young person to feel worried or scared to go to school. Bullying behaviour can include:

Being called names, teased, put down or threatened

Being hit, tripped or kicked

Having belongings stolen or damaged

Being ignored, left out or having rumours spread about you

Receiving abusive text messages or e-mails

Being forced to do things against your will

Being targeted for who you are or who you are perceived to be Cyber bullying is bullying behaviour that takes place via mobile phone or over the internet through emails, instant messaging and social networking websites. Texts, messages or images are sent or posted on sites, which hurt, intimidate or embarrass another person. What are the possible signs that my child may be on the receiving end of bullying behaviour? These are some of the indicators that your child may be being bullied;

Any significant change in behaviour e.g. eating less, becoming withdrawn, changes in sleep patterns

Torn or damaged clothing

Having possessions go missing or ‘losing’ pocket money

Scratches and bruises that can’t really be explained

Not wanting to go to school or having trouble with school work

Changing the route that is taken to and from school

Not wanting to go out and play with friends

Unexplained head/stomach aches and other pains

Easily upset, unexplained tears or ill-tempered behaviour

Being nervous about text messages or using the internet

Giving improbable excuses for any of the above

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What can I do?

Always encourage your child to talk about anything that concerns them

Be calm – try not to let your child see how angry and upset you may feel at what is happening to them

Reassure them that what is happening is not their fault

Find out the facts

Tell your child that you may need to share this information with others in order to help them

Contact your child’s school What can I expect the school to do?

Schools have a responsibility to investigate all allegations of bullying behaviour

An investigation should be carried out within three days

If there is a delay for any reason, you will be informed

Where appropriate, sanctions will be applied for the child or young person displaying bullying behaviour and if confirmed, the incident can be logged as bullying behaviour

Support will be provided for your child

Support to address the bullying behaviour of the other child or young person will also be provided

All confirmed incidents of bullying behaviour are reported to the Head of Service (Inclusion, Schools and Quality Improvement) annually

Useful websites

Respectme http://www.respectme.org.uk/

Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOPs) http://www.ceop.police.uk/

Cyberbullying.org http://cyberbullying.org/

Get Safe Online http://www.getsafeonline.org/

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Curriculum for Excellence

Curriculum for Excellence aims to achieve a transformation in education in Scotland by providing a coherent, more flexible and enriched curriculum from 3 to 18. The curriculum includes the totality of experiences which are planned for children and young people through their education, wherever they are being educated.

Through ‘Curriculum for Excellence’, young people will be given the best possible chance to realise their potential for a successful future.

Excellence in education means putting the child first and equipping every young person with the knowledge and skills most suited to their particular talents and aspirations.

A strong emphasis will be placed on literacy, numeracy, citizenship, health and well-being and the essential skills for life, learning and work.

Values “Wisdom, justice, compassion and integrity: the words which are inscribed on the mace in the Scottish Parliament have helped to define values for our democracy.” Purposes of the Curriculum from 3-18 “Our aspiration for all children and for every young person is that they should be successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors to society and at work.” Curriculum for Excellence offers:

• A coherent curriculum framework

• A 3-18 continuum of learning

• Joining up of learners’ journeys

• Easy transition between key stages

• A focus on knowledge and skills It allows us to prepare our children to respond to a fast changing world, to give them transferable skills - ‘future proof’ them! We strive to teach them how to learn – to investigate, analyse and collaborate. In St. Clare’s Primary we bring learning to life by providing opportunities for learners to work:

• in groups

• across ages

• with other schools

• interdisciplinary contexts

• outside classroom situations We make connections and build strong links with industry, employers and our local and wider community. We focus on enterprise and provide opportunities for the children to think about their future career pathways by inviting a range of guest speakers into our school to inspire and motivate our learners.

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Classes take up opportunities to share ideas and resources via Glow, the national education intranet. Our curriculum is designed on the basis of the following set of key principles: Challenge and enjoyment Children and young people should find their learning challenging, engaging and motivating. The curriculum should encourage high aspirations and ambitions for all. Breadth All children and young people should have opportunities for a broad, suitably weighted range of experiences. The curriculum should be organised so that they will learn and develop through a variety of contexts within the classroom and in other aspects of school life. Progression Children and young people should experience continuous progression in their learning from 3 to 18 within a single curriculum framework. Each stage should build upon earlier knowledge and achievements. Depth There should be opportunities for children to develop their full capacity for different types of thinking and learning. As they progress, they should develop and apply increasing intellectual rigour, drawing different strands of learning together. Personalisation and Choice The curriculum should respond to individual needs and support particular aptitudes and talents. It should give each child and young person increasing opportunities for exercising responsible personal choice as they move through their school career. Coherence Taken as a whole, children and young people's learning activities should combine to form a coherent experience. There should be clear links between the different aspects of children and young people's learning. Relevance Children and young people should understand the purposes of their activities. They should see the value of what they are learning and its relevance to their lives, present and future. In general, in enrolling a child at this school a parent accepts that the child will receive the curriculum offered, which meets the national guidelines. This means that, with very limited exception, pupils cannot be withdrawn from particular subjects/parts of the curriculum or specific activities forming part of the curriculum at the school. The limited exceptions, when a pupil may be withdrawn by parental request, exist in relation to (i) religious observance and instruction and (ii) sex education programmes.

You can find more information at

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/thecurriculum/whatiscurriculumforexcellence/index.asp

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Curricular Areas and Subjects Learning and teaching is focused on delivering Experiences and Outcomes in the following areas and subjects:

• Literacy and English

• Modern Languages

• Numeracy and Mathematics

• Health and Wellbeing

• Sciences

• Social Studies

• Expressive Arts

• Religious and Moral Education

• Technologies Literacy & English Using a variety of relevant resources and teaching strategies we endeavour to develop in each learner competence, confidence and enjoyment in listening, talking, reading and writing.

Learners are encouraged to value the importance of reading and find enjoyment in reading for pleasure. Children are taught effective reading strategies which they can use to decode and clarify unknown words. This will help them understand the meaning of the text and gain confidence when discussing the text with their peers, teachers and at home. Throughout their time at St Clare’s your child will develop a range of writing skills, these skills will be taught with learners writing imaginative stories, poetry, reports, recounts, letters and more. These writing skills are then developed in a variety of real life situations e.g. writing a letter to invite a visitor into school.

Modern Languages

Children at all the stages P1 –P7 are taught French. In primaries 5, 6 and 7 pupils will also learn Mandarin. This is part of the Scottish Government’s policy, Language learning in Scotland: A 1 + 2 Approach. This opportunity to develop skills in a second additional language should help pupils to play their full part as global citizens.

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Numeracy and Mathematics Our numeracy and mathematics programme includes a range of interactive teaching approaches to support learning. A carefully structured and balanced maths programme which includes money, measurement, shape, position and movement, problem solving and enquiry will be followed by each child. Teachers provide a balance between practical and written work incorporating active learning approaches.

Authority standardised testing at P3, P5 and P7 complements our own internal continuous assessment. Sciences Within our Science programme of study children follow structured investigations in: Planet Earth Forces, electricity and waves Biological systems Materials Topical science

They are presented with a range of different contexts for learning which draw on important aspects of everyday life and work. Children are encouraged to develop curiosity and understanding of the environment and their place in the living, material and physical world. Through practical, interesting and fun investigations children are be made more aware of the impact the sciences make on their lives, the environment and on society.

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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. As they mature, children and young people’s experiences will be broadened using Scottish, British, European and wider contexts for learning. Social Studies is structured under three main organisers:

People, past events and societies

People, place and environment

People in society, economy and business Technologies The technologies framework provides a range of different contexts for learning that draw on important aspects of everyday life and work. It includes creative, practical and work-related experiences and outcomes in business, computing science, food, textiles, craft, design, engineering, graphics and applied technologies. St Clare’s has full WI-FI access which allows learners to work and learn in different parts of the school building encouraging children to use their ICT skills in all areas of learning.

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Expressive Arts The Expressive Arts, Drama, Art and Design and Music are developed in a planned progressive way throughout all stages. Our music programme is delivered by class teachers and a visiting music specialist. The programme has been developed by East Renfrewshire Council. Following assessment in primary three and four, children are selected for instruction in strings and brass instruments by visiting specialists.

Health and Wellbeing Curriculum for Excellence has an important role to play in promoting the health and wellbeing of children and young people. It ensures that they develop the knowledge and understanding, skills, capabilities and attributes which they need for mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing. Children are encouraged to make healthy lifestyle choices, treat themselves and others with respect and fairness and develop a positive attitude for a healthy future. Physical Education Children gain experience and knowledge of the important role of exercise within our Health and Wellbeing programme. This includes Active Health, gymnastics, dance, sports and games. An Active Schools Coordinator supports the establishments within the St Ninian’s cluster.

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Religious and Moral Education The main aim of Religious Education in school is to teach the Catholic Faith to the children in a way that is appropriate to their age and circumstances. This is done, in the formal curriculum; through the This is our Faith programme. Through this teaching we will aim to help the children:

a) Deepen their faith and become more aware of God as a presence in their lives. b) Improve their understanding of their membership of the Church, especially in relation to the

Sacraments they receive, during their Primary School years. c) Become more aware of the rights and needs of other people within the scope of their own lives

and in the wider world. d) Grow in tolerance of other people, especially those with other or no faith.

We aim to help children to discover and personally deepen their faith and their understanding of their membership of the Church and the Sacraments. With the cooperation of family members, the children in Primary 4 are prepared to receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion. The Sacrament of Confirmation is conferred on pupils in Primary 7. ‘This Is Our Faith’ Religious Education Programme is used throughout the school. ‘This Is Our Faith’ stresses the importance of being inclusive to all learners and details the distinctive purpose of religious education in the Catholic school and invites schools to provide for children and young people structured opportunities to encounter Jesus’ presence. God’s Loving Plan is an RERC and Health and Wellbeing resource which has been designed to deliver relationship and sex education in ways which are faithful to Christian moral teaching. It helps children to develop healthy and respectful attitudes to their bodies and to all aspects of God’s gift of life.

Catholicity SCOTTISH CATHOLIC EDUCATION SERVICE

RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE IN THE CATHOLIC SCHOOL

The Education (Scotland) Act 1980 imposes a statutory duty on local authorities to provide “Religious

Observance” in Scottish schools. This is defined in a national R.O. Review Group report published in 2004

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as compromising: “community acts which aim to promote the spiritual development of all members of the

school’s community and express and celebrate the shared values of the school community”.

In a letter of guidance issued by the Scottish Government in February 2011, it is acknowledged that

Catholic schools take a distinctive approach to the provision of Religious Observance:

Scottish Government Ministers welcome the tradition that, in Roman Catholic denominational schools,

Catholic Liturgy will largely shape the nature and frequency of religious observance activities in the

classroom and in the wider school community. So, at times, children and young people will be invited to

participate in, and sometimes to lead, prayer and reflection in classrooms and at assemblies. At other

times, to honour particular occasions or feasts, chaplains will lead school communities in the celebration of

Mass and other forms of liturgical celebration.

Catholic schools follow the customs and practices of the Church in order to nourish the spirituality and

faith of children and staff. Our Catholic tradition is enriched by ancient rites, prayers and devotions which

help young people to become aware of, and show reverence to, the sacred presence of the living God,

Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Guided by this tradition, we celebrate various seasons and special feast days to

honour God, Mary his Mother and the Saints.

Children are invited to pray with their teachers at times in classrooms and assemblies, as well as in

liturgical services. Usually a classroom will display a Crucifix on the wall; in some classrooms and other

areas of the school, a sacred space will feature a copy of the Bible and will be decorated with signs and

symbols that reflect the changing seasons of the Church Calendar Year i.e., Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter

and Pentecost.

This regular practice of prayer is completed by religious services conducted, sometimes as part of an

assembly, to mark special occasions – e.g. the distribution of Ashes on Ash Wednesday, the seasons of

Advent or Lent. To mark special Feast Days and Holy Days of Obligation, Holy Mass will be celebrated by

the school chaplain, with the school community, in school buildings or in local parishes. Some children, at

certain stages, may be able to participate in retreats and pilgrimages to places of special significance within

the Catholic tradition.

While Religious Education is governed by a separate Church guidance, it is complemented by Religious

Observance practices and, together, these experiences help children to develop their understanding of the

Catholic faith, to experience opportunities for spiritual growth and to commit to beliefs, values and actions

in a positive response to God’s invitation to faith.

In terms of pupil participation in R.O. Scottish Government guidance makes it clear that it makes an

important contribution to pupils’ development and that it promotes the ethos of a school by bringing the

pupils together and creating a sense of community. However, it also makes clear that the parents have the

right to withdraw children from participation in religious observance and that this right should always be

made known to parents and their wishes respected. The Scottish Government also recognises that:

Where a parent chooses a denominational school for their child’s education, they choose to opt in to the

school’s ethos and practice which is imbued with religious faith and religious observance. In

denominational schools, it is therefore more difficult to extricate a pupil from all experiences which are

influenced by the school’s faith character.

1 Curriculum for Excellence – Provision of Religious Observance in Schools, Scottish Government, 17 February 201

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School Improvement

Planning for school improvement in St Clare’s

In line with our school aim in St Clare’s we….. “Recognise learning is not just for today but forever! Work as a team and build a community, where everyone

can shine. Always try to improve and reach for the stars.”

Our agreed aims support everyone in the community of St Clare’s to always be their best self and help our school continue to improve. Improvement is in line with the National Improvement priorities. Our context influences the needs of our community and in turn the priorities we have agreed. Annually we create a School Improvement Plan which provides a framework that we use to help drive improvement forward. The plan is informed by the process of self-evaluation. Staff, learners, parents and partners are involved in different ways throughout the year to reflect on the progress that we make. We then use this evidence to inform planning for the next academic year. St Clare’s has cultivated a climate where learners can use their voice to influence their learning and community. A detailed copy of the plan and our Standards and Quality Report can be found on our website following this link:

https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/er/stclares/school-improvement/

School Policies and Practical Information

Many of our school policies, procedures and advice sheets can be found on our school website: https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/er/stclares/

Our policies link entirely with the advice given locally from East Renfrewshire Council or with the Scottish Government and links to their sites are:

https://www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk?index.aspx?articleid=1489

https://home.scotland.gov.uk/home

Parent Zone (Scotland) is also a very good organisation to gain useful tips and knowledge: https://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/parentzone/index.asp

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Pupil Voice St Clare’s Primary School has met the standard for UNICEF UK’s Rights Respecting Schools Award at Silver: Rights Aware. Genuine pupil voice and learner empowerment were integral to the achievement of this award. A detailed copy of the report can be found on our website following this link https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/er/stclares/files/2019/11/StClares.pdf

There are an extensive range of pupil voice opportunities within the school. • All learners are expected and encouraged to use their voice to influence their learning daily within the

classroom. • Every child is involved in creating their RRS Class Charter at the start of the school year. • Through the formation of Learner Participation Groups (LPG’s) every learner uses this as a forum to

share their thoughts and opinions about school improvement or comment/evaluate the impact of different initiatives.

• Every child from P3 onwards are part of a committee, whilst P1 and P2 children use the scheduled committee time to learn about how the committees work. Committees create an action plan and are expected to deliver impact, which is reflected upon at the end of the session.

• Annually P7 learners are invited to apply to be part of the Junior Leadership Team, a concept which was requested for by the children. Every applicant is expected to complete an application form in class and attend a brief interview. Successful candidates are appointed to the positions and the rest of their peers have an opportunity to be a P7 prefect. The children use a relevant theme from ‘How Good is OUR School?’ auditing current practice and feeding into school improvement.

All children know that they can use their voice to bring about change for good within their school and beyond.

School and Community

At St Clare’s Primary School we work extremely hard to ensure that your child reaches their potential in every way. This includes developing as an active citizen who understands both their rights and responsibilities and who wants to make a valuable contribution to the life of the community.

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Citizenship We ensure that our young people also learn about values and citizenship as part of their school experience from primary through to the end of secondary school. Children are encouraged to become involved in their own communities, valuing people of other cultures, and even playing a part in local decision-making. We teach and encourage pupils to think about and form opinions on: • Religious, moral and social issues • Political issues • Environmental issues • Respect for others • Caring for their fellow pupils and their school • Issues relating to the developing world

We believe it is important for children to master life skills which will be useful in later life. We run very successful committees and clubs which endeavour to teach the children these crucial skills. This year we worked with our community to hold a whole school ‘Developing the Young Workforce’ week which was highly successful enabling groups of mixed aged pupils to ‘pitch’ to a group of professionals and the winning team visiting our partners at JP Morgan to experience a day in the real world of work. As well as every child taking part in a committee we run a coding club, gardening club, homework club, mandarin club, netball, school choir, drama and arts and craft clubs at lunchtimes supported by staff, pupils, parents, grandparents and friends of the school.

Celebrating Achievement

We celebrate achievement at St. Clare’s in a variety of ways, within the classroom and during assemblies. Pupils can be awarded stars by any adult in the school which are collected in a whole school jar. All the pupils’ achievements are stored and the whole school can celebrate all our achievements when the jar is full. Every week the teacher awards a pupil in their class with a ‘Charter Champion’ certificate signed by Mrs Absolom and presented at our weekly assembly. Children are regularly sent to Mrs Absolom, Mrs Callaghan and Mrs Pinna to receive Head teacher, Depute and Principal teacher awards for hard work and fulfilling our values.

Extra-Curricular Activities

We have access to a 4G pitch, in addition to our playground, and through our Active Schools Co-ordinator many children have the opportunity to take part in sport clubs. Primary 7 pupils have the opportunity to take part in a residential trip to Lochgoilhead and pupils of other stages make educational visits to places of interest. As well as this, we regularly welcome visitors from a variety of professions, to further enrich our curriculum.

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Learning at home

St Clare’s homework forms part of our school curriculum and it generally includes aspects of reading, language, mathematics, research in relation to social studies and religious education. The different types of activities will allow you to experience the concepts being tackled by your child in school and instils self-discipline. We request your support to ensure a high standard of work and would ask you to sign tasks on completion. Some simple homework strategies are suggested:

Try to establish a regular pattern, location and time, away from distractions such as television

Be available to work with your child

As your child has worked hard in school, time spent on homework should not be too onerous

Be supportive, praise your child’s efforts

Sign homework jotters and diaries Please speak to your child’s teacher if work is causing concern or if, for any reason, your child cannot complete the allocated tasks within a reasonable time frame. The Learning at Home Policy can be located on our website.

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Assessment and Reporting

In St Clare’s we strive to ensure that assessment is integral to the teaching and learning process. Curriculum for Excellence is based on a model of sustained change which sees schools as co-creators of the curriculum, and whilst we enjoy the flexibility and ownership that this offers we continue to recognise our responsibility in Getting It Right for Every Child (GIRFEC). Therefore, we have a range of approaches in place to ensure we discuss and monitor learner progress in order to build a clear picture of the whole child. We operate a policy of continuous assessment from Primary 1 to Primary 7. This enables teachers to plan high quality learning experiences and evaluate the impact and effectiveness of teaching methods and resources. We adopt a wide range of assessment strategies to promote learning and so meet the needs of all children. Each child’s progress will be regularly assessed in order to diagnose difficulties and to discover their capabilities. Assessment of children's progress and achievement is based on teachers' assessment of their knowledge and understanding, skills, attributes and capabilities. Children will progress through the following levels from pre -school to secondary education: Early Level the pre-school year and P1 or later for some First Level to the end of P4, but earlier or later for some Second Level to the end of P7, but earlier or later for some East Renfrewshire Standardised Testing in reading and mathematics will be carried out in Primaries 3, 5 and 7 as part of the target setting activities which take place in the school. Baseline Assessment takes place in primary 1. East Renfrewshire Standardised Testing in reading and mathematics will be carried out in Primaries 3, 5 and 7 as part of the target setting activities which take place in the school. Baseline Assessment takes place in primary 1.

2017-2018 2018-2019 2019-2020

Overall P1 Baseline Score Literacy

102 101 101

Boys 102 97 99

Girls 102 104 101

Overall P1 Baseline Score Numeracy

96 100 104

Boys 96 97 106

Girls 95 98 104

Overall proportion of P1 achieving their Developmental Milestones

71% 96% 90%

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The table below summarises the overall P3, P5 and P7 performances in standardised tests. Standardised scores can range from 70 to 130. A score of 90 – 109 is age appropriate; a score of 100 is the average at each stage within East Renfrewshire.

Overall Std Test Score

2017-2018 2018-2019 2019-2020

Maths P3 94 96 95

English P3 100 100 96

Maths P5 95 93 97

English P5 96 97 102

Maths P7 NA 102 96

English P7 NA 107 99

Standardised assessments capture a snapshot of a child’s learning journey. Teachers use this data and a range of other evidence to make holistic Curriculum for Excellence judgements.

Formative Assessment techniques will also be employed in order to fully involve children in their own learning and to challenge and motivate them as masters of their own learning. Research shows that children learn best when they understand clearly what they are trying to learn and know what is expected of them. It has also shown that improvements are made when children are given feedback about the quality of their work and are given advice about how to improve their work.

You can find more information about personal learning planning, or any aspect of Scottish education, on

Parentzone:

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/parentzone/ At the end of each academic year you will receive a copy of your child’s report. Parents’ evenings will be held twice a year to provide an update on your child’s progress including strengths and development needs. Parents can make an appointment at any time to discuss a child’s progress. In addition curriculum evenings, open afternoons, regular home learning activities and other opportunities will be used to share information on pupil progress and achievements.

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Scottish National Standardised Assessments The Scottish Government has introduced a single, nationally developed set of standardised assessments, designed to reflect the way we deliver education in Scotland, through Curriculum for Excellence. These assessments are expected to replace the variety of existing standardised assessments that local authorities and schools use at the moment. Scottish National Standardised Assessments focus on aspects of reading, writing and numeracy. All Pupils in P1, P4, P7 and S3 will be assessed. Assessments are administered to each child once within the relevant school year. Individual teachers and schools, with guidance from their local authorities, will decide the most appropriate time during the school year for your child to take the standardised assessments. Assessments are completed online, marked automatically, giving teachers immediate feedback to help children progress. The online assessment system will produce feedback information about where your child did well and where further support is required. This feedback will be used to help plan next steps and provide further support as appropriate.

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Transitions and Placing Requests

Primary to Nursery The enrolment of new entrants takes place each year in January. This event is well advertised by associate nurseries and by East Renfrewshire Council. Whenever possible the early learning and childcare and primary 1 staff will work alongside one another to ensure as smooth a transition as possible for your child. Primary to Secondary St Ninian’s will be our associated High School and there is a carefully constructed cluster programme to ensure smooth transition. Children will be visited by the Head Teacher and staff early in the second term and there is a series of visits so that children can experience aspects of the secondary curriculum. Representatives from schools within St Ninian’s cluster meet regularly to discuss matters affecting both primary and secondary education.

School Admission Arrangements Before a child enrols in St. Clare’s Primary School, the Education Department will seek documentary evidence to validate a child’s entitlement to a catchment place at this school. If appropriate evidence is not submitted the Education Department will withdraw the offer of a place. Documentary evidence can be submitted to the Education Department via the school office. Further detail on required documentary evidence and change of circumstances is available in the Education Department’s school admission policy which is accessible on the Council’s website via the web address below: http://www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=19102&p=0 When a child who was enrolled in the school as a catchment pupil ceases to reside within the St. Clare’s Primary delineated catchment area and his/her parents wish the child to continue to attend the school the parent must submit a placing request to remain. Where it is found that a child is no longer entitled to a catchment place in St. Clare’s Primary since they no longer reside in a property in the delineated catchment area associated with the school, and a placing request to remain has not been submitted and approved, the Council may seek to exclude that child from the school. A child’s parents(s)/carer(s) is/are responsible for providing the Education Department with full and correct information about their child(ren) and any changes to that information which may affect their status as a catchment child. In the event that parent(s)/carer(s) fail to do this, the Education Department will view this as a refusal to comply with the rules and regulations of the school; this lack of cooperation will result in the Council seeking to exclude the child(ren) from St. Clare’s Primary School. If information that is submitted is found to be fraudulent the Council may pass the matter to the Procurator Fiscal’s Office. The Council will use all means available to it in order to investigate suspicions or allegations of fraud, including but not limited to, surveillance in cases where it is necessary and proportionate to do so.

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Placing Requests

Children normally transfer to secondary school to continue their education at the end of their primary seven year. Normally this will be between the ages of 111/2 and 12 1/2.

The Executive Committee on Education made changes to the transfer arrangements in December 2016. Children living within the catchment of St Joseph’s (Clarkston), Our Lady of the Missions (Thornliebank), St Cadoc’s (Crookfur) are entitled to transfer to St Ninian’s High School. A placing request can be made to any other school. Contact Information St Ninian’s High School Rouken Glen Road Giffnock East Renfrewshire Telephone: 0141-577-2000 Fax: 0141-577-2037 Children living out with these catchments will be expected to return to their local catchment secondary school. A placing request must be made if you want your child to attend any other high school.

For more information about placing requests for East Renfrewshire Schools

please access the council website or phone 0141 577 3578

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Additional Support for Learning Additional support for learning is essentially the responsibility of the class teacher who will ensure that a suitably differentiated curriculum is planned and delivered but occasionally, after consultation with parents, we may call upon the service of our Joint Support Team to offer additional input.

Group and class teaching methods ensure that strengths and areas for development are highlighted quickly. Additional support for learning is applicable at some time to most children, particularly those who experience difficulty or are very able. Members of our additional learning support team can provide general advice and guidance for teachers to ensure that an appropriate curriculum is devised and that the most effective resources and methods are employed. Mrs Callaghan, our Depute Head Teacher is responsible for co-ordinating this support within the school. Additional support is supplied by teachers of the partially sighted, speech and language and occupational therapists and bi-lingual staff as appropriate.

Specific Learning Difficulties Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty. We use the term when a child is having difficulties with aspects of reading and writing when there is a clear difference between these and the way they perform in other areas of schoolwork. If you think your son or daughter may be dyslexic, your first step is to approach your child’s class teacher. There will be strategies in place to help deal with any problems that teachers have identified. However, if not, assessments may be carried out to establish the nature and severity of the problem your child is facing. This may involve specialist help and advice from an Educational Psychologist. The school policy is to keep you and your child fully informed of the results of these assessments.

You can find more information at http://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/er/curriculinks/inclusion/

Enquire also provide a range of clear and easy-to-read guides and fact sheets explaining everything from ‘additional support in the early years’ to ‘what planning should take place for moving on from school’.

For more advice and information from the Education Department contact:

Nick Smiley

Senior Education Psychologist

East Renfrewshire Council

Psychological Services

Tel: 0141 876 0886

Outside contact for advice and information are:

East Renfrewshire Dyslexia Parents’ Support Group

Contact through Dyslexia Scotwest

Dyslexia Scotwest

181 Whitefield Road

Govan,

Glasgow

G51 2SD

Tel: 0141 445 0001

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School Holidays 2021/2022

Term 1 2021

Teachers return Monday 16 August 2021

In-service Monday 16 August 2021

In-service Tuesday 17 August 2021

Pupils return Wednesday 18 August 2021

Last day of school Thursday 23 September 2021

September Weekend Friday 24 September 2021

September Weekend Monday 27 September 2021

Re-open Tuesday 28 September 2021

Last day of school Friday 8 October 2021

In-service Monday 18 October 2021

Re-open Tuesday 19 October 2021

Last day of school Wednesday 22 December 2021

Term 2 2022

Re-open Wednesday 5 January 2022

Last day of school Thursday 3 February 2022

In-service Friday 4 February 2022

Mid term Monday 7 February 2022

Mid term Tuesday 8 February 2022

Re-open Wednesday 9 February 2022

Last day of school Friday 1 April 2022

Term 3 2022

Re-open Tuesday 19 April 2022

Last day of school Friday 29 April 2022

May Day Holiday Monday 2 May 2022

Re-open Tuesday 3 May 2022

In-service Thursday 5 May 2022

Re-open Friday 6 May 2022

Last day of school Thursday 26 May 2022

May Weekend Friday 27 May 2022

May Weekend Monday 30 May 2022

Re-open Tuesday 31 May 2022

Last day of school Tuesday 28 June 2022

Easter 2022

Good Friday, 15 April 2022

Easter Monday, 18 April 2022

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School Uniform: Dressing for Excellence

In East Renfrewshire we strive to achieve our vision of Everyone Attaining, Everyone Achieving through Excellent Experiences. Supporting schools to robustly implement school uniform/dress codes is an important way of reinforcing this drive for excellence. East Renfrewshire’s Education Department expects and strongly encourages its schools to have a high standard of uniform as it can:

contribute to school security and personal safety;

instil pride in the school and contribute to its values;

promote a positive and professional work ethic;

help pupils to see schools as places of learning;

support positive behaviour and discipline;

encourage identity with, and support for, school ethos;

promote equality of opportunity and social justice;

protect children and young people form social pressures to dress in a particular, fashionable or expensive way;

nurture cohesion and promote good relations between different groups of pupils; and foster a spirit of partnership among pupils and staff, between home and school, and between community and school.

Dressing for Excellence is a policy approved by East Renfrewshire’s Education Committee and was formulated following discussions with Head Teachers and Parent Council Chairpersons. We have listened to parents complain about tensions which can arise in homes when children and young people show disregard for their school’s uniform/dress code or, indeed when they pressurise their parents to buy them expensive items of clothing to wear to school in order to keep up with or show off to their peers. Having a partnership approach between home and school can help youngsters to resist such pressures and develop their understanding of school as a place for learning and work, rather than a place to impress friends and socialise. School uniforms are an economic and practical solution to take away the debate about what to wear to school. There are forms of dress which are unacceptable in school, such as items of clothing which:

fail to identify children / young people as pupils of St. Clare’s.

are not in keeping with St. Clare’s school ethos.

potentially encourage faction (such as football colours).

could cause offence (such as anti-religious symbolism or political slogans).

could be health and safety hazard (such as loose fitting clothing, dangling earrings).

could cause damage to flooring.

carry advertising, particularly for alcohol or tobacco.

could be used to inflict harm on other pupils or be used by others to do so under no circumstances will pupils be deprived of any educational benefit as a result of not wearing uniform and, in particular, pupils will not be denied access to examinations as a result of not wearing school uniform.

What can parents do?

Participate fully in consultation in your child’s school to agree the list of approved items for its uniform / dress code.

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Make sure you are aware of the benefits of wearing school uniform and discuss these with your child.

Stay committed to it – sometimes the road may be rocky, but it is worth showing your commitment.

Keep in contact with the school and other parents; a united approach will reinforce the messages to children and young people.

If you are contacted by the school to inform you that your child has not worn any or part of the approved uniform, discuss it with him/her; set out your expectations and revisit the benefits.

Praise your child for wearing the full school uniform. Tell your child how smart he/she looks. Parents of children receiving family income support, family credit, housing benefit, or council tax rebate will normally be entitled to monetary grants for footwear and clothing for their children. Approval of any request for such grants made by parents in different circumstances are at the discretion of the Director of Education. Information and application forms may be obtained from schools and education offices. Parents are asked to assist by ensuring that valuable items and unnecessarily expensive items of clothing are not brought to school. Parents should note that the authority does not carry insurance to cover the loss of such items and any claims submitted are likely to be met only where the authority can be shown to have been negligent.

St Clare’ School Uniform

Black Blazer

Grey Trousers/Skirt

White Shirt

School Tie

Grey V-Neck Jumper (Optional black/yellow/white trim)

Black Waterproof Jacket

Black Shoes

To promote school uniform, I would encourage all children from P1-7 to wear their school shirt and tie every day. We ask children to keep school shirts buttoned and tucked in, to wear ties knotted to the neck and to wear skirts of an acceptable, modest length.

P.E. KIT

Black shorts, white polo shirt and black gym shoes/plimsolls. PLEASE LABEL ALL ITEMS OF CLOTHING

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School Lunches ParentPay It is easier for you to pay for school meals and trips – ERC’s new ParentPay means you won’t need to send your son or daughter into school with cash or cheques, you can simply pay online via the Council website.

What does ParentPay do?

Enables you to pay for school meals, educational excursions and other school items.

Displays all the payments that you have made.

Enables you to create a single account login for all your children who attend ParentPay school.

Displays all items available for payment relevant to each of your children.

Sends a receipt of your payment to the email address you register.

Provides the ability to set automated email payment reminders.

How does ParentPay help me?

Provides the freedom to make payments to school whenever and wherever you like.

No longer a need to write cheques or send cash to school.

Helps with budgeting; payments are immediate, there is no waiting for cheques to clear.

Payments for many of the larger excursions/ trips can be made by instalments up to the due date.

With automated email alerts you will be notified when payments are due and when your child's account has

insufficient funds.

ParentPay is quick and easy to use.

How does ParentPay help our school?

Reduces the administrative time spent on banking procedures.

Keeps accurate records of payments made to every service for every student.

Reduces paper 'waste'.

Allows for easy and quick refunds to be made.

Improves communication between the school and parents concerning payments.

Offers a more efficient payment collection process, reducing the amount of money held on school premises.

Helps with school-home communication with its integrated email messaging centre.

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Free School Meals Pupils receiving free school meals will be automatically allocated £2.10 per day for lunch. This will be added onto the system prior to lunch service each day. Should your child wish to buy tuck at break or lunch time, they will need to add additional money to the system before making an additional purchase. Should your child be absent from school their £2.10 free meal allocation will be removed from the system. This means your child cannot build up their free meal allocation during a period of absence. Lost Lunch Money Credit of £2.10 will be given if a child has no lunch credit. This must be paid back by Parentpay as quickly as possible to balance your child’s account. If any further information is required, please contact Facilities Management on 0141 577 3310 and member of the team will be happy to assist. Facilities are available for children who require special diets and for those who wish to have packed lunches. Children of parents receiving income support are entitled to a free midday meal. Information and application forms for free school meals may be obtained from the school or Education Offices. There is a ‘Healthy Options’ school tuck shop where pupils can purchase toast, fruit or home baking. The choices available are: Hot Meal - £2.10 Soup Choice of 2 main meals including daily vegetarian option or baked potato Drink Choice of dessert e.g. Fruit salad, ice cream or yoghurt All meals also include bread, salad (lettuce, tomato & cucumber) on an as much as you like basis.

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Transport The Education Department will provide free school transport for one morning journey to school and one return journey at the end of the school day if your son or daughter lives more than 2 miles away from St Clare’s Primary by the shortest, safe walking route. Transport will also be provided to children who live more than one mile away from the school by the shortest, safe walking route who are in receipt of both a clothing grant and free school meals. Please note that children attending the school on a placing request will not be eligible under Council policy. On occasions, circumstances not outlined above may merit free school transport. Parents should complete an application form stating their reason for free transport. Application forms are available online and by contacting East Renfrewshire’s Education Department Offices, Main Street, Barrhead (0141 577 3258). Each application is assessed on an individual basis. The Education Department have also spoken to Strathclyde Passenger Transport regarding bus routes and are hopeful that children living closer to the school will be able to access the bus through the purchase of ‘privilege passes’ and agreed stops on the route. In addition, the department’s Health and Safety team have identified safe walking routes. Our Junior Road Safety Team are currently embarking on a project to from our school travel plan.

More information on Free School Transport can be found at: http://www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=9604&p=0

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St Clare’s Bus Procedures In line with our school vision we will strive to ensure…

“Everyone in St Clare’s will feel happy, nurtured and safe.” We aim to support your child to travel home safely to and from school whilst using their allocated school transport. This can be achieved through children, parents, buses service and school working in partnership. Communication is paramount. Therefore below indicates the school’s procedures to ensure everyone is clear of the system we have in place. At the start of the school session:

Every child entitled to free school transport will receive a pro-froma to indicate stop and days of

travel. Parents complete and return to school office as soon as possible. If these arrangements

change the school office must be informed.

This information will be collated by the school office and shared with SLT and class teacher.

All bus children will be given the opportunity to re-familiarise themselves with their allocated stop

and reminded of the stop number. Where possible the bus driver will indicate the stop number

prior to the doors opening

For the first few weeks pupils will be grouped according to their stop before walking out to the bus.

Where possible any new pupils will be allocated a buddy who alights at their stop to remind them

of where to get off.

Children are reminded about the importance of positive behaviour at all times when travelling.

A member of the Senior Leadership Team or allocated staff member will check off pupils according to the registration information provided by parents’ prior to leaving the school. Children are encouraged to take increasing responsibility for this as they grow. A member of the Senior Leadership Team or staff member will collect primary one pupils from class to join the bus line and escort all pupils to the bus, ensuring seat belts are on. In line with the GIRFEC national policy… “children and young people should be helped to develop the knowledge and skills that will enable them keep themselves safe in situations at home, at school or in the community. Being safe means that children and young people feel secure and protected within trusted relationships where adults are not only acting in their best interests but also listening to them and taking account of their views, preferences and feelings.”

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Medical and Health Care Reducing the Risk of Transmission of Infection Children who have an infectious disease should not be at school or nursery. They should only return after the risk of spreading infection to others has passed. It should be noted that certain infections, if caught by a pregnant member of staff or parent, can pose a danger to her unborn baby. You are therefore asked to notify the school office if your child has one of the following infections: German Measles (Rubella) Chickenpox Slapped Cheek (Parvovirus) Measles Shingles

Minor Accidents: If a pupil has a minor accident, e.g. bumped head, bleeding nose, they will be treated by the school staff and a letter detailing the injury will be completed by the Clerical Staff and sent home with the child. In the event of a child taking ill at school, the home/emergency contact is informed so the child can be collected from school. Serious Accidents or Illness: Parents or emergency contacts are notified immediately. The importance of having an up to date emergency contact cannot be overemphasised. In the case of serious accidents requiring immediate medical attention, the child will be transported to hospital while the parent is contacted and asked to meet the child and teacher there. Health Appraisals: All Primary 1 pupils have a vision acuity screening and height and weight screening carried out by the school Nurse. Primary 7 pupils have a vision acuity screening and a health interview. All screening takes place after signed consent from the parent or guardian. Routine Dental Inspection: Each year children in Primary 1 have a dental inspection. A letter is issued to parents prior to the examination for consent and parents are informed whether or not any further treatment is required. Supervision of Playground: An adult janitorial presence is provided in playgrounds at break times in terms of the Schools (Safety and Supervision of Pupils) (Scotland) Regulations, 1990. This basic requirement is supplemented with support staff. Information in Emergencies: We make every effort to maintain a full educational service, but on some occasions, circumstances arise which lead to disruption. Schools may be affected by, for example, severe weather, temporary interruption of transport or power failures. In such cases we shall do all we can to let you know about the details of closure or re-opening. We shall keep you in touch by using our school website, letters, notices in local shops and community centres, announcements in local churches and announcements in the press and on local radio. We may also text, e mail or use Twitter.

Emergency Closure of Schools – Severe Weather Conditions: http://intranet.erc.insider/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=4193&p=0

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Class Size Maxima

Notes: * The provisions are drawn from The Education (Lower Primary Class Sizes) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2010 **The provisions set out are drawn from the Education (Lower Primary Class Sizes) (Scotland) Regulations 1999. The Schedule to Regulation 4, Excepted Pupils, and the 'Explanatory Note' to the Regulations are provided in Annex A to this Appendix. Annex A sets out the circumstances in which class sizes may exceed the stated maximum. PRACTICAL CLASSES Practical classes are those in which the following subjects are taught: Administration, Art and Design, Biology, Chemistry, Craft and Design, Engineering, General Science, Graphic Communication, Home Economics, Land and Environment, Managing Environmental Resources, Physics, Practical Craft Skills, Product Design and Technological Studies. CLASS SIZES FOR SPECIAL SCHOOLS AND UNITS

Additional Support Needs arising from:

Number of pupils

Moderate learning difficulties 10

Profound learning difficulties 10 **

Severe physical impairment 8

Severe learning difficulties 8

Significant hearing impairment 6

Significant visual impairment 6

Language and communication difficulties 6

Social, emotional and behavioural difficulties 6

Note: ** This figure applies where teachers are complemented by support staff and councils are recommended to apply an adult/pupil ratio of 1:25.

Primary Number of pupils

PI 25*

P2 30**

P3 30**

P4 33

P5 33

P6 33

P7 33

(Composite classes 25)

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Pupil Records

A confidential file will accompany each pupil from Primary One to Primary Seven and will be transferred to Secondary School. This will contain a copy of each annual progress report and any other relevant information.

Data Protection Act

Information on pupils, parents and guardians will be stored on a computer system and may be used for teaching, registration, assessment and other administrative purposes. This information is protected by the Data Protection Act 1998 and may only be disclosed in accordance with the Codes of Practice. For further information, please contact the school.

Privacy Notice – Education Who will process your information? The personal information you give to us through any of our forms relating to Education and any other pupil administrative information we hold about you in this context will be processed by East Renfrewshire Council, Eastwood Park Giffnock, G46 6UG for the administration of Education and any additional support you or your child may require. Why do we process your information? Your information is processed to help us administer education provision and related functions within East Renfrewshire. Your information may be shared with other departments within the council and other organisations for the same purposes and also to check the information we have is accurate; prevent and/or detect crime; and protect public funds. Other organisations may include bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds, other councils, public sector agencies, government departments, exam bodies and other private companies or partners we use to process information and distribution services for the issue of correspondence. What is the legal basis for us to process your information? The council processes your information in order to perform a task carried out in the public interest and also to fulfil its legal obligations to ensure proper administration of the council’s financial affairs in terms of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. The law gives certain types of information special significance because of its sensitivity eg health information. If we process this type of information about you in relation to Education we do so on the basis that it is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest. Do you have to provide your information? Education needs your information to allow us to carry out public tasks in the public interest that is set out in law such as teaching in primary and secondary schools. It allows us to organise and administer classes, lunches, exams etc. How do we collect information about you? Most of the information the council holds about you will come from you as an individual and it provided at your first encounter with education whether it is applying for a place in an early learning and childcare establishment, support in the early years or applying for a place in one of our schools.

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Such information includes:- Child’s Forename Child’s Surname Child’s gender School Stage Details of child’s medical condition Any other name child is known by Child’s date of birth Address including postcode Mother’s/Carer’s Name Father’s/Carer’s Name Mother’s/Carer’s address including postcode Father’s/Carer’s address including postcode Mother’s/Carer’s telephone number Father’s/Carer’s telephone number Mother’s/Carer’s email address Father’s/Carer’s email address Single Parent/Carer family Name of Brother/Sister Date of Birth of Brother/Sister School stage of Brother/Sister Additional Information Support Application School applying for Preferred Alternative School Early Learning and Childcare place applied for Council Tax Evidence Mortgage Statement Rental Agreement Rental Agreement End Date Landlord Registration Number Birth Certificate Baptism Certificate Date of Baptism Name of Church venue Child Benefit Statement Utility Statements Other Catchment Evidence How long will we keep your information? The council will hold your information from when your child first has contact with one of our services through to five year beyond them leaving school. Who is your information shared with? Your information will be accessed by council staff who need to do so to administer education and the many services that run alongside it. If such administration is provided on the council’s behalf by an external agency, that agency will also have access to your information. The information will be shared with SEEMiS, CRB, ParentPay, the Diocese of Paisley (in Roman Catholic schools), Scottish Government including their Analytical Services, Education Scotland, Glow (Scotland’s national education network), SQA, 2Cqr, BAM FM (Carlibar Primary, Barrhead Mearns Castle, Williamwood, Woodfarm High Schools), Bellrock FM (Mearns Primary and St Ninian’s High), Skills Development Scotland, Scholar (Heriot Watt University) and East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure Trust. The council also needs to ensure proper administration of its funds so details will be checked internally for fraud prevention and verification purposes. Information is also analysed internally in order to provide management

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information and inform future service delivery. Your information may also be shared with other departments within the Council. The council also generally complies with requests for specific information from other regulatory and law enforcement bodies where this is necessary and appropriate. Do we transfer your information outside the UK? In general we do not transfer personal information outside the UK but on the rare occasions we do we will inform you. We will only transfer information outside the UK when we are satisfied that the party that will handle the data and the country it is being processed in have adequate safeguards for personal privacy comparable to those which are in place in the UK. Profiling and automated decision-making The Education Department does not use profiling or automated decision-making for administration. Your rights You have the right to be informed of the council’s use of your information. This notice is intended to give you relevant information to meet this right. Access personal data held about you You have the right to access personal information the council holds about you by making what is known as a subject access request. You can receive a copy of your personal data held by the council, details on why it is being held, who it has been or will be shared with, how long it will be held for , the source of the information and if the council uses computer systems to profile or take decisions about you. 1. Request rectification of your personal data

You have the right to request that the council corrects any personal data held about you that is inaccurate. 2. Request that the council restricts processing of your personal data

You have the right to request that the council restricts processing your personal data if you think the personal data is inaccurate, the processing is unlawful, the council no longer need the personal data but you may need it for a legal purpose or you object to the council processing for the performance of a public interest task. 3. To object to the processing of your data

You have the right to object to the council’s use of your personal data. The council will have to demonstrate why it is appropriate to continue to use your data. Complaints If you have an issue with the way the council handles your information or wish to exercise any of the above rights in respect of your information you can contact the council’s data protection officer by post at: The Data Protection Officer East Renfrewshire Council Council headquarters Eastwood Park Giffnock G46 6UG or by email at DPO@eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk You have the right to complain directly to the Information Commissioner’s office (ICO). The address of their head office is: Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5EF Telephone: 0303 123 1113

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Alternatively, you can report a concern via their website at www.ico.org.uk The ICO also have a regional office at: 45 Melville Street, Edinburgh EH3 7HI Telephone: 0303 123 1115 e-mail: scotland@ico.org.uk While you can go directly to the ICO, the council would welcome an opportunity to address any issues you have in the first instance.

Information from the Scottish Government Transferring Educational Data about pupils Education authorities and the Scottish Executive Education Department (SEED) have collected data about pupils on paper forms for many years. We are now working together to transfer data electronically through the ScotXed programme. What pupil data will be collected and transferred? Data on each pupil is collected by local authorities and SEED. 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 local authority, special educational needs, attendance, absence and exclusions from school. Pupil names and addresses are collected by their school and education authority but they are not passed to SEED. Your postcode is the only part of your address that is transferred. Data is held securely and no information on individual pupils can or would be published by SEED. It is used for statistical and research purposes only. Providing national identity and ethnic background data is entirely voluntary. You can choose the ‘not disclosed’ option if you do not want to provide this data. However, we hope that the explanations contained in this message and on our website will help you understand the importance of providing the data. Why do we need your data? In order to make the best decisions about how to improve our education service, SEED and education authorities 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 SEED, education authorities and schools 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 that influence pupil attainment and achievement, 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. SEED will not publish or release any information that allows an individual pupil to be identified. Data will not be used by SEED to take any actions in respect of any individual pupils. Data will only be shared with bona fide partners, such as HMIE and the SQA. Any sharing will be done under conditions of strict control and with the prior agreement of the Data Controller.

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Concerns If you have any concerns about the ScotXed data collections you can email the Data Controller, at EDData.Controller@scotland.gsi.gov.uk or write to The ScotXed Support Office, SEED, Area 1B, Victoria Quay, Leith, EH6 6QQ. Alternative versions of this page are available, on request from the ScotXed Support Office, in other languages, audio tape, braille and large print. Please allow up to 10 days for requests to be processed. Want more information? Further details about ScotXed data exchanges are available on the ScotXed website, www.scotxed.net. The website also contains answers to commonly asked questions about ScotXed.

Use of Photography in Schools The consent of parents/carers (and young people of appropriate age and capacity) should be sought before any photos are taken and displayed. This will be obtained at the beginning of each session and will cover the following categories: • Photography and display in school • Public display (local and national press, TV and media) • Personal photography at school events • Online within the school website, school twitter account, Glow and other relevant websites

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Child Protection We Work Hard to Keep Our Children Safe

All children and young people have a right to be listened to and to have matters treated in confidence. Involving children and young people and upholding their rights is good practice and builds trust with children, young people and their families. Where there is no risk to a child’s wellbeing, school staff should respect their right to confidentiality. Where possible consent to share information should be sought from the child and their parent or carer, the exception to this is where there is potential of harm to the child or young person or where

the child or young person has already been identified as being at risk through child protection procedures. In such circumstances then the need for consent is overridden and information should be shared with appropriate agencies. Children and young people should be advised that there are no guarantees to confidentiality, where the school assesses them to be at risk. At St Clare’s Primary School we take the care, welfare and protection of our children very seriously. We believe all children have a right to feel safe within the school, home and community. Within our school we strive to provide a safe, secure and nurturing environment for our pupils which promote inclusion and achievement. All staff members in Education have a statutory and professional responsibility to take action if we have reason to believe a child is suffering, or is at risk of abuse. Our child protection policy and procedure sets out what we will do if we have reason to believe a child is being abused or is at risk of abuse, either within the home or the community. These policies are designed to ensure that children get the help they need when they need it. Every staff member undergoes a minimum of one child protection training activity every session. Many of our staff members are more extensively trained in specific areas of child protection to support and identify potential child protection concerns. All schools in East Renfrewshire have comprehensive Pupil Support systems in place and we work closely with our partners in Social Work, Health and the Police. The school operates a multi-agency Joint Support Team to ensure that the best possible supports are available to pupils when they need them. The Child Protection Co-ordinator for the school is the Head teacher. If you wish any further information or a copy of the school policy, please contact the school office. If you wish to discuss this important matter further, please make an appointment to see the Head teacher. If you are worried or know of a child who could be at risk of abuse or neglect please speak to the Child Protection Coordinator or to a member of staff at one of the following numbers:

Barrhead Social Work Office: 0141 577 8300

Strathclyde Police Family Protection Unit: 0141 532 4900

Standby Social Work Out of Hours 0300 343 1505

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Complaints, Suggestions and Compliments

Concerns and Complaints

We trust you are always satisfied by the service we provide in St Clare’s, however, it you have the need to make a complaint, you may telephone, write or visit the school and we guarantee your concerns will be listened to in a sensitive manner. You will receive prompt feedback as to any action taken. If you have a concern, the quickest and easiest way to deal with this is to contact the school directly and speak to your child’s class teacher. If you feel the issue is of a more serious nature, you should arrange to meet with a member of the Senior Leadership Team or Head Teacher. The Authority’s Policy on ‘Complaint’s Procedures’ can be accessed via this link; http://www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1573

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IMPORTANT ADDRESS

Although this information is correct at time of printing, it should not be assumed that there will be no change affecting any of the matters dealt with in the document.

Before the commencement or during the course of the school year in question

In relation to subsequent school years

Our school handbook will continue to be updated as we progress through the year and more relevant information is gathered. If you would like further information about the school, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Dr Mark Ratter

Director of Education

East Renfrewshire Council

Council Offices

Barrhead Main Street

G78 1SY

Telephone: 0141 577 8635