Parents’ Handbook

Cawdor Primary School

Cawdor

IV12 5XZ

01667 402460

Cawdor.primary@highland.gov.uk

www.cawdorprimary.wordpress.com

Dear Parent/ Carer,

Welcome to Cawdor Primary School. This booklet may be your first introduction to Cawdor and I

hope you find it both informative and useful to read.

This is a forward looking school where we aim to give our children as many opportunities and

experiences as possible along their learning journeys. We want to see our pupils develop as happy,

enquiring, responsible, caring people ready to apply their learning to life and take their place in

society. We expect much from them and in return our expectations are fulfilled. We are proud of

the children who attend this school and make it what it is.

We have a safe, healthy, bright and enhanced learning environment which is simply a joy to use. The

building is fully equipped to deliver to our children all aspects of the curriculum from Nursery to

Primary 7. The building is fully disability compliant and is all on one level providing ease of access

and movement.

As a staff, we look forward to further developing the skills, knowledge and understanding of our

children on their individual learning journeys, and keep contact with pupils as they move to

secondary education and beyond.

At Cawdor we consider ourselves very lucky to enjoy the interest, co-operation and goodwill of the

homes in our community and we aim to foster these links. It is a great advantage to the school to be

part of a very supportive rural community.

If you do wish to discuss any aspect of your child’s education or welfare with me, or the class

teacher, please do not hesitate to let us know by letter, phone, e-mail or if you wish, make an

appointment. Alternatively, you can call into the school before, or after the school day.

We have an active website and each class has a blog to enable regular contact between home and

school. Newsletters, information and notes are posted on this site and also sent home via the school

bag. Our Parent Council are on Facebook – please search Cawdor Primary School Parents.

As a staff, we look forward to further developing the skills, knowledge and understanding or our

children on their individual learning journey. We hope your child’s experience at Cawdor is a happy,

successful and purposeful one.

Thank you for your interest in our school.

Look forward to working with you.

Fiona Lewthwaite

Head Teacher

Please ask for:

Direct Dial:

E-mail:

Fiona Lewthwaite

01667 402640

fiona.lewthwaite@highland.gov.uk

Annual Information Sheet 2017-18

Cawdor is a non-denominational and equal opportunities school and is committed to

a multi-cultural and anti-racist learning environment.

Cawdor Primary School

Cawdor

Nairnshire

IV12 5XZ

Tel: (01667) 402460

Emergency School Phone Service number: 08005642272

followed by Cawdor pin number: 04 1700

Head Teacher Mrs F. Lewthwaite

Principal Teacher Miss J. Jerrett

Class Teachers Mrs D. MacLeod

Mrs K. Scally

Mrs S. Foxcroft

Ms L. Mitchell

Learning Support Ms P. Randell

Early Years Team Mrs L. Smith

Mrs S. McNaught

Ms K. Cooper

Mrs J. Reid

Pupil Support Assistants Mrs S. Taylor

Mrs J. Babey

Mrs J. McKillop

Mrs Mackenzie

Mrs Cowie

Secretary Mrs S. Snitch

Cook Ms G. Ramof

Catering Assistant Mrs D. McLaren

Peripatetic Teachers Mr Hay String Instructor

Ms Ritchie Brass Instruction

Mr McGregor Chanter Instructor

Facility Management Assistant Mr M. McCallion

Contents

1 Aims

2 Our School

3 Delineated Catchment Area

4 Placing Requests

5 The Curriculum for Excellence

6 The Learner’s Journey

7 Language

8 Mathematics

9 Themes

10 Health and Wellbeing

11 Religious and Moral Education

12 Homework

13 Support For Learning

14 Assessment and Tracking

15 Celebrating and Supporting Success

16 Swimming

17 Communicating With Home

18 Absence

19 Child Protection

20 Multi-Cultural and Anti-Racist Policy

21 Anti-Bullying Policy

22 Health Care

23 School Uniform/ Clothing

24 School Meals/ Snack

25 Complaints Procedure

26 School Transport

27 Excursions

28 Extra-Curricular Activities

29 Emergency Closure/ Adverse Weather

30 Pupil Council

31 Parents as Partners

32 Parent Council/ Forum

33 Transfer To Secondary Education

34 Data Protection Act 1998

Cawdor Meets Cawdor

Useful Contacts

Reference Section – Catchment Map, Useful Contacts etc.

1 School Aims

When we set out to create our aims we intended they be very accessible and user friendly for all.

None of us could remember paragraphs of aims, hence the format below. This also incorporates the

Four Capacities into our road forward.

Aims are reviewed and updated every two years by pupils, Pupil Council, staff, parents and Parent

Council.

Successful Learners

Be positive and try your

best

Use your thinking skills

Be resilient and keep going

Listen carefully

Develop strengths,,

and achieve

targets

Confident Individuals

Be focussed on what you

want to achieve

Have a get up and go

attitude

Be willing to try new

things

o Be healthy and

o happy

Effective

Contributors

Stick at it!

Be creative – don’t be

afraid to do your own

thing

Work well with others

Have a positive attitude

Responsible

Citizens

Respect others

Be caring and helpful

Take care of the

environment

Know what is right and

wrong

2 Our School

We moved into our fantastic new school in August 2007. Cawdor Primary is

situated to the north of the conservation village, and to the east of Cawdor Castle.

The school comprises of six classrooms,

Support for Learning base, open area library

resource room gymnasium, dinner hall,

meeting room, offices and cloaks.

There is a large, secure playground

area to the side and rear of the building. It has a

large football pitch, basketball court,

fitness trail, sandpit, garden and willow

tunnel. There are also picnic benches.

To the front of the building is the car park, bus bays and bicycle shed.

The school is attached to community facilities which are used throughout the day.

There is a security system in operation from 8am to 6pm weekdays keeping the

school secure. Out with this time the community have access to the gym, dinner

area, meeting room and cloaks in addition to their own two designated rooms.

3 Delineated Catchment Area of Cawdor Primary School Children who reside within our catchment area may enrol for Primary 1-7 classes.

(See map in reference section.) If you have any questions regarding this, please

contact or visit our office where a larger map is on display.

Please note – pre-school children can be enrolled at the Nursery of your choice. If

you live out with the catchment area, and you wish your child to continue into

Primary 1 at Cawdor then an application for a placing request should be completed.

For further information please call into or phone the school.

4 Placing Requests Pupils residing out with the delineated catchment area of the school can apply for a

placing request via the Area Education Manager.

If this is the case please write to:

Nairn, Badneoch and Spey Area Education Manager

Highland Council Headquarters

Glenurquhart Road

Inverness

Alternatively placing request forms can be submitted

via: www.highland.gov.uk/learninghere/schools/informationforparents/

Transport to and from school, for placing request pupils, is a parental

responsibility.

Again if you have any questions regarding this please pop into the school office.

5 The Curriculum for Excellence

Setting the Scene

All children are treated as individuals with views and opinions, which are listened to

and respected by staff and pupils alike. At Cawdor we wish our pupils to have

inquiring minds and encourage this through practical activities in all areas of the

curriculum. We focus on developing strengths and on the skills needed to help our

pupils become independent learners. They are also encouraged to become

responsible for setting their own targets and monitoring their progress. The curricular areas are shown below.

The Learner’s Journey

Languages

Listening

Talking

Reading

Writing

French

Science

Biodiversity

Energy

Planetary Processes

Space

Forces

Body Systems and Cells

Materials and Change

Social Studies

People, Past Events

People, Place and

Environment

Society, Economy and

Business

Expressive Arts

Art and design

Music

Dance

Drama

Mathematics

Number, Money and

Measurement

Problem Solving

Shape, Position and

Movement

Information Handling

Health, Personal and Social

Development and Wellbeing

Physical Health

Emotional Health

Social Health

Religious and Moral

Education

Christianity

Personal Search

Other World Religions

Personal & Social

Development

Technologies

Developments in Society

ICT

Business Contexts

Food and Textiles

Crafts, Design, Engineering

and Graphics

6 The Learner’s Journey From Nursery 3 right up to Primary 7 the core focus is the development of

literacy and numeracy and these areas take up the lion share of our

curriculum.

Learners are regarded as individuals and although they may often work as a

class, team or in a small group their progress in literacy and numeracy is

monitored individually each term. The yardstick used to check progress is

our Benchmarks which identify key targets and ‘must haves’ in learning.

Staff continually use a range of informal approaches to assessment, and

throughout the year a number of more structured assessment tools are

used.

Each child has their own Learning Journey folder in which they keep

information about themselves, their progress and achievements. We

encourage the pupils to manage these folders by themselves as best they

can. We make pupils aware that the information in the folder is useful in

pointing to the next steps in their learning journey.

Each child will decide on a personal target from a menu of next steps and

after time and through discussion with the teacher or peers, will decide

when they have achieved that particular target.

Learning is fun!!

Children are supported

individually through Target Time or

in small groups.

The design of our teaching area and

the composite nature of classes

really works to our advantage in that

we can be very flexible in

arrangements of classes or groups.

For example if a year group is

spread over two classes they will

regularly be brought together for

language or maths learning.

Children will find they do not stay only within their class group but will

work in mixed age groups on a range of tasks. Nursery 3 to Primary 1 work

together regularly during activity mornings and this has immensely helped

transition from Nursery to Primary 1. In other parts of the school classes

will work in an integrated way for theme studies.

During one term each year the whole school works together to research

and learn about a particular topic. Pupils are challenged to solve problems,

absorb knowledge or be creative and develop new aspects.

Running throughout all our work is the development of the learning skills –

thinking, creative, reflective and social skills – lifelong tools in how to get

along and achieve your goals.

Cawdor is a relatively small school and a very caring one. It is important to

feel good inside to allow optimum learning. Care, encouragement and praise

are all key to developing motivation and self-confidence. Pupils are well

supported by staff who take the time to ensure their pupils are positive.

Children are also organised into Talk Time Teams – small mixed-age groups

who meet once a week for ten to fifteen minutes to discuss any issues the

group may have.

Learning is personal, talents are unique and dreams are individual. Achieving

potential is our goal and it’s an honour to be part of a child’s learning

journey.

Details of our current developments can be found in the Standards and

Quality Report available at the office or on our website.

P7 pupils being piped to school

for the new session, after a

hearty breakfast in the Mound.

7 Language

Talking

Spoken language is given a central place in the primary school curriculum.

Speech is without doubt the most common form of communication. At

Cawdor we encourage children to talk, as we believe it is important they

can express themselves clearly. Pupils are given many opportunities to

discuss their work in all subjects and are invited to present prepared talks

to their classmates. They are encouraged to put forward their views and

opinions on varied topics and are given opportunities to question other

speakers.

For all pupils, opportunities for public speaking are encouraged, e.g. by

delivering an assembly, in a school concert or at the annual Poetry Festival

or for Primary 6 pupils through Peer Assisted Learning.

Listening

Listening is one of the most important means by which knowledge is

acquired and teachers at all stages are attentive to pupils’ abilities and

capabilities. Listening has implications for speech development, thinking

and learning generally. At Cawdor we aim to make listening an active

process which is relevant to the listener.

We use the Highland Council Listening and Talking programme of work to

ensure consistency and progression of skills.

Reading

Reading is regarded the most fundamental area of the whole curriculum.

We try to provide a full range of purposeful reading tasks, in as meaningful

a context as possible.

Parents are much involved, and initially P1 pupils will bring home a storybook

and an extended version, for the parent to read along with the child.

When children gain confidence in reading, we then focus on the higher

order reading skills. For example, specific tasks aim to help children grasp

literal meaning, to read 'between the lines' and be aware of inferences, to

read 'beyond the lines' and be able to predict, to distinguish fact, fiction

and fantasy, and read critically.

The school follows the Highland

Literacy scheme which focuses on the

development of reading. A number of

leaflets explaining Highland Literacy

methods are available from the school.

The approach and range of strategies

used have encouraged a great deal of

progress and interest in reading.

Throughout the school, there is a focus on helping children locate

information in written form using a variety of reference materials,

including on the internet and our on-line library.

The importance of reading for pleasure cannot be over stated. We aim to

foster a love of books and to encourage the reading habit. Pupils have

opportunities to read for pleasure in class, take books home and engage

with the Reading Cloud on-line. The mobile library visits the school every

three weeks and children may borrow books with their parents' agreement.

A range of magazines and journals from Farmers Weekly to First News are

also available.

Poetry Competition Winners!

Writing

Written skills need to be highly developed to meet the demands of the

increasingly complex society in which we live.

When we talk about 'writing' we are talking about two areas. The

secretarial skills are the ‘nuts and bolts’ of written language, and here we

aim to teach our children to write legibly, with fluency and speed for the

huge toolkit of words they will use. Vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and

grammar follow a structured approach through the child’s development.

These areas are additionally supported by studying Writer’s Craft and

learning from the professional wordsmiths.

The other area of writing is communication through print - the composing

skills. Throughout the school the Big Writing scheme forms the basis of

the approach we use to develop independent writing. This is a very

structured method and is planned for, and delivered on a weekly basis.

Children are given opportunities to write in different ways for different

purposes, and we have seen good improvement in progress and confidence

using this approach.

Each child develops a folio of writing and a range of styles and genres are

covered throughout each session. Teachers recognise the importance of

feedback and aim to give constructive pointers and challenge next steps.

At Cawdor we enter many competitions and aim to provide realistic writing

situations for our pupils. We have had great success and some pupils have

had work published.

8 Mathematics

In mathematics, there is an important emphasis on practical work and the

understanding this brings. Material for the study of mathematics is found

everywhere in the child's environment - the children count real things,

they weigh out real objects, they go out and measure real distances, use

money in realistic situations, and use clocks and timetables to understand

how time is important in our lives. It is working through practical activities

that the concepts of number, shape, volume, weight, time, length, etc. are

established.

At the same time the school recognises the importance of developing

mental agility. The Big Maths programme is intensive and ensures core

number bonds and facts are hard-wired in the memory. Group or whole

class techniques form a major part in the teaching of mental arithmetic

and daily exercises take place in the quick recall of number facts.

Learning follows a progressive path through Big Maths but beyond

arithmetic teachers have a number of commercial schemes to use.

Teachers select what is appropriate for their pupils from a range of

materials, texts and activities. Computer generated materials and

programmes are available and encouraged with many stimulating apps

loaded onto our iPads.

At all stages, teachers evaluate how well the children have understood

what has been taught and record progress against our Benchmarks.

Children do not all develop at the same rate,

and teachers gear work to meet the

needs of groups of children and

individuals, building on what has

gone before.

P7 getting

to grips

with a

sphere!

Big Maths

Learn Its Challenge – 20 seconds!

Working out costs on the Tesco’s

Farm to Fork programme.

9 Themes

Themes are studied to foster a desire to learn more about the world in

which children live, and teach the skills needed to interpret it. Themes are

arranged around four broad areas – Education for Sustainability,

Enterprise and Citizenship, Health and Wellbeing and Arts, Culture and

Heritage.

For each theme pupils establish what they already know and what they

would like to find out about the topic. Children are encouraged to use a

range of methods for finding out and exploring including ICT.

Each term the whole school undertakes themes from the same strand and

classes inform each other about their areas of learning or may work in

mixed age groups for some activities.

One term per year the whole school (Nursery to Primary 7) take part in an

integrated study which proves to be very creative and lets talents shine

out!

This session we studied the Olympics and Para-Olympics taking part in a

number of events and shared activities. We took the theme song of the

Para-Olympics ‘Yes I Can’, to develop individual confidence and resilience in

our learning.

Mo Farah inspired!

P1-3 making

medals. Trying out some Olympic sports

10 Health and Wellbeing

We are a Health Promoting School and as such we focus on this area of the

curriculum as strongly as we do Language and Mathematics.

Each morning we all walk or run for 15 minutes in a route around the

playground. This is not only improving fitness and Vitamin D, but also gives

pupils time to chat with staff or friends as they are on the move.

Our programme identifies progression in specific health themes (nutrition,

mental health, personal safety, cyber safety, drugs and sexual health). It

also permeates the wider curriculum through integration of health

education with other areas of learning, extra-curricular activities and the

supporting of the school ethos.

Health is supported by Health professionals who provide education and

resources throughout the year.

Physical education, body awareness and fitness all figure highly and are

well supported by a range of internal and external professionals.

All children have a minimum of 2 hours

physical activity each week.

On the daily run!

11 Religious and Moral Education

Through Religious and Moral Education we aim to foster an interest in

religion and to develop an appreciation of relationships and personal

behaviour. In all aspects of school life, we encourage our pupils to be

sensitive towards, and tolerant of others.

We explore ways in which Jesus is central to Christian belief and worship,

and endeavour to develop some understanding of the place of religion in the

development of history, society and culture. Other principal world

religions (Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism) are also

studied.

Should a parent wish to withdraw their child from Religious Education they

should contact the Head Teacher, who will make the necessary

arrangements.

Assembly is held every Friday and provides a valuable opportunity for the

whole school to share news together, talk and think. It also provides an

opportunity to celebrate success.

12 Homework

The school's policy is to provide homework which can be done in a relatively

short time. Homework normally acts as a means of revision or extension of

work done in class, or as an opportunity to practice a particular process or

skill. It also gives the parents the opportunity to see some of the areas of

work covered by their children in school and to discuss this with them.

The cooperation of parents in providing a quiet area, free from distraction,

for the completion of homework is much appreciated. Homework is

generally issued daily for younger pupils and weekly for older pupils. A

number of tasks are posted on the class blog.

Each teacher will outline homework programmes at the beginning of each

session including our Homework Code.

13 Support for Learning

Learning issues are usually first identified by the class teacher and they

will approach parents to discuss the matter. Reasons are varied – perhaps a

child is finding a part of the curriculum difficult to understand, a child may

have been ill and missed some work, or perhaps a child may need an

additional challenge.

Our Additional Support Needs Teacher may then be involved in providing

addition help for the child, or in giving advice or specific resources to the

teacher. Parents are kept informed of this and can meet up with the SfL

teacher to discuss issues.

The ASN teacher also has the role of working in each classroom alongside

the class teacher in a supportive role, primarily to support the development

of the Early Intervention scheme. In this way she is an integral part of

the school's teaching team.

Where issues need further support, the school will in cooperation with

parents, draw up a Child’s Plan which provides an action plan for the child’s

next steps. The school will work closely with parents on this and the Plan

will be carefully monitored. More information about Child’s Plans can be

found at:

www.highland.gov.uk/learninghere/supportforlearners/generalguidance/pla

nning/

Our Educational Psychologist regularly visits giving support, advice and

training on learning and teaching to staff and parents. She may also be

involved in Child Plan reviews.

We have a Children’s Service Worker (CSW) attached to the school and

she supports pupils and families in a practical way each week by building

confidence and developing help strategies.

The school looks to working in partnership with parents to support

children. Each situation is treated according to the needs of the child and

the wishes of the parents or guardians.

If you have any concerns about your child’s learning please make an

appointment to talk to their teacher, ASN Teacher or the Head Teacher.

Further information and advice on Support for Learners can be found at:

http://enquire.org.uk or the Enquire Helpline 0845 123 2303.

Facilities at the school are

very good. There is plenty

space and areas are bright

and stimulating.

We love our school!!

14 Assessment and Tracking Using Assessment is for Learning techniques, pupils are being continually

assessed by their teachers in order to make sure that every child is

working towards their full potential and a range of approaches are used for

this.

As children progress through the curriculum and complete various targets

they will reach benchmarks in Reading, Writing and Maths. We use a bank

of assessment tools in line with the Curriculum for Excellence to validate

our Benchmarking – or ‘must have’ targets.

Pupils from Nursery to Primary 7 are encouraged to be involved in

assessing and recording their Learning Journey. This involves looking at the

whole range of learning and is documented by the pupil in their folder.

Nursery use a web based Learning Journey which can easily be accessed by

the parent showing all the child’s learning outcomes.

Pupils are expected to think about and set their next personal target. The

child then monitors their progress and in consultation with their teacher or

peers they decide when these targets have been met. These are logged in

their Learning Journey folders before deciding on a new personal target.

At specific points in a child’s time at primary school standardised testing

takes place. These are computer based assessments and will generate

questions appropriate to the child’s particular level. This is in line with

Highland Council procedure and Assessment for Excellence input will

continue to secondary year 2. Pupils are given a copy of their progress

results to keep in their Learning Journey folders.

Feedback on a child’s progress will be given to parents at a number of

points during the year and in a range of formats including the Profile and

Report. Parents are encouraged to talk to their child’s teacher as soon as

they have a question or concern.

In-house and standardised tracking records are monitored by the Head

Teacher each term to ensure children are being challenged and reaching

their potential. Tracking information will pass from class to class indicating

levels, strengths and development needs.

15 Celebrating and Supporting Success At Cawdor Primary we firmly believe in recognising and rewarding the

achievements of pupils within the school. On a day-to-day basis, praise and

encouragement within class is augmented with the award of house points to

pupils for individual achievement. All pupils are allocated to one of two

school houses, the Ospreys or the Kestrels, who enjoy a keen but friendly

rivalry in many activities throughout the session.

The Houses are further split into small mixed age groups (Talk Time

Teams) who meet weekly to discuss issues and provide buddy support.

Fortnightly, teachers select an individual pupil from each class to receive a

Certificate of Achievement. Criteria for selection are based upon the four

capacities – Sucessful Learners, Confident Individuals, Effective

Contributors and Responsible Citizens.

Certificates are also issued to those children who represent the school in

sport, competitions and other events. We are also keen to celebrate

achievement of children in out of school activities.

House trophies for sports such as athletics, football, basketball and

swimming are awarded throughout the year.

The end of session culminates in our prize giving service where senior

pupils are eligible for a number of awards.

16 Swimming Pupils from P4-6 receive instruction in swimming from qualified staff at

Nairn Swimming Pool. Sessions for each class are blocked and older

children usually have lessons from August to Christmas and younger pupils

from January to Easter. Swimming lessons are free but the school makes a

small charge to cover the cost of transport to and from the pool.

House Championships are

always hotly contested!

In for a swim

at Loch Insh!

17 Communicating With Home

Reporting To Parents

Formal reporting to parents takes place twice a year: -

- In the autumn term (November) a verbal update is given, and a chance

to discuss progress is provided through Parents’ Evening appointments.

- In the summer term (May) a detailed, written report is issued along

with an opportunity to discuss progress.

Meetings

Throughout the year meetings are held to inform parents about

developments within the school, e.g. curriculum, extra-curricular

opportunities and so on.

Each year the Primary 6 and 7 parents are invited to view and discuss the

Sex Education programme, prior to the children undertaking the lessons.

Primary 7 parents meet with Academy staff in early spring and again at the

end of the summer term prior to transition to the Academy.

School News

Parents are kept informed by regular newsletters that come home via e-

mail or on our website. If you would like a printed copy of this please let

the office know.

Please feel free to make any comments directly to the school or via our

blog about newsletter articles.

Open Door Policy

Parents are always welcome to call at the school to discuss any problems or

issues with the Head Teacher. However, as the Head Teacher is class-

committed it is best to make an appointment, but there is usually a slot

available at the beginning, or end of the day for a quick chat. Why not talk

and walk in the first 15 minutes of each day!

We are always pleased to

see you.

18 Absence Pupils are expected to attend school regularly in accordance with statutory

requirements. Any absence must be communicated to the school as soon as

possible. A phone call or message can be left on the answer machine.

Whenever a child is off and no explanation is offered, we will contact

home or the emergency contact to establish the whereabouts

of the child.

This is to safeguard against a child leaving for school in the morning but

not arriving, while the school assuming the child is absent and at home so

for safety reasons, please contact the school if your child is absent.

Following an absence, parents are requested to send in a note of

explanation otherwise the absence will be recorded as unexplained.

Prolonged, or frequent absence will be monitored and parents will be

invited to the school to discuss the situation and assess what support

needs to be put in place.

Schools have been asked to set targets to reduce pupil absences. Requests

for removing children from school during term time should be addressed to

the Head Teacher in writing. However, in line with advice to parents from

Highland Council, the school believes that, where at all possible, parents

should avoid booking holidays for their children during school term time.

Holidays taken during term time are recorded as ‘Unauthorised’.

19 Child Protection From time to time incidents can occur which cause concern and could

indicate that a pupil may be vulnerable to abuse..

Highland Child Protection Committee Inter-agency Protection Guidelines,

require Education Service staff to report incidents to Social Work

Services and this could lead to a joint Social Work/Police investigation.

All agencies involved in child protection regard the welfare of children as

paramount. More information about Child Protection procedures within

Highland can be obtained from the Child Protection Development Officer,

Highland Child Protection Committee, Kinmylies Building, Leachkin Road,

Inverness, IV3 8NP – Telephone 01463 883795.

Alternatively, the Highland

Council Child Protection

guidelines and policy can be

accessed through the

Highland Council website.

Leaflets are also available at

the school.

Our

Thinking

Tree

20 Multi-Cultural and Anti-Racist Policy

The community of Cawdor Primary School commits itself to:

- oppose all forms of prejudice and discrimination

- provide equality of opportunity through its ethos and working practices

- promote understanding and respect for other people’s cultural identity

and beliefs

- be in line with the Highland Council’s Guidelines on Multi-Cultural and

Anti-Racist Issues

A copy of our whole policy is available from the office.

21 Anti-Bullying Policy

The school community is united in combating bullying, in all its various

forms both within the school, and on the journey to and from home. The

profile of anti-bullying measures are regularly highlighted to pupils, staff,

parents and others associated with the school.

Unfortunately this kind of behaviour does happen from time to time. To

take action we need to know the issues and communication is the key to

this. If you feel your child is being bullied, please take action and report

your concerns. Only by working together can such problems be resolved.

Burns Supper – we love to dance!

Address to the great Haggis

Yum, yum!!!

22 Health Care

If a child has a fall, or injures themselves, a member of the teaching staff or our

playground supervisor will deal with minor First Aid issues. All staff have undertaken their

basic First Aid training.

Where an injury or illness causes greater concern, parents will be contacted immediately.

For this reason, it is vital for parents to provide the school

with an emergency contact who can be used if the parents

are unavailable. This information should be given at the time

of enrolment and is held confidentially in the school.

Parents are asked to update their emergency contact

records annually and should inform the school of any changes

to the data held on the emergency contact form as soon as

it occurs.

Illness

Pupils feeling unwell should not be sent to school. If a pupil becomes ill

during the school day the parent will be contacted and the child sent home,

or into the care of the emergency contact if needed. The school should be

informed of any medical condition that may put the pupil at risk in any

school activity. Confidentiality in such matters is assured.

Administration of Medicine During School Hours

Guidelines laid out by Highland Council are as below:

1. As a general principle, school staff should not be expected to deal with

a child suffering from an acute infection as such children should not be

attending school.

2. Children who require medicine during school hours will usually be

suffering from non-infectious chronic conditions.

3. When medicine is required to be taken at school, parents

should complete and sign the Medication In Schools form,

which can be obtained at the office. (Copy in reference

section). Medicine can only be administered if clear written

instructions and written permission are given.

The giving of medicine to pupils is

not one of the duties of the

teaching staff, but if taking

medicine during school hours

enables the child to attend school

rather than to have to stay at

home, teachers will be very glad

to help.

Hygiene facilities

at the school are

of a high standard

and kept very

clean.

Allergies

Parents/ guardians must advise the school in writing if their child is

subject to any known allergic reaction. For example, to food stuffs which

the child may come into contact within the course of the school day. A

protocol will be sought and adhered to for these pupils.

Medical Inspections

The community paediatrician and school nurse, visit the school on a regular

basis to check on various aspects of health. For any medical meeting,

parents will be sent an invitation to attend.

Head Lice

Unfortunately, head lice are common in all schools. If a child is found to

have an infestation of head lice whilst at school, parents will be informed.

A leaflet that gives good practical advice for the detection and treatment

of Head Lice, published by Highland Health Board, is available from the

school. Parents should contact the school to report any infestations found

at home. Confidentiality is assured in respect of individual children.

D

We love Drumfun music!

We are lucky to have music

tutors for strings, chanter and

brass.

23 School Uniform/ Clothing The wearing of school uniform is actively encouraged to assist pupils in

identifying positively with our school. The vast majority of pupils wear

school uniform every day, and I thank parents for their continued support

in this area.

The uniform is designed to be smart, yet practical and economical. It

comprises any combination of:

Navy blue school sweatshirt or polo fleece with embroidered badge*

Navy blue jogging bottoms* / Navy blue or grey trousers/ shorts/

skirt/ pinafore

Navy blue, sky blue or white polo shirt with embroidered badge*

Blue, grey or white shirt or blouse.

* These items may be bought directly from our supplier, Embroidery

Designs (Tel. 01667 404635). A uniform order form is included with the

enrolment pack.

(We also have a Sale Rail in the foyer for recycled school uniform.

Donations of £1 per garment can be handed into the office for these

items.)

Pupils require gym shoes for wearing indoors and for P.E. lessons.

Gym lessons also require a pair of shorts and a T-shirt.

The wearing of sports clothing bearing sponsorship adverts, particularly

those for alcohol, is not allowed. The wearing of jeans is discouraged.

Please ensure that all items of clothing and footwear are clearly

labelled with your child’s name.

While staff will always be helpful to children, we cannot accept

responsibility for any items (watches, jewellery, toys etc.) left in our care.

Please do not give your child a mobile phone to take to school. However if

you feel it is necessary to allow your child to take a phone to school it will

be kept in an envelope safely in the office during the day and can be

collected before they leave at the end of the day.

If an item is worth keeping, it’s worth keeping at home.

Clothing Grants

Application forms for clothing grants

are obtainable from the Office.

As always, parents can be assured

of confidentiality.

24 School Meals/ Snack

Meals are cooked on the premises and are of excellent value. There is

always choice and fresh fruit and vegetables are served in addition to the

meal.

The Catering Service provides free meals for P1-3 pupils. These pupils

indicate each morning if they wish the meal or not.

School meals should be paid weekly and children can do this when they

come to school on a Monday morning prior to the bell. This should be the

exact amount in cash or, alternatively, a cheque made out to Highland

Council with your name and address written on the back.

Children who require special diets will be catered for through consultation

with the school meals service. School menus are issued home each term.

Please contact the office for an additional copy.

Free Meals: Parents who wish to apply for free meals may obtain details

and application forms from the Office. Free meals are available to families

receiving Income Support.

Packed Lunches: Pupils have an area within the dining room to sit and eat

their packed lunch. Water is available should a child need a drink. All food

containers should be clearly marked with the pupil’s name. Glass bottles

and containers are not permitted under Health and Safety regulations.

Snack

The Catering Service operates a healthy Snack four mornings a week.

Children can buy a slice of toast and have fresh fruit juice or milk. This is

very popular. Payment for this can be made in advance if wished.

Filming for Eden Court in the Big Woods and building our shelter.

25 Complaints Procedure

If a parent has any concerns they should contact their child’s teacher in

the first instance, or the Head Teacher for more serious issues.

The school will always endeavour to resolve issues by listening to parents

and seeking solutions in partnership. Should a situation not be resolved,

parents can contact the Area Education Officer at Highland Council

Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness, 01463 702000.

Please note that transport is not a school responsibility and any queries

should be addressed to the Local Transport Officer, Transport Office,

www.highland.gov.uk/learninghere/schools/informationforparents/

26 School Transport

To be eligible for free school transport, pupils must reside more than

three miles from the school. Children up to eight years of age will be

provided with transport if they live two or more miles from the school.

Concessionary travel is available on certain routes. Please ask the Head

Teacher for details on the current situation. Pupils living out with the

school catchment area are not entitled to transport.

Parents wishing to apply for the provision of transport to and from school

may obtain the relevant application form from the school. This should be

done at the time of enrolment. Please note a fresh application has to be

made when your child transfers to secondary school. Forms for this are

issued to parents of pupils in P7 during their final term at primary school.

Pupils are reminded regularly of the need to take care while boarding and

stepping out of buses, cars, etc. and also of appropriate behaviour whilst

en route. I would appreciate parents support with this.

Any incidents of inappropriate behaviour on the school buses are reported

to the Head Teacher, and this information is passed on to parents of

children involved. Continued poor behaviour on school transport, may result

in parents being asked to provide alternative arrangements for their child.

27 Excursions Educational excursions play an important part in the life of our school. All

classes from Nursery to P7 can expect several trips out of school over the

course of any one session. The nature of these excursions vary from guided

walks around Cawdor Woods exploring different species of tree, outings to

the theatre, orchestral concerts, or to museum visits.

Pupils in Primary 7 are given the opportunity to go on an extended, five-day

excursion to Loch Insh outdoor centre to try out new skills and challenges,

not least that of living away from home!

28 Extra-Curricular Activities

Pupil Led Clubs

Pupils may enter teaching plans to the Pupil Council who choose one Club to

operate at a time. These are on during lunchtimes and provide a range of

activities from dance to fitness and chess to construction.

Art and Photographic Club

For a block of time, usually during the summer term one of the teachers,

assisted by parents runs an art club. Exhibitions from this are displayed at

the Summer Fayre and items are auctioned off.

Pupils also have the opportunity to enter the Nairnshire Photography Club’s

annual competition. Last year our pupils took first, second and third prizes!!

Football Club

Tremendously popular this weekly club is run by some very keen and

experienced parents. A full-on hour of activity and coaching skills that has

made a huge difference to playground football and we hope a few matches!

Orienteering

In the summer term P5, 6 & 7 pupils have the opportunity to take part in

organised orienteering meetings in the South Highland Area. These take

place during May and June. The school also enters the North of Scotland

Orienteering Championships and has had great success over the past few

years.

Swimming

The school enters teams and individuals in local primary school

competitions.

Cross-country

This takes place at various points throughout the year, with pupils

competing in team and individual events against other schools. Our own

championships take place during the summer term and all pupils take part in

this.

Bikeability Scotland

Primary 6 pupils are given the opportunity to take part in Bikeability

Scotland training. This is kindly organised by parentsand staff who have

been trained to teach and assess children’s road safety capabilities. We

are very grateful for this support.

Athletics

Senior pupils carry out additional training during the summer term and

have enjoyed success in the annual South Highland meet at the Bught Park

in Inverness, winning many medals.

Further activities and events are provided throughout the year by the

Parent Council and the Sports Co-ordinator and information on these are

sent home and posted on our website/ blog.

House Captains

Visiting the Big Woods Working with a

visiting author

and artist

Annual whole-school cross country

Visiting

Urquhart

Castle

Staff also love taking part

in visiting workshops

Love

learning!!

29 Emergency Closure/ Adverse Weather In exceptional circumstances, for example as a result of heavy snowfall,

power or water failure, it may be necessary to send children home early.

Where road conditions are the main factor involved, the decision to close

the school early will usually be made at the request of the transport

contractors who have an obligation to ensure that the children are

returned to their pick-up points safely.

The school will then telephone parents to warn of this outcome. Where

parents cannot be reached, the school will telephone the emergency

contact to arrange collection either at the normal dropping off point, or at

the school. In the event of no contact being made with parents or

emergency contact, the child will be kept in school until he /she is

collected. Parents are strongly advised to ensure that the names of

emergency contacts are kept up to date and that the school be

notified immediately should this change.

Please note that while the school contractors will make a risk assessment

on the advisability of taking children to school in the morning, the decision

as to whether a pupil should attempt to travel to school in adverse

weather conditions, either by transport or by foot, lies with the

parent. While recognising that education should be interrupted as little

as possible, the Education Authority accepts that in severe weather,

safety of the pupils is paramount.

Detailed instructions, including telephone numbers are issued twice a year

and a handy reference sheet is attached.

Further information regarding Highland Council Closure guidelines can be

found at: www.highland.gov.uk/learninghere/schools/schoolclosures/

30 Pupil Council

Every year children elect a representative from their class to serve on the

Pupil Council. The Council meets regularly throughout the year with staff.

Representatives raise issues of concern from fellow pupils, and also help to

formulate or amend school policies. Initiatives have resulted in

improvements to school meals, playground activities and safety issues on

school transport. The Pupil Council have their own budget, and are

consulted on any major school changes and on policies.

31 Parents as Partners We believe that much of the strength of the school lies in the positive

relationships between staff, pupils and their parents. These relationships

are nurtured by a healthy exchange of information. We always welcome

parental interest in the welfare of our pupils and whatever the nature of

the issue, you can be assured of our help.

The support of parents in their children’s education is key to the success

of young people. Taking time with them, discussing work, practicing

language, helping them manage their homework and encouraging

responsibility are important ways of supporting children’s learning.

The school always seeks to involve parents in any key decisions about their

child’s education and keep parents informed about progress.

Useful information for parents and how to get involved in your child’s

education can be found at Parentzone: www.parentzone.gov.uk

32 Parent Council/ Forum

The Scottish Parental Involvement Act 2006 makes all parents and carers

members of the Parent Forum. The purpose is to increase parental

involvement in the life of the school and to promote partnership. From the

Parental Forum the Parent Council is elected and co-opted members and

staff are invited to join.

This group support the school in a range of ways and we are ever grateful

for their backing, guidance and friendship. Meetings are approximately

termly and are a great way to get to know other parents and get involved in

the life of the school. See the website for further details.

Pupil Council ready for business!

33 Transfer to Secondary Education

Pupils will normally transfer to our local secondary school, Nairn Academy.

Enquiries regarding enrolment should be directed to - The Rector,

Nairn Academy,

Nairn

IV12 4RD

Telephone: 01667 453700

Close cooperation and support exists between Nairn Academy and its

associated primary schools and regular meetings take place. Throughout

the year, Academy and Primary staff work closely together to ensure

continuity of education from Primary 7 to First Year.

Early in the year, Academy staff visit the school for discussion,

observation and consultation. Parents of P7 children meet with the Rector

in early spring at the Academy and again at towards the end of June.

The children in Primary 7 take part in a Science day at the Academy and

also make a three-day visit. The first day of the visit focuses on Health

and Wellbeing. After this, pupils are put into their new S1 classes and

follow their First Year timetable. The children greatly enjoy this

experience and feel much more confident about the next stage of their

school career.

Some of our P7 pupils transfer to Culloden Academy and there is a very

similar transition process in place. This may be because they live in the

Culloden catchment area or have chosen the school as a preference.

We count ourselves fortunate to have such good relations with not only one

secondary school but two!

Academy Staff

working with senior

pupils.

The Rector,

Culloden Academy,

Keppoch Road,

Culloden

IV2 7JZ

Tel: 01463 790851

34 Data Protection Act 1998

Information on pupils, parent and guardians is stored on a computer system

and may be used for teaching, registration, assessment and other

administrative duties. The information is protected by the data Protection

Act 1998 and may only be disclosed in accordance with the codes of

practice. Further information can be obtained from www.scotxed.net.

Visiting a local supermarket to study

Fairtrade.

Developing organisational and team skills

Finding out about

and measuring

slopes

Working hard and having fun in class!

A budding author –

watch this space!!

Cawdor Meets Cawdor! Did you know there is another Cawdor

School on the other side of the world?

Nairnshire

Scotland History

1454 – William Calder

Castle built around a living

holly tree. A donkey, laden

with gold lay down to rest

under this tree.

Originally belonged to the

Calders, but passed, in the

17th century, to the

Campbells of Calder, who are

still represented by the Earl

of Cawdor.

Land Use

Farming -Cattle, Dairy ,

Sheep, Crops, Poultry,

Vegetables, forestry

School

School built 1855

Today has 4/ 5 classes

Uniforms are the same

colours

Both have House Teams

Both schools are about the

same size.

The retired Principal and her

husband visited our school.

Wollondilly Shire

Australia History

From 1813

Lady Cawdor (born in Cawdor)

married Governor Lachlan

Macquarie. He named the area

after his wife.

John Macarthur’s extensive land

holdings (25,000 acres by 1825).

Governor established an

important cattle station in 1812

at Cawdor, which subsequently

grew to be a large government

settlement.

Land Use

Farming – Cattle, Dairy (milk

sent to Sydney, creamery built

in Cawdor), Sheep (wool sold in

Britain), Crops, Wheat Growing

(Cawdor won a Gold Medal at the

Great Exhibition in London

twice (in 1851 and1855), Poultry,

Horses, Hydroponic vegetable

growing

School

School built 1858

Today has 4/ 5 classes

Uniforms are the same colours

Both have House Teams

Both schools are about the same

size.

The Atherton family visited the

Australian Cawdor.

Thomas, Rachel and the Atherton

family went to visit Cawdor and

spent a day at the school.

Useful Contacts

Highland Council The Highland Council will provide information

on location of schools, placing requests,

Additional Support Needs, School Transport,

School Meals and much more. It also outlines

the Highland Child Protection strategy.

www.highland.gov.uk, www.bumps2bairns.com

ParentLine ParentLine is the national helpline providing

advice and support for anyone caring for or

concerned about a child.

Phone: 08000 28 22 33

parentlinescotland@children1st.org.uk

CHIP CHIP is a voluntary organisation providing

information and support for families with

children who have additional support needs.

Phone: 01463 711189 www.chipplus.org.uk

Education Scotland

Education Scotland gives information about the

Curriculum for Excellence which is the outline

of learning from 3 to 18 in Scotland.

www.educationscotland.gov.uk/parentzone

Enquire Enquire is a Scottish advice service for

additional support for learning.

http://enquire.org.uk/

Enquire Helpline 0845 123 2303

Great work!

Whilst the information in this handbook is considered to be true and

correct at the date of publication, changes in circumstances after the time

of publication may impact on the accuracy of the information.

If you require further information please

contact the school or pop in and see us.

You will be most welcome.

School telephone messaging service:

0800 564 2272

Pin Number: 04 1700

Or log onto www.winter.highlandschools.org.uk for up to date

information.