ClydemuirPrimary School

Welcome to
Clydemuir PrimaryList of contents

WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL

MISSION STATEMENT

It is West Dunbartonshire Council’s firm belief that a good education is the passport to increased opportunities and a better life.

To achieve this we aim to : -

  • Promote partnership and positive relationships
  • Provide appropriate courses and services
  • Ensure effective learning and teaching
  • Raise educational standards
  • Support learners
  • Manage finances and resources efficiently
  • Monitor, evaluate and review our services

All authorities are required by law to issue a copy of the school handbook incorporating current policies and practices of both the Council and the school to certain parents in December each year for their use as appropriate.

CLYDEMUIRPRIMARY SCHOOL

WELCOME FROM THE HEADTEACHER

Dear Parent / Carer

A warm welcome to ClydemuirPrimary School.

Throughout your child’s stay with us, it is our wish that your child is happy and

successful. At Clydemuir we will seek to foster in our children a positive attitude to work, progress, self, others and the environment. It is important to us to develop the ‘whole child ‘. As such, we wish to focus not only on the academic and aesthetic development of our pupils, but also on their personal and social development. To this end, we hope to work in partnership with you in the important task of developing your child to his/her fullest potential, preparing him/her for the challenges and opportunities they will face in the future.

This is an exciting time in education. The Curriculum Review Group says ‘One of the prime purposes of education is to make our young people aware of the values on which Scottish society is based and so help them to establish their own stances on matters of social justice and personal and collective responsibility. Young people therefore need to learn about and develop these values. The curriculum is an important means through which this personal development should be encouraged.’

A Curriculum for Excellence aims to focus classroom practice upon the child and around the four capacities of education:

  • successful learners – to learn
  • confident individuals – to be
  • responsible citizens – to live with others
  • effective contributors – to do

Clydemuir Primary aspires to be an ambitious, excellent school. In April 2010 the school was awarded its Third Green Flag as an Eco-school - the first in all of West Dunbartonshire. The school has already gained the highest level of Accreditation as a HealthPromotingSchool. All of the staff in Clydemuir expect high standards and work very hard to develop individual talents and to provide opportunities for every child to achieve success. By working in partnership we can equip your child with the skills, sense of responsibility and values required to become active and valuable members of the adult community.

Please be assured that no worry concerning your child is too small or unimportant to share with us; please contact us at anytime. We hope that you will enjoy getting to know us better and look forward to having you and your family join us at Clydemuir.

Yours sincerely

Geraldine Currie

Head Teacher

OUR SCHOOL AIMS

At Clydemuir Primary we strive to enable our pupils to become successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors who always give of their best, take pride in their school and contribute to the wider community in a useful and caring way and also foster a genuine partnership with parents.

IN CLYDEMUIR PRIMARY WE AIM TO:

  • provide a broad and balanced effective curriculum to ensure that learning and teaching within the school meets the requirements of a Curriculum for Excellence and meets the needs of our pupils
  • ensure that everyone within school is given every opportunity to give of their best in order to raise their attainment and the attainment of the whole school
  • promote positive attitudes towards learning and teaching, encouraging pupils and staff to embrace life-long learning
  • ensure that the needs social, emotional and educational of all our pupils and staff are met within a safe, caring and health-promoting environment
  • foster a climate in which everyone feels valued and to promote an ethos of positive achievement
  • provide a suitable range of resources, both human and material, in a safe, pleasant and eco-friendly environment
  • promote whole school improvement through a consultative and collegiate approach

This will be achieved through a curriculum designed and planned to foster and develop:-

  • Personal and interpersonal skills
  • The ability to work with others
  • Literacy, communication and language skills
  • Problem solving skills
  • Learning and thinking skills


SCHOOL INFORMATION

School address and telephone number is:

ClydemuirPrimary School

Ottawa Crescent

Dalmuir

Clydebank

G81 4LB

TEL:0141 952 1937

FAX: 0141 952 7372

Email:

Present Roll261

Maximum working capacity374

Parents should note that the working capacity of the school may vary dependent upon the number of pupils at each stage and the way in which the classes are organised.

Clydemuir Primary’s associated High School is Clydebank High

STAGES

The school covers all stages from Primary 1 to Primary 7.

This is an age range of 4 years 6 months to 11 years and over.

The school is co-educational and non-denominational (girls and boys)

Children of all religious denominations are welcome.

The roll at each stage is currently:P140P543

P247P639

P331P725

P434 (December 2011)

SCHOOLBUILDING

The school was opened in 1976 and is a semi-open plan building with attractive, spacious grounds, which include a red blaes football pitches which adapts to a running track.

SCHOOL SECURITY AND SAFETY

Communication between parents and school is vital and we always seek to encourage this and to make parents feel welcome, however, West Dunbartonshire Council has clear guidelines on welfare and security and the use of Secure Entry Systems and general aspects of school security. Within these guidelines we recently carried out a review which has made it clear that the following has to be adhered to:

  • Where possible parental appointments should be made in advance by contacting the school office either by telephone (0141 952 1937) or letter to the Head Teacher (Miss Geraldine Currie)
  • If an issue is urgent and requires immediate attention, to avoid disrupting your child’s class lessons please call at the school office.

This is standard procedure throughout all schools and is in the best interest of pupils, parents and staff. Your support and cooperation in this important matter is much appreciated.

COMMENTS & COMPLAINTS

If you have a comment or complaint please approach the head teacher, Geraldine

Currie, in the first instance. If the head teacher does not resolve the issue to your satisfaction, you should contact West Dunbartonshire Council who will fully investigate the issue.

COMMUNITY FACILITIES

Groups or organisations wishing to use the school should contact School Letting Section, Department of Education & Cultural Services, West Dunbartonshire Council, Garshake Road, Dumbarton Tel 01389 737329

THE PARENT FORUM AND THE PARENT PARTNERSHIP

For legal responsibilities regarding Parent Councils see Appendix 1

WHO’S WHO IN OUR SCHOOL

Teaching Staff

Head Teacher Geraldine Currie

Acting Depute Head TeacherCaroline Gibson

Class TeachersElaine Wilson Mary Mohr

Janice WardropLouise McBeth

Elizabeth BraidMary Graham

Christine NewlandsHelen Macfadyen

Nina DixonLaura Kane

Jasmin TullochKirsty Clarke

Elaine MacDonald

Newly Qualified Teachers Lyndsay Eccles

Clerical StaffMorag Watson (full time)Cathy Pollock (full time)

Allison Young (part time)

Learning AssistantsLinda ConnollyTricia Diggines

Margaret FergusonDianne Gallagher

Sandra HendersonFiona Holloway

Pat Milne

JanitorDanny Madden

Catering SupervisorBernie Donnelly

Cleaning SupervisorBeth Stenson

School ChaplainRev Fiona Maxwell

STAFFING ALLOCATION - SESSION 2011/2012 F.T.E.15.37

Our school currently has twelve classes.

Additional staffing is used in the main to facilitate Management Time for the Principal Teacher, to provide cover for non class Contact time and to support learning

CLASSIFICATION

There are times when the distribution of children over the various stages of the school necessitates the formation of composite classes. This is where children from two stages of the school compose one class. Primary teachers are trained to teach children in differentiated ability groups. Consequently, composite classes, organised in teaching and learning groups, operate in the same way as single stage classes and allow children to study at their own stage level. A composite class will never exceed 25 in number. Single stage classes may contain 25 children in Primary 1, 30 children in Primary 2, or 33 children in Primary 3-7.

SCHOOL HOURS

Opens9.00am *Breakfast Club starts at 8.30am

Interval10.30am- 10.45am

Lunchtime12.15pm- 1.00pm

Close3.00pm

Primary 1 attend the morning session only until shortly before the September Weekend.

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS 2011/2012
1ST TERM Teachers Return for Duty Wednesday 15 August 2012
Thursday 16 August2012
Pupils Return Friday 17 August 2012
SeptemberWeekendSchool closed) Friday 21 September2012
“ “ ) Monday 24 September 2012
Re-open Tuesday 25 September 2012
(In-service children do not attend ) Friday 12 October2012
October holiday (Monday 15th to Friday 19th)
Re-open Monday 22 October2012
CHRISTMAS Close for holidays Friday 21 December2012
2013
2nd TERM Re-open Monday 7January2013
MID TERM (In-service children do not attend ) Thursday 7 February2013
Mid-term Holiday (School Closed) Friday 8 February2013
Holiday Monday 11 February 2013
Re-openTuesday 12 February2013
SPRING BREAK Close for holidays Friday 30 March2013
Re-open Monday 15 April2013
3RD TERM MAY DAY (Closed) Monday 6 May 2013
Re-open Tuesday 7 May2013
(In- service children do not attend) Thursday 23 May 2013
Local Holiday (School Closed) Friday 24 May2013
“ “ Monday 27 May 2013
Re-open Tuesday 28 May2013
Close for Summer Friday 28 June2013
RE-OPEN Teachers Return for Duty (Provisional) Thursday 15 August2013
Pupils return (Provisional) Monday 19 August2013

ENROLMENT

We would be delighted to welcome visits from parents/guardians offered or seeking places for their children
Just Telephone 0141 952 1937
The registration for pupils for Primary 1 in August takes place during the second week of January each year. Dates are usually intimated in the newspapers. The school will also display enrolment information in the local library, nurseries, shops, etc. If you wish your child to attend another school then you must first register your child in the local school and complete a placing request for the school of your choice. Children enrolling to start school in August will be given an opportunity to meet their teacher and visit
their class during the summer term.

THE CURRICULUM

Curriculum for Excellence enables professionals to teach subjects creatively, to work together

across the school and with other schools, to share best practice and explore learning together.

Glow, Scotland’s unique, world-leading, online network supports learners and teachers in this and

plans are already in place for parents across the country to have access to Glow.

Curriculum for Excellence balances the importance of knowledge and skills.

There will be new ways of assessing progress and ensuring children achieve their potential.

There will be new qualifications for literacy and numeracy from 2012/13 and new National 4

and 5 qualifications from 2013/2014. (

There is personal support to help young people fulfil their potential and make the most of their opportunities with additional support wherever that is needed.

West Dunbartonshire Council’s priority for Curriculum for Excellence is to ensure effective teaching and learning. It is working closely with all its establishments to review school structures to meet the requirements of the new teaching and learning approaches.

Our current priorities for development this session have been identified as:

  • Mathematics and Numeracy
  • English Language and Literacy
  • Parental Involvement

Priorities for session 2012-13 will be determined by a whole school audit.

It is our aim to ensure that the programmes of study we offer effectively raise levels of attainment and enable each pupil to fulfil their potential.

The eight main curricular areas are :

  • Expressive Arts
  • Languages and Literacy
  • Health & Wellbeing
  • Mathematics and numeracy
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • Technologies
  • Religious and Moral Education

LANGUAGES and LITERACY

Teaching in language and literacy will be planned using the following three organisers:

  • Listening and Talking
  • Reading
  • Writing

Talking skills are formally developed to enable children to be effective communicators for all life situations. Children will be encouraged to express their own ideas, opinions and feelings confidently and articulately. Listening is the key to all learning. The various skills required to be effective listeners will be developed throughout the seven-year course.

Readingis a fundamentally important skill. Emphasis will be placed at the early stages on reading out loud i.e. decoding the printed word into spoken word. The teaching of phonics will feature strongly. Thereafter more sophisticated reading skills will be developed e.g. research and reference skills, in-depth understanding of complex passages etc. Reading for enjoyment will be stressed at all stages. The main reading resources are:

Storyworld

Ginn 360

Group Novels

Writing skills for all purposes in life will be developed alongside the important

technical skills of spelling, handwriting and grammar.

A variety of resources will be used to assist learning across the levels of study, and

MATHEMATICS and NUMERACY

Our mathematics and numeracy programme covers the experiences and outcomes in the following eight organisers.

  • Estimation and rounding
  • Number and number processes
  • Fractions, decimal fractions and

percentages

  • Money
  • Time
  • Measurement
  • Data and analysis
  • Ideas of chance and uncertainty

A variety of resources are available within the school to support the delivery of all of these areas of numeracy. These include Heinemann Active Maths, New Scottish Heinemann and T-Jay Maths

SOCIAL STUDIES

Social Studies is structured under the following three organisers:

  • People, Past Events and Societies
  • People, Place and Environment
  • People in Society, Economy and Business

Our social studies programme lends itself to opportunities for inter

disciplinary working by making connections across and between subject areas.

EXPRESSIVE ARTS

Expressive arts plays a vital role in enabling our children to enhance their creative

talent and develop their artistic skills. Our Expressive Arts programme is organised

into the following four areas:

  • Art & Design
  • Dance
  • Drama
  • Music

Art and Drama

While much of Art & Design and Drama are developed in the context of topic work there will also be a focus on skills development.

Dance

Through our structured PE programme children are given the opportunity to create and present skills and techniques of dance.

Music

Children also have many opportunities to enjoy musical activities where they will develop singing, music making using percussion and experience music appreciation. We have developed an enjoyable music programme using the “Sound of Music “ resource programme. There is the opportunity for children to learn to play woodwind from a music specialists who visits the school each week.

Throughout the school year we organise a range of activities which encourage pupils to participate in music, art, craft, sport and drama.

Religious and Moral Education

This area of the curriculum deals with the development of the pupil in relation

to self-awareness, relationships with others, the range of beliefs, values and

practices that go to make a religious outlook on life.

Christianity will remain the core of study, focusing on education and observance,

rather than instruction. Our school chaplain, Rev Fiona Maxwell participates in our school

assemblies regularly.

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Learning in Health and Wellbeing ensures that children develop the knowledge and understanding, skills, capabilities and attributes which they need for mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing now and in the future.

Health Education is taught continuously throughout the year. These lessons are supplemented by visits and visiting specialists. Clydemuir Primary is an Accredited HealthPromotingSchool which impacts on many areas of school life.

PE Moves to Health

All P7 pupils receive swimming lessons. A wide range of additional activities are provided by Active Schools. We ask that all pupils do not wear any jewellery during all PE activities, in accordance with West Dunbartonshire Council Health & Safety guidelines. Please note. It is West Dunbartonshire Policy that it is considered unsafe for children to participate even if earrings are taped over. As PE is an essential part of the curriculum it is advised that piercing only takes place at the start of the summer holiday so that the learning programme can continue uninterrupted. All classes receive 2 hours of PE per week.

MODERN LANGUAGES

At Clydemuir Primary we are very fortunate to have two teachers who are trained to teach German in the Primary School. Pupils in Primary 6 & 7 receive a weekly lesson.

By the time children begin to learn German at school they already know a great deal about the purpose and functions of language. The learning of German will build on what they already know.

Learning to communicate in a foreign language is great fun, and will raise intercultural awareness in our children. Young people in Scotland must be equipped with the skills to enable them to communicate with others, and take their place in the world of work and the world at large.

ICT

Information Communication Technology skills are developed through a progressive

programme of work from P1 - P7. ICT is also used to support and enhance learning

within other curricular areas. The school is fortunate to have an ICT suite where

classes are taught the skills of ICT. This is supplemented by the use of i-books,

PC notebooks and a good quantity of computers in each area of the school. Almost

all classes have their own Smart-board to support interactive teaching and learning.