Crookston Castle Primary School

Crookston Castle Primary

School Handbook

2016/17

Crookston Castle Primary School Handbook 2016/2017

WELCOME TO

CROOKSTON CASTLE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dear Parent/Carer

We extend you a very warm welcome to Crookston Castle Primary and hope that your child will be happy and enjoy his/her time here as well as learning all the skills that will equip him/her for life.

We share the campus with Langlands School, a school for children with complex learning difficulties. We also share the campus with Crookston Early Years Centre for children from 0 years to 4 years.

During their time at Crookston Castle Primary we hope to help to prepare our children for life ahead. In terms of their education we hope to provide a broad and general curriculum for each child to enable him/her to succeed at their own level. We wish to foster positive attitudes both to work and to each other. We hope that children will treat each other, as well as adults, with respect and tolerance.

By the end of their time at Crookston Castle Primary, we would wish all our children to develop into competent, confident and caring adults with a sense of responsibility and self-value.

It is important to work in partnership with you and your family to help us provided a happy learning environment. We want you to encourage your child to work hard and behave well.

As teachers we aim to offer the highest standard of teaching and learning by providing planned learning experiences matched to the needs of pupils. We hope to encourage all pupils to do their best in everything they do.

Yours faithfully

Hilda Carrick

Head Teacher

THE AIMS OF OUR SCHOOL

·  To provide a secure, stimulating, happy environment.

·  To ensure that all pupils achieve their full potential by careful consideration of individuals in terms of their needs, strengths and talents.

·  To develop a working partnership with parents and the community, through meaningful communication and consideration for other.

·  To encourage pupils to show respect to each other and to all adults in the school and community.

·  To promote equal opportunities for all, in terms of race, religion and gender.

OUR SCHOOL VALUES

·  We are learning to show respect

·  We value ourselves and others

·  We promote equality

·  We are learning to be responsible

·  We communicate effectively

SCHOOL INFORMATION

Crookston Castle Primary School Present Roll - 517

Glenside Avenue Maximum Roll - 560

Glasgow

G53 5SD

Telephone: 0141 892 0593

Fax: 0141 892 0554

Email:

crookstoncastle-pri.glasgow.sch.uk

www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/residents/goingtoschool

twitter: @crookstoncastle

Parents should note that the working capacity of the school might vary depending on the number of pupils at each stage and the way in which the classes are organised.

HOW the CHILDREN are ORGANISED for LEARNING

CLASSIFICATION

The number of children at each year group will determine how classes require to be structured.

From time to time the distribution of children over the various stages of the school will necessitate the formation of composite classes. This is where children from two stages of the school come together to form one class. Primary teachers are trained to teach children in differentiated ability groups. Consequently, composite classes organised in teaching and learning groups allow children to study at their own stage level. Children in composite classes continue to learn in the same way as a single stage class.

A composite class will not exceed 25 in number, unlike single stage classes, which may contain 33 children. Classes in P1 will not normally exceed 25. Classes in P2-3 will not normally exceed 30.

The school currently has nineteen classes, ranging from Primary 1 to Primary 7 as follows:

Primary 1 72

Primary 2 83

Primary 3 65

Primary 4 76

Primary 5 71

Primary 6 72

Primary 7 78

This is a non-denominational school and it is co–educational. The Gym Hall and Dining Hall are available for letting in the evenings. Organisations wishing to use these facilities should contact GCC or our Facilities Officer.

All enquiries for letting purposes should be made to: Education Services

Education Services

Glasgow City Council

City Chambers East

40 John Street

Merchant City

GLASGOWG1 1JL

SCHOOL STAFF

Head Teacher Ms Hilda Carrick

Depute Mrs Jacqueline Mathers

Depute Ms Jacqueline Kane

Principal Teachers Miss M Beaton (Nurture)

Mr D Ramsay (Digital Learning)

Teaching Staff

NCCT: Mrs Barret, Mrs Sillars, Miss MacDonald

CLERICAL SUPPORT STAFF

Mrs D Kelly, Mrs C Lamb,

Miss L Thomson, Mrs P McMonagle,

SUPPORT FOR LEARNING STAFF

Mrs K Cooke, Mrs C Macey, Mrs M Macdiarmid,

Mrs Y McPhail, Mrs L Prociw, Mrs M Rose and Mrs L Skimins

ASN SUPPORT FOR LEARNING STAFF

Mrs A MacDonald, Mrs Y McCreath

Mrs J O’Rourke, Mrs S Thomson

NURTURE ASSISTANT

Mrs S Mathieson

FACILITY OFFICERS

Mr R McCormack

Ms C McManus

Total Number of Teaching Staff (FTE Equivalent) = 25.2

SCHOOL DAY

School opens: 9.00am School closes: 3:00 pm

This may vary from time to time and is determined by activities going on at times of the year, e.g assemblies

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS 2016/2017

Details can be found on Glasgow city Website:

https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=11880

INFANT ENROLMENT

All new entrants to Primary 1 enrol in November and for the following school session. Children should be 4 years before the 1st March of that year. Please bring along your child’s birth certificate and proof of address. We look forward to our meeting and the chance for you to see our lovely school.

We will write to you in April to inform you of the dates of our Pre-Entrant Programme. This will allow you to meet your child’s teacher and to get used to the new school surroundings. It will also give you an opportunity to see how your child will learn at school. Once your child is settled in school you will be invited to attend workshops about the curriculum. I feel sure that you will find these meetings both informative and enjoyable. Any concerns or questions that you may have can be discussed at the meetings.

If you live within the catchment area then your child will be enrolled in the school provided there is capacity. If the pupil lives outside the catchment area then parents will have to make a Placing Request. Placing Request forms are available from our school office. http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=9413

CURRICULUM FOR EXCELLENCE 3-18

Bringing learning to life and life to learning

Curriculum for Excellence is now in place across Scotland for all 3-18 year olds – wherever they learn. It aims to raise standards, prepare our children for a future they do not yet know and equip them for jobs of tomorrow in a fast changing world.

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.

Every child is entitled to a broad and deep general education, whatever their level and ability. Every single teacher and practitioner will be responsible for literacy and numeracy – the language and numbers skills that unlock other subjects and are vital to everyday life.

It develops skills for learning; life and work to help young people go on to further study, secure work and navigate life. It brings real life into the classroom, making learning relevant and helps young people apply lessons to their life beyond the classroom. It links knowledge in one subject area to another helping children understand the world and make connections. It develops skills so that children can think for themselves, make sound judgements, challenge, enquire and find solutions.

Ultimately, Curriculum for Excellence aims to improve our children’s life chances, to nurture successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors, and responsible citizens, building on Scotland’s reputation for great education. http://ed.scotland/gov.uk/paretnzone/index.asp , www.educationscotland.gov.uk and www.curriculumforexcellence.scotland.gov.uk

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLANNING

School improvement planning operates on a yearly cycle, based on audit of key stakeholders and evaluation. Each year a new improvement plan will support the aims for that year. We also review our framework for learning, agreeing which subjects will be taught discreetly or as an interdisciplinary theme.

The complete School Improvement Plan 2015/16 can be found on the school website alongside the Standards and Quality Report which outlines our successes for the year and next steps.

LITERACY

In the infant stages play is integral to the development of the four aspects of literacy. Much of the learning is done through actively engaging the children; we do however rely on a variety of text to reinforce our teaching of skills. It also transcends all aspects of the curriculum and this interdisciplinary approach allows children to apply it in meaningful, realistic situations.

1 TALKING skills are formally developed to enable pupils to be effective communicators, for all life situations. Children will be encouraged to express their own ideas, opinions and feelings confidently and articulately.

2 LISTENING is the key to all learning. The various skills required to be an effective listener will be developed throughout the seven-year course. Listening units and tapes will be among the learning experiences provided to develop these skills.

3 READING is a fundamentally important skill. Emphasis will be placed at the early stages on reading out loud i.e. decoding the printed word into the spoken word. Thereafter more sophisticated reading skills will be developed e.g. research and reference skills, inference, speculation, in-depth understanding of complex passages etc. The importance of recreational reading will be stressed and encouraged at all stages.

4 WRITING - Not only will writing skills for all life purposes be developed but the important technical skills of spelling, handwriting and grammar will also be taught. A multi-sensory approach to the teaching of spelling is used. In addition, further developments in the teaching methodologies for children's writing are ongoing this session.

Handwriting - The style taught is based on a form, known as the "Simple Modern Hand". Starting as a simple script, and later linking to form a concise style, it is hoped pupils will be enabled to write legibly and with speed.

MODERN LANGUAGES

Children are introduced to Modern Languages through the study of French from P5-7. Our approach is through Active learning e.g. play, songs , rhymes and storytelling which help to develop the oral/aural skills and begin to lay the foundation of matching the written and the spoken word. By the end of this session P1-4 children will have an introduction to French.

MATHEMATICS

Pupils develop their mathematical skills through active learning. Children explore mathematical concepts and basic number work using practical activities. You will be supplied each year with a Curriculum Leaflet which outlines the specifics for your child’s level/stage.

SOCIAL STUDIES

This curriculum offers pupils a balanced and progressive development of skills and concepts. It is important for children to understand the place where they live and the heritage of their family and community- through Social Studies children develop their understanding of the world by learning about their own people and what has shaped them, other people and their values, in different times, places and circumstances.

EXPRESSIVE ARTS

Art and Design, Music, Dance and Drama are incorporated into topic work as well as being

taught as experiences and outcomes in their own right.

Art & Design

Children are given a wide experience of various art mediums e.g. painting, printing, craft. As well as encouraging an interest in art itself, we also develop their expertise in techniques. We hope you will enjoy viewing the many examples of these, which are displayed within our school.

Music

The children are introduced to rhythm, pitch ,notation, appreciation, music making and singing. Each class show case their experience of expressive arts, build presentation skills and demonstrate increased confidence by performing to an audience. Music is supplemented by a visiting specialist who visits once a week in P2 and P3 .Our choirs and other children sing publicly at community and city events.