Longniddry Primary School Handbook
Updated October 2017
Contents
v Information About Our School
v Our School Aims
v Our Staffing
v Our School Day
v Attendance & Punctuality
v Holidays During Term Time & Emergency Arrangements
v School Meals, Fruit & Milk
v Medical Care
v Road Safety
v School Security & Playground Supervision
v School Catchment & Enrolment
v Pupil Voice
v Parental Involvement & Communication
v Homework & Home Learning
v Our Curriculum & School Improvement
v Assessment & Reporting
v Support For Learning
v Discipline, Behaviour & Anti Bullying
v Religious Observance
v Complaints Procedures
v Appendix
Longniddry Primary School
Kitchener Crescent
LONGNIDDRY
EH32 0LR
Tel: 01875 853161
Head Teacher: Miss Sheona Skinner
Dear Parents and Carers
I am delighted to be introducing you to our school and our school handbook. I hope that you will find this informative and insightful into life in Longniddry Primary School
Our school is an attractive building set in peaceful, rural surroundings. However, it is the people who make up our school community that really make our school a special place to work and learn. We are fortunate to have enthusiastic children, supportive parents, committed support staff and dedicated teachers.
We have high expectations and are committed to raising attainment and achievement for all our children. We believe that the “joy is in the journey” and so try to ensure the learning process is enjoyable and motivating for everyone.
Education is more effective when home and school work together. We in Longniddry Primary are committed to partnership and encourage and value the contribution made by all our parents and carers. We share a common goal – to provide our children with an education of the highest quality. Together we can achieve that.
We have tried to include as much information as we can in the handbook but please feel free to contact me if you would like further information or if you would like to visit school.
Yours sincerely
Sheona Skinner
Miss Sheona Skinner
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Information about our School
Postal Address:
Longniddry Primary School
Kitchener Crescent
Longniddry
East Lothian
EH32 0LR
Telephone Number: 01875 853161
E-mail address:
Website: http://edubuzz.org/blogs/longniddry
Longniddry Primary is a non-denominational, co-education school situated in the east end of Longniddry village. Our school is built on two levels and has been adapted to provide access for children with disabilities including toilet and lift facilities. Our school currently has 8 classes plus 2 nursery classes (am & pm).
Stage / No.of PupilsP1 / 23
P2 / 21
P2/3 / 20
P3 / 25
P4 / 24
P5 / 28
P6 / 18
P7 / 31
There are composite classes in most schools across East Lothian and they are based on pupil age. All classes whether composite or not, contain pupils of different abilities and levels of development. Teachers are expert in how to structure learning for pupils of differing abilities and composite classes don’t pose any greater challenge than single-year classes.
Our School Vision, Values & Aims
Learning to Live, Loving to Learn
Our Vision
To create a respectful community where everyone can contribute, achieve and be proud.
Our Values
Resilience Perseverance Respect
Responsibility Kindness
Our Aims
To provide a healthy, safe and nurturing environment.
To inspire a love of learning
To develop high quality experiences with opportunities for independent learning and thinking
To create an atmosphere of cooperation
and effective team work
To develop a sense of respect and responsibility for ourselves, our community and the world around us
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Our Staffing
Longniddry Primary School is very fortunate to have a very caring, enthusiastic and highly professional staff team.
Headteacher Miss Sheona Skinner
Depute Head Teacher Mrs Stephanie Macfadyen
Class Teachers
Miss Lauren Hicks Mrs Mellony Bertram
Miss Yvonne Hart Mrs Hilary Anderson Mrs Gillian Hyndman
Mrs Janey Henderson Mrs Nina Boog Mrs Jenny MacIntyre
Mrs Wendy Brown Miss Sarah Anderson
Nursery Nurses
Mrs Jilly Banks Mrs Anne Reynolds Ms Leanne Bowers Ms Sonia Allen
School Secretary Mrs Lorraine Mitchell
Janitor Mr Nigel Whillans
Playground Supervision/Classroom ASN Support /Dining Room Supervision
Mrs Sharon Binmore, Mrs Fiona Longmuir,
Mrs Erica McKay, Mrs Hilary Betts, Mrs Dawn Wiggins
Teachers – Hearing Impaired Team
Mrs Kirsti Mackay, Ms Catherine Brookes.
Visiting Specialists
Physical Education Miss Emma Hume Brass Mr Alex Knox
Music Miss Laura Matuszak Chanter Mr Lee Moore
Piano Mr Peter Antonelli Drums Mr Simon Grant
Woodwind Mrs Alison Loneskie Guitar Mr Chris Day
Our School Day
The length of the school week varies according to the year stage your child is in.
Nursery 16 hours
Primary 1 and Primary 2 22 hours 30 minutes
Primary 3 to Primary 7 25 hours
These times exclude the morning interval and lunch time.
We operate a two session day with a fifteen minute morning interval.
P1 – P2
8.50 am – 12.10pm 1.15 pm –3.05 pm Monday – Thursday
8.50 am – 12.15 pm Friday
P3 – P7
8.50 am – 12.30 pm 1.15 pm – 3.15 pm Monday – Thursday
8.50 am – 12.25 pm Friday
Our Nursery Classes
Children should be dropped off / collected between
Group One Monday – Thursday 8.32 – 8.45am until 12.15-12.30pm
Group Two Monday – Thursday 1.15pm – 1.30pm until 3pm or 4pm
Friday 8.30 – 8.45am until 12.15-12.30 pm
Attendance and Punctuality
Getting to school on time makes a huge difference to our pupils and reduces disruption to the teaching and learning in classes. We would ask parents and carers to support us by making sure that children are in the playground ready for the bell. In the event of children being late for school they should report to the office before making their way down to class.
"Parents are responsible for ensuring that their child attends school regularly, in cases of unsatisfactory attendance, the Head Teacher will call on the Child & Family Support Worker (Attendance) to visit the home and discuss the problem with the parents. If such unsatisfactory attendance persists the Head Teacher, following discussions with the Child & Family Support Worker (Attendance) and other agencies will decide whether the case should be referred to the local Area Attendance Advisory Group. This Group has been formed to make recommendations to the Executive Director on the statutory responsibilities of the Authority with regard to defaulting parents".
Where parents wish to keep their child off school for some reasonable purpose they are asked to write to the school before doing so. Where pupils have a prearranged appointment during school hours eg hospital or dentist they should bring a note to school beforehand where possible. Parents are asked to limit appointments during school hours unless absolutely necessary to minimise disruption to the class. School will of course support children who are unable to attend school because of illness or any other permissible cause.
If your child will not be attending school for any reason please make sure you notify the school office by telephone or e-mail as soon as possible, before 9 a.m.
If your child is not in school and we have not heard from you we will telephone you to check they are safe. Should there be no reply, we will telephone the emergency contact listed for your child. If we still have no reply we may contact our Child & Family Support Worker (Attendance) if we have concerns about their well being.
If your child is absent due to vomiting or diarrhoea they should not return to school until 48 hours after the sickness and diarrhoea has ceased. Your child may be on the mend sooner but we must consider the health of all our pupils.
Holidays During Term Time
Parents should endeavor to take holidays whenever possible out with term times. Holidays taken in term time are recorded as ‘unauthorised’ unless there are exceptional circumstances. Teachers will not be able to provide ‘homework’ for holiday periods taken in term time.
Emergency Arrangements
The first priority of the Head Teacher will be to keep the school open if at all possible. However, the early closure (or part closure) of the school may occasionally be required. In the case of any unforeseen emergencies, e.g. fire, flood, heating failure or severe weather pupils will be kept in school until parents are informed about the emergency arrangements.
Pupils will never be sent home without school staff first ascertaining there is an appropriate adult to receive them and any children for whom arrangements cannot be made will be kept in school until the end of the normal school day.
Once approval has been granted for the Head Teacher to close a school information will be posted where possible on the council website www.eastlothian.gov.uk as well as the schools own website.
It is again stressed that up-to-date information on persons to be contacted in emergencies is absolutely vital.
Notification will be given to any children, who for reasons of an educational visit or after school activity, will finish outside normal school hours. On occasions, when returning to school from any such activity occurs in the evening, parents will be consulted about collection arrangements.
School Meals, Fruit and Milk
We are a health promoting school and hot meals are prepared on the premises and served in separate sittings, for the early years pupils then P4 and P5, P6 and P7.
All children in P1-3 are provided with a free school meal Monday – Thursday and a packed lunch option is available to take home on a Friday.
All meals for P4-7 can be paid for on the day at a cost of £1.90 or at the beginning of the week either by cheque or in cash. At the end of each month if there are any outstanding meal bills then in accordance with East Lothian Council policy, names will be forwarded by Facilities Management to the Local Authority.
Children who wish to bring packed lunch are also accommodated in the dining hall. All pupils are free to choose with whom and where they sit in the dining hall. Parents should please avoid giving ‘sticky/fizzy’ drinks as part of packed lunches.
We try to encourage healthy eating habits as part of our school curriculum and your help would be much appreciated in reinforcing this by providing healthy packed lunches and snacks for your child.
We have a number of children in school who are severely affected by life threatening allergies to nuts and nut products. We are therefore a NUT FREE SCHOOL and would ask for your support in not sending any nuts or nut products to school for snacks or packed lunches. This includes products such as chocolate spread on sandwiches.
Children are supervised at lunchtime by our dining room staff.
Free fruit is provided by East Lothian Council on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays for all children in P1 and P2. Free milk is available to all pupils in the nursery. Milk is also available daily to primary school pupils. In order to save time the money for this is normally collected a term at a time.
Medical Care
In the case of unexpected illness or accident to a child at school, preliminary treatment will be administered by staff and the parent contacted immediately.
We are fortunate that all our staff are First Aid trained. If an occasion arises when a parent cannot be contacted, the school will ensure the necessary medical treatment is given, i.e. take the pupil to the doctor or hospital. It is imperative that parents inform the school of any special medical conditions including allergies and keep their emergency contact information up to date.
Individual Health Care Plans are in place for those pupils who require them. No child will ever be sent home without prior notice. The School Nurse and Doctor service are also available to advise schools.
Please call at the school office to sign a permission form if your child requires to have medication administered by a trained member of staff during school hours.
All members of staff who have been trained in the administration of specific drugs to pupils suffering from epileptic seizure or a severe allergic reaction and who are required to apply specific drugs to those pupils will be covered by East Lothian council’s Public Liability Policy.
If your child is absent due to vomiting or diarrhoea they should not return to school until 48 hours after the sickness and diarrhoea has ceased. Your child may be on the mend sooner but we must consider the health of all our pupils.
Coming To School By Car
Access for children coming to school by car is through the pedestrian gate at Kitchener Crescent. Alternatively parents can use the Park car park, which will enable them to walk with their child to school. Please note that the car parks at the front and kitchen area of the school are for staff and deliveries only. PARENTAL ACCESS, HOWEVER BRIEF, IS NOT ALLOWED.
We also respectfully remind parents and carers to be considerate to our neighbours and to the safety of other children when parking close to the school.
Coming To School On Foot
Pupils are encouraged to walk to school where possible. Children walking to school should use the John Knox Road gate. This should however not be used as a dropping off point for cars.
Coming To School By Scooter or Bike
Bike and scooter racks are provided for pupils to lock up and secure their scooters and bikes during the school day. Please note that scooters and bikes are left at the owners own risk especially if they are left overnight. Pupils are not allowed to play with bikes and scooters during playtimes.