Learning & Leisure Services
Service & People First
GlenboigPrimary School
Handbook
North Lanarkshire CouncilMission Statement
Learning & Leisure Services takes as its Motto:
‘Service and People First’
and pledges to do this by:
- improving learning and teaching
- raising achievement and realising potential
- encouraging lifelong learning
- working with communities for a better future
- listening and learning together
- celebrating success
- respecting the dignity and value of all
- giving pupils and staff a safe, happy and attractive place to work
Dear Parent/Carer
We welcome you and your child to GlenboigPrimary School and we hope that you find this handbook useful and informative.
Starting a new school is a big step in your child’s life and we hope to make the transition as smooth as possible.
We are always aware that many parents have had little or no contact since their own school days and with the many changes in education over the years there may be some aspects with which you are unfamiliar. This school handbook addresses some of these issues but cannot hope to give you a complete picture of the school and its work. It is important therefore that you should feel free to visit the school at any time and we will endeavour to ensure that any enquiries are dealt with speedily and courteously.
We believe that education is a partnership between home and school and recognise the key role of parents in the education process. We look forward to your support and co-operation.
Catriona Calvert
Head Teacher
AIMS SECTIONOur WholeSchool Aims
In GlenboigPrimary School we aim to:
- Provide a safe, stimulating, caring and trusting environment where all children are encouraged to reach their maximum potential academically, personally and socially.
- Improve learning and teaching by having clear aims and policies and providing a carefully structured learning programme which demands high but realistic expectations and ensures equality of opportunity for all.
- Build self esteem by developing an appreciation of self worth and respect of individuals and others in an atmosphere where success is celebrated providing a sense of achievement.
- Work in partnership with parents and the wider community where each plays a vital role in the development of our children’s moral and social values in preparation for their roles as responsible citizens in the wider community.
- Foster independence and the development of positive attitudes and self discipline, where behaviour matters within an accepted Code of Conduct.
School Information
GlenboigPrimary School5 South Medrox Street
Glenboig
Coatbridge
ML5 2RU / Telephone:01236 757699
Fax number:01236 872801
E-mail address:
Website:
GlenboigPrimary School is a non-denominational, co-educational school situated approximately two miles from Coatbridge. The new school building was opened on
10 December 2007. It is a joint campus which we share with Our Lady & St. Joseph’s Primary School.Each school still retains separate identities.
Planning capacity of the school:125
Working capacity of the school:100
Parents should note that the working capacity of the school will vary dependent upon the number of pupils at each stage and the way in which the classes are organised.
Stages covered: Primary One – Primary Seven
Present class structure:Primary 1
Primary 2
Primary 3/4
Primary 5
Primary 6/7
Composite Classes
Composite classes are composed of children from more than one Primary stage and in small schools composite classes of two or three stages are common place. The formation of the composite class is determined by the number of children in each year group but occasionally with larger classes the determining factor for the formation of the composite class is working groups i.e. children working at the same level in maths and/or language.
Community Facilities
All applications for the use of the school should be directed to the:
Culture NL Ltd
Community Facilities Section
Coatbridge Community Centre
9 Old Monkland Road
Coatbridge
ML5 5EE
Tel: 01236 632778
Fax: 01698 302110
E-mail: school&
The Community Education will advise on the availability and the charges. The Parent Council will be advised in writing of the proposed lets and will be invited to approve the lets having regard to the direction of the authority in terms of policy and charges.
Associated Secondary School:
CoatbridgeHigh School
17 Park Street
Coatbridge
ML5 3NA
Telephone:01236 794848
Fax:01236 710493/428441
School Staff
Head Teacher:Mrs Catriona Calvert
Principal Teacher/
Support for Learning:Mrs Elizabeth McAlonan
Class Teachers:Miss Laura DavidsonP.1
Mrs Angela Arbuckle/P.2
Mrs Elizabeth McAlonan
Miss Gillian BrownP.3/4
Mrs Carol Randall/P.5
Ms Claire McKerron
Mrs Helen McLaughlinP.6/7
Total number of teaching staff:9
Music Tuition:Mr Andrew Huggan – Violin
Ms Christine Smith - Brass
Ancillary Staff:
Senior Clerical Assistant:Mrs Jean Thompson
Clerical Assistant:Mrs Nancy Rutherford - Wednesday only
Classroom Assistant:Mrs Frances Benson
Facilities Managers:Mr Jim Kerr
Mr Stephen O’Byrne
Cleaning Staff:
Cleaning Supervisor:Mrs Lesley McGovern
Mrs Marie Duffy
Mrs Isobel Campbell
Mrs Margaret Phinn
Catering Staff:
Catering Supervisor:Mrs Sandra Markie
Mrs Marie Welsh
Mrs Margaret Morgan
Mrs Margaret Lawless
School Hours:
School begins at 9.00am and ends at 3.00pm
Morning interval is from 11.00am until 11.15am
Lunch is from 12.15pm until 1.00pm
Primary 1 pupils attend full-time from the first day of the session.
A note of the school year for session 2015 – 2016 is included in the appendix.
Breakfast Club:
A breakfast club is available from 8.10am each morning.
Out of School Care:
After school care is available in the school every day 3.00pm until 6.00pm. This service is also available all day on in-service days and school holidays. For further information please contact: Rhonda on mobile 07824884601
Enrolment
Children who are starting school for the first time in August are normally enrolled in January. Advance notice of the actual dates are placed in the local press and information will be available from Our Lady & St. Joseph’s Nursery and from letters brought home by pupils already attending school.
In May/June a number of parent and child workshops are arranged to enable you and your child to become familiar with the school, the staff and the general routine prior to starting.
Equal Opportunities and Social Inclusion
The school is committed to assessing all policies and practices to ensure there are no negative impacts on any group of people.The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Technical Guidance for Schools in Scotland is the essential guide for the school community to promote equality. This information can be accessed at:
The School and the Community
The school has fostered close links with the community, the nursery and CoatbridgeHigh School. Our links with the denominational school who we share a joint campus with are strong and staff and pupils have participated in joint health promoting initiatives. We encourage our children to take an active part in their community by including local area studies in our Social Studies Programme. Classes have regular visits from representatives of the local services including the Community Police, the Health Board, Fire Service and Park Ranger Service, as well as voluntary organisations in the area.
Each year we invite members of the local community to our celebration assemblies.
Curriculum for Excellence
What is Curriculum for Excellence?
Curriculum for Excellence aims to achieve a transformation in education in Scotland by providing an improved, more flexible and enriched curriculum for all children and young people from 3 – 18. The curriculum includes all of the experiences which are planned for children and young people through their education, wherever they are being educated. All schools and nurseries in North Lanarkshire are working hard to raise standards so that children and young people will develop all of the skills necessary to continue to be successful when leaving school and entering the world of higher education, training or work.
Curriculum for Excellence is underpinned by the values inscribed on the mace of the Scottish Parliament – wisdom, justice, compassion and integrity. The purpose of Curriculum for Excellence is encapsulated in the four capacities – to enable each child or young person to be a successful learner, a confident individual, a responsible citizen and an effective contributor.
What are the curriculum areas in Curriculum for Excellence?
There are eight curriculum areas:-
Expressive ArtsReligious and Moral Education
Health and Well BeingSciences
Languages (literacy)Social Studies
Mathematics (numeracy)Technologies
Importantly literacy and numeracyare given added importance because these skills are so vital in everyday life. All teachers will have responsibility to teach literacy and numeracy.
Learning is divided into two phases. The Broad Education (BGE) is from nursery to the end of Secondary School Year 3. Learning is divided into levels. The levels are as follows:-
LEVELSTAGE
Earlythe pre-school years and P1 or later for some
Firstto the end of P.4 but earlier or later for some
Secondto the end of P.7 but earlier or later for some
Third and FourthS1 - S3 but earlier for some
Senior PhaseS4 – S6 and college or other means of study
How will my child’s learning be assessed?
The Curriculum for Excellence introduced new ways of assessing each child’s progress to make sure that potential is achieved.
National 4 and 5 qualifications were introduced in 2013/2014
Access, Highers and Advanced Highers are being updated to reflect Curriculum for Excellence
New Highers in most subjects were introduced in almost all North Lanarkshire schools in August 2014
In playrooms and classrooms staff will be using improved ways of assessing children’s learning taking account of national and local advice and guidance. Your child’s progress will be reported to you so that you know how well your child is doing.
Each year your school will let you know what is being done to implement Curriculum for Excellence so that you can be confident that your child is receiving a high quality education.
Our aim inGlenboigPrimary School is to provide a Curriculum of Excellence to insure each child is a successful learner, a confident individual, a responsible citizen and an effective contributor.
In Glenboig Primary the curriculum promotes learning through a wide range of contexts and well-planned experiences.
The programme focuses on:
The ethos and life of the school
Interdisciplinary projects and studies
Opportunities for personal achievement
All young people will be equipped with a high level of literacy and numeracy skills.
More information about the curriculum at national level can be found in the ParentZone on our school website.
Modern Languages
In addition, every primary school teaches a modern language.
In Glenboig Primary School it is French which is taught.
Gaelic is also being taught from Primary 1 to Primary 7.
The following section gives only a brief outline of what is covered in each subject area. Parents are most welcome to contact the school to discuss more fully any aspect of the curriculum with the Head Teacher.
Health and Well Being
This permeates the life and ethos of the school. All pupils are encouraged to keep fit, eat healthily, socialise well and as staff know the pupils well they are aware of any change in a pupil’s emotional well being. Pupils are encouraged to talk to staff should they feel worried or anxious.
English Language
Listening and Talking are prevalent in all language activities. At all times children are encouraged to listen and to follow instructions. At the early stages there are opportunities for talk and discussion through the Active Literacy Programme and during purposeful play activities.
Readingis taught in the early stages using what is known as the guided reading method where there is a focus on fluency and comprehension techniques.
In GlenboigPrimary School the children use a range of books to ensure they learn the common words and appropriate, meaningful vocabulary.In conjunction with this, children also learn phonics i.e. the sounding and blending of letters. The North Lanarkshire Active Literacy Programme is a very structured approach towards word attack skills at the early stages.
Workshops are held for parents to discuss the approach of reading in school and at home.
Primary Four to Primary Seven pupils follow a language programme which uses novels for discussion and grammatical work. This language programme is used to develop more complex skills in reading, writing, talking and listening. The children will bring home library books to ensure continued independent reading. They will also study a novel and are encouraged to discuss, evaluate and record their progress and enjoyment of the novel.
Writing is taught using the North Lanarkshire Active Literacy Programme which encourages a whole school approach, thus ensuring progression and continuity throughout the stages. This programme encourages the children to reach their targets in their writing by planning, writing and the drafting and redrafting of their story.
A Star Writer badge is awarded to those children who achieve their targets. Children write every day in all areas of the curriculum.
Spelling is closely linked to the phonics programme where children are being taught spelling strategies. Pupils are involved in reciprocal teaching tasks followed by dictated sentences. The North Lanarkshire Spelling Programme is used throughout the school.
Handwriting is taught progressively throughout the school and at all times children are encouraged to present their work in the neatest way possible.
MathematicsThe Mathematics Programme which is used throughout the school is based on the North Lanarkshire Pathways. A variety of resources are used to support this which includesScottish Heinemann Mathematics and TJ Mathematics. The children study the basic skills of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division as well as developing problem solving and practical skills in measuring and weighing. Calculator work, information handling and the use of data bases develop the skills necessary to cope in the present age of technology.
Each day, some time is spent on mental arithmetic and a variety of teaching methods are used.e.g. computer software and many additional practical experiences complement all learning.
Social Studies
Through Social Studies, children will develop their understanding of the world by learning about other people and their values, in different times, places and circumstances: they also develop their understanding of their environment and of how it has been shaped.
Sciences
Science is presented through the process of investigation and in such a fashion that the pupils’ understanding of the relationship of the theoretical and practical is fostered as well as their awareness of the interdependence of related studies.
Religious and Moral Education
Religious Education makes a distinctive contribution to the curriculum in helping pupils towards a consistent set of beliefs, attitudes and practices within our own community and beyond.
Religious and Moral education is taught in Glenboig Primary School with these broad aims in mind and reflects council and national policies as set out in the Education (Scotland) Act 1980.
Our Religious and Moral Education Programme includes studies of aspects of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Class assemblies are led by each class on three occasions in the school year and whole school assemblies take place on a weekly basis.
It is recognised that the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 allows parents to withdraw their children from any instruction in religious subjects and from religious observance, and any such pupil will not be placed at any disadvantage with regard to secular instruction. Parents who wish their child withdrawn from religious education should notify the Head Teacher in writing at the time of enrolment or as soon as possible thereafter.
Parents/Guardians from ethnic minority religious communities may request that their children be permitted to be absent from school in order to celebrate recognised religious events. Only written requests will be considered. Appropriate requests will be granted on not more than three occasions in any one school session and the pupil noted as an authorised absentee in the register.
Expressive Arts
Art & Design
Through Art and Design children are encouraged to express themselves visually and to appreciate and enjoy their own and each other’s work. Various mediums are used to help stimulate their imaginations e.g. the work of famous artists. Creative talent is developed through the use of different materials such as paint, fabric, plasticine and clay.
Drama
All classes follow a structured progressive programme. This provides opportunities for the children to dramatise events, role play, mime, improvise and express their own and others’ ideas.
Music
Our aim in music is to foster a lasting interest and enjoyment for music. Our music programme allows the children the opportunity to listen and respond to music, make their own music and sing familiar and unfamiliar songs.