Humbie

and

Saltoun

School Handbook

2014-15

Communications with parents

School communicates with parents in many ways. This may include:

  • A diary for the main events of the year sent out in August
  • Monthly newsletters with information about all aspects of school life
  • Reminders of upcoming events
  • Fliers in children’s bags
  • Information from outside agencies which may be of interest to you

These will be sent by email if possible or on paper in children’s bags.

All important information is shown on the school blog and is regularly updated. ( or for Humbie

In addition you will be invited to meetings and events at school:

  • Curricular evenings
  • Parent Council meetings- all are open meetings and all parents are welcome
  • Parent teacher meetings
  • Parents consultations (November and March)
  • Special events- assemblies, shows, celebrations.

If at any time you have a concern about your child, please do not hesitate to contact the school. You can make an appointment with the class teacher and/or the Head Teacher who will listen to and discuss your concerns. If appropriate they will refer you to other agencies for help or support.

Attendance

If children, through illness, or some other permissible cause are unable to attend school, it would be appreciated if parents would inform the school by telephone. If a ‘phone call has not been received by school by 9.15 am, the school will make every effort to contact the parent to find out the cause of absence to reassure us of your child’s whereabouts. If we are unable to you we are required to pass this on to the Duty Social Worker. On return the child should bring a note from a parent indicating the cause of the absence.

Punctuality is encouraged as it helps class teachers to make a structured start to each day.

Emergency Closure

In the event of the school having to close due to weather or problems with heating, school will contact you to alert you. No child will be sent home without this contact having first been made. You will be asked to nominate an emergency contact in case you are unavailable and you will be asked to update this information regularly. Bulletins and information will be posted regularly on the school website- ( or for Humbie-

Complaints Procedure

Most complaints can and should be resolved at school level. If you have cause for concern, the first person to approach will normally be the Head Teacher. If a meeting is required with the Class or Guidance Teacher, Head Teacher or other senior member of staff then this should be arranged as quickly as possible. If parents remain dissatisfied then the procedures contained within “How to make a comment, compliment or complaint about a Council service” should be followed.

Further information can be obtained at:

Enrolment Arrangements

Children normally start school in August if their 4th birthday is before the last day in February and are enrolled in November of the preceding year. In certain circumstances, parents choose to defer entry to school for one year.

Parents wishing to enrol their child with us may visit the school with their child at a time mutually convenient. At P1 stage non-district (families who do not live in the Saltoun or Humbie school catchment areas) pupils must apply through the local Authority i.e. East Lothian Council.

School Ethos

In Humbie and Saltoun schools we aim to equip children with the skill set they will need for learning, life and work. Our vision statement for the schools is:

  • To provide a rich, stimulating and inclusive learning environment where children feel safe, valued and happy.
  • To be an integral part of the community and equip children with skills for life, leisure and learning.
  • To foster a culture of respect and where everyone gives of their best.

We encourage children to be fully involved in their own learning. We strive to produce:

confident individuals who are aware of their own strengths and areas of expertise,

successful learners who play an active and responsible role in their own learning,

responsible citizens who are aware of their role in their community and society and actively involved in improvements,

effective contributors who can work with others to accomplish tasks.

Our aim is to build resilience, creativity and adaptability in our children to equip them for an ever-changing world.

Our school culture is one of tolerance, fairness and giving of one’s best at all times.

At all times, we will highlight and celebrate the success of our pupils in moving towards these goals.

Community Involvement

We see our school as integrated fully into the community and with an active part to play in it. We welcome liaison and partnership with all community groups. We encourage all members of the community (in the village and beyond) to interact with the school and the pupils and to come to events. Such integration and active involvement can only enrich the lives and education of our children.

Positive behaviour

We encourage and praise good behaviour at all times. We have school rules to cover all situations (including the playground) and we regularly revisit, re-emphasise and update these with the children. In this way the children have ownership of the behaviour rules and responsibility for keeping them.

Golden Rules are displayed in the classrooms and other areas in the building and in the playground.

Parents would be involved at an early stage if children have difficulty with behaviour issues, and the school would expect to act in partnership with parents in helping children with this.

Bullying is not acceptable and is dealt with quickly.

If you have any concerns about this area, please contact school as soon as possible.

Our expectations of good behaviour are high and there are agreed and accepted sanctions for inappropriate behaviour.

PARENT FORUM AND PARENT COUNCIL

The Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act 2006 encourages and supports more parents/carers to become involved in their children’s education.

The main aims of the Act are to:

  • Help parents become more involved with their child’s education and learning
  • Welcome parents as active participants in the life of the school
  • Provide easier ways for parents to express their views and wishes

To help achieve these aims, all parents will automatically be members of the Parent Forum at their child’s school and will be entitled to have their views represented to the school, education authority and others, through a representative Parent Council for the school. As a member of the Parent Forum parents will have a say in selecting the Parent Council (the representative body) to work on behalf of all parents/carers at the school.

The role of the Parent Council is to:

  • Support the school in its work with pupils
  • Represent the views of all parents
  • Encourage links between the school, parents, pupils, pre-school groups and the community
  • Report back to the Parent Forum.

All parents can nominate themselves as members of the Parent Council and all parents are welcome to attend meetings.

The Parent Council arrangements came into effect from August 2007. For more information on the Parental Involvement Act or to find out about parents as partners in their children’s learning please contact the school or Val McIntyre, Principal Officer, at the Department of Education & Children’s Services on 01620 827228 or or visit the Parentzone website on or East Lothian Council website on

Each school has an active parent association which helps with fundraising and school events.

Local Links for Parents and Families

In Humbie and Saltoun Schools we work closely with the other schools in our Tranent Cluster to support and build our wider community for the benefit of all children, young people and families. We are supported in this through partnership working with East Lothian Council Community Learning Development. Community Learning and Development offer a varied programme across the cluster open to everyone. Whether it’s updating your First Aid or building up your confidence to go back to college or work, or simply looking for a new hobby there is something for everyone. You can find services and information about Adult Literacy, youth clubs, women’s groups, training and life skill courses and community events on the East Lothian Learning Partnership site

For parents of babies and children to 8 years, Support from the Start is a local network committed to helping our communities have the best possible start in life. They too, offer easily accessible advice, groups, events and resources often by local people for local people especially for babies, young children and families. To see if there is something for you and keep up to date with what’s on in our area please visit the Tranent facebook page.

For general information for services for children and young people :

If you would like further local information please contact Lena Hutton on

Lena Hutton

Community Development Officer

Fa'side Villages

George Johnstone Centre

35 Winton Place

Tranent

East Lothian

EH33 1AE

01875 824138

The Curriculum

In line with most Scottish schools we follow the Curriculum for Excellence which offers a broad, general education. It is designed to offer breadth, progression, depth, challenge and enjoyment, coherence, relevance and personalisation and choice. Children are taught at the level most appropriate to their stage of development. Our children are taught in composite classes- there is more than one year group in each room.

More information on the Curriculum for Excellence is available on curriculum/. Parents are welcome to discuss curriculum matters with school staff. Open evenings during the school year will cover specific aspects of teaching and learning as required.

The curriculum includes all aspects of school life-ethos, curricular areas, interdisciplinary learning and opportunities for personal achievement. Children will be offered well-planned experiences and outcomes across all curricular areas, with an emphasis on learning skills in literacy, numeracy and health and well-being embedded across the curriculum. The other curricular areas are: expressive arts, mathematics, languages, religious and moral education, sciences, social studies and technologies.

Health and Well-beingmuch of this curriculum is embedded in the everyday life of the school and reflected in the ethos and culture of the school community. It is designed to ensure that children are safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible and included. The main areas for focus are: mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing; planning for choices and changes; physical education, physical activity and sport; food and health; substance misuse, relationships, sexual health and parenthood.

Physical education teaching is shared between the class teacher, a P.E. specialist teacher and Active Schools Coordinators. Children from P4 up are offered swimming tuition for a block of 10 weeks.

When sensitive aspects of learning are approached (sex education, relationships, drugs awareness etc.) parents are made aware of this and are invited to view and discuss programmes and resources used.

Literacy and Englishthe framework for learning and teaching here is divided into listening and talking, reading and writing.

There is a structured and progressive approach to teaching skills in this area which is centred around enjoyment and choice, tools for acquiring literacy, finding, organising and using information, understanding, analysing and evaluating all aspects of language, creating texts for a wide variety of purposes.

In addition to English, pupils from P6 (or earlier if possible) are given tuition in French.

Numeracy and Mathematicsthe framework for mathematics is structured around: number, money and measure; shape, position and movement; and information handling.

Again the approach to teaching skills is structured and progressive, with an emphasis on mental maths activities to embed firm understanding of number structures and processes, and on real-life situations, problem-solving and transference of skills across all areas of the curriculum.

In both these areas, children will be taught mainly in groups appropriate to their stage of development. These groups will be fluid, regularly reviewed and allow for children to move as suits their learning needs at any time.

Expressive Arts encompass art and design, dance, drama and music. In this discipline children are given opportunities to be creative and express themselves in different ways; participate in performances and presentations; develop skills and an appreciation of aesthetic and cultural values. We have specialist teachers of art and music who work for blocks of the year with children from P3 upwards. There is also a visiting instrumental teacher who instructs groups from P4 upwards in violin.

In Religious and Moral Education children learn about Christianity, other world religions and development of beliefs and values. In addition to this, and in line with requirement by Scottish Government, we offer opportunities for religious observance in which all pupils, staff and, at times, parents can take part. This is most commonly done through school assemblies, where children are offered the chance to reflect on, and develop a deeper understanding of, issues of personal morality or individual faith. Our local minister will also attend at times and talk to the children. We may visit our local church for particular celebrations.

There is a statutory provision for parents to withdraw their children from participation in religious observation. Children who are withdrawn will be offered a worthwhile alternative activity.

Sciencesthe key concepts in science are: Planet Earth; forces, electricity and waves; biological systems; materials; topical science. Teaching is centred around active learning, problem-solving, analytical thinking skills; investigation and enquiry; awareness of current issues and findings and their impact on our lives.

Social Studies there are three main themes for study here:

  • People, past events and societies –events in the past, how we know about them and how they affect our lives now.
  • People, place and environment –physical features of our environment, how they influence lives and how we impact on the environment; our own community and communities further afield.
  • People, society, economy and business –how society is organised and how it works; social, political and economic issues.

These studies are usually approached in a cross-curricular way and can arise from topical issues, events in the community or interests of the children in the class. The teaching approach is skills-based and interactive.

Technologiesthe main areas here are: technological developments in society; ICT to enhance learning; business; computing science; food and textiles; craft, design, engineering and graphics. Children will be encouraged to be problem-solving, creative and innovative, to plan, organise, trial, review and develop and to make connections across areas of learning. They will be given opportunities to acquire skills with tools, equipment, software and materials and to work collaboratively to reach goals.

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Children will be encouraged to acquire skills for learning, life and work and learn how to apply these in a broad range of challenges and situations. Some of these skills will be acquired or practised in the out-of-doors or in real-life situations.

Children are actively engaged in their learning. They play a part in choosing and planning topics and are given opportunities to make personal choices for study where appropriate. They will contribute to the planning of what they learn, how they achieve the outcome, how they will show their learning and how it will be evaluated. Teachers share learning intentions and success criteria so that children are aware of what is expected.

They play an active role in assessing and evaluating their own work, the work of their peers and the class as a whole. They are encouraged to plan next steps in their learning, with guidance from the teacher.

Homework is given on a regular basis. The tasks are designed to reinforce and enhance the work undertaken in class and offer an opportunity for parents to share in and support children’s learning. It may be reading tasks, learning of spelling rules, number bonds or tables practice or may be related to topics studied in class. There is a homework policy available for information and parents can request extra material to supplement what is given in school should they wish.

At the beginning of each planning block, parents will be given an outline of the work to be covered in maths and numeracy, language and interdisciplinary topics.

Extra-curricular activities

Children will be offered chances to participate in extra-curricular activities. This may be in the form of activity clubs run by school staff after school, the Active Schools Programme, local clubs or parents. Each year there will be the chance of a residential stay at an outdoor centre. This is usually offered to P4 stage and upwards.