Head Teacher: Mrs Judith Mathers

Mauricewood Primary School

Handbook

2014

Mauricewood Primary SchoolTel: 0131 271 4630

11 Muirhead PlaceFax: 01312714631

Penicuik

EH26 0LEE:

Web Site

Head Teacher: Mrs Judith Mathers

Depute Head Teacher: Mrs Susan Wilkinson

Contents

Page 3Letter from the Head Teacher

Page 4Staff

Page 6General Information

Page 7 Aims and School Rules

Page 8Times of the School Day

Page 9 Session Dates

Page 10 Discipline

Page 11 Our School and Community

Page 11 Enrolment

Page 13 Transition to High School

Page 14 Attendance

Page 15 Family Holidays

Page 15 Uniform

Page 17 Learning and Teaching: Curriculum for Excellence

Page 23 Assessment and Recording

Page 23Children with Additional Support Needs

Page 24 Homework

Page 25 Reporting to Parents

Page 25 The Parent Council and PTA

Page 27 School Lunches and Milk

Page 27 Emergency Arrangements

Page 28 Medical Care

Page 30Child Protection

Page 30Health and Safety

Page 31 Road Safety

Page 31 Parents and the School

Page 32Complaints Procedure

Page 34 Useful Addresses/ Telephone Numbers

Midlothian

Dear Parents

I am delighted that you have chosen to send your child to Mauricewood Primary School and I am sure that after you have visited us, you will agree that the children here are happy and hardworking and that the learning environment is stimulating and challenging.

As a staff we strive to ensure that children have a broad education, that their achievements, big and small, in and out of school are recognised and that everyone feels that they are valued.

We recognise the strengths of working with others and have an open door policy that welcomes contact with families and the wider community.

We look forward to working in partnership with you and your child.

Yours sincerely

Judith Mathers

Head Teacher

General Information

• Mauricewood Primary School is a non-denominational,

co-educational school which serves the north-western quadrant of Penicuik.

• A number of pupils from outwith the catchment area attend the school

• This session, the school roll is 426including up to 80 part-time pupils who attend the school’s morning and afternoon nursery classes.

• P1-7 pupils are organised in 14 classes

• There are visiting teachers of PE, Drama, Art, Woodwind, Double Bass, Cello and Guitar.

• Support staff includes 1 Administrative Assistant, 1 part-time Office Support Assistant and 6 Learning Assistants.

The School Vision Statement

Aim High

Be Proud

Celebrate Success

Our School Aims

At Mauricewood we aim within a stimulating learning environment:

• To provide a secure foundation of Literacy, Numeracy and Health and Wellbeing within a Curriculum for Excellence
• To develop effective assessment procedures and encourage pupils to attain high levels of achievement
• To deliver via a range of appropriate teaching approaches learning of the highest quality across the curriculum
• To foster self-esteem and positive attitudes towards others and the environment
• To create a safe and welcoming school where each individual is valued as a person in their own right
• To set high standards of work and behaviour
• To build upon the existing good relationships between home and school

• To have clear school policies and to provide a wide range of differentiated resources which are easily accessible to staff and pupils

Our School Rules

These are our Golden Rules -

Follow instructions straight away.

Walk around the school quietly.

Keep hands, feet and objects to yourself and walk away from trouble.

Respect everyone and the environment.

Our School Day

P1 and P2Mon - Thurs8.55 - 12.0012.45-2.45

Fridays8.55 - 12.20

P3-7Mon-Thurs8.55 - 12.151.00 - 3.20

Fridays8.55 - 12.30

Morning interval is from 10.45 – 11.00

P1 & P2s Lunchtime break is from 12.00 – 12.45

P3 - P7s Lunchtime break is from 12.15 - 1.00

There are Playground supervisors in each playground.

Discipline

At Mauricewood we expect high standards of behaviour both in school and in the playground so that children can feel secure and happy and thus are able to make full use of the learning opportunities given to them.

We believe that children thrive on praise, success and recognition. This does not mean that difficult behaviour is ignored and it will be dealt with in a consistent manner.

At the start of the session you will be sent a copy of your child’s classroom behaviour plan. This sets out

• a few simple rules which have been negotiated with the class teacher
• an indication of the positive steps that the teacher will be taking to recognise good behaviour, e.g. praise, certificates, stickers, notes home
• consequences for unacceptable behaviour

Such consequences will encourage children to think about their actions and how they could have chosen to behave differently.

Working with parents is very important. There

will be regular contact home to let youknow

how your child is doing.

If any problems arise we will involve parents at an early stage to help us look for solutions.

In the unlikely case of extreme misbehaviour or indiscipline, parents will be immediately informed.

School and Community

We have close links with the Community where many groups run interesting activities. There is a Breakfast Club and an After School Club on site run by Ickle World, which are available for parents who require care before and after school hours for their children. Alternatively the YMCA/YWCA offer transport to a Breakfast Club and After School Care in their building in Queensway.

Contact Barbara Wilson on 01968 678093 for community group details.

Contact Simon Carroll 07872996675 or David Loudon 07921615216 for Ickle World details.

Contact Claire Gillies01968674851 for details of Penicuik Y childcare

During the year we are involved in a number of community initiatives such carol singing at Tesco and Broomhill Day Centre.

Enrolment

Enrolment week for new P1 pupils normally takes place in Term 2. The exact date can be obtained from your Nursery, or by telephoning the school. If your child resides in the catchment area, you will be invited by the school to fill in an enrolment form during that week. The school will contact you directly to do so.

If you reside outwith the catchment area but wish to make a Placing Request for your child to come to Mauricewood Primary, you must fill in a Placing Request Form. This can be obtained from the school, or from Fiona Campbell at Midlothian Council (Tel: 0131 271 3133).

In the summer term, you will be invited to the school for a meeting about starting school, during which your child will be able to meet their teacher.

Mauricewood is an inclusive school and in partnership with a variety of agencies we aim to meet the needs of all children. If your child has additional support needs please let the Head Teacher know so we can ensure they have the best possible start in school.

Transition to High School

Most pupils from Mauricewood Primary School transfer to Beeslack Community High School. Parents will receive communication from Midlothian Council about this in term 2 however if you wish to contact Beeslack Community High School in the meantime, the details are as follows:

Beeslack Community High School

Edinburgh Road

Penicuik

Tel: 01968 678060

Fax: 01968 678659

Head Teacher ( Acting ) MR John Ryan

If you wish your child to go to another High School, you may need

to fill in a Placing request Form.This can be obtained from the school, or from Fiona Campbell at Midlothian Council (Tel: 0131 271 3733).

Attendance

Most children at Mauricewood Primary enjoy school and coming to school is not a problem. However, as at any school, occasionally a child can be upset for a variety of reasons and it is important that any difficulties are discussed with staff so that the child can feel happy and settled again as quickly as possible

If your child is unavoidably absent, contact should always be made with school by telephone or letter on the first day of absence. We will telephone you if your child is off and no contact has been made.

Occasionally your child may have a dentist or hospital

appointment. Please notify us in writing.

You or a responsible named adult must collect

your child within the school day.Children are not

allowed to leave school during the day on their own.

If your child goes home for lunch please notify us if for any reason he/she cannot return to school.

Parents are responsible for ensuring that their child attends school regularly and on time. In cases of unsatisfactory attendance, the Head Teacher will discuss the situation with the Education Welfare Officer who may visit parents at home or school to help resolve any problems. If unsatisfactory attendance persists, the Head Teacher, following discussions with the Education Welfare Officer 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 Director of Education on the statutory responsibilities of the Authority with regard to non attendance.

Family Holidays

New guidelines from the Scottish Government require schools to class any family holiday taken during term time as unauthorised, unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Please arrange family holidays outwith term time as any absence during the session obviously puts the child at a disadvantage on return when the rest of the class have moved on with their work. Please note that if you do arrange a family holiday during term time, the school does not provide work for your child.

Uniform

At Mauricewood all children wear school uniform. This fosters a sense of pride and identity; it looks smart and prevents parents from spending money on expensive designer items.

The uniform consists of

blue sweatshirt/ hooded top/ cardigan

white or blue T-shirt or polo shirt

black, navy or grey trousers or skirt.

Sensible footwear should be worn and because our classrooms

are carpeted, parents are requested to ensure that pupils have a

change of shoes when they come into school. We ask that these

are gym rubbers or plain trainers.

Children will have PE at least twice a week. For this they need gym shoes (these can double up as their change of shoes), plain shorts and a T-shirt. This kit should be kept in school. We regularly have PE outdoors and children can wear joggers and or sweatshirt if you prefer. For safety reasons jewellery (including earrings and studs) may not be worn in the gym.

If earrings cannot be removed they must be taped over.

Please label your child’s clothing so that it can be easily identified.

(one blue sweatshirt looks very similar to another!)

The Authority operates a scheme of free school meals and clothing grants to assist parents on low incomes. These grants are available for pupils whose parents/carers are in receipt of at least one of the following benefits:

• Income Support
• Income Based Job Seekers Allowance
• Child Tax Credit (but not Working Tax Credit) with an annual income of less than £16,190
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit with an annual income less than £6,420

Midlothian Council policy states that schools do not replace lost or stolen items of uniform or other property, but that parents contact the council directly to make any claims for these.

Any such claim should be referred to Kevin McGuire

(Tel: 0131 271 3732).
Learning and Teaching

The Curriculum

All Scottish Schools now follow Curriculum for Excellence, which places a central emphasis on nurturing successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens.

The curriculum is organised under the following areas

• Literacy and English
• Numeracy and Mathematics
• Health and Wellbeing
• Expressive Arts
• Modern Languages
• Social Studies
• Sciences
• Technologies
• Religious and Moral Education

We have a great emphasis on making learning in all these areas as active and meaningful as we can and your child will often be taught through inter disciplinary topics which I am sure you will hear about at home.

Planning for Learning

When teachers plan for learning theytake account of what children already know, as well as their interests and skills. The children are encouraged from the nursery up to be as involved as possible in this work.

Children will be taught by a variety of methods: individually, in a group and with the whole class. Working together is particularly important in developing skills for learning, life and work.

Language

Language is made up of 4 areas - Reading, Writing, Talking and Listening.

Listening and Talking:

Children learn to develop their language skills and thinking by listening and talking. These are vital life skills and we help them to develop and improve these skills in many ways including through

stories

drama

discussion

• group work
• talks

presentations

All children are encouraged to give a talk to their class at sometime during the session on something that interests them.

A Burns poetry competition is also held each year to encourage public speaking.

Reading:

Reading is central to learning and considerable time is spent on helping the children to become fluent and skilled readers particularly in the Early Years. We use a structured reading scheme to assist us in the early stages and as children gain in reading fluency they have experience of a wide range of genres and of reading for information. Reading skills are systematically taught in line with Midlothian Literacy Strategy. Each year children will have 1 or 2 Novel Studies which allow them to work cooperatively and at depth on a variety of reading skills.

We expect parents to support our reading programme by hearing their children read at home on a regular basis. We also encourage parents to give their children as many opportunities as they can to read widely and to be read to. We know this makes a tremendous difference to their progress. Our Homelink teacher is always ready to support parents who would like more ideas as to how they can support their child in learning. She can be contacted through the school. We aim for children to develop a lifelong love of books. We provide an attractive, well stockedlibrary which all classes have access to each week. Classes can also visit Penicuik Library.

We have regular Book Weeks and Book Fairs in school as well as visits from authors and storytellers. In January we have Burns poetry reading and a focus on Scottish stories and songs.

Writing:

The skills of spelling, grammar and handwriting are taught progressively. Personal, Functional and Imaginative Writing are taught in weekly lessons and in other areas of the curriculum, for example, writing instructions or reports in technology. All our classes have handwriting lessons, as presentation is very important. From P3 the children learn the cursive script as research has shown that this helps pupils with speed, fluency, spelling and legibility.

Numeracy and Maths

In numeracy all classes use the Midlothian Understanding Number Programme which has been specifically devised by Midlothian teachers to allow children to experience a more active and meaningful approach to number. This focuses on deeper understanding of number through an emphasis on mental work with use of white boards, games and challenges.

Children also follow a progressive maths course where practical maths are emphasised. This means children will have plenty of experience in using and applying mathematical skills in different and realistic contexts, including outdoor learning and enterprise education.

Health and Wellbeing

At Mauricewood learning in health and wellbeing is designed to ensure 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. In Curriculum For Excellence experiences and outcomes are organised under the following sections.

• 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 ( Our Sex education programme follows guidance produced by the Scottish Government in 2000)

We actively seek out opportunities to involve children in sport and activities both in and outdoors.

Children in P4 have one block of swimming at Penicuik or Loanhead Pool.

In P5 children have the opportunity to ski at Hillend.

All P7 pupils have the opportunity of joining other schools who feed into Beeslack High School for a residential Outdoor Education experience usually at Benmore Centre .

As a Health Promoting School, we encourage Healthy Eating. All children are allowed to have cool water at their tables and we discourage children from bringing fizzy drinks to school. Similarly, we discourage sweets as snacks and we have a Healthy Tuck Shop, which serves a large range of suitable alternatives.

Social Studies

Your child will learn about other people and their values in different times, places and circumstances. They will develop their understanding of their environment and of how it has been shaped. They will learn about the history, heritage and culture of Scotland as well as wider British European and world contexts.