Guidance
SCHOOL HANDBOOK 2013-14
Statement of commitment
East Ayrshire Council: Department of Educational and Social Services is committed to: • providing a choice
• maximising opportunity for all
• developing the potential of individuals • meeting needs through inclusion
Community Plan
The Community Plan is recognised by all partners as the sovereign strategic planning document for the delivery of public services in East Ayrshire over the 12 years from 2003 to 2015. It sets out the overall vision for the local area:
“East Ayrshire will be a place with strong vibrant communities where everyone has a good quality of life and access to opportunities, choices and high quality services which are sustainable and meet people’s needs.”
The main themes of the Community Plan are: • promoting lifelong learning,
• delivering community regeneration, • improving community safety
Contents
Legislation………...page 4
• Education(Scotland) Act 1980 • Parental Involvement Act 2006
• Education (Disability Strategies and Pupils’ Educational Records) (Scotland) Act 2002 • Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill • Public Services Reform ( Scotland)
Act 2010
• Educational (Additional Support for
Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 and 2009 • Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc.
Act 2000
Policy………...page 7
• Curriculum for Excellence: Learning and teaching, assessment and reporting • Parental involvement
• Attendance and absence • Class size policy (primary)
• Clothing and clothing grants/dress code • Comments, suggestions and complaints • Data protection
• Placing requests
• Deferred entry to primary school • Early entry to primary school • Early learning and childcare
admissions policy • Emergencies • Equalities
• Excursions
• Looked after and accommodated young people
• Medical and health care • Parental involvement • Personal belonging claims • Recruitment of staff
• School meals service/free school meal entitlement
• Transition • Transport
Improving Health and Wellbeing…....page 28
• Spiritual, social, moral and cultural values • Anti-bullying
• Oral health
Promoting Lifelong Learning……….page 30
• Additional support for learning • Early childhood networks • Learning communities
• East Ayrshire psychological services • East Ayrshire support team
• Getting it right for every child • Outdoor education
• Pre-birth to three: positive outcomes for Scotland children and families
• Teacher access programme
Improving Community Safety…….…page 37
Legislation
Education
Scotland Act (1980)
The duty of every education authority is to secure that there is made for their area adequate and efficient provision of school education and further education.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1980/44/contents
Parental Involvement Act 2006
This Act means that, more than ever before, parents and schools working together will benefit from their shared knowledge and be able to support our children towards reaching their full potential.
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/09/08094112/0
Education (Disability Strategies and Pupils’ Educational Records) (Scotland) Act 2002
This Act will help to promote a positive attitude towards disability in all Scottish schools and will help responsible bodies to ensure that they can meet their new duties under the amended Disability Discrimination Act 1995 - effective from September 2002.
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2002/09/15494/11272
Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill
Named person
Health Boards will require to provide children with a named person from birth up to school age. Local authorities will provide children in public schools with a named person from school age to 18 or until they leave school, whichever is later.
Lead professional
All children and young people who require integrated support from more than one practitioner should experience a seamless and effective service. This is delivered most effectively when one practitioner – a lead professional – takes a primary role to ensure frontline services are co-ordinated, coherent and achieving intended outcomes.
Legislation
The Lead professional will:
• act as a single point of contact for the child or family
• co-ordinate the delivery of the actions agreed by practitioners • reduce overlap and inconsistency in services offered to families
Child’s plan
Local authorities require to prepare a plan in relation to an individual child if it is considered that a child has a wellbeing need. This is required if it is considered that wellbeing cannot be met without targeted intervention.
Early learning and childcare
Local authorities require to provide a minimum of 600 hours of free early learning and childcare to three and four-year-olds, looked after two-year-olds and two-year-olds subject to a kinship care order.
Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010
Early ChildhoodThe act has established a system of care regulation covering the registration and inspection of care services against a set of national care standards.
The national care standards for early education and childcare standards will be used to monitor the quality of services and compliance with the act and the regulations.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2010/8/part/5/chapter/3
The Educational (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 and 2009
The Educational (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 has replaced the law relating to special educational needs. This has now been updated by the 2009 Act which came into force on 17 November 2010.
Legislation
Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000
“Every child of school age has the right to a school education provided by an education authority” (Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000.) It also states that education should be “directed to the development of the personality, talents and mental and physical abilities of the child or young person to their fullest potential”
The Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000 places prescribed duties on local authorities to: • secure pre-school education for all pre-school and ante pre-school children, where a parent
wishes one
• secure the right of every child to have a school education
Policy
Curriculum for Excellence: learning and teaching, assessment and reporting
Curriculum for Excellence is the education system in Scotland. It includes nurseries, schools, colleges and community learning from three to 18 and beyond.
Since autumn 2010, learners from pre-school to S1 have been working to Curriculum for Excellence guidance and standards.
The table below matches the five curriculum levels to stages of learning generally applicable, with flexibility (for example, for young people who are particularly able and/or have additional support needs).
LEVEL STAGE
early the pre-school years and P1, or later for some
first to the end of P4, but earlier or later for some
second to the end of P7, but earlier or later for some
third and fourth
S1 to S3, but earlier for some. The fourth level broadly equates to Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework level 4.
The fourth level experiences and outcomes are intended to provide possibilities for choice and young people's programmes will not include all of
the fourth level outcomes.
senior phase S4 to S6, and college or other means of study.
From pre-school to the end of S3 (3-15), young people will experience a broad general education which is designed to enable each child or young person to be a successful learner, a confident individual, a responsible citizen and an effective contributor.
The broad general education will include all of the experiences and outcomes across all curriculum areas up to and including the third level. Throughout all learning, prime importance is given to
Policy
Learning across the curriculum helps young people make links between subjects, and learning outside classrooms in the outdoors and in the community, which gives opportunities for learners to deepen their learning in real-life contexts. Most learners will progress into the fourth level in many aspects of their learning before the end of S3, laying strong foundations for more specialised learning.
Information about how the curriculum is structured and curriculum planning –
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/thecurriculum/
Young people approaching the senior phase (15-18) will have a range of options that reflect their abilities and aspirations, including staying on at school, going to college or university, entering work-based or community-work-based learning, volunteering, or a combination of these. These options offer the opportunity to study for qualifications and enhance skills important to their success in learning, life and work.
New qualifications have been developed by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) which support and reflect young people’s learning in Curriculum for Excellence. These allow a more personalised approach to study. For example, with guidance from their teachers, young people will be able to take advantage of more flexible arrangements: options to take qualifications over one or two years; taking National 4 and 5 qualifications in S4, S5 and S6 or by-passing these and working towards Higher.
www.youngscot.org (learners)
www.parentzonescotland.gov.uk (parents and carers)
www.sqa.org.uk (information on qualifications
www.educationscotland.gov.uk (curriculum, learning, inspection)
www.engageforeducation.org (share ideas and questions about education) www.scotland.gov.uk/cfeinaction (real-life examples)
Policy
Assessment and reporting
Curriculum for Excellence emphasises that assessment is an integral part of day-to-day teaching and learning. Learners’ progress will be closely monitored by staff, who reflect with them on their
strengths, learning needs and next steps, and take action based on this.
Learners themselves will be increasingly involved in this process, as they develop the skills needed to be able to make effective judgments on their own learning; skills that will be important to them
throughout life. Testing will continue to be part of the framework of assessment, providing additional evidence of what learners know, understand and are able to do, and helping teachers plan learning experiences which are motivating and challenging.
Children who may have additional support needs, or who require a co-ordinated support plan will be assessed in a way suited to their individual requirements. Further information is available from the headteacher.
Further information can be found on the following webpages:
www.youngscot.org (learners)
www.parentzonescotland.gov.uk (parents and carers)
www.sqa.org.uk (information on qualifications)
www.hmie.gov.uk (standards, inspections)
www.ltscotland.org.uk (teaching practice and support)
www.engageforeducation.org (share ideas and questions about education)
Policy
Parental involvement opportunities
Some early childhood centres may have a parents’ committee. Further information about this can be found in part 1 of this handbook.
As a parent of a child at school, you are automatically part of the parent forum of the school. The membership of the parent forum is made up of all parents who have a child at the school. The parent forum can decide to form a smaller body called the parent council. The parent council is a group of parents selected by members of the parent forum to represent them. Further information can be found at the following link:
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learningteachingandassessment/partnerships/engagingparents/whygetpar entsinvolved/index.asp
Parent helpers/volunteers regularly involved in educational establishments require to have a
Disclosure Scotland PVG Scheme check before the parent helper/volunteer is allowed to assist in the establishment.
Attendance and absence
Section 30 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 lays a duty on every parent of a school-age child to "provide efficient education for him/her suitable to his/her age, ability and aptitude, either by causing him/her to attend a public (local authority) school, or by other means". Most parents choose to meet this duty by enrolling their children at local authority schools and therefore must ensure that their children attend school regularly. Attendance must be recorded by the school twice a day, morning and afternoon.
If a parent chooses to educate his/her child by other means than sending that child to school, the parent is still under a duty to ensure that the child is being provided with efficient education. Under Section 37 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, the parent has a duty to ensure that a child educated outside school is provided with an education suited to age, ability and aptitude and at a
Policy
Regulation 7 of the Education (School and Placing Information) (Scotland) Amendment, etc
Regulations 1993 requires each child’s absence from school to be recorded in the school register as authorised, that is approved by the authority, or unauthorised, that is unexplained by the parent (truancy) or temporarily excluded from school.
Parents must contact the school by 9.15am on the first day of absence, explaining the reason for non-attendance. It is important that the school is notified, to prevent unnecessary procedures being
followed. In extreme circumstances, there may be a need to involve social services or police. The parent should provide a written note on the child’s return to school, confirming the reason for absence.
Family holidays
Due to the avoidable disruption to children's education caused by family holidays in term time, the Scottish Executive issued a circular on attendance and absence in 2003. This national circular makes it clear that, without the prior agreement of the school, family holidays will be classified as
unauthorised absence. Schools will only give such agreement in exceptional circumstances related to the wellbeing of the family. Within the terms of the national circular, reasons which are not acceptable include:
• availability of cheap holidays or desired accommodation • poor weather in school holidays
• holidays overlapping the end of term
• parental difficulty in obtaining leave (except in specific circumstances)
We seek your fullest co-operation in communicating to all young people the value of their time at school, by ensuring that no learning and teaching is lost through unnecessary and avoidable absence. Parents may request their children be permitted absence from school to make an extended visit to relatives. Only written requests detailing the destination, the duration and the provision that will be made for their continuing education will be granted. The pupil will then be noted as an authorised absentee in the register. With no explanation from the parent, the absence is unauthorised.
Policy
Class size policy
In law, the present maximum number of children in classes in P1 is 25; P2 & P3 is 30; P4-P7 is 33. The exception to this is a composite class, which has a maximum size of 25.
The Council allocates its staffing to primary schools to ensure that the maximum class sizes outlined above can be adhered to at all times.
Your child may be placed in a composite class during primary education. Primary schools have children at seven year stages, P1 to P7. Composite classes occur where children from two or more year stages are grouped together eg P2/3 or, in the case of some small schools, P1/2/3. An
information leaflet on composite classes is available online at:
http://www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/Resources/PDF/C/CompositeClasses2012.pdf
Early Childhood Centres are registered with the Care Inspectorate for a maximum number of children in specific age ranges. This will vary from centre to centre.
Clothing
Early Childhood Centres
Children have the best fun when they are doing creative and activity-based work. We shall always try to make sure they wear aprons but accidents happen so please dress your child in suitable clothing. Please also make sure that your child has suitable outdoor clothing as outdoor learning takes place on a regular basis.
Other Establishments
Given that there is substantial parental and public approval of dress codes, schools in East Ayrshire are free to promote their own dress code.
Policy
In encouraging the dress code, account must be taken in any proposals to prevent any direct or indirect discrimination on the grounds of race, gender, religion or disability. Any proposals will be the subject of widespread consultation with parents and pupils. Against this background, it should be noted that it is the policy of the Council not to insist on pupils wearing uniform or having specialist items of clothing as a prerequisite to their attending and engaging in all of the activities of the curriculum.
There are forms of dress which are unacceptable in school, such as items of clothing which: • potentially, encourage rivalry (such as football colours)
• could cause offence as a result of wording or pictures
• could cause health and safety difficulties (such as loose-fitting clothing, dangling earrings) • are made of flammable material (such as shell suits in practical classes)
• could cause damage to flooring
• carry advertising, particularly for drugs, alcohol or tobacco
• could be used to inflict damage on other pupils or be used by others to do so
In addition, earrings or other body piercing jewellery should not be worn for any PE-related activity Under no circumstances will pupils be deprived of any educational benefit as a result of not
conforming to the dress code. Parents receiving income support, family credit, income based Job Seekers Allowance, housing benefit or council tax rebates will normally be entitled to monetary grants for footwear and clothing for their children.
Approval of any requests for such grants made by parents in different circumstances is at the discretion of the Executive Director of Educational and Social Services.
Information and application forms may be obtained from schools, local offices and the Department of Educational and Social Services.
Policy
Clothing Grants
The Government provides assistance to families on low income to access school clothing grants. The criteria for clothing grants are as follows:
• Council Tax rebate
• Child Tax Credit and/or Working Tax Credit with income <= £15,276 • Child Tax Credit only with income <=£15,891
• Income based employment and support allowance • Housing Benefit
• Income based Jobseekers Allowance • Income Support
The clothing grant is £50 per eligible child. Please be aware that if your child is starting in 5th year of the schoo,l the grant will not be paid until your child starts in that year.
It is the parent or carer’s responsibility to apply for school clothing grants. Application forms can be obtained from your child’s school or by contacting Area Registration Office, Department of
Neighbourhood Services, Burns Monument Centre, Kay Park, Kilmarnock or online at:
http://www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/EducationAndLearning/Schools/Schools-GrantsAndBenefits/Clothinggrantsandfreeschoolmeals.aspx
This information may be subject to change as part of current Welfare Reform. Information on this will be updated on East Ayrshire Council’s webpages in due course.
Comments, suggestions and complaints
Our aim is to provide high quality services to the people we serve. However, we recognise that sometimes things can go wrong. If they do, we want you to tell us so that we can put things right. We will listen and learn from your comments, suggestions or complaints so that we can continually improve our service to you. We will deal with your complaint as follows.
If you have experienced a problem with a service or have a complaint to make, the quickest way to get it resolved is to talk to the staff responsible for that particular service.
Policy
Stage 1: If we cannot resolve your complaint straight away you can ask the appropriate manager to
review your complaint. The manager will aim to provide a response within five working days.
Stage 2: If you are not satisfied with the response, you can ask for a further review of your complaint
by senior management and we will aim to respond within 20 working days. If you have completed the Council’s complaints process and you are still unhappy, you can ask the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman to look at your complaint.
Further information is provided in the leaflet:
A guide to making comments, suggestions and complaints or on the Council website
www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk
The Care Inspectorate is the national organisation which regulates and inspects Scottish care services.
The Care Inspectorate has a complaints procedure for dealing with any complaint about regulated services. You have the right to contact the Care Inspectorate with any complaint that you have about an early years establishment.
Regional Office Local Office
South West Region Care Inspectorate
Care Inspectorate Suite 3
Princes Gate Sovereign House
Castle Street Academy Road
Hamilton Irvine
ML3 6BU KA12 8RL
Tel: 01698 208150 Tel: 01294 323920
All establishment inspection reports can be accessed on the Care Inspectorate website:
Policy
Data Protection
Personal Information - Data Protection Act 1998
For the purposes of the Data Protection Act 1998, the Data Controller for the personal information we process about children is East Ayrshire Council.
East Ayrshire Council collects, creates and processes personal information about children. This information is needed for a number of reasons.
We use it to:
• support teaching and learning;
• monitor and report on children’s progress; • provide appropriate pastoral care
• assess how well your child’s establishment is doing
This information includes children’s contact details, assessment results, attendance information, characteristics such as ethnic group, additional support needs and any relevant medical information. We collect information from children, their parents and guardians and we may also receive information from other sources, such as previous establishments.
We may disclose information to other organisations, for example to other establishments if you move to another authority, to the Scottish Qualifications Authority for examination entries and to the Scottish Government and its agencies.
We store personal information securely and we do not disclose it apart from the circumstances described above or where the law requires us to disclose it.
If you wish to see a copy of the personal information we hold about you, then you can make a Subject Access Request for this information. To do this you should contact the Council’s Freedom of
Information Officer (01563 576094) or email [email protected]. A fee may be charged for this service.
Policy
Education Records -‐ Pupils’ Educational Records (Scotland) Regulations 2003
In addition to the rights provided by the Data Protection Act 1998, parents also have the right to examine their child’s education record. These records are available to inspect, free of charge, at the school. If you wish to view these records you should contact the school to arrange an appointment. The records must be made available to you within 15 school days. A copy of the records can also be provided for a fee.
Sharing information
As noted above, in some circumstances the Council may share your data with other organisations. The Scottish Government collects information about children and young people. We now work together to transfer data electronically through the ScotXed programme. ScotXed aims to support schools and local authorities by supporting the collection, processing and dissemination of statistical information required for planning, management and monitoring of Scottish education services. In order to make the best decisions about how to improve our education service, Scottish
Government, education authorities and other partners such as the SQA and Careers Scotland need accurate, up-to-date data about our children and young people. We are keen to help all our children and young people do well in all aspects of school life and achieve better examination results.
A subset of this information is passed to Scottish Government for research and National Statistics publications. Education data within Scottish Government is managed effectively by secure systems and is exploited as a valuable corporate resource, subject to confidentiality restraints. As part of its data policy, the Scottish Government will not publish or make publicly available any information that allows individual pupils to be identified, nor will data be used by Scottish Government to take any actions in respect of individuals. Data is held securely and no information on individual pupils can or would be published by Scottish Government.
The individual data collected by Scottish Government is used for statistical and research purposes only. We hope that the explanations contained on the ScotXed website will help you understand the importance of providing the information.
Policy
Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002
The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act, 2002 provides a right of access to all types of record held by Scottish public authorities. Subject to certain limited exemptions, anyone who makes a request to a public authority for information will be entitled to receive it.
Publication Scheme
As with other authorities in Scotland, East Ayrshire Council has compiled a publication scheme outlining the types of information we routinely make available to the public, the manner in which it is published and details of any charges. Anything that is made accessible in this way is then exempt from requiring a specific response under the Freedom of Information legislation.
To request information e-mail: [email protected]
Placing requests
Occasionally parents/carers may wish to send their children to a school which is not their catchment area school.
If this is the case, please complete and submit a school placing request form to the education authority. Please note that if you select a school which is not in your catchment area, your child will not entitled to receive free school transport to and from school.
If your placing request is refused by the Head of Service, you can appeal in writing, within 28 days of receiving the refusal.
An appeals panel will then be arranged by the Registrar. At this hearing, a panel which is made up of one elected member and two parent council representatives will make a decision on whether to uphold or reject the appeal. An officer from legal services will also attend the hearing to provide advice to the panel.
If you remain unhappy with the decision, you have the right to seek a final appeal at the Sheriff Court within 28 days of being advised of the appeals panel's decision.
Policy
Deferred entry to primary school
Under current legislation in Scotland, parents/carers of children aged between four and a half and five at the start of the school session (those with September to February birthdays) have a choice about enrolling their child for primary school. Children can start school before they are five or can defer their start until the following August.
Parents/carers must:
• register the child at the catchment area school, where there will be an opportunity to indicate interest in deferring entry, during the period notified in the local press.
• discuss the possibility of a deferred entry with staff in an early years establishment (if attending).
If the child does not attend an early years establishment, advice and an application form can be obtained from East Ayrshire Council, Early Education and Childcare Service, Educational and Social Services Office, Civic Centre South, John Finnie Street, Kilmarnock, KA1 1HW or by telephoning 01563 578125.
For children with September to December birthdays, an application form will need to be completed and returned to the address given by the last day in February.
Early entry to primary school
Further information is available in the leaflet entitled Early Entry Request which is available in all primary schools.
Early learning and childcare admissions policy
Local authorities require to provide a minimum of 600 hours of free early learning and childcare to three and four year olds, looked after two-year-olds and two-year-olds subject to a Kinship Care order. This policy is under review for implementation for academic year 2014- 15.
Policy
Emergencies
We make every effort to maintain a full educational service but on some occasions circumstances arise which lead to disruption.
Establishments may be affected by, for example, severe weather, temporary interruption of power, provision of transport or fuel supply. In such cases we shall do all we can to let you know about the details of closure, temporary arrangements or re-opening. We shall keep you informed by letter, via the Council website, Twitter, notices in local shops and community centres, announcements in local churches, the press and local radio.
Parents are asked where possible to provide the educational establishment with the names, addresses and telephone numbers of two contact persons for use in case of emergency.
It is essential that this information along with the parent/guardian’s contact details is kept up to date.
Equalities
Every establishment will set out its policy on equal opportunities as defined by the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000; the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 and the Gender Equality Act 2006. No one should be denied opportunities because of their race or ethnicity, disability, gender or sexual orientation, age or religion.
Establishment Inspections
Early Childhood Centres are subject to inspection by the Care Inspectorate as prescribed in the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010. All Early Childhood Centres have joint inspections by the Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland.
HM Inspectors from Education Scotland inspect and report on the quality of education in a sample of pre-school centres, primary schools, secondary schools, special schools, community learning and development services, colleges, and residential educational provision. They also inspect the education functions of local authorities.
Policy
Excursions
When outings or excursions for children are planned the head of establishment or a member of staff will advise you in advance. You will be asked to complete a consent form giving permission for your child’s participation. Please note that children cannot take part in outings unless completed consent forms have been submitted by their parent/guardian.
Looked after and accommodated young people
Some children and young people are unable to live at home with their parent(s) and the local authority has a legal responsibility to care for them. This care can be provided in foster families, residential houses or residential schools depending on their individual needs.
Wherever possible, children and young people are expected to attend their original pre-five resource or school to minimise disruption to their lives. Where this is not possible, the next preferred option would be to attend mainstream school with support if necessary.
Each establishment has a designated staff member, usually in a senior management position, who has responsibility to know of any child or young person who attends their school and who is looked after and accommodated away from home.
This staff member should ensure that any issues or concerns around the child or young person are addressed and communicated to the social worker responsible for the child or young person.
Foster carers and residential care staff act in place of the birth parents of the child or young person on everyday matters and should be provided with the support and advice of school staff which would be given to birth parents.
If there are any issues or concerns relating to a child or young person who is looked after and accommodated, the child’s teacher should be informed about these in the first instance and further advice can then be pursued as appropriate with school management staff and social work staff. The overall aspiration for children and young people who are looked after and accommodated is that they are supported, included and treated no differently in school than their peers.
Policy
Care Enough to Care?
Foster carers and adoptive parents needed for children from birth upwards Full training, support and attractive allowances
Call the family placement team on: 0800 434 6633
http://www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/SocialCareAndHealth/FosteringAdoptingAndLookedAfterChildren/Adoption/Adoption.aspx
Further information - www.fosteringandadoption.org.uk
Medical and health c
are
It is the parents’ responsibility to inform the establishment of any particular medical requirements that their child may have.
Written parental consent is required for the administration of medicines.
Parents must inform the head of establishment if emergency contacts or medical conditions change and of arrangements to be made, should a child require to be taken home.
The name of the first aider and appointed person is outlined in Part 1 of the handbook.
Smoking is not permitted in any work areas, learning and teaching areas, rooms or grounds.
Personal belonging claims
East Ayrshire Council is concerned at the level of claims being received regarding the loss of children’s clothing and/or personal belongings.
Parents/carers are asked to assist in this area by ensuring that valuable items and unnecessarily expensive items of clothing are not brought into school or early childhood centre.
Parents/carers should note that the authority does not carry insurance to cover the loss of such items and any claims submitted are likely to be met only where the authority can be shown to have been negligent.
Policy
Recruitment of staff
East Ayrshire Council has recruitment and selection procedures that assist the Council in achieving a corporate and consistent approach in this critical area which also promotes good personnel practice and compliance with employment legislation.
All employees undertaking recruitment on behalf of the Council are trained in the Council’s recruitment and selection procedures.
The recruitment process also includes a Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) check.
All early years staff working with children are registered with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC). The SSSC has published a code of practice with which all employees who work with children must comply.
All teaching staff are registered with the General Teaching Council Scotland (GTCS)
School meals service – primary, SEN and secondary schools only
The Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) Act 2007 sets out in detail the national nutritional food standards. School meals in East Ayrshire offer nutritionally balanced well-presented food in an environment that is sensitive to the needs of pupils. School meals provide a good lunchtime
experience with an important break in the day away from the classroom, while still being in the safety of the school.
We believe that a school lunch break should be an interesting and enjoyable time. Our philosophy is to help children towards a good diet by providing an attractive and interesting range of wholesome, cooked food, made from excellent, fresh, quality ingredients. There is virtually no processed food used at any stage. Many of the foods used are sourced from local food providers.
Menus and other information can be found at: www.east-ayrshireschoolsmeals.com. The management of the Catering Service in your school is provided by the Council through Onsite Services in
conjunction with the headteacher. http://www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/EducationAndLearning/Schools/Schools-GeneralInformation/Schools-Catering/SchoolMeals.aspx
Policy
Free school meal entitlement
If you are in receipt of Income Support, Income Based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income Based
Employment & Support Allowance, Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit, your child may be entitled to free school meals (and milk*).
Application forms can be obtained from schools (during term-time), or from Kilmarnock and Cumnock Registration Offices (during school holidays).
* Free milk is not available to pupils attending secondary schools.
http://www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/CouncilAndGovernment/Benefits/Benefits-EducationAndSchool/FreeSchoolMeals/FreeSchoolMealsMilk.aspx
Some children enrolled in Early Childhood Centres may attend on a full day basis. In those
circumstances, a meal may be provided in establishments that provide places for children aged 0-3 years or wraparound care
Transition
Early Childhood Centres/Primary Schools/SEN Schools
Transition arrangements are outlined in Part 1 of this handbook which relates to each specific establishment.
Secondary
Learning Choices (16+)
All young people in Scotland have an entitlement to a senior phase of education which: • provides specialisation, depth and rigour
• prepares them well for achieving qualifications to the highest level of which they are capable • continues to develop skills for learning, life and work
• continues to provide a range of activities which develop the four capacities • supports them to achieve a positive and sustained destination
Policy
All secondary schools work closely with Skills Development Scotland, Careers Scotland, Job Centre Plus, Community Learning and Development, Social Services, local training providers, including colleges, Inspiring Scotland and local businesses to ensure that all young people of statutory leaving age are offered, in advance of their school leaving date, a meaningful, appropriate, relevant, attractive offer of learning post-school.
The whole initiative is linked to the senior phase of Curriculum for Excellence:
Opportunities for All
The Opportunities for All agenda focuses on young people in the 14-19 age group in East Ayrshire. The East Ayrshire strategy will provide more opportunities to those young people most at risk of not entering education, employment or training when they leave school.
It will also provide more opportunities for those young people in need of support to assist them into education, employment or training who have already left school.
It is based on partnership working between the education authority, the local colleges of Ayr and Kilmarnock, Job Centre Plus, Skills Development Scotland (SDS), Community Learning and
Development, EAC Skills Development and Employability Service, the Leisure Development Service and Inspiring Scotland partners.
Each of these key partners has a responsibility to meet the Opportunites for All challenge, and resources, expertise and policy are collectively managed through an Opportunities for All Strategy Group chaired by the Head of Service : Schools.
Each of these partners offers a service to the 14-19 year old group. The college offers training and education places; the authority offers schooling until the age of 18; Skills Development Scotland, SDS and Job Centre Plus offer support in securing training and/or employment. Inspiring Scotland partners offer both training and personal development opportunities in schools and post-16.
Policy
Transport
Arrangements from August 2013
East Ayrshire Council will provide free transport for all primary pupils who live 1.5 miles or more from their local primary school (by the recognised shortest suitable walking distance) and to secondary pupils who live three miles or more from their local secondary school (by the recognised shortest suitable walking distance).
This policy remains more generous than that prescribed by statute and may be reviewed at any time. Free transport may also be available on the grounds of a medical condition or in cases where a family has moved house at a critical stage of education. See Free Transport leaflet for details.
If you feel your child qualifies for free school travel and you wish to take advantage of this option, please fill in the school transport application form and return it to the address detailed in the form. Transport is not normally provided for children attending Early Childhood Centres. The Council may, however, provide transport to and from centres for children with additional support needs who, in most cases, may require to travel more than 1.5 mile to take up their placement.
Subsidised Transport Service
This service is available to secondary school pupils who live between 1.5 and three miles from their catchment area school. Pupils can be registered for this service on an annual basis and there are various methods available for payment over the year.
If you feel your child qualifies for subsidised transport and you wish to take advantage of this option, please fill in the subsidised transport service application form and return it to the address detailed in the form.
Parents who consider they are eligible should obtain an application form from the school or contact the Education Transport Section on 01563 576600. These forms should be completed and returned
Policy
arrangements to be made. Applications may be submitted at any time throughout the year but may be subject to delay whilst arrangements are made.
The Director of Educational and Social Services has discretion in special circumstances to grant permission for pupils to travel in transport provided by the authority where spare places are available and no additional costs are incurred.
Parents should write to the authority to request access. Availability is subject to change. These spaces are not usually allocated until late September. Only one address can be considered as the pupil’s main residence, when accessing entitlement for transport.
Further information and application forms can be found at
Improving health
and wellbeing
Spiritual, social, moral and cultural values
Parents from different religious communities may wish their children to be absent in order to celebrate religious events. Such occasions will be supported by the establishment.
Anti-‐bullying
Every child and young person in East Ayrshire should grow up free from bullying behaviour. Across all sectors, those working with children and young people in East Ayrshire are already aiming to fulfil the Scottish Government and local government commitments to ensuring children and young people become confident individuals and responsible citizens.
It is our aspiration that all those who play a role in the lives of children and young people are enabled to prevent and respond effectively to incidents of bullying behaviour.
Further information on the councils anti-bullying strategy and anti-bullying policy can be found on the following web link: http://eac.eu/7t
Oral health
The establishment of daily supervised toothbrushing programmes in early years establishments and school settings is central to the Scottish Government’s oral health initiatives for children.
The Childsmile Nursery and School Programmes provide preventive oral health advice and support for children aged three and upwards. Daily supervised toothbrushing takes place in all early years establishments.
In Early Childhood Centres and primary schools where children will benefit from additional preventive care, the application of fluoride varnish twice a year to children’s teeth by Childsmile Clinical Teams is offered.
The Childsmile dental health and toothbrushing programmes provide free oral health packs containing a toothbrush, fluoride toothpaste and oral health information leaflet for children at nursery school and in Primary 1. This programme follows on from the Early Years baby pack, given out during baby’s first year. Childsmile web link: http://www.child-smile.org.uk/
Improving health
and wellbeing
The national dental inspection programme
Every school year, all Primary 1 and 7 pupils will be offered a dental inspection in school, by a dentist. This inspection is an important assessment of a child’s dental health at the start and end of primary school as it provides parents with information to ensure that they and their child are receiving all the support they need to maintain their child’s dental health and take the necessary steps to
remedy any problems that may have arisen.
There is also a need to monitor the child population’s’ dental health at national and regional or local levels, so that reliable dental health information is available for planning and evaluating initiatives directed towards improvements. The National Dental Inspection Programme fulfils both these
functions by providing an essential source of information for monitoring changes in the dental health of Scottish primary school children.
Promoting
Lifelong Learning
Additional Support for Learning
The majority of children and young people are able to access their curricular programme without the need of additional help.
However, there will be a percentage of children/young people, who may, at some point in their education, have difficulties that will act as a barrier to their effective learning. In such circumstances the child or young person may require additional support in order to help them overcome these barriers. Such children/young people will be considered to have additional support needs.
All early childhood centres have a variety of procedures to assist in the early identification of children with additional support needs. Identification and support planning will take place at the earliest possible stage.
Children and young people who have been identified as having additional support needs will be supported through an Individual action plan, Individual Educational Plan (IEP) or in some cases a Co-ordinated Support Plan. In line with legislation, parents/carers/children and young people will be fully consulted at all stages. The Act places additional responsibilities on local authorities for children who are looked after by the local authority. It will also give more rights to parents in respect of requesting assessments in relation to their child.
Mediation
Further information can be obtained from various leaflets which can be accessed through the Council website or in school.
Mediation and advocacy services are also available and information about these can be obtained from Enquire - the Scottish advice service for additional support for learning.
Operated by Children in Scotland, Enquire offers independent, confidential advice and information on additional support for learning through:
• telephone helpline - 0845 123 2303
Promoting
Lifelong Learning
• two websites - www.enquire.org.uk (for parents/carers and practitioners) andwww.enquire.org.uk/yp (for children and young people)
Enquire also provides a range of clear and easy-to-read guides and factsheets explaining everything from ‘additional support in the early years’ to ‘what planning should take place for moving on
from school’.
Early childhood n
etwork
As part of the Council’s Transformation Strategy it was agreed in December 2012 that nursery and family Centres, nursery classes and nursery schools will now be known as Early Childhood Centres
(ECC).
Coupled with this, the concept of Early Childhood Networks is being developed. Using the strength of universal services, our vision is one where there will be:
• models of early learning and care which are flexible to meet the needs of children and parents • outreach support provided that meets the needs of parents and families with low level support
needs in addition to current duties towards more vulnerable and looked after children, their families and carers, helping children, families and communities secure outcomes for themselves
• family support in the home; parenting programmes; health visitor drop-in sessions and clinics; relationship support; community learning and development; money and welfare advice; volunteering, training and employability support; play, crèche, toddler groups; support groups; and combinations of support; contact arrangements for children looked after
• community hubs of children and family information with links to CARIS (Childcare and Recreation Information service)
•
Each network has a lead establishment and the headteacher/manager in that establishment will have responsibility for supporting and developing services and agencies to be part of the network to achieve the above aims.
Promoting
Lifelong Learning
There are eight Early Childhood Networks:• Cumnock, Mauchline , Auchinleck (lead: Netherthird ECC) • Doon Valley and Drongan (lead: Bellsbank ECC)
• Kilmarnock south (lead: Shortlees ECC)
• Kilmarnock north (lead: Cairns and Hillbank ECC) • Kilmarnock central (lead: Flowerbank ECC) • Irvine Valley (lead: Darvel ECC)
• New Cumnock, Muirkirk and Catrine (lead: New Cumnock ECC) • Kilmaurs Stewarton, Dunlop (lead: Kilmaurs ECC)
Further information is available in the Early Childhood Network Leaflet.
Learning communities
Learning communities bring together a wide range of services to benefit young people. The principal purpose of the learning community is to ensure that services are better co-ordinated in order to meet the needs of young people and raise attainment. Learning communities support the government’s approach to GIRFEC (Getting it Right for Every Child). This means that if a child/young person needs support then, where possible, there will be one co-ordinated assessment and one plan.
Learning Communities aim to:
• deliver better, sustainable, integrated services locally • raise attainment and increase achievement
• improve educational and all life outcome for children and young people
Learning Communities are set within the context of the Scottish Government’s vision for children’s services. These are to:
• provide services which are accessible, locally based, address locally identified needs and risk, and are designed along with parents and children
Promoting
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• ensure agencies/professionals deliver services with a minimum of bureaucracy• deliver high quality services in which the public have confidence in these services
• encourage ambition and provide the environment and resources to enable children to grow and develop into responsible adults, effective contributors and lifelong learners
• provide appropriate responses to each child’s needs and provide extra support to those who need it •promote children’s safety and the safety of others
• strengthen the capacity of families/communities to meet children’s needs For further information:
http://www.eastayrshire.gov.uk/EducationAndLearning/Schools/LearningCommunities.aspx
East Ayrshire psychology service
Advice and support may be sought from other appropriate staff within the establishment and through consultation with visiting professionals, including the educational psychologist.
The educational psychologist visits the establishment regularly to work with the staff to best support children who are experiencing barriers to their learning. Their role is often to provide advice and consultation with staff through collaborative assessment and intervention discussions.
Staff may discuss the support needs of individual children with the psychologist in order to ensure that support plans are appropriate to individual needs. However, the psychologist would not undertake formal assessment or meet with a child without the prior consent of parents/carers.
The establishment is responsible for ensuring that parents/carers are aware of the procedures around supporting children and young people's additional needs, and the psychologist’s role.
The establishment is also responsible for seeking parental/carer agreement for the psychologist to be directly involved with a child or young person.
Promoting
Lifelong Learning
A leaflet is available from the establishment with further information regarding thePsychological Service.
East Ayrshire Support Team
East Ayrshire Support Team (EAST) is a central support service that works with all educational establishments, parents, pupils and other agencies, on a needs-led basis, to help meet the needs of children/young people with additional support needs within the GIRFEC framework.
Components of EAST:
• Core Team – provides core allocation to schools, flexible support, base support, intensive support, re-integration support, family support
• EAL (English as an additional language) – provides support to children who have little or no English, or appear fluent in English but are not achieving their full potential
• Visual impairment team – supports children with visual impairment within their school/ECC; also offers a service to pre-3 children and their families
• Early language centre – supports children from pre-school to P3 who have a severe, specific language delay or disorder
• HES (Hospital Education Service) – supports children and young people who are admitted to hospital for an extended period or are frequently readmitted
EAST staff provide:
• support with early identification/assessment of needs • co-operative teaching.
• consultation, planning, monitoring and reviewing • staff development
• curriculum development
Promoting
Lifelong Learning
Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC)
GIRFEC aims to reform children’s services through practice change and removing barriers, in terms of access to services and working between different professionals.
It introduces a co-ordinated approach across all agencies for the delivery of appropriate and timely help to all children and young people as they require assistance.
Learning Communities will continue to bring together early years establishments, primary schools, special schools, and secondary schools along with community learning and development, health and social work services to plan for services for children and young people locally to further improve outcomes for all children and young people.
Further information can be found at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/Young-People/gettingitright
Outdoor education
All children and young people will have regular opportunities to learn outdoors both in the school grounds and in the local community.
Parents will consent to this regular localised outdoor learning once at the beginning of session, with medical and emergency contacts being requested. Thereafter parents will be notified of the venues and dates of off-site visits, in order that pupils can come adequately prepared.
It is the parents’ responsibility to inform the school if emergency contacts or medical conditions change, or if they do not wish their child to participate in a visit.
Parents/carers of children attending Early Childhood Centres should ensure that children have suitable outdoor clothing, as outdoor learning takes place on a regular basis.
Pre-‐Birth to three: positive outcomes for Scotland’s children and families
This acknowledges the significance of the period before birth in terms of influencing children’s future outcomes and reflects the principles and philosophy which underpin the Early Years Framework and Curriculum for Excellence.
Promoting
Lifelong Learning
The guidance highlights the importance of attachment for young children to their parents and carers. It emphasises that all adults working with Scotland’s youngest children recognise that they have an important role to play in implementing the Early Years Framework, through giving all children the care, support and respect which they need.Further information can be found at:
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/earlyyears/prebirthtothree/index.asp
Teacher access programme
There are nine teachers and one principal teacher and who work on a peripatetic basis across East Ayrshire in local authority and partnership early years establishments.
The teacher access programme aims to provide consistency across East Ayrshire in relation to teacher access to all eligible children in pre-school education, in addition to qualified Early Years Workers.
The teachers will support the delivery of pre-school education by:
• facilitating focused learning experiences/opportunities for children • extending the skills of staff
• modelling new approaches to adult/child interaction
• supporting establishment heads to ensure consistency in assessment of children’s progress • supporting establishment heads to ensure robustness of evidence used to underpin
assessments
• supporting transition to primary school
The teachers will also support staff with planning and delivery of Curriculum for Excellence in line with individual establishment improvement plans.
Improving
Community Safety
Child protection
The head of the establishment is the key member of staff with responsibility for all child protection issues. Responsibilities include:
• establishing a positive ethos which supports and values children and contributes to their welfare and protection
• ensuring that child protection guidelines are brought to the attention of staff annually • ensuring that there is a named child protection co-ordinator in the establishment • developing policy and practice to meet national and local authority guidance
Role of Staff
The role of staff is to be alert to the need to act in the best interests of children and in co-operation with other key agencies in order to protect children from harm and abuse.
In circumstances where there are grounds for concern that a child may have been abused staff will: • observe
• report • record
• co-operate with social work and other agencies such as police, the Scottish Children’s Reporter administration and appropriate medical personnel
Further information can be found at:
http://www.eastayrshire.gov.uk/SocialCareAndHealth/CareAndCarers/ChildrenAndYoungPeople-ChildProtection/ChildProtection.aspx
Improving
Community Safety
Childcare and Recreational Information Service (CARIS)
CARIS provides free, reliable, accurate information in an accessible form on childcare and recreational provision in Ayrshire.
Helpline: 0845 351 3000 (local rate) Website: www.scottishchildcare.gov.uk
Disclaimer
Although this information is correct at time of printing there could be changes affecting any of the matters dealt with in the document -
• before the commencement or during the course of the school year in question • in relation to subsequent establishment years
Local
Further information on East Ayrshire Council can be found at
http://www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/Home.asp
National
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk www.scotland.gov.uk
