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School Handbook January 2015- January 2016

Welcome to

Renton Primary and Language and

Communication Unit

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Dear Parents/Carers,

Can I take this opportunity to welcome you and your family to Renton

Primary School. We are looking forward to working with you in the years

your child will attend here.

At Renton Primary School and Language and Communications Unit we aim to

provide a caring, stimulating and healthy learning environment in which all

pupils are given the opportunity to achieve their full potential. We strongly

value our partnerships with parents and aspire to involve parents and carers

in their children’s education and development. We are proud of our

reputation as an inclusive, friendly and welcoming school and recognise that

effective partnerships with our parents are crucial to ensure that attending

Renton Primary School is a positive experience for all of our pupils.

In the following pages the aims of the school are set out in more detail along

with our procedures and information about the curriculum your child will

follow at Renton Primary School. Please take a little time to read over the

procedures especially in relation to attendance and promoting positive

behaviour.

Please do not hesitate to contact the school if you have any concerns or want

clarification on any issues.

Yours sincerely,

Helen Brown

Head Teacher

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CONTENTS PAGE NUMBER

Statement of Commitment/Learning for Life 4

School Vision and Values Statement 5

School Information 6-8

Staffing 9-10

School Hours & The School Year 11

Enrolment & Policies for parents 12

School Improvement, Achievement and Curriculum Areas 13-18

Assessment Tracking and Reporting on Pupil Progress 19

Equal Opportunities & Social Justice 20

Additional Support Needs and Pupil Support Structure 21

Anti-Bully Policy 22

Homework and School/Community Links 23-24

Attendance at School 25

Extra Curricular Activities 26

School Discipline 27-28

Clothing and Uniform 29-30

Meals/Transport/ Photography 31

Medical, Health Care and Emergencies 31-32

Parental Involvement and the Parent Council 33

Transfer from Primary to Secondary School/Data Protection 34

Pupils and Parents Quotes 35

Service Standards 36

Important Addresses 37

Appendix 1 Free School Meals/Clothing Grant Application 38-39

Appendix 2 Translation and Interpretation Information 40-41

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND LEISURE SERVICES

STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT

‘OPPORTUNITY THROUGH LEARNING’

Every person has the right to be educated in a climate in which individuality is

recognised and in which everyone feels valued. We are committed to working in

partnership with you to provide education of the highest quality.

LEARNING FOR LIFE

We will work together to ensure that everyone in our community is valued and has

the opportunity to learn for life and to achieve their potential.

Vision:

To enable everyone in West Dunbartonshire to become:

Successful Learners

Confident Individuals

Responsible Citizens

Effective Contributors

To achieve our vision, we will:

Create and deliver courses, activities and events which will motivate and excite

learners

Develop innovative ways to support learning

Value diversity, promote equal opportunities and foster inclusion

Promote partnership and community participation

Value achievement and celebrate success

Continually reflect on and aim to improve the quality of our services

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Our Aims

Renton Primary aims to be a friendly, caring family of learners

who work together to achieve our dreams

To encourage children to be motivated, independent learners and to achieve their full

potential in all aspects of their education and life skills

To create a school community of successful and creative learners, where achievements are

recognised and celebrated

To provide a secure, stimulating and challenging learning environment which incorporates

different ways of facilitating learning and allows all pupils to develop as individuals

To encourage an open, supportive climate where all staff are able to work effectively as a

team and where standards of teaching are high and ensure continuity of learning for all

children

To foster a healthy, active life-style through healthy eating, physical activity, emotional

wellbeing and health education, where children are encouraged to make informed choices

To promote equal opportunities and social inclusion for all, maintaining a positive ethos by

encouraging kindness, consideration, respect and fostering self-discipline and self-esteem

to provide a sound foundation for future life

To promote life-long learning, encouraging enterprise, choice, creativity and ambition and

seek to equip all children with the skills and expectations necessary to prosper in a changing

society

To instill a culture of self-belief within our pupils, preparing them for the challenges,

responsibilities and experiences of adult life

We Value:

Consideration and respect

Honesty and trust

Friendship and kindness

Independence and enthusiasm

Effort and achievement

Creativity and individuality

Initiative and self-determination

Inquisitive and enquiring minds

Team work and active partnerships

Self-discipline and responsibility

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School Information

Renton Primary School

Main Street

Renton

Tel : 01389 752325 (Main Office)

Tel : 01389 754042 (LCU Office)

Email : Renton.SchoolOffice@west-dunbarton.gov.uk

Head Teacher Mrs Helen Brown

Depute Head Teacher Mrs Lynne Dempster

Renton Primary School is a non-denominational, co-educational primary school situated in the

village of Renton. The school serves an area of mainly local authority and housing association

homes and the village is currently undergoing a regeneration programme. The present school

was opened in 1975. The school provides education for pupils within the village and pupils

across the authority with language and communication disorders. The school is a two storey

building which contains 12 classrooms, an administration area and a central hall.

Currently the school roll is 189. There are presently 7 mainstream classrooms. 32 Language

and Communication Unit (LCU) pupils are taught within 5 classrooms. Opportunities for

inclusion and integration are embodied in the ethos of the school.

The rooms within the school provide 12 well-resourced classrooms, a general purpose room

and a staffroom. The central hall is used as a gymnasium and a dining hall.

The teachers and pupils are members of 4 houses: Lennox, Leven, Lomond and Luss. All 4

houses come together at our weekly assembly to celebrate and share learning and success.

The mainstream school is staffed by 8 full-time teachers including a Principal Teacher. This

session, the school has one probationer teacher mentored by the Principal Teacher. Four

learning assistants are deployed in the school to provide support, on a timetabled basis, to

individuals and to groups of pupils as appropriate. The LCU is staffed by 5 full-time

teachers and one 0.6 FTE teacher. Nine full-time learning assistants are deployed in the

LCU to provide support, on a timetabled basis, to individuals and to groups of pupils as

appropriate. The staffing allocation includes the Head Teacher and a Depute Head Teacher.

The Depute Head Teacher has responsibility for the day to day management of the LCU.

Additional support is also provided by an Addition Support Needs Teacher who visits the

school weekly. The school enjoys a good relationship with various outside agencies which also

provide services and support to the school.

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Renton Primary School offers a high standard of educational provision to its pupils. All

members of staff are expected to provide a wide and balanced curriculum to ensure that

high standards are set and maintained. Staff participate in professional review and

development activities and have many opportunities through in-service development to

further develop their own professional and personal skills. The school improvement planning

process involves staff in auditing current practice and in identifying the way forward.

The school plays an active role in the local community and strives to forge links with the

wider community and other educational establishments.

Standards of discipline within the school are high and each member of staff is expected to

promote positive behaviour at all times. This will ensure that a positive learning

environment, conducive to effective learning and teaching, is promoted and actively

developed.

The school enjoys good relationships with parents and there is a real sense of community

within the school. Our aim is to provide for pupils, staff, parents and all who interact with

the school, a stimulating environment in which all feel safe, valued and welcomed.

We consider ourselves to be an open school and we strive to meet requests for

appointments and meeting times. We try hard to do so even at very short notice and when

this is not possible we make arrangements to meet with parents as soon as possible.

The school has been adapted for disabled access. There are ramp accesses available via the

main entrance and the infant department entrance as well as a hall which can be used for

physical education. There are also ramps at each of the fire doors in the school.

Opportunities are given regularly through our newsletters and occasionally with other forms

of communication for parents/carers to comment on school routines and practices and to

offer suggestions with regard to the curriculum. Parents can find a range of information

about schools on the council website, www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/education-and-

learning/schools

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LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION UNIT

The Language and Communication Unit (LCU) provides support to primary aged children

within West Dunbartonshire who have either Specific Language Impairments or whose

difficulties lie on the Autistic Spectrum. The primary aim of our five classes is to provide a

highly differentiated curriculum appropriate to pupils' individual language and

communication needs within small group settings.

The LCU is staffed by a Depute Head Teacher, 6 teachers, 9 learning assistants and 1

clerical assistant and support is offered by Speech and Language Therapy who work

collaboratively with the staff to plan and implement speech and language targets. At

present the LCU has 32 children who attend on either a full time basis or on shared

placements with their local mainstream primary school. Children who attend on a full time

basis are registered to Renton Primary School.

The Language and Communication Unit is an integral part of Renton Primary School with all

staff dedicated to meeting the needs of individual pupils and encouraging them to reach

their full potential by providing excellent teaching and learning in a welcoming, committed

and fully inclusive environment.

The importance of accessing local community resources is also recognised and regular use is

made of local facilities within WDC such as libraries, parks, sports facilities and cafes. This

enables our children to practice their developing language and communication skills in real

life settings.

Each pupil has an Individual Support Plan, which is devised in consultation with parents and

the multi-agency team where appropriate. The support plan details long and short-term

targets over the course of an academic session and is reviewed at least twice a year in

consultation with parents and other professionals.

Wherever possible and appropriate, pupils are offered opportunities to join their

mainstream peers for different aspects of their learning. These opportunities are

supported by LCU staff and can take many different forms some of which include working

on shared topics with a mainstream class, being part of a mainstream class for mathematic

or literacy or sharing PE lessons. As pupils who attend Renton Primary School and Language

and Communication Unit enjoy sharing playtimes and lunchtimes together.

Local Learning Community

All educational establishments within West Dunbartonshire Council are members of a Local

Learning Community (LLC). These LLC’s are made up of one secondary school and its

associated primary schools and include a number of Early Education and Childcare Centres

and Partnership Nurseries. Renton Primary School is a member of the Vale of Leven LLC.

The five Learning Communities in West Dunbartonshire have been established as part of

West Dunbartonshire’s educational improvement strategy. This strategy has a clear focus

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to raise educational aspirations, achievement and attainment of all pupils while improving the

skills and knowledge of all staff involved in the education of children and young people.

Mrs Brown, Head Teacher, represents Renton primary school on the Vale of Leven LLC;

however other members of staff may attend meetings in support of improvement work. The

Vale of Leven LLC is led by Julie McGrogan, Educational Services Manager.

Updates on the work of the LLC’s will be made available through parent council meetings and

through Standards and Quality reporting.

Staffing TEACHING STAFF

Head Teacher: Helen Brown

Depute Head Teacher: Lynne Dempster

Principal Teacher: Fiona Cuthill

TEACHER CLASS

Mrs M Anderson

Miss J Dalrymple

Miss J Paterson

Miss McKelvie

Miss W Douglas

Mrs Y McAlpine

Mrs. S Philson

Mr S Crockett

Mrs J Donald

Mrs J. Smith

Mrs P Priestley

Miss C Kelly

Mrs H Watt

Mrs E McGarvie

Primary 1

Primary 2

Primary 3

Primary 4

Primary 4/5

Primary 5/6

Primary 7

Flexibility

LCU1

LCU2

LCU3

LCU4

LCU5

Flexibility

Role of the Depute Head Teacher

Mrs. Lynne Dempster is the Depute Head Teacher of Renton Primary and has responsibility

for:

Day to day running of the Language and Communication Unit

Monitoring the effectiveness of learning and teaching within the LCU

Deputising for Head Teacher in the event of absence

Role of the Principal Teacher

Miss Fiona Cuthill is the Principal Teacher of Renton Primary. Miss Cuthill has responsibility

for:

Pupil Support Co-ordinator

Support of newly qualified and probationer teachers

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SUPPORT STAFF

NAME POSITION

Mrs K. Walker

Miss. S. Mulvenna

Mrs L .Dorrian

Mrs. P. Haddow

Mrs. D. Moir

Mrs. J. Carr

Miss P. Conlin

Mrs. S. McMartin

Mrs S. Kennedy

Mrs J. Hamilton

Mrs A. Murray

Mrs. A. Muirhead

Mrs C. White

Mrs P. Scammell

Mrs Y. McCallum

Mr G. Temple

Learning Assistant

Learning Assistant

Learning Assistant

Learning Assistant

Learning Assistant

Learning Assistant

Learning Assistant

Learning Assistant

Learning Assistant

Learning Assistant

Learning Assistant

Learning Assistant

Clerical Assistant

Clerical Assistant

Clerical Assistant

Janitor

In addition we have a visiting brass tutor one morning a week, Mr L Cowieson and a Network

Support Teacher who visits weekly.

The number of teachers on the staff of the school is determined each session by the

educational authority according to the school roll.

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SCHOOL HOURS & THE SCHOOL YEAR Opening : 9.00am

Interval : 10.30am—10.45am

Lunch : 12.15pm— 1.00pm

Close : 3.00pm

Primary 1 children attend school for mornings only until Monday 31st August when they

attend for the whole day.

SCHOOL YEAR 2015—2016

AUTUMN TERM: BLOCK 1 & BLOCK 2

Re- open Monday 17th August 2015 P2-7 9am

September Weekend Close Thursday 24th September 2015

Re-Open Tuesday 29th September 2015

Mid Term Close Thursday 8th October 2015 (9th October – INSERVICE)

Re-open Monday 19th October 2015

Close Friday 18th December 2015

SPRING TERM : BLOCK 3

Re-open Tuesday 5th January 2016

Mid Term Close Thursday 4th February 2016 (5th February – INSERVICE)

Re-open Wednesday 10th February 2016

Easter Close Thursday 24th March 2016

Re-open Tuesday 29th March 2016

Spring Break Close Friday 1st April 2016

Re-open Monday 18th April 2016

SUMMER TERM : BLOCK 4

Close Thursday 5th May (INSERVICE)

May Day Close Monday 2nd May

Re-open Tuesday 3rd May 2016

May Weekend Close Thursday 26th May 2016

Re-open Tuesday 31st May 2016

Summer Close Wednesday 29th June 2016

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ENROLMENT

During the month of January, details of registration and enrolment for children

starting school in August will appear in the local press and nursery noticeboards.

Enrolments in Renton will be the week commencing 12th January 2015.

You must register your child in the school which serves your catchment area.

However, you may exercise your parental right and apply for a placing request to

another school at the time of registration. Placing request forms will be given at

the time of registration. If you wish to enrol your child in Renton, please bring with

you a copy of the child’s birth certificate.

A calendar of transition visits has been arranged between Riverside Nursery and

the school. These visits will continue until June. If your child does not attend

Riverside Nursery then you will be given a copy of the calendar of events and your

child will also be invited to participate in the visits. Your child will be allocated a

buddy from the present P1 class who will continue to be buddied with them when

they start Renton Primary in August.

In May, the children will be invited to visit the school again to meet the P1 teacher

and all other staff who will be working with them in Primary 1. Parents will be given

the opportunity to participate in a pre-entrant meeting as an introduction to Renton

Primary School. There will be further curriculum meetings when your child starts

school.

To enrol a child of any age during the term, please contact the Head Teacher.

POLICIES FOR PARENTS/CARERS

The local education authority has produced policies for parents which provide

information for new parents at school. Copies are available from the school or can

be accessed from the council website.

In Renton we have produced policies for different aspects of school life. These are

available from the school and are available on request.

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SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT & ACHIEVEMENT

We have had a great year so far was at Renton Primary. As a staff we have been

developing our skills in teaching Reciprocal Reading. We use strategies that help

the children understand the text they are reading and learn skills in predicting,

summarising, clarifying and questioning that they can use in a variety of situations.

They children are challenged to think deeply and share their thoughts with others.

The children and the staff are enjoying being introduced to French across the

whole school. We are developing our basic skills during class lessons and assemblies.

Over the next seven years we will offering more challenging experiences. We have

also been focusing on teaching Science enquiry skills and supporting the children in

planning, implementing and reviewing Science experiments to find the answers to a

variety of challenging scientific questions.

We have implemented again the “Roots of Empathy” Programme. This involved

inviting a family with a newborn baby to come to the school every three weeks for

the whole year. The children in the P3 class have been watching the baby grow and

learned about how she is nurtured by her parents. Alongside the visits the pupils

followed a Health and Wellbeing programme that teaches empathy. The children

and the baby alike thoroughly enjoy the visits.

We strive to give our pupils the opportunity to have their voice heard and

consequently all of our P4-7 pupils will be involved in this through our pupil

committees. Every pupil in P4-7 is a member of a committee. These committees

are: the Eco-committee, The School Grounds Committee, The Keeping Fit

Committee, the Rights Respecting Schools Committee and the Road Safety

Committee.

Our pupils represented the school successfully in a variety of events. In Sports we

participated in the Balloch Cross Country Running Race. We also participated in the

Athletics, Rugby, Golf and Football festivals. Our P6 and P7s participated in the

WDC Public Speaking Competition and the P6 pupils participated in the Knex

Challenge. We are always proud of our pupils’ sportsmanship when participating in

competitive events.

We are continuing to strive to become more eco-friendly by aiming to gain a Green

Flag from Eco-schools and we will be beginning our journey on the road to a Level 1

Rights Respecting Schools Award. The Rights Respecting Schools Award

encourages schools to be aware of the rights of all and further develop an ethos of

fairness and justice. Further information on our achievements and the school

improvement agenda can be found in our Standards and Quality report for this

session. A copy of this is available in the school reception area.

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THE CURRICULUM

At the heart of a Curriculum for Excellence lies the aspiration that all children

should develop their capacities as successful learners, confident individuals,

responsible citizens and effective contributors. West Dunbartonshire Council’s

priority for Curriculum for Excellence is to ensure effective teaching and learning.

The Curriculum for Excellence challenges us to look at innovative and exciting ways

to deliver the curriculum to our children. While there are specific programmes for

each area of the curriculum much of it can now be delivered through cross-cutting

themes and interdisciplinary studies and projects. Curriculum for Excellence

enables professionals to teach in a creative way, to work together, plan together

and to create shared learning experiences. It balances the importance of

knowledge and skills. It ensures that pupils have opportunities for choice and that

they are active participants in their own learning. There will be new ways of

assessing progress and ensuring children achieve their potential and there will be

new qualifications for literacy and numeracy from 2012/2013

(www.educationscotland.gov.uk)

Interdisciplinary Learning

Interdisciplinary learning is when different curricular areas are taught through one

context such as The Romans or Healthy Eating. We have divided the year into 6

blocks to allow us to focus on different curricular areas during interdisciplinary

learning. Each class will work on a topic based around the focus in each block.

During some blocks classes may work together on the same topic allowing pupils to

share their learning across different stages. In 2015-16

we will be working on Year 1 of the 3 year cycle described below.

Our blocks of learning are:

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

Term 1 Me and My World Me and My World Me and My World

My Scientific World –

The Solar System

My Enterprising World

– Running a Business

My Scientific World –

My Body

Term 2 My Creative World My Creative World My Creative World

Term 3 Scotland and It’s Place

in my World

Scotland and It’s Place

in my World

Scotland and It’s Place

in my World

Term 4 My Geographical World

– Maps and Mapping

My Scientific World -

Electricity

My Historical World

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CURRICULUM AREAS

HEALTH & WELLBEING

We are a health promoting school and encourage children to develop and apply their

knowledge to make informed decisions and choices in order to improve their

physical, emotional and social wellbeing and pursue healthy lifestyles. Each term we

have a specific health focus across all stages e.g. personal safety; anti-bullying;

drugs awareness and physical fitness. These are often linked to a particular event

or issue going on in the wider world. There are opportunities for pupils to develop a

sense of responsibility towards health promotion and a commitment to looking after

their own health. In interdisciplinary themes each term health and wellbeing is

always given importance and learner’s experiences are planned carefully including

assessment of skills development in this area of the curriculum. Through teaching

Health and Wellbeing we often work in partnership with other agencies such as

Active Choices for healthy eating and fitness, Childline or the Dental Hygienist.

Children are offered two hours of PE/fitness per week with their class teacher.

Where appropriate additional activities take place matched to themes such as

Commonwealth and Olympic Games etc. Every June, we have a Sports Week where

we focus on physical fitness. Children at particular stages in the school have also

benefited from working with Sports Development Officers in a range of sports

such as: P2 football; P4 Rugby; P5 Hockey; P6 Sports Hall Athletics and P7

Swimming and Football.

There are programmes of work covering health, personal and social development and

physical education to ensure a suitable breadth of study is undertaken across the

stages. We have committed one afternoon per week to our Health and Wellbeing

programmes. We follow the PATHS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies)

Programme across the school. We also offer our children at First Level the Roots

of Empathy Programme where they observe how a baby grows over a year with the

help of a real baby. Teachers also plan collaboratively with colleagues to ensure

that there is a progression of skills developed as well as a good variety and range of

activities or learning experiences.

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ENGLISH LANGUAGE & LITERACY

Literacy offers children an essential passport to learning across the curriculum and

prepares children to take a full and active role in society and work.

Learning through language develops children’s ability to communicate their thoughts

and feelings. Children develop skills in listening, talking, reading and writing which

are all essential for learning, work and life.

In Renton we have a reading, writing and a talking and listening programme. The

programmes have been developed in accordance with the Curriculum for Excellence

for each of the levels and allows for a specific focus on skills development within

each aspect of literacy. Pupils are given the opportunity to work individually, in

pairs and in cooperative groups. Where necessary, programmes of work are

differentiated to meet the needs of pupils.

To develop skills in reading in the infant stages the children learn to read through a

reading scheme called Storyworld alongside the Jolly Phonics Programme. In the

upper school the pupils develop higher order reading skills through a variety of

text; novels, plays and non-fiction text. All pupils are encouraged to read for

enjoyment. For writing children are encouraged to engage in functional and

personal writing experiences. Writing is usually linked to a theme, often within their

interdisciplinary topic and pupils are knowledgeable of their targets in writing. They

engage in self and peer assessment experiences.

We also use Reciprocal Reading strategies to support our children in developing

their comprehension skills. These

Infant spelling is taught through the Jolly Phonics Programme and in the Upper

School the children learn spelling patterns and rules and will receive homework to

practice and improve. For talking and listening pupils learn the common skills of

listening and talking and are given opportunities develop skills in presenting

information individually to an audience and developing skills in talking and listening in

a group.

Form P1-7 the children learn French. The learning is part of the normal day with

children learning to speak conversationally.

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MATHEMATICS & NUMERACY Through the study of mathematics children develop essential numeracy and

mathematical skills which they can apply in different contexts and in the world of

work. Mathematics is a key element in engineering, science, technology and business.

We use Scottish Heinemann Maths and TeeJay as our core maths schemes for P1-7.

However other resources and approaches are used depending on the individual

needs of each child. We try to ensure that maths lessons have an appropriate

balance of oral maths, practical/active experiences; consolidation and practice.

Great emphasis is placed on interactive and active leaning as well as focussing on

ensuring children are confident in their number bonds (4+5=9) and their times

tables (4x5=20). Some of the mathematics curriculum is delivered through our

interdisciplinary learning themes and some is developed though our core programme

We ensure that there is progression of skills through planning learning experiences

and assessments collaboratively with colleagues.

SOCIAL STUDIES Engaging in social studies allows children to develop an understanding of their world

by learning about other people, their values and cultures, in different times, places

and circumstances and how their environment has been shaped. Children learn about

human achievements, conflicts and environmental issues, both in a local and global

context.

In Renton we engage in social studies within our inter-disciplinary themes. Each year

the children will have the opportunity to enjoy a “People, past events and societies”

(History) topic and a “People, place and the environment” topic (Geography) or a

“People in society, economy and business” topic. We try to give pupils opportunities

to be active in their learning by extending their learning outwith the school through

excursions and by having experts visit the school.

EXPRESSIVE ARTS Expressive Arts includes art & design, drama, dance & music. Through the

expressive arts curriculum children are given a variety of opportunities to enjoy

creative and imaginative activities and to express themselves in different ways.

Expressive arts can also be a forum for children to bring enjoyment and

entertainment to others through shows, concerts and assemblies. P1-3 always do a

Nativity at Christmas and P4-7 perform in a School Show. In February we prepare

a Scottish Celebration where the pupils perform Scottish songs and poems.

Throughout the year children in Renton are given opportunities to perform before

their peers and parents. Classes make presentation to assemblies and each class

take responsibility to plan special assemblies such as Harvest or Easter.

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Involvement in the Expressive Arts is core to developing our children’s self-

confidence and self-esteem.

SCIENCES Sciences include study in biological, chemical, physical and environmental contexts.

We are currently developing our core programme in science matched to a curriculum

for excellence. Learning through science enables children to investigate their

environment, develop an understanding of scientific contexts and achievements as

well as recognise the impact science makes on our lives. As well as the core

programme of Science we focus on the teaching and learning of scientific knowledge

through our interdisciplinary themes.

TECHNOLOGIES The use of ICT is an integral part of education. All classes have a range of

software covering many of the curricular areas and are used to enhance teaching

and learning. Most classes have an interactive whiteboard fitted which can be used

throughout the day and across the curriculum.

To participate fully in modern society children need to be skilled and knowledgeable

users of technology as well as be able to assess their impact in society.

Pupils in primary 6 participate in the Knex challenge each year. All pupils have

access to a variety of building and construction materials. Each year the classes

participate in a Technology Challenge where they work in their House groups to

develop skills from the Technologies.

RME & RELIGIOUS EDUCATION Religious Education is part of the school curriculum and programmes of work include

Christianity, other World religions and Personal Research. Our aim is to provide

pupils with opportunities to recognise religion as an important expression of human

experiences, reflect on and respond to the values, beliefs and practices of religious

traditions within our community and beyond and evaluate their own understanding of

the meaning, value and purpose of life.

Regular assemblies are held in the hall throughout the year such as Harvest and

Easter services. Our Summer service is held at Renton Trinity Church. Parents are

warmly invited to these services.

Parents who wish to withdraw their child from Religious Observance should contact

the Head Teacher so that their wishes may be respected. The Council's adopted

policies have regard to national advice set out in SOED Circular 6/91 and the

Education (Scotland) Act 1980

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Parents from ethnic minority religious communities may request that their children

be permitted to be absent from school in order to celebrate recognised religious

events. Only written requests detailing the proposed arrangements will be

considered. Appropriate requests will be granted on not more than three occasions

in any one school session and the pupil noted as an authorised absentee in the

register.

ASSESSMENT

Continual assessment of the curriculum is carried out by the Head Teacher and

staff.

Each teacher is constantly monitoring and assessing the progress of the pupils.

This is done through:

a) observation

b) oral feedback

c) written feedback

d) class progress records

e) standardised tests

A key feature of assessment is formative assessment. Formative assessment is the

teacher and child working together to support learning. It is about teachers giving

effective feedback to pupils and the active involvement of children in their

learning. Oral progress reports are given to each parent at the parent-teacher

interviews. However, parents are most welcome to call at the school or to

telephone the Head Teacher at any time to arrange an appointment to discuss their

child’s assessment information/ progress.

TRACKING

Self evaluation is a key feature in teaching and learning. Both staff and children

engage in self and peer evaluations to continually inform and improve standards

across the school. Pupil performance is tracked regularly by the class teacher and

Head Teacher. Teachers meet with the Head Teacher to ensure pupils are on track

with their learning. Pupils are encouraged to have a knowledge of the level that they

are working on. Class teachers and the Head Teacher keep records of pupil

progress within levels. Pupils talk about their learning journey and have knowledge

of their personal targets.

REPORTING There are two official parent/carer evenings in Renton Primary School, one in

November and the other in March. An annual written report is issued in May. In

the mainstream school an interim report is also issued in October.

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Curriculum for Excellence is organised into different levels and your child’s report

will tell you about their progress in the levels throughout the year. The written

report will include information and teacher comments about :

(a) the breadth of learning your child has experienced within curricular areas

(b) the level of challenge planned for your child to ensure he/she is achieving

his/her full potential and being supported appropriately

(c) how well your child can apply learning in new and unfamiliar contexts

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 for some

Third & 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—S6 and college or other means of study

Progress within a curriculum level will be described as developing, consolidating or

secure.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

All members of the School Community are treated equally and given equal

opportunity to access teaching and learning to each person’s potential.

All staff have a responsibility to ensure the council’s Equal Opportunities Policy is

adhered to.

Inclusion and Integration Renton Primary School prides itself in striving to achieve high standards of

inclusion and integration for all of its pupils. Pupil’s individual needs are regularly

reviewed to ensure strategies are in place to allow pupils to access the

opportunities equally.

Rights Respecting Schools Renton Primary School is beginning its journey towards achieving Level 1 of the

Right Respecting Schools Award. Rights Respecting Schools recognise achievement

in putting the rights of the child at the heart of a school’s planning, policies,

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practice and ethos. A rights-respecting school not only teaches about children’s

rights but also models rights and respect in all its relationships: between

teachers/adults and pupils, between adults and between pupils. This provides a

clear link for pupils between building up their rights-respecting school,

understanding their rights and the need for the children’s rights to be realised

everywhere. Children and young people in rights-respecting schools develop a

stronger sense of the need to act for global justice.

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT NEEDS

Schools are required by law to ensure they are providing appropriate support for

children and young people who require additional help with their learning. The

Additional Support for Learning Act (ASL) 2009 requires that from 14 November

2010 schools improve on how we communicate with parents/carers on all aspects of

the ASL Act. Detailed information on the changes resulting from the legislation is

available to all parents and recent publications on supporting learning needs are

available in the school foyer.

Supporting learners requiring additional support

Staff monitor the progress of children requiring support and provide learning

materials suitable to their level of development. All schools in West

Dunbartonshire have a staged intervention process for identifying pupils with

support needs. Some pupils have support plans to help them with particular aspects

of their learning. Parents will always be informed about this and will be invited to

discuss support needs and plans with the head or depute head teacher at key times

during the year.

Any parent/carer concerned about their child’s learning is welcome to visit the

school to discuss their concerns. Information is available about additional support

on the council website and is also available in the school reception area. Schools

also have the support of Psychological Services. The role of the educational

psychologist is to lend support by interviewing, testing and suggesting suitable work

and materials for children whose learning or behaviour is causing concern. Parents

will always be consulted if a referral to the psychologist is being considered.

We aim to ensure that the learning experiences for all our pupils are appropriate.

Our approach to embrace the national policy of Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) is to ensure that we work effectively, and communicate successfully with

parents and different agencies to ensure maximum benefits for pupils.

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PUPIL SUPPORT STRUCTURE

All staff in the school are required to be aware of child protection issues and are

provided with regular information on child protection policy and procedures. The

school maintains close working relationships with all other relevant agencies to

ensure appropriate information is shared and that professionals from various

agencies work collaboratively for the wellbeing of the children and young people.

All staff have a responsibility to report concerns regarding the welfare or safety

of a child or young person to the Head Teacher. If the Head Teacher or the

Depute Head is of the view that there may be grounds for concern they will

immediately contact the duty senior social worker and advise them of the

circumstances. In Renton we aim to get it right for every child (GIRFEC). Our

policy is to support pupils with all aspects of their learning and to ensure that

parents and pupils access support from different agencies out with education such

as health, social work and the wider community groups associated with supporting

vulnerable pupils. We try to ensure that our pupils are safe, healthy, achieving,

attaining, nurtured, included and fulfilling their potential. We work in partnership

with parents and carers and ensure that our pupils have an identified person that

they can speak to, relate to and be supported by. We try to remove barriers to

learning and at all times consider how we can best include and support individual

pupils so that they continue to achieve.

ANTI-BULLYING POLICY In Renton Primary we aspire to keep pupils feeling happy and safe at school. We aim

to cooperate, help and support each other.

Aims of our anti-bullying policy

That all staff, pupils and parents understand what bullying is and know exactly what

action to take if an incident of bullying takes place in school.

That all staff, pupils and parents know that bullying will not be tolerated in any

form in Renton Primary School.

That pupils and parents know they are encouraged to speak up about incidents of

bullying and not permit bullying to exist through secrecy and silence.

That all staff, pupils and parents know that any incidents of bullying will be dealt

with quickly and effectively when reported.

That our anti-bullying policy is recognised as part of a wider policy on ethos which

encompasses promoting positive behaviour, equal opportunities, child

protection, promoting a healthy school and anti-racism.

That our anti-bullying ethos can be highlighted in a number of curricular areas e.g.

R.E., PSD, Drama, Art, Language

That the bully him/herself knows that he/she will be accountable for his/her

behaviour.

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What is Bullying?

Bullying can take may forms. In all forms it constitutes an abuse of power with the

intention of hurting the victim and inflicts various degrees of misery on the victim.

Neither bullies nor victims can be stereotyped. Though most victims are children

who are vulnerable and most bullies have either been bullied themselves or have

other emotional problems.

Forms of Bullying

Verbal: name calling, taunting, sarcasm, making nasty comments, making

inappropriate personal comments about a child or his/her family on more that a one-

off basis. This is the most common form of bullying.

Physical: punching, kicking, pushing, pinching, spitting or using any other form

of violence. A spontaneous fight over a dispute or children playing together in a

rough way does not constitute bullying.

Social: by isolating or excluding a child from games or play on a regular basis

Material: by taking possessions, dinner monies, sweets through extortion

Emotional: by threatening a child, by using threatening gestures or by generally

belittling a child on a regular basis

Procedures to Deal Effectively with Bullying

Regular talks and updates on bullying and its effects at weekly school assemblies

Focus on bullying and its effects as integral part of PSD

The display of anti-bullying posters with in the school

Parent updates on school policy in newsletters

Setting up of a central bullying box where complaints can be posted

Continuation of building up promoting positive behaviour within school, including all

reward systems already in place

Encouraging children to speak to an adult in school

HOMEWORK

Parents, carers and other family members can and do make a real difference to

children’s education. When parents and schools work together, children do better.

Children learn a great deal at school and you can add to that learning by supporting

them at home. With support and encouragement, children find it easier to get into

the homework habit.

Homework helps you child to:

Learn how to organise and manage their time

Take more responsibility for their own learning

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Practise and build on what they have learned at school

Develop confidence to deal with frustrations, overcome difficulties and solve

problems

Learn and work independently in the future

A homework jotter is provided which details the date and homework for that day.

We encourage parents to check their children's homework once completed, give

encouragement, help with mistakes and if not fully understood, let the teacher

know of the difficulty.

Homework might be set as follows:

- phonics, spelling , wordlists;

- practice in mathematical processes;

- reading of novels/short stories;

- practice in language conventions;

- home reading book;

- research/information collection;

- practice in skills of physical education;

- practice in musical activities;

- voluntary work, i.e. writing stories, poems, sketching, etc.

As homework is for the benefit of your child you are asked to cooperate by seeing

that the work is completed and the homework signed. Pupils are encouraged to find

a quiet place to complete homework away from distractions such as the television.

It is not the teacher’s responsibility to insist that homework is completed.

Parents/pupils have this responsibility. Concerns about homework should be

communicated to the Head or Depute Head Teacher and an appointment with the

class teacher will be organised. Pupils who do not complete homework at home may

be asked to complete it at school.

SCHOOL/COMMUNITY LINKS

The school is an integral part of the community and we encourage the children to

realise that they are members of that community and have a duty towards it. The

school is an important part of the wider community and as such we take every

opportunity to make our contribution to the good of the village. We participate in

entertaining our Senior Citizens, to raise funds for charity and take part, wherever

possible, in any activity involving the village.

We ensure that we develop our practices as a school community. We support each

other in school and encourage pupils to support each other. Pupils have

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opportunities to join different groups and are encouraged to develop leadership

skills and voice their opinions, leading to change and new initiatives e.g. the Eco-

committee, Pupil Council, Junior Road Safety Officer, Playleaders.

A wide range of support agencies, local businesses and other visitors help to

support teaching and learning within the school. In addition children visit local

attractions to enhance their experience of the curriculum. The children are

encouraged to use community centres and other local facilities. Throughout the

year we provide after school clubs such as sports clubs and gardening clubs.

Renton primary and St Martin's primary pupils attend functions together and visit

each other's schools to support their friends' concerts. We have a primary/

nursery liaison group to facilitate the transition from nursery to primary school and

to discuss issues important to education or community. The group has

representatives from Renton Primary, St Martin's Primary and Riverside Nursery

and meets once a term. Renton Primary and the Vale of Leven Academy also have

regular liaison meetings to work together to deliver the Curriculum for Excellence.

Parents are regularly informed by newsletter of the latest school news and

activities along with invitations to attend concerts, open afternoons and other

events.

ATTENDANCE AT SCHOOL

Section 30 of the 1980 Education Act lays a duty on every parent of a child of

‘school age’ to ensure that their child attends school regularly.

The Policies for Parents document “Achievement Through Attendance”, available to

all parents from their children’s school, outlines the importance of good attendance.

Parents are asked to inform the school by letter or telephone on the first day of

absence and then every three days after. If your child does not arrive at school in

the morning, and we have not received a phone call explaining the absence, you will

receive a phone call to yourself or next point of contact. If no contact is made

then a pupil and family support worker will be sent to the family home. The reasons

for this are to ensure pupil welfare.

The Scottish Government has now issued guidance to all local authorities indicating

that family holidays taken during term time should be categorised as unauthorised

absence (curricular no. 5/03). Clearly with no explanation from the parent the

absence is unauthorised. Only in very exceptional circumstances will it be possible

for the Head Teacher, with the approval of the local authority, to authorise a

family holiday during term time.

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No child is allowed to leave school during school hours without the permission of

the Head Teacher. Therefore, if it is essential for a child to leave class, for

example for doctor, hospital or dental appointment, an explanatory letter or the

appropriate card should be sent in and the child collected from school.

In the interests of safety no child will be allowed to leave the school

unaccompanied to keep an appointment or to meet a parent. The parent or guardian

must come to the school for the child. It is the policy of Renton Primary School

that all pupils in P1 and P2 should be collected from school by an adult. No

child will be allowed to be sent home in a taxi within the school day for any reason.

Punctuality is very important to support your child in fulfilling their potential at

school. Regular late-coming can lead to your child missing out of vital teaching and

learning experiences.

The school will monitor children’s absences, telephone parents to ask for

explanation of absence or send pupil and family support workers if a child not at

school and when necessary i.e. when absences are below an acceptable level without

reasonable explanation, will employ steps outlined in the Attendance Policy.

Parents/Carers will receive a letter from the school raising concerns if a pupil’s

attendance falls below 90%.

Where there is no improvement in a pupil’s attendance or punctuality the

child/family will be referred to the local education authority Attendance Review

Committee.

EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Extra curricular activities are available at different times in the school year,

mostly during the summer term. Examples of after-school clubs that have been

offered are netball, football, multi-sports, gardening and art clubs. We strive to

offer at least one club to each age group each year.

Our P7 pupils have the opportunity to participate in a residential trip at Ardlui

Outdoor Education Centre where they can experience kayaking, rock climbing,

mountain biking and abseiling. P6 pupils experience a taster day in Balloch Park

where they enjoy activities such as orienteering and archery.

We work in partnership with Active Schools, Sport Development and local sports

clubs to provide pupils with sporting activities. For instance coaches from the local

rugby and judo clubs come into the school to offer pupils taster sessions. We

encourage pupils to join local sports clubs and share their achievements at weekly

assemblies.

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Children are given opportunities to visit the local library. Often they are given the

opportunity to listen to an author on a visit to the library. A mobile library comes

to the school once a month.

All of our children continue to develop our school grounds and are working towards

achieving our green flag for eco schools. Classes have been involved in gardening in

our school garden and tree planting within the school grounds and in supporting

community projects.

All classes will have the opportunity to take part in a number of visits and outings

related to themed learning. Some of these visits will be within local or wider

community. At the beginning of the year parents will be asked to give written

consent for all outings within the local area. For each trip outwith the local areas

parents will be asked to give written consent. We ask that you return these

consent forms promptly to allow for excursions to be organised efficiently. At the

end of the year the winning house is given a rewards trip to the Meadow Centre.

SCHOOL DISCIPLINE

In our school the relationship between the pupils and the staff is similar to that

between his/her own parent/guardian. As in the home, self discipline and self

control are emphasised throughout the school. We strive to lead the children to an

understanding of social interaction, co-operation and resolution of conflict. We

employ solution oriented and restorative approaches after disagreements. We try

hard to be inclusive in our approach, ensuring that pupils are treated fairly.

We communicate our pupils’ behaviour with parents on a daily basis through their

school dairy. Each day the children will mark themselves as either green, amber or

red.

The school takes a positive attitude towards behaviour, encouraging pupils to

develop responsible social attitudes, self-control, honesty and consideration for

others. We encourage pupils to be a credit to their families, their school and their

community. We give positive recognition to pupils who are working hard and

behaving responsibly.

At Renton Primary we run a House System. When pupils join the school they are

given a House, either Luss, Leven, Lennox or Lomond. Pupils are awarded House

Points in recognition of responsible behaviour and effort. There are elections to

select Vice Captains and Captains from the P6s and P7s to represent their House at

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the Pupil Council. At the end of the year a trophy is awarded to the winning house

and they are rewarded with a trip to the Meadow Centre.

Each week each class teacher selects a pupil to be awarded a “Pupil of the Week”

certificate. Teachers regularly give out merit awards to pupils who have shown

excellent effort or achievement. In addition to this children who work hard and

behave well during the week are rewarded with a "Happy Half Hour" every Friday.

This involves a wide variety of activities from which the children may choose.

Children, whose behaviour has not come up to standard, work for the half-hour

under supervision. Behaviour has greatly improved using this system and at the

moment few children miss their "Happy Half Hour"

At the end of each term a Reward Event is organised. This may be an activity

afternoon or an excursion such as a visit to the cinema or Sports Hall. Pupils who

have not achieved consistently good behaviour throughout the term may not

participate in the Reward Event. During this time children not involved in the

Reward Event will work with the Senior Management Team on Health and Well-being

programmes.

Breeches of school rules are recorded with serious infractions referred to parents

who may be called to the school with the aim that both the school and the parents

are working together to find a solution.

All the children have carefully thought out the Code of Behaviour:

Be kind, friendly and mannerly at all times.

Use language suitable for school.

Keep our school clean and tidy.

Respect your teachers.

Treat the grass and trees with respect.

Always walk in corridors and classrooms

An adult presence is provided in playgrounds at break times in terms of the Schools

(Safety and Supervision of Pupils) (Scotland) Regulations, 1990.

However, as in the home, children may need to be disciplined on occasions within the

school. Sanctions include :

non-verbal cues, silences, disapproving gestures

verbal reprimands to individuals, group, class

threat of movement to another seat in class

movement of seat

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withdrawal of privileges

additional work at interval and lunchtime

after repeated warnings staff will begin to record incidents.

after three recorded incidents or sooner if the teacher is concerned, there

will be discussion of the child’s behaviour between the class teacher and the

head teacher

loss of privileges such as Happy Half Hour

intervention by head teacher and oral warning of parental involvement

parental involvement through visit to the school to discuss the child’s

behaviour

contract drawn up between the home, child and the school when appropriate

if the child continues to misbehave, the head teacher may exclude the child

We believe that through good home-school relationships good discipline can be

established and maintained. Pupils are encouraged to show respect for self and

others. Staff model good relationships and positive interactions with others. Pupils

are treated fairly; with respect and pupils are encouraged to treat adults and

others with respect. Staff seek and utilise different approaches to encourage

pupils to behave positively, show high levels of motivation and a positive work ethic.

CLOTHING AND UNIFORM

Pupils attending schools within West Dunbartonshire Council are strongly

encouraged to wear a school uniform. Our contact with parents in recent years has

also made us aware that the vast majority are in favour of uniform. The wearing of

school uniform helps promote the identity of the school in the local community and

helps create an ethos of sharing and pride in the school.

Most people tend to form opinions about a school by the appearance and behaviour

of the pupils. West Dunbartonshire Council supports the wearing of school uniform

in all of its schools because it:

improves school security by making it easier to identify intruders

builds a sense of identity and belonging to the school

gives pupils an equality of appearance thereby discouraging competition

is cheaper to buy than other clothing which pupils may wish to wear

encourages school discipline and a work ethic amongst pupils

The forms of dress which are unacceptable in school are items of clothing which:

potentially encourage faction (such as football colours)

could cause offence (such as anti-religious or political symbolism)

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could cause health and safety difficulties, such as loose fitting clothing,

sportswear made of flammable material, and body piercings/jewellery for PE

and sport

could cause damage to flooring

carry advertising, particularly for alcohol or tobacco

could be used to inflict damage on other pupils or be used by others to do

are valuable or expensive items of clothing or jewellery which present a

security issue for the school

Some pupils may be eligible for a clothing grant. Parents can ask at the school

office or they can access information on the council website. Appendix 1 of our

handbook has a copy of the application form for your information.

The agreed school uniform for Renton Primary is: Grey trousers/pinafore/skirt

White shirt/blouse

School tie

Maroon sweatshirt

Gold poloshirt

Maroon sweatshirts, gold polo shirts and school ties as well as school jackets

bearing the school badge can be purchased via order forms available from school

office.

The school sends out orders to the suppliers 3 to 4 times a year. You will be

informed of order deadlines via the school newsletter and you will be given an order

from to complete. We ask that all items of uniform be clearly marked/labelled with

your child’s name and class to ensure that is does not get lost.

PE Kit

Pupils should be provided with shorts (or tracksuit bottoms), t-shirt/poloshirt and

gym shoes for PE. At the beginning of the year you will be informed of the days

your child shall have PE but we recommend that your child takes their PE kit with

them to school every day to ensure they can participate in any physical activities.

We encourage our pupils to be active wherever possible. PE kits can be left in

school if they are kept in a labelled bag and hung on the child’s coat peg.

Pupils should not wear vest tops or high cut t-shirts and as with school uniform any

t-shirts with football colours or offensive slogans should be avoided.

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For Health and Safety reasons all jewellery should be removed before PE. We

recommend that if you are considering allowing your child to have a piercing to do

this during the summer holidays to allow time for them to heal. Staff cannot

remove piercings for pupils. If piercings cannot be removed before school then an

adult will have to come to the school to remove the piercing or alternatively an adult

will have covered the piercing with tape before the child comes to school. If the

piercing cannot be removed then the child will be unable to participate in PE and will

be given alternative work to complete.

SCHOOL MEALS

The school offers a selection of healthy school meals. Money for school meals

should be sent to the school each day.

The Menus for our school meals are available on the West Dunbartonshire Council

Website. Special diets are available and parents are asked to let us know if their

child requires a special diet for medical reasons. Provision is made in the lunch hall

for children who bring their own home prepared packed lunch.

Some children may be entitled to a free school meal and parents can ask at the

school office or they can access the information on the council website www.west-

dunbarton.go.uk/education-and-learning/schools. Appendix 1 of our handbook has a

copy of the application form for information.

TRANSPORT

If you live more than one mile from the school you may be able to apply for

assistance with transport costs. Application forms and information on transport

are available on the council website and must be submitted by the end of February

each year to enable the appropriate arrangements to be made.

PHOTOGRAPHY/VIDEO

In line with Council Policy no photography of individuals is permitted on council

premises where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy without their consent

or in the case of children under 12 years, the consent of their parents/guardians.

Parents/guardians will be asked to give written permission on an annual basis for

their child to be photographed or videoed for specific purposes related to the life

and work of the school and the education service.

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MEDICAL AND HEALTH CARE

West Dunbartonshire Council has strict guidelines and policy on administration of

medicines. Parents are asked to inform the school of any medical requirements of

their child. Consent/information must be given if medicine is to be administered in

school. School staff cannot administer any medicine without written consent from

parents. If you wish school staff to administer prescribed or non-prescribed

medicine please bring the medicine into the school, labelled with your child’s name

and complete the appropriate paperwork.

If your child needs an inhaler you will be asked to complete the appropriate consent

form. All inhalers are kept in the child’s classroom in a sealed box. Parents should

ensure that there is an inhaler for their child kept in the school at all times.

In our school all learning assistants are trained to deal with minor first aid

treatment. We have two members of staff with full First Aid. While the school

provides minor first aid treatment, parents should provide the school with an

emergency contact so that children can be taken home if illness or injury occurs.

The school should be notified immediately if the emergency contact changes.

Minor accidents will be dealt with in school by staff members. In the event of a

serious accident the child will be taken directly to Vale of Leven Hospital or Royal

Alexandria Hospital, Paisley. Parents will be notified immediately. Minor injuries

will be noted in our accident log book and a note of this will be given to the child to

take home. In the event of more serious injuries and all head injuries, parents will

be contacted by telephone.

The school nurse is involved with all aspects of health screening and health

education. If your child has complex medical needs then please contact the school

and we will draw up a Care Plan in partnership with the school nurse. The school

nurse is also available to help, advise and guide parents/carers with individual

concerns over pupils health and wellbeing. Please contact the Head Teacher if you

would like to have an appointment with the school nurse.

Hearing, vision and dental checks are also carried out throughout the year.

Primaries 1 and 2 take part in a tooth-brushing project. Pupils in P1– P4 engage in

the fluoride varnish project.

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INFORMATION IN EMERGENCIES We make every effort to maintain a full educational service, but on some occasions

circumstances arise which lead to disruption. Schools may be affected by, for

example, severe weather, temporary interruption of transport, power failures or

difficulties of fuel supply. In such cases we shall do all we can to let you know

about the details of closure or re-opening. We shall keep you in touch by using

letters, notices in local shops and community centres and announcements in the

press and on local radio. You will also be able to access up to date information from

the West Dunbartonshire Council website. This can be located at www.west-

dunbarton.gov.uk

It is normal practice within West Dunbartonshire Council to operate a helpline when

emergencies arise. Details will be made available when an occasion arises.

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT

Co-operation between the home and the school is essential for the wellbeing of the

child. Parents are very welcome in school to discuss any aspect of their child’s

development or progress. It is advisable to telephone first to make an appointment.

There are various opportunities throughout the year when parents can discuss their

child’s progress with the class teacher and view children’s work. Information on

these and other activities is communicated to parents in newsletters or by a note

taken home by the children. We have an Open afternoon in October and an

additional “Meet the Teacher” afternoon for P1 parents in early September.

Alternative arrangements can be made for parents who are not available to attend

on the agreed parent information evening.

Parental opinion or comments will be sought and we welcome responses from

parents. Please try to respond so that your feedback can be part of any changes

introduced. Throughout the year, parents are invited to take part in different

activities or attend school functions. This year there has been Harvest Assembly,

Table Top Sale, an Infant Nativity, School Christmas Show and in the new year

there will be a Scottish Celebration , Easter Service and End of term Service as

well as Sports Day. Parents are also informed on aspects of school life in every

newsletter as well as consulted through an annual audit on our service standards.

Accessible and readily available information on local clubs, events and school events,

etc. is contained on the notice boards within the school and at the front door.

We have a parent council who meet every six weeks to support the life and work of

the school.

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THE PARENT COUNCIL Renton Primary has a Parent Council which is committed to supporting the life and

work of the school. As a new parent you will be invited to join the Parent Council

See contact details on page 31 for further information on parental involvement.

Our parent council members give generously of their time for a meeting each term

to discuss how they can best support the school with different projects. They plan

and organise specific fund raisers.

Parents on the Parent Council represent the wider parent group and often

represent viewpoints leading to changes in procedures and routines in the school.

New members are very welcome.

TRANSFER FROM PRIMARY TO SECONDARY

SCHOOL

Pupils are normally transferred between the ages of 11½ and 12½ so that they will

have the opportunity to complete at least four years of secondary education.

Parents will be informed of the arrangements no later than December of the year

preceding the date of transfer at the start of the new session.

Children from Renton Primary School normally transfer to Vale of Leven Academy

Vale of Leven Academy

Main Street

Alexandria

G83 0BH

Tel: 01389 777000

We maintain close links with Vale of Leven Academy. We have regular liaison

meeting with the Academy and the pupils experience a variety of transitional events

beginning in P6. These include visits to the Vale of Leven Academy, visits from Vale

of Leven staff to Renton Primary and parent/carer information events.

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DATA PROTECTION ACT 1984

Information on parents and guardians is stored on a computer system and may be

used for teaching, registration, assessment and other administrative duties. The

information is protected by the Data Protection Act 1984 and may only be disclosed

in accordance with the Codes of Practice. For further information please contact

the school.

What do our pupils think? We asked are pupils what they like about Renton Primary and

here is what they said:

“I like that it is a community” Natasha P4

“I like playing on the Smartboard” Leydon P3 “I love coming to school because you learn new things” Melissa P6

“I enjoy seeing my friends. I enjoy learning” Amy P3 “I enjoy doing sums on the whiteboard” Phoebe P2

“I like going to school because there are good teachers in it” Robert P6 “I like going to school because you get to go on trips” Daniel P5

“I enjoy reading lots of different books” Jessica P3 “I’m bored in the summer and really like to come back to school” Louis P5

Parents have commented: “Wonderful staff, so friendly and always ready to help. My children seem to

be really comfortable with them all” “Fantastic school! Fantastic teachers! My little girl is growing more confident with high self-esteem. Thank you for providing such high

standards.” “I think it is a great, wee school”

“As always a friendly environment to be in” “Lovely school. Very impressive, friendly staff”

“Fantastic school! Great teachers!”

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Renton Primary — Our Service Standards

The following Standards of Service are also in place in Renton:

Monitor your child’s performance and report to you annually

Hold two parent’s meetings annually

Offer additional meetings with staff if necessary and appropriate

All primary 1 classes will have no more than 25 pupils

All primary 2 and 3 classes will have no more than 30 pupils

Composite classes will have a maximum of 25 pupils

Newsletters to be sent home six times per year

Parents will have the opportunity to comment on school affairs in every

newsletter

Parents will have access to the school handbook

Parents will have access to the full Standards & Quality Report

Parents will be sent home a summary account of the Standards & Quality

Report every August

Parents will be given the opportunity to take part in a school audit annually

If there is a serious problem with your child we will contact you immediately

If your child is unwell we will contact you immediately

All letters will be answered within five working days

You will be seen within ten minutes of a pre-arranged meeting

Phone calls will be answered within six rings

All school staff will be polite and courteous at all times

School staff will wear a name badge

All complaints will be dealt with in line with complaints procedure

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IMPORTANT ADDRESSES

Mr Terry Lanagan Executive Director of Educational Services

West Dunbartonshire Council

Garshake Road

Dumbarton

G82 3PU

Tel 01389 737000

National Parental Involvement Coordinator

Curriculum Division

Learning Directorate

Scottish Government

Tel 07825 175247

www.engageforeducation.org.uk

Community Learning & Development

Unit 6, Leven Valley Enterprise Centre

Castlehill Road

Dumbarton

G82 5BN

Tel 01389 608072 Fax 01389 608073

Renton Primary Parent Council

Chairperson — Mrs Angela McCabe

Although this information is correct at time of printing, there could be changes

affecting any of the matters dealt with in the document:

(a) before the commencement or during the course of the school year in

question;

(b) in relation to subsequent school years.

38

Appendix 1

Clothing Grant/Free School Meal

Application Form

Application for Free School Meals & Clothing Grant 2013/14 If your child attends a West Dunbartonshire School you may be entitled to free

school meals and a clothing grant. If you think you will qualify, please complete this

form making sure the benefit you receive is clearly identified and ensure you sign

the declaration.

The Clothing Grant is £50.00 per child and payment will be made by BACS (directly

into your bank account). The first payments should be made in June and you should

receive your payment within 2 weeks of your application being processed.

Only one clothing grant will be paid for any pupil during a school year.

If you have any queries regarding a clothing grant or free school meals please

telephone our contact centre on 01389 738282.

Name of parent / legal guardian

First Name National Insurance Number

Surname

Name of partner / spouse

First Name National Insurance Number

Surname

If you do not have a National Insurance Number and are an Asylum Seeker, please tick the box

Address

Tel No:

Mobile No:

39

For payment directly into your bank account, please complete the following:

Account Holders Name

Account Number Sort Code

Name & Address of Bank

N.B. BACS payments cannot be made to post office accounts. If you have a

post office account or would prefer payment by cheque, tick here

List all child (ren) for whom you wish to apply (including children 16 years or

over)

Surname First Name Male/Female Date of Birth

(DD/MM/YYYY)

Name of School/Nursery

Attended from August

2013

Clothing Grants will not be paid for children who will be 16 years old between 1

March and 30 September (children of school leaving age), until they return to

school in the new session. However you should include these children on your

application.

I am in receipt of the following benefit(s) (please tick ALL relevant):

Tick Entitlement To

Income Support School Meals & Clothing

Grant

Jobseekers Allowance (income based) School Meals & Clothing

Grant

Pension Credit School Meals & Clothing

Grant

40

Employment and Support Allowance (income

related)

School Meals & Clothing

Grant

Housing and/or Council Tax Benefit Clothing Grant

Maximum Working and Child Tax Credit with

income less than £6,420

School Meals & Clothing

Grant

Working Tax Credit with a gross annual income

of £15,276

Clothing Grant

Child Tax Credit ONLY with income less than

£16,190

School Meals

Support under Part VI of the Immigration &

Asylum Act 1999

School Meals & Clothing

Grant

Declaration

I declare that the information provided by me is a true and accurate statement of

my circumstances and that I have not withheld any facts.

I agree that the Department for Work & Pensions can give you information about

my benefit entitlement so that my application can be processed.

I understand that if my application for free school meals is successful and my

circumstances change, I must report this.

Signed Date

Completed forms can be posted or returned to:

Housing Benefit Section

Council Offices

Garshake Road

Dumbarton

G82 3PU

Opening hours:

9.00am – 4.00pm Mon –

Thursday

9.00am -3.30pm Friday

Housing Benefit Section

Council Offices

Rosebery Place

Clydebank

G81 1TG

Opening hours:

9.00am – 4.30pm Mon –

Thursday

9.00am – 4.00pm Friday

Housing Office

Mitchell Way

Alexandria

G83 0LW

Opening hours:

8.30am - 4.15pm Mon,

Tues, Wed,

Fri

9.30am - 4.15pm Thursday

41

Appendix 2

Information on translation services

Translation and Interpretation

The Council provides interpreters and translated materials on request. Further details on

the services provided are detailed below.

Telephone Interpreting

The Council provides a 24 hour telephone interpreting service, the current provider is

Language Line. We are currently reviewing out translation and interpretation services.

The telephone interpreting service is simple and easy to use and the supporting material

makes it easy to identify language requirements in face to face situations.

A ‘Guide to Using Services’ is available from Community Planning and Policy or can be

downloaded from here

Face to Face Interpretation

Where services need to provide information in community languages guidance is provided

within 'Communicating Effectively'. This includes a list of approved contracts and is

available on the Council's website or from Community Planning and Policy.

Interpreters can be engaged to assist at meetings or in other situations as required.

Translated Text

All council publications must be offered in alternative formats or community languages. It

may not be cost effective to translate a large publication, and in these instances a summary

version of the document should be offered, or a meeting, supported by an interpreter, could

be arranged to explain the key issues.

Download examples of the standard phrase in community languages.

We are currently reviewing our translated materials and the languages they are provided in

and working with relevant community groups on this.

For further information on where to access translation services or for any of the items

mentioned above please contact:

Policy Development Officer

Community Planning and Policy, 3rd Floor, Council Offices

Garshake Road, Dumbarton, G82 3PU

Tel: 01389 737269

or at: community.planning@west-dunbarton.gov.uk C:\Documents and Settings\hbrown2\Local

Settings\pslee\Desktop\RRS.pub