Mile End Handbook

We value effective partnerships with parents and look forward to working with you over the coming years. Over the last few years we have worked hard to increase the opportunities for you to be involved in the life of the school and support your child’s education. We are constantly looking for ways to improve our partnerships so please pass on any ideas of how we can support you. Some of the opportunities we currently provide are to:

● Contribute to Learning Journeys which are used as an assessment and reporting tool in some classes.

● Hear of how we are implementing Curriculum for Excellence through a range of curricular events over the course of the year during the day, over an evening and by being welcomed into the classes for children to share their learning

● Attend parents’ evenings each year where you will have the opportunity to hear how your child is progressing in their learning

● Receive a formal report on progress in March

● Engage with planning approaches to learning by contributing to working  groups of parents representing the parent forum

● Reviewing our school aims to ensure that we remain aspirational

● Join staff to set Child’s Plan targets when we are working to overcome a barrier to learning

● Become a member of the Parent Council and meet with the head teacher termly on strategic matters

● Become a member of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) to fund raise and provide experiences for the children

● Feeding into the school audit and improvement plan by helping us identify what is working well and what should be improved

● Volunteer your skills to support the school by registering on the parent talent bank

● Support in classrooms to provide a greater variety of experiences to children

● Support school trips or in our libraries.

Our school opened its doors for the first time in April 2010. The school has approximately 400 mainstream pupils within 16 classes and 70 children with varied  additional support needs within 7 specialist classrooms. Children within the specialist classes are grouped according to skills and aptitudes. 

This model provides great opportunities for us to celebrate the diversity of the school population and promote inclusion whenever possible. As a school community we are excited about the opportunities this model presents and continue to work to further

enhance this very special learning environment by reviewing our school aims and setting ourselves more challenging targets.

Our Nursery runs four sessions, two in the morning and two in the afternoon.  Each session has places for twenty children.

We have over 30 permanent teachers including Support for Learning Teachers (SfL). This helps us to ensure that all children receive appropriate support and challenge.We have visiting specialist teachers of P.E., music and drama and access to a range of music instructors who teach our pupils to play a variety of instruments. We are fortunate to employ skilled Early Years Practitioners and Pupil Support Assistants who are deployed on a needs basis throughout the school and their support is invaluable in helping us meet individual needs.

The school is very well resourced and has well utilised general purpose spaces. We take pride in working to provide innovative resources and approaches to engage our pupils in the learning process and make our approach to teaching and learning enjoyable!

The children cite our school grounds as one of the key strengths of the school with a generously proportioned playground, playing field and astro turf.

We routinely consult with pupils, staff, parents and the wider community in order to review our aims to ensure that they meet the needs of our school community and continue to be ambitious.

Every aim is broken down into aspirational statements, these statements help us to audit how well we are progressing.  Any comments on our aims are gratefully received via the comments box at the front of school or by contacting the Head Teacher at mileend@aberdeencity.gov.uk or by telephone on 01224 498140.

At Mile End School we aim to:

1.   Provide a challenging, consistent and motivating environment where all pupils and members of the school community are supported to achieve their full potential with confidence and pride.

2.   Deliver appropriate, innovative and flexible approaches to learning which fulfil individual needs delivered by professional staff with access to high quality CPD and resources.

3.   Provide a welcoming, bright, friendly, ambitious and safe environment where there is a shared ownership and sense of belonging; where all partners are respected, valued and inspired.

4.   Provide truly inclusive education that promotes equality and fairness for all irrespective of learning needs, gender, race or beliefs.

5.   All members of the school community will be encouraged to fulfill their potential as learners, leaders, professionals and carers within a positive, stimulating, supportive, safe and secure environment.

6.   Promote responsible healthy citizens by enabling and encouraging all pupils to demonstrate good behaviour, self-discipline and respect for themselves and others and participate responsibly in society.

7.    Engage parents in their child’s learning and in the life of the school, utilising the skills and expertise of the whole school population.

Mile End School is committed to providing high quality learning opportunities for all.  High but attainable standards of work and behaviour are expected and by showing concern for the well being of the individual, we aim to foster a happy and safe environment.  We value positive attitudes, praise and encouragement.  We seek to maintain a partnership with pupils, parents and the wider community through effective communication.

It is our aim to provide a welcoming, bright, friendly, ambitious and safe environment for our pupils where they are challenged to learn in different ways and enjoy the learning process.

We have developed a House System where pupils are encouraged to work collectively to gain house points under the values of Curriculum for Excellence, integrity, wisdom, justice and compassion and we routinely develop our pupils’ appreciation of these values through assembly and house challenges.  Our houses have house captains and vice captains who help to support the children within their house and work with the Head Teacher to develop our house system.

We highly value the opinions of our pupils and have pupil voice groups to help them improve their school. 

We aim to raise awareness of global issues through assemblies working with business and church groups to develop global citizenship.

Through an on-going process of self-evaluation the school strives to assure quality in the provision of a broad and balanced education appropriate to the needs of the children.  Many approaches are used to determine areas of good practice and areas to be developed including:

·        Monitoring classroom practice

·        Teachers visiting other classes at Mile End and beyond

·        Monitoring forward plans and records of work

·        Asking parents to comment via survey/consultation

·        Sampling jotters and having focused conversations with pupils and staff

·        Quality assurance visits by the local authority

·        Quality assurance visits by Education Scotland

·        Quality assurance visits by the Care Inspectorate

The school completes detailed audits on a yearly basis.  The results of the audits feed into the school improvement planning process.  The priorities that are identified in school are shared with the school community.  Parents, community and pupils are given the opportunity to also feed into the improvement planning process to make sure that our priorities reflect the needs of the entire school community.  The Parent Council and Pupil Forum are active partners in the process of improvement planning.

A yearly standards and quality report is produced that details the work and progress of the school, this can be accessed online on our school website. 

A comprehensive list of school policies is available on the school website.  Any questions/suggestion related to school policies should be directed to the head teacher by e-mail.  Hard copies can be requested through the school office.

Parents who wish to enroll their child at Mile End School should make an online application via the Aberdeen City Council website by following the link below:-

https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/services/education-and-childcare/apply-school-place

The authority will check all criteria and evidence and validate it before the application is sent to the school.  They will outline at the point of making the request when you can expect to hear of the outcome.  They will also explain the appeals procedure to you.  Members of the Senior Management Team (SMT) are happy to answer any queries or concerns you may have.

Admission for children with additional support needs works slightly differently.  The Educational Psychologist who currently works with your child will be able to advise if Mile End is a suitable placement for your child.  If you are keen for your child to attend Mile End an application will be produced by your child’s current school and this will be taken forward to an admissions panel.  If places are available and the admission panel agree that your child’s needs will be best met at Mile End, a place will be offered.  You will be sent a letter confirming a place and a member of the management team will contact you about admission.  Induction for children with additional support needs will be agreed on an individual basis to make sure that your child settles quickly and easily.

Further information of choosing a school can be accessed from –

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/11/10093528/0

A guide to school attendance which explains parental responsibilities about children’s attendance at school is available from the Scottish Government –

http://www.scotland.giv.uk/Publications/2009/12/04134640/0

Pupils due to start Primary 1 at the start of a new school session in August are normally enrolled in January at a date announced by the local authority.  Parents/carers can, however, contact the school office for advice at any time.

Details of enrolment are published in the local press every January.

Parents will be invited to attend an informal induction meeting so that the Deputy Head Teacher (Early Years) can explain a little about the school and give details of how the children will be admitted.  There will also be opportunities for parents to hear how to support learning at home.  Parents/carers will be notified by letter of the days and times their child should visit and start school.

There are opportunities for parents/carers to visit the classrooms prior to admission.  In the first two weeks of their first term, Primary 1 pupils attend on a part-time basis and full time thereafter.

Good transition arrangements exist for the children heading into Nursery or school for the first time.  These are updated on a yearly basis considering feedback that the senior management team (SMT) receives from staff and parents.  Similarly, good arrangements are in place for children heading to secondary, please ask the Deputy Head Teacher with responsibility for the upper stages for more information.

Parents/carers wishing to enrol pupils for P1 should make an online application via the Aberdeen City Council website by following the link below:-

https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/services/education-and-childcare/apply-school-place

The authority will check all criteria and evidence and validate it before the application is sent to the school. A member of the senior management team will be pleased to answer any questions you have.

The Nursery classes consist of a group of up to 32 children who are 3 and 4.  The children are well-supported by two Senior Early Years Practitioners and Early Years Practitioners.  The Depute Head Teacher (Nursery & P1 - 3) manages the nursery. 

In Primary 1 there are a maximum of 25 children, in Primary 2 and 3 a maximum of 30 and the remainder of the Primary classes can potentially cater for up to 33 children.

Some children may be in a composite class.  Composite classes cater for children from two year groups but can have no more than 25 children.  In real terms, every class has several ability groups and staff ably match learning experiences to prior knowledge and ability.  Children who are in a composite class are not disadvantaged in any way. The smaller class size allows the teacher to work more often in a small group or 1-1 situation.

Children are given challenges that are appropriate to their needs and the direction that each child takes in their learning is negotiated between the class teacher and the SMT.  It is crucial that pupils are given an appropriate challenge to ensure that they feel confident in their abilities and have a strong sense of achievement.

The children are taught in a range of groupings, class, small group, pairs and individually.  All children have access to the supports available in school and may work with our SFL teachers or members of the SLT.  Please feel free to ask for any further information on the supports available both in school and through the authority.

Children with additional support needs are educated in classes of no more than 10.  The classes comprise of children who have similar abilities and so are not strictly year grouped.  The children are given opportunities to access mainstream classes when appropriate.  There are no hard and fast rules, each child is seen as an individual and as such inclusion is planned on an individual basis.  Parents will be made aware of individual timetables and as such will be aware of any planned opportunities for their child to access mainstream classes when appropriate.

Parents have a legal obligation to ensure that their children attend school.  It is important that children are on time for school, but not too early, and collected on time.  Please note that there is no playground supervision before the school day starts.  We therefore ask that children are not sent or brought to school before 8.45am.  Any child arriving late to school must enter through the school office.

We ask that you make every effort to collect your child on time at the end of the school day as children can easily become upset and anxious.  If you are unavoidably detained, please telephone the school office on 01224 498140.

When the morning bell rings, pupils will be collected from their lines in the playground by their teacher, a warning bell rings at 8.55am to give advance warning of the schools opening.

At the end of the school day teachers will accompany pupils into the playground.  All ASN pupils will be escorted safely to waiting taxis/buses.

We ask that all visitors who are using the car park reverse park into a designated parking space.  Please do not park in the drop-off area or that reserved for buses at the front of school as this could potentially put other children at risk.

PARENTS HELPING IN CLASSES

We invite parents/carers to become involved in the life of the school through helping in school or accompanying classes on trips and outings.  It is a legal requirement that all adults working with children must undergo a PVG check.  This usually takes only a few weeks and there is no cost to the parent/carer.  Forms are available from the school office.

During the morning interval and the lunchtime period, children are supervised by adults who have been specifically employed to assist with this task.

We try to let the children outside to run around and get some fresh air at break times.  Due to our changeable north east weather, however, it is likely that the children will be outside in the cold and damp weather which is an all too familiar feature of our climate.  Pupils should, therefore, come to school with suitable outside clothing to protect them from inclement weather.  In the event of very severe weather the children will be supervised in school.  We are a nut free school, meaning no snacks with nuts are allowed on the Mile End premesis. 

The children are given the opportunity to choose the playground toys and tend to be very active and busy over lunch!  The Pupil Voice group have worked hard to develop playground zones to make sure that there is something on offer for everyone and they will continue to refine the zones. 

Older children often help the younger children learn new skills such as setting up groups for younger children.  Various groups and activities are offered to the children over the lunchtime period.  There is an expected level of behavior in the playground and rules are in place, children who repeatedly choose to not follow the rules will be referred to the SLT.

Gates are locked and staff are aware that adults are not allowed to enter the playground at playtime and lunchtime.  Support staff have been instructed to stop any adult and question their intentions if an attempt to access the playground is made –please do not be offended.  All parents should report to the school office to avoid any embarrassment.

We strongly encourage pupils to wear school uniform, which is both comfortable and practical.  Pupils are expected to wear school uniform in grey (sweatshirt and skirt/trousers) and light blue (polo shirt).  Sweatshirts and polo shirts are available to buy in school on the last Thursday of every month are by filling in an order form and handing in to reception.  Many thanks to our parent volunteers who check stock and sell the uniform.

For PE pupils require a T shirt, shorts and gym shoes.  A PE top and shorts, in the school colours, is available to buy on the school uniform order form.  Gym shoes must be kept for indoor use.  In the interest of safety, no jewellery should be worn in the gym.  Please note that where jewellery cannot be removed this must be taped over.  Tape for this purpose should be brought to school.

A Clothing Grant is available to families in need and further details and application forms can be supplied via the school office.

You are asked to ensure that your child is suitably dressed according to the time of year and weather.  The temperature in school is very comfortable but your child should have a suitable jacket for wearing in wet and cold weather.

LOST PROPERTY

Please name all personal property e.g. clothing, footwear, lunchboxes and schoolbags.  If your child loses any item, a member of staff should be told straight away.  Lost property items may be found in the tubs in the corridors and the parents’ room and children are encouraged to check these regularly for any missing items.  The school cannot accept responsibility for any lost item, but every effort will be made to trace anything that goes missing.

All items of clothing should be labeled to ensure that your child can easily identify their own clothing. 

Please do not allow your child to bring expensive personal items to school.

Any absence from school must be explained by a note, via the Xpressions app, telephone call to the school office or by text to +447860030792.  Office staff make use of Groupcall (a system that will send a text message to parents) when a child is absent and there has been no explanation.  I would urge you to call the school office/reply to the text to explain any absence as we worry about the safety of your child and will seek support from the Police if no explanation is given.  This can lead to great embarrassment, but we cannot afford to take risks with the safety of our pupils.

Where there are frequent absences, or where there is an obvious pattern of absence, the matter may be referred to the Local Authority.  The Home/School Liaison Officer is kept fully informed about each absentee and maintains a close liaison with parents.  If the Home/School Liaison Officer is unable to make contact with parents of children who are not in school and where the Head Teacher has not been provided with a reasonable reason for non attendance, the Head Teacher will inform the police in order to guarantee the safety of children.

Pupils taking time off from school to accompany their parents on holiday is not a legal right in Scotland.  Schools now have a statutory requirement to record the attendance rates and the number of authorised and unauthorised absence of pupils for all stages.  Absences due to family holidays will be recorded as unauthorised.  Only under exceptional circumstances will holidays outwith the set dates be considered authorised and individual cases should be discussed with the Head Teacher.  Children who do not arrive in school are automatically treated as ‘‘missing’’ if there has been no communication from home.  This can lead to us contacting other agencies including the Police to support us in locating the child if we cannot get hold of you 

Parents/carers are asked to make every effort to make medical/dental appointments out-with school hours.  Parents should contact school if there is a need to withdraw their child for a medical appointment during school hours if it has not been possible to arrange an appointment outwith school hours.  In such cases children MUST be collected from school by a known adult, no child will be released to walk home alone.  If your child is unwell and will not be in school, you should contact the office prior to 9 am if possible.

Parents will be asked to provide the school with the address of a neighbour, relative or friend to whom the child could go to, or be taken to, in the event of illness or emergency when parents/carers are not available.  This nominated person must sign the admission form to give formal consent.

Parents will also be asked to supply the name, address and telephone number of their local GP who could be contacted in the event of an emergency where the school was unable to make parental contact.  If we cannot contact you and there is a medical emergency, a member of the SMT will assume the role of the parent and ensure that appropriate medical attention is provided.

Please assist the school by ensuring that contact details, which should be completed each year, are kept up to date as children become very distressed when we are not able to contact you.

Normally parents/carers will be given advance notification of any change in school hours but there may be occasions when this is impossible e.g. power failure or extreme weather conditions.

In the event of such unforeseen circumstances parents/carers should listen to NORTHSOUND RADIO for updated information or call the SCHOOLS INFORMATION LINE on 0870 054 1999 using the PIN Code 011520 for more details. 

We make use of the Xpressions App/Groupcall which sends a text message directly to all registered parents.  Please note that it is crucial that contact numbers are kept up to date.  This service can only be used if the Head Teacher can gain access to the building but every attempt is made to do so.

Mile End has access to a school nurse on a weekly basis and referrals can be made to her where we, or the parents think necessary.  A child can also be referred to the school doctor on the Child Development Team if there is something concerning us/parents about a child’s development or behaviour in school.

The school doctor does not carry out treatment or prescribe medicines.  She will, however, discuss a problem, offer advice and, if necessary, make a recommendation to the appropriate agency, e.g. G.P. Children’s Hospital, Speech Therapist, Audiomatrician, Educational Psychologist etc.

The school dentist also visits the school annually for all P1 and P7 children.  Any child found to need treatment will be given a card to inform you of what is required.

Parents are asked to inform the school if they know of any medical condition that their child may suffer from so a care plan can be put in place.

Medical forms must be completed for any long-term or short-term medication needed by a child.

All Aberdeen City Council premises and grounds are non-smoking.  Parent/carers are asked to observe this.

All children are different and will have very different skills and capabilities.  Our aim is to ensure that all children attain and achieve to the best of their ability.

Mile End serves a diverse pupil population with a range of learning, physical and social and emotional needs.  We enjoy effective working relationships with our Educational Psychologists who support us in ensuring that all children reach their full potential by following a stages intervention model.  The Deputy Head with responsibility for your child will happily explain this process to you.

Children with additional support needs will have a Child’s Plans in place which will be agreed with parents/carers, other agencies who support the child and in some cases the child themselves.  This plan, which is reviewed when necessary, helps us track progress and ensure that any changes are made which will help to remove barriers to learning.

Attainment data is carefully monitored and children who appear to be experiencing difficulties in any areas of learning will be discussed by class teachers, the support for learning teachers and the Head Teacher.  At this point a plan is agreed to support the learner and you and your child will be invited to contribute to the plan and will be given suggestions of how you can support your child at home.

Support from the support for learning teachers is allocated on a needs basis and we do all we can to ensure that the children most in need of additional support receive it.

All children in school will be involved in setting targets for themselves through personal learning planning.

If you would like further information on how your child’s additional support needs are being addressed, please contact the Deputy Head with responsibility for your child in the first instance.

Children who benefit from support from 2 or more agencies may have a coordinated support plan which gathers information from all agencies to help support your child. 

In some cases, your child may benefit from multi-agency working and a GIRFEC (Getting It Right For Every Child) meeting will be called where all professionals will be invited to join parents and staff to plan for your child’s needs.

Further information on how to support your child, whatever their needs, is available on the school website.

Parents/carers are welcome to visit the school to discuss any matter with their child’s teacher or with the SLT, although you are requested to arrange a mutually suitable time beforehand to avoid being told that managers are unavailable.  All visitors to the school must report to the school office to sign the visitors’ book.

Our website is regularly updated and will prove an invaluable source of information, please log on at www.mileend.sch.uk.  Any suggestions of information that could be added to the website should be passed to the Head Teacher by e-mailing mileend@aberdeencity.gov.uk

During the year parents/carers are invited to attend parent interviews to discuss your child’s progress.  An interview is offered following the issue of the child’s school report in March.

There is an active Parent Council and PTA operating in school, both of which provide invaluable support to the school.  They host a range of events for parents over each school year, please look out for news of upcoming events by logging on to their website which is accessible through the school website.

Mile End has an open-door policy and you are welcome to visit at any time and make

use of the parents’ room.  If you wish to speak with any member of staff, please come into the office where the staff will arrange an appointment for you.

Please note that although telephones are available in all classrooms for staff to make use of in case of emergency, no telephone calls will be put through to staff during teaching hours.  If you would like to speak to a member of staff, please call the school office who will pass a message onto the class teacher.

We use the Xpressions App/email to distribute most of the school information and letters to parents/guardians.  Please ensure that your current mobile number and email address have been recorded on your child(ren)’s record and that you advise the school office of any changes.

We are keen that the children have a clear voice in the running of their school and as such have a proactive pupil forum run by a member of staff.  They are given the opportunity to help us plan improvements and comment on things that are going well

The Charity Committee plan a variety of events such as fund raisers and charity work.

All committees meet twice a month during the school day and we are continually seeking ways of improving the opportunities our pupils have to feed into the life and direction of the school.

Active Schools support a wide range of extra-curricular activities as well as those offered in school by staff.  

Midstocket Out of School Club provides Breakfast and After School Care for children attending Mile End School within the community rooms.  Opening Times are as follows:

Breakfast Club - 7.45am.  Staff will give the children breakfast then take them through to the school area for the start of the school day.  

After School Club - Staff start at 2.30 pm.  At the end of the school day children with additional support needs are met at the front door and taken to MOOSC where a snack and playtime is provided.  Mainstream children are met in the dining room and escorted to the community rooms.  The last pick up time from MOOSC is 5.45pm but parents can pick their child up at any time.   A waiting list is in operation.

Holiday Club - a holiday club is available with costs available on request from the community office.

SCAMPS AFTER SCHOOL CLUB

Based in the Beechgrove Scout Building in Oakhill Crescent SCAMPS has been established since 1988 with the emphasis on safe play activities in a happy and secure environment for primary school age children.  They are registered with the Care Inspectorate CS2012309337 and the SSSC.  All staff are fully qualified and PVG checked.  SCAMPS offer a collection/drop off service on foot from Mile End School.  They are open to children from all other schools during Holiday Play Scheme (HPS).

Opening hours are:-  Before School Club (BSC) 7.30 - 9.00am; After School Club (ASC) 3.00 – 5.55pm during term time and Holiday Play Scheme (HPS) 8.00am – 5.55pm.

They have a wide and varied range of activities available for the children to choose from e.g. table tennis, computer games, DVD’s, arts & crafts, board games, football etc.  They also have a large, safe grassy play area with trees, set back from the road for when the weather is suitable.  Additional activities in the holidays are trips e.g. bowling, parks and many other interesting places.  They also arrange for visitors to the club who bring interesting ideas, such as Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Snack, fruit and juice/water are provided daily for ASC.  Breakfast is provided on an opt-in basis for BSC and two snacks are provided daily during HPS.  Children are required to bring a packed lunch during HPS unless otherwise notified.  For more information/enquiries please phone Ruth Gauld on 07792768202 or email info@scampsosc.com

Psychological Services

When a pupil is experiencing educational, behavioural, social or emotional difficulties, the school may refer him/her, with parental permission, to the above service for additional advice and to explore any additional services which may be available to support the pupil.  Educational Psychologists are available to offer parents and staff invaluable advice on how to best support pupils.  Children with recorded additional support needs will have regular reviews with psychological services to ensure that school continues to meet their needs and review progress.

Social Work

The school and Social Work teams work closely together to support pupils and families.

EAL

Provision is made for any child for whom English is an additional language to receive support in accessing all areas of the curriculum and learning essential everyday language.  This support is usually offered in school.

Support for Learning

Many children need a bit of extra support or challenge at some point during their school career.  Our Support for Learning Teachers (SFL) are available to help children in all the classes who, from time to time, require support in their learning.  This extra help may be in a one-to-one situation or in a group of pupils who require similar support.  You will be invited to help develop the plan that the SFL teachers will use and they will be happy to suggest ways that you can support your child at home.

We have a diverse school population.  We endorse Aberdeen City Council policy on Race Equality and are committed to taking all steps within our power to eliminate discrimination and to promote good relationships between people of different cultures.  Throughout the year we recognise and celebrate a range of festivals from a variety of cultures.

Class teachers continually evaluate their teaching and assess each pupil’s work to ensure that they are coping and making the progress expected, progress is tracked three times a year so that we can measure the impact of approaches being taken.  The class teacher is responsible for keeping progress records to provide a profile of the child‘s progress.

Informal and formal assessment procedures are used throughout the school and are planned for under the categories Say, Write, Make and Do in that staff look for evidence of what a child can say, write, make and do to illustrate their knowledge, understanding and skills

Over recent years we have developed the use of Assessment is for Learning and Formative Assessment strategies in school.  This approach focuses on setting clear learning intentions and success criteria, giving pupils quality feedback on their work and involving pupils in evaluating their own work and that of their peers.  Research has shown that this approach involves pupils much more effectively in their own learning.

A school report is issued for each pupil during the school year.  This report will give parents/carers specific information relating to levels of attainment/achievement in curricular areas as outlined in the national guidelines.  This report will be based on the ongoing assessment procedures that are presently being utilised within the school.

It is considered that homework is an essential part of the school curriculum and is given on a regular basis, although it is intended that prescribed homework should not exceed 30 minutes per night (less for the younger children).  Further information is available from a member of the SLT and in the school homework policy.

If your child is having trouble with homework please do not hesitate to contact the class teacher to discuss the matter.

School discipline is a priority for all of us and our pupils behave very well.  Our main aim is to ensure that we create an atmosphere that will allow all pupils the opportunity to develop both academically and socially in a non-threatening, pleasant atmosphere.  To this end we hope to develop a partnership between home and school, which will enable both parties the opportunity to work in a meaningful and productive way for all our pupils.

The school is keen to involve all educational partners in this area and engage with all stakeholders to develop a Positive Behaviour Policy.  Our children generally behave very well and appreciate the efforts made by staff to make Mile End School a fun place to be.

Occasionally children will make a mistake and are given a warning prior to being taken to a member of the SLT unless the behavior is serious enough to warrant an immediate referral to the SLT without a warning.

If an incident is serious, you will be informed immediately.  All children do make mistakes from time to time, and the SLT will use their judgment to decide when to contact parents and when to monitor a situation.

As a staff we are proud of how well our pupils behave and believe in rewarding them for their efforts

Given the on-going public concern about child abuse and changes in law, schools are required to report if they think that any child or young person has come to harm as a result of possible abuse.

Each school has a Child Protection Co-ordinator.  In our school, that person is Miss Heather Blair, the Depute Head Teacher.

Should you wish to talk further about Child Protection and the safety of children, please feel free to contact Miss Blair or Mr Roberts at school.

As a school we have good contacts with medical officers, social workers and the police - any of whom may be involved if abuse is suspected.

Depending upon the concern, Parents/Guardian may or may not be informed of any action taken.

I’m sure that you will agree, the safety and wellbeing of all our pupils has to be our top priority and Mile End School takes this responsibility very seriously.

Please find our Child Protection Policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jwQPfzVO_XsGklKdMPQj7lpCecAjERwk/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=117475083013300329906&rtpof=true&sd=true

We are committed to a policy of multi-cultural and anti-racist education.  It is important that the children are helped to understand about the world around them in a positive way.

Books and resources are carefully selected to ensure that out children see lots of positive images of people of different race, creed and cultures, they also show men and women in a range of different roles.

We encourage all children to participate in all experiences.  Care is taken that activities do not become associated with either girls or boys, all children are encouraged to use all of the equipment on offer.

The school strives to show no prejudice and to give equal opportunity and attention to all children irrespective of race, gender, religious belief and cultural background and places great emphasis on educating children against such prejudices.

The Head Teacher reports any incidents of racism to the police.

We worked recently on our definition of inclusion and agreed the following:

‘Inclusion is a shared belief that all members of the school community are valued, respected and will have their needs met.  Mile End School reflects our diverse society where difference is celebrated and does not become a barrier to participation.  Equality of provision, opportunities and the right to a high quality education are central to our philosophy and everyone is made to feel that they belong, are nurtured, accepted and are supported’

Sadly, bullying occurs in almost all schools.  School structures are, however, in place to combat this type of behaviour with positive management and support of individual children.  Please do approach a member of the SMT if you have any concerns about your child.  The school will respond to incidents of bullying and we emphasise the need for a child to "tell."  Please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Mile End School is a member of the Grammar Associated School Group and at the end of Primary 7 pupils will normally transfer there if they live in zone.  If you are unsure of which secondary school your child will attend, please speak to a member of the senior management team.  Parents of children in an additional support needs class will be given the opportunity to hear about the many provisions on offer for secondary education so that an ideal secondary placement can be sought.

Transition arrangements for all pupils begins in Primary 6 and we hope to provide an information evening with a member of staff from Aberdeen Grammar School at some point over your child’s Primary 6 year.

Children make a learning transition every summer when they move up a stage.  We have a transitions policy that is reviewed on a yearly basis to ensure that the best possible transitions take place

Aberdeen Grammar School can be contacted on 01224 642299

Bucksburn Academy can be contact on 01224 710700

Please note that no insurance cover is held by the Local Authority to provide automatic compensation to pupils in the event of a personal accident or death.  It is your responsibility as a parent to insure your child for personal accident or death if you feel this is appropriate.

The Local Authority does hold third party liability insurance which indemnifies the Council for claims from third parties (e.g. parents of pupils) who have suffered injury, illness, loss or damage arising from the negligence of the Council or its employees.

However, if there were no negligence, no claim would be accepted by the Council.  This information is brought to your attention at this time in order that you may take whatever action you feel appropriate.  I am also particularly anxious to avoid the potentially distressing situation of parents only becoming aware of the insurance position after an accident has occurred however remote the possibility.

It is the Authority’s policy that no pets owned by any member of staff; parent or guardian should be allowed into any part of the establishment.  Please note this includes playgrounds, car parks and playing fields. Your support in observing this ruling is greatly appreciated.

Our school recognises the vital role that parents play in supporting their child’s learning and is committed to building positive relationships with parents.  No matter how strong partnerships are, or how good our policies are sometimes things can still go wrong and there may be occasions when you as a parent wish to express unhappiness or dissatisfaction with Council services, policies or staff behaviour.

Please give us the opportunity to put things right first by contacting the Head teacher or any member of senior leadership team by telephone, email or in person.

If you are not satisfied that your issue has been resolved, you can then make a complaint using our online form: https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/services/have-your-say/make-complaint

You can also make a complaint in person at any council office or by contacting our Customer Feedback Team by telephone or in writing:

Customer Feedback Team                           Telephone 01224 523058

Business Hub 6

First Floor South

Marischal College

Broad Street

Aberdeen

AB10 1AB

Our Customer Feedback team follows a complaint handling procedure to make sure that every complaint is dealt consistently and quickly as possible.

Many thanks.

George Roberts

Head Teacher