HOUSE SYSTEM
At Kellands, we have three ‘houses’, Bruce, Huntingdon and Thom.
The Head of House is a member of the SLT who has responsibility for overseeing the wellbeing and pastoral care of the children in their house. This approach is based on the Key Person approach that you might be familiar with from early years. The Head of House will remain a point of contact for families for their child throughout their time at Kellands from Nursery to P7.
The Role of the Key Person:
“A key worker is a valuable point of contact for both the child and their family and a link with staff and other professionals providing care and support both inside and outside the setting.” - Dare & O’Donovan (page 172, 2009)
Your child will be allocated to a ‘House’ when they start at Kellands. The Head of House is there to support you and your child throughout their school journey at Kellands.
Bruce
Mr Mollison (Head Teacher)
graeme.mollison@aberdeenshire.gov.uk
Huntingdon
Mrs B (Depute Head Teacher)
caroline.brunton@aberdeenshire.gov.uk
Thom
Mr Souter (Depute Head Teacher)
At Kellands, the importance of positive attachments is part of our ethos and the partnership work. As well as having positive attachments with the class teacher and support staff, we hope that the Head of House will be a familiar and trusted adult for children and families at Kellands.
“Settings that value the importance of children’s attachments, at home and in the setting, develop strong working relationships with the families of the children they care for. They make time to get to know the individual children’s needs and interests.” – Daly, Byers and Taylor (page 160, 2006).
Good attachments can have a profound effect on self-confidence, self-esteem and the ability to care for others and to be cared for.
We hope that this approach promotes opportunity to focus on individual needs, to develop warm and supportive relationships and to ensure transitions are smooth within and beyond the school setting for our children.
Communication
If you have any concerns about your child you are always welcome to contact the Head of House who will be happy to support you.
“Parents want to know with whom they first need to talk about their child when they want to share something or discuss a concern. Children also need to know to which adults they can turn if they want to share an excitement and who will help with that.” – Nutbrown (page 27, 1999).
Parents/carers are always seen as the first educators of children and to build an effective partnership alongside them will help contribute to the success of each child’s learning.
in the wider world
As the Head of House has a Key Person role, they will be involved in coordinating any support from other agencies for your child.
“A Key Worker is an important member of the multidisciplinary team, receiving and sharing information about a particular child. You will be involved in writing observations and reports and attends meetings both with the staff in our setting and with the wider team.” Dare & O’Donovan (page 172, 2009).
At Kellands, we work effectively alongside outside professionals to help support and provide the children in our care the best possible chance at reaching their potential. As practitioners, we have a duty of care towards each individual child and the Head of House, alongside class teachers, are also responsible for making any necessary referrals and communication with other agencies should that be appropriate.
We look forward to getting to know you and your child throughout their journey here at Kellands.
WELCOME TO THE HOUSE OF FUN!
Our House system at Kellands embodies our three Values, Kindness, Respect and Responsibility.
Collaboration, healthy and good-natured competition, and leadership skills are at its core ...and fun, we can't forget fun! Throughout each term we have House of Fun challenges - ever witnessed a Cabbage race!? Oreo challenge anyone!? Fancy building a Marshmallow tower!?
One of the main strengths of the House system is giving students of all ages the opportunity to work together, creating a truly cohesive environment and ensuring that age is not a barrier to friendship and collaboration.
Competition is good, it drives our students to improve, improves collegiality and builds resilience. The House Captains and Vice-Captains hone their leadership skills in the role, managing not only their peers but also learning how to ‘manage up’ among the staff body.
