THE HIGHLAND COUNCIL

ALVIE PRIMARY SCHOOL

School Handbook 2024/25

ALVIE PRIMARY SCHOOL

KINCRAIG

INVERNESS-SHIRE

PH21 1ND

Tel.01540 651238

Head Teacher: Mrs Sara Riach

e-mail: alvie.primary@highland.gov.uk

www.alvieprimaryschool.co.uk

          CONTENTS PAGE

SECTION 1 - WELCOME TO ALVIE

SECTION 2 - STAFF TEAM 2024-25

SECTION 3 – ALVIE PRIMARY SCHOOL

SECTION 4 – VISION, VALUE AND AIMS

SECTION 5 – ALVIE PRIMARY POSITIVE EXPECTATIONS

SECTION 6 – ALVIE PRIMARY CURRICULUM

SECTION 7 – PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT

SECTION 8 – SCHOOL INFORMATION

SECTION 9 – PUPIL CARE, WELFARE AND SAFETY

SECTION 10 –INCLUSION AND EQUITY

SECTION 11 –DATA

SECTION 1 - WELCOME TO ALVIE

Dear Parents,

We are pleased to welcome you and your child to Alvie Primary School and hope that we will have a long and happy association as your child progresses on their journey through the school.

All staff at the school are committed to creating a happy, relaxed learning environment where all the children are encouraged to participate in the life of the school and supported to fulfil their potential.

We are passionate about working as a TEAM, where ‘Together Everyone Achieves More.’ We believe that a strong partnership between home and school is essential to the health and wellbeing of all our children. This handbook is designed to give you all the information you require for your child starting school. We have endeavoured to provide you with as much detail as possible. However, if at any time there is something which you would like to discuss about your child’s education, please do not hesitate to contact us through our school office.

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

Yours sincerely,

Sara Riach

Head Teacher

SECTION 2 - STAFF TEAM 

HEAD TEACHER:

Mrs Sara Riach  

CLASS TEACHERS:

PE SPECIALIST:

ASN TEACHER:

OTTERS P1-3 Mrs Dallas & Miss Still

FOXES  - P4-5 Miss McLaughlin & Mrs Riach

Badgers - P6-7 Miss Stewart

Mrs Jackie Douglas

Miss Emma Killin

SCHOOL SECRETARY:

Mrs Ashton Morris

PUPIL SUPPORT ASSISTANT:

PLAYGROUND SUPERVISOR:

Mrs Nicola Brannan. Mr Jim Conneely

CROSSING PATROLLER:

CATERING ASSISTANT:

SCHOOL CLEANER:

FACILITY TEAM: 

Mrs Nicola Brannan

Ms Sarah Davies

FM team

Mr Keith Hunter/Mr Willie Mainland

MUSIC SPECIALISTS

• PIPING

• STRINGS

Mr C. Thomson

Mr J Rutter

SECTION 3 – ALVIE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Organisation of the school day

Monday -Thursday

Friday

P1-7

P1-7

Class time: 8.50 - 10.45

Class time: 8.50 - 10.45

Play time: 10.45 - 11.00  

Play time: 10.45 - 11.00  

Class time:11.00 - 12.25/12.45

Class time: 11.00 – 12.25

Lunch time P1-3 - 12.15-1.30 

12.25 Home time

Lunch time P4-7 - 12.45 - 1.30

Class time: 13.30 – 3:15 

School Location

Alvie School is situated near the village of Kincraig.  It serves an area extending from Loch Insh to Loch Alvie. The current school roll is 48 across three classes (Otters P1-3. Foxes P4-5 & Badgers P5-7).

The School building comprises a main building and a portacabin. The main building is more than 100 years old but recent renovations have made the interior spacious and bright. The portacabin houses a general purpose room and a classroom.

The school has all the modern resources required for present day learning.

Full use is made of our extensive grounds and staff  make the most of the opportunity for taking learning outside.

Starting School

The Head Teacher will be pleased to meet parents who are considering moving into the area and who wish to enrol their children.

Parents of children who will be starting school for the first time are invited to enrol their children in January/February each year. The dates and times for enrolment are advertised in the local press. Parents are invited to an information evening for all new P1 parents before the start of the new session. We work in partnership with local nurseries in planning and providing an exciting summer transition project. Focused ‘Taster’ visits are provided for children to experience some of the school day prior to the new session in August.

School communication

Our school website www.alvieprimary.co.uk is updated regularly and is our main point for information. In addition, bulletins are sent to parents with updated information via email.  Please ensure that Data Check forms are completed so we have an up to date email address or let us know of any changes. 

SECTION 4 – VISION, VALUE AND AIMS

VISION

We provide a welcoming, happy, safe and supportive environment in which everyone is equal and all achievements are celebrated.

VALUES

Diligent  Friendly  Helpful  Inclusive  Kind  Polite  Respectful

AIMS

Leadership together

At Alvie Primary school, we make decisions and take on responsibilities together as partners. We identify as partners. We agree on our vision, value aims and our main school improvement priorities. We use collegiate time to work on self-evaluation and reflect on success. We work as a team to take responsibility for going forward.

Providing resources

At Alvie, we aim to provide equity to all our pupils by using our resources effectively to support learning. We believe in using our unique environment, curriculum, equipment, digital devices, staff and partners to develop an excellent learning facility.

Curriculum

At Alvie Primary School we aim to provide a balanced, flexible and inclusive curriculum where pupils are encouraged to take responsibility for their learning. Pupils gain the knowledge, skills and attributes needed for LEARNING AND LIFE. We encourage all pupils to have a voice within the school that is heard and respected.  Children are always encouraged to reflect on their learning and look at their own next steps and targets to progress

Learning and Teaching

At Alvie Primary School, we are committed to the highest standards of Learning and Teaching and we strive to continually raise standards.  We recognise the importance of creating a climate in which children can learn effectively and believe that consistent teaching and positive expectations are key to this.

Partnerships

To make sure our learners have consistently high quality activities, Alvie Primary School continues to develop and maintain strong community links and partnership approaches to learning. All of our partners contribute greatly to our school in an ethos of mutual trust and respect. We work closely with local partners including Wolftrax, Loch Insh, Alltnacriche, RSPB and Dynamic youth awards. 

Raising Attainment and Achievement

Delivering an enriching and stimulating curriculum, with a focus on progressive skills and an ongoing range of assessment opportunities means that staff at Alvie can work collaboratively to track and monitor your child’s attainment and achievement.

A range of ongoing assessments are used to inform differentiated planning so that your child  is provided with suitable pace and challenge in their learning.

Alvie staff aim to share attainments and achievements of your child throughout the school year through: reporting, parent meetings, open door events, assemblies, performances, portfolios, Key Assessment Tasks, monthly newsletter, the school website and ongoing conversations/ open door policy.

Wellbeing, Equity, Inclusion

We place a strong emphasis on Personal and Social Development which permeates the entire curriculum and indeed the life of the school. We believe that Good health and A supported wellbeing is central to effective learning and preparation for A successful journey in life.

SECTION 5 – ALVIE PRIMARY POSITIVE EXPECTATIONS

The aim of the school is to foster respect for each other and build positive relationships. We have high expectations at our school. Our expectations overarch our school values and school reminders. These have been created by our school community.

ALVIE PRIMARY POSITIVE EXPECTATIONS

OUR SCHOOL VALUES

Diligent

Friendly

Helpful

Inclusive

Kind

Polite 

Respectful

OUR SCHOOL REMINDERS

We always use our best manners.

We keep our school tidy as we want it to look and feel nice.

We put all the litter in the bin so our school grounds are clean.

We listen to each other kindly in class and outside.

We open doors for each other.

We close doors after to keep us warm.

We walk around school in a calm way.

We concentrate and work hard in class.

We stay outside at break time and lunchtime to play.

We stay inside the school grounds always to keep safe

We line up when the bell rings ready for learning.

We speak to an adult or playground leader about any concerns.

When behaviour problems arise we endeavour to deal with them in a respectful and reflective manner, whilst helping pupils to take responsibility for their actions. Our behaviour management policy and strategies are based upon restorative justice, utilising solution focussed and nurturing approaches.

REWARD REMIND  REFLECT REVIEW 

We pride ourselves on positive attitudes in school. We reward our pupils and encourage them to follow the school values at all times. 

Occasionally, and when needed, pupils are asked to reflect and review their behaviour by looking at the school values with an adult.

We believe in positive behaviour and endeavour to deal with situations in a respectful and reflective manner, whilst helping pupils to take responsibility for their actions. It is important that pupils, parents and teachers work together to solve problems. Each week we hold a celebration assembly to celebrate success based on our school values. Plus, we celebrate wider achievements. Pupils are awarded through house points, star award certificates, Head teacher awards and end of year prizes..

Highland Council anti bullying policy 

SECTION 6 – ALVIE ASPIRATIONAL CURRICULUM

The curriculum is organised under eight headings but every effort is made to link areas of the curriculum together to make learning more real and relevant.

The eight areas are:

Languages, Mathematics, Health and WellBeing, Social Studies, Science, Expressive Art, Religious and Moral Education and Technologies.

Languages & Literacy

Language is at the heart of all children's learning. Through language our pupils gain much of their knowledge and many of their skills across the curriculum. The three main components of language are:

• Talking and Listening

• Reading

• Writing

Mathematics and Numeracy

Mathematics is used in all aspects of everyday life, allowing us to make sense of the world around us. It provides more than opportunities to calculate, it enables information to be handled and communicated and problems to be solved.

• Number, Money and Measure - Basic number processes/Measure/Patterns and Relationships

• Shape, Position and Movement - Properties of 2D and 3D objects/Angle, symmetry and transformation

• Information Handling - Data and analysis/Ideas of chance and uncertainty

• Mental Maths – incorporated at all stages of the school

Health and Wellbeing

Health and Wellbeing Education is concerned with all aspects of mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing both now and in the future. Over the course of a school year children will study elements of the three areas:

• Mental and Emotional Wellbeing – exploring emotions, feelings and relationships

• Social Wellbeing – exploring the interaction of the individual, the community and the environment

• Physical Wellbeing – exploring physical factors in relation to our health and looking after ourselves.

Social Studies

In Social Studies pupils examine societies at different times (history), in different places (geography) and also people in society (modern studies). It is taught in a way which enables pupils to gain an appreciation of enterprise, citizenship, history, geography and environmental sustainability. 

Technologies

As pupils study aspects of Technology, they learn about its impact in the home, in school, in industry and in the wider community. Information Technology involves pupils in using and learning about audio-visual equipment, digital cameras, computers, a variety of computer software and the internet.

Expressive Arts

Art, Dance, Drama and Music are all classified under this heading.

They cover a wide area of activities, all of which seek to enable the pupils to develop relevant, creative and expressive skills through personal experience. Where possible they are linked with class work and Social Studies.

Religious and Moral Education

Religious and Moral Education helps children and young people explore the world's major religions and views which are independent of religious beliefs. Within the Curriculum for Excellence the areas studied are Christianity and Other World Religions. Beliefs, Values, Issues, Practices and Traditions are explored within these.  Moral education reinforces the school`s caring ethos, promoting the values of kindness, respect and tolerance.

(Whilst Religious Education is required by law to form part of the curriculum, parents have the right to withdraw their children from religious observances with prior notice in writing to the Head Teacher).

Science

Through Science, children and young people develop an interest in and understanding of the living, material and physical world. They can engage in a wide range of investigative group tasks which allow them to develop important skills to become creative and enterprising adults. 

Alvie Curriculum Rationale

Curriculum progression

Staff aim to develop a learning culture where children are supported to develop and be part of their learning. In our collaborative learning community, children have a clear idea of what learning looks and feels like and are encouraged to develop core life skills:

• Confidence

• Inclusion

• Independence

• Evaluation 

• Participation 

• Resilience

Knowing what learning and progress look like, children are supported by staff to identify paths of progression. All staff and pupils at Alvie have been actively involved in developing our curriculum pathways to provide depth and breadth: 

• Literacy

• Numeracy

• HWB

• IDL

Learning and Teaching

Teachers and learners are involved in a shared learning journey, providing a range and quality of experiences for learners. We incorporate key learning opportunities in to everyday learning including:

• Outdoor education

• Digital learning

• Co-operative skills

• Developing young workforce

• Creative and critical skills

• Active and play pedagogy 

We believe in the importance of high quality learning and teaching and have set out key expectations to provide focussed learning:

• Pace and engagement

• Motivation and interest.

• Purpose and meaning

• Personalisation and choice 

• learners leading and taking responsibility

• Effective questioning

• Self-Evaluation

Assessment

Assessment is an integral part of learning and teaching, informing and supporting the whole process. The central purpose of assessment is to support learners. We achieve this by using both formative and summative assessment techniques. The aim is to identify what has been learned and what needs to be learned next.

This is achieved by:

• Ongoing observation

• 1:1 feedback in class to discuss next steps

• Informative marking to show success and misunderstanding

• Key assessment tasks to provide ongoing CFE levels

• Before and after assessments for Literacy and Numeracy units

• Self- Evaluation and target setting

• Celebration of in school and wider achievements

School Improvement

This year, we are focusing on three areas to develop and improve our school. 

1.    Engaging Stakeholders

2.   Moderation across the ASG

3.   Curriculum Pathways

We have an on-going commitment to improving the learning experiences and life at school for pupils. Self-evaluation is seen as a vital component of our work. We use a variety of processes to gather information to help build upon the success of our school each year and to ascertain what we need to focus on for the next academic session. 

We value a community voice and opinion:

• Our team self-evaluate each term 

• The pupils voice is heard through committees and assembly

• Parents and carers are invited to share ideas through events and surveys

• Partners in the community communicate through activities. 

The School Improvement Plan is updated and reviewed annually. The current plan is available on request.

SECTION 7 – PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT

Reporting to parents

The support of parents in their children’s education is key to the success of young people.  Taking time with them, discussing work and encouraging responsibility are important ways of supporting children’s learning. The school actively seeks to involve parents in any key decisions about their child’s education and keep parents informed about progress. In line with Curriculum for Excellence, continuous assessment is carried out to monitor the children’s progress throughout the session. 

• P1, P4, and P7 to sit the Scottish National School Assessments, annual online tests in Literacy and Numeracy. 

• All children have a pupil profile which keeps track of their learning and achievements; this is available for parents to view in school termly.

• A written report is sent home in June. 

• Parent contact meetings in Term 2 and 3 where staff will share targets and learning goals. 

• Termly events are planned to include and encourage parental involvement.

• Parents are welcome at any time to make an appointment through the school office to discuss their child’s progress with staff.

Parent Council

Parent Council is a group to represent all parents of children at the school. It is an open group for all parents to be part of and is an excellent way to be involved in the school community. Any parent who wishes to raise an issue for the Parent Council to consider can do so by contacting Claire Jarvis (Chairperson) at the following e-mail address:  clairejarvis85@gmail.com 

Useful information for parents and how to get involved in your child’s education, how to support the school, information on curriculum developments can all be found at Parentzone:  ttps://education.gov.scot/parentzone/

SECTION 8 – SCHOOL INFORMATION

School dinners

Provision is made for packed lunches to be eaten in the dining hall. We request that parents ensure that packed lunches are well-balanced and healthy as we are an Eco and Health Promoting school. Glass containers and hot liquids are not permitted.

Highland Contract Services stipulate that lunch money must be paid in advance. Payment should be sent to school on Mondays - cheques should be made payable to Highland Council.  All children in Primary 1-5 are entitled to free school meals; however, they can also choose to bring packed lunch. 

All choices and information about the cost of school meals and free school meals can be found on - School meals | School meals | The Highland Council

Transport

All enquiries and information with regards to school transport can be found on 

Apply for school transport | School transport | The Highland Council

For children who walk to school, a pavement runs from the village out to the school and our crossing patroller is on duty to see children safely across the road. However as there is no safety barrier between the crossing patroller’s hut and the school gate, children do have to enter the school grounds by walking on the slip road that runs past the school.  Please advise your child/children that if they enter the school by the gate that extreme care should be taken.

Children may use their bikes to come to school if their parents feel they can use them safely on the main road. There is a bike-shed where bikes can be securely stored.  Only children who are in P6-7 should be coming to school by bike without adult supervision.

Uniform

Alvie Primary sweatshirts are bottle green. School sweatshirts, and white polo shirts with the school badge, may be ordered through the school office. Black or grey trousers or skirts are preferable.  The wearing of the school uniform is strongly encouraged as it not only prevents discrimination but helps the children to identify with and feel proud of the school.

https://www.schoolwearmadeeasy.com/badged-school-uniform/a-d/a/alvie-primary-school/.

Assistance for the provision of clothing and footwear can be found on -Free school meals and assistance with clothing | Free school meals and assistance with clothing | The Highland Council

Personal items in school

Please ensure that all items - school bags, shoes, sweatshirts, coats and personal belongings are clearly labelled and easily identifiable to the owner. We request that mobile phones are not brought to school. If you wish your child to bring a mobile phone to school to cover a particular emergency situation please inform the class teacher. The phone must be stored in the clerical office and switched off during the school day (we cannot take responsibility for loss or damage).

PE kit

Class teachers will inform parents on a termly basis of the days that require a PE kit. For indoor lessons, the practice will be for children to wear shorts, a tee-shirt and gym shoes or trainers. For younger children it would be much appreciated if the shoes could be elasticated or velcroed. Please ensure everything is clearly marked with your child’s name.

SECTION 9 – PUPIL CARE, WELFARE AND SAFETY

Medical care

P1 and P7 are screened by our School Nurser for general health care, hearing, vision, height and weight. Specific problems are dealt with by the Community Paediatrician Associate Specialist. Routine dental examinations are carried out on children who are not registered with a dentist in the area.

Please note that as medical records are confidential to the School Doctor and Nurse, it is vital that you inform the school if your child has any health problems which may have to be dealt with within the school.

Administration of medicines   

National Guidance on the Administration of Medicines in Schools has been issued by the Scottish Government. https://www.gov.scot/publications/supporting-children-young-people-healthcare-needs-schools/

This guidance is based on a number of common principles that will be consistently applied when identifying, supporting and reviewing the healthcare needs of children and young people in Highland schools to enable them to make the most of their learning.

Under Article 24 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, all children have a right to the highest attainable standard of health and to health care services that help them attain this. Article 7 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities states that children with disabilities have the right to express their views freely on all matters affecting them. The arrangements for each individual will therefore take account of the health professionals' advice, the pupil’s views and, where appropriate, their parent's views.

NHS Highland, Highland Council and school staff will work collaboratively to ensure that pupils receive the service they need in the way most appropriate to their personal circumstances.

We will work with pupils and parents/carers to support the healthcare in our school, making reasonable adjustments that children and young people with healthcare needs might need and require.

Where appropriate, we will make arrangements for staff providing healthcare to pupils to receive appropriate training from a health professional, or other accredited source in the care they are providing.

Assistance with intimate care may be needed by children in any school and this will be provided if required to support these needs quickly and with respect for children's privacy, dignity and rights.

If your child requires medication, please note that this will only be administered by staff  when there is clear written guidance from a parent/carer, providing:

 The name of the medicine, the quantity of the medicine to be given, the time it has to be given.

 As far as possible prescriptive medication should be given at home by parents/carers. If it is required to be given in school, the medication should be unopened, clearly marked with the directions from the pharmacist and administered as part of an agreed medical protocol.

Attendance/Absence

If a pupil is absent from school, a parent or guardian should phone the school on the first day of absence on the school telephone number

Permission to leave during the school day: If a pupil needs to leave during the school day for an appointment etc, parents need to let school know either by calling the school office or by email and also give a reason so the records are updated correctly. 

If pupils fall ill during the day, parents are contacted for them to collect their child, therefore it is essential that we have up to date day time contact numbers and emergency contact numbers for all pupils.

If parents decide to make holiday arrangements during school term, this should be confirmed in writing to the Head Teacher.  We would ask parents to be aware of these considerations when making decisions on planning holidays during term time.  We have enclosed a link to the school term dates on the Highland Council website to aid parents in planning any holidays they may be considering

School term dates | School term dates | The Highland Council

Complaints

In the first instance complaints should be brought to the attention of the class teacher, then to the Head Teacher. If any parent feels that their complaint has not been dealt with satisfactorily, the matter can be raised with the Parent Council, if appropriate to do so. The school will always endeavour to resolve issues by listening to parents and seeking solutions in partnership. Should a situation not be resolved, parents can contact the Area Education Manager:

Fiona Shearer, Area Education Manager, Highland Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road

Inverness, IV3 5NX

Complaints will be investigated and any recommendations or requirements will be communicated to the Head Teacher.

Parentline Number: 0800 28 22 33

www.children1st.org.uk/help-for-families/parentline-scotland/

Child protection policy

From time to time incidents can occur within the school setting which cause concern and could indicate that a pupil is suffering some form of abuse.

In terms of Highland Child Protection Committee Inter-agency Protection Guidelines, Education Service staff must report such incidents to Social Work Services, which can lead to a joint Social Work/Police investigation.

All agencies involved in Child Protection are obliged to make the welfare of the children their paramount consideration, and this will be the priority for Education Service staff.

More information about Child Protection Procedures within Highland can be obtained from the Highland Council website:  www.highland.gov.uk

All agencies involved in Child Protection are obliged to make the welfare of children their paramount consideration and this will be the priority for Education Service staff.

COPIES OF CHILD PROTECTION POLICY GUIDELINES are available online at

Child protection | Child protection | The Highland Council

Accident / illness

Parents will be contacted if their child is unwell or involved in an accident. Parents normally make arrangements to collect pupils, failing this, the Emergency contact may be used if the child feels seriously unwell. For this reason it is important that you inform the school if there are any changes in your circumstances or your emergency contact number changes.

Minor injuries

School will only deal with minor cuts and bruises, these will be cleaned and a plaster applied. If your child is injured, falls or becomes unwell during the school day you or the emergency contact you have provided, will always be contacted and you may be advised to collect your child from school.

Safety

Parents are asked to be extremely careful when dropping off or collecting pupils from the playground, and to ensure that their children are well away from the turning area before they leave the grounds. Children should be picked up from the green security gate nearest the school if they are going home by car. 

We remind children to come back into the school if their parent / a responsible adult has not come to collect them, and we would appreciate it if parents could stress this point to their children too.

For safety and child protection reasons the following items are not allowed in school:

• Weapons of any sort/Pen knives

• Mobile phones

Wet weather

Apart from more distant pupils who rely on public transport or parents’ car, parents are requested that in bad weather, pupils do not arrive before 8.35 a.m. Teachers are not responsible for the children until the school day begins.

Snow / bad weather

Highland Council Telephone Messaging Service on 0800 564 2272 enter the school’s own pin number 04 1380 when prompted.

Please ensure that your child is dressed appropriately for winter weather. Snowballing and sledging are not allowed in the school playground. Highland Council has produced a helpful set of guidelines for parents of pupils travelling to school during adverse weather. These are distributed to the pupils in the winter months. In the event of adverse weather the school will advise parents of normal local arrangements for school transport and any special arrangements in the event of adverse weather. 

Emergency/Early Closure Procedure

Our general policy will be to remain open where possible. However, before the onset of Winter, parents will receive a letter from the school detailing the early school closure procedure for extreme circumstances.

During periods of heavy snow, when school is to be closed, parents should listen to Moray Firth Radio, which will be informed of closures. 

Further information may be accessed via the Highland Council website www.winter.highlandschools.org.uk. Please click on the relevant geographical area for local school closure information. If in any doubt, do not send your child to school during adverse weather conditions.

In the event of the school grounds requiring to be evacuated in an emergency, pupils will be taken to the Community Hall.

Fire drills are held at regular intervals throughout the session.

SECTION 10 –INCLUSION AND EQUITY

Equality and Inclusion

For up-to-date information please see:

http://www.highland.gov.uk/info/751/equality_diversity_and_citizenship/313/equal_opportunities

In summary, our activities in school should ensure that we:

Eliminate unlawful discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, promote good relations.  Activities should not discriminate against any of the following ‘protected characteristics’ age, disability, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity.

Highland Council Education Service aims to:

• Offer education of the highest quality to all young people within a developing culture of inclusion.

• Endorse the principles of inclusion, entitlement and equality of opportunity in the development of best practice.

• Value the diversity of interests, qualities and abilities of every learner.

Additional Support Needs

All children need support to help them learn. Some children require more help than others. The main source of support in early years and in schools are the staff who, through their normal practice, are able to meet a diverse range of needs. With good quality teaching and learning, and an appropriate curriculum, most children are able to benefit appropriately from education without the need for additional support. Every teacher has the responsibility to support the learning of all pupils in their class. The type of support offered will vary according to the needs of pupils.

We follow The Highland Practice Model; this is a staged approach to assessing, identifying, and supporting additional support needs. In this model every child has a ‘named person’ who is responsible for making sure that the child or young person has the right help to support his/her development and well-being. At Alvie, Mrs Riach is the named person.

Support for Learners Website

There are also Information sheets available at: www.chipplus.org.uk click on Education.

GIRFEC information OR Child Protection Procedures can be found at For Highland's Children 4

Information about the 2009 Additional Support for Learning Act can be found at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2009/7/contents

Support organisations identified under The Additional Support for Learning (Sources of Information) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2011 are:

• Children in Scotland: Working for Children and Their Families, trading as “Enquire – the Scottish advice and information service for additional support for learning”, a charitable body registered in Scotland under registration number SC003527; http://enquire.org.uk/

• Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance, a charitable body registered in Scotland under registration number SC033576

• Scottish Child Law Centre, a charitable body registered in Scotland under registration number SCO12741

• My Rights, My Say – an advocacy and advice service for young people over 12 with additional support needs http://enquire.org.uk/myrightsmysay/

Partnership with parents and professional support agencies

The school draws on a wide range of other professionals to support the children at school. All the professionals mentioned below welcome enquiries from parents and can be contacted via the head teacher.

• Educational Psychologist: Mr Alan Wilkin

• School Nurse: Mrs Jo Lyle

• Community Paediatrician Associate Specialist: Dr Clare Livingston

• English as Additional Language Teacher: Mrs Alison Roy

• Children’s Service Worker: Miss K. Cameron

• Speech & Language Therapist : Mrs Roe Forren

• Kincraig Playgroup ‘Wild Willows’

Transfer to Secondary School

Children transfer to Kingussie High School at the end of P7. The associated primary schools are Alvie, Aviemore, Kingussie, Newtonmore and Gergask. 

There is good liaison between the primary and secondary staff. Every effort is made to ensure that the transition for senior pupils is as smooth as possible, with a programme of planned visits to the High School throughout the year.

The following information details topics for inclusion in school handbooks to meet the requirements of the Education (School and Placing Information) (Scotland) Regulations 2012.

Placing Request  - Parental Choice

Each school serves its own particular catchment area.  Pupils whose homes are located in that area will have priority in being allocated a place in the school.  However, parents have the right to specify the school in which they wish to place their child.

An application must be online to Fiona Shearer , Area Education Manager , Highland Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness

Placing request forms can be obtained from -  Enrolment in a school outside your catchment area | Enrol your child for school | The Highland Council

Transportation to and from school, for placing request pupils, is a parental responsibility.  If pupils live out with the school catchment area and their parents wish them to attend Alvie Primary School they can contact Mrs Sara Riach to arrange a visit

Parents of children with additional support needs, (including those that have Coordinated Support Plans) can make placing requests to any school in Scotland including schools outside of the local authority area they live in. All appeals about placing requests to special schools will be referred to the Additional Support Needs Tribunal.

Mental Health and Wellbeing

Staff will support the emotional development and wellbeing of pupils through formal and informal curricular activities. Any concerns about a pupil’s wellbeing can be discussed with the named person. There is a website managed by Highland Council that supports a variety of information relating to mental health and emotional wellbeing that can be accessed here. Schools have access to Highland Council’s Primary Mental Health Worker Service and consultation and advice may be sought if there are concerns that might require more targeted support. Counselling is also available for all pupils from age 10. Information on your school’s service can be accessed from your child’s guidance teacher. Alternately, there is a completely confidential, online counselling service called Kooth for children and young people from age 10 that can be accessed here. Parents would generally be involved in discussions beforehand, however a young person over the age of 12 can ask for support themselves. 

Military Families

Our school welcomes and supports families, their children and young people from Forces families: serving, veterans and reservists.

We understand some of the challenges that mobility of service life can bring and we look forward to working with you to ensure a smooth transition for your child/young person coming into or moving on from our school.  Please get in touch with us as soon as you can so we can work with you to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible.

Highland Council have proudly committed to the Armed Forces Covenant and as such support our veteran and reservist families as well as those currently serving.  There is a dedicated Highland Council Military Liaison Group (MLG) which has been formed to promote and ensure equality and equity for your children and young people in their education.

Visit the Highland Council Armed Forces Website for lots of helpful information and support

Armed Forces: support for families and schools | Armed Forces - support for families and schools | The Highland Council

Please get in touch with your child’s named person or the Head Teacher if you have any concerns.

Useful Links

Enquire – the Scottish advice and information service for additional support for learning Enquire - The Scottish advice service for additional support for learning

My Rights, My Say – an advocacy and advice service for young people over 12 with additional support needs My Rights, My Say

Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance, an advocacy service to support parents and children

Scottish Child Law Centre, an organisation providing free legal advice to young people

For Highland's Children 4

Support for Learners Website; Enquire - The Scottish advice service for additional support for learning

SECTION 11 –DATA

Access to Pupil Records

The Pupils’ Educational Records (Scotland) Regulations 2003 extend to parents the right of access (with certain specific exceptions) to any record held by the Authority in relation to their child.  Parents may make an application to the Head Teacher.

Data Protection Legislation

Information on pupils, 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 data protection legislation and may only be disclosed in accordance with the codes of practice.

Transferring Educational data about pupils

The Scottish Government and its partners collect and use information about pupils through the Pupil Census to help to improve education across Scotland. This note explains why we need this information, how we use it and what we do to protect the information supplied to us. Further information can be obtained from Scottish Exchange of Data (ScotXed) - gov.scot.

Data about pupil preferred routes, preferred occupations and anticipated school leaving date is also collected from S3/S4 to support planning for leaving school.  This information is shared with Skills Development Scotland.  Further information about 16+ Data can be found here:

16plus Planning

Data policy

Information about pupils’ education is collected through statistical surveys in partnership between the Scottish Government and Local Authorities through the ScotXed Programme which aims to help schools and Local Authorities by supporting efficient collection, processing and dissemination of statistical information.  The Scottish Government then provides analysis of the data to support research, planning, management and monitoring of education services as well as to produce National Statistics publications.

Education data within the Scottish Government is managed effectively by secure systems and is exploited as a valuable corporate resource, subject to confidentiality restraints.  As part of its data policy, the Scottish Government will not publish or make publicly available any information that allows individual pupils to be identified, nor will data be used by the Scottish Government to take any actions in respect of individuals. Data is held securely and no information on individual pupils can or would be made publicly available by the Scottish Government.

The individual data collected by the Scottish Government through the Pupil Census is used for statistical and research purposes only.

Information on why we collect data about pupils and who we share this data with can be found in Highland Council’s Privacy Notice which is available here:  https://www.highland.gov.uk/directory_record/1095920/enrol_your_child_at_a_school

Why do we need your data?

In order to make the best decisions about how to improve our education service, the Scottish Government, education authorities and other partners such as the SQA and Skills Development Scotland need accurate, up-to-date data about our pupils.   We are keen to help all our pupils do well in all aspects of school life and achieve better examination results.  Accurate and up-to-date data allows us to:

• plan and deliver better policies for the benefit of all pupils

• plan and deliver better policies for the benefit of specific groups of pupils

• better understand some of the factors which influence pupil attainment and achievement

• share good practice & target resources better

• enhance the quality of research to improve the lives of young people in Scotland

Your data protection rights

The collection, transfer, processing and sharing of ScotXed data is done in accordance with data protection legislation. We also comply with the National Statistics Code of Practice requirements and other legislation related to safeguarding the confidentiality of data. Data protection legislation gives you the right to know how we will use your data.  This note can give only a brief description of how we use data.  Fuller details of each individual ScotXed survey, including the purpose of each and the published data, can be found on the ScotXed website Scottish Exchange of Data (ScotXed) - gov.scot

The Scottish Government works with a range of partners including Education Scotland, Skills Development Scotland and the SQA. On occasion, in order to help meet our aim of improving the life of young people in Scotland, we may make individual data available to partners such as the National Registers of Scotland to carry out research relating to the national population census and also academic institutions and organisations to carry out additional research and statistical analysis to meet their own official responsibilities. Any sharing of data will be done under the strict control of the Scottish Government, and will be consistent with our data policy. This will ensure that no individual level data will be made public as a result of the data sharing and that this data will not be used to take any actions in respect of an individual. Decisions on the sharing of data will be taken in consultation with relevant colleagues and individuals within and outwith Scottish Government. At all times pupils’ rights under Data Protection Act and other relevant legislation will be ensured.

Concerns

If you have any concerns about the ScotXed data collections you can email the Head of Schools Analysis at ScotXed@scotland.gsi.gov.uk or write to The ScotXed Support Office, Area 2D, Victoria Quay, Leith, EH6 6QQ. Alternative versions of this page are available, on request from the ScotXed Support Office, in other languages, audio tape, Braille and large print.

Whilst the information in this handbook is considered to be true and correct at the date of publication, changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact on the accuracy of the information.