Roseburn Primary School - Edinburgh

Parents are invited into school twice a year to discuss children’s progress – in November and March. The first meeting is held to talk about how your child has settled into his or her new class. The second meeting will be based on the progress report issued by the class teacher before the meeting. 

In addition, pupils’ work is sent home twice per year for discussion prior to parent consultations. Final attainment in National Assessments is sent out to parents in June each year.

However, if you wish to speak to us about any aspect of your child’s education or welfare at any point in the year, we will be very happy to discuss it with you. 

We welcome parents who have specific talents to share with the children or feel they would like to help in any way - in the library, assisting pupils with work on computers, gardening, cooking etc. We also always need parents to help on outings. The class teachers are always glad to know of parents who are willing and available to help in any way. Please contact our Business Manager for further details.

 

In line with City of Edinburgh Guidelines, references are taken up for all parents and volunteers who help in school.

 

We very much appreciate the support and help of parents in enriching the curriculum for all our pupils and so all volunteers are invited to a special celebration in June each year. 

Normally children transfer from primary to secondary after seven years of primary education. Parents are informed of transfer arrangements by December of the pupil’s last year in primary school.  During the transfer from primary to secondary we do everything we can to maintain continuity in the education of each child.

 

Continuity in learning is key to successful transition and the secondary teacher will continue appropriate teaching and learning from the point where the primary teacher left off. We work hard to make sure that communication between the schools on individual pupil’s ability and achievement is detailed and effective.

 

Children from Roseburn will normally go on to attend Craigmount High School, (although this depends on home address). The Craigmount cluster schools work closely with the High School to ensure progression and continuity of learning from primary to secondary. Throughout the year, High School staff visit the primary school to meet with staff and pupils and Primary 7 pupils attend workshops at the High School. In the summer term, guidance teachers from the secondary schools visit the primaries and relevant information is passed onto the High School.   Primary 7 children take part in their Induction Days at the secondary school in June. They follow the timetable they will have in August and meet most of the staff who will teach them. 

Roseburn School colours are pink, white and brown. We encourage all our pupils to wear uniform and believe that children should be proud to be part of Roseburn School.   Physical education kit (black shorts, white t-shirt and gym shoes) will be needed and while it may be kept in the classroom or carried to and from school, it should not be worn under school uniform. All clothing should be marked with the owner’s name. School sweatshirts, joggers, polo shirts, fleeces, hats, school bags and PE kits can be purchased from the PTA.

For more information on school uniform click here.
 

 

Football strips and supporters’ scarves should not be worn to school. Please keep fashion scarves, hair accessories and nail polish for weekend activities. Jewellery (particularly hoop earrings and anything of value) should not be worn to school as the school cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage of valuables.

Learning how to behave is part of the education process and this involves parents and teachers working together towards a common goal. We expect high standards of behaviour but if any problems arise, school staff will contact parents immediately. Parents are encouraged to come into school to discuss these concerns with the appropriate member of the teaching staff or the Head Teacher. Parent/teacher consultation meetings provide an additional opportunity for discussion of a pupil’s behaviour as well as academic progress.

 

Parental co-operation in all aspects of behaviour is of the utmost importance. Any serious breaches of discipline, such as bullying, reckless behaviour or vandalism are reported to the Head Teacher and dealt with by her in the first instance. A positive behaviour policy has been drawn up in consultation with pupils, staff and parents and this document is issued at the start of the session for all parents to discuss with their child and sign. 

In line with City policy, any such incidents are taken extremely seriously and will be recorded and reported to the Council. 

Roseburn Primary has introduced a Peer Mediation Service across the school.   It is a facility that pupils can use to sort out any problems/ disputes with another pupil. The service is run by pupils from P6 and P7 and these Peer Mediators are on duty in the playground during break times to resolve any minor disputes that occur. They are supported by the playground and teaching staff at all times. 

Star Awards are awarded to pupils throughout the year. These are based on the principles of ‘Curriculum for Excellence’ and are awarded when pupils demonstrate that they are successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors or responsible citizens.

 

Every two weeks at the assembly, two or three children are nominated for awards by their class teacher. They receive certificates and their names are put on the website and their photos displayed in the school entrance hall.

 

All classes operate a reward system based on Golden Time. Pupils earn points towards Golden Time which operates after break on Friday. 

At Roseburn we have two Pupil Councils. The Early Years pupil council is made up of Nursery – P2 children. The Primary 3 to Primary 7 Pupil Council is made up of two representatives from each class along with a representative from the playground supervisors. In both pupil councils, every class contributes to the agenda for the Pupil Council and has the opportunity to raise any issue they feel they would like discussed. The Pupil Council meets with a promoted member of staff every other Wednesday to look at school activities, air pupils’ views; discuss school improvements and issues affecting everyone. 

Within the playground, a garden and a wildlife area have been created. Trees have been planted, and planters have been placed around the school building. This is not only to create a more pleasant environment but is part of the environmental studies curriculum.   Everyone in the school participates in their upkeep. Picnic-style benches and a large seating area have been placed in the playground to provide lunchtime seating and also to serve as an outdoor classroom.

 

We encourage traditional playground activities and the playground has been marked out, with the children’s help, for various games. The school has received grants from the Council’s Grounds for Awareness programme and this has been used to improve the outdoor play facilities in both the infants and back playgrounds. As an Eco- school, we pride ourselves in helping to maintain our local environment eco-friendly. 

School lunches - both hot and cold- are available every school day and should be paid for on each Monday for the week. Children who stay in school for lunch are not permitted to leave school during the lunch break. Children who go home for lunch must be signed back into school on their return. A sign-out sheet is situated inside the Administrator’s office. 

Pupils have their birthday celebrated at our weekly sing along. Because of pupil allergies, we ask that parents don’t send cakes, sweets, etc. on a child’s birthday as each class celebrates these occasions in its own way. 

School records of home addresses, places of work, emergency contacts, telephone numbers etc. must be kept up-to-date and the school should be notified immediately of any change.   This confidential information is vital in case of illness or accidents in the school. The importance of keeping these records up to date cannot be overstated.   If an emergency does arise, or if a child feels very poorly, it is crucial that time is not wasted in trying to track down parents who may be needed urgently. This delay can be extremely distressing for the pupil concerned. 

In the event of a major emergency such as fire, structural damage or a heating failure, it may be necessary to evacuate the school.   In this event, children will be sent home if we know there are parents present. There is a parent cascade system set up to contact parents by phone if such an emergency arises. Please make sure your class rep. has your most up to date contact information. Otherwise, the children will be looked after in a safe place until parents can be contacted. 

As a parent you are legally responsible for making sure that your child attends school regularly. If a child does not attend school regularly, the Head Teacher will approach the family in the first instance to discuss the problem but if the problem persists, then the school may ask an Education Welfare Officer to become involved. 

If your child is absent from school through ill-health please contact the school before 9.30 am to let the class teacher know.  If no contact has been made then the school will phone home to find out the reason for absence. A letter should also be brought by the child when he or she returns to school. Requests for leave of absence such as dental appointments or holidays should be sent to the Class Teacher.

 

If a child is leaving school early, it is essential for safety reasons that he or she is collected from the school office by the parent. 

We do not encourage holidays to be taken during term time, unless in exceptional circumstances, as pupils will miss valuable teaching time. If you need to request a holiday during term time, please write to the Headteacher who will decide if it is authorised or unauthorised, depending on the reason and number of days’ holiday requested.

 

Requests for holidays of more than two weeks cannot be authorised by the headteacher and will need to be put in writing to Council Headquarters to be authorised by the Director of Children and Families Department. 

It is important that your child gets to school for the start of the school day. Children who are late often become distressed and their late arrival upsets the child who may miss valuable teaching time. A welfare officer will be referred to for persistent offenders.

 

If parents know they are going to be late collecting their child, please inform the school as soon as possible to avoid any upset. Any pupils not collected will wait at the school office until an adult comes.

If your child falls ill or is injured during play, we will contact you to make you aware of the accident and, if it is felt appropriate, we will ask you to collect him or her from the school.   If you cannot be contacted and the Head Teacher considers the case to be serious, your child will be taken straight to the Royal Sick Children’s Hospital. If your child has received First Aid at school he/she will be given a letter detailing what happened.  

Due to allergies suffered by some of our pupils, Roseburn is a ‘nut free zone’. Parents are asked to help by making sure they do not send food containing nuts to school and by discouraging children from sharing food. We would also ask you not to send in birthday cakes or sweets on ’special days’ for the same reason. 

If your child uses an inhaler or needs to take drugs regularly in school please let us know and we will issue you with an Health Care Plan form. This details the procedure and use of such medication within school time, and it must be completed by parents and discussed with school staff.

 

Please do not send a child who is unwell and requires medication to school. Council guidelines mean that we are unable to dispense antibiotics on a short term basis.

 

Roseburn, like most Edinburgh schools, has no member of staff with specific training in medical matters although all our learning assistants and nursery nurses are trained in first aid. Where medication is necessary, parents should try, if at all possible, to administer it outwith school hours or else come into school to administer the medication themselves. 

Medical records are kept in the medical room, in the charge of the School Doctor. When a child transfers from primary school, medical notes are sent on to the secondary school. 

Within the general policy laid down by Edinburgh City Council, the Education Department has prepared a series of statements of safety policy for all areas of its responsibility in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act. School staff are fully instructed in their responsibilities in this respect and safety regulations apply to all aspects of school life both on and off the premises.  It is expected that pupils will behave responsibly and comply with all safety requirements. The support of parents in promoting good practice in health and safety matters is of great importance to the school.

Regular fire drills take place during the session in compliance with Council Guidelines and weekly fire alarm testing takes place on a Tuesday morning. Parents helping in school will be made aware of the relevant procedures. 

Parents are requested to bring their child to school as near to 8.50 am as possible on wet days. Pupils will be allowed into the school building before the bell on very wet days. If it is particularly wet or snowy, appropriate footwear should be worn to school and a change of shoes e.g. gym shoes should be available to change in to. Although children remain inside over break and lunch time if it is raining, please make sure that children are suitably clad for the weather as it is important for pupils to get fresh air every day.

When pupils are at school the responsibility for their safety rests with the Local Authority, and the Head Teacher and staff undertake this responsibility on its behalf. Playground supervisors have been appointed to look after the children during the break and lunch period. If an accident should occur they will report to a promoted member of staff for appropriate action to be taken.

Crossing guides are on duty at most of the major road crossings near the school as children arrive in the morning and go home in the afternoon. Please insist that your child uses them. The roads around the school are especially busy and dangerous during these times.

Please do not park in the restricted yellow zig-zag areas around the school, or double park in any of the surrounding streets. The restricted areas are there for the safety of your child. Outwith these areas, please park sensibly. A short walk is much preferable to a child being knocked down crossing between double parked cars. Please also respect our neighbours in the community and park thoughtfully. 

At Roseburn we aim to encourage safe cycling and parent volunteers have provided cycle training for older children. Cycle racks are available for children in Primary 6 and 7 wishing to cycle to and from school, who have taken part in Cycle Training and who agree to adopt Roseburn’s Safe Cycling Policy. 

Before any outing you will receive a consent form. It is Council policy not to take children on outings unless a signed consent form has been returned. We also require at least two parent volunteers for each outing to take place. 

We are fortunate in having Roseburn Park so near the school. We use it frequently throughout the year for sports and games and also for various environmental studies projects.