SchHandbookDec2010

KILWINNING ACADEMY

SCHOOL HANDBOOK

Session 2010 - 2011

Kilwinning Academy Handbook 2010/2011

C ONTENTS

A Message to Parents
Educational Services: What we want to achieve
Kilwinning Academy’s Aims and Objectives
School Information
Associated Primary Schools
Integrated Community School Approach
Registration, Enrolment and Transfer
School Day
Attendance/Absence
Children Leaving School Premises at Breaks
School Dress
School Meals
Child Protection
Medicine in School
Mobile Phones
Medical and Health Care
Medical and Dental Appointments
Psychological Service
Transport
Information in Emergencies
School Security
Information and Communications Technology
Guidance/Support for Pupils
Health Education
Spiritual, Moral and Cultural Values
Action Against Bullying
The Curriculum
Assessments and Reports
Homework
Support for Learning
Equality of Opportunity
Discipline
Developing a Learning Democracy
Extra-Curricular Activities
Achievements
Parent Forum and Parent Council
Community Links
Home/School Links
Data Protection
Glossary of Terms
Special Note
Appendices:-
Statistical Information / Budgeted School Running Costs /Attendance and Absence / Leavers’
Destinations / Minimising Overall Absence

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A MESSAGE TO PARENTS

(Please note that the term “parents” is used throughout this document as shorthand for the
adult with responsibility for the child in question.)

On behalf of all the students and staff, I would like to welcome you and your child to
Kilwinning Academy.

This handbook has been prepared to give you as much information as possible about the
school. If you wish information on any point now, or once your child has started at the
school, please feel free to contact us.

Kilwinning Academy is a six-year, non-denominational, comprehensive school. It is housed
in a modern building which opened in 1977. Although the total number of pupils in the
school is relatively large, the school is divided into smaller units, each of which is the direct
responsibility of a member of the rectorial staff, assisted by Principal Teachers of Support.
The aim of this is to ensure that every pupil (and parent) feels that there is someone in the
school who knows them personally and to whom they can easily refer if questions or
difficulties arise.

The majority of pupils in the school are drawn from our five primary schools in the town -
Abbey, Blacklands, Corsehill, Pennyburn and Whitehirst Park. A number of our pupils also
travel from outside the town, as a result of placing requests. As an Integrated Community
School, we work in fuller partnership with our primary colleagues to continue to improve
transition for Primary 7 pupils.

In order to improve the way in which we can address the needs of all pupils, the school is
actively involved in the development of new courses at every level, to meet the needs of
Curriculum for Excellence. The school has earned a reputation for good examination results,
as well as for success in extra-curricular areas such as music and a wide range of sporting
activities.

The aim of the school is to enable all pupils to develop their knowledge, understanding and
skills to the highest possible level. We aim to achieve this within a caring environment
where good behaviour and a sense of responsibility are actively encouraged. Through the
development of activities encouraging active pupil involvement, pupils are able to develop
Citizenship roles and participate in Enterprise activities.

We hope that your family will feel part of our extended community, to the benefit of both
your children and the school as a whole.

W Campbell Armstrong

December 2010

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W HAT WE WANT TO ACHIEVE - EDUCATIONAL SERVICES STATEMENT

Our Overall Aim
To work in a sustainable way with our partners to build a better North Ayrshire in which all
citizens can participate, learn and contribute to the community.

Our Values
- Excellence
- Openness
- Respect
- Inclusion
- Equity

Our Priorities
- Increasing educational attainment and achievement.
- Developing confident individuals, responsible citizens, effective contributors and
successful learners.
- Increasing the number of young people moving to positive post-school destinations.
- Developing skills for work.
- Promoting better health and more physical activity.
- Reducing disadvantage and promoting equality.
- Empowering community through participation in cultural and lifelong learning.
- Delivering cultural and learning opportunities to all sectors of the community.
- Supporting the professional development of staff.
- Providing high quality facilities making best use of resources.

K ILWINNING ACADEMY’S AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

Our aim is to provide education of the highest possible quality. To help us to meet our aim,
we will endeavour:

- to ensure that all pupils achieve their maximum potential while encouraging them to
develop, both intellectually and socially, in a safe and stimulating environment;
- to prepare our pupils for the world beyond, where they can take maximum advantage
of the wider opportunities open to them, while contributing as citizens to the well-
being of the wider community;
- to provide for staff a working environment in which they can contribute fully to the
education and progress of our young people, while themselves growing and
developing professionally;
- to provide for parents and pupils the opportunity to make their views known to the
school and to contribute to the development of the school;
- to implement all the above within a culture of fairness and equality which allows each
individual to develop and advance, without prejudice, to the full extent of their
abilities.
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S CHOOL INFORMATION

The school address is : Kilwinning Academy
Dalry Road
KILWINNING
North Ayrshire
KA13 7HD

Telelphone No : 01294-551316
Fax No : 01294-552980
E-mail : kilwinning@ea.n-ayrshire.sch.uk

Kilwinning Academy is a six year, co-educational comprehensive, non-denominational
school with an agreed capacity of 1330, although the roll is now significantly smaller.

A SSOCIATED PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Abbey Primary School Headteacher - Mrs A Heriot
Claremont Crescent
Kilwinning Te No 01294-552251

Blacklands Primary School Headteacher - Mrs K Carson
David’s Crescent
Kilwinning Tel No 01294-552626

Corsehill Primary School Headteacher - Mrs L Lesperance
McGavin Avenue

Pennyburn Primary School Headteacher - Mr J Gibson
Sundrum Place

Whitehirst Park Primary School Headteacher - Miss E Magee
Stevenston Road

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I NTEGRATED COMMUNITY SCHOOL APPROACH

Working in partnership with our associated primary schools, we have agreed joint initiatives
aimed at improving attainment and achievement for all young people.

In particular, our cluster aims to improve and promote health within schools and the
community, to build closer working relationships within the community and to encourage
lifelong learning.

To help us achieve this, we have appointed an additional School Nurse (twenty hours), a
Family Support Worker and have established a cluster Health Development Group, which
includes representatives from all our schools, Public Health Nurses and pupils, to develop
pupil and staff health welfare initiatives.

R EGISTRATION, ENROLMENT & TRANSFER

Parents of pupils who have moved to the area, or who wish their child to transfer to the
school, should contact the school office for information about appropriate procedures, and to
arrange a visit to the school.

In the case of pupils transferring from associated primary schools, parents will receive the
appropriate information from the Headteacher of the primary school.

There are various links between the primary schools and the secondary, including visits by
Primary 7 pupils to the secondary school and visits by secondary school staff to the primary
schools.

T HE SCHOOL DAY (with effect from June 2011)

Period Normal Day Short Days
1 8.50 am to 9.40am
2 9.40 am to 10.30 am On Tuesdays and Thursdays
3 10.30 am to 11.20 am normal classes will stop
Interval 11.20 am to 11.35 am at 2.50 pm,
Period 4 11.35 am to 12.25 pm while on the
Period 5 12.25 pm to 1.15 pm other three days
Lunch 1.15 pm to 2.00 pm they will go on
Period 6 2.00 pm to 2.50 pm until 3.40 pm
Period 7 2.50 pm to 3.40 pm

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A TTENDANCE/ABSENCE

Good attendance is vital for progress at school.

It is the responsibility of parents of children of school age to educate their children. Most do
this by ensuring that their children attend school regularly. Attendance is recorded during
every period. Absence from school is recorded as authorised, unauthorised, to be confirmed
or temporarily excluded.

Parents are asked to inform the school by letter or telephone if their child is likely to be
absent for some time, and to give the child a note on his or her return to school, confirming
the child’s name, register class, the reason for absence and its duration.

If there is no explanation from a child’s parents, the absence will be regarded as
unauthorised. Every effort should be made to avoid family holidays during term time, as this
both disrupts the child’s education and reduces learning time. Parents should inform the
school by letter, before going on holiday, of the dates. Such absence will be authorised only
where certain and very specific family circumstances exist. The majority of family holidays
taken during term time will be categorised as unauthorised absence.

Parents may request that their children be permitted to be absent from school to make an
extended visit to relatives. Only written requests detailing the destination, the duration and
the provision that will be made for their continuing education will be granted. Such extended
absences will be recorded separately from the normal attendance and absence information.

The Pupil Welfare Officer investigates unexplained absence, and the Authority has the power
to write to, interview or prosecute parents, or refer pupils to the Reporter to the Children’s
Panel if necessary.

Attendance/Absence Data - Absence rates are calculated as a percentage of the total number
of possible attendances for all pupils of the school in the stage shown, each morning and
afternoon of each school day being a separate possible attendance.

In the event that your son/daughter misses registration, he/she must report to either the
Library or the Pupil Welfare Officer, dependent on the time of arrival. A reason for
latecoming will be noted. A note of explanation from a parent will be welcomed.

If a pattern of latecoming develops and there is no real reason for this, then the school will
take steps to address the issue, including writing to parents to alert them to the extent of the
problem.

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C HILDREN LEAVING SCHOOL PREMISES AT BREAKS

Schools have a duty to look after the welfare of their pupils. This means that the staff should
take the same care of pupils as a sensible parent would take, and includes taking reasonable
care of pupils’ safety during intervals and lunchtimes.

It is the policy of North Ayrshire Council that pupils who are younger than the school leaving
age should not leave school grounds at intervals or lunchtimes. Parents should encourage
their children to follow these rules in the interest of safety. No pupil is allowed to leave the
school grounds at the interval.

S CHOOL DRESS

It is the policy of North Ayrshire Council to support the introduction of a reasonable and
flexible dress code in schools in its area. The Council encourages each school to adopt its
own code, after discussion with parents, pupils and the Parents’ Council.

The Council believes that establishing a school dress code has many benefits. These include
improvements in safety, security, discipline and community spirit and a decrease in bullying
and in expense for parents.

The Council will support schools in encouraging and helping pupils to conform to the chosen
dress code. Some types of clothing will not be allowed at school in any circumstances, for
reasons of safety, decency or discipline. Types of clothing which will not be allowed
include:

- clothes which are a health or safety risk;
- clothes which may damage the school building;
- clothes which may provoke other pupils;
- clothes which are offensive or indecent;
- clothes which encourage the use of alcohol or tobacco.

The Council will support schools taking disciplinary procedures against pupils in serious or
persistent cases.

We at Kilwinning Academy believe very much in our school uniform. Many people in the
local community have praised the appearance of pupils as they participate in events beyond
the school premises. Parents in general have been very supportive of our policy and, because
of this, we feel confident in asking for your continued active support. The uniform is chosen
to be as inexpensive as possible and the items with school logos or badges can only be
purchased in the school.

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Traditional: White school shirt or blouse School tie
Black trousers or skirt Inexpensive shoes (not trainers)

Alternative: School polo shirt with school logo
Black trousers or skirt Inexpensive shoes (not trainers)

All pupils - from S1 to S4 - have Physical Education on their timetables. They need to
change out of their school uniforms in order to take part. (In addition, pupils who are injured
or unable to take part are still required to change into their PE kits to assist with the lesson.)

Club colours, eg football strips, rugby tops, etc, are not appropriate. We would expect pupils
to bring:

- a dark blue, plain t-shirt
- dark blue shorts or tracksuit bottoms
- a change of socks
- alternative footwear (eg trainers or sport shoes)

Again, we would encourage parents not to be drawn into buying designer labels.

Finally, all pupils should carry a suitable school bag.

School dress cannot be bought in Kilwinning shops. Items should be ordered directly from
the school and payment should be made at the time of ordering. For parents of Primary 7
pupils, an opportunity to order will be given at the Primary 7 Parents’ Evening.

Parents receiving Job Seeker’s Allowance or Income Support, Family Credit, Housing
Benefit or Council Tax rebate will normally be entitled to grants for footwear and clothing
for their children. Information and application forms may be obtained from schools or from
the Department of Educational Services, Cunninghame House, Irvine KA12 8EE.

It is appreciated that parents and pupils are distressed over the occasional loss of pupils’
clothing and/or personal belongings. Parents are asked to assist in this area by ensuring that
valuable items of clothing or personal belongings are not brought to school. Parents should
note that the Authority does not carry insurance to cover the loss of such items.

S CHOOL MEALS

Following an initiative by North Ayrshire Council, a swipecard system for paying for school
meals was introduced at the school. The card system enables pupils to use a One Scotland
Card to pay directly for meals. Pupils can add as much money as they wish to a card, using
the machines provided, with a normal daily meal costing £1.80. If you wish to send a cheque

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to pay for your child’s lunch/tuck shop purchases, please make it payable to ‘North Ayrshire
Council’. (Please note that with over eight hundred pupils in the school, there is no way
the school can be expected to provide change for pupils to top up their cards, so parents
should ensure that their children are given this.)

A two-course meal is available, with a choice of several main courses and any other item
from amongst soup, sweets and fruit juice, etc. A full range of ‘fast food’ is also available,
including burgers, filled rolls and baked potatoes, etc. A breakfast club operates from 8.00
am until 8.50 am.

Students receiving free meals will be issued with exactly the same card as all other students.
However, this card will be credited to the value of £1.80 per day for use within the dining
room. If not used on a particular day, the £1.80 daily allowance cannot be carried over.

Currently, many pupils in Kilwinning Academy who are entitled to take free meals do not do
so, and the school would encourage parents to take up their entitlement. The new system
removes the need to collect tickets, etc, which some pupils found embarrassing. Children of
parents who receive Job Seeker’s Allowance or Income Support are entitled to a free midday
meal.

Information and application forms for free school meals may be obtained from the school
reception office or from the Department of Education & Skills, Cunninghame House, Irvine
KA12 8EE.

CHILD PROTECTION
Educational Services has a fundamental duty to contribute to the care and safety of all
children and young people in North Ayrshire. In fulfilling this duty, the service must engage
in close partnership with parents/carers and relevant agencies, primarily Social Services and
Health and, where appropriate, the Scottish Children’s Reporter’s Administration. Service
will work in partnerships with a number of levels within the establishment or school, within
the cluster or local area and through Integrated Children’s Services and Community Health
Partnership.

The Standard Circular entitled “Protecting North Ayrshire Children” provides guidance for
policy and practice within all educational establishments. The Council is one of the key
partners in North Ayrshire. The Child Protection Committee is a multi-agency group which
takes the lead role in ensuring that our children and young people are cared for, protected
from harm and grow up in a safe environment.

Each school has a named Child Protection Co-ordinator who is the main point of contact for
school staff and for external agencies seeking contact with the school on child protection
matters. There is an extensive staff training programme available to staff and, in addition, at

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the beginning of each school session all staff receive an update on child protection policies
and procedures.

M EDICINE IN SCHOOL

Following the introduction of the Standards in Scotland’s Schools Act 2000, the Scottish
Executive released a document called “The Administration of Medicines in Schools (2001)”.

Advice to schools about storing medicine includes:

4.11 Storing Medicines: Parents should be asked to supply weekly supplies of the doses to
be taken at school in their original container with the name of the pupil, the name of the
drug, the dosage frequency and expiry date.

This carried a main implication for schools: pupils who are prescribed medicine by their
doctor should bring in the appropriate amount which will last for no longer than a week. Any
pupil on regular medication, eg Ritilan, should bring the weekly supply to the school on a
Monday.

Please note that the school cannot give pupils pain killers unless prescribed by a doctor.

We appreciate that these measures may cause some inconvenience, but we hope that, in the
long term, they will improve the safe storage of medication by addressing health & hygiene
and security issues.

Should you wish to discuss this matter further, please do not hesitate to contact the school.

M OBILE PHONES

While the benefits of mobile phones are recognised, they can be a serious distraction to work.
Pupils whose mobile phones disrupt lessons can have them confiscated until the end of the
school day. Repeated disruption may result in phones being retained until uplifted by a
parent.

Inappropriate use of text messages and/or photographs whilst in school may be treated as a
breach of school discipline or a serious incident which could be referred to the police.

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M EDICAL AND HEALTH CARE

Medical examinations are carried out at various times during a child’s primary school years.
Parents are given notice of these and encouraged to attend. Vision and hearing tests and
dental examinations, which parents need not attend, are also carried out and parents informed
of any recommended action or treatment. All examinations are carried out by Ayrshire and
Arran Health Board staff.

Minor accidents will be dealt with by the school’s qualified first aider.

If a pupil takes ill or has an accident at school which requires that the child is sent home or
for treatment, first aid will be provided and parents or carers contacted.

For this reason, it is important that the school has contact details for parents/carers and an
additional contact person in case parents/carers cannot be reached. This information
should be updated as required. In the event of a serious illness or accident, medical help will
be obtained and parents/carers notified immediately.

Please note that the school does not provide a medical service. However, any specific
medical problem involving a pupil should be notified to the school so that the appropriate
action may be taken if an unexpected attack occurs, eg chronic asthma. If a pupil is thought,
for health reasons, to be unable to continue with his/her normal timetable, the parent will be
notified to that effect and normally asked to come to the school to accompany the child home.

If you think your son or daughter is suffering from some ailment, please do not send
him/her to the school to see ‘the school nurse’. The youngster should, in such cases, be
taken to the family doctor.

It has been shown that drinking water helps learning and concentration. Many children bring
bottles of water with them to school and we would encourage this. They should not,
however, bring fizzy carbonated drinks of any kind, as these are not permitted in the
school.

M EDICAL/DENTAL APPOINTMENTS

Pupils who require to be out of school for an appointment should bring a letter from home, or
an appointment card, and make sure that permission from Support staff has been granted.
Pupils should check out with the Pupil Welfare Officer who will issue him/her with an
“Authorised Absence Pass”. This must be handed back when the pupil returns to school.

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P SYCHOLOGICAL SERVICE

What is the Psychological Service?
The Educational Psychology Service in North Ayrshire contributes to the aims of the
Educational Service by improving outcomes for children and young people. Educational
psychologists work together with teachers, parents and other professionals to help children
and young people make the most of their lives, particularly in educational settings.

When does an educational psychologist become involved?
Your child’s school already has a system in place for identifying, monitoring and reviewing
the progress of all children and young people. As part of this wider system of support, each
school has a link educational psychologist who visits on a regular basis.

When concerns arise about a particular pupil, the school takes action to address these
concerns. If the concerns continue, school staff may have an informal discussion with the
educational psychologist. However, if the educational psychologist is to become more
involved, this will be discussed with you beforehand by school staff, and a joint meeting
arranged. Through this process, the educational psychologist can contribute to the ongoing
assessment and support of your child.

T RANSPORT

North Ayrshire Council has a policy of providing free transport to secondary pupils who live
more than three miles from their local school by the recognised shortest safe walking route.
Parents who consider they are eligible should obtain an application form from the school or
Education & Health, Cunninghame House, Irvine KA12 8EE.

These forms should be completed and returned before the end of February for those pupils
beginning school in August, to enable the appropriate arrangements to be made.

Applications may be submitted at other times throughout the year, but may be subject to
delay whilst arrangements are made. The appropriate officer has discretion, in special
circumstances, to grant permission for pupils to travel in transport provided by the Authority,
where spare places are available and no additional costs are incurred.

Pick Up Points
Where free transport is provided, it may be necessary for pupils to walk a certain distance to
the vehicle pick-up point. Walking distance in total, including the distance from home to the
pick-up point and from the drop-off point to the school, in any one direction, will not exceed
the Council’s limits (see above section). It is the parents’ responsibility to ensure that their
child arrives at the pick-up point on time. It is also the parents’ responsibility to ensure that
the child behaves in a safe and acceptable manner while boarding, travelling in and leaving
the vehicle. Misbehaviour can result in children losing the right to free transport.

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Placing Requests
North Ayrshire Council does not provide transport for those pupils in receipt of a placing
request, other than in exceptional circumstances.

I NFORMATION IN EMERGENCIES

We make every effort to maintain a full educational service but, on some occasions,
circumstances arise which lead to disruption. Schools may be affected by, for example,
severe weather, temporary interruption of transport, power failures or difficulties of fuel
supply. In such cases, we will do all we can to let you know about the details of closure or
re-opening. We will keep you in touch by using letters, notices in local shops and community
centres, announcements in the press and on West FM.

S CHOOL SECURITY

North Ayrshire Council has introduced procedures to ensure the safety and security of
children and staff when attending or working in a school. A number of security measures are
used, including the use of a visitors’ book, badges and escorts while visitors are within the
school building. Normally, anyone calling at a school for any reason will be asked to report
to the school office. The school staff will then make any necessary arrangements in
connection with the visit to the school.

I NFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

The school has recently seen a significant expansion in the computer resources available to
both staff and pupils. This has been as a result of considerable investment by North Ayrshire
Council, and by the school.

We have eight dedicated computer laboratories. In addition, every classroom in the school is
equipped with a computer, allowing the use of Information Technology in Learning and
Teaching, and most classrooms are now equipped with multimedia projectors.

Computers are used by staff to produce all of the progress reports that are sent to parents.
This ensures a high standard of presentation and easy legibility.

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G UIDANCE / SUPPORT FOR PUPILS

The purpose of the Support system in Kilwinning Academy is to help the individual pupils to
obtain maximum benefit from their time at the school. This involves giving each pupil
advice about progress, subjects or carers, helping to solve problems as they arise and
providing a point of contact for parents and outside agencies.

When pupils join the school, they are allocated to one of four Houses. Each House is led by
one Principal Teacher (Mr P MacArthur, Mr G McKenzie, Mr E Duncan or Mr A Scott).

Pupils come under the care of a member of the Support team who will be the main link
between home and school throughout the pupil’s school career. We try to ensure that family
continuity is maintained so that parents with more than one child in the school will deal with
the same Support teacher.

A small group of pupils, who require more support than most youngsters, will receive
pastoral care from a team comprising K McGuiness (DHT), J Murray (PTS) and I Wilson
(PTS Learning), but for all timetabled classes - including Registration - will participate as
part of their Register classes. These pupils form the Early Intervention Group (EIG).

When any problem arises, or is likely to arise, the first point of contact for parents should be
the relevant Principal Teacher of Support.

The members of the Senior Management Team in charge of the groups are:-

Arran and Bute Houses (‘A’ and ‘B’ classes, S1 to S5) Mr B Smith
Cumbrae and Davaar Houses (‘C’ and ‘D’ classes, S1 to S5) Mrs A Cruickshank
S6 Pupils and the EIG Group Miss K McGuiness

As each of the Senior Management Team has many responsibilities during the normal school
day, it is advisable that anyone wishing to make contact should do so, in the first instance, by
telephoning the school office (01294-551316).

All pupils have access to Social Education. In the course of this, topics of general concern
such as careers, relationships, safety, leisure and hobbies, drugs awareness, sex education,
etc, are covered. These classes are taken mostly by form tutors, but outside speakers are
often involved.

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H EALTH EDUCATION

In S3 and S4, in addition to Social Education, pupils also have a period of Health Education
on their timetable.

Health Studies in S3 consists of a unit “Health & Food Choices” - here pupils have the
opportunity to reflect on the social, cultural and economic factors which affect food choice,
and the consequences of poor choice on their health. They also have a period of “Lifeskills”
where some practical cookery is done, as well as budgeting, etc.

Health Studies in S4 consists of a unit “Understanding Health” - through this, pupils have
the opportunity to examine a wide range of factors which enable individuals to exercise
control over issues influencing their health. Both units of work are certificated; all
assessment is carried out in school - there is no final examination. Achievement will appear
on pupils’ certificates, alongside their Standard Grades.

S PIRITUAL, MORAL AND CULTURAL VALUES

In addition to the Social Education programme, all pupils from S1 to S4 also have Religious
and Moral Education on their timetable. The main purpose of this is to allow pupils to study
religious belief, practice and related experiences on both a personal and global level. In
doing so, however, it makes no assumptions whatsoever about the personal commitment of
either teachers or pupils to any particular creed or system of religious beliefs.

A CTION AGAINST BULLYING

Bullying is not tolerated at Kilwinning Academy and strong sanctions will be applied
against anyone found to be guilty of this offence.

We try to reinforce the message that it is everyone’s right to come to school without fear
through the school’s Social Education programme, through Support interviews and House
Group Assemblies and through the fundamental ethos of the school.

Bullying takes many forms, ranging from physical violence (which is rare) to name calling
and isolation. Any pupil who is having problems with others pupils has a number of courses
of action. Doing nothing is rarely effective. We would therefore encourage any pupil with
this problem to:

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- discuss the matter, in confidence, with a member of the school’s Anti-Bullying
Council. This group is made up of trained senior pupils who know the school and
who can give practical advice on how the individual might ‘deal’ with the problem;
- approach their Support teacher with the problem;
- approach their Year Head;
- tell their parents, whom we would encourage to contact the school so that the
appropriate steps can be taken to support the pupil having the problem.

T HE CURRICULUM

Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) is now being introduced across Scotland for all 3-18 year
olds, wherever they learn. It aims to raise standards, prepare our children for a future they do
not yet know and equip them for the jobs of tomorrow in a fast changing world.

Curriculum for Excellence enables professionals to teach subjects creatively and to work
together across the school and with other schools. Teachers and practitioners will share
information to plan a child’s “learning journey” from 3-18, ensuring children continue to
work at a pace they can cope with and with challenge they can thrive on.

Curriculum for Excellence balances the importance of knowledge and skills.

Every child is entitled to a broad and deep general education where every single teacher and
practitioner will be responsible for literacy and numeracy. There will be a new emphasis too
on health and wellbeing - to ensure that the school is a place where children feel safe and
secure.

Curriculum for Excellence develops skills for learning, life and work to help young people go
on to further study, secure work and navigate life. It brings real life into the classroom. It
links knowledge in one subject area to another, helping children understand the work and
make connections. It develops skills so that children can think for themselves, make sound
judgements, challenge, enquire and find solutions.

There will be new ways of assessing progress and ensuring children achieve their potential.
There will be new qualifications for literacy and numeracy from Session 2012/13 and new
National 4 and 5 qualifications from Session 2013/14. Our well regarded Access, Highers
and Advanced Highers will be updated to take account of and support the new approaches to
learning and teaching.

Ultimately, Curriculum for Excellence aims to improve our children’s life chances, to nurture
successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors, and responsible citizens,
building on Scotland’s reputation for great education.

All pupils have equal access to all courses, in line with North Ayrshire’s policy on equal
opportunity.
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Years S1 and S2
In Kilwinning Academy we are working hard to improve the transition stage for pupils.
Building on our Integrated Community School approach, we are making greater use of prior
learning to help us to plan the effective delivery of learning and teaching. On a monthly basis
the Headteachers of the associated primary schools meet with senior staff from Kilwinning
Academy to take forward joint planning of initiatives.

Our junior pupils are benefiting from a more appropriate curriculum which features both
challenge and support.

In their first two years at Kilwinning Academy, pupils have the opportunity to experience a
wide range of subjects. This is to provide a balanced basic curriculum for all pupils, to
provide samples of as many different areas of study as possible and to provide the
foundations for all future school work at whatever level. All pupils will access the core
subjects, namely:

Art, English, French, Geography, History / Modern Studies, Home Economics, IT,
Mathematics, Music, Physical Education, Religious Education, Science, Social Education and
Technical Education.

The curriculum in Second Year is, for the most part, a continuation of that of First Year.
Again, most classes are arranged in broad ability groupings. However in some subjects,
classes are arranged in set groups.

Most pupils, after two years of a general course at school, have developed special interests in
certain subjects which they wish to continue in Third and Fourth Years and are reasonably
content to give up their studies of certain other subjects which, perhaps, interest them less.
For these reasons, when pupils move into Third Year, they must choose to study only a few
from a very wide range of subjects available. This arrangement may change as Curriculum
for Excellence becomes embedded.

Currently, December of S2, parents are invited to attend a Parents’ Evening when the transfer
arrangements from S2 into S3 are outlined. Thereafter, each pupil is given an individual
interview with their Support teacher, in preparation for the completion of the S3 subject
choice form. The school aims to give the best advice possible, taking into account the
subjects available. Again, the timing of this process may change as a result of Curriculum for
Excellence.

Years S3 and S4
By the time your child reaches S3, it is expected that the new National Examination system,
being introduced as part of Curriculum for Excellence, will take effect. Details on how this
will affect the curriculum are not yet clear. More details will be given as they become known
to us.

Currently, the curriculum in Third and Fourth Years consists of a compulsory section
comprising English, Mathematics, Social Education, Physical Education, Health Education
and Religious Education, and an ‘option’ section made up of those subjects chosen by the
pupil at the end of Second Year. These courses now operate exclusively at Standard Grade or

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National Qualifications. In Third and Fourth Years, therefore, all pupils will study a total of
eight subjects, namely English, Mathematics and one of each of the following categories:

Science Biology, Chemistry, Physics
Social Subjects Geography, History, Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies
Modern Languages French, Spanish
Creative & Aesthetic Art & Design, Home Economics, Music, PE Studies, Craft & Design
Technological Computing Studies, Art & Design, Administration, Physics, Craft &
Design, Graphic Communication, Home Economics, Accounting &
Finance

In addition, pupils can choose one other subject from the above.

Your child will be presented for the new Awards being introduced as part of Curriculum for
Excellence. These will replace the existing Standard Grades, etc, and will be known as
Levels 3, 4 and 5.

Towards the end of S4, all students will undergo a similar transfer process to that experienced
in S2. This will include considerable input from careers guidance and an individual interview
with their Support teacher.

Years S5 and S6
Currently, those pupils who return to school for a Fifth and Sixth Year are required to make
further ‘option’ choices based largely on their performance in previous national certificate
examinations.

These options currently include a wide range of NQ courses at four levels in S5 (Access,
Intermediate 1, Intermediate 2 and Higher) and one additional level in S6 (Advanced Higher),
but these will change as a result of Curriculum for Excellence.

The range of courses is similar to that offered in S3/4 and most are a continuation of these
earlier courses. Priority is given to those students continuing with courses already taken in
S3/4, as this is seen as providing the best basis for success. However, changes are allowed
and encouraged when important career changes are involved.

Young Applicants in Schools Scheme
Some students in S6 currently study for qualifications run by the Open University to help
prepare them for Higher Education. Details of this scheme, known as YASS, can be obtained
from the school.

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A SSESSMENTS AND REPORTS

S1/S2
Assessment in First and Second Year is of a continuous nature - that is, there are no set
periods of large-scale examinations, but every teacher systematically assesses each pupil’s
progress through a wide variety of work including homework, class exercises and tests.

Regular summary reports on attitude and progress are issued every term. The information
acquired is then used to provide a formal report in S1 and S2. These reports detail the
various aspects of the work covered and the different levels on attainment on a scale linked to
Curriculum for Excellence.

S3-S6
Reports are issued once a year in S3, S4 and S5/6. The S3 report is issued in May, after the
formal S3 examinations. The remaining reports are issued after the relevant diet of prelim
examinations.

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H OMEWORK

Homework is an important part of any child’s education. On a regular basis, it allows:

- the work of the class to be reinforced;
- the work of the class to be extended;
- the progress and understanding of the pupil to be evaluated;
- the habit of regular, independent study to be developed;
- a regular opportunity to communicate with parents, and for parents to be involved in
the learning process.

Homework is, therefore, an important part of the pupil’s education, and it is important that it
is completed to the best of the pupil’s ability. The homework set will take many forms and
will vary in type and length, depending on the stage within the school. Activities will range
from writing, reading, problem solving and investigation, through watching the news,
discussion with adults, to revising course materials, etc.

To help pupils plan their homework and study, and to allow you as parents to monitor this
work, all pupils are issued with a Homework Diary at the start of the session. They are
expected to record all homework set, along with the date on which it is due, in this diary. It
would be a great help if parents could check the diary regularly to ensure that homework is
being recorded and completed.

While the amount of homework issued will vary, the following guidelines give the
approximate amounts of time which pupils might be expected to spend on homework, on five
evenings in the week:

S1 - ½ to 1 hour a night S2 - ½ to 1 hour a night
S3 - 1 to 1½ hours a night S4 - 2 hours a night
S5 - 2 to 3 hours a night S6 - 2 to 3 hours a night

Recognising that some pupils find it difficult to complete homework due to family
circumstances, the school has organised various opportunities during the school day for such
work to be done with teachers present. Homework clubs are run at lunchtime on three days
in the week and are available to all pupils in S1 and S2.

For older pupils, opportunities are available through Supported Study run in some subjects
after school, to complete homework as well as to go over any areas of difficulty in the course
work. Details of these classes are publicised at the appropriate times in the session.

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S UPPORT FOR LEARNING

North Ayrshire Guidelines
A child or young person has additional support needs if, for any reason, they are not able to
benefit fully from the educational opportunities provided for them.

What does North Ayrshire Council have to do to meet its duties under the Additional
Support for Learning legislation?
We have to:
• identify when a child or young person is not making good progress in their education
• understand what is not working for the child or young person (by gathering information to
make the problems as clear as possible)
• once extra support is in place, ensure that support is making a positive difference
• if the support is not working well enough, gather more information and try a different
approach.

Whenever we start this process for any child or young person, we will always explain to them
and to their parents/carers what our concerns are and what we will do to help

All of our schools and nurseries will track closely the progress made by children or young
people who are registered as being ‘Looked After’. Where these children or young people
are making appropriate progress we will determine that they do not have additional support
needs.

We have to make sure it is easy for people to get helpful information and advice. Where a
child or young person is identified as having additional support needs, we will make sure the
right people get a copy of the right information leaflet so they will understand what is likely
to happen.

This little summary is also to let you know that much more information is available to help
you understand additional support needs and what will be done to help your child. You can
ask for information at any time.

For a few children and young people, their needs are so complex that professionals from two
or more agencies need to work together to provide the right support. Where this is needed,
the child or young person will have a plan to co-ordinate the various actions of these
professionals: for this reason it is called a Co-ordinate Support Plan.

You may feel that things are not being done properly to support your child. If you feel like
this then the Council has a range of ways to work with you to get things sorted. You can ask
at any time for a copy of the booklet called ‘Resolving Disagreements’. This booklet will
give you ways to make sure your concerns are listened to and addressed.

Where a child or young person has additional support needs, planning needs to take place
every time there is a move to a new class, new school or college. For some children and
young people affected by a disability, transition planning will happen two years before the
planned date of the move. This is needed to make sure everything is in place. For most
children and young people, transition planning takes place one year before the date of the
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planned move. Information will be shared with everyone involved in supporting the child or
young period so that everyone understands what needs to be done to provide support.

What rights do children, young people and their parents have?
If you are concerned about your child’s progress or about how settled they are in school, you
can ask the Headteacher to begin a process of gathering information to find out if your child
has additional support needs.

The school will also give you advice and information about your child’s needs, what the
school is doing to meet those needs and whether progress is now being made.

Even when it has already been agreed that your child has additional support needs, you can
make a reasonable request at any time that more information is gathered and that a clearer
understanding of the needs is established.

You may perhaps feel unhappy about what the school is doing to meet your child’s needs.
You may have tried to sort this out with the school but feel you are not being taken seriously.
In this case you can ask for outside help to get your concerns across. The ‘Resolving
Disagreements’ booklet will help you to ask for these services.

In a very few cases you may feel that your child’s current school is not able to meet the
needs. Where this happens, you have the right to make a placing request for a school that
may meet the needs more effectively. You now have the same rights as parents of children
who do not have additional support needs.

You may feel that educational provision on its own is not able to meet your child’s needs and
that another agency could help. In such a case you can ask that the Authority gathers
information to see if your child needs a plan to bring together help from other agencies.

The Additional Support Needs Tribunal has been established to deal with cases that have not
been sorted out by earlier attempts to resolve the disagreements. You can apply for a referral
to the Tribunal: the ‘Resolving Disagreements’ booklet will help you to do this.

You can have a supporter or advocate with you at any meeting to discuss your child’s
additional support needs: this is not just about support at a Tribunal.

For advice on additional support for learning from North Ayrshire Council Education and
Skills, please contact the Quality Improvement Officer (QIO) for Additional Support for
Learning on 01294-324451.

For impartial advice, please contact Enquire (the Scottish advice service for additional
support for learning. Operated by children in Scotland, Enquire offers independent
confidential advice and information on additional support for learning through:

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- a telephone helpline - 0845 123 2303
- an e-mail enquiry service - info@enquire.org.uk
- an online enquiry service
- two websites - www.enquire.org.uk (for parents/carers and practitioners) and
www.enquire.org.uk/yp (for children and young people).

Enquire also provide a range of clear and easy to read guides and factsheets explaining
everything from ‘additional support in the early years’ to ‘what planning should take place
for moving on from school’.

Support in Kilwinning Academy
The identification of individual needs and the provision of appropriate coursework for all
levels of ability, including its delivery through a wide range of teaching methods, is a prime
responsibility of all members of staff. Some pupils, however, will not benefit fully from
education without additional support and this is provided by the Support Department. A
great deal of the work of the Support Department is carried out within the classroom -
working with and supporting the pupils and the classroom teacher. When additional support
is needed, wherever possible we try to ensure it is provided in ways which are well integrated
within everyday practice and do not single out the young person requiring additional support.

Senior Pupils
Senior pupils also support in classes as part of their Community Involvement Programme. In
addition, the Support Department runs a ‘Buddy Scheme’ which pairs suitable juniors with
senior pupils who act as informal mentors. In the operation of all of these techniques and
approaches, the needs of the pupil as an individual are considered.

Tutorials
Some pupils require a more specific programme in order to address their learning needs. This
may involve individual or small group tuition. Parents will be informed prior to any tuition.

Homework Clubs
If any pupil requires assistance with homework, a member of staff is available in the Library
four lunchtimes per week and parents should encourage their son or daughter to attend.

Assessment
Within the Support Department we are constantly assessing the young people in the school.
Assessment is an ongoing process of gathering, structuring and making sense of information
about a pupil and their learning, in order to plan more carefully for what happens next. This
may be instigated by a support teacher, a class teacher or as a parental request and may
include some diagnostic testing. If a pupil has been tested and a need has been identified,
parents will be notified to inform them of next steps and monitored to ensure support is
adequate, properly targeted and effective. However, you should not hesitate to contact the
Principal Teacher of Support if you have any issues or concerns regarding your child’s
Additional Support Needs.

Special Arrangements
Some pupils may require special arrangements for SQA exams. These range from extra time,
ICT or a reader and/or scribe. The evidence - gathered by the Support Department - must
support the need for the special arrangement.
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Outside Agencies
As part of our curricular and pastoral remit we have regular contact with our associate
primary schools and a wide variety of outside agencies, for example Educational
Psychologists, teachers of the Visually and Hearing Impaired, English as an Additional
Language, Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists.

E QUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY

In line with North Ayrshire Council policy, educational provision is open to all pupils,
regardless of sex, age, religion, race, disability or any other potential barrier, and all
reasonable measures will be taken to ensure that the curriculum is available to every child.
Schools also have a duty to promote equality and to eliminate racist and other discriminatory
behaviours.

The Gender Equality Duty came into force in April 2007 (in addition to the Race Equality
Duty and the Disability Equality Duty). Schools have an obligation to implement these
duties and to report annually on progress being made in this regard. It should be noted that
under the Gender Equality Duty, schools have an obligation to encourage both parents to play
an active role in their children’s education. If parents have concerns about this duty in
relation to their child, they should contact the school to discuss the matter.

D ISCIPLINE

Good conduct is essential in any community of almost one thousand people. In the
classroom, it is an absolute prerequisite for effective teaching and learning. In the school
buildings and playground, it is vital for the safety of all pupils. It is our aim, therefore, to
create a happy, friendly and well structured environment, where disorder, bullying and
hostility do not occur. To achieve this, we have adopted a Zero Tolerance approach. All
pupils are issued with the following Code of Conduct at the start of the session -

1. Be positive Take pride in yourself and in your school.
Smoking and gambling are not permitted.
Don’t drop litter or cause damage.
Report any damage found immediately.
2. Be punctual Move directly from one class to the next in an orderly manner.
Keep to the left in corridors and on stairs.
3. Be polite Keep noise to a minimum and be considerate of others at all times.
4. Be safe Keep away from areas that are out of bounds, like the car park.
Keep out of buildings at interval and lunchtime, unless really necessary.
5. Be sensible Do not bring valuable items of clothing, or equipment, or large sums of
money in cash to school.
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These sensible requirements are reinforced through promoting positive behaviour schemes
that reward pupils for consistent effort in class and good behaviour, as well as through more
informal structures like teacher praise, positive referrals to the Support staff, etc.

Despite such steps to encourage positive behaviour, there are occasions when pupils
misbehave. When dealing with breaches in school discipline, a range of sanctions is
available, depending on the seriousness of the ‘offence’:

- In some cases, a warning or ‘telling off’ is sufficient.
- For more serious matters, or for repeated trivial matters, a punishment exercise may
be issued, to be completed at home and signed by a parent. An alternative to this is
the pupil being placed on detention - at interval, lunchtime or after school.
- Where the problem is confined to one or two departments, pupils may be placed on
Departmental Report, where the class teacher gives a grade for effort and behaviour.
The card is then seen by the Principal Teacher of the subject to check on how the
pupil has done.
- Where a pattern of problems emerges, parents are invited to the school to discuss the
situation, and agree possible strategies.
- Repeated failure to complete a punishment exercise or detention would result in a
final warning slip being issued for the attention of parents/guardians. Failure to
complete this exercise or detention would lead to probable exclusion.
- Pupils may be placed ‘On Report’, where a timetable has to be signed by each of their
teachers in the course of the day, with a grade given for effort and behaviour, as well
as a general comment. This is signed by a senior member of staff or Principal
Teacher of Support at the end of the day, then brought home for the parent to see and
sign.
- The behaviour of individuals and classes is monitored by the Support staff and by the
member of the Senior Management Team responsible for each group. Currently this
is:

Arran and Bute Houses (‘A’ and ‘B’ classes, S1 to S5) Mr B Smith
Cumbrae and Davaar Houses (‘C’ and ‘D’ classes, S1 to S5) Mrs A Cruickshank
S6 Pupils and the EIG Group Miss K McGuiness

- Where appropriate, support for pupils will be provided by members of the Support
Team who will work with them in class, in the Support Base and in group work, to try
to deal with the situations that are causing problems.
- The expertise of outside agencies, such as Psychological Services, Social Work, the
school Medical Service, etc, can also be involved through the school’s Joint Support
Team structure.
- In the event of serious misconduct, or else where a pattern of repeated offences
emerges, the pupil may be excluded from the school for a short period of time, eg
three days in some cases or up to ten days in the most serious cases.
- In a few extreme situations, a pupil can be excluded from the school and the case sent
to the Corporate Director of Educational Services for a decision.

It is the school’s policy to try to pick up any problems or patterns at as early a stage as
possible. We will always try to notify parents of our concerns at an early stage. It is our
experience that where parents and the school are united in their approach, most difficulties
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can be overcome. In all of this, it is the school’s purpose to set standards against which all of
our young people can finally measure themselves. Some make take longer than others to
reach their full potential but, with our active help, encouragement and support, most succeed.

D EVELOPING A LEARNING DEMOCRACY

In line with the National Priority Values and Citizenship, Kilwinning Academy is
encouraging pupils at all stages to become increasingly involved in decision-making at the
school.

Each year group has a Pupil Council which consists of two pupils elected from each class.
The Councils discuss a wide range of issues, including Eco-school initiatives (which aim to
improve the environment), Healthy Eating (and liaison with dining hall staff) as well as social
aspects of pupils’ school experience. The latter has resulted in well attended school discos
becoming a termly event. Through the Councils, pupils are also formally consulted about the
school improvement plan.

There is also a Grand Council which is made up of two representatives from each year group
Council. This is chaired by senior pupils, who help to highlight current issues for discussion
and listen to feedback from the Councils.

In the senior school there is the opportunity to apply for and be interviewed for School
Captain and House Captain posts. Successful applicants work with other seniors to manage
the Common Room, assist with the Year Book, organise the annual School Prom, organise
events to raise money for charity, etc. In addition, pupils can opt to participate in events
designed to support junior pupils in class or in extra-curricular activities. A number of S6
pupils are also able to train with and work alongside adults to provide support for young
people outwith the secondary school.

E XTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

A wide range of extra-curricular activities is available within the school and this very healthy
situation reflects the commitment of staff to the broader education and development of their
pupils, as well as to academic excellence.

Among the many activities which may be offered are:

Football Hockey Theatre Trips Brass Band
Scripture Union Woodwind Ensembles Gymnastics Athletics
Recorder Groups Basketball Badminton Weight Training
Jazz & Samba Bands Skiing Choirs Discos
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In addition, Homework Clubs run at lunchtime on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and
Fridays for interested pupils.

A CHIEVEMENTS

Kilwinning Academy believes in encouraging all pupils to achieve their best, and in
recognising their achievements at every opportunity. It is central to our beliefs that all pupils
are capable of learning, given consistent effort on their part, encouraged by supportive
parents, and combined with good teaching.

At various stages throughout the school year, a range of opportunities are taken to recognise
pupil achievement and effort.

All pupils can be nominated for Praise Letters. These acknowledge exceptional pupil effort,
both in class or in extra-curricular activities. They may also highlight an individual’s
particular contribution to a school event or to a performance or an activity within the wider
community of Kilwinning.

Senior pupils are rewarded through the School Colours system in which they can gain Merit
Badges and the School Colours Tie.

All achievements are noted in the pupil’s individual file.

At the end of the session, at our Awards Ceremony, consistent effort is recognised, as well as
academic and sporting achievement.

P ARENT FORUM AND PARENT COUNCIL

The Parents’ Council has been in existence since the Scottish Parliament passed a law called
the “Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act 2006”, to encourage and support more
parents to become involved in their child’s education.

The main aims of the Act are to:

- help parents become more involved with their child’s education and learning;
- welcome parents as active participants in the life of the school;
- provide easier ways for parents to express their views and wishes.

To help achieve these aims, all parents are automatically members of the Parent Forum at
their child’s school and are entitled to have a say in selecting the Parent Council (the
representative body) to work on behalf of all parents at the school.
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The objectives of the Parent Council are:

- to work in partnership with staff to create a welcoming school which is inclusive for
all parents;
- to promote partnership between the school, its pupils and all its parents;
- to develop and engage in activities which support the education and welfare of the
pupils;
- to identify and represent the views of parents on the education provided by the school,
and other matters affecting the education and welfare of pupils;
- to be involved in the recruitment process for appointing the Headteacher and Depute
Headteachers of the school.

Any parent or carer of a child at the school can volunteer to be a member of the Parent
Council. The Headteacher is the professional adviser to the Parent Council and has a right to
attend and speak at Parent Council or Parent Forum meetings.

For more information on the Parental Involvement Act or to find out about parents as partners
in their children’s learning, please contact the school or North Ayrshire Council Educational
Services or visit the Parentzone website on www.parentzonescotland.gov.uk

C OMMUNITY LINKS

Kilwinning Academy is keen to foster links with all areas of the local community and has
already taken several significant steps in that direction.

Many Third to Sixth Year pupils undertake placements in local special schools, nurseries and
community groups.

We welcome all contacts with what might be broadly described as ‘the world of work’ and
are currently able to offer many pupils one full week of work experience with a local
employer before leaving secondary education.

We have also succeeded in placing a number of Fifth and Sixth Year pupils on placements
further afield, including the shadowing of key personnel. Senior pupils can also be involved
in the school’s Community Involvement programme, assisting in primary schools, special
schools and the local library.

Information on possible careers and further educational opportunities are recurring themes in
our Social Education Programme for all year groups, with guest speakers from appropriate
outside organisations being regular contributors. Guest speakers also contribute regularly to
several SQA courses which rely heavily on learning through experience, and many local
firms and organisations host field trips and study visits.

None of the above activities could be so successfully undertaken without the continuing and
enthusiastic support of the local community, of which the school is most appreciative.
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Support for Charities
The school community is very keen to support good causes, whether they are local, national
or international. Fundraising activities occur throughout the year, eg a Talent Show is
organised for the period before the Christmas holidays, and non-uniform days are held two or
three times a year. In addition, coffee mornings are held throughout the year, with donations
being made to Mencap, Childline and Macmillan Nurses, to name but a few.

H OME / SCHOOL LINKS

Listening and Learning
It is the policy of North Ayrshire Council to try to encourage feedback on the education
service from parents and pupils. This is part of our overall commitment to giving the best
possible service and to working in partnership.

We are therefore very interested in feedback of all kinds, whether it be compliments,
suggestions or complaints. If you wish to register a comment of any type about the school
you can do this in writing, by telephoning or by making an appointment to see someone. All
feedback is welcome and keeps us in touch.

If, in particular, you have a complaint about the school, please let us know. It is better that
these things are shared openly and resolved fairly, rather than being allowed to damage the
home/school relationship. There will be no negative consequences arising from making a
complaint, and we will deal with the issue as confidentially as possible. If we have made a
mistake, we will apologise quickly and clearly and try to put things right.

There are some things which you should take note of in relation to making a complaint:

- It is helpful if complaints are made initially to the Head of Establishment. This makes
sure that the school knows what is going on and has an opportunity to respond and
resolve the issue.
- We will try to respond as quickly as possible, but often issues are complex and need
time to investigate. It is therefore helpful if you can give some details of the issues
and ask for an early appointment to discuss it.
- If you are not satisfied with our response, then you will have the right to take the
matter further with the Corporate Director of Education & Skills at Cunninghame
House, Irvine, KA12 8EE (01294-324400).
- You should also note that you have the right to raise unresolved concerns with your
local councillor or MSP/MP.
- Parents’ Councils have an important role in developing links between the school and
the wider parent body and can often be helpful in dealing with issues of general
concern. However, parents are advised that individual, more personal complaints are
not appropriate for raising via Parents’ Councils, due to the need for appropriate
confidentiality.

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D ATA PROTECTION

Transferring Educational Data about Pupils
The Scottish Government and its partners collect and use information about pupils 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.

Why do we need your data?
In order to make the best decisions about how to improve our education service, Scottish
Government, education authorities and other partners such as the SQA and Careers 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.

Data policy
Information about pupils’ education is collected 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 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, Scottish Government will not publish or make publicly available any information
that allows individual pupils to be identified, nor will data be used by 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 Scottish Government.

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

Your data protection rights
The collection, transfer, processing and sharing of ScotXed data is done in accordance with
the Data Protection Act (1998). We also comply with the National Statistics Code of Practice
requirements and other legislation related to safeguarding the confidentiality of data. The
Data Protection Act 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 (www.scotxed.net).

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Scottish Government works with a range of partners including HM Inspectorate of Education,
Careers Scotland and the SQA. On occasion, we will make individual data available to
partners and also academic institutions and organisations to carry out research and statistical
analysis. In addition, we will provide our partners with information they need in order to
fulfil their official responsibilities. Any sharing of data will be done under the strict control of
Scottish Government, which will ensure that no individual level data will be made public as a
result of the data sharing and that these 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.

Concerns
If you have any concerns about the ScotXed data collections you can email the Senior
Statistician, Peter Whitehouse, at Peter.Whitehouse@scotland.gsi.gov.uk or write to The
ScotXed Support Office, Area 1B, 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.

G LOSSARY OF TERMS

National Qualifications A shorthand term for the range of courses available in S5/S6 to
(NQs) cover the full ability range (and sometimes used in S4).
IEP Individual Education Plan - a plan which sets clear and
measurable targets (usually in language and numeracy) to help a
pupil make progress in areas of weakness.
Joint Support Team A meeting held to discuss pupils experiencing difficulties and to
work out support structures. It involves school staff, parents, the
pupil and representatives of Social Work, Psychological Services
and other Outside Agencies.
Mixed Ability Group Pupils of a similar age, but of a wide range of ability taught
together as a class; the work of such a group is largely based on
individual and small group assignments.
Options The subjects a pupil chooses to take, as opposed to those he/she
has to take.
Outside Agencies Agencies not based within the school which provide additional
services, eg Psychological Services, Social Work, etc.
Placing Request The right to apply to send you child to the school of your choice,
rather than your neighbourhood school.
S1, S2, etc ‘S’ stands for ‘secondary’ and the figure after indicates year
group.
SQA The Scottish Qualifications Authority.
Standard Grades The replacement for ‘O’ Grades, by which all pupils (rather than
only some) receive a certificate at the end of Fourth Year.
Curriculum for The new courses, methods and examination structure being
Excellence introduced into both Primary and Secondary schools in Scotland,
starting in August 2010.

34


S PECIAL NOTE

Although the information contained in this handbook is correct at time of printing, there
could be changes affecting any of the matters dealt with in this document:

- before commencement or during the course of the school year in question;
- in relation to subsequent school years.

35


INFORMATION FOR PARENTS 2010
SECONDARY SCHOOLS

School: Kilwinning Academy Id No.: 310 - 8217831

Leaver Destinations
Number Of Pupils Leaving In School Year 2009/2010 And Percentage With Destination
As:
Total Number of Leavers (=100%) 173
Higher Education 29
Further Education 36
Training 8
Employment 13
Other Known 13
Not Known 1

Key to symbols:
Percentages for schools where the number of leavers is greater than 0 but less than 5 have been
replaced by asterisks (**) because they could be misleading or lead to identification of individuals.
The symbol (##) indicates that the data are not available or comparable with other years because the
school has recently opened or merged with another school, or is temporarily closed.

Budgeted Running Costs For Financial Year 2010-2011
School Roll at September 2009 917
Total School Running Costs at April 2010 (£) 4,268,129
Cost per Pupil (£) 4,654

Key to symbols: The symbol ## indicates that the data are not available.

36


SECONDARY SCHOOLS


Attendance And Absence For School Year 2009/2010
Stage
S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S1-5
Total Number
of Possible
59,223 63,888 73,828 55,212 55,722 307,873
Attendances(P
upil Half Days)
Percentage
Authorised 4.6 6.1 6.0 5.6 3.5 5.2
Absences
Percentage
Unauthorised 2.0 4.6 4.4 4.3 3.7 3.9
Absences

Key to symbols:
Asterisks (**) have been inserted instead of figures for some schools and categories:
• Counts and percentages based on data for more than 0 but fewer than 5 pupils, because they
could be misleading or lead to the identification of individuals.
• In other cases, it is not possible for the school to have any data for the category, for example,
cases where the relevant year group roll figure is zero.
The symbol (##) indicates that the school has recently opened or merged with another school and this
information is not available.

37


SECONDARY SCHOOLS


Estimated S5 January Roll As A Percentage Of The S4 Roll
In September Of The Previous Session
2007/2008 2008/2009 2009/2010
48 57 66

Examination Results (within Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework)

(2009/2010 results are pre-appeal)
Percentage of the relevant September S4 roll achieving:
By end 5+ @ level 3 or better 5+ @ level 4 or better 5+ @ level 5 or better
of S4 2008/20 2009/20 2007/20 2008/20 2009/20 2007/20 2008/20 2009/20
09 10 08 09 10 08 09 10
2007/20
08
89 89 75 74 68 28 31 37

90

By end 1+ @ level 6 or better 3+ @ level 6 or better 5+ @ level 6 or better
of S5 2008/20 2009/20 2007/20 2008/20 2009/20 2007/20 2008/20 2009/20
09 10 08 09 10 08 09 10
2007/20
08
34 33 17 14 19 8 6 8

31

By end 3+ @ level 6 or better 5+ @ level 6 or better 1+ @ level 7
of S6 2008/20 2009/20 2007/20 2008/20 2009/20 2007/20 2008/20 2009/20
09 10 08 09 10 08 09 10
2007/20
08
23 28 17 16 14 6 8 11

24

Key to symbols:
Counts and percentages for year groups which contain more than 0 but less than 5 pupils are
replaced by asterisks (**) because they could be misleading or lead to identification of individuals.

The symbol (##) indicates that the data are not available or comparable with other years. Possible
reasons for this include: the school has recently opened or merged with another school; S5 and S6
results for S1-S4 schools; S4, S5 and S6 results for S1-S2/S3 schools; cases where the relevant year
group roll figure is zero.
38


SECONDARY SCHOOLS


Minimising Overall Absence
Absence recorded Absence recorded
(2008/2009) (2009/2010)
Average number of Average number of
half days absence half days absence
per pupil per pupil
Absence 42.0 35.8

Where schools have 9 openings per week, please note that all local authority and national figures are
based on 10 openings per week, and so are not directly comparable.

Key to symbols: The symbol (##) indicates that the data are not available or comparable with other
years.

For Information:
Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF)
levels:
Level 7 CSYS at A-C; Advanced Higher at A-C
Level 6 Higher at A-C
Level 5 Intermediate 2 at A-C; Standard Grade at 1-2
Level 4 Intermediate 1 at A-C; Standard Grade at 3-4
Level 3 Access 3 Cluster; Standard Grade at 5-6

39

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