Frequently Asked Questions
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Attendance and Punctuality
Appointments Outwith the School Day
Please
try to arrange the appointment outwith school hours. When this
is not possible, pupils should bring the appointment card or a note to
their House Tutor. This will be passed to the Pupil Office who
will ensure that the pupil is not marked absent. Pupils should
attend school before and after their appointment time and should be in
school dress.
If
I send my child to school and he/she arrives late, surely it is up
to the school to deal with him/her?
No. The law says parents are responsible for making sure that
their child attends school. Persistent latecoming can be considered
as non-attendance and parents can be referred to the Attendance Committee
if pupils are missing a lot of school time due to latecoming.
If I send my child to school, surely it is up to the school
to make sure my child stays in school?
No. The law says that parents are responsible for making sure
that their child attends school, stays in school and attends all allocated
classes. If parents fail to do this they can be referred to the
Attendance Committee.
Do I have to inform the school on the first day of my child's
absence?
Yes. Please let us know by contacting the Pupil Office on (01506)
822028.
Do I have to write a note to explain my child's absence even
when I have telephoned the school?
Yes. This also protects your rights if there is formal action taken
about your child’s absence.
The signed note should detail:
- Date(s) of absence
- Reason for absence
Can I take my child on holiday in term time?
No. The Scottish Executive directs that holidays in term time
will be classed as ‘Unauthorised’. Only in exceptional
family circumstances, such as following a death or serious domestic crisis
will a family holiday be authorised.
What is the Attendance Committee?
The Attendance Committee is an official body of Falkirk Council. It
is made up of three elected members. An education official is also
present.
Why would I be referred to the Attendance Committee?
You would be referred to the Attendance Committee because there are
continuing concerns about your child not attending school regularly.
Will I know I have been referred to the Attendance Committee?
Yes. This is a two stage process.
Stage 1 : The school will refer you to the Education
Services Attendance Panel. The panel is made up of three Education
Services officials. You will be formally advised of the concerns
and the need for the situation to improve.
Stage 2 : If the concerns about your child not
attending school continue, the Education Services Attendance Panel will
refer you to Falkirk Council Attendance Committee.
Does the school have to tell me that I am to be referred to
the Education Services Attendance Panel?
Yes. This is done formally through standard Education Services
letters. The school would normally have discussed the concerns
about your child’s absences with you.
What decisions can the Education Services Attendance Panel make?
The Attendance Panel can decide to:
- discharge the case as your child's attendance at school has improved
- continue the case for no longer than 6 weeks to allow time for the
attendance to improve
- refer to the medical officer
- refer your child to the Children's Reporter
- refer you to Falkirk Council Attendance Committee which will consider
whether or not you should be referred to the court for prosecution.
Can I be referred to the Attendance Committee even if I feel
that I have done everything to get my child to attend school?
Yes. The Committee will want to know what steps you have taken.
What decisions can the Attendance Committee make?
The Attendance Committee can decide to:
- discharge the case as your child's attendance at school has improved.
- refer your child to the Children's Reporter
- make an Attendance Order which means if your child has a further
unauthorised absence you will be referred for prosecution.
- refer you to the Sheriff Court for prosecution.
Can I find out more about the referral to the Attendance Committee?
Yes. You can ask for a copy of Falkirk Council Education
Services Circular 29.
Can my child be referred to the Children's Reporter for not attending
school?
Yes. If your child is absent without reasonable excuse, or you
have refused to allow your child to be medically examined in order to
verify medical absences, then your child will be referred to the Children's
Reporter.
What will happen when my child is referred to the Children's
Reporter?
- The Children's Reporter will write to you to tell you that he/she
has received a referral.
- The Children's Reporter will carry out investigations based on reports
from a range of sources such as the school, Social Work Services and
other appropriate agencies.
- When investigations are completed, the Children's Reporter will decide
whether or not to arrange a Children's Hearing.
- The Children's Reporter will write to you to let you know of his/her
decision.
Who should I contact if I have queries about my child's attendance?
You should contact your son's/daughter's House Leader:
Avon 1.................................. Mrs I Reid
Avon 2.................................. Mrs J Cunningham
Forth 1.................................. Miss D McQuillan
Forth 2.................................. Mr K Macleod
Kinglass 1............................ Miss H Stout
Kinglass 2............................ Mrs M Bryce
Useful Contact:
Falkirk Council Education Services
Tel: 01324
506600
Fax: 01324
506601
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Medical Questions
My child has to take medication during the day.
Can I hand this into the school for safekeeping? - Yes but
you must also fill in and sign a form which must be handed in with
the medication giving details of the dosages and the times at which
the medication should be taken.
My child is unwell. Should I phone the school?
- Yes. Please phone the pupil office to report your child's
absence and when he / she is well enough to return please send in a
note to the registration teacher.
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Personal Organisation
What is my child expected to bring to school each day?
Pupils are expected to be prepared and equipped for each lesson. This
means that they should bring appropriate books and jotters for the lessons
to be studied that day, pens, pencils, ruler, calculator and any specialised
equipment such as PE Kit.
Pupils should be equipped with a sturdy bag to carry books and jotters
which can be easily damaged if not cared for appropriately.
In addition, pupils should ensure they always have their School Planner
to note important information such as test dates and homework.
My child has difficulty carrying a heavy bag to school every
day. How can the school help?
The school is aware that pupils in the middle and senior school frequently
have to carry a substantial number of books and jotters to and from school
each day. To assist with this, pupils in S3 - S6 may have
a locker to store their belongings in during the day. Pupils may
access lockers only before Registration, at interval, lunch and at the
end of the school day. They should access lockers before
the warning bell.
Some pupils in S1 and S2 are also provided with a locker if they have
a specific need.
What can parents do to ensure their child is organised for school?
The School Planner contains a copy of your child's timetable. Parents
can help by discussing the timetable each evening, making sure your child
has the appropriate equipment / books / jotters for lessons next day
as well as ensuring they have a pen and pencil. Such discussion
will also assist pupils to complete homework on time and plan ahead for
assessments.
What will happen if my child is not organised for school?
Pupils who repeatedly fail to reach the expected standard of preparedness
for school will be interviewed by their House Leader and parents invited
to a meeting in school if concerns continue to be raised by staff.
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General Questions
Can I get a locker? - Lockers are available
in the first instance to students in S3 - S6 who must pay a deposit of
£5 and an annual rental charge of £3 per year. The annual
rental is used to pay for the upkeep of the lockers e.g. new locks, repairs
due to vandalism etc. Students in S1 & S2 will be offered lockers
if any are remaining after the allocation to S3 - S6. (Lockers in the
PE dept are only to be used by pupils during PE lessons).
My child cannot do detention at the given time.
What should I do? - If pupils are unable to do a detention
at the scheduled time e.g.it clashes with a doctor / dental appointment
then parents should either put a note to this effect on the detention
letter or phone the school to explain the problem. The detention
will then be rescheduled to another time.
Swipe Cards - The Young Scot Card is
now used in the Hub to pay for meals / snacks in exactly the same way
as swipe cards were used previously. . They have now been issued to
all pupils in school. Cash should be put on the cards at the machines
in the Hub. These cards can also be used to obtain discounts in many
local shops. Visit the Young
Scot website for more details.
Why is my child doing Int 2 when he / she has already passed
Standard Grade Credit level in that subject?
In some subjects pupils study for their Higher over 2 years and
to give them something to aim for at the end of the first year of study
they are entered for an Intermediate 2 exam. The format of the Int 2 exam
and the Higher exam are the same so they are also getting practice in that
style of examination.
As a guide : Access 3 is the equivalent of Standard
Grade Foundation : Intermediate 1 is the equivalent of Standard Grade
General : Intermediate 2 is the equivalent of Standard Grade Credit.
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