Pentland Primary School

Pentland Primary School is a unique and diverse school based in South West Edinburgh, serving the areas of Oxgangs, Comiston, Camus, Winton and Dreghorn. Together as a school community of staff, learners, parents and partners, we work hard to create a positive and inclusive learning environment where every learner can do their best.

Our school is a non-denominational, coeducational school for all stages from Nursery to Primary 7. We are proud of our high standards in learning and teaching, which we hope, will set our pupils on the path of lifelong learning.
We are committed to working closely with parents as equal partners in your child's education, in the life of your child's school and in city-wide developments in education. Parental involvement in the decision making process and in performance monitoring are an integral part of school life. We look forward to developing that partnership with your support.

School Aims:

• Key Aspirations: Successful Learners, Confident Individuals, Responsible Citizens, Effective Contributors.
• Curriculum: to provide a wide range of educational, social and cultural experiences through a broad, balanced and challenging curriculum.
• Support for pupils: to support each individual with equality of access to educational opportunities, which promote personal and social development and underpin academic achievement.
• Ethos: to create a welcoming, safe and happy environment where everyone feels valued and positive about themselves and the school.
• Attainment: to support and celebrate children reaching their full potential through the rigorous monitoring and continuous evaluation of progress and attainment
• Resources: to invest time, money and effort to provide the highest quality resources to effectively take advantage of all opportunities for lifelong learning.
• Learning and Teaching: to provide the highest quality positive, stimulating and challenging learning and teaching experiences to encourage all children to develop their full potential as successful learners.
• Management, leadership and quality assurance: to provide effective and approachable management and leadership, which plans and strives for continual improvement for all members of the school community.

We seek to provide a safe, caring environment where all children feel happy, confident and valued as individuals. One of our major aims is to provide learning opportunities of the highest quality. We recognise the knowledge and skills which each child brings to school and wish to build on these by providing a programme of challenging experiences which will meet, as far as is possible, the individual needs of each child.

Starting school for the first time or changing schools is a momentous occasion for any child and their family. We hope this handbook provides information and reassurance that we will endeavour to provide the best quality educational experience in order that your child can achieve his/her full potential.

At Pentland we aim to create an ethos where every learner is:

•  Fully Engaged with their learning
•  Confidently Aspirational in their outlook
•  Honestly Reflective about their efforts, progress and achievements
• Appropriately Supported in their endeavours, and Supportive of others.

Every child is entitled to a broad and deep general education, whatever their level and ability. Every single teacher and practitioner will be responsible for the development of literacy and numeracy from Early Level through to Senior Phase. It develops skills for learning, life and work, bringing real life into the classroom, making learning relevant and helping young people apply lessons to their life beyond the classroom. It links knowledge in one subject area to another helping make connections in their learning. It develops skills which can enable children to think for themselves, make sound judgements, challenge, enquire and find solutions.

Pupils are encouraged to discuss and reflect on their learning as part of daily practice. All pupils are also provided with protected time, at two opportunities throughout the year, to discuss their learning with their teacher on a one-to-one basis. This learning conversation focuses on the pupil’s progress and identifies areas for development.

We offer as wide a range of sporting and cultural activities as possible. We are extremely fortunate to have so many staff, parents and friends who are willing to give up their time to run clubs. There is a range of extra curricular activities available for pupils during lunchtime and after school. Parents will be informed about these by the school. In addition to in-school activities, classes also make regular educational visits and field studies. These visits are linked to pupils’ class work.

We place a high priority on the well-being and safety of our pupils. To this end we have in place a personal safety programme to give pupils knowledge and life skills to keep them safe from all form of abuse. Where we have concerns about the possible abuse of pupils we are required to follow the Edinburgh and the Lothian’s Inter-Agency Child Protection Procedures which set out the specific duties and responsibilities towards the child and their parents/carers.