Key Information

Edinburgh Primary ~ A community school with a passion for the arts!

Times of the school day

School starts at 8.45am and finishes at 3.15pm.
Children are late if they arrive at the school gate after 8.45am, when the electronic bell rings.
Entrance to the school is via gates in Queens Road and the exit is via the Kirk Road gate.
The gates are locked at 8.45am and do not open again until 3.00pm. If you need to collect your child during the day, please come to the main school office. The outside gate in Queens Road is locked during the school day. Please press the buzzer to gain access.
For children’s safety and school security if you need to visit the school office at the beginning or end of the day (e.g. query about dinner money) please do not go through the school building but go out of the playground and through the main school entrance in Queens Road.

Collection of children from school

Children in reception classes must be collected by an adult.
Children must be collected by an adult or competent person over the age of 14 (unless in year 5-6 and parents have signed a 'walk home alone' slip).
If a different adult collects the child please inform the class teacher in the morning and/or the office staff. If your arrangements need to change during the day please let us know as soon as possible (please do not leave until 3.15pm to phone as the office is busy at that time).
Year 3-6 children cannot collect younger brothers and sisters as they are not over the age of 14.
It is important that parents keep the school informed about who is collecting children and any changes.
Parents/carers should identify who can collect their child and this info will be kept by the school office. If an adult who is not on the list comes to collect the child there may be a delay before the child is released whilst we check they have permission to do so.

Before school

Children in Year R-4 must not be left unaccompanied in the playground. Parents/carers must wait with them until the doors open at 8.45am.
Children in Year 5-6 can be left in the playground before school should a parent believe they are safe to do so.

Contacting staff

Your child’s teacher will be able to help with any questions you have.
For Y4-6, teachers are upstairs for the 'soft start' so please try and speak at the end of the school day. If it is an emergency, please see a senior member of staff who will be on duty in the playground from 8.30am.
If your query or concern is about administration or finance issue it is often best to ask for clarification at the office. (E.g. Parent Pay queries).
If your query or concern relates to a child’s special educational needs or safeguarding, our sendco, Ms Joseph, can be contacted via the school office.
Please note staff at Edinburgh are not able to sign/certify passport applications.

Birthday sweets

Please make sure sweets are nut free and are halal (generally this means that the sweets should not contain gelatine) so that all the children can be included.
For children in Year R-3 the teacher will give the sweet with the request to ‘show it to your grown up’ so parents/ carers can decide if they can eat it straight away. For children in Year 4 or older, please make sure your child knows if they have your permission to eat it straight away or to wait until later.

Nut free school

We have a number of children with nut allergies and some with a very severe nut allergy where the reaction can be life threatening if there is contact with nuts or nut products.
Therefore, we are a completely nut free school. This means that nuts and nut products must not be on the premises. This includes children’s packed lunches and any food that staff bring in to school.

Break-time snacks and water

Break-time snacks from home should be healthy such as a small sandwich, fruit etc. No other snacks are allowed. Crisps or chocolate or other processed items such as cookies are not allowed.
All children should have a bottle filled with water with their name on it that can be used throughout the day.

Homework

The most important homework is reading. At the early stages of learning to read parents/carers should read with their children for at least 10 minutes each day.
As children become more independent readers, parents/carers should still spend time reading with their child/hearing their child read, but should also encourage them to read independently for a sustained period of time (20/30 minutes).
When children are fluent readers it is still important that parents/carers talk to their children about the books they are reading and about their likes, dislikes and opinions.
Each week, children are given homework - please see the homework policy on the website. We encourage all children to complete their reading, spelling sheet and maths games each evening.

Attendance

Full attendance is very important in ensuring your child is able to do well at school.
In line with LA policy the school does not authorise absence during term time other than for the child’s illness etc. We do not authorise for holidays, going to collect someone from the airport, visiting relatives etc. even if it is for a family celebration etc. (see attendance policy). If children are taken out of school without authorisation a fixed term fine of £60 per child per parent may be imposed.
If your child is ill and cannot attend school please telephone the school office to let us know as soon as possible (preferably before 9am). The school office is open from 8.00am. A note to the teacher on your child’s return to school is also helpful.
We expect that children’s attendance will be above 96% and you may be contacted and there may be a meeting in school if we have concerns about your child’s attendance.
When children’s attendance falls below 90% they are designated by the government as being a ‘persistent absentee’ and we are required to track their absence. This may involve meetings in school.

Medicines

School staff can only administer medication if it is for a chronic condition and is part of a care plan.
If your child is prescribed antibiotics or other medication, please ensure the doctor knows and prescribes medicine that can be administered at home outside of the school day.

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