Friday 5th January 2024
Friday 5th January 2024
We would love you to come and have a tour of our school on Friday 5th January 2024. Please click / tap on ‘Book My Tour’ to choose a time that suits you.
FOREWORD BY MR J LOUGHINS, PRINCIPAL
Dear Parent / Guardian
Welcome to Whitehead Primary School. Whether you are visiting the school or just reading about it, it hope you will enjoy this opportunity to get to know us.
As a school we believe that we are ‘United yet Unique’. We are a team working in partnership with parents to provide a safe, secure and stimulating learning environment, where children can attain their full potential and pursue excellence. In order to achieve this we consider every child to be an individual with his or her own special gifts and talents.
In my desire to get to know children personally, I enjoy reading stories with Nursery, Y1 and Y2 as well as taking assemblies for all of the children throughout the school. Direct engagement with the children is the part of my job that I enjoy the most.
We offer a broad and balanced curriculum designed to challenge the children academically. We also have a wide range of extra curricular activities encouraging teamwork and social as well as physical development. We believe in the balanced development of all pupils, including the personal qualities that will prepare them for life in the community.
Mr J. Loughins BEd MEd PQH(NI) Principal
Feel free to tap / click the section of our prospectus that you would like to visit. Tap the HOME button to return to this page at any time.
AIMS
• To provide a safe, enriching and stimulating environment where children can achieve their full potential, develop self confidence, self-esteem and self-discipline.
• To promote enthusiastic and enquiring attitudes to learning.
• To provide opportunities for children to engage in active learning contexts across all areas of the curriculum, developing skills and capabilities for life long learning.
• To develop communication skills in order to express themselves socially, emotionally, physically, to develop as individuals and engage with others.
• To engage children in effective learning by using a wide range of teaching strategies, balancing whole class, group and individual activities.
• To foster the acquisition of social skills and prepare pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities
and experiences of future life.
• To promote positive attitudes towards an active and healthy lifestyle, relationships, personal growth and change.
• To encourage children to be aware of their rights and responsibilities in order that they might contribute to creating a better world for themselves and those around them.
• To develop an awareness and respect for the similarities and differences in families and people involved in school and
living in the wider community.
• To develop an effective partnership with parents and strong links with the community.
MISSION STATEMENT
We aim to provide, in partnership with parents, a safe, secure and stimulating learning environment where children can achieve their full potential and pursue excellence.
Whitehead Nursery Unit opened in November 2001 and is a purpose-built setting within the grounds of Whitehead Primary School. It caters for 52 pre-school children attending on a part-time basis i.e. 26 in the morning class (8:45 - 11:15am) and 26 in the afternoon class (12:15 - 2:45pm). Under the control of the Education Authority and fully funded by the Department of Education, all children attend 5 days a week.
The building comprises a cloakroom area, well-equipped classroom, carpeted quiet room, children’s toilets, storage facilities and an office/staff-parent room. The extensive outdoor learning environment has a tarmacked playground with markings that is used for a variety of wheeled toys. There is a safety-surfaced climbing area, to which various moveable equipment is added to both support and challenge the children’s physical development. Designated areas have been established to promote children’s creative expression through a range of activities including role play, musical instruments, art & design/mark-making and large construction play. A large, covered sand pit and mud kitchen provide the children with opportunities to explore and be imaginative with natural materials. Children can access freely a wide range of resources from the large garden shed in order to investigate and gain a deeper understanding of their environment.
All equipment is presented in such a way as to stimulate and sustain interest. The sessions provide extended periods of indoor and outdoor learning to minimise interruption to the children. Snack time is also staggered for this purpose, allowing children to choose when they wish to go.
Linking closely with the curriculum, throughout the year children go on a variety of educational trips. These include monthly visits to the library, trips to the local bakery and Foster’s Fruit & Flower shop, and an outing to Streamvale Open Farm. We also have visitors from a range of agencies and services including the NIFRS, PSNI community officers, postal workers and Wee Critters.
THE NURSERY TEAM
The Nursery staff have attained a high standard of qualifications and continuing professional development is undertaken regularly during School Development Days and by attendance at relevant training courses. They relate to various aspects of preschool education such as special educational needs, curriculum development and Nursery leadership/management. The staff also have extensive experience of working with and educating young children, including those with learning difficulties and other barriers to learning. Most recently we undertook training to achieve the Autism NI Impact Award.
Long-term research supports the close correlation between staff education/training and the quality of early education, ultimately ensuring the best long-term outcomes for children. We believe that our setting is best placed to provide the greatest opportunities for young children to learn and to have their individual needs met effectively.
LINKS WITH THE PRIMARY SCHOOL
The Nursery classes are very much part of the rest of the school and are involved as far as possible in all aspects of school life. We attend special assemblies and events, such as fundraising days, and make regular use of the PE hall and school grounds e.g. the orchard and Gruffalo Trail. This helps the children become familiar with the rest of the school environment and staff, ensuring continuity for the majority of children who transition to Year 1.
PLANNING
Children make sense of the world around them through real and first-hand experiences and it is therefore important to recognise that the process of learning i.e. how a child learns is as important as the content i.e. what a child learns. Nursery provides extensive opportunities to promote each child’s development. Our planning reflects closely the Curricular Guidance for Pre-School (2018), which is divided into the following 6 areas of learning:
- Personal, Social & Emotional Development
- Physical Development & Movement
- Language Development
- The Arts
- Early Mathematical Experiences
- World Around Us
These areas are presented in a holistic way through experiences children are exposed to and activities in which they engage, including:
- Imaginative Play: role play scenarios such as the home, hospital, shop, hairdressers, post office, outdoor playhouse, performing stage and prop boxes
- Natural Materials: damp and dry sand, water, bark, soil, pliable materials (dough, clay etc) and woodwork tools and equipment
- Art & Design: activities including painting, printing, drawing, collage, junk modelling
- Construction: a wide variety of large and small commercially produced construction toys and loose parts/junk items e.g. crates, planks and tyres
- Tabletop Equipment: mathematical and language games including matching, sorting and pattern-making tasks, board games, fine manipulation toys and jigsaw puzzles
- Small World Play: e.g. cars and garage, dolls’ house, farm, woodland and zoo animals
- Musical Equipment: a range of percussion and simple tuned instruments and recorded music to develop listening skills, an awareness of patterns and rhythm and self-expression and creativity. We also have a large music wall outdoors.
- Literacy Resources: as well as ensuring a wide range of reading and mark-making / writing materials at various activities, there are specifically designated areas e.g. book corner, writing area
- Cookery: an opportunity to explore early science and technology through basic baking and cooking activities
- The Natural World: growing plants indoors and outdoors, observing and investigating living things using simple equipment and experiencing and exploring weather and seasons etc
- Large Apparatus: climbing frames, balancing equipment, rockers, wheeled toys, tunnels, balls, bats etc
- ICT: Interactive Smart Board, PC, iPads, MP3 players, programmable and remote-control toys etc
MONITORING & ASSESSMENT
To ensure all children are making sound progress in each area of development, Nursery staff closely monitor them throughout the year by way of observations, both incidental and planned. These are used to compile assessment profiles, which provide valuable information to share with parents at interviews that are held at the end of October and in mid-February. At the end of the year, each parent receives a transition report, copies of which are sent to the Year 1 teachers, with whom the staff have excellent links.
SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS
The Nursery has established effective working relationships with other professionals who are involved in children’s care, education and development e.g. speech & language therapists, occupational therapists and educational psychologists. In accordance with the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice, where appropriate, an Action Plan or a Pupil Learning Plan is drawn up for any child who presents with a specific learning difficulty e.g. speech, language and communication, behavioural issue, ASD. These are reviewed three times each year and the Special Needs Co-ordinator is kept informed of each child’s progress. We encourage parents to share in confidence with us any concerns or worries, no matter how seemingly insignificant, as this enables us to best meet children’s needs by helping to overcome any potential issues.
COMMUNICATION
Parents are kept informed regularly via the school’s website and Seesaw, our home-school communication. Newsletters outline the topics and areas being focussed upon during that month or period and therefore enable parents to reinforce what children are learning in Nursery. They also highlight the dates of various events/holidays taking place both in the Nursery unit and the rest of the school. Photographs of the children are sent home weekly to enable parents to view what and how their children are learning through their play.
NURSERY FUND
Each day, a healthy snack is prepared for the children, which includes a choice of milk and water and a variety of healthy options (adhering to Education Authority North-Eastern Region guidelines) including crackers, bagels, pancakes, fruit, vegetables and yoghurt. Parents make a voluntary contribution of £3 per week to Nursery fund, which covers the cost of snack as well as enabling the purchase of items including play dough and baking ingredients and small equipment. A birthday card and cake are provided for each child on his/her special day. The fund is also used to cover the costs of visitors to Nursery such as Jo Jingles and Wee Critters.
CHILDREN’S BELONGINGS
Each child attending Nursery is
allocated a symbol which is above
both his/her coat peg and
bathroom peg, where a bag is
provided in which to keep a change
of clothing. The symbols also
correspond to our pigeonhole system, enabling parents and children to find easily and collect their children’s work each day.
PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT
We greatly welcome the involvement of parents and carers in the life of Nursery. This may include assisting with supervision that enables our planned topic-linked trips to take place. We also facilitate ‘Stay & Play’ days each term, when parents have opportunities to come in and play with their children, providing a snapshot of how they are learning through play. They are always very well supported and, for many, are a highlight of the year. A parent-helper rota operates in terms 2 and 3, whereby parents come in to help with preparation of materials as well as work with small groups of children under the guidance of the teacher. To safeguard the children, any parent or carer coming to Nursery to help in any way will be required to
complete an Access NI form and attend a Child Protection/Safeguarding training meeting that
will take place in September.
When last inspected by The Education and Training Inspectorate, we were delighted when the inspectors stated that:
“The quality of education provided by this school is very good. The school is meeting very effectively the educational and pastoral needs of the children and has demonstrated its capacity for sustained self-improvement.”
The inspection report stated,
“The whole school self-evaluation and school development planning (SDP) are very good. There is a well embedded culture of self-evaluation across the school to effect improvement; in particular the use of classroom observation to improve further the quality of the provision and the standards attained by the children.”
What’s so good about our school?
In questionnaires completed by the staff they
“indicated that they are happy and proud working in the school, feel valued and supported by the management and appreciate the opportunities for staff to plan together and their involvement in the whole- school decision making process. The staff are totally committed to providing the best both academically, socially and pastorally for all the children.”
With reference to the Nursery Unit the inspectors stated,
“The nursery unit has a very positive ethos and the working relationships at all levels are characterised by mutual respect which promotes the children’s self-confidence, self-esteem and very good behaviour.” In addition, “The children are making very good progress, particularly in their early language and communication skills and in mathematical understanding.”
In terms of Pastoral Care the children are very well cared for. The inspection report stated,
“The outworking of the school’s anti-bullying policy is very good. This is evident through the excellent behaviour of the children and the welcoming ethos. The school has created an atmosphere in which the children are valued and supported in their learning and their achievements are well celebrated.”
In terms of the quality of teaching throughout the school it was stated,
“The teachers use a range of active and practical learning and teaching strategies to engage the children, to empower them to manage their own learning, to challenge their thinking, to extend their learning and to promote their oracy skills.”
Referring to the pupils the inspectors stated,
“The children express themselves with clarity and increasing fluency, participating well in group work and class discussion. They read with a very good degree of confidence.”
The work of Special Educational Needs was highly commended with the inspectors stating,
“The children who have been identified as having additional learning needs are well supported by the teachers and learning support assistants. Assessment data is used well by the staff to both identify early the children who require additional support and to identify specific targets which are appropriate to the individual needs of the child: these targets are reviewed regularly and used effectively by the teachers to inform classroom practice.”
The Inspectors met with some of the Year 6 children and recorded that they
“spoke enthusiastically about many aspects of school life including their enjoyment of learning, the kind, supportive teachers and their appreciation of, and participation in the wide range of extracurricular
activities open to them.”
What’s so good about our school?
We believe that children who develop an interest in their appearance carry this attitude into other areas of school life. We prefer uniform and we urge parents to send their children to school in uniform every day. An exception is made when a non-uniform day is declared. Uniform is practical and emphasises the school policy that all children are treated alike.
UNIFORM
White shirt/blouse
School tie
Navy blue pullover/ cardigan or sweatshirt White polo shirt
Grey trousers/ skirt or pinafore
Black shoes
*A blue and white striped dress may be worn in the summer months.
*For PE lessons pupils are asked to wear white polo shirts and navy blue shorts.
Football shirts are discouraged for PE lessons. They may be used for after school activities. We discourage the
wearing of sports kit carrying advertisements
for tobacco or alcohol products.
BREAK
We encourage our pupils to make healthy informed choices
about food. Bringing a piece of fruit, vegetables etc. for
break would be a positive healthy choice. Children are also
encouraged to drink water throughout the school day.
LUNCH
School meals are cooked on site in our superbly equipped
kitchen. The menus are provided in advance and all meals
are prepared in line with the Government’s most recent
nutritional guidelines. Application forms for pupils entitled to free school meals are available from the school office. Those who bring a packed lunch are supervised in their classroom.
What would like to be when you grow up?
ETHOS
In Whitehead Nursery Unit, we work in partnership with parents, carers and other outside agencies to foster a welcoming, safe and stimulating environment for the children. Through their play and other learning opportunities, children are encouraged to be curious, experiment with ideas, explore and discover. In doing so, they can build progressively on their knowledge, understanding and skills in all areas of development, achieve their full potential and acquire a lifelong love of learning.
Through all activities, both planned and spontaneous, the staff promote children’s communication skills with adults and their peers in a variety of social contexts. Small and large group play is key to raising awareness of diversity in all its forms and in developing respect for themselves and others. All opportunities are used to encourage independence, taking risks, building emotional resilience and the ability to manage their behaviour in different situations.
CORE VALUES
Our core values are based on the word SHINE.
As adults in Whitehead Primary School we:
Share - We share this space. In doing so, we share a smile, laughter and fun. We willingly share our time, resources, knowledge and responsibilities.
Help - We recognise that we all have key roles and responsibilities.
Include - Through our inclusive ethos we value everyone in our school community.
Nurture - We continually encourage and care for each other.
Excel - We aspire to be the best we can be so the children are the best they can be.
Parents are invited to become involved in the life of the school. Currently, a number of parents come in during the day and help in many ways. Teachers welcome the offer of assistance with the organisation of class library periods. Help with photocopying and general assistance in classrooms is also appreciated, while parents are required from time to time to accompany school parties on educational visits. All offers of help are greatly valued and this scheme provides an opportunity for further contact with the teachers and the children. Parents willing to volunteer for these activities will be required to undergo Child Protection training and a police check.
SUPPORT FOR CHARITIES
Each year the Pupil Voice, which represents the pupils, chooses a charity to be supported. They are also responsible for organising an event in order to raise money for the charity.
THE SCHOOL & THE COMMUNITY
Every opportunity is taken to involve the children in the local community and to invite members of the community to visit classes in school. We have great links with local churches, youth groups and residential homes.
PARENTS AND THE SCHOOL
All parents are encouraged to take an active part in their children’s education and are welcome to visit our school. This may be on a casual basis or for a formal interview, by appointment, with a teacher or the principal.
What would like to be when you grow up?
Our children have the opportunity to take part in a huge range of extra-curricular activities. These vary according to season but include Football, Hockey, Rugby, Netball, Art and Drama. In addition, we offer an extensive range of additional clubs, through privately run organisations such as Irish Dancing, Coding Club and Ju-Jitsu.
Our sports teams regularly represent the school in local tournamnets and competitions. Our choir and musicians do likewise during school productions and our annual Carol Service.
Our Year 6 & 7 pupils get the opportnity to take part in a school production. This year we are prforming Matilda The Musical.
In our school, we believe that outdoor play and outdoor learning is essential for healthy development, especially in children’s early years as being energetic outside, provides children with invaluable experiences that can directly influence their physical and emotional development, social skills, creativity and even their intelligences.
One of the key benefits of learning outdoors is the range of sensory experiences that our children encounter. They are exposed to nature and can connect with our amazing outdoor environment in a more meaningful way. They also develop a wide range of physical skills, including balance, coordination, and dexterity, in a natural environment. Additionally, outdoor learning provides an opportunity for children to take reasonable risks and challenge themselves, which is essential for healthy child development.
We believe that an environment that values and encourages outdoor learning leads to a culture of educating the whole child and provides children with essential skills needed to succeed in school and beyond.
We are an Eco School and hold the prestigious Green Flag which is awarded for meeting high standards in terms of
environmental awareness, policy, procedure and learning.
Our Eco Committee gives pupils a lead role in maintaining a
whole school approach to environmental education and
ensuring we have as positive an impact as possible on our
environment.
We are also an accredited Forest School with NIFSA and our pupils engage in regular Forest Schools activities in local
woodlands and on our extensive site, which includes an orchard, outdoor classroom, fire pit, sensory courtyard,
wildlife areas, pond and Gruffalo Trail.
YELLOW CAPS
In Year 7 our pupils take on additioanl duties / responsibilities as Yellow Caps. They help the younger pupils at break and lunchtimes, work as mediators in the playgrounds and assist in the dinner hall.
PUPIL VOICE
Being Heard...
We believe giving our children a voice is important and their participation in the school decision making process is vital. Our school council, called Pupil Voice, has been established for a
number of years now. It is made up of pupil representatives from Key Stage 1 and 2 classes. Pupil Voice representatives meet on a regular basis to discuss issues raised at Class Councils and to discuss areas for development within our school.
ECO-COMMITTEE
Our Eco-Committee is made up of elected representatives from Key Stage 1 & 2 classes. They make sure, as a school, we recycle as much material as possible such as paper and food waste, as well as raise awareness of key environmental issues.
HOUSE SYSTEM
In Whitehead Primary School, every pupil is assigned to a house. We have four houses: Temple, Castle, Donegall and Chester. Throughout the year, houses compete against each other in a range of events. House Captains are elected in Year 7 and they represent their houses by supporting the younger pupils and organising and promoting house events. House points are also awarded for good work, good behaviour and various positive actions observed in the form of House Tokens. These are stored and displayed in the school foyer and are counted half-termly by our House Captains. The house with the most points at the end of each term recieve a lovely treat!
YEAR 4
Caroline Love (R13)
Marilyn Braden (CA), Hollie Leckie (CA)
Lisa Murphy (R14) - PDMU Curriculum Leader
Joanne Parkes (CA)
YEAR 5
Jennifer Hill (R5) (Mon – Wed) Literacy Curriculum Leader, Alison Bloomfield (Thurs – Fri) (R5)
Catherine Shaw/Chloe Dunlop (R12)
Heather Todd (CA), Jill Douglas (CA)
YEAR 6
Ailsa Roddick (R6)
Louise Vennard (CA)
Kerry Knipe (R7) - PE Curriculum Leader & First Aid
Angela McCready (CA)
The Board of Governors are representative of the whole school community. I am particularly thankful to the governors listed below who have agreed to serve for an additional year (due to the impact of Covid).
BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Chair Person - Denise Kiley - Transferor
Vice Chair Person - Olive Crooks - Transferor
Harry Armstrong - Transferor
Alison Howlette - Parent Representative
Fiona Taylor - Parent Representative
Sarah Chowne - Education Authority Representative
Graeme Baird - Teacher Representative
NURSERY
Roisin McConnell - Deputy Designated Teacher for Child Protection
Jayne Gray (NA Mon – Fri), Judith Ferguson (NA Mon – Wed), Deborah Holmes (NA Thurs & Fri)
YEAR 1
Lois Parkes (R1) - LSC
Gemma King (CA Mon & Tue), June Morton (CA Wed – Fri),
Sarah Kidd (R2) – Senior Teacher, Deputy Designated Teacher for Child Protection, PBL & ABL Curriculum Leader, EHWB & CASE co-ordinator
Laura MacDonald (CA)
YEAR 2
Megan Hagan (R3)
Nicola Williamson (CA)
Hannah McClay (R4) - Arts Curriculum Leader
Jean Orchin (CA), Victoria Mulholland (CA)
YEAR 3
Charlotte Clarke (R10)
Jodie Anderson (CA)
Leanne Graham (R11) - Numeracy Curriculum Leader
Catherine Soper (GA)
YEAR 7
Jonathan Addis (R8)
Lynne Steele (CA)
Graeme Baird (R9) - VP, Deputy Designated Teacher for Child Protection, Assessment & ICT CL
Pamela Barr (CA)
S.E.N SUPPORT
Wendy Grier (Mon – Wed), Hazel Maguire (Thurs – Fri) - Literacy Catch Up
LIBRARIAN
Anne Graham
BUILDING SUPERVISOR
Andrew Brown
CROSSING PATROL
Hilary Donaldson
SENIOR CLERICAL OFFICER
Elaine Lowry
PRINCIPAL
Jim Loughins - Designated Teacher for Child Protection
Applications for Y1 & Nursery should be completed online at www.eani.org.uk/parents/admissions. The application process will open at 12.00noon on Tuesday 10th January and close at 12.00noon on Friday 27th January.
If you would like to chat to be me about any aspect of school or you would like any help with the application process don’t hesitate to contact us on 02893353280 or by email at jloughins453@c2kni.net.
Admissions to the Primary School
Our admissions number is 56 and our enrolment number is 390.
The policy is to enrol children in Year 1 who are compulsory school age. The pattern of applications and admissions to Y1 classes in the school over the past four years was as follows:
Whitehead Primary School
3 Islandmagee Road
Whitehead
BT38 9NE
Telephone: 028 93 353280
Email: jloughins453@c2kni.net
CLASS ORGANISATION
Classes are arranged in year groups on the mixed ability principle. There are occasions when teachers from different classes interchange. This is usually during afternoons for practical lessons when two teachers may work in one class or the class is split into smaller units. Such flexibility is increasingly valuable when children undertake investigative work and practical activities.
Classes are taught using an individual, paired, group or whole class arrangement, depending upon the lesson content and other circumstances. Whatever system is adopted, emphasis is placed on each child developing an independent, enquiring and enterprising approach to learning in a positive atmosphere of support and encouragement.
ASSESSMENT & RECORD KEEPING
Assessment is carried out as part of the normal routine of each class. The system of marking is standardised throughout the school and constructive guidance forms the basis of teachers' remarks and provides positive support for both parents and children. Records of each child's performance and samples of work from Year 1 to Year 7 are kept in folders that are passed on from year to year. Any information compiled on a pupil may be seen by a parent on request.
Transfer to Post Primary School:
ATTENDANCE RATE
We believe attendance to be very important and carefully monitor the attendance of the children. Parents are asked to make every effort to arrange family holidays during times of school closure.
CROSSING PATROL
Hilary Donaldson, our Crossing Patrol person, will be on patrol at the following times:
8.30am - 9.10 am
1.30 pm - 2.10 pm
2.30 pm - 3.10 pm
Parents are reminded that, if the Crossing Patrol is absent for any reason, we will make every effort to ensure that an adult is present to supervise the children as they cross the road, however this may not always be possible.
ARRIVAL AT SCHOOL & PARKING
All children should arrive in school between 8.45 – 9.00am. Parents arriving at the school gate by vehicle to deliver or collect children are urged to obey the parking regulations indicated by the road markings. In this way the safety of all children will be taken into account. At the side entrance of the school (Donegall Avenue) children should always use the pedestrian access. The vehicular entrance is for staff members & goods vehicles only.
CHILD PROTECTION
Any concerns about the safety and protection of children enrolled in the school should be brought to the attention of the School’s Designated Teacher for Child Protection. If the concern were to involve the principal, it should be referred to the Chairman of the Board of Governors.
Designated Teacher
Mr Jim Loughins (Principal’s Office)
Deputy Designated Teachers
Mr G Baird (Room 9)
Mrs Roisin McConnell (Nursery)
Mrs Sarah Kidd (Room 2)
Clear procedures for dealing with concerns are outlined in the school’s Child Protection Policy. The school policies on Child Protection, Positive Behaviour Management, Anti-Bullying and Drug Abuse, all of which are fully integrated within our Pastoral Care Policy are regularly reviewed by the Board of Governors, the principal and staff of the school. Copies of these are always available in school.
Comments from parents on any aspect of a policy concerned with the pastoral care of children in the school will be welcomed.
THE CHARGES & REMISSIONS POLICY
The Charges and Remissions Policy of the school conforms to regulations and advice from the Department of Education. Charges made for education or transport are considered as optional extras. Charges will be also be levied for board and lodging for residential visits, which are optional extras and not part of the main school curriculum. Parents may be asked for voluntary contributions to cover the cost of a short educational visit or a special event in school, like a visit from a professional drama group. Children in the Nursery Unit & the Primary School are encouraged to support the school PTA events which are designed to bring an element of fun, a sense of community and raise much needed funds for school.
COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
As a school we operate an ‘Open Door’ policy and should you ever have any concerns please contact your child’s teacher (directly through Seesaw) in the first instance and subsequently the principal should you feel that the concern has not been resolved. Don’t hesitate to approach the principal at the front gate each morning, contact him on 02893353280 or email him at jloughins453@c2kni.net. If required, there is no difficulty in planning a face-to-face meeting. In an instance where a concern has not been resolved and you wish to make a complaint there are two stages in the complaints procedure.
At Stage One, outline your complaint to the principal in writing. The complaint will normally* be acknowledged within 10 days and a response normally* made within 20 days. This response will be issued in writing by the principal and will indicate with reasons whether the complaint has been upheld, partially upheld or not upheld. Should the complaint be about the principal, proceed to stage two.
t Stage Two the complaint will be overseen by the Board of Governors. Please outline your complaint in writing to the Chair Person of the Board of Governors who will convene a committee to review the complaint. The complaint will normally* be acknowledged within 10 days and a response normally* made within 20 days. This response will be issued in writing by the Chair Person of the committee and will indicate with reasons whether the complaint has been upheld, partially upheld or not upheld.
*These timeframes may need to be reviewed if the complaints are ongoing during the school holidays.
If following Stage Two you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of your complaint, you can refer the matter to the Office of the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman (NIPSO). The school will advise in its concluding letter that the complaint may be referred to the NIPSO if you remain dissatisfied.
The Ombudsman provides a free, independent and impartial service for handling complaints about schools in Northern Ireland. You have the right to complain to the Ombudsman if you feel that you have been treated unfairly or have received a poor service from a school and your complaint has not been resolved to your satisfaction. A complaint should normally be referred to NIPSO within six months of the final response from the school. Contact details for NIPSO are:
Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman
Office of the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman
Progressive House, 33 Wellington Place, Belfast, BT1 6HN
Freepost: FREEPOST NIPSO
Telephone: 02890 233821
Freephone: 0800 34 34 24
Email: nipso@nipso.org.uk
Web: www.nipso.org.uk
