Pupil Care and Welfare
Attendance
Parents are responsible for making sure their children go to school. Pupils are allowed time away from school of they are ill or have a medical appointment. Any unauthorised absences will be recorded if they stay away for other reasons.
Further information on attendance at school is available from the Scottish Government’s website. A link in provided in the ‘Related Sites’ section of this page.
Bullying in Schools
When bullying is alleged, we take the matter extremely seriously. All local schools have developed anti-bullying measures with advice and support from the Council and the Scottish Executive. Your first point of contact should be your school’s Head Teacher. Details of how to contact them can be found on the ‘School Contact Information’ page which can be accessed from the ‘Related Links’ section of this page. A copy of Orkney Islands Council's Anti-Bullying Policy can be downloaded in PDF format from the 'Related Downloads' section of this page.
Child Protection
The issues of child protection can be worrying, complex and stressful. The Practice Guidance used by staff within the education service is available from the 'Related Downloads' section of this page. More information, including Orkney's Interagency Guidance is available from the ‘Related Links’ section of this page.
Disclosure Checks
If your job means working with children you’ll first need to complete a criminal records check through the agency, Disclosure Scotland. This also applies to volunteer helpers and parent helpers. The results of the check are treated confidentially.
Further information is available from Disclosure Scotland. A link to their website is provided in the ‘Related Sites’ section of this page.
Drug Misuse in Schools
A policy has been developed for Head Teachers informing them of the steps to take should an incident involving drug misuse be reported in school.
Grants, Loans and Bursaries
Information on grants, loans and bursaries from Education, Leisure and Housing, including Education Maintenance Allowances (EMA), Further Education Bursaries and free school meals and clothing allowances, is available from the ‘Related Links’ section of this page.
Enrolment
Information on school and nursery enrolment in Orkney is available from the ‘Related Links’ section of this page.
Medicines in School
To allow pupils to take or be given medication at school minimises the disruption which could be caused by illness and allows their education to proceed at a steady rate alongside their peers. Please contact your school for further information using the contact details available from the ‘Related Links’ section of this page.
General Health Advice
Further information and advice on children’s health can be obtained from the children’s health advice section of the NHS website. A link has been provided in the ‘Related Sites’ section of this page.
Home Education
Under Scottish law, parents can opt to educate their children at home if they wish. It means parents taking full responsibility for their children’s schooling, but Education services do monitor the education they are receiving.
Further information on home education is available from the ‘Related Links’ section of this page.
Looked After Children
The majority of young people who are looked after away from home come from families who experience hardship and they are separated from their parents because of some form of family upheaval or breakdown. If children are removed from their own homes, there is a duty to ensure that the care and support provided to them is better than they previously expected.
Parental Involvement
Information on parental involvement and parent councils can be accessed from the ‘Parental Involvement’ section of this website, which can be accessed from the ‘Related Links’ section of this page.
School Security
Our schools do everything they can to ensure the safety and wellbeing of pupils and staff. Their safety procedures are regularly reviewed to make sure that they are working effectively.
School Transport
For further information on transport to and from school, please visit the ‘School Transport’ section of this website, which can be accessed from the ‘Related Links’ section of this page.
Further Information
For further information on any of these areas, please contact us at:
Education, Leisure and Housing, Orkney Islands Council, School Place, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NY.
Telephone: 01856873535.
Email: Education and Leisure.
