FAQs

What are school opening and closing times?

School starts at 8.50am each day and all pupils will be ready to pick up in the afternoon at 3:15pm each day Monday – Thursday and 8.50am-12.25pm each Friday.

We also hope run a breakfast club from 8am Mon-Fri which includes a healthy breakfast. Due to current restrictions, we are unable to run this just now and are awaiting confirmation that this can take place from August. There is no need to book ahead, please access via the main office door.
Our breakfast club is funded by the Greggs Foundation and is free of charge to all learners.

What uniform should I buy?

Please note that Primary 1 uniform is as follows:

Grey/Black shorts, trousers, skirt or pinafore
Maroon polo shirt
Maroon jumper
Black shoes

P1 may also choose to wear a white school shirt and tie if desired (first tie provided by school).

PE kit consists of:
House t-shirt or plain white t-shirt
Plain black shorts or tracksuit bottoms (no logos)
House hoodie, P.E hoodie or plain hoodie (no logos)
Appropriate footwear – e.g trainers or gym rubbers
(P.E days will be announced by your child’s class teacher)

You can choose to buy uniform with our school logo from our uniform provider at the following link

http://sacredheart.imagescotland.com

However, uniform with the school logo is not compulsory and plain items that match the school uniform colour are also welcomed.

What do I do if my child is late to school?

Please ensure your child goes to the school office if arriving late so that their attendance can be recorded.

What do I do if I am going to be late in collecting my child?

There are times when parents are late collecting their child from school, if this is going to happen we ask that school is informed as soon as possible and the expected delay is given.

Can I send someone else to pick up my child?

If you need someone else to come to school to collect your child, please speak to the class teacher in the morning or leave a message with the school office.

How do I report my child’s absence from school?

If your child is going to be absent from school, please phone the school office on the day of the absence before 9.30am. A message can also be left on the answer machine.

What should I put in my child’s packed lunch?

All primary 1s are entitled to a free school meal at lunch time. However we understand that some parents prefer to send a packed lunch to school.
If you would like your child to have a packed lunch, we encourage children to bring healthy foods to school which could include items such as fruit, vegetables, pasta or rice salads and yoghurts. We ask that children do not bring nuts to school as some children in school have allergies.

What do I do if my child is prescribed medication?

If your child needs to have medication at school you must complete a form at the school office. We ask that medication at school is kept to a minimum and if medication can be administered outside of school hours, we encourage this.

If your child requires an inhaler, this will be stored in a cotton bag in the child’s classroom.

If your child requires an adrenaline pen, we request that two are provided to school, one for the child’s classroom and one for the school office.

What happens if my child has a medical/dental appointment?

Please try to arrange medical appointments outside of school time. If this is unavoidable, we ask that you bring the appointment letter to the school office so it can be recorded on the register.

How much is after school club and how do I book it?

YMCA provide wraparound care for Sacred Heart. Please see the information in your pack for further details or contact the YMCA directly at 01968 674851 or via their website:

http://www.penicuikymca-ywca.org.uk/


If it is my child’s birthday, can I send in sweets/treats?

We are a healthy school and we ask that children do not bring cakes, sweets or treats into school. We will mark the child’s birthday in class on the day and make them feel special and also in assembly that week.

What is Read Write Inc?
Your child will learn to read through our phonics programme, Read Write Inc. They will begin by learning ‘Set 1’ sounds, which they will then learn to blend together to make words. The video at the link below explains a bit more about the programme we follow:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjlPILhk7bQ

I learned to read sounds differently. What if I confuse my child and teach them the wrong thing?
Don’t worry – you’re not alone! The video below will help you to pronounce the sounds correctly:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkXcabDUg7Q

What is Fred Talk?

If your child’s school is using Read Write Inc. Phonics, teachers will introduce your child to a toy frog called Fred once he or she is ready to start reading words.

Fred can only say the sounds in a word and needs your child to help him read the word. Fred will say the sounds and children will work out the word. For example, Fred will say the sounds c–a–t, and children will say the word cat. This is Fred Talk: sounding out the word.

What are the main things I can do to help my child prepare for Primary 1?

It would be great if you could help your child prepare for school by helping them to learn:

to identify their name
to identify their own coat, lunchbox, water bottle
to dress and undress themselves, including zips and buttons
to go to the toilet independently
to wash their hands independently
to use a knife and fork correctly
to take turns in a game
to communicate their feelings
to brush their own teeth
to read a story together and talk about the story
to organise their own uniform and school belongings each night before school
to make healthy food choices

Please note this list is not exhaustive!