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Frequently Asked Questions

9. If my child is not in a feeder Primary School can he/she access the Primary Transition Programme.

10. What do I do If I have a concern and wish to see someone at St Modan's for help or advice?

1. What should I do if my child is going to be late to school?

From August 2008 - If your child arrives at school before 8.30am he/she should go directly to PSD class to register with their PSD teacher. Arrival at school later than 8.40am requires that your child should sign-in to school using the latecomer log at reception. Leanne, at reception will be happy to advise. Once your child has signed in he/she will be given a late-slip which must be signed by all teachers to confirm attendance in classes during that school day. This late-slip should be returned to the PSD teacher during PSD time the following day.

Latecoming is closely monitored. Persistent late-coming will not be tolerated.

2. Who should I contact if I have concerns about my child in school?

In the first instance parents should phone the school and ask to speak to the child's Pupil Support & Development (PSD) teacher. This will be the same teacher who registers your child every morning and will know your child best. Please remember that Pupil Support and Development teachers have a heavy class commitment and in many cases will not be available to take your call. If you leave a message your child's PSD teacher will be happy to call you back to discuss your concerns.

In serious cases you may wish to ask to speak to the Depute Head Teacher with responsibility for the appropriate year group.

3. What happens if my child misses the school bus at the end of the school day?

Childen who miss the bus at the end of a school day should never make their own way home. Your child should report directly to the teachers attending the bus-bays who will attend to them quickly. In such cases the school will contact the chid's home by telephone to arrange for the child to be picked up promptly by a friend or relative.

4. What if my child is absent from school?

Section 30 of the 1980 Education Act lays a duty on every parent of a child of 'school age' to ensure that their child attends school regularly. Attendance must be recorded twice a day, morning and afternoon. Regulation 7 of The Education (School and Placing Information) (Scotland) Amendment, Regulations 1993 requires each child's absence from school to be recorded in the school register as authorised that is approved by the authority, or unauthorised - that is unexplained by the parent (truancy) or temporarily excluded from school. Every effort should be made to avoid family holidays during term time as this both disrupts the child's education and reduces learning time. Such absence will be authorised only where attendance is otherwise satisfactory. Clearly where attendance is unsatisfactory, absence is unauthorised. Parents may request that their children be permitted to be absent from school to make an extended visit to relatives. Only written requests detailing the destination, the duration and the provision that will be made for their continuing education will be granted and the pupil noted as an authorised absentee in the register. Clearly, with no explanation from the parent, the absence is unauthorised.

Parents are therefore requested to contact our school by letter or phone if their child is likely to be absent for some time, and to give the child a note on his or her return to school, confirming the reason for absence.

An authorised absence is one that is covered by a note from the parent for a reason accepted by the Authority. Unauthorised absences will be pursued by the Authority through its Officers, Children's Panels etc.

5. Who is my child's Pupil Support Teacher and Year Head?

Your child will be able to tell you the name of their Pupil Support teacher. Nevertheless the list below should help you if you know whatt form class you child is in.

S1: Principal Teacher of Pupil Support is Ms P Gallagher

1A - Mr N Brown, 1B - Ms K Douglas, 1C - Mr B Chadwick, 1D - Mrs M Farrugia,
1E - Ms L Bagley, 1F - Mr E Love

S2: Principal Teacher of Pupil Support is Ms M Cowie

2A - Mrs J Gilbert, 2B - Mr M Richardson, 2C - Ms C Waller, 2D - Ms M McCaffrey,
2E Mrs A Kerr, 2F Mr C Johnstone

S3: Principal Teacher of Pupil Support is Mrs T Murray

3A - Mr M Hatch, 3B - Ms G Blair, 3C - Mr G Boyce, 3D - Mr D Welsh,
3E - Mrs P Stirling

S4: Principal Teacher of Pupil Support is Ms N Conetta

4A - Mrs Millar, 4B - Mrs L Robinson, 4C - Mr S Curran, 4D - Mrs K Gunning,
4E - Ms C Gibson, 4F - Ms L McDonald, 4G - Ms N McCloskey

S5: Principal Teacher of Pupil Support is Mr J Massey

5A - Mr S Quigley, 5B - Ms M MacKenzie, 5C - Ms Collin, 5D - Mrs C Arciero, 5E - Mrs M White, 5F - Mrs A McGinley

S6: Principal Teacher of Pupil Support is Mr J Massey

6A - Mrs A Pennock, 6B - Mrs E Nimmo, 6C - Mrs A Smart

In addition, Depute Head Teachers have overall responsibility for year groups as follows..........

S6: Mr O Kelly S4/5: Mrs M Wilkinson S3: Mr McGeehan S2: Mrs C Hatch S1: Mr R O'Neill Back to top

6. My child will arrive at school without full uniform. What should I do?

All pupils are required to wear full school uniform, including the school maroon jacket and school tie every day. If for any reason a pupil arrives at school without full uniform he/she should report immediately to their DHT Year Head to explain. It is helpful if parents send a note of explanation. In some cases pupils may be given a loan of a tie for the day which should be returned at the end of the school day. Ties should then be purchased from the main office at a cost of £3. Only in very exceptional circumstances will any pupil be allowed to attend classes wearing trainers or other sportswear. From August 2008 changes have been agreed to the school uniform in consultation with pupils, parents, staff and businesses surrounding the new school. Please ensure that your child's uniform meets the standards expected of them with regards to school dress.

7. Must my child be Catholic to attend St Modans?

No.

Catholic children have an entitlement to attend a Catholic school wherever possible. St Modan's High School has a significant number of pupils who are not Catholic. This school is a Catholic School which welcomes children from all faiths. Where pupils do not attend a St Modan's partner Primary School or where they do not live in St Modan's catchment area Stirling Council may require parents to make a formal placing request and this may have implications for childrens' entitlement to free school transport. Mr Kelly (DHT) is responsible for our very effective Primary/Secondary liaison and will be happy to discuss this with you should you require more details with regards to moving to St Modan's from Primary 7.

8. What are the times of the school day?

The School Day (from August 2008)

PSD Class:         8.30 - 8.40a.m

Period 1:              8.40 - 9.35am

Period 2:              9.35 - 10.30am

INTERVAL          10.30 - 10.45am

Period 3:              10.45 - 11.40am

Period 4:              11.40 - 12.35pm

LUNCH                  12.35 - 1.10pm

Period 5:                1.10 - 2.00pm

Period 6:                2.00 - 2.50pm

On certain days beginning Mondays from August 2008

Period 7: 2.50 - 4.10pm

Period 7 applies to Mondays only from 25th August to Monday 13h April. From the week beginning Monday 20th april Period 7 applies to Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays until 13th May, 2009.

During Period 7 all pupils S1-S4 will partcipate in a wide range of timetabled Creative, Physical and Enterprise activities. These will be available to, but optional for, S5 & S6. On Period 7 days all buses will depart the school at 4.10pm.

Pupils will choose Period 7 activities from a wide range of options. As well as some activities already well established, these will include activities made possible by our proximity to the new Sports Village which is scheduled to open in March 2009.

9. If my child is not in a feeder Primary School can he/she access the Primary Transition Programme.

Yes.

Please call Mr Kelly (DHT) to discuss how this can be done for your child if they intend to enrol in St Modan's High School.

10. What do I do If I have a concern and wish to see someone at St Modan's for help or advice?

Please phone the school to make an appointment in the first instance or give us a contact number for us to speak to you!

Parents are always welcome at St Modan's and for this reason we operate a 'Drop in' invitation . If you happen to be passing the school, why not drop in and see us! No appointment is necessary after 3.30pm - there is usually a member of the Senior Management available from then until after 5.00pm.

We would greatly welcome such informal contacts with parents and prospective parents.