Category: Child Welfare

Whether it’s related to healthy, fitness, anti-bullying, pastoral care at the school or any other related matter — this is where to find any of news about things that impact on the welfare of pupils at Breadalbane Academy.

The ‘dogs on campus’ puzzle

Some parents feel really strongly that the blanket ban forbidding dogs from the campus at school drop-off and pick-up times is too strict. They have asked the school to reconsider. The school has replied saying it has to put the interests of pupils first. But if parents can come up with a workable solution, it’s willing to listen.

Here are the elements of the problem:

  • Some kids are very frightened of dogs.
  • The fear of coming into contact with dogs makes these kids not want to come to school.
  • Any solution we propose cannot involve the risk of kids who don’t like dogs meeting dogs.
  • We can’t ask kids to limit their movements, so dogs and their owners would have to be out of the way somewhere
  • The solution can’t increase the number of kids crossing the road (i.e dog owners waiting for their kids on the grassy area behind the cars).
  • The school cannot release kids in P3 or younger unless there is a parent or authorised adult at the school exit to meet them.

The final point means that you couldn’t for instance, have a P1 parent waiting with their dog off campus on Alma Avenue and expect their child to leave school and meet them. The teacher simply isn’t allowed to let that child leave school, unless they can see the parent or carer who is there to collect them and observe that collection happening.

There’s a map of the campus above, to help you as you mull this over. If you have any helpful suggestions, please let us know. Our email address is chairperson@breadalbaneparents.com.

Highland Perthshire Disability Sport Project

Starting on 13 June, the Highland Perthshire Disability Sport Project is offering free lessons in lawn bowls, at the Aberfeldy Bowling Club. The lessons are open to children and adults with physical, sensory or learning disabilities. If you have any questions, please do get in touch. Email us at graeme@pkds.org.uk

There is no cost to participate. But you do need to book in advance, as places are limited. Booking is quick and easy, just click on this link and enter your details:

⚫️ Lawn Bowls with Aberfeldy Bowling Club
🗓 Every Monday from 13th June for 4 weeks
⏰ 6pm-7pm
📍 Taybridge Terrace, Aberfeldy, PH15 2BS

https://www.cognitoforms.com/ScottishDisabilitySport/PerthKinrossDisabilitySportHighlandPerthshireProjectLawnBowls

‘Named Person’ meeting

Named Person posterWhat: ‘Named Person’ meeting
When: 7pm, Thursday 12 May
Where: Breadalbane Community Campus
Who: All parents and carers

This coming Thursday, 12 May 2016, the school and parent council will hold a parent council meeting specifically to discuss the Scottish Government’s ‘Named Person’ policy.

From August this year, every child in Scotland will have a Named Person, usually a teacher for school kids or health visitor for younger kids. According to the government, this person is simply a single point of contact.

Critics of the policy say that the Named Person has far greater powers to intervene in family life than any teacher did before — for instance, that they can access your family’s medical records, even if your child isn’t classed as being ‘at risk’.

The meeting this Thursday is our chance to find out what Named Person really means for us and how it will work at Breadalbane Academy. Attending we will have:

  • Senior staff from Breadalbane Academy
  • Lesley Scott, a member of the No2NP campaign group opposing Named Person.
  • Anne Dalziel, who is responsible for implementing Named Person across Perth and Kinross.

If you have questions about Named Person, or you’ve never heard of it and this is all a bit of a surprise, then this is your chance to find out what’s what.

We hope to see you there: 7pm, next Thursday (12 May), Breadalbane Community Campus.

 

 

First ASN support meeting for parents

ASN banner_2

What: First meeting of the ASN Parents’ Group
When: 7:30pm, Tuesday 26 May, 2015
Where: Breadalbane Community Campus
Who: All welcome!

On Tuesday 26th May at 7.30pm we’ll hold the first meeting of the Breadalbane Parent Council ASN Parents’ Group. The meeting will take place in the lecture theatre and is open to anyone who wishes to join us. The aim of the group is to be supportive and share knowledge and information regarding additional support needs.

Additional support needs in children can be so varied, be either long or short term, and can affect a child and their family at any time during their school years. Having a child with additional support needs can mean parents and families have to deal with complex issues and a wide variety of systems policies and legislation, which can be overwhelming.

The group would aim to offer a place where people could voice their anxieties or concerns or even just enjoy meeting other parents in similar situations. There is currently no agenda for our first meeting and we hope through parents attending that we can further see what parents might be looking for from such a group. So please come along and let us know how we could be helpful.

Best wishes
Jane Carmichael
ASN Support Group
Breadalbane Academy Parent Council

Free, expert, face-to-face advice on child safety

Child safety seminars for parents and carers

When: Thursday 6th March 2014
Where: Perth Playhouse Cinema
What time: choose from seminars starting at 9:30am, 1pm and 5:30pm

Presentations from experts in their field will include:

  • Application danger: how your kids are at risk from some apps.
  • Online bullying: its impact and what you can do about it.
  • Bullying, sexting, domestic abuse: it’s all about relationships.
  • Online risks: current online risks to children and young people.

Each seminar lasts for two hours. Places will be limited, so please contact Catriona Laing on 01738 477861, or email claing@pkc.gov.uk, to reserve your place or for further information.

Don’t miss out, book your place today!

Download the flier here.

 

 

PKC Evidence2Success survey: what do you think?

Jason O’Flynn, the Perth & Kinross representative at the Scottish National Parent Forum has asked every Parent Council in the region to find out what you, the parents, think of the Evidence2Success survey recently carried out by Perth and Kinross Council and NHS Tayside.

In February, all children in Perth and Kinross from primary 5 upwards took part in the Council’s Evidence2Success survey. PKC describes this as “engaging communities to increase the involvement local people have in decision making and other actions”.

However, some parents have expressed reservations about the survey. Their concerns include:

  • Not enough effort was made to gain the parent’s consent: some parents say they didn’t receive the letter the council sent out. And the survey was opt-out, rather than opt-in.
  • That consent wasn’t informed: had they seen the kind of questions in advance, some parents say they would not have given consent for the children to take part.
  • Questions were inappropriate to the children’s age: with 9-year-olds being asked if they took specific, named drugs; if they or their friends carried knives to school and so on.
  • Some questions were intrusive: with children asked to comment on who lives in their home with them; their relationship with their parents; their weight; their sex lives and so on.
  • The data can be linked back to each child: parents were told the survey was confidential, but each child was asked to enter their date of birth and their Scottish Candidate Number.

Some parents have even complained to the Scottish Information Commissioner; claiming that the survey breaches the Data Protection Act 1998.

Perth and Kinross strongly refutes this claim and stands by the survey. A PKC spokesperson said:

“The aim of the project is to help us work with communities to significantly improve the health and wellbeing of children, young people and their families in Perth and Kinross. The approach involves members of the Community Planning Partnership … working with the social research unit at Dartington to refine existing and develop new approaches to service provision. “

See the full quote in The Courier.

What do you think about the survey?

  • Do you support Evidence2Success?
  • Do you have any concerns or questions?
  • Would you have liked greater consultation before hand?

Tell us what you think! Either post on this item or mail us at contact@breadalbaneparents.com

If you haven’t seen the surveys yet, you can see them here:

Family activity day for young people with additional support needs

On Saturday 16th March, 10am-12 noon at the North Inch Community Campus, Perth there will be a family activity day for young people with additional support needs.

With two hours of activities including trampoline, basketball, boccia, badminton, gym use, table tennis and much more, it promises to be a fun day out. And if you have completed a gym induction and it is registered with Live Active you can also use the gym on campus, which will be supervised.  

The day is sponsored by Perth and Kinross Disability Sport. Entry costs £3 for two people or £5 for a family of more than two people.

If you want to attend, please email Lynn Melville providing the following information:

  • The names of the children attending.
  • The number and ages of children attending
  • How many adults will be attending.

For full details, download the official flyer for the event.