Walking
We strongly encourage children to walk to school using the School Crossing Patrol Officer (SCPO) Crossing points wherever possible. The recommended routes to access the rear playground when arriving at school are through link doors beside the school main entrance or in front of the Primary wing. The cycle/walkway running from KGS to Willowburn Road can also be used but care should be taken (at the Infant Hall end) to stay on the walkway as service vehicles may also need to access the school kitchen. Please note that only service vehicles and kitchen/school staff are permitted to use this for vehicle access.
Cycling
Whilst responsibility always rests with the parents to decide whether it is safe for their child to cycle to school we would recommend, following safety advice, that children should only be considered ready to cycle to school if they have either completed Bikeability Level 2 cycle training successfully or are currently being trained and you are satisfied that they understand and can safely execute the correct procedures highlighted in the guidance booklets issued to all children involved in cycle training.
Children should not cycle on the school grounds during the school day, this includes the school car park areas.
Bikeability Level 2 Cycle training is offered each year to all primary 6 children who are given parental consent to participate.
School Bus
Entitlement to school transport is decided by the local authority and depends on how far you live from the school and the age of your child. Entitlement may be extended in exceptional circumstances (i.e. for medical reasons). For more information please follow the link to the OIC website.
To ensure that all children are accounted for on the homeward journey could we ask all parents/guardians of children who are entitled to school transport and who normally travel on the school bus to inform the school any day that their child will not be travelling on the bus. This can be done via a phone call to the school office or note to the class teacher.
Parking and dropping children off at school
One of the advantages of COVID has been that children were not required to line up at the beginning of the morning, and parents did not gather around outside the building. This in turn led to a calmer entrance to the building. The creation of soft starts for all children have also been seen to support children for whom coming into the school was daunting. As we move to more “normal” times we need to continue to keep some aspects of this.
Staff will supervise the playground from 8.45am at 8.55 the supervising staff will allow the children to come into the school building. Children will not be asked to line up. Staff will encourage children to use the hand sanitiser on entry to the building.
Children should enter the building from the entrance points set out below.
- Entrance 3: P2E, P2M, P5M, P6M
- Entrance 4: P4E, P4M, P6E
- Entrance 7: P1B, P1L, P1/2C
- Entrance 21: P5E, P6/7S, P7E, P7M
- Entrance 23: P3E, P3M
Parents and carers should park their vehicles at KGS. Vehicles should not enter any school carpark unless they have a prior agreement or a disabled badge. The school car park is exclusively for the school staff, and for dropping off children in taxis.
School closures and winter disruption
Parents are kept informed of any disruption to normal school services through the Radio Orkney news bulletin broadcast each morning from 7.30am on Radio Scotland (93.7FM only)
Orkney Islands Council also provide online updates on school and transport related issues on the OIC website.
The local authority publish a Winter newsletter to give information on procedures when schools have to close because of adverse conditions as well as school transport safety during the winter months. The Met Office also issue advice on winter weather related issues.
If Papdale School has to close early for any reason the main contact would be contacted by text message to pass on any relevant information. To ensure you receive text messages please inform the school should your contact details change at any point.