What does equity look like at South Morningside Primary School?
Position Statement August 2023
We are continuing to work with our school and wider community on approaches to reducing the cost of the school day. Some initiatives have already started; others will be developed in consultation with our staff, parents and pupils. We are fortunate to have incredible support from our Parent Council, who contribute greatly to the life of the school and help to raise money for the benefit of all.
The Cost of the School Day
We recognise the need to reduce the cost of the school day for all of our pupils. We are all affected by the current cost of living crisis, and we know this particularly affects those living on low incomes. Our school is committed to reducing, removing or supporting costs to promote equity, making sure that all our children have the same opportunities to learn, participate and achieve.
We know that talking about money and costs can be hard, and there might be lots of reasons that you would rather not talk about money. However, this can mean that families miss out on financial help or feel unable to talk to anyone if they are struggling with school costs.
We invite everyone who is experiencing difficulties related to school costs or money worries to get in touch for help and advice, which will always be given in confidence. You can speak to Mrs Jones (Acting Depute Headteacher), the school office, or a member of staff you feel comfortable to approach.
School Trips
We aim to minimise the cost of school trips by, where possible, accessing free events and experiences and by using public transport.
We are working to ensure that every child in our school has their National Entitlement Card, which can be used to travel for free on public transport. Please get in touch with Mrs Jones if you would like help with this application.
No child will ever miss out on an educational experience, outing or trip due to financial circumstances. Individual funding requests can be treated in confidence in the school. Beyond the Head Teacher and School Administrator, no one else will know.
School Uniform
We ask that all children wear the school colours: royal blue tops and grey bottoms. We do not require these to be branded items. Our School Uniform Boutique is open all year round and parents are invited to take uniform from it whenever they need. Donations of any spare or pre-loved items you may have are always welcome.
Families registered for Free School Meals are provided with a clothing grant of £120 per child. We can also support families with a referral to the Edinburgh School Uniform Bank (https://edinburghuniform.org/).
Please get in touch if you would like help with applying for any of these.
Dress Up/Down Days
We try and limit these across the school year and, for events such as Festive Jumper Day and House Event days, we collect pre-loved jumpers and house coloured t-shirts and hoodies for our Uniform Boutique. Again, families can come in and help themselves to these.
Charitable Fundraising
Our children and families like to support national fundraising days such as Children in Need and Mission Christmas. We recognise that these can put added pressure on families. All children will be invited to participate. We will not usually collect money in school but provide families with a ParentPay web link where they can choose to donate if they wish to and are able.
Parent Council Fundraising
The money raised by the Parent Council is a vital part of our support to our families. We are very grateful to our Parent Council for their considerable support which enables us to subsidise all families who need support with important experiences such as school camps.
There are two main fundraising events during the school year: the Summer and Winter Fairs. In addition, Primary 7 pupils donate the money raised from their Virgin Money Stalls to Parent Council funds.
P5, 6 and 7 Camps
We know these to be a hugely important and valuable part of children’s learning. However, we appreciate that they are expensive. We aim to give as much notice as possible about these costs and offer payment plans. In addition, we can subsidise some or all of such trips, thanks to the generous support of our Parent Council. We will always deal with such requests in confidence and would encourage anyone with concerns about payment to speak to Mrs Jones or the school office.
Christmas Parties and School Celebrations
No child will ever miss out on these events due to financial circumstances. We always try to keep costs to a minimum and, in addition, the Parent Council pays for or subsidises a number of events throughout the year.
School Stationery and Core Curriculum Costs
We provide for all our children’s stationery and core curricular needs in school. There is no need to bring in pencil cases, which can be kept at home for homework tasks. We have supplies of stationery items for homework tasks, which are available on request.
A part of our core curriculum include Bike Ability sessions for all Primary 5,6, and 7 pupils. For these we can provide bikes and helmets to anyone who needs.
PE and Outdoor Learning Kit
We keep a supply of spare PE kit, gym shoes and waterproofs etc, which are available on request. In addition, these items can be taken from the Uniform Boutique.
After-School Activities
Our Parent Council and Edinburgh Active Schools offer a huge range of after-school clubs. Anyone struggling to access clubs for any reason, particularly financial, should contact Mrs Jones or the school office and we will be able to help.
Snacks in School
Any child who does not have a morning snack will be offered a piece of fruit or small healthy snack from our supply. Milk is free to those who are registered for Free School Meals.
Applying for Free School Meals
Our school staff are more than happy to help you complete the ‘Free School Meals’ application. It is important for all families who are entitled to this to apply, even those in P1-5, as, in addition to free school meals, children receive milk and a clothing grant. Applying for Free School Meals also helps our school secure funding from the Scottish Government.
We hope you find this information useful. In addition to this document information can be found on our school website in the Family Support section. You can access this using the link here. This includes links to council websites offering a wide range of supports to families.
We are here to help all our families so please do contact us if we can be of any assistance.
South Morningside Primary School 