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Table of Contents

Is St Columba’s in our catchment area?

St Columba’s has the same catchment area as Oban High School excluding Mull, Colonsay and Coll. Therefore, it is likely that you do live within our catchment area. If you live more than 2 miles away from the school then your child will be entitled to free transport to the school. If you live within two miles of the school, the expectation is that either your child will walk to school, parents transport them or parents arrange for them to get a bus. If you do live more than two miles away and require transport then just contact the school office who will ask you to complete a form.

Does my child have to be baptised Catholic to attend St Columba’s?

No. St Columba’s is a faith school that is open to all children regardless of their background. Non-Catholic pupils are treated in exactly the same way that Catholic pupils are and, apart from Sacramental preparation, take part in exactly the same things. However, we do ask that all parents and pupils who attend our school are respectful of the Catholic faith.

What happens if my child is going to be absent from school?


If your child is absent from school because they are unwell then we ask you to contact the school office by 9am to let the school know that they will not be in that day. This will be marked as an authorised absence.
If your child has an appointment through the school day then, again, contact the school office and your child will be ready for you to collect them at the time you have specified. This will be marked down as your child having permission not to be in school for the specified time of the appointment.

If your child is attending a special family occasion, such as the wedding of a close relative, you should write to the school to inform them and this will be marked down as an authorised absence.
If you are taking your child out of school to go on holiday during term time, you should write to the school to inform them and the school will write back to you informing you that this will be marked down as an unauthorised absence.

What do I do if I’m concerned about something that is happening in school?


We actively encourage parents to speak to the school immediately if there is anything that is concerning them via phone or email. We do not want parents or children to be worrying about something that could, potentially, be fixed very easily so we would ask you to contact the school as soon as possible. We ensure that we respond to any phone calls by the end of that day and give parents appointments to speak to the class teacher or head teacher at a time that is convenient to them.

How do composite classes work?


Composite classes are defined to be a class in which there are pupils from more than one stage of the primary school. The legal maximum number of pupils in a composite class is 25, whereas the legal maximum number of pupils in a straight P1, P2 or P3 class is 30 and it is 33 in a P4, P5, P6 or P7 class.
Research proves that children who are in a composite class will not be held back. The ways in which learning and teaching are organised in primary schools means that work is tailored to the needs and current achievement levels of individual pupils. Much work is undertaken in small groups and it is at least as easy to form groups with similar existing achievement levels in a composite class as it is in a non-composite class.

My child is going to be getting the bus to school, which bus do they go on?


If you are unsure about what bus your child should go on, contact West Coast Motors who will be able to tell you which bus would be most appropriate depending on where you live. If you live more than two miles from the school
then you may be entitled to free transport to school and you should contact the school office to complete an application form.
Any child going home on a school bus is put on the appropriate bus by school staff. Children who attend School’s Out are picked up from school by School’s Out staff and put on the appropriate bus.

Is there a school breakfast club?


Yes. The breakfast club runs daily in the assembly hall from 8.30am until 9am but we provide all of our pupils with breakfast at the start of each day.

What is the school uniform?


The school uniform is green with either black or grey trousers, skirt or shorts. Green jumpers and cardigans with the school name and badge on them can be purchased from the school but parents are under no obligation to purchase them and may buy plain green cardigans and jumpers. We ask that pupils wear black shoes and that they bring a PE kit weekly which should consist of a t-shirt, shorts and indoor shoes or trainers. No football colours are allowed.
Parents will be given the option to order uniform from the school in June and it will be available for collection in August before the children start back. School ties, hair bobbles, caps, gym bags etc can all also be ordered from the school office.
We ask that all school uniform is clearly labelled with your child’s name on it