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Thank you to everyone who attended our Stay and Share session today. We really appreciate your support and involvement. We understand that it is not always possible for families to attend, so please don't worry if you were unable to join us this time. There will be further opportunities throughout the session to meet class teachers, visit classrooms, and see the learning experiences taking place across the school. We look forward to welcoming you back soon.

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stay and sahre with child and parent at ardler primary school

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Help Us Celebrate Our Children!

At Ardler Primary School, we want to get even better at celebrating the achievements and successes of all our children, both in and out of school.

Has your child taken part in a club, competition, performance, sporting event, fundraiser, or achieved something they are proud of? We would love to hear about it!

Whether they've earned an award, learned a new skill, helped others, or reached a personal goal, we want to recognise and celebrate their success with our school community.

To share your child's achievement, please complete our Microsoft Form using the link above. You can include a few details about what they have achieved and upload a photo if you wish.

Every achievement matters, and we can't wait to celebrate the amazing things our children are doing!

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Dundee City Council Adult Learning Programme

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Dundee City Council Adult Learning Programme

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With the summer holidays over, now could be the perfect time to think about doing something for yourself.

This autumn, the Dundee City Council Adult Learning team are offering a wide range of free learning opportunities across Dundee, including:

Digital and technology courses

Reading, writing and maths support

Confidence-building and personal development

Health and wellbeing activities

Support to explore employment, volunteering and further learning opportunities

Options and Choices, a new programme designed to help adults build confidence and explore their next steps

Our friendly team will support you at your own pace, whatever your starting point.

Find out more about the Autumn 2026 programme: ​DCC Adult Learning Programme - Autumn 2026.html​

Ready to get started? Dundee Adult Learning Registration Form

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Maths Week Scotland (21st-25th September)

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Maths Week Scotland (21st-25th September)

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I am starting to organise activities and events for Maths Week Scotland which takes place the week beginning the 21st of September. The theme for this year is 'Maths Matters' and therefore, thought this could be a fantastic opportunity to invite our parents and carers into school as part of a 'Careers Week'. This would give the opportunity to chat to some of our classes about how you use Maths in your jobs. I am sure this would really inspire our children and provide them with an opportunity to ask questions about different careers.

If you are interested in coming into school to speak to our children about Maths in your job, please contact the office by email (ardlerprimary@dundeeschools.scot) to let us know your availability during this week (21st-25th September, which day/s and how long for), so I can start to create a bit of a timetable. If you are available for a large chunk of the day, it could mean speaking to a few classes instead of just your child’s class, if this is something you would be comfortable with. Just let me know, when you get in touch. It would be amazing if we can have all replies back by the 4th of September to allow time to organise a timetable/plan for this week.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Many thanks

Miss Shearer

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We've had a great first week at Nursery. The children were back to playing with their friends in the areas they love to visit. In the Sunshine Room, the children who've moved from the Rainbow Room have settled well and they're building relationships with their peers and staff members. In the Rainbow Room, the children have been excited to be back and get involved in all the learning opportunities on offer. Across both rooms, there has been a focus on remembering the Nursery rules and routines.

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Tuesday 8th and Friday 11th - Bookbug sessions begin

Week beginning 28th - Stay and Play sessions

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Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Tayside

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Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Tayside

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Home | Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Tayside

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Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Tayside are here to help parents and children in Tayside with mental health issues.

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We are pleased to see that attendance at Ardler Primary has remained above 90% over the last five years. Our highest attendance rate was achieved in 2024/25 at 93.1%, reflecting the positive impact of families working together with the school to support regular attendance.

2025/26 attendance was 91.4%, which is in line with previous years and demonstrates the ongoing commitment of our pupils and families. We know that attending school regularly helps children make the most of their learning opportunities, build friendships, and feel part of the school community.

Thank you to all parents and carers for your continued support in helping children attend school regularly and arrive on time. Together, we can continue to promote positive attendance and support every child to achieve their best.

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We continue to monitor attendance across the whole school and are always happy to discuss any concerns. If you would like to talk about your child's attendance, please get in touch. Every day in school matters, so please ensure your child arrives on time and ready to learn. A positive start to the day sets children up for success and helps them make the most of every learning opportunity.

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I am delighted to tell you that we improved whole school attendance for session 2024-25 by 1.9% when compared with session 2023/24.

Our stretch aim from Dundee City Council is 94% for this session, a further improvement of 0.9%

I appreciate your support in ensuring high levels of attendance and punctuality.

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Safe, Ready and Respectful

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Monday 24th - First Class Photo

Friday 28th - Stay and Share P1-P7 9am-10am

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Thursday 3th - P1-P7 Active Kids

Friday 4th - Friday 31 (Sports Clothes)

Monday 7th - P1 lunch with parents 11.30am

Monday 21st - Maths Week Scotland Begins

Thursday 24th Travelling Book Fair in school

Friday 25th - Coffee Afternoon run by P6/7

Tuesday 29th - Parent Contact P1-P7

Wednesday 30th - Parent Contact P1-P7

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Our school values are Safe, Ready, and Respectful, and we are committed to helping every child uphold them. We have begun sending emails to keep parents and carers informed whenever children are unsafe, disrespectful, or not ready to learn. Your support makes a real difference in helping our young people understand expectations and make positive choices.

Kindness is at the heart of our school community, and it’s something we talk about every day. Thank you for working with us to ensure our school remains a place where everyone feels valued and able to learn.

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We were awarded Reading Schools Status at the very end of term.

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Friday 2nd - Friday 31

Friday 2nd - P7 Community Safety Roadshow

Monday 12th - October Holiday Begins

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Good Manners

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People have perceptions about Baldragon Academy which, according to departing pupil Keir Vials, are unfounded.

"When people talk bad about our school you can clearly tell they've never experienced it," he says.

He is among the S6s leaving the Dundee secondary as it celebrates an uplift in the percentage of pupils leaving with five or more qualifications at National 4, National 5 and Higher level.

More of last year's leavers (95%) also went on to positive destinations - for example, work, training, an apprenticeship, college, or university.

Head boy Keir joined S1 at Baldragon during Covid and, previously "very shy and awkward", says the school helped him and his peers feel at home and safe.

Before Baldragon he hated school.

But he says: "When I came up to Baldragon it felt different. I didn't feel as awkward speaking to others about my interests and actually starting enjoying school."

A four-week internship with housing association Hillcrest was among the highlights of his time there, giving him a sense of the career he wanted to pursue.

"When I think about Baldragon I think about all the amazing and fun opportunities my teachers have given me, and my year group, which I'll always be grateful for."

Fellow leaver Lola tells a similar story, starting as "incredibly shy" first year.

"I hated speaking in front of people and avoided it whenever I could.

"Over the years, this school completely changed that. Now I probably speak a little too much, something my teachers often like to remind me!

"Coming to Baldragon, everyone had opinions and ideas of what it was like, good and bad.

"But after spending six years here attending classes and being part of this community every single day, I honestly have nothing but good things to say.

"What truly makes this school special is the people within it."

What is Baldragon Academy doing right?

Head teacher Hugh McAninch says Baldragon Academy is "getting it right" with pathway planning for pupils.

He says: "When you think about square pegs and round holes, what we are trying to do is create round holes for round pegs.

"We're being really clear around the development of skills and what that means in terms of the qualifications or subjects that young people can then access.

"We all recognise from our own experience that we do well in what we enjoy.

"So, rather than trying to create a system at Baldragon where we get young people to fit into what we can resource, we try to resource what our young people want to fit into.

"We try our very, very best to ensure that our young people get the choices that they're happiest with, because we recognise that that's where they'll be the most successful.

"And we get the balance to make sure that they're not putting all their eggs in one basket, but they have that development of literacy and numeracy so that they are all rounders."

A report from His Majesty's Inspectorate of Education last November said the school was making "sound progress" in improving attainment.

Learning beekeeping and barista skills

Baldragon Academy has four schools of sport.

The newest, in dance, has been "massively successful", says Hugh.

Other interest-based subjects include beekeeping and barista skills.

Almost half (48%) of Baldragon's pupils are from the city's most deprived areas (SIMD quintile 1).

The poverty-related attainment gap demonstrates that academic achievement is linked with deprivation.

Baldragon Academy tends to sit in the lower levels of school league tables, like that published by The Courier. In this year's it climbed four places, though.

Such league tables are, Hugh says, "like comparing apples and oranges".

"It's like taking every football league in the country and putting them into one."

And achievement is far from just academic.

For three years running a Baldragon pupil won the Lord Provost McManus Citizenship Prize, an annual award recognising outstanding work in school and the community by a Dundee pupil.

The school's under-16s football squad won the Scottish Shield in May.

We "need to celebrate" achievements more, Hugh says.

"These are fantastic, amazing things happening at a regional and national level, we really need to champion that and shout about the success of our young people

"All of us, as citizens of Dundee... have a big job to champion things for our young people.

"And I hope that we are doing our bit around that in Baldragon Academy."

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'We need to celebrate Baldragon Academy': How the Dundee school has improved results and destinations

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The school challenges perceptions of it, as more pupils leave with five or more qualifications at National 4, National 5 and Higher level, and go onto work, training or education.

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Since 2022, young people under 22 years old have been able to use their National Entitlement Card for free bus travel. In the last year alone, over 3 million journeys have been made by Dundee cardholders. We are currently looking for the feedback of young people about the impact that this has had for them.

We have launched the survey below and the responses will help us to understand if there has been a positive effect for young people and their families in Dundee.

Free Bus Travel for Young People 2026 – Fill in form

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Active Listening

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Early Learning and Childcare, Including Out of School Care

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Early Learning and Childcare, Including Out of School Care

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Early Learning and Childcare Including Out of School Care | Dundee City Council

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Choosing Early Learning and Childcare is an important milestone for both you and your child. The information within these pages is designed to guide and support you, helping you understand your options and make confident, informed decisions that best meet your child’s needs.

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Nursery -

P1/2 -

P2/3 -

P4/5 -

P5/6 -

P6/7 -

Class of the Week -

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The Dundee Early Learning and Childcare Standard of Inclusive Practice

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The Dundee Early Learning and Childcare Standard of Inclusive Practice

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The Dundee Standard of Inclusive Practice

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The Dundee Standard of Inclusive Practice

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Be Kind

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Be safe

Be ready

Be respectful

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Amber

Ruby

Sapphire

Emerald

The race is on for the 2025/26 House Championship has begun. Every pupil has the chance to help their house climb the leader board by showing our core values of being Safe, Ready and Respectful. Every positive choice, every kind action and every moment of effort earns valuable house points — and it all adds up.

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August

September

October

November

December

January

February

March

April

May

June

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Information relating to School Clothing Grants

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Information relating to School Clothing Grants

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If you are in receipt of Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance - Income Based, Income Related Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit where your monthly earned income is not more than £995 per month, support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, Housing Benefit, or Council Tax Reduction you may be entitled to receive a grant towards the cost of buying essential clothing to enable children up to the age of 16 to attend school.

Grants are paid directly into your bank account.

Automatic awards

Most families will get an automatic award, which means they will not need to fill in a new application form each year.

You get an automatic award if you meet these conditions:

you got an award in 2025/26 and;

you get Council Tax Reduction or Housing Benefit. (Please note that Housing Benefit is not the same as housing costs received through a Universal Credit award).

Otherwise, you must apply.

You will not get an automatic award if your child is entering P1

If you’re on a low income but not currently receiving Council Tax Reduction, we encourage you to apply.

For more information, please visit the Dundee City Council website

If you have previously received school clothing grant but your bank account details have changed, please ensure these are provided as soon as possible. Information on how to provide your details is available online

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Ardler Primary School is now a RRSA Bronze: Rights Committed School!

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Ardler Primary School is now a RRSA Bronze: Rights Committed School!

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Please find the link to Tayside Contracts March School Meals Newsletter below

This newsletter features the launch of our new 2026/27 primary and nursery menus.

School Meals Parent Information Newsletter - March 2026

Welcome back to the March edition of our School Meals Newsletter. As we welcome Spring and start the countdown to the holidays we are delighted to share the latest updates. Our dedication t…

Go to this Sway

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Extract from policy.

Children should be discouraged from bringing mobile phones to school; however, some may require them. Teachers should ensure that children switch off their phones and hand them in, to be stored safely until the end of the school day. Families should be reminded that the school is not responsible for lost or stolen phones.

All staff share responsibility for challenging inappropriate mobile phone use by both pupils and staff to help keep everyone safe. This is a supportive measure intended to promote positive habits.

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School uniform should be worn to school Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday and Friday children should come to school ready for PE. Cropped tops and jeans are not suitable for PE. Children should wear shorts/joggers, t-shirt and sweatshirt, if possible. Long hair must be tied back and all jewellery removed. Earrings can be covered with micropore, if supplied. Thank you for your support.

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We have two different core sessions at Ardler Nursery. A few children attend from 8.30am until 2.30pm and the rest attend from 9am until 3pm. Your child must be collected before the end of their session. If you would like to have a chat with your child's keyworker, please arrive early to collect them or arrange another time with them.

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Protecting children is everyone's job. In Nursery and school, should there be any concerns about a child's safety or care it is our job to respond to any concerns. School and Nursery staff would report these concerns to our Child Protection Officers who decide on the appropriate course of action. This could include recording and monitoring concerns, speaking to parents or main carers and, at times, we may include contacting the Multi Agency Screening Hub (MASH.) This Hub is operated by health professionals, social workers, police officers and education representatives. If we did make contact with the MASH team, then we would follow any advice given.

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I’m Safe Stella and I want you to know about how to stay safe, like washing your hands to keep germs away.

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We just wanted to highlight our SIMOA principles to everyone especially for pick up time. We ask if you all can be very aware when leaving the playroom that no other child is following you or is trying get past you out the playroom.

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Welcome to Ardler Primary School — Ardler Primary School

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I’m Healthy Henry and I want you to know it’s important to make healthy choices like getting outside for fresh air and doing things that make you feel happy

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For the children's safety, we will be keeping the external Nursery gate closed at all times. Please ensure you close the gate behind you when dropping off or collecting your child.

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I’m achieving Andrew and I want you to learn new things and feel confident.

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A gentle reminder that the children who attend from 9am must be collected by 3pm. The doors open at 2.45pm. If you would like to collect your child early, please let a member of staff know. Staff members have meetings and paperwork to complete in the short time they have after the children leave.

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I’m Nurtured Nora and I want you to know that it’s important to be cared for and to care for other people and other things.

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I’m Safe Stella and I want you to know about how to stay safe, like washing your hands to keep germs away.

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Active Aamir helps us understand that being active and busy helps us stay like Healthy Henry! It helps us grow strong Muscles so we can do more things. In nursery and school
We are learning to :
Develop our stamina.
Play different team games
Ride our bikes.
Play games and run around.
Climb trees.

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School Meals Nutrition and Allergen Gateway

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Seesaw creates a powerful learning loop between students, teachers, and families

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Parentzone Scotland provides information and advice about education in Scotland. It includes practical ideas to support learning at home in a variety of curriculum areas, along with information on additional support needs, and tips on how parents can get involved in their child's school and education.

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Education Scotland is a Scottish Government executive agency responsible for supporting quality and improvement in Scottish education.

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Welcome to the Read Write Inc. page on Oxford Owl for Home.

Read Write Inc. is a popular phonics scheme. Like all phonics schemes, it teaches children the sounds in English, the letters that represent them, and how to form the letters when writing. Read Write Inc. Phonics includes reading books written using only the letters they have learnt at each level (and a small number of separately taught tricky words). The children will quickly feel confident and successful.

Here you can find lots of free resources to support your child's learning.

Free eBooks | Videos | Set 1 resources | Set 2 resources | Set 3 resources | Kits and flashcards to use at home

Read Write Inc. Phonics

We have lots of free Read Write Inc. Phonics resources to help your child, including eBooks, practice sheets and parent films. We suggest you start by watching this film for parents: What is Read Write Inc. Phonics?

Speed sounds and Read Write Inc. Stages

If your child is learning to read at school with Read Write Inc. Phonics, they will be at one of the following stages:

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Parent guide to Read Write Inc. Phonics - Oxford Owl

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Find out what Read Write Inc. Phonics is and find eBooks, videos, and kits to help your child as they learn to read with Read Write Inc. Phonics at home.

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The Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland

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Child rights are a list of things that all children and young people need in order to live a safe, healthy and happy life.

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ParentPay is the leading online payment service for schools. Cashless payments & dinner money administration for schools, families & local authorities.

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SAVE BY THE BELL WEEKLY SAVINGS COLLECTIONS 

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SAVE BY THE BELL WEEKLY SAVINGS COLLECTIONS 

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Save By the Bell will resume weekly collections in schools from week beginning 24th August 2026. Ardler's collection day is on a Tuesday morning.

Please remember to bring completed deposit slip along with the money to the collection point.

This initiative aims to encourage children to save regularly and build good saving habits. Remember, no amount is too small—our savers contribute anything from 5p to £10 a week, depending on their individual savings goals.

For more information about the Save by the Bell project, withdrawing funds, or to request an application form to join, please reach out via email - info.savebythebell@dundeecity.gov.uk.

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I’m Respected Rhiya and I want you to know that it’s important that you are listened to and are involved in decisions made about you.

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I’m Responsible Robbie and I want you to know about right and wrong and show you helpful things to do.

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Responsible Robbie helps us practise managing our emotions and also helps us understand that sometimes we have to follow rules. In nursery we are learning to : Tidy up after we’ve finished playing …

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I’m Respected Rhiya and I want you to know that it’s important that you are listened to and are involved in decisions made about you.

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I’m Included Isabella and I want you to join in games and conversations and not to feel left out.

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Finding out your child is dyslexic can be daunting. We're here to support you with your challenges - and theirs.

A place to start

If you think your child could be dyslexic, our leaflets will give you an introduction to dyslexia, such as support at school, things you can do at home and explaining dyslexia to children. You can contact our Helpline with any questions or for some advice.

This video gives answers to common questions parents and carers have about dyslexia.

Your questions answered by a panel of experts

Our Branch network

Dyslexia Scotland's volunteer-led Branches aim to raise awareness and understanding of dyslexia by holding meetings which are open to the public. Anyone with an interest in dyslexia is very welcome to attend - people with dyslexia, parents, professionals and more. Visit the Branch page to find your nearest meeting.

Parent Masterclasses

Dyslexia Scotland runs Parent Masterclasses to equip you with the skills, knowledge and confidence you need to help your child thrive. Visit our Events page for dates and details of other events or take our online Parent Masterclass course.

Career guidance

We made a book for parents to support their dyslexic child's career journey. With a focus on strength awareness, lots of the activities are suitable for any age. Download Dyslexic Career Journeys to use with your child.

Additional Support for Learning Act

The Additional Support for Learning Act outlines how teachers and other professionals should support the needs of children and young people. The key principles focus on inclusion and partnership working between professionals and with parents, children and young people. The Scottish Government website has information about the Act and the revised Code of Practice.

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If you think your child could be dyslexic, our leaflets will give you an introduction to dyslexia, such as support at school, things you can do at home and explaining dyslexia to children. You can contact our Helpline with any questions or for some advice.

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Angus and Dundee Child Health Occupational Therapy

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We aim to enable children to be as independent as possible in their day to day occupations. Occupation is our fancy word for the activities you want to do, need to do and are expected to do.

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What is Enquire?

Enquire is the Scottish advice service for additional support for learning. Providing easy to understand advice and information about additional support for learning legislation and guidance for families and professionals.

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Enquire - The Scottish advice service for additional support for learning

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If you feel a child or young person needs extra help to get the most from their learning and are unsure what to do, we can help you.

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Parenting Smart offers practical advice for parents and carers of children aged 5-11. All of our content is created by Place2Be's parenting experts. It's based on evidence and their experiences working with children, young people and their families.

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Friday 9th - Last day of Term 1

Monday 26th - First day of Term 2

Friday 30th - Halloween Fun Day