Frequently Asked Questions

• What are your opening hours for the school?

Beginning of school day

All children are welcome for soft start from 8:40am onwards (please do not drop your child off in the playground earlier than 8:35am). Children who are attending Breakfast Club are welcome from 8:10am onwards.

End of school day

P1 - P3 are dismissed at 3:05pm Monday - Thursday and 12:20pm on a Friday 

P4 - P7 are dismissed at 3:15pm Monday - Thursday and 12:30 on a Friday 

• What are your opening hours for the nursery?

Details of the opening hours for our Nursery can be found on the Nursery Section of our website.

• Do you have a school uniform?

Yes we do. All details regarding our school uniform and how to go about purchasing it is found in the School Uniform section of our website.

• Can I get a clothing grant for my child's school uniform?

All clothing grant information can be found on the  West Lothian Council website (opens new window). Please note the school does hold a small number of nearly new items of school uniform. If this is something you would be interested in please ask at the school office. 

The School Bank (opens new window) in West Lothian aim to improve the lives of children in families in West Lothian experiencing financial hardship by providing them with a brand new school uniform and other clothing and equipment required for the school day. The uniforms are distributed by referral from the school. If you would like us to make a referral please speak to your child's teacher or the school office. 

• My financial situation has changed, can the school offer me any assistance?

You may be entitled to a clothing grant (see question above) and/or free school meals.

Free school meal information can be found on the West Lothian Council website. (opens new window)

West Lothian Advice Shop (opens new window) offer a free and confidential service and can provide you with a variety of information regarding benefits, grants and other services which you may be entitled to. 

More information can also be found on the Help With Costs (opens new window) section of the West Lothian Council website. 

• English is not my first language and I have trouble understanding letters that are sent home from the school. Can you help?

Yes we can. Our school office can provide you with alternatives for the vast majority of letters that are sent home with children. In addition West Lothian Council now have an Accessibility Function built into their website, which enables the site to be viewed in various languages from our community.  For further information please have a look at the West Lothian Council website. (opens new window)

• I need to speak to my child's teacher, how do I go about contacting them?

We would discourage parents from trying to talk to a teacher in the morning as they are busy preparing for the school day. We would advise you to speak to the teacher at the end of the school day after all the children have been dismissed. You can also contact the school office on 01506 871404 and arrange for the relevant member of staff to call you back, or make an appointment for a mutually agreeable time. 

• My child has lost letters / forms that were sent home for signing, can I get another copy?

Yes, firstly we would ask you to look at our Letters and Forms section on our website to see if the forms are there. If they are you can simply print them off and give them to your child to hand in. Alternatively you can ask our school office who will provide your child with a replacement copy to bring home, or we can also email you a copy of any of the documents that get sent home. 

• My child takes regular medication, can I ask the school to administer this?

Of course! We will need you to fill in some forms and hand them in to the school office. You can download the relevant form from the West Lothian Council website. (opens new window) If you don't have access to a printer then feel free to contact the school office who will arrange for the relevant forms to be sent home with your child. Further information can also be found on our Health and Wellbeing Section where you will also find information about common childhood illnesses. 

• I am finding Ipayimpact confusing to use can you help?

Ipayimpact is the system that West Lothian Council have chosen for schools to use to collect payments for a variety of everyday school items such as milk, school lunches and school trips. The system is easy to use, you will be given an access code by the school when your child starts with the school. You will maintain the same account for the entire time your child is a pupil with our school. If you are having difficulty accessing Ipayimpact please have a look at the  Parent's Guide To IpayImpact (PDF) [5MB] (opens new window)  which covers the basics of getting started and some trouble shooting issues. Please also feel free to download our  How To Get Started With Ipayimpact (PDF) [164KB] (opens new window)  guide.

• Can I park in the school car park?

We have a very small car park and as such parking is, unfortunately,  restricted to staff only. If you have mobility issues and are attending a meeting during school hours please make your parking needs known to the school office.  The school is situated at the end of a narrow residential road and we ask parents to park legally and with due consideration for our neighbours. For more information see our School Travel section

• Can my child cycle to school?

Yes they can! We would encourage you to ensure your child wears a cycle helmet, is a confident cyclist and knows the route to and from school. Your child should dismount from their bike once within the school grounds. We have cycle racks in the school playground where bikes can be left and secured with a padlock or chain. For more information see our School Travel section

•  How can parents get involved?

We encourage parents to get involved in the school in a variety of ways from attending trips, manning our library and getting involved with our . If you think you would like to come in to the school and help out, please contact the school office for more details.

We also have an active Parkhead Primary Association and also a Parent Council which you may wish to get involved in.