Cawdor Primary School and Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) setting are committed to tackling the cost of the school day for families. As a school community, we have reviewed, and continue to review, our annual calendar to reduce or eliminate additional costs which put financial pressure on families.
Working alongside our parent council and the Cawdor and West Nairnshire Community Benefit Organisation (our local windfarm) we proactively seek funding to pay for or contribute to the costs associated with the experiences children have in or associated with school.
Learning about the Cost of Living and Poverty
Through our numeracy & mathematics and health & wellbeing learning, children learn about budgeting and cost, the impact of the cost of living on families, and how we can tackle poverty locally and globally.
Best Start Grant, Scottish Child Payment, and Money Advice
We provide all families with information on how to access the Best Start Grant and the Scottish Child Payment. We also provide all families with details on how to access money advice and welfare support.
Uniform
We welcome donations of uniform that no longer fits which we can reuse in our effort for sustainability and to reduce costs for families. We have a bank of uniform in the school office that we sell for £2 per item. We provide all families with details on how to access clothing grant. Children are asked to wear comfortable clothing for indoor physical education, and a change of shoes to wear indoors. We share this information with families to support transition into and through Cawdor.
Period Products
We have a range of period products available in the school that can be accessed by the community. We have period product in the girls’ changing rooms, in our accessibility toilet, and in our community centre toilet.
Winter Clothing
Our children spend time outdoors as part of their learning. We welcome donations of winter clothing that no longer fits that can be reused in our effort for sustainability and to reduce costs for families. Our winter clothing is accessible for families on our grab rail to take throughout the winter.
Themed Clothing
We welcome donations of themed clothing (e.g. Hallowe’en outfits and festive-wear) that no longer fits that can be reused in our effort for sustainability and to reduce costs for families. Our bank of donated Hallowe’en costumes and festive jumpers are available for families on our grab rail to take during these times of year.
Eating in Cawdor
We provide all families with details on how to access free school meals in P6 & P7. Our parent council provide funds to the school to ensure that a snack at breaktime does not put additional financial pressure on a family.
Enhancing Learning
Working with our parent council and our local windfarm we have removed the additional costs for almost all learning experiences which enhance the experiences our children have. This includes removing the costs of travel and entry for learning out of the school building, performances such as our annual pantomime, and cost/ travel associated with after school clubs.
P7 Residential
Working with our parent council and local windfarm we have reduced the cost of the P7 residential for all families. We have sourced additional funding to ensure that every child can access the residential experience. Advance notice of the P7 residential is provided to enable families to make payment through a payment plan. We have sourced additional funding to provide items of outdoor clothing that families can borrow.
Fundraising & Events
Fundraising is limited to:
– one nominated charity per school year: any fundraising is donation based, without anyone knowing who or who has not donated;
– Poppy Scotland poppies: donations for those wishing to wear a poppy leading up to Remembrance Day;
– Christmas Hampers: there is one fundraiser for school funds each year where families can donate items to our Christmas Hampers and purchase tickets to win one of our hampers;
– events co-ordinated by our P7s as part of fundraising for their leavers’ hoodies: any fundraising is donation based, without anyone knowing who or who has not donated.
Equipment & Materials
All equipment and materials for children’s learning are provided for children. We work with our parent council and local windfarm to subsidise the cost of resources that enhance children’s learning.
Digital Learning
In P6 & P7 all of our children have 1-1 Chromebooks provided by Highland Council. Children are able to charge their Chromebooks during the school day to reduce/ remove added costs to families. We work with Red Chair Highland to access devices for families as part of their work in digital inclusion.
Parent Council Events
Our parent council regularly review the events that they have throughout the year to ensure that they are inclusive for all families. For example, in 2023 their Hallowe’en Party was a free event for all children and they encouraged families to access the Hallowe’en clothing on our grab rail.
We regularly review our commitment to reducing and removing costs associated with the school day using the Cost of the School Day resources, seeking ongoing feedback from our children and families, and being a key theme within our parent council meetings.
Cawdor Primary School 