Rationale
It is the aim of the admissions process to ensure that parents understand and support the school’s mission and aims. It is also important that parents understand the curriculum, teaching pedagogy and examinations system adopted by the school. The school aims to admit only children that it feels will benefit from its challenging programmes and who will embrace facilitated learning.
Admissions Policy and Procedures Criteria for admission Each candidate’s application materials are carefully studied in order to assess suitability for admission. We look for candidates in KS1 and above: **The School Director/Head of Key Stage has the right to accept or refuse any applicant based on their assessment of the applicant’s suitability. Year Placement In general, students will be placed according to their age on September 1st of their year of entry. Where it is considered to be of benefit to the student, he/she may be placed in a lower year than requested. Only under exceptional circumstances and with approval of the Ministry of Education will a student be placed in a higher year than his/her age group. In these cases, the cut-off date may be extended to December 31st . Factors to be considered for such a placement include: If a student is placed in a year higher than his/her age-group, the parents are clearly informed that this initial placement is tentative, and that the school may advise a change of year after the student’s abilities have been thoroughly observed. Any change of year would normally take place within the first two months after the student’s entry into the school. Requirements for specific years Certain specific requirements apply to three categories of students: Applicants with specific needs Learning support is available for students who are struggling in English; candidates are accepted into this programme at the discretion of the School Director. Required Application Documents Required Documents (after acceptance)
Bullying is behaviour that:
– deliberately makes another person feel uncomfortable, distressed or threatened
– is repeated over time
– makes those being bullied feel powerless to defend themselves
– can include racist, sexist or homophobic behaviour
Bullying may take many forms, such as – physical: for example, hitting, pushing, kicking – name-calling and verbal abuse: face-to-face, in writing, by phone, on-line or by text message – making racist, sexist or gender-based comments, jokes or graffiti – making threats – taunting or mocking – spreading rumours – making jokes to make someone look ‘small’ – shutting out a person – ganging up on someone – refusing to cooperate with someone – hiding equipment or other possessions – demanding money Cyber Bullying Cyber bullying refers to the use of (mobile) technology as a media for any of the purposes above. Bullying via social networks, emails and texts will addressed according to the same procedures as any other form of bullying in the school Guidance and advice Students Kipling works to combat bullying by teaching pupils about bullying and appropriate strategies to combat bullying through – weekly tutorial sessions and PSHE lessons – regular whole school and class assemblies – older children supporting younger children as playtime ‘buddies’ – displays of appropriate work – students given opportunities to take leadership as prefects, house captains and school Council representatives – Positive reinforcement of behaviour through praise, house points and merits for demonstrating positive social skills Students will understand the various roles within bullying cycles and how to act: Victims – always tell someone that you trust (an adult or friend) – remember you are not the one who is acting incorrectly. – inform the bully that they are acting inappropriately, and you would like them to stop – if you can, ignore the bully and do not show that you are upset – if possible, avoid being alone in the places bullying happens – be assertive, if you can – walk away quickly and confidently, even if you do not feel that way inside – your safety is more important than your possessions. If you are in danger, – don’t hold on to them – if you are different in some way, be proud of who you are Friends – listen to your friend and talk it through – be sensitive and understand their situation – avoid leaving them on their own – advise the person being bullied to talk to an adult – in serious cases speak directly to an adult yourself on behalf of your friend. Bystanders – even if you don’t take part in bullying but see it and walk away, you are ignoring your responsibilities – report directly to an adult any bullying that you have observed – give sympathy and support to the person being bullied Parents/Carers and Academic Staff Raising awareness in staff and parents through – INSET sessions for teaching and non-teaching staff – discussion of issues arising in staff meetings – Presentation of policy in key areas of the school and on the server for reference Recognising the signs: Someone who is being bullied may: – be frightened of getting on the school bus – insist on being driven to school – be unwilling to go to school – regularly have books or clothes damaged – have possessions ‘go missing’ – continually ‘lose’ money – begin doing badly in schoolwork – have unexplained bruises, scratches, cuts – ask for money or begin stealing money – become withdrawn or start stammering – have noticeable and prolonged changes in mood – become distressed – become bad-tempered – refuse to say what is wrong – lose appetite, or start overeating – cry himself/herself to sleep or have nightmares – attempt or threaten to harm him/herself For Parents Any of the behaviour above may indicate other problems. But, if you become aware of and are concerned by any of this behaviour, and think your child is being bullied – encourage him/her to talk about the problem – reassure him/her of your support – listen calmly and not overreact – attempt to find out when and where the bullying takes place. Is there a pattern? – contact the class teacher to discuss the problem – work with the class teacher to support your child within or outside school – if the bullying takes place outside school, report the matter to the police For Staff All members of staff, teaching and non-teaching, should deal with any incident of suspected or observed bullying by – talking to the pupil and giving reassurance – taking action appropriate action using sanctions in line with the behaviour policy – in serious instances producing a written statement of what has happened and the action taken reporting any serious or recurring incidents to their line manager on the SMT Serious or recurring bullying The appropriate member of the SMT will do the following: Outcomes
Rationale: The importance of child protection:
The school recognises its duty and responsibilities to protect and safeguard the interests of all children. It recognises that effective child protection work requires sound procedures, good inter-agency co-operation and a workforce that is competent and confident in responding to child protection situations.
The School employs a Discipline Co-Ordinator to monitor student behaviour and a Child Psychologist.
This policy document provides the basis for good practice within the school for child protection work. The procedures provide a framework to ensure that all practices in the area of child protection is consistent and that the school takes every reasonable measure to ensure every child is healthy and safe.
The school is committed to the following principles: Staff recruitment When recruiting new members of staff the following checks take place; Training Newly appointed staff will have initial training in child protection as part of their induction programme. Wherever possible all adults who come into prolonged contact with children will receive Child protection training Dealing with allegations of abuse Any allegations or suspicions of abuse must be referred immediately to the School Director who will initiate a case. A written record of concerns should be made using the schools internal recording forms. The decision to refer a case to a Ministry of Education (Egypt) social worker is to be made by the School Director, in consultation with at least one member of the Board.
Rationale and Priciples:
As key stakeholders in the education of their children, parents have a right to voice any concerns they might have about their children’s education. It is the school’s duty and in its best interest to provide a channel for and be responsive to parents’ complaints.
Guiding principles Measures Establish Clear Channels and Procedures for Complaints The first port of call for any concern parents might have regarding their child’s education must be through the homeroom/class teacher. The first port of call for any concern regarding administrative matters must be through the head of HR. Complaints about a teacher should be directed to a senior member of staff or to the School Director. Complaints about the School Director should be directed to the Board of Trustees. Every reasonable effort should be made to ensure that parents are aware that these channels exist for queries or concerns. A log will be kept of complaints and will be confidential. It is the responsibility of the School Director and the SMT to ensure that the procedures for dealing with complaints are understood by all staff and that any complaints do not remain unresolved. Guidelines Guidelines for fielding complaints It is good practice when dealing with a complaint or a concern to ensure the person feels they are being acknowledged, before taking any kind of action. Useful tips include: Procedures: Complaints Procedure Stage 1: Informal Most complaints are easily resolved informally by discussion with staff at the school. More difficult or complex concerns may require further discussion or action. Procedure for initial contact by office staff or a member of staff: Stage 2: Formal The School Director will carry out an investigation and respond to the complainant. The complaint will be acknowledged within 2 working days of receipt, and a target date for providing a response will be given. This will normally be within 10 working days. The School Director may request to meet with the complainant to gain further information relevant to the complaint. Statements from witnesses will be collected where necessary. When all the relevant facts have been established, the School Director should produce a written response to the complainant. If the complaint is not resolved, the complainant will be given the option to move to Stage 3. The School Director should refer the complaint to the Board within 2 working days. Stage 3: Board The Board will meet to discuss the complaint and appoint a representative who will contact the complainant directly within 5 working days of the receipt of the complaint. The representative will aim to resolve the issue with the complainant in writing, in conversations or face-to-face. Following this, if the complaint is not resolved, the complainant may request a hearing with the Board or a panel appointed by the Board of three people who have not been directly involved in the complaint. The Board will endeavour to ensure that one of the people appointed to the panel is independent of the running and management of the school. The complainant is entitled to be accompanied to the hearing. The hearing will be scheduled at the earliest possible convenience for both parties. A final decision will be made and communicated to the complainant in writing, within 5 working days of the hearing. Recording Complaints An informal complaint is recorded by the senior member of staff who deals with the complaint and the School Director is informed. A formal complaint is recorded by the School Director. All complaints will be kept on file in the complaint log for reference purposes.
