Primary Parent Handbook
Table of Contents
Welcome from the Headmaster
2
Mission Statement and Aims
3
School Hours
5
Attendance
5
Arrival and Departure Procedures
6
Role of the Parent
7
Extended Curriculum
7
School Uniform
8
What you will need for School
9
Standards of Behaviour
9
Common Language Policy
10
Bus Policy
11
Health
11
Communication
12
Homework
14
Merit System
15
Birthdays Policy
17
Lunch
18
School Concerns and Complaints Procedure
18
In Summary
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Welcome from the Headmaster
Dear Parents, Welcome to the British College of Brazil (BCB). We aim to ensure all our children are provided with the highest quality education in order to become a successful global citizen. This can only be achieved through a clear partnership between school and parent. The aim of this handbook is to clearly communicate the school’s vision, policies and expectations of everyone in our community. The British College of Brazil is a positive, safe and stimulating environment. We are constantly evolving to enable all our children to thrive and succeed. We are committed to making our school a success in terms of achievement and behaviour. The best parts of the English National Curriculum have been taken, made accessible to all, and, through a range of teaching styles and state of the art technology, aims to enthuse and motivate our students to become life-long, happy, independent learners. We look forward to working closely with you for the benefit of all of our children. Yours sincerely, Duncan Rose Headmaster
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Mission Statement and Aims Our Mission Our mission is to provide world class education.
Guiding Principles: ● ● ● ● ● ●
Motivate students to explore and achieve the extent of their intellectual and physical abilities. Uphold the values of honesty, integrity and respect for others. Provide a vibrant, happy and secure environment. Recruit, retain and develop high caliber staff. Promote the general good within our community. Safeguard the long-term development and reputation of the school.
Personal Development. Top of the school’s priorities is the personal development of its pupils. The study of academic subjects is as much a means for developing key skills as it is for acquiring subject specific knowledge. The following are key attributes that pupils should develop at the school, and the learning of which must be integrated into classroom work and school life. Independence. Pupils must be taught and encouraged to think independently and to become self-reliant. Teamwork & leadership. The school views teamwork and leadership as interdependent and complementary skills. Pupils must become used to working in teams and groups. They should learn to appreciate good leadership and be provided with opportunities to develop their own leadership skills. Endeavour. Endeavour stems from the benefits and satisfaction of hard work. The school must develop pupils’ capacity for purposeful effort by focusing on and rewarding effort over achievement. Presence. Presence refers to the positive presentation of one’s self and one’s work before others. Pupils must be encouraged at all times to develop and refine the oral, written and visual presentation of themselves and their work. 3
Awareness. Personal success and well-being correlates strongly with self-awareness. Within the scope of each teacher’s own capability, pupils should be taught and encouraged to reflect on and express appropriately their emotions. The school must provide opportunities for quiet thought and reflection. Decency. Behaving decently towards others is everyone’s unquestionable responsibility. The school must ensure that the promotion of kindness, honesty and integrity is a daily part of school life and that all poor conduct is quickly addressed. Courage. Courage empowers people to do well for themselves and for others. The school must teach pupils to overcome their fears and make well considered and calculated risks in a healthy, constructive way.
Academic Development
Although pupils are expected to do well academically, it is not the philosophy of the school to focus on academic achievement per se. Academic achievement is a result of ability, effort and good practice. Academic goals should be linked to the fulfillment of individual potential and empowering pupils to continue learning after they leave the school.
English National Curriculum Standards
The school is sufficiently selective to expect that all pupils reach as a minimum the academic standards corresponding to their age for all core subjects as defined in the English National Curriculum.
Maximising potential
The school must implement an ongoing process of identifying each individual’s academic potential and devising a plan for reaching it.
Independent learning
Pupils must develop the ability to learn independently, and acquire the ability eventually to be in charge of their learning, including deciding what to learn, setting goals, producing an effective learning plan, and devising an appropriate form of evaluation.
BSF Curriculum
The school follows The BSF curriculum which emphasises the learning of reading, writing, mathematics and a second language in the primary ages, which leads towards GCSE and A Level (or IB) qualifications in secondary and which provides the breadth and depth necessary to meet the charter’s personal and academic development goals.
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School Hours
Times
Primary
7:30am
Gate open - children may arrive at school at this time
7:50am
Registration
8:00- 10:00am
Lessons
9:50 – 10:30am
Morning Breaks (KS1 9:50 – 10:10 KS2 10:10 - 10:30.)
10:30 – 12:00pm
Lessons
11:20 – 1:00pm
Children’s Lunch Break (FS stage will begin earlier) KS1: 11:20 – 12:20 Yr 3 + 4: 11:40 – 12:40pm Yr 5 + 6: 12:00pm - 1:00pm
12:20 – 2:30pm
Lessons
2:20 – 2:40pm
Afternoon Break for KS1 only
2:40 – 3:30pm
Extended Curriculum
3:30pm
End of Day for children
Attendance We expect pupils to have good attendance at school with any absences being reported directly to the class teacher via email. Good timekeeping is also expected both with arrivals and pick-ups. Children who are consistently late for school have a poor start to the day which can affect their performance. Being consistently picked up late at the end of the day can cause distress and unhappiness to children. If these become a concern for the school, a meeting may requested by the Headmaster. 5
Arrival and Departure Procedures
Pupils should not arrive before 7:30am. The school gates will be opened at 7.30am. This is to ensure that teachers have sufficient planning, meeting and preparation time at the beginning of the school day. All students should be in school by 7:50am ready for registration at the start of the school day. At the beginning of each day, please ensure that a teacher, teaching assistant or the bus monitor receives your child (whichever is appropriate). Children should not be left alone for school to start. It will help the morning routine enormously if parents do not enter the school building unless there is a specific reason to meet with a member of staff. Please ensure that you or your designated guardian collects your child from a member of staff at the end of each day from the designated pick up point. Those children using the school bus service will be collected by the bus monitor and safely taken home. The school gates will open at 3:30pm each day, when parents can gain access to the school. Please collect your child promptly at the end of each day. If for some reason you have been delayed, please telephone the school so that we are aware and can inform your child to avoid any worrying, and so we can anticipate your arrival. Parents who are consistently collect their children late will be requested to meet with the Headmaster. If you are unable to collect your child, please inform the class teacher and the receptionist as to who will be collecting your child by 1:00 pm at the very latest. Teachers will not release a child to an unauthorised person. All pick-up cars must display the school identification sticker. It is imperative that parents respect the requests of the doormen at drop off and pickup times. Signage and pedestrian crossings outside of the schools should be observed at all times. Cars should never be left unattended. Parents who do not respect the parking rules or the directions of the doormen will will be requested to meet with the Headmaster.
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Role of the Parent
We recognise that as a parent, you have chosen our school because of the values we hold and our approach to education. We view the parent and school integration as a partnership and as we do our best to provide you and your children with a world class education, we rely on your support to achieve this. We expect and appreciate the support given by parents in all aspects of the school including adherence to uniform, completion of homework and attendance at school events and parent meetings.
Extended Curriculum
The Extended Curriculum Activities (ECA) programme takes place on Monday to Friday, after school, for 50 minutes (at the school’s discretion). ECAs normally begin towards the start of term, after normal routines have been established. The aim is to provide 15 weeks (approx.) of enrichment activities each term. The ECA programme is supported and led by teachers and assistant teachers, and sometimes outside coaches and parents. The purpose of the ECA programme is to promote the creative and physical elements of the curriculum through stimulating, meaningful and fun activities that will deepen students’ understanding of the taught curriculum. We aim to provide an exciting range of opportunities for our students. Examples of activities could include: Portuguese / Spanish lessons, Research Skills, Swimming, Gymnastics, Football, Art & Craft, Games, Drama, Dance, Music and Ballet. The ECA Coordinator(s) will be responsible for ensuring a range of activities that reflect the interests of the students and aims of the school, and ensure that there is an appropriate balance of activities for the age range and number of students.
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School Uniform
School uniform is compulsory for all students attending the school. We believe that wearing school uniform in a proud and smart manner promotes positive self-esteem and therefore is integral to the ethos of the school. All students are expected to arrive to the school everyday in clean clothes, to be worn in a tidy manner. We expect our students to take pride in their school uniform. School uniform consists of a summer and winter uniform. However, as Sao Paulo experiences a tropical climate, there will be times throughout the year when either uniform could be worn. We therefore leave it to the discretion of parents to decide the most appropriate uniform for a specific day. However, on days that they have PE, students should wear that uniform. On all other days full uniform is required. Uniform will also be worn on class educational trips (either PE or full uniform depending on the nature of the trip). A house colour T-shirt is also part of the school uniform and can be worn on PE days, as well as during house competitions.
Details of our school uniform are outlined on our school website. Parents will be notified if students are not wearing appropriate school uniform. Footwear is an important aspect of the school uniform. Shoes should be black leather and worn each day. As rain is a common occurrence in Sao Paulo, we ask that a pair of waterproof shoes or boots are kept in school for days when the playground is wet. On PE days, trainers should be worn. For younger children, we advise that the shoes are not lace up until the children are able to tie them unaided. For safety reasons, flip-flops should not be worn. Additional information: ● Use of coats and anoraks are encouraged during cold and rainy days; ● Children should only wear the school jumpers, other jumpers or hoodies will not be accepted. ● Sunhats are a vital part of our school uniform and it is compulsory that all children wear one whilst on the playground otherwise they will not be allowed to play. ● Children should not wear necklaces, bracelets or earrings to school (except for stud earrings which should be removed at home on PE days). Religious artifacts can be worn. Parents should inform admissions of any extenuating reason why their child should be allowed to wear jewellery. ● Hair should be worn in a neat style and long hair should always be tied back. Mohicans, tramlines and bright colours are not considered appropriate hairstyles for school. If a child attends school with a hairstyle that is deemed inappropriate, the Headmaster will inform the parents and request a more suitable style. 8
Temporary tattoos and nail varnish are not appropriate for school and should be cleaned off before children attend. Uniform guidelines are available here.
What you will need for School
The school will provide all equipment necessary for lessons, including exercise books and stationery. Food, snacks and drinks are supplied by school, however, it is acceptable for children to bring a water bottle into school. The summer months in Brazil are really hot, so suncream and insect repellent are required. The following items are not to be brought to school: ● Chewing gum / sweets ● Toys or games, unless for a special day or at the request of a teacher ● Music playing systems, mobile phones or any other electronic devices This is to ensure that children’s belongings do not get damaged or lost. The school accepts no responsibility or liability for loss or damage to personal items brought into school.
Standards of Behaviour Code of Conduct
Our school’s code of conduct aims to achieve a positive atmosphere in which more time is spent on teaching and learning. We recognise that the school has a critical role to play in developing self-discipline in pupils. We aim to establish acceptable patterns of behaviour and to encourage pupils to develop a sense of responsibility, self-respect and a respect for other people, property and the environment. It is essential for parents and school to work in partnership, so that the values encouraged by home and school are mutually reinforced.
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To all Pupils:
You will be expected to behave at all times in ways which demonstrate self-discipline, self respect and respect for others and their property.
All pupils are required to observe the following: ● Treat everyone with respect and courtesy ● Behave in a way that aids learning during lessons ● Walk at all times when indoors ● Walk on the left in corridors and staircases ● Hold doors open for others ● Remove coats, jackets and hats during lessons and at lunch ● Make sure that classrooms and playgrounds are kept clean and tidy
Common Language Policy
At BCB our common language is English. We expect all children to speak English at all times whilst in school. It is important that we have a common language as an international school of over 40 nationalities. It encourages friendship and social development as well as providing an environment where second or third language learners can develop their English language skills quickly and effectively. 10
Bus Policy
The school buses are an extension of the school, and the same high expectations are still in place for all the pupils. There is often a wide range of ages present on a bus and the older children, especially, need to take care of how they behave and what they choose to talk about. There should be no inappropriate language, conversations or behaviour If there are problems with a student on the bus then the following procedures will be followed: ● First time – a warning ● Second time – a second warning and a phone call home ● Third time – a phone call home, and a day off the bus ● Fourth time – a phone call home, and a fortnight off the bus ● Fifth time – expulsion from the bus service Such incidences will be recorded in the student’s file. The class teacher shall make any warnings and phone calls to parents. In the case of repeated warnings, the class teacher shall notify the Key Stage leader and / or Headmaster, which may result in further action being taken. The organisation of the bus routes is extremely complex. In light of this, using the bus service to facilitate play dates and parties is not allowed. Parents are responsible for this.
Health Regular daily attendance is expected but sometimes absence is unavoidable through sickness. Please inform the school if your child is unable to attend by sending an email to the class teacher and the school receptionist. If your child uses the bus service it is imperative that you inform the school / bus monitor as soon as possible to avoid delaying the bus. If your child is sick, they should not be sent to school to avoid passing on the sickness to others. A period of 24 hours should be observed to ensure symptoms have abated. If the school feels that a child has returned to school too soon, parents will be contacted to collect their child immediately. 11
Please advise the school of any medical problems your child may have when there is an allergy to materials or food. Please ensure that the health questionnaire has been completed and updated when necessary and appropriate. Food allergies must be identified by a doctor and a medical certificate provided for this. If your child becomes unwell and the class teacher feels that s/he may not be well enough to participate in lessons, they will be referred to the school nurse on site. After further observation, if the child is clearly not well enough to return to class, you may be telephoned to collect your child. Please be aware that it is the responsibility of the parents to collect their unwell child and the school cannot provide a driver in such circumstances. In extreme emergencies, such as serious injury or extreme sickness the school will make every effort to get the child to medical facilities. Medication can only be administered with written consent and directions from the parents. Medicines must be given to the class teacher or the nurse by the parent, not the child. If your child has had to visit the nurse due to injury you will be informed of the incident in writing.
First Aid
The school employs a full-time qualified nurse and designated staff are first-aid trained and can deal with day-to-day matters such as cuts or bruises and children who feel unwell whilst at school. In the unlikely event of a more serious accident, all students will be escorted to a hospital. Parents will be telephoned immediately to inform of the accident and asked to meet the child and nurse at the hospital.
Communication We aim to keep parents fully informed about events or developments at BCB in several ways: Class teachers will write a weekly update every Friday on their class blog which will inform parents of what has happened in class that week. At the beginning of each term, a curriculum letter is posted on the class blog to inform parents of the topics and objectives that will be taught in the coming term. Class teachers are happy to discuss concerns parents may have about their child but are unable to do so during teaching time. Parents are asked not to contact class teachers in the morning for a lengthy chat, as teachers and pupils are always anxious to begin their daily work. 12
At the beginning of the year, we will hold a “Meet the Teacher Day” when parents will have an opportunity to get an insight into daily life, our curriculum and have a chance to meet members of staff. Additionally, parents are often invited to support class assemblies, activities, open days and curriculum days in order to be involved in school life as much as possible. There is also an annual “Student Led Conference” where parents can hear from their child how they believe they are developing. Finally, reports are also sent out during each term followed by a formal Parent Teacher Consultation. This will ensure that progress is shared on a regular basis. In order to maintain consistent lines of communication, we ask that you ensure that your contact details including mobile phones and email addresses remain regularly updated with the school office.
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Homework Homework is an important part of the school curriculum and the table below gives you information regarding the amounts and types of homework that your child may receive as they progress through the school years. Homework tasks will be a mixture of online activities on the class website and physical/written tasks. Year
Portuguese (can include written/readin g task, flash cards, discussion topic, research etc)
Reading at home ● with an adult (Rec-Y2) ● independently and to an adult at times (Y3-Y6) ● Parents should comment and complete children’s reading records
Spellings Words to learn using LSCWC method and/or spelling activity
Other homework from class teacher per week Can include written, drawing or online tasks, practical work or research.
Pre- Nursery
n/a
Weekly library book to read to child, enjoy and talk about (and reread again and again as desired by the child).
n/a
Very occasional as decided by the teacher.
Nursery
n/a
5/10mins 3 times per week as and when the children are ready.
n/a
Weekly Words on the class website as and when the children are ready.
Rec
n/a
5/10mins 3 times per week as and when the children are ready.
1 task per week as and when students are ready
Weekly Words on the class website.
1
15 mins as & when
10 mins per day
1 task per week
2 task of approx. 15 mins *
2
30 mins per week max
15 mins per day
1 task per week
2 task of approx 20 mins *
3
30 mins per week max
20 mins per day
1 task per week
2 task of approx 30 mins*
4
30 mins per week max
20 mins per day
1 task per week
3 tasks of approx 30 mins each*
5
30 mins per week max
30 mins per day
1 task per week
3 tasks of approx 30 mins each*
6
30 mins per week max
30 mins per day
1 task per week
3 tasks of approx 30 mins each*
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Merit System
On entry to the school each child will be allocated a house and members of the same family placed in the same house. We will seek a balance of male and female students in each house. The House names are as follows:
Each teacher will be responsible for a house, and there will be regular house meetings and competitions. The House System will have two parts: 1) Merit scheme where children gain house points for individual awards relating to attainment, progress, effort and achievement. 2) Internal competitions such as Sports Day, Swimming Gala, Poetry and Music competitions.
House Point Certificates in the Primary School
At BCB we believe that great efforts should be rewarded and recognised. With this in mind, we have a house point system that is designed to encourage high standards and positive action from our students throughout the year.
House Points therefore will only be awarded when children do their very best.
During the year, pupils will be awarded house points for excellent work, effort and progress. Teachers shall award points to each child when deserved and it will be the responsibility of the child to enter his/her house point on the chart displayed in the class. This can be a coloured square or a tick alongside a name. There will be no negative actions such as minus house points. Certificates will be awarded in assembly to successful students. Certificates are organised in the following way. The aim is to achieve as many house points as possible during each term. At the beginning of each month, house point totals are reset to zero. ● Bronze – 10 points ● Silver – 30 points ● Gold – 60 points ● Platinum – 100 points 15
At the end of each month the house points from each class will be collated and the winning House will be announced during the next assembly. A House Point Cup will be awarded to the winning team annually at Speech Day.
Citizenship
We reward children for displaying good manners and citizenship skills with our Star Citizen Award. This award is announced regularly during assembly time when the acts of good citizenship are shared with the rest of the school and the pupil(s) rewarded and congratulated. A record of Star Citizens is kept in the Star Citizen Book which can be read by any member of the school.
Behaviour Policy
Within each primary classroom we have introduced a positive behaviour system to reward and reinforce the learning skills that are so important to successful learning. Each class agrees and displays a set of class rules that they feel will promote effective learning. The teachers and TAs will then reinforce effective learning skills through praise and by rewarding each example with a marble. For every 100 marbles collected, the class earns a reward. The rewards are chosen by the class at the start of term and displayed alongside the agreements. For the first 100 marbles the class will earn a 15-minute reward while the final 500 marble reward may involve a whole afternoon of fun. The rewards should reflect the amount of marbles earned. Alongside this there is a set of clearly defined and displayed sanctions for those instances where the behaviour of a child is disrupting the learning of others. The stages of sanctions are as follows and represent each time learning is disturbed during a teaching session: Stage 1: You are reminded of the class agreement and told not to disturb learning. Stage 2: You are reminded of the class agreement; initials are written on a board. Stage 3: You must work in another classroom. Stage 4: You must discuss your difficulties with the headmaster and possibly your parents if the disruptive behaviour continues. Each of the stages should be carried out discretely so as not to draw attention to the disruptive behaviour. We do not shout at pupils at BCB. The aim of this policy is to create a positive learning environment within classes and a sense of togetherness as everyone helps to earn marbles for the chosen shared rewards. NOTE: Once awarded, marbles cannot be taken away. 16
Birthdays Policy
At The British College of Brazil we feel that a child’s birthday is an important day in their lives and that it should be celebrated. In order to keep celebrations appropriate and to ensure the minimum of disruption to the school day, we ask that the following requests be observed: 1. Cakes are allowed to be brought to school to share with the class, but must be 100% nut free. No other food or drink should be provided. 2. Parents may be present when the cake is shared with the class, but must refrain from taking photographs. 3. Parents must arrange the cake delivery with the teacher at least 3 days in advance, and must not turn up unannounced. 4. Gift bags, balloons or other small gifts should not be distributed to the other children in the class as this can cause an unwanted precedent for other parents. 5. Entertainers, such as clowns or magicians, are not permitted. 6. The celebration must cause the minimum of disruption to the school day and the requests of the class teacher should be respected at all times and never questioned.
Birthday Parties Outside of School
The responsibilities of teachers and admin staff at The British College of Brazil are vast and varied. As a result, it is not possible for any member of the school team to be involved in the organisation of children’s birthday parties that take place outside of school. The following guidelines should be observed at all times: 1. Invitations to parties may be distributed by the child to other members of the class or school. In pre-nursery and nursery, teachers can assist in placing invites into bags or folders, but only when the whole class have been invited to the party. 2. Invitations should contain all relevant information regarding organisation, timings, location and correspondence. These should be completed by the parents including all names and other details. 3. Teachers and admin staff cannot assist in the collection or collation of party invitations. This should be made clear on the party invitation. 4. Teachers and admin staff cannot assist in the logistical organisation of parties such as buses and other transportation. 5. It is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to organise all aspects of parties outside of school. Teachers and admin staff should not be approached or contacted about these matters. 17
It is the responsibility of every child’s parent to inform the school of how their child will be going home, including parties. As a reminder, all alterations to a child’s mode of transport must be made before 1:00pm of the given day.
Lunch Lunch is provided by school and is prepared in our kitchens. We offer pupils a healthy choice of food each day which includes a range of salads, vegetables, proteins and carbohydrates. We encourage our children to eat healthily and whilst we recognise that some children may not like certain food, we always encourage children to try everything with an expectation that they eat all of their meal. Any food allergies should be reported to the school and accompanied by a medical certificate. We limit the amount of salt given to children so this is not readily available.
School Concerns and Complaints Procedure
The school welcomes all feedback of all kinds from parents. On occasion you might feel that our service has fallen below the levels of your expectation, or require further explanation on an area of which you are unsure. If you have a complaint regarding any non- financial matter concerning the school, the first point of contact is normally your child’s class or form teacher. They will take the matter up for you and will do one of two things; 1. Reply directly within 24 hours when possible. 2. Pass the matter to the appropriate person. Please note that email is the preferred method of handling communication with class / form teachers as they are busy during the day and cannot respond to phone calls. Alternatively, a meeting can be requested via reception. If the complaint is regarding the class or form teacher, and you feel that it would not be appropriate to raise it with them, you may contact their head of school directly. If the complaint is concerning the head of school, then the complaint should be lodged directly with the Headmaster. 18
Urgent matters of child welfare (safety) can be immediately addressed to the school in person, and a meeting will be arranged as soon as possible with a senior member of staff. Complaints of a financial nature should be directed to the school’s Finance Department. Appointments can be made to see Heads of school via reception. Complaints are handled as swiftly as possible and in confidence where appropriate / requested. Parents will be kept up to date of the progress of their enquiry throughout the process.
In Summary
We hope that this handbook provides an informative introduction to the school. Of course, not every piece of information will be here and if you should need any further guidance, please feel free to contact the appropriate member of the school for further advice. We look forward to working with you this year!
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Avenida Engenheiro Oscar Americano, 630 Cidade Jardim, São Paulo SP, 05673-050, Brazil +55 11 3031 4697 R. Álvares de Azevedo, 50 - Campo Grande, São Paulo SP, 04671-040, Brazil +55 11 5523 5052 https://britishcollegebrazil.org
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