Secondary Parent Handbook
Table of Contents
Welcome from the Headmaster
2
Mission Statement and Aims
3
School Hours
3
Key Dates
4
Attendance
5
Arrival and Departure Procedures
5
Role of the Parent
6
Secondary Curriculum
6
Extended Curriculum
7
School Uniform
7
What Pupils need for School
8
Standards of Behaviour
9
Common Language Policy
9
Bus Policy
10
Health
10
Communication
11
House System
12
Lunch
13
School Concerns and Complaints Procedure
13
In Summary
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1
Welcome from the Headmaster
Dear Parents, It is our pleasure to welcome you to The British College of Brazil (BCB). We are proud to be here in Sao Paulo as a British school that is wholly UK owned and follows the English National Curriculum. We are looking forward to providing your child with an outstanding educational experience. We strive to build on our reputation of excellence as we seek to meet the needs of all pupils enrolled in our school. Our staff members are enthusiastic and passionate about teaching and bring a wealth of experience and expertise. At The British College of Brazil we have created a stimulating, safe and positive learning environment, with high expectations of achievement and behaviour. We are committed to making the curriculum accessible to all pupils by utilising a range of teaching styles and state of the art technology, which will motivate our pupils to develop independent, lifelong learning skills. We hope that you find this handbook useful and look forward to working closely with you to ensure the success of BCB and our pupils. Yours sincerely, Duncan Rose Headmaster 2
Mission Statement and Aims
Our mission is to provide world class education. Guiding Principles: ● To motivate our pupils to explore the extent of their intellectual and physical abilities. ● To uphold the values of honesty, integrity and respect for others. ● To provide a vibrant, happy and secure environment. ● To recruit, retain and develop high calibre staff. ● To promote the general good within our community. ● To safeguard the long term development and reputation of our organisation.
School Hours
Times
Event 7:30am
All staff at school
7:50am
Registration
8:00- 8:40am
Period 1
8:40 – 9:20am
Period 2
9:20 – 10:00am
Period 3
10:00 – 10:40am
Period 4
10:40 – 11:00am
BREAK
11:00 – 11:40am
Period 5
11:40 – 12:20pm
Period 6
12:20 – 1:20pm
LUNCH
1:20 – 2:00pm
Period 7
2:00 - 2:40pm
Period 8
2:40 - 3:30pm
Extended Curriculum (EC) 3
Key Dates
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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.
Arrival and Departure Procedures
Pupils should not arrive before 7.30 am. All pupils should be in school for registration at 7:50am. It is important that pupils are punctual to avoid lateness and to allow all pupils to settle into their school day. 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 pupils using the school bus service will be collected by the bus monitor and safely taken home. The school day concludes at 3.30pm Monday to Fridays. It is important that all pupils are picked up promptly at the front of school. If you are delayed, please telephone the school as soon as possible. Parents who are consistently late in collecting their pupils will be requested to meet with the Headmaster. Any changes to the collection of your child must be emailed to the Form Tutor and school front desk by 1:00pm. NOTE: Pupils will not be allowed to leave the school with 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 and signage and pedestrian crossings outside of the schools should be observed at all times. Cars should never be left unattended. 5
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.
Secondary Curriculum
In KS 3-4, the foundation for our curriculum is the National Curriculum for England, which has been adapted for our international environment. Each subject is clearly laid out in a detailed document that outlines all the knowledge, skills to be taught at each stage and learning outcomes. The curriculum is based on a system of progressive learning outcomes, which the teacher assesses to ensure the progress of all the individuals in class. We aim to make the curriculum as interesting, relevant and cross-curricular as possible. It is important to remember that each child is an individual and that children develop at different rates in different subjects. The National Curriculum consists of 10 subjects: English; Mathematics; Science; Information & Communication Technology (ICT); Geography; Design & Technology; History; Art; Music; and Physical Education. In addition, we teach: Drama, Portuguese, Spanish, Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development (SMSC) and Business Studies to various age groups within the school. For the future we are seeking to run the International Baccalaureate Diploma post IGCSE.
Modern Foreign Languages
We teach Portuguese and Spanish languages to both first and second language speaking groups. Portuguese or Spanish are taught by specialists from Year 7 to Year 13. In addition to this, Brazilian Social Studies courses and Extended Curriculum activities are offered for those wishing to obtain the Brazilian diploma (in accordance with Brazilian law for international schools). 6
Extended Curriculum
The Extended Curriculum (EC) programme takes place on Monday to Friday, after school, for 50 minutes (at the school’s discretion). ECs will begin begin on the second week of each term. The aim is to provide EC enrichment activities from August to December and then January to June. The EC programme is supported and led by teachers and sometimes outside coaches and parents. The purpose of the EC programme is to promote the creative and physical elements of the curriculum through stimulating, meaningful and fun activities that will deepen pupils´ understanding of the taught curriculum. We aim to provide an exciting range of opportunities for our pupils. The EC Coordinator(s) will be responsible for ensuring a range of activities that reflect the interests of the pupils and aims of the school and ensure that there is an appropriate balance of activities for the age range and number of pupils.
School Uniform
School uniform is compulsory for all pupils 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 pupils are expected to arrive to the school everyday in clean clothes, to be worn in a tidy manner. We expect our pupils 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. On days that they have PE, pupils 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). Details of our school uniform are outlined on our school website. Parents will be notified if pupils are not wearing appropriate school uniform. 7
Other items Footwear is an important aspect of the school uniform. Shoes should be black leather and worn each day. On PE days, trainers should be worn. For safety reasons, flip-flops cannot be worn. Use of coats and anoraks are encouraged during cold and rainy days. General Appearance For safety reasons, pupils are not allowed to wear necklaces, bracelets or earrings to school (except for stud earrings and religious articles). Hair should be worn in a neat style. Mohicans, tramlines and bright colours are not considered appropriate hairstyles for school. Boys hair should be tidy and cut above the collar. Pupils who come to school with hair that does not follow these guidelines will be asked by the Headmaster to change their style. Tattoos, permanent or temporary, are not acceptable.
What Pupils need for School
The school will provide all equipment necessary for lessons including exercise books and stationery. However, pupils are permitted to bring equipment from home as long as it is kept in a pencil case and is suitable for class work. The following items are not to be brought to school: ● Chewing gum ● Sweets ● Correction fluid ● Speakers or music playing devices ● other non-essential electronic devices The following items may be brought to school at the pupil’s risk, but must be used with discretion: ● Mobile phones (these are only to be used to communicate with home if needed) These rules are in place to ensure that pupil´s belongings do not get damaged or lost.
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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. 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. 9
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 pupils, 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 pupil 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 If the pupil continues to misbehave the pupil may be refused access to the bus service. Such incidences will be recorded in the pupil’s file. The Form Tutor shall make any warnings and phone calls to parents. In the case of repeated warnings, the Form Tutor shall notify the Head of Secondary 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 parties is prohibited.
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 Form Tutor 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. Please advise us 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. 10
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 parents. Medicines must be given to the Form Tutor 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 pupils who feel unwell whilst at school. In the unlikely event of a more serious accident all pupils will be escorted to a hospital. Parents will be telephoned immediately to inform them 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: Form Tutors will maintain a blog which will inform parents of what is happening and has happened throughout the year. Form blogs are private and can only be accessed with a password which parents will be supplied with. At the beginning of each term Form Tutors will post information on their form blog from subject teachers regarding the topics and objectives that will be taught in the respective subjects. 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 teachers in the morning for a lengthy chat as teachers and pupils are always anxious to begin their daily work. Office staff will gladly arrange for parents to make an appointment with teachers to discuss any concerns parents may have.
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Parents are often invited to support activities, open days and curriculum days in order to be involved in school life as much as possible. Our Parent group (EFG) organise events each term to enliven and enrich school life. Finally, reports are also sent out during each term followed by formal Parent Teacher Consultations. 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.
House 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 pupils 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 pupils gain house points for individual awards relating to the school charter and achievements 2) Internal competitions such as Sports day, Swimming Gala, Poetry and Music competitions
House Point certificates
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 pupils throughout the year. House points will only be awarded when pupils do their very best. 12
During the year, pupils will be awarded house points based on the elements of the BSF Charter. Teachers shall award points to each pupil when deserved, and it is the responsibility of the pupil to enter his/her house point on the chart displayed in the Tutor Room. 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 pupils. A House point Cup will be awarded to the winning team annually at Speech 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. 13
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. 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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R. Álvares de Azevedo, 50 - Campo Grande, São Paulo SP, 04671-040, Brazil +55 11 5523 505297 https://britishcollegebrazil.org
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