Parent Handbook
Table of Contents Welcome from the Headteacher
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Academic Calendar 2017-18 

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School Hours
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Arrival & Departure Procedures
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Security
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Enrichment Lessons
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School Uniform
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What your Child will need for School
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School Lunch
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Behaviour
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Merit System
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School Bus
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Attendance
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Health and First Aid
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Role of the Parent
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Home/School Communication
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Home Learning
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Educational Visits and Residential Trips
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Welcome from the Headteacher Dear Parents It is our pleasure to welcome you to the 2017-2018 school year at The King’s School Manila. We extend a very warm welcome to all new and returning students and parents as we enter an exciting year here at Kings. Our aspiration is to provide a World Class Education for all pupils in our growing community that incorporates Early Years, Primary and Secondary School. We are looking forward to providing your child with an outstanding educational experience. Following on from our successful previous year, we will continue to build on our reputation of excellence as we seek to meet the needs of all students enrolled in our school. Our staff members are enthusiastic and passionate about teaching, and bring a wealth of experience and expertise. At KSM we have created a stimulating, safe and positive learning environment, with high expectations of achievement, endeavour and behaviour. We are committed to making the curriculum accessible to all students through utilising a range of teaching styles and state of the art technology, which will motivate our students to develop independent, lifelong learning skills. As Headteacher, my role is to establish a culture that promotes excellence, equality and high expectations of all students. Parent input and involvement in our school is invaluable and I look forward to working with you in the most important job you have - educating your child. We hope you will find this handbook useful. If you should need any further guidance, please feel free to contact the appropriate member of the school. Yours sincerely,
David Kirkham Headteacher
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Academic Calendar 2017-18 Autumn Term First Day of Term - Monday 14th August Half term - Monday 9th October – Friday 13th October Last day of term - Wednesday 15th December - Noon finish
Spring Term First day of term - Monday 8th January Half term - Monday 12th February - Friday 16th February Last day of term - Wednesday 23rd March
Summer Term First day of term - Monday 1st April Half term - Thursday 24th May - Friday 25th May Last day of term - Friday 27th June - Noon finish* Please note: ● *For Early Years the last day of term will be Thursday 26th June. Early Years staff will be attending Speech Day on Friday 27th June. ● For details of the above and all future events, holidays and terms dates please refer to the Parent Portal Calendar ● The last day of each term will be an 12:00pm finish
School Hours 07:00 07:25 - 07:30 07:30 02:30
School doors open (no pupil should arrive before this time) Children to class/Registration Lessons begin Lessons end
Enrichment lessons will take place on Wednesdays and Fridays each term. Specific dates will be indicated on the school calendar in the Parent Portal at the beginning of each term. You will be informed of the days on which your child has PE and Swimming classes. It is essential that students arrive at their classrooms for registration so that they do not miss any important information about the day. Please understand that tutors/class teachers will not be available to meet with parents once the school day has begun. 3
Arrival & Departure Procedures It is essential that our students are supervised at all times for their security and safety. Therefore, we request that students should not arrive at classrooms before 7.00am. This is to ensure that teachers have sufficient planning, meeting and preparation time at the beginning of the school day. All students should, however, be in class ready for registration at 7:25am at the latest. Please ensure that you or your designated guardian collects your child from a member of staff at the end of each day from the child’s classroom. Those students using the school bus service will be collected by the Bus Monitor and safely taken home. Please collect your child at 2:30pm. On the last day of each term, school finishes at 12:00pm. Collection of Children All students are to be collected from their classrooms. Please be aware that a member of school staff needs to hand your child over to you. Therefore, please assist this process by ensuring your teacher is aware you have received your child. Please also ensure that you have your parent/guardian identification badge. Students using the school bus will gather in the lunch hall before being taken onto the bus by a Bus Monitor and Teaching Assistant. If, for any reason, you have been delayed, please telephone the school so that we are aware and can inform your child to avoid any unnecessary anxiety. If you are unable to collect your child, please inform the school at your earliest convenience as to who will be collecting your child. For security reasons, teachers will not release a child to an unauthorised person.
Security There is no issue that the school takes more seriously than the safety of our students. We have security guards at each gate to ensure unauthorised personnel do not enter the school grounds and all visitors entering the school are required to sign in and out. All families will be asked to have their photographs taken or send in electronic photos so that ID cards can be made for any adult picking up a child. No adult will be allowed on the school grounds without their ID card. Please support us in this. It is essential that we have an accurate record of who is authorised to collect your child and their photograph in order to make an ID card. We will not release a child to the custody of a different adult unless we have received notification from the child’s parent. If you need to collect your child during the school day please ensure that you inform your class teacher in advance. Parents will need to sign in, then they may go to collect the child from the classroom. An Early Release Slip will need to be collected from the front desk before leaving the school premises. Parents should provide the school with at least two contact telephone numbers in case of emergencies. It is vital that you inform the school (or update your details on the Parent Portal) of any changes to these contact numbers.
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Enrichment Lessons The Enrichment programme offers a range of activities including Sports, Music, Art, and Languages. The opportunity for students to develop interests beyond the classroom is an integral part of the school. Enrichment classes are timetabled and are available to all students from Year 1 to Year 9. The Enrichment classes are organised by staff members and outside instructors. Generally, there is no charge except when they take place off site or are run by external tutors. Enrichment classes start a few weeks into each term once the usual routines are established. You will be notified of the activities on offer in advance so that you can assist your child in choosing the preferred activities. Once an activity is chosen for each term, it is important that the student remains committed to that activity. Certain enrichment classes may require a commitment across more than one term. Students and families will, of course, be made aware of the requirements of the activities that they select.
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 at school every day in uniform, worn in a tidy manner. Below is the uniform for EYFS, Primary and Year 9 children: All students are expected to wear PE uniform on PE days. You will be informed about these days at the beginning of the academic year. Students in EYFS and Years 1-4 wear the PE kit for the whole day. KS3 students will be required to bring their P.E kit and get changed before their lessons. Footwear is an important aspect of the school uniform; the correct socks and shoes complete the uniform. The normal school shoes should be a formal, sensible style made from black polished leather. Trainers are not acceptable. P.E footwear should be plain style trainer/tennis shoes with non-marking soles. All students should wear regular PE uniform for PE lessons and house colour T-shirts for competitions and events. Please label all items of school uniform with your child’s name.
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Pre-Nursery, Nursery and Reception
Year 1 to Year 6
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Year 7 to Year 11
General Appearance For safety reasons the wearing of earrings (except studs), or other jewellery (metal or plastic) is not permitted during sporting activities, PE or swimming. They represent potential hazards to all participants. Hair should be worn in a neat style, mohicans, tramlines and bright colours are not considered appropriate hairstyles for school. If a student attends school with a hairstyle that is deemed inappropriate, the school will inform the parents and request a more suitable style. Furthermore, a student may be required to wear hair tied back and/or to remove jewellery if it is deemed hazardous to an activity.
What your Child will need for School Water bottles: ● Each student will be asked to bring their own re-useable water bottle to school ● It should be clearly labelled with the name and class of the student ● The bottle will be returned home at the end of each day to be washed ● Only water should be contained in the bottles - no juice, carbonated or flavoured drinks ● Water dispensers are available at school for refills whenever required Resources While we will have the necessary resources in class, it is a very good idea to start the year with a pencil case with personal items students will need for a school day. These items include a ruler, pencils, coloured pencils, rubber/eraser and pencil sharpener. These should be brought to school in a bag where other personal items may be kept.
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Prohibited Items It is school policy not to bring the following items to school: ● Sharp or pointed instruments (e.g. scissors) ● Chewing gum, sweets or nuts ● Toys or games unless at the request of a teacher ● Music-players, mobile phones or any other electronic devices not supplied by the school.
School Lunch A hot and nutritious lunch is served to all children in school. School lunches are paid for in advance along with tuition fees. If you have not already informed the school that your child has dietary restrictions (whether for health, religious or allergy reasons), please do so immediately. We will inform the school kitchen and special arrangements will be made to provide suitable alternatives. Snacks The school will provide snacks for children in Foundation stage. Students in Year 1-9 are encouraged to bring a healthy snack for morning break. This should consist of fresh fruit or a wholesome, nutritious snack. KSM discourages sugar-laden foods for health reasons and also because they can often have a negative effect on concentration and learning. Under no circumstances should snacks be shared amongst students. Please note that, due to existing serious allergies present within the school, snacks with nuts must be avoided. KSM is a nut-free zone.
Behaviour 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 students. We aim to establish acceptable patterns of behaviour and to encourage students to develop a sense of responsibility, self-respect and a respect for other people, property and the environment. It is essential for parents and the school to work in partnership so that the values encouraged by home and school are mutually reinforced. The following outlines the key expectations we have of students: ● 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 ● Make sure that classrooms and playgrounds are kept clean and tidy; litter should be placed in bins ● Greet the teacher and guests in the school ● Speak and listen in turn ● Always look after classroom resources and ensure that furniture and resources are tidy at the end of lessons ● Knock and wait to be invited into the room if late for class ● Do not leave the classroom without the teacher’s permission ● No eating and drinking in the classroom – except water, and with the teacher’s permission ● Students are responsible for clearing trays, plates, etc., after break and lunch
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All students are encouraged, taught and expected to demonstrate high standards of behaviour. We value highly the qualities of self-discipline, self-respect and respect for others and their property. We encourage all students to act as positive citizens and bullying will not be tolerated at our school.
Merit System On entry to the school, each student will be allocated a ‘House’; members of the same family will be placed in the same house. We always seek a balance of male and female students in each one. The house names and colours are as follows: The whole school is involved in the merit system and each teacher and assistant teacher will be part of a house. There will be regular house assemblies held throughout the year. The first meeting elects house captains for each house (one boy and one girl).
The House system comprises two parts: 1. Merit system, where students gain house points for individual awards relating to their progress and efforts in all aspects of school life. 2. Inter-house competitions such as sports days, swimming galas, poetry and music competitions. Merit Certificates At KSM, we believe that great efforts should be rewarded and recognised. With this in mind, we have a house point system designed to encourage high standards and positive action from our students throughout the year. House points, therefore, will only be awarded when students do their very best. During the year, students will be awarded house points for excellent work, effort, progress and good citizenship. Teachers award points to each student when deserved and it is the responsibility of the student to enter their 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. At the end of each week, the house points from each class are collated, with the winning house announced during the next assembly. The house captains from the winning house will be responsible for changing the colours displayed each week to the winning house colour until the next assembly.
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EYFS For students in Pre-Nursery to Reception the teacher awards Smiley Suns. These are given out daily for good behaviour. Certificates for the number of Smiley Suns are given out to the children in class assemblies. Mr/Ms Cheerful Mr/Ms Happy Mr/Ms Busy Mr/Ms cheerful Mr/Ms Perfect
10 Smiley Suns 20 Smiley Suns 30 Smiley Suns 40 Smiley Suns 50 Smiley Suns
School Bus The school buses are an extension of the school, and the same high expectations are still in place for all the students. Bus monitors are present on each school bus to keep students safe. They are, in effect, the ‘teacher’ on the bus and should be listened to carefully and treated appropriately. There is often a wide range of ages present on a bus, and the older students especially are encouraged to be mindful of how they behave and what they choose to talk about. Consequently, there should be no inappropriate: ● ● ● ●
Language Conversations Behaviour Music
If there are problems with a student on the bus then the following procedures will be followed: First time: Second time: Third time: Fourth time: Fifth time:
Verbal warning Verbal warning and a phone call home Phone call home and a day off the bus Phone call home and a fortnight off the bus Expulsion from the bus service
If the student continues to misbehave, the student may be refused access to the bus service. Such incidences are recorded in the student’s file. The class teacher/tutor makes any warnings and phone calls to parents. In the case of repeated warnings, the class teacher/tutor notifies the phase leader and/or Headteacher, which may result in further action being taken.
Attendance Regular daily attendance is essential if students are to achieve their potential. We ask that parents support attendance at school wherever possible. Absence from school for reasons which are neither health-related nor involving an emergency are strongly discouraged and should be kept to a minimum, since frequent absence can result in the student falling behind in his/her studies and/or missing key assessments. Parents who are aware of such future absences should inform the class teacher/tutor and seek permission from the Headteacher as far in advance as possible. 10
Please note that it is not school policy to provide work for students who are absent. Parents will receive notification of the number of absences in the class teacher’s/tutor’s report at the end of term. Absence through sickness While regular daily attendance is important, sometimes absence is unavoidable through sickness. Please inform the school if your child is unable to attend school for health reasons. Please telephone as early as possible after 8am and leave a message for the class teacher/tutor. If your child uses the bus service, it is important that you inform the school/bus monitor as soon as possible in order to avoid delaying the bus.
Health and First Aid The school employs a full-time qualified nurse on site and many of our staff are first-aiders who can deal with day-to-day matters such as cuts or bruises, and students who feel unwell whilst at school. In the unlikely event of a more serious incident occurring at school, parents will be telephoned to inform them of the accident and if deemed necessary, they will be asked to meet the child and the School Nurse at school who will support them in getting to the hospital. Payment of medical care is the responsibility of the parent. In order for us to ensure the health and safety of your child, please advise us of any medical problems your child may have. Please ensure that the health questionnaire has been completed. Children are not allowed to attend school in these conditions: ● If your child’s temperature is above 38 degrees Celsius ● If your child has been vomiting or has diarrhoea ● If your child has been coughing for an extended period of time, has green/yellow nasal discharge ● If you child has red eyes producing discharge or a sore ear. If your child needs medication during school hours, you will be required to sign a consent form which you can get from the front desk. If your child has been diagnosed with any contagious diseases, please notify the school immediately and keep your child at home. You will need a letter from your doctor to say your child is safe to return to school.
Role of the Parent At KSM we acknowledge the importance of involving our parents in their child’s education and we encourage the support of parents throughout the school. 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. Each tutor group will elect a parent class representative (normally at the ‘Curriculum Meetings’ evening) who will act as a liaison with the class teacher/tutor for such events. In addition to your role within school we also encourage your support with your child’s learning at home. The enjoyment and knowledge that young children get from books is invaluable at this age and we encourage parents to read with their child as often as possible at home. At KSM we 11
consider home learning to be an excellent way to review or reinforce work taught in school rather than a way to extend learning. Parents are invited to take part in the following activities in school: ● Reading with children in class ● Helping with class trips ● Helping with cookery or art lessons ● Supporting class assemblies and other activities Please get in touch if you would like to offer some of your spare time in school.
Home/School Communication At KSM we greatly value working in partnership with parents and guardians to ensure the very best for your children. As part of this, we place a strong emphasis on opening up many avenues of communication between parents and teachers. Please take the time to read the following to help you understand the different ways that we can share information with each other. Daily communication: ●
Parent Portal Calendar. The calendar contains dates, events and notices relevant to your child or children. All information that require parents to act will be in the calendar, normally long in advance. An email will be sent to parents if there is a change in the calendar within two weeks of the relevant date. As it is important that parents regularly look at the calendar we send automatic reminders every Sunday to parents that have not logged in to the parent portal for a while.
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Parent Portal Blog. You are invited to follow and participate in any blogs that relate to your child (e.g class blog / sports team blog / head of primary or secondary blog / whole school blog). In these blogs you will find information about what is going on in class, photos and videos of your children at work, team lists and updates on competition results.
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Essential Communication: Email. In addition to posting in the relevant parent portal blog, an email will be sent out if it is imperative that parents receive information and the information is not something that would usually show in the Parent Portal Calendar. This may be a letter from the headteacher informing parents of important changes or initiatives at KSM. This may also be in an emergency.
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Individual Email. You will be given the teacher’s email address and can email them at any time. Emails are checked regularly and will be replied to. Obviously, teachers will not be checking emails whilst teaching so please allow them 24 hours to respond to your email. Please ensure your email addresses are up-to-date.
Termly communication: ●
Curriculum Overviews. At the beginning of each term, a curriculum letter is sent out to inform parents of the topics and objectives that will be taught in the coming term.
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School Reports. Each term you will receive a full written report on your child’s progress and attainment.
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Parent Teacher Consultations. These take place 3 times a year and give you the 12
opportunity to talk one-to-one with the teacher about your child’s progress, development and targets. Additional information and correspondence during the year: ●
Curriculum Morning: This is a presentation at the beginning of each academic year where you will get the opportunity to meet all the teachers and TAs and hear about the curriculum and organization of specific year groups
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Class Timetable: This timetable indicates which activity your child is doing at what time during the week.
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Open Door Policy: We are very pleased and willing to meet to discuss anything parents should wish to address. Please just let the teachers know and we can arrange a time that is agreeable to both parties.
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.
Home Learning Home learning should be: ● Manageable for parents, students and teachers ● Directly related to students’ class work and the school curriculum ● Regarded as important and monitored by parents and teachers ● Clearly understood by all students in term of objectives and feedback. The class teacher is responsible for providing opportunities for home learning, ensuring that the demands are manageable and relevant. Home learning should be varied, including many areas of the curriculum including Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, Mental Mathematics, Written Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, Art, etc. Normally, home learning is reading and spelling and then an appropriate amount of written work. Teachers will aim to keep parents informed and involved.
Educational Visits and Residential Trips Educational visits are crucial opportunities to learn beyond the classroom. In Years 1 to 9, they are organised in relation to the topics and themes being taught in class. Educational visits may be to museums, cultural sites and events or activity centres and are designed to support the learning in the classroom. In Years 5 and KS3, we offer the opportunity to enjoy an annual residential trip. This opportunity is of great benefit in supporting independence, leadership and teamwork, maturity and self-esteem. For many students, it is the highlight of the year. Every effort is made by the organising staff to share information and costs at an early stage. We hope that all students will be able to attend. For those that are not able to go, a topic-related programme is offered at KSM during the residential week.
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Bradco Avenue, Aseana Business Park, Paranaque City, 1700 Metro Manila, Philippines +63 (2) 519 5799 info@kings.org.ph www.kings.org.ph
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