Primary Handbook 2023/24

OUR SCHOOL

The British School Al Khubairat (BSAK) is Abu Dhabi’s leading British not-for-profit, co-educational day school. From Nursery to A Level (3 – 18) our dynamic school culture offers students an enriching experience and outstanding results.

OUR VISION

Building on our unique local heritage, we will provide a world-class British education, inspiring all our students to exceed expectations.

OUR VALUES

Empathy and Care |

Honesty and Integrity |

Respect and Inclusivity

Endeavour and Resilience

P11 Curriculum

P14 Wellbeing and Pastoral Care

P15 Safeguarding

P16 School Clinic

P17 Inclusion Department

P18 House System & Student Leadership

P19 Co-Curricular and Enrichment

P20 Music, PE and Languages

P23 Punctuality & Attendance

P25 Pick up Procedures, Parking and Traffic

P27 Term Dates

P28 Uniform and Stationery

P32 Primary Dining and Packed Lunch Options

P33 The Library

P34 Friends of BSAK

P35 Transport

P36 Communications - Parent Portal

P39 Communications - Social Media

WELCOME FROM THE HEAD OF PRIMARY

Dear Parents

We are a lively, busy, happy and hardworking school where our children are nurtured to achieve the very best they can.

All children in BSAK Primary School are encouraged to achieve their potential in academic, sporting and creative fields, whilst at the same time developing their social skills, manners, respect for each other and vitaly important, kindness.

From Early Years to Year 6 we are proud to say that our children experience a holistic education where they develop self esteem and a love of learning.

We strive for every child to exceed their expectations, develop passions and a true community spirit. We are in the business of teaching children to a high standard, turning them into confident, responsible and interested learners.

It is not just our heritage and facilities that mark out our school; it is the atmosphere and happiness that runs throughout our community

Mrs Elaine Rawlings Head of Primary

OUR STAFF PRIMARY SCHOOL

PRIMARY LEADERSHIP TEAM:

Elaine Rawlings Primary Head erawlings@britishschool.sch.ae

Pete Collings Deputy Head Primary pcollings@britishschool.sch.ae

Ellie Edgar Deputy Head Primary eedgar@britishschool.sch.ae

Jeff Payne Assistant Head Teaching and Curriculum Years 3-6 jpayne@britishschool.sch.ae

Charlotte McDowell Assistant Head Teaching and Curriculum EYFS & Years 1 & 2 cmcdowell@britishschool.sch.ae

Sam Walter Assistant Head Wellbeing and Pastoral Care swalter@britishschool.sch.ae

OUR STAFF PRIMARY SCHOOL

ASSOCIATE SENIOR LEADERS:

Chris Saunders csaunders@britishschool.sch.ae

Jade Linton jlinton@britishschool.sch.ae

Judi Crockett jcrockett@britishschool.sch.ae

OUR STAFF PRIMARY SCHOOL

YEAR GROUP LEADERS:

pjones@britishschool.sch.ae

Rosy Thomas Reception rthomas@britishschool.sch.ae

Sarah Jones Nursery sajones@britishschool.sch.ae

Judi Crockett Year 1 jcrockett@britishschool.sch.ae

Marissa McCormack Year 2 mmccormack@britishschool.sch.ae Year 3 krhodes2@britishschool.sch.ae

Gillian Campbell Year 4 gcampbell@britishschool.sch.ae

Chris Saunders Year 6 csaunders@britishschool.sch.ae

OUR STAFF PRIMARY SCHOOL

HEADS OF DEPARTMENT:

bemery@britishschool.sch.ae

Head

Including Non

RECEPTIONISTS:

selsaleh@britishschool.sch.ae

Briony Emery Head of Inclusion

Jade Alabaster

of Primary Languages

Native Arabic jalabaster@britishschool.sch.ae

Arwa Hamoudeh Head of Primary Native Arabic ahamoudeh@britishschool.sch.ae

Vicky Bolger Head of Primary KS1 PE vbolger@britishschool.ach.ae

Gerard Fee Head of Primary Music gfee@britishschool.sch.ae

Paula Bentley pbentley@britishschool.sch.ae

Katie Kearsley kkearsley@britishschool.sch.ae

Sajida El Saleh Head of Primary Islamic and Social Studies

Head of Primary KS2 PE nrhodes@britishschool.sch.ae

OUR CODE OF CONDUCT

WE TREAT EACH OTHER AS WE WISH TO BE TREATED

EARLY YEARS, YEAR 1 & YEAR 2

The School’s Golden Rules are central to life at school. The points set out our Golden Rules that form the basis of our rewards and consequences systems.

We are a caring learning community, whose values are built upon mutual trust and respect for all. Every member of our school should feel safe and valued; each person should be treated well and fairly at all times.

ALL STUDENTS MUST FOLLOW THE ‘GOLDEN RULES’ OF BEHAVIOUR:

There are three underlying principles of respect that ensure that children at BSAK benefit from their time at school and enjoy all that it has to offer. Therefore all children are expected to act respectfully by:

“Taking care of ourselves, others and our environment”

Those showing exemplary standards of behavior and attitude gain public recognition through a range of rewards ranging from a warm smile, thumbs up and a ‘well done’ to a Head Teacher’s Award.

OUR CODE OF CONDUCT

WE TREAT EACH OTHER AS WE WISH TO BE TREATED

YEAR 3 TO 6

The Year 3-6 Code of Conduct continues to develop the children’s understanding of the school values and forms the basis of our rewards and consequences systems.

COURTESY

You should behave with respect towards all members of the school. Fellow students, teachers, those in supporting roles, office, catering, cleaning and maintenance staff are all equally important to the school and deserve your respect . Good manners are expected at all times. BE COURTEOUS

CONSIDERATION

Behave towards others as you hope they would behave towards you. Whatever you do, think first how you would feel if it happened to you. BE CONSIDERATE

SENSIBLE

A few written rules are necessary to any community, but for the most part, common sense will tell you whether something is right or not. BE SENSIBLE

RESPECT

There are three underlying principles of respect that ensure that BSAK pupils benefit from their time at school and enjoy all that school has to offer:

● Respect for oneself: (appearance; organisation; commitment)

● Respect for others: (pupils; teaching staff; non-teaching staff and visitors)

● Respect for the environment: (classrooms; changing rooms and lavatories; stairwells; grounds and other places visited) BE RESPECTFUL

All children are expected to respect the Code of Conduct at all times. Those showing exemplary standards of behavior and attitude gain public recognition through a range of rewards ranging from a warm smile, thumbs up and a ‘well done’ to a Head Teacher’s Award.

THE PRIMARY CURRICULUM AT BSAK

The curriculum is a narrative, a journey that the children begin when they enter school in the Early Years and continue through the Primary School. It is, in effect, what the children are taught. The children are provided with engaging and diverse learning opportunities as part of a very carefully sequenced, cumulative curriculum. Teachers, knowing the curriculum narrative well, base current learning on what children have previously learnt and also forecast future learning for the weeks, months and years to come. Being able to make these ‘bigger picture’ connections, linking knowledge and concepts within a subject and between subjects, is very powerful and helps the children to contextualise what they have learnt, helping them to make many meaningful connections. The curriculum is carefully designed in order that children frequently revisit previous learning which supports them in transferring knowledge into their long term memory. Our teachers employ impactful, evidence informed and age appropriate teaching practices to ensure that the children learn and remember core knowledge with which they can then be skilful and creative, applying what they know and being challenged to think hard. Thinking hard is the engine for learning and teachers provide planned and considered opportunities for such thinking across the curriculum. Transitions between each phase of the Primary School are carefully planned in order that children move seamlessly from one stage of their learning to the next.

EARLY YEARS: NURSERY & RECEPTION

In the Early Years, staff pride themselves on a responsive teaching approach, where children learn through the joy of play and exploration. Enabling environments are thoughtfully designed to support children in feeling calm, safe and truly at home during their time in school.

During the school year, children are provided with opportunities to enable them to develop socially and academically, grow in confidence and engage with every aspect of school life. Employing a child-centred ‘in the moment’ approach to teaching and learning, staff quickly learn the unique attributes of each and every child and are able to interact compassionately with the children as individuals. As a result, staff provide learning opportunities which encourage and extend the children’s development across all areas of learning, driven by each individual’s particular interests and ideas. This is very powerful. The learning environment is crucial to success in the Early Years and is very carefully designed to support personalised learning and progress for every child.

KEY STAGE 1: YEARS 1 & 2

In Key Stage 1, staff build upon the solid foundations of Early Years and passionately believe that young children learn best through a considered balance of exploration within enabling environments and focused, instructional learning opportunities. Continuous and enhanced provision strategies enable the children to consolidate and use their knowledge, understanding and skills. They also enjoy regular opportunities to develop as independent and resilient learners. Within the environment, both inside the Key Stage 1 building and outside in the curriculum play areas, children actively engage in a wide range of self-selected activities. Enhanced provision provides the children with choices and encourages them to develop a lifelong love of learning and to pursue their personal interests.

The Key Stage 1 curriculum ambitiously challenges children to engage, explore and ask questions. Learning is made real, is contextualised and carefully sequenced. Spanish is introduced in Year 2 for all children as are Islamic Studies and Social Studies to those children for whom it is a requirement. By the end of Year 2, the children are more than ready for their move to Key Stage 2.

KEY STAGE 2: YEARS 3, 4, 5 & 6

In Key Stage 2 (Years 3 to 6), the children continue to develop their love of learning through a breadth of experiences and opportunities, building upon the strong foundations of their previous knowledge acquisition and experiences in Key Stage 1. All children continue to be taught by specialist teachers for Music, PE, Modern Foreign Languages and Arabic. Islamic Studies and Social Studies are taught to those children for whom it is a requirement.

As part of the sequenced curriculum, the children revisit learning from previous years and are challenged to retrieve the knowledge previously learnt which helps to solidify its place in the child’s long term memory. Ongoing repetition and retrieval of previously taught knowledge helps it to ‘stick’. Teachers then provide the children with generative learning activities; new knowledge is taught which the children then select from, organise and integrate with what they already know. The children continually develop rich schemas, organised units of knowledge for a subject or event.

Class timetables are arranged so that Maths, English, the UAE subjects, Modern Foreign Languages, PE, Music and Moral Education and Life Skills are taught each week. Computer Science is also taught every week to children in Years 3-6 by a specialist Computer Science Teacher in a dedicated Computer Science Lab. The rest of the subjects are taught in the time remaining in the class timetable using a modular approach e.g. Science for three weeks, Art for two weeks, History for two weeks and so on. The children and teachers have the opportunity to delve into the learning in that subject, making rich and meaningful connections within and beyond the curriculum area and in doing so, powering learning and progress.

Home Learning Activities are provided to support long-term retention of curriculum knowledge and to develop understanding and meaning. The amount, format and expectations of home learning will be progressive through the school. Home learning tasks will be varied and engaging for every child.

Children across the school have the opportunity to give feedback to teachers and leaders via Pupil Learning Studies where the children are questioned about their learning, what they enjoy, what they find impactful in helping them to learn and what they have remembered and can apply. This feedback is very powerful, alongside other methods of monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the curriculum, in helping staff continually amend and adapt the curriculum in the best interests of all children.

As the children progress through the school, they have the opportunity to enjoy trips across the emirate, listen to visitors to school including the Sixth Form students and experience a variety of special curriculum days and events. Alongside this, from Year 3 upwards, the children can enjoy a wide range of Co-Curricular activities including Sports, Music, the Arts, Academic, Wellbeing and many more, all which are in place to support and extend their learning beyond the curriculum delivered in the classroom.

The School aims to provide the very best learning opportunities across all areas of the curriculum, Early Years to Year 6; to ensure that the children love and appreciate the journey of the curriculum, immerse themselves in the excitement and the wonder of the narrative. This is then built upon as the children move into Year 7, which supports the children’s transition into the Secondary School and allows them to turn the page to the next chapter of their education.

PRIMARY INSIGHTS

If you would like to find out more about our Primary School Curriculum, then please take a look at the ‘Primary Insights’ pages in our previous Primary Newsletters.

*PleasenotethattheCurriculumOverviewswillbeaddedtotheParentPortalatthestartofeachterm.

WELLBEING AND PASTORAL CARE

Wellbeing plays a vital role in education and is intrinsically linked to children’s learning. At BSAK, we believe that it is essential to support the emotional health and wellbeing (EHW) of our children and staff. We look to create a school community where children are welcomed and feel happy and secure within a healthy environment. We want all our children to have respectful, kind and supportive relationships with each other and adults. We want everyone to understand the importance of being proactive about their emotional and physical health and we want to teach our children to be resilient, to take responsibility and to be adaptable by having a growth mindset.

We know that everyone experiences challenges which can make us vulnerable and at times, anyone may need additional support. We take the view that positive emotional health is everybody’s business and that we all have a role to play. We do this within a supportive and caring ethos which models, respect and kindness and where every individual is valued.

Our support network includes:

Your child’s Class Teacher (always your first port of call)

Your child’s Head of Year

Mrs Sam Walter (Assistant Head of Wellbeing and Pastoral Care)

Mrs Kate Lewis - School Counsellor

Teddi Rawlinson - School Counsellor

COUNSELLING SERVICE The Counselling Service provides an opportunity for your child to talk in confidence about issues which may be worrying them and affecting their day to day life. What they choose to talk about is completely up to them, but common issues are relationship issues, problems at home, stress, friendships, change, bereavement, distressing traumatic events and anger. Primary children are referred to this service, if required, by school staff and in consultation with parents.

At BSAK we:

● help children to feel they belong through promoting our school values

● promote self confidence and ensure children know that they count and ‘dare to be different’

● help children to form and maintain strong relationships

● help children to understand and be able to talk about their emotions openly

● help children to develop emotional resilience and to manage setbacks

SAFEGUARDING AT BSAK

The welfare and safety of children who attend The British School Al Khubairat is our paramount concern. We will promote the health, well–being and safety of the students in all we do.

Our children have the right to protection, regardless of age, gender, ability, race or social background. They have a right to be safe in our school. BSAK expects all of its employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

The School recognises and understands its responsibilities to work together in partnership with other agencies both here in the UAE and the UK to help children to grow up in a healthy and safe environment. Staff appointments are subject to satisfactory checks including the enhanced DBS check, Prohibition check and references.

In the interest of safety and security all adults are required to wear a BSAK lanyard, visible at all times. Navy blue lanyards are worn by BSAK staff and light blue lanyards are issued to parents upon admission to the School. Any visitors to the School will be issued with a temporary orange lanyard once their entry is cleared by Security. New parents please click here to apply for a Parent Pass if you haven’t already done so.

If you have any concerns in this regard please contact any member of our Safeguarding Team

Telephone: +971 (0)2 204 0200

Email: safeguarding@britishschool.sch.ae

Mrs Ellie Edgar Deputy Head of Primary

Mr Mark Leppard MBE Headmaster Secondary

SCHOOL CLINIC AT BSAK

The School Clinic is staffed by a team of HAAD registered School Nurses and professional administrators. The main role of the Nurses is to provide first aid and/or emergency care to all students and to ensure the safety of children at all times.

WHEN TO KEEP YOUR CHILD AT HOME

BSAK has a clear policy for when children are unwell which is guided by the Department of Health Abu Dhabi and UK regulations. Please see the Nursing Handbook for more information on illnesses that require you to keep your children at home. The nursing team will contact parents when a student is unwell during the school day and needs to go home. Students should not be using their mobile phones to call their parents during the school day. Please ensure your contact details are correct on the parent portal as these are the numbers used in an emergency.

COLLECTING YOUR CHILD FROM THE SCHOOL CLINIC

If you receive a call about your child who needs to either go home or be seen by a Doctor, we request that you collect your child as promptly as possible. We suggest that within 1 hour is an acceptable time frame, however, we appreciate that this may not always be possible. If parents are unable to collect their child, they should notify the Nurse of the details of another person who is able to collect them.

HEALTHY EATING AND FOOD POLICY

BSAK promotes Healthy Eating and we are a NUT FREE school. Please see the Nursing handbook for more information on foods not allowed in school.

MEDICAL INFORMATION FOR SCHOOL TRIPS

At the start of each academic year you will be required to complete a health declaration form. It is an ADEK requirement that we receive updated medical information for every student, without this updated your child will not be able to go on any school trips or play for the school’s teams and attend off site events.

CLINIC TIMINGS

Monday- Thursday 7.10am – 2.35pm Friday 7.10am – 12.00pm

Mon-Thur - Nurse is available till 4pm for after school clubs. Fri - Nurse is available till 1pm for after school clubs.

Telephone Number: +971 (0) 204 0200 | Email – nurses@britishschool.sch.ae

INCLUSION DEPARTMENT AT BSAK

The School values the abilities and achievements of all children and strives to meet the learning needs of every child. Lesson planning provides for scaffolded learning tasks to make the curriculum accessible to all children, and to enable each child to make personal progress.

If a teacher has concerns about any child’s personal progress, he/she will share these concerns with you. Likewise if you as a parent have concerns about your child, please speak to your child’s teacher at the earliest opportunity.

Most additional needs can be met through offering adapted and scaffolded work and by the teacher’s professional skills in managing a mixed ability class. However, if a teacher has more specific concerns about aspects of a child’s learning they may seek support from our Inclusion Department.

The Inclusion team supports children within the classroom setting and through short periods of individual or group work away from the class. If the school feels your child will benefit from such support, you will be fully involved in the process and will begin regular review meetings with the Inclusion teacher. Partnership with parents plays a key role in enabling children with learning difficulties to achieve their potential.

We recognise that parents hold key information and have knowledge and experience to contribute to the shared view of a child’s needs and the best ways of supporting them.

The school works in line with the UK Code of Practice when carrying out its responsibilities toward all children requiring additional support.

Briony Emery Head of Inclusion

HOUSE SYSTEM AND STUDENT LEADERSHIP

HOUSE SYSTEM

The British School Al Khubairat follows a traditional British house system. The houses offer a variety of opportunities which encourage team spirit, a healthy sense of competition and most importantly, allow for vibrant self-expression. The House system is an integral part of life at BSAK. Every student and member of staff are assigned to a house to build a strong sense of community and camaraderie.

There are four houses in the Primary school, whose names are derived from an animal or bird from the Middle Eastern region; Falcon, Dhabi, Oryx and Cormorant.

COMPETITIONS

There are regular house competitions in which we encourage all students to take part. By taking part in these, our students will receive points that contribute towards the school-wide scores for the chance to win the house trophy, which is awarded termly.

STUDENT LEADERSHIP

At BSAK, our students are at the heart of all that we do. Student leadership is an integral part of student success as it instils quality life skills and shapes individuals. As students move through school and develop maturity, there are more opportunities for them to take positions of leadership and responsibility. All students are encouraged to apply for the positions available to them, some of which are on a rota basis in class, some are rotated half-termly and others selected annually.

As part of the Student Leadership Team, our students will experience the opportunity to contribute towards making sure our school continues to thrive, sharing their own ideas and listening carefully to others.

As leaders, our students are supported to develop: communication and organisational skills; resilience when faced with challenges; personal and social responsibility and critical and reflective thinking. By developing these leadership qualities in our students, we are preparing them to thrive in the future and be effective leaders that the world requires.

CO CURRICULAR and ENRICHMENT

CLUBS (CCEs)

At BSAK, our world class curriculum is delivered alongside an array of engaging co-curricular and enrichment opportunities, which complement each other in providing students with opportunities to explore new interests, deepen thinking and develop their talents.

Our Co-Curricular and Enrichment programme has been carefully designed to promote intellectual challenge, broaden and deepen experiences, knowledge, understanding and skills outside of the core curriculum and class provision for all of our students.

BSAK’s Primary CCE programme offers the students, from Years 3 to 6, over 60 additional learning opportunities outside of the core curriculum and the wide range of co-curricular activities provided by our UAE, Music and PE departments. Our CCE brochure is shared with parents at the beginning of each term with more information about each club.

We are extremely proud of this exceptional and unique extended provision, which is carefully designed to deliver the very best opportunities for all students in Years 3-6. Sixth Form students will support the delivery of clubs where possible to add to the experience, drawing on the skills and enthusiasm of our older students. They are fantastic role models for the Primary students.

Information regarding how to sign up and the timeline involved, including at what stage of the application process you will know if your child has been successful in obtaining a place in the CCE, will be shared with you via the Parent Portal.

If you have any questions regarding the CCE programme or require any support, please contact our Parent Relations Administrator Mrs Christine Small at csmall@britishschool.sch.ae

Individual instrumental and singing tuition is offered by our full-time team of specialist Music teachers. Lessons are arranged on a rota basis for students, so as to avoid missing the same academic lesson each week.

Associated Board instrumental and theory exams and Trinity Classical, Rock n Pop and Music Theatre exams may be taken twice per year. While many pupils are encouraged to take exams, it is understood that for others this may not be the best course of study. Ultimately, our aim is to deliver tuition which is tailored to the individual's needs. The department also offers Music Theory and Aural classes as well as a plethora of co-curricular ensembles.

Information about the lessons and fees can be organised by contacting the Music Administrator: Instrumental@britishschool.sch.ae

PRIMARY MUSIC AT BSAK

Music in the Primary school is taught by two specialist Music teachers. Students from Y1 to Y6 have timetabled music lessons each week which take place in well resourced music rooms.

The curriculum is wide and varied with singing a main focus. All children have opportunities to play many classroom instruments within lessons.

Y2 to Y6 students will spend one term per year learning a different instrument from the orchestra through our Instrument Enrichment Program .

There are opportunities to be part of school ensembles including the choir, orchestra, string and flute groups amongst others.

The students learn to be creative and focused listeners, while understanding how Music brings us together, boosting confidence and well-being.

Mr Gerard Fee Head of Primary Music

PRIMARY PE AT BSAK

Physical Education is taught across the Primary School from Early Years to Year 6.

All year groups and classes receive a total of two hours of PE & Swimming a week. Swimming lessons begin in Reception and continue through to Year 6.

There are ten specialist PE teachers who deliver PE and Swimming classes across the Primary School.

The Physical Education Curriculum covers subjects such as Fundamental Movement & Sports Skills, Gymnastics, Athletics, Netball, Football, Cricket, Rounders, Basketball, Touch Rugby, Dance and Trampolining. These are taught in half termly blocks.

The Swimming Curriculum follows closely Swim England Levels and caters for beginners and elite swimmers alike. All classes are taught in both the beginners and 25m pool. Sports Days, Swimming Galas & House Football & Netball Competitions are held across the school year offering participatory and competitive sporting opportunities for all.

BSAK competes in the ADISSA (Abu Dhabi International School Sport Association) Leagues with other schools across Abu Dhabi. BSAK enters competitions for U9 & U11 Touch Rugby, Netball, Boys & Girls Football, Basketball and Y3/4/5/6 Swimming Squad. These are competitive squads, with a selection based approach to participation. All children are given the opportunity to represent BSAK.

Vicky Bolger and Nik Rhodes Heads of Primary PE

LANGUAGES AT BSAK

The Primary Languages Department comprises of French, Spanish and Arabic B (non-native) specialist teachers. We all work together to provide an exciting curriculum for all three languages, sharing innovative ideas and using recent developments in language learning research.

Arabic is taught from Reception. From Year 1, students are separated into native and

non-native classes. Students of Arabic B are taught how to read the alphabet using a very successful reading scheme developed by our department, using the UK phonics system as our inspiration. They are also introduced to the Arabic scheme called Arabee. Students are encouraged to speak Arabic through the use of games, puppets and a variety of fun and challenging activities.

Arabic A is taught in specialist lessons from Year 1 for native speaking students. These students have grown up speaking Arabic as their main language at home and consider it their mother tongue. Lessons are conducted in classical Arabic and students are encouraged to learn the alphabet, speak as much Arabic as they can and learn the fascinating grammar and vocabulary of this language. Students are motivated through the use of songs, games, puppets and circle time from a young age. All student abilities are catered for and all are encouraged to reach and surpass their potential.

From September 2022, Spanish has been introduced to all pupils from Year 2. This will eventually become the main language in the Primary Languages curriculum but French will continue to be taught to those in Years 4 and 5 as they already have the foundations of French from previous years. The languages curriculum is centred around the very successful Language Angels scheme. However, we also incorporate links with Year Group themes, e.g. space in Year 5. Lessons cover all of the four language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) with an emphasis on fun! In Year 6 language lessons are all Spanish.

As well as giving students the opportunity to learn a second/third/fourth language, we also focus on promoting and developing a broader intercultural understanding. Cultural lessons play an important role and are always very well received by our students. In the past year, we have celebrated many events including Ramadan, La Fête des Rois (crowning the King/Queen for the day!) and the Dia de los Muertos.

Jade Alabaster Arwa Hamoudeh Head of Primary Languages Head of Primary Native Arabic Including Non Native Arabic

Regular attendance and punctuality are a prerequisite for student progress and a vital preparation for adult life.

It is essential that students form good habits with regard to attendance and punctuality early in life. In the interests of student welfare, attendance and punctuality records are logged electronically and monitored regularly.

Please promote positive attitudes towards learning in your child through supporting your child’s regular attendance. Levels of attendance and late arrivals and collection are logged and monitored in the interests of pupil welfare and may trigger a letter of concern to parents.

THE BEGINNING OF THE DAY - DROP OFF

For the Early Years, Nursery & Reception, the school day begins at 7.30am. Children in the Early Years should be brought to the external classroom door in the Early Years playground by an adult and handed over directly to their teacher. The classroom doors will be opened at 7.30am. There are no car drop off lanes for the Early Years arrivals hence parents need to park in the roads close to school and walk their children to the entrance. Security staff will be present at the Early Years’ Entrance and will offer guidance and support if required. If the Early Years child has an older sibling in Years 1-6, the siblings can also use the Early Years’ Entrance meaning that parents only have one drop off point for their children.

If in Years 1-6 and without a sibling in the Early Years, children should be dropped off in the Primary Drop Off Zones from 7.30am where they will be met by members of staff. There are several drop off lanes for parents to pull their car into, drop their children off, and then move away to leave space for other parents dropping off. The children should then walk by themselves the short distance to the main Primary Entrance. No child should be left unsupervised at any time outside of the school campus and children should not arrive at school before 7.30am. Security and other school staff will be present in the Drop Off Zones and at the Primary Entrance and will offer guidance and support if required.

LATE ARRIVAL

If your child arrives in school after 7.45am, please report to Primary Reception with your child. The class register will then be updated. Your child may then go to class / lessons.

FIRST DAY OF ABSENCE

If your child is unwell, you know they are going to be late or cannot make it into school for any other reason, please complete the relevant form on the parent portal. For sickness this needs to be completed for each day your child is unwell.

PUNCTUALITY AND ATTENDANCE AT BSAK

If we do not hear from you, you will receive an email from us. However, if there are many absentees, this can be a long process and may delay our Receptionist from discovering if there is an emergency issue.

Please complete the necessary forms on the parent portal so we are aware of the reason your child is absent. If you do not confirm a child’s absence and provide a reason, this will be noted as an unauthorised absence.

REQUEST FOR CHILDREN TO LEAVE SCHOOL EARLY

If your child has an appointment that cannot be made outside of school time, or they have to leave school early for a reason then you must complete the planned absence form on the parent portal. Please note that this may be registered as an unauthorised absence.

REQUEST FOR LEAVE OF ABSENCE

Whilst we understand that, in certain exceptional circumstances, students may have to be withdrawn from school and miss curriculum time, we would advocate that this disruption is minimised wherever possible. If you intend to withdraw your child, you are requested to complete the planned absence request form on the Parent Portal with reasons clearly stated, in advance, so that the details can be added to your child’s attendance record. We would strongly advise parents to avoid holidays during term time. Absences for holidays will be recorded as ‘unauthorised’ as per ADEK guidelines.

THE END OF THE DAY - COLLECTION

For Nursery and Reception children, the official end of the day is 2.30pm (11.55 am on Friday). Pick up is from the classrooms, through the EYFS Gate.

Siblings of EYFS children will be dismissed from the Mini Pitch. Please collect your child from EYFS, then walk to the mini pitch to collect siblings in Years 1-6. This ensures one point of pick up for EYFS children and their siblings.

For Years 1-6 the official end of the day is 2.35pm (12:00pm on Friday). Pick up is from the Primary pitch. Please enter through the St Joseph’s Gate and walk to the Primary Pitch where the children will be lined up in classes (see map on next page).

Please ensure that children are collected on time as late collection has a negative impact on the smooth running of the school and on your child’s wellbeing.

The following pages show the areas around the school where you can collect your children from and how you can pay to park.

This shows the pick up areas, Early Years for the Nursery and Reception children. The mini pitch for the siblings to be collected together and the Primary Pitch where Years 1 to 6 will be. The entrances are St Joseph's Gate and St Andrews Gate.

PARKING & TRAFFIC

There are plenty of paid parking spaces around BSAK and these are indicated in blue on the map. Standard authorised parking around the School is marked with black and blue lines. If you park anywhere else, you run the risk of being fined!

There are no ticket machines around BSAK and therefore many parents and staff use a Parking App, DARB or through Mobile Phone payment (m-MAWAQiF), which enable payment via credit card or your Etisalat / Du mobile number.

Monday 28th August 2023

Tuesday 29th August 2023

Term commences for Reception and Year 1Year 6

Term commences for Nursery

Monday-Friday 16th - 20th October 2023 (inc) Half term

Friday 1st December 2023

Friday 8th December 2023

Commemoration Day and National Day Holiday

Last day of Term 1

SPRING TERM

Tuesday 2nd January 2024

Monday - Wednesday 19th - 21st February 2024 (inc)

Friday 22nd March 2024

Term commences for all students

Half term

Last Day of Term 2

SUMMER TERM

Monday 15th April 2024

*Monday - Tuesday 17th-18th June 2024

Friday 5th July 2024

Term commences for all students

Eid Al Adha*

Last Day of Term 3

* Provisional. Exact dates of Islamic Holidays and are subject to the moon-sighting. Schools must wait for public announcements for these and any National Holidays

UNIFORM & APPEARANCE BOYS & GIRLS | EYFS

Students are expected to take pride in their uniform and appearance, creating a positive first impression of themselves and the school. The wearing of school uniform is mandatory and all uniform must be purchased through our official supplier, Trutex Textiles.

GIRLS

Everyday

● Light blue polo shirt with BSAK Logo on the front

● Navy blue shorts

● White ankle socks

● Trainers (Any colour)

● Sun hat with BSAK logo. Any other branded caps or hats are not permitted.

PE

● There is no separate PE uniform in EYFS Swimming (Reception only)

● Plain one-piece, navy, school swimming costume

● Waterproof PE/Swimming Bag

● Swimming Towel

● Goggles and flip flops

BOYS

Everyday

● Light blue polo shirt with BSAK logo on the front

● Navy blue shorts

● Navy blue ankle socks

● Trainers (Any colour)

● Sun hat with BSAK logo. Any other branded caps or hats are not permitted.

PE

● There is no separate PE uniform in EYFS

Swimming (Reception Only)

● Plain navy school swimming trunks

● Waterproof PE/Swimming bag

● Swimming Towel

● Goggles and flip flops

Please ensure that Swimming bag, book bag, lunch box water bottle and hat are child’s

UNIFORM & APPEARANCE

BOYS & GIRLS | KS1 & KS2

Students are expected to take pride in their uniform and appearance, creating a positive first impression of themselves and the school. The wearing of school uniform is mandatory and all uniform must be purchased through our official supplier, Trutex Textiles.

GIRLS

Everyday

● Light blue gingham dress: white collar And BSAK logo on front pocket

● Navy blue skort/culottes with blue gingham blouse. White collar and BSAK logo on the front pocket

● Navy blue cardigan/v-neck jumper with BSAK logo

● White ankle socks

● Shoes: all black, sensible leather shoes. (No trainers, boots or high heels)

● Sun hat with BSAK logo. Any other branded caps or hats are not permitted.

Winter uniform (January and February only)

● Navy blue, smart, tailored trousers. Denim sportswear or casual trousers are not permitted.

● Navy or white tights

PE

● Blue School Polo shirt with BSAK logo

● Blue Shorts

● Trainers: non-marking, light trainers

● Waterproof PE/Swimming Bag

Swimming

● Plain one-piece, navy, school swimming costume

● Waterproof PE/Swimming Bag

● Swimming Towel

● Goggles and flip flops

BOYS

Everyday

● Light blue short-sleeved gingham shirt with BSAK logo on front pocket.

● Navy blue shorts: pleats at the front, elastic at the back, no turn ups.

● Navy Blue cardigan/v-neck jumper with BSAK logo

● Navy blue ankle socks

● Shoes: all black, sensible leather shoes. (No trainers or boots)

● Sun hat with BSAK logo. Any other branded caps or hats are not permitted.

Winter uniform (January and February only)

● Navy blue, smart tailored trousers. Denim, sportswear or casual trousers are not permitted

PE

● Blue School Polo Shirt with BSAK logo

● Blue Shorts

● Trainers: non-marking, light trainers

● Waterproof PE/Swimming Bag

Swimming

● Plain navy school swimming trunks

● Waterproof PE/Swimming bag

● Swimming Towel

● Goggles and flip flops

UNIFORM & APPEARANCE

BOYS & GIRLS | KS1 & KS2

GENERAL (GIRLS AND BOYS)

● BSAK Book Bag (available from Trutex Textiles)

● Lunch box (Cool box type container with frozen cool pack insert)

● Pencil Case with equipment, pencils, coloured pencils, scissors, glue etc

● Water bottle x 2

● Rucksack or shoulder bag

● Hair longer than shoulder length must be tied up

● Hair accessories should be in keeping with school colours (blue/white)

● The use of dye/colouring is not permitted

● Make up and nail varnish must not be worn

● One pair of small, stud earrings and a watch are permitted, anything else, including friendship bands and bracelets are not permitted.

● Any haircuts which detract from a neat and tidy appearance (ie patterns, close shaven, fringes over the eyes) are not permitted.

Stationery

BOYS & GIRLS | Year 2 - Year 6

GENERAL (GIRLS AND BOYS)

No stationery required for children in Nursery, Reception and Year 1

Year 2-5

● Pencil case

● Pencils

● Rubber

● Ruler

● Glue Stick

● Coloured Pencils

● Pencil sharpener which includes a pot to collect sharpenings

● Small Scissors

● Headphones

Years 4-6 in addition to the above

● Protective case for Chromebook

Years 6 in addition to the above

● Black pen

quality of food to students, staff, parents and visitors.

Food Nation is a school catering company that is raising the quality bar across the UAE. It provides nutritious, tasty food through an 'Eat Bright' programme, by which all dishes are created in-house and contain no artificial colours, flavours, sweeteners, texture altering chemicals, additives, trans-fats, GMO or preservatives.

Food Nation is a chef-driven company, co-founded and led by Magnus Mumby, who has more than 30 years’ experience of working in both food allergy clinics as well as high-end restaurants at Michelin level. Magnus’ passion for healing foods and nutrition was borne from his parents, who are still very active in the area of food allergy and nutrition.

Children can choose to bring in snacks and a packed lunch from home or can enjoy food provided by Food Nation. We are a nut free school and proactively encourage children to drink plenty of water and choose healthy options for their snacks.

Early Years and Year 1 have their Food Nation meals delivered to their classrooms. Years 3-6 sit and eat with their friends in the Dining Hall. The food is tasty and nutritious and is ordered and paid for in advance using an online system. There is also an option for Year

3-6 children to buy food from Food Nation’s ‘grab and go’ counter.

To use the online food ordering system please click HERE

PRIMARY LIBRARY AT BSAK

BSAK Primary Library boasts over 30,000 titles by world renowned children’s authors. Spread out over two floors, the library is a treasure trove for curious young minds and contains a host of fiction and non-fiction books on a wide array of topics which support and keep reading at the heart of the Primary curriculum.

The primary library is a special space in the school that encourages and fosters a love of books and reading for pleasure. The librarians have an extensive knowledge of children’s authors and books, and they strive to create a warm and welcoming environment with regular activities, competitions and clubs.

The children who visit are encouraged to seek out new authors and genres, and the carefully curated and regularly updated collection reflects the diverse school community. The fiction collection has recently been genrefied, which has made it easier for visitors to find the books they love and also discover new favourites.

Every child in the primary school visits the library over the week. For the younger years there is story time, from picture books for EYFS to extended reads for KS1. For the Upper Primary years the Primary Library staff administer and support the Accelerated Reader Programme, a reading programme that helps support and monitor children’s reading practice. Student engagement is a priority and to this end the library provides a calm and quiet space for students during break, Library Monitors and Y6 Prefects are a vital part of the library team.

Storytime for our youngest members of the BSAK community is held every Wednesday during term time from 8am, there will be 25 mins of stories, songs and fun for the littlest of listeners!

FRIENDS OF BSAK

The Friends of BSAK is a group of parents of current and former students at the School whose role is to help build and maintain the School community, especially among parents, along with supporting the School and its associated clubs and activities. Membership is free and automatic for those who have registered children at the School.

There are four objectives that underpin the work of the Friends of BSAK:

● Enable parents to integrate with the School

● Enable parents to promote the Whole School in the wider community

● Organise events and activities to enable parents to meet one another

● Raise funds for the benefit of the School and its students

The climbing wall, the BSAK bike rack, the renovation of the coffee shop and the class gifts from Santa are just a few of the wonderful things that the Friends of BSAK have funded over the last few years. The highlight of the year for us was raising 35000Dhs at the spectacular International Festival. We can’t wait to host more fabulous fundraising events this coming year.

We are looking to expand our Friends of BSAK community and would be delighted to hear from you if you are interested. Please contact us for more information on: eedgar@britishschool.sch.ae

TRANSPORT AT BSAK

The School Bus Service is provided by Imperial Transport.

For full details about the service please go to your Parent Portal, School Information and Bus Service page, where you will also find information on how to Register for the service.

The buses and service are fully compliant with the Department of Transport (DoT) and the Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) regulations.

If you are interested in this service please complete the Registration form found on the BSAK Parent Portal. The School Bus page is located under the School Information section. Thank you.

The in school contact for the Bus Service is Christine Small, csmall@britishschool.sch.ae

HOW WE COMMUNICATE OUR CHANNELS

Throughout the year we will keep you up to date with your child’s progress and events at the School. Our channels are emails and updates via the BSAK Parent Portal, newsletters and our social media.

BSAK PARENT PORTAL

From Your Phone, Tablet Or Desktop - It Has Never Been So Easy To Keep track of your child’s:

● School Emails: delivered to you and kept forever in the portal

● Co-curricular Activities: Information about clubs, sport fixtures and music group times are in your calendar, which you can also sync to your personal calendar

● Timetables and Reports: Attendance and Reports can be viewed. Daily timetables are available for Secondary students

● Forms, sign-ups and permission slips: Parents’ evening, permission slips and club sign-ups are all in one place

● School Events: Search the School calendar and never miss what is going on. Click here to view the BSAK calendar.

One Password - One Portal - One View

Use the portal every day!

Scan or Click here

ADD THE PARENT PORTAL TO YOUR DEVICE

APPLE USERS

We recommend following the instructions below to save the BSAK Parent Portal as a web app to your device. This will allow quick and easy access to the portal.

ADD THE PARENT PORTAL TO YOUR DEVICE

ANDROID USERS

We recommend following the instructions below to save the BSAK Parent Portal as a web app to your device. This will allow quick and easy access to the portal.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS

TWITTER

Follow @BSAKAbuDhabi and your year group on Twitter to stay connected with daily events. Network with other BSAK departments such as @BSAKSecondaryhead, @BSAKMusic, @BSAKSports, @BSAKHouses and others to learn more about life at BSAK

@BSAKAbuDhabi

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FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM

Follow us on our official BSAK Facebook and Instagram pages to keep up to date with events, information and celebrations at BSAK.

Join our @BSAKParentCommunity to connect with other BSAK parents.

@BSAKAbuDhabi

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@BSAK_AbuDhabi

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