KL Staff Handbook 2015-16
KL Staff Handbook 2015-16
KL Staff Handbook 2015-16
Table of Contents
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Welcome to The British School of Kuala Lumpur
Welcome to The British International School of Kuala Lumpur. This handbook is intended to be
used as a reference document to help you to quickly gain an understanding of our practices and
in so doing to become a more effective staff member. This booklet should serve as an outline to
the main policies and procedures that make our organisation run effectively. Therefore, it is
essential that you take the time to read it through and that you refer back to it when further
questions arise. As a relatively new school that has undergone rapid growth it is essential that you
appreciate that at times this handbook may not be sufficient to answer all your questions but I
sincerely hope that you find it useful and encourage you to ask your line managers or existing
staff if you are unsure. If there is anything you feel is missing from the handbook, or could be
clearer, please let me know.
Debra Birchall
Head of Primary
Background Information
The British International School of Kuala Lumpur is a truly international school, with students from
more than 40 different countries. This is our sixth year here in Kuala Lumpur.
The British International School of Kuala Lumpur is part of the British Schools Foundation
www.britishschools.co.uk which includes schools in Nanjing, Moscow, Sao Paulo, Uzbekistan,
Spain, Manila, Yangon and Kuala Lumpur. We are members of COBIS (Council of British
International Schools) and FOBISIA (Federation of British International Schools In Asia).
The British International School of Kuala Lumpur has a commitment to quality education, which is
demonstrated by our approach towards admissions. Class sizes are usually restricted to 22 within
Primary and to 16 in our Nursery classes. All Foundation and Primary classes (up to Year 6)
benefit from the support of teaching assistants and within Primary classes all teaching assistants
need to be native English speakers. Classes in Secondary will not exceed 24.
All classrooms are light, attractively furnished and air conditioned with interactive whiteboards,
use of iPads, Macbooks and Internet access. We have excellent facilities for educating our
students and look to make year on year improvements. Y4, Y5 and Y6 students are issued with
mini iPads. All secondary students are issued with Macbooks.
Staffing Structure
The British International School of Kuala Lumpur is led by a Headteacher, Head of Primary and
Head of Secondary. The Whole School Leadership Team (WSLT) meets weekly to discuss
strategy and the day-to-day leadership of the school – it comprises the Headteacher, Head of
Primary and Head of Secondary and, when relevant, Deputy Head of Primary and Secondary
Senior leaders, Director of Music/PE/ICT, along with key members of the Administration team.
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Primary School Staffing Structure – Academic
Subject co-ordinators
E-mail
Much of our daily communication within school is through via e-mail. All members of BSKL are
given an e-mail address, which they need to check on a daily basis. In order for us to ensure that
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the e-mail system is used professionally and to ensure that it does not interfere with staff/pupil
interaction there is some basic email etiquette to follow:
• The school e-mail system is for school related matters and should not be used to circulate
non-school related material.
• Try to ensure all relevant members of staff are copied into e-mails.
• E-mails should be targeted by making use of group distribution lists.
• Never send or forward an e-mail expressing your annoyance or disappointment, meet with
the person concerned to discuss the issues.
• All staff should have a regular signature attached to their emails. Name, position, School
name and address is the normal protocol and there is a format to follow (the IT department
can assist with this).
All pupils are issued with email accounts.
Please see appendix 1.3a for some common group distribution e-mails at BSKL
Staff Meetings
Primary staff meetings are scheduled every Monday (3:40 – 4:30pm) and the weekly focus,
detailing staff training, is set out on the termly schedule. Year Group meetings are held weekly at
a convenient time allocated by the year leader during the school day. An agenda is set and
followed and minutes sent to appropriate staff to keep all appropriate parties informed of actions.
Members of the PLT will join these meetings from time to time. Primary Year Group Leaders meet
on alternate Wednesdays from 3.30 to 4.30pm or at other times as required.
There will be a staff briefing at 7.30am (in the Primary music room) each Wednesday morning at
7:30 – 7:45am: this is to distribute short notices and information about the day-to-day
management of the school, as well as to inform staff about upcoming events. This is also
published on the WAAG (which staff receive weekly). Attendance is compulsory for all primary
staff. Teaching assistants leave the meeting at 7.40am to oversee classes while teachers
complete the meeting.
Assemblies
All Primary assemblies are set out for the term with weekly pastoral themes. There are key stage
assemblies each week: KS1 and KS2 on Mondays, and years 1 - 6 on Fridays (1:15 – 1:45pm).
Year groups also have the option for additional year group assemblies during their PSHE time. In
addition, there are whole school assemblies for special events (e.g. Hari Raya, Deepavali, Chinese
New Year) as well as Class Performances.
Website
The BSKL website is the first point of reference for many parents and prospective parents. The
Director of Administration and Media and Communications Officer are responsible for the website
but rely upon all staff to submit articles of interest, including photographs, to keep it relevant.
Teachers are asked to regularly check the website to ensure that it reflects current events within
their year groups.
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communicate with parents.
Parent Portal
The Parent Portal should be used for the majority of parental communication – all teaching staff
have a login to enable setting up their class. Weekly information sent out to parents should cover:
The information posted is available to view immediately, although parents may set their system to
a daily or weekly update alert. We encourage parents to check the Portal weekly.
The Head of Primary posts a blog each week for all primary parents on the Primary Whole School
– let her know if you would like anything included in that message.
Parent Calendar
Events and notices are posted within the Parent Portal. Information, messages and reminders
about things happening in school need also to be calendarised. There are clear lines of
communication for the posting of events to avoid duplication. Year leaders and class teachers are
responsible for creating events and notices for their own groups. All changes to routine should be
notified to parents as a notice. See below:
NB. Terms Dates & Holidays will be created by the school admin dept.
E-mail should only be used to contact parents in an emergency. If in doubt as to what constitutes
‘critical’ information please seek advice.
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Head of Primary Newsletter
The Head of Primary writes to parents (via the Primary Whole School Portal) at the end of each
week. This is a summary of the week’s key events and includes notices and important dates. Any
notices for this newsletter should be passed to the Head of Primary by lunchtime on Friday.
Each half term the Head and Deputy Head of Primary holds an informal forum for parents. This is
an opportunity to promote our ‘partnership with parents’ as well as a chance for parents to
discuss generic issues that are affecting their children.
Our School
The Children at BSKL
At The British International School of Kuala Lumpur the most important people are the pupils. The
children in our school are quite simply delightful, and there is strong family atmosphere shared by
all at BSKL.
The British International School of Kuala Lumpur provides a British Style education for expatriates
living in and around KL. While preference is given to British families who are relocating to
Malaysia, students coming from sister schools and siblings of children already at BSKL all
children applying for a place at BSKL are subject to a pre-entry assessment unless transferring
from within the British School’s Group.
The Early Years team assess the younger children, whilst children year 1 upwards take
assessments in reading, writing, maths and non-verbal reasoning. We use school reports and
attainment levels for pupils coming from the UK. We do not have a ‘pass mark’ but pupils should
be able to access our curriculum.
The final decision over whether a child is accepted, rejected or offered a conditional place is
made by the Headteacher or in her absence the Head of Primary or Head of Secondary. The
decision is often a complex one involving a number of contradictory factors. However, the
importance of protecting the balance of students that makes BSKL a successful and unique
school is paramount.
Curriculum
The curriculum of The British International School of Kuala Lumpur is best described as an
enhanced English National Curriculum. We take the best of the English National Curriculum,
adjust it wherever necessary to take advantage of our position in Malaysia, and enhance it with an
instrumental, sporting and enrichment programme.
Nursery and Reception follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework 2014, which
sets standards for the learning, development and care of children in pre nursery, nursery and
reception classes. It supports an integrated approach to early learning and care and provides
early learning goals, enabling teachers to make accurate and reliable judgements about EYFS
attainment.
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National Curriculum: Year 1 - Year 6
Teachers can use the Progression in the (new) National Curriculum document as a reference for
establishing an overview through long term planning, as well as medium and short term planning
objectives.
Planning
Staff should use the BSKL Primary planning formats for the long term overview, medium term
planning and short term planning; these are available on Teacher Share. Joint planning is
encouraged, and for class teachers this is coordinated by the Year Leader.
Although great emphasis is placed on academic success, at BSKL we recognise the importance
of a broad and balanced education. The school invests in an extensive language, sporting and
musical programme and this is reflected in the time allocated for Modern Foreign Languages
(Mandarin, Spanish or Bahasa), Music, including the Primary Instrumental Programme (PIPS), and
Physical Education.
Enrichment
This is timetabled weekly for all children in years 1 and 2 (Tuesday), years 3 and 4 (Wednesday)
and years 5 and 6 (Thursday) and provides further opportunities to enhance the curriculum. It is
an integral part of school life and teaching staff should select activities to provide a wide range of
options for the children to enjoy, alongside those offered by outside providers.
Class Trips
Each year group is encouraged to take advantage of the museums, art galleries, historic buildings
and other places of interest in and around Kuala Lumpur by organising a termly educational trip.
There is a budget for each year group to cover the majority of the cost for such excursions. In
planning such trips, please note that teachers are responsible for informing the school caterers
that they have enough time to organise packed lunches and complete a risk assessment form.
Our residential visits programme begins from year 4 with the level of challenge and length of time
spent away from home increasing year on year. It is important that all visits are an integral part of
the curriculum and that every trip is planned in accordance with our educational trips policy. Risk
assessments are required of all trips. Class teachers and teaching assistants are expected to
attend the residential trips with their class/year group. Residential visits are not covered by school
fees and order to allow parents sufficient time to budget for such visits, we must inform them
within the first term of any intended residential visits planned for the year.
See Appendix 2.3a for Trips checklist and example permission letter.
School Procedures
The School Day
Students should arrive after 7:45am. Any pupil arriving before this time must wait in Reception.
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Students are allowed up to their classrooms at 7.45am. Children are registered each morning on
Portal and registration must be completed by 8.00am. If children arrive after 8.00am, they are to
sign in a late arrival log book located at the appropriate school reception. Any children that need
to leave the campus during the day are required to sign out of the building and this is again done
at the appropriate school reception. Attendance is tracked and monitored via Salesforce - any
pupils with low attendance are brought to the attention of the Head of Primary who may then , in
turn, contact parents.
Core hours for all teaching staff are from 07:30am until 4.00pm, with the exception of Mondays
(4:30pm) and Fridays. Anyone who needs to be off the school site for any reason during school
hours must have the permission of the Headteacher or Head of Primary or Head of Secondary.
Lessons for Students finish at 3.30pm and Monday to Thursday and 2.00pm on Friday.
Primary Timetable
(This is an example and varies slightly for EYFS/KS1/KS2)
Staff Absences
Requests for absence should be made in advance to the Head of Primary. The Deputy Head of
Primary should also be informed of unforeseen absences (illness, emergency) by telephone call
and email between 6 and 6.30am (alison.mackey@britishschool.edu.my) (013 238 8148).
Requests for cover, with details of work set, should also be sent to the Deputy Head by email.
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Role of the Class teacher and Teaching Assistant
In BSKL, class teachers play a vital role in the pastoral and academic care of our children. Our
priority is to care for and fully monitor the children’s progress both academically and socially;
encouraging commitment, dedication, involvement and high standards of both work and
behaviour. Our primary role is to ensure our children are happy, confident and fulfilling their full
potential at BSKL, and to support them throughout the year. Class teachers should bring any
worrying issues to the attention of the Year Head initially before .
The class teacher should be the first point of contact for parents for most academic and pastoral
issues. For parents new to the school, class teachers should email the parents to introduce
themselves and outline their role. See Appendix 3.3a for a proforma of this.
Teaching Assistant
At BSKL we support Teaching and Learning in every classroom by ensuring we have a full-time,
English speaking, graduate in each class. The Teaching Assistants (TAs) are responsible for
working with every pupil in class, working across all the ability ranges to support and add value to
what our teachers do. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) plays a vital role in ensuring
that all of our TAs are up to date on current and best practice. Regular TA meetings, performance
management sessions, lesson observations and targeted CPD opportunities ensure that our TAs
confidently carry out their roles. The TA role also ensures that we can provide high-quality one-to-
one and small group support where needed. This may involve a number of children from within
the same year group. Our aim being, to use the best interventions available to support our
learners. Any intervention programme lead by a Teaching Assistant will be closely linked to what
is going on in the wider curriculum, ensuring the children involved will not miss out on any key
learning.
Students are awarded house points for good effort or work. See section 3.5. These points
contribute to the House Cup, along with points won in other competitions.
• Do be gentle
• Do be honest
• Do be kind
• Do look after property
• Do work hard
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• Do listen to others
These rules are displayed in classrooms (and other areas around the school) and referred to often
through PHSE lessons and assemblies.
Within each classroom we have a positive behaviour system to reward and reinforce the learning
skills that are so important to successful learning.
The teachers and TAs will reinforce effective learning skills through praise and by rewarding each
example with a marble. For every 100 marbles collected, the class earns a reward.
The rewards are chosen by the class at the start of the term and displayed alongside the
agreements. For the first 100 marbles the class will earn a 15 minutes reward while the final 500
marble reward may involve a whole afternoon of fun. Alongside this, there is a set of clearly
defined sanctions for those instances where the behaviour of a child is disrupting the learning of
others.
The aim of this policy is to create a positive learning environment within classes and a sense of
togetherness as everyone helps to earn marbles for the chosen shared rewards.
House points
Pupils are awarded house points for excellent work and effort. Teachers award points to each
child when deserved and it is the responsibility of the child to enter his/her house point on the
chart displayed in the class. There will be no negative actions such as minus House Points.
Specialist teachers can also award house points. House points are not given out more than one at
a time as this can devalue their worth. Certificates are kept in the staffroom and the class teacher
should complete and present to the pupil. This should also be recorded in the pastoral section of
the pupil’s records.
Gold Certificates and above are awarded in the weekly assemblies to successful students:
• 25 - Bronze
• 50 - Silver
• 75 - Pearl
• 100 - Gold
• 125 - Ruby
• 150 - Sapphire
• 175 - Emerald
• 200 - Platinum
• 250 - Diamond
Discipline Policy
It is important that we all have high expectations of pupils in work and for behaviour, and that we
reinforce school rules at all times. The procedures outlines below facilitate consistent discipline
and provide channels to communicate discipline to appropriate members of staff.
The role of the Class Teachers is vital, and colleagues inform each other of all matters, positive
and negative, concerning members of their classes as far as this is deemed appropriate. Some
matters must and should be confidential to protect the privacy of the child. All referrals will be
logged by the Class Teacher.
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Pupils will not be referred to other teachers for discipline until the member of staff concerned has
attempted to resolve the problem and has exercised appropriate sanctions. Pupils who offend are
dealt with as individuals and whole classes and year groups are not reprimanded. We all have
responsibility for all the children in the school, not only those in our charge.
If a child is persistently contravening the rules then then the class teacher may involve the Year
Group Leader. More serious cases are passed to the Deputy Head of Primary, who may then refer
them to the Head of Primary.
Please refer to the Behaviour Policy in Teacher Share for principles and guidelines.
Target Setting
Teachers are expected to set challenging but realistic targets for children as a result of regular
assessments. Lessons should be adapted to provide children with opportunities to meet their
targets; this will provide further evidence to support assessment. Teachers should ensure that this
is a continuous and rigorous cycle.
All teachers should familiarise themselves with the Primary Assessment Policy for full details of
principles and guidelines.
We give our children regular feedback on their learning so that they understand what it is that they
need to do better. Research has shown that their involvement in the review process raises
standards, and that it empowers pupils to take action towards improving their performance.
Teachers should ensure that each pupil is fully informed of the purpose of the task set, the
expectations, the desired outcome, and the criteria by which the task will be evaluated.
Marking Guidelines
In addition to using the agreed codes for marking and feedback in each Key Stage;
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The Primary Leadership Team and Heads of Year are responsible for undertaking regular work
scrutinies. Work is judged against criteria that are shared with teachers.
Attainment Expectations
Early Years
Assessment arrangements for Early Years teaching staff are set out in the Early Years Foundation
Stage Profile handbook. Teachers should make profile judgements on the basis of cumulative
evidence recorded over the course of the year. Moderation should be carried out on a regular
basis both within the EYFS team and with other EYFS teachers from other schools to ensure the
assessments are accurate and consistent.
This year the school will make the transition to ‘assessment without levels’. Children will be
assessed against National Curriculum year group objectives/criteria. These have been sub-
divided to show the children’s progression against these criteria throughout the year. Teachers
are expected to award a best-fit judgement in reading, writing and maths.
In reading, the book band criteria is also used to track children’s progress.
Target Tracker
A record of these judgements is recorded on Target Tracker each half term. This tool is used to
track pupil’s progress and identify children who may need additional support or extension.
Moderation of teacher judgements forms an important step of the assessment process and
occurs both at year group and whole-school meetings. Pupils should be aware of what they need
to do to progress to the next sub level. Targets for development should be communicated in
‘pupil-friendly’ language.
GL assessments
The school has adopted GL assessments to externally assess and benchmark children’s
achievement.
Children in Reception will complete the online baseline assessment in their first few weeks in
school. This Baseline allows teachers to measure literacy, language and mathematics on entry
and, optionally, at the end of Reception.
Children in Years 1 to 5 complete standardised Progress Tests in English (PTE) and Mathematics
(PTM) towards the end of the academic year. The PTE is a standardised assessment of pupils’
technical English skills (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and reading comprehension. The
PTM is a standardised assessment of pupils’ mathematical skills and knowledge including
number, shape, data handling and algebra.
Both are designed for use year on year to support teachers in benchmarking student’s
knowledge, and measure their progress over time. This can help in identifying those in need of
extra help, as well as those who are particularly able. It is important teachers familairise
themselves with results and information from the previous year to aid planning.
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All class teachers have an assessment file which sets out the assessment schedule and
expectations.
Reporting
Reporting to Parents
The reports are centred around what research as shown the parents wish to know:
• Is there child happy, settled and behaving well?
• What are their child’s strengths / achievements?
• What are the areas for development / next steps/targets for improvement?
Pupils will receive a report at the end of each term. The reports in term 1 and term 2 are more
formative in nature and set academic targets. The term 3 report is more summative and provides
an end of year assessment.
Staff training will be provided giving guidance on expectations, as well as examples for each area
of the report.
Staff should familiarise themselves with the full Reporting Policy in Teacher Share.
As mentioned, some of our children use the school bus service, which means that the end of day
procedure needs to involve all teaching staff. It is important for the end of day routine to be seen
to be well-organised, smooth and most of all safe. Parents will judge the school on how well this
system runs as this is something that they may frequently observe. Each bus has a bus monitor
who has a list of all children taking the bus home. In addition, teaching assistants are assigned to
help the bus monitors collect the children at the end of the day; a rota for this will be provided for
this at the start of the year. If a teacher is aware that there is a change in the collection of any
child, they are to inform Reception via e-mail as soon as possible. Any children being collected
by parents who are late (after 3.30pm) must wait in the reception area where they must be
supervised by an adult. Buses depart at 3.30pm.
Calendar 2015-2016
Term 1
Term 2
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Public Holiday (Thaipusam) tbc
February 8th to February 12th – Chinese New Year/Half Term Holiday
March 24th - Finish Term Two (11.30am)
Term 3
It is strictly against school rules for any students to smoke or drink alcohol, while on the school
site or while taking part in any school activities. Any such action would be considered a serious
infringement of school rules and dealt with accordingly. Since BSKL is a non-smoking campus,
we expect our staff to act as role models and to leave the site should they need to take a
cigarette break. Please note that any member of staff smoking on the school site during working
hours is liable to face disciplinary action.
Chewing Gum
We are a chewing gum free site; chewing gum should not be brought onto the school premises by
pupils or staff, or used on the school buses.
All snacks and school food are strictly nut free. Parents often bring food in to share with classes
and teachers must check that it is nut free before distributing to students.
Children are encouraged to bring water bottles to school and as a result are not allowed to bring
in soft drinks. All staff are expected to be role models and should therefore ensure that any soft
drinks that they bring into school are kept in the staff room and are not consumed in view of the
students. Hot drinks are to be consumed in the staff room only. The drink machines in
classrooms are for cold water only at no time should these machines be plugged into the power
socket.
Drug Taking
Any student who is found taking illegal drugs on or off the school promises will be permanently
excluded.
Any member of staff who is found taking illegal drugs on or off the school promises will receive
immediate dismissal.
Out of Bounds
Students must not leave the school site or climb over any perimeter fences around school.
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Mobile Phones and Electronic Devices
We do allow pupils to have mobile phones in school; these need to be securely locked away.
Pupils should not walk around the school using phones, or use them during lessons. Staff with
these electronic items should keep them hidden away, either on off or on silent mode (with the
exception of senior staff who may be required to use their mobile device as part of their working
life at school). No mobile phone calls or text messages should be made unless you are in the staff
room.
This policy stipulates that all Primary children must be holding a phone pass in order to make an
outside phone call at BSKL.
The receptionist must ask the children what the phone call is regarding (the teacher will also do
this too). If the receptionist thinks the reason for the child making the phone call isn't entirely
valid they can say no to the child and ask them to go back to their teacher. The teacher will then
further discuss the phone call with them if necessary.
The aim of this is to make things easier for staff and to prevent children making telephone calls
that shouldn't be made by themselves - an example would be a child calling home and asking the
parent to come and collect them as they are unwell. This sort of phone call should come from the
school nurse.
Inappropriate Language
The use of inappropriate language is unacceptable in any part of the school and all staff should
be prepared to challenge such behaviour.
School Lunches
School lunches are compulsory for all children at The British International School of Kuala
Lumpur. This decision was made after careful consideration of the difficulties of providing
hygienic and refrigerated storage for packed lunches and the possible dangers of infestation or
food poisoning with packed lunches in lockers/bags. We currently sub-contract our lunches to an
outside catering firm and since we guarantee them a fixed number of students we are able to
make recommendations over the quality of the service. At BSKL, we believe that all staff have a
responsibility to ensure that lunchtime is a positive and enjoyable experience for our children and
we are proud that our lunches are consistently of a very high standard. In a school with children
from different cultural backgrounds and many children with specific dietary needs this is an
immense task. Should you receive a letter from a parent with a particular request it is important to
keep the caterer and the administration admissions and services teams fully informed. Please
note only the Head of School can grant permission to bring a packed lunch and that this will only
be done in the event of serious dietary needs that cannot be met by our caterers.
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The guidelines are:
1. Collate class data (name, tel. numbers, and email) and use the class list that the school has
provided. This list can be helpful when organizing play dates or parties. This list has to remain
confidential amongst the members of the class. Class chat groups can sometimes cause issues
and are not always the best form of communication.
2. Help the class teacher with class events, often enlisting the help of other parents. For example
decorating the classroom for a special festival.
3. Introduce new parents to the class/school community.
4. Get involved and/or enlist other parents to help organise a social or fundraising event to
support the EFC.
A good way to start the year is to organise a class coffee morning providing the opportunity for
the class parents to get to know each other.
The role of class rep is not to act as a problem solver in the class for academic issues. Please
direct parents initially to the Class Teacher or thereafter the Year Leader before approaching
Head of Primary/Deputy Head of Primary.
Encourage parents to go through the appropriate channels if they need clarification or have any
issues.
Security Policy
The aim of the security policy is to improve the security provision we have in place for everyone at
BSKL.
Scheduled Appointments:
Security will need to be notified in advance of all scheduled appointments. Derek and Debra will
include information regarding visitors to the school in their weekly WAAG, please make sure you
provide the relevant information of any scheduled visits to either Derek or Debra. Admin staff will
need to email the facility team by 3pm on a Thursday afternoon with a list of scheduled
appointments for the following week.
Weekly updates from both academic and admin will need to provide the following details:
• Date, time and purpose of visit
• Name of visitor(s) and name of the employer or organisation
• Name of school contact
These details will be given to the guards in their weekly meeting on a Friday.
Upon arrival, scheduled visitors will register their details and leave their ID with the guardhouse
and the guards will take a photograph of them for security purposes. They will then be directed
to either primary or secondary school reception to pick up a visitors pass and to wait to be
collected by a member of staff. Please note visitors will not be directed to classrooms etc, please
ensure you have arrangements in place to collect your visitor from reception as part of planning
the visit. The pass is required to be returned to the school reception when visitors are leaving the
building.
Un-Scheduled Appointments:
If the guards receive visitors that are not on their scheduled lists they will call the school reception
to verify with the appropriate staff member whether the visitor should be allowed to enter the
building or not. If yes, the same process applies - ie they will need to leave their details with the
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guard house, have their photograph taken and then be directed to the school reception to collect
a visitors pass. They are to be seated at the reception until the appropriate person comes to
collect them.
- No visitors - either scheduled or un-scheduled are to walk around the building unsupervised or
without a pass and prior approval. All visitors must make their way to the school reception and
wait until they are collected.
Child protection
BSKL is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of all pupils. Staff will be required to
undertake child protection training as directed by the Deputy Head of Primary. An annual
refresher-training course will be taken by all staff.
Should you suspect that a child is at risk, or if you have any information about a child you must
report this immediately to the child protection officer- Headteacher or Deputy Head of Primary. In
both staff rooms you will find a form which must be completed and handed in in paper copy to
Janet Brock.
Incidents
Any incidents (eg bullying, serious misbehaviour or contravention of school rules) must be
recorded using a pupil incident record sheet. This is available in paper copy from the primary
receptionist or electronically in teacher share. Copies of these must be passed electronically to
the Deputy Head of Primary and actions and follow up fully recorded. The receptionist can assist
staff with scanning forms. The school nurse may also be required to assist staff with this form if it
has involved any medical treatment.
Professional Expectation
Performance Management Policy
Rationale
Our strategic aim is provide pupils with the very best all round education – to do this we need
dedicated and professional teachers who carry out their teaching, pastoral and extra-curricular
activities to the highest possible standard. To this end our recruitment strategy is to develop and
provide an environment which will attract, develop, train and retain the very best quality staff. In
return, these highly motivated staff play a vital part in achieving the strategic aim.
The appraisal process is an important part of our aim to drive the school forward by developing
and retaining the very best quality teachers. The appraisal process is aimed at supporting the
development needs of teaching staff within the context of the School’s whole school and Primary
Development Plans and their own professional needs.
The objectives set will be rigorous, challenging, achievable, time bound, fair and equitable in
relation to teachers with similar roles/responsibilities, and will have regard to what can reasonably
be expected of any teacher in that position. They shall also take account of the teacher’s
professional aspirations. They should be such that, if they are achieved, they will contribute to
improving the progress of pupils at the school. The reviewer and reviewee will seek to agree the
objectives but where joint determination cannot be made the reviewer will make the
determination.
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We encourage professional dialogue. It should not be be a top down process or an opportunity
for one person to ask questions and the other to reply. It should be a free flowing conversation,
based on evidence and the culmination of ongoing professional discussions that have taken
place during the review period. There should be no surprises on either side!
Appraisals usually review past behaviour and so provide an opportunity to reflect on past
performance. To be successful they should also be used as a basis for making development and
improvement plans and reaching agreement about what needs/should be done in the future. An
opportunity to look back on the highs and the lows but with emphasis on being positive and
moving forward. All staff all encouraged to keep a record of evidence towards meeting the set
objectives throughout the year. This should be brought to the mid-term and end of year appraisal
to support the appraisal process.
Please remember appraisals at BSKL will be a supportive and developmental process designed
to ensure that you have the skills and support you need to carry out your role effectively. It will
help ensure that you are able to continue to improve your professional practice and to develop as
a teacher.
Staff should familiarise themselves with the full Appraisal Policy and system which can be found
in Teacher Share. Appraisals will be annual.
Probationary period
All staff at The British International School of Kuala Lumpur are appointed subject to the
successful completion of a probationary period. The probationary period is generally five months
and is part of the performance management procedure (mid term review) for newly appointed
staff.
Term 1
• Data analysis
• Book Scrutiny
• Lesson Observations
• Individual, year group and Primary school feedback from above evidence trails
• Performance Management targets reviewed and set (October)
• Evidence collated on PM capture sheets
Term 2
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Term 3
• Book Scrutiny
• Lesson Observations
• Pupil interviews / questionnaires
• Learning Walk
• Data analysis
• Year group and Primary school feedback from above evidence trails
• Performance Management reviews for staff leaving at end of year
Discipline Procedure
Should a member of staff act in a manner that is contrary to the welfare of the school or their
contractual obligations then the following steps will be taken by the school management.
Termination of contract - Any further incidences of serious misconduct will result in the
termination of a staff member’s employment at The British International School of Kuala Lumpur.
Grievance Procedure
Our aim is to create a happy environment where all staff feel valued and enjoy working. However,
it is important that steps are in place to prevent staff becoming frustrated or unhappy with any
aspect of school. If you feel that your effectiveness within the school has been compromised in
any way it is important that you deal with this in a professional manner by speaking to your direct
line manager to try to resolve the issue. A record should be made of discussions which includes
any agreed actions and which is signed by both parties.
If the situation is still not resolved, a written letter should be given to the Headteacher, which will
be followed by an interview. If necessary this will be discussed by the Head at board level to
resolve the issue. You are requested not to discuss personal grievances or issues within the
staffroom or offices as this can have a negative impact upon the staff morale and may negatively
impact upon the school’s image. It is the responsibility of all staff to try to develop a positive
school atmosphere and to deal with any disappointments in a professional manner.
Staff Benefits
Health Insurance
All expatriate staff and their dependents have world-wide health insurance cover.
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Maternity Leave
Maternity leave for female employees is 3 months.
Paternity Leave
Paternity Leave for male employees is 5 working days.
Compassionate Leave
Compassionate leave is at the discretion of the school.
MALE: Shirt, tie (with top button fastened), leather shoes (jumpers if necessary in winter). In the
summer, a short-sleeved tailored shirt with a tie, for male staff, is acceptable. Trousers should be
formal style rather than casual (no chinos). Suit or jackets to be worn for special events or more
formal occasions.
FEMALE: Blouse or smart tops (without obvious logos or sequins) jumper/cardigan, dress, jacket,
skirt, trousers (tailored), leather shoes. Female staff should avoid wearing beach-type sandals,
revealing tops, low cut necklines and raised hemlines. If unsure, again, you can always just ask
someone.
PE: House T shirts will be issued to staff who are expected to support PE lessons. Staff
supporting class PE lessons should change into their PE kit just before the PE lesson and change
back into their professional classroom attire after the PE lesson (with the exception of PE being
the first or last lesson of the day). Suitable sports footwear and appropriate modest length sports
shorts should be worn.
The school employs a fully qualified nurse on each site to deal with day-to-day matters such as cuts and
bruises, and those children who feel unwell whilst at school.
Medicines will only be given in school in special circumstances and then the medicine must be clearly
labelled with the child’s name and dosage. Parents will be required to sign a medical form (Parent Consent
to Administer Medicine) obtainable from the school nurse. This also applies to day and residential trips.
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If a child has an accident within the playground the person/s on duty will deal with the child in the first
instance. In the event of a serious accident, including any head injury however slight, they must escort the
child to the nurse and give the nurse any essential information. The school nurse will then take
responsibility for the treatment of the child and the staff member returns to their duty.
The nurse will treat the child, make a record of nursing care and recommended follow up and will decide
when they are able to return to class. Parents will be notified through the Parent Communication form.
Every nose bleed must be reported to the nurse. Parents will be informed in writing. The nurse will decide
when the child can safely return to class.
In the event that they need to go home but do not need hospital treatment
If the nurse feels that the child needs to go home, she will contact the parents to collect the child.
The nurse will inform the class teacher and arrange to contact the parents. The nurse will arrange transport
to the hospital and inform the Head of School, Head of Primary/Secondary or designated member of staff in
charge. The nurse may need to accompany the child to hospital and will inform the Administration
manager/Head of School/SMT of this situation. If a second person is needed to accompany the child to
hospital this decision will be made by the Headteacher or designated person in charge.
Recording injuries
The nurse keeps a record/log of all treatment but in the event of a serious injury which has led to
a child being taken to the nurse, the person on duty must complete a ‘Student Incident
Statement’ documenting the incident for the school records. Parents should be informed by
phone call and in writing (Head Injury Report) of any head related injury no matter how small.
The nurse’s school log / Incident Statements will be analysed by the leadership team and follow
up actions taken, where appropriate.
Once they leave the site the receptionist will amend the registers and inform the class or form
tutor.
Outbreak
Should there be an outbreak of chicken pox, HFMD (hand, foot and mouth disease) or head lice
the parents will be informed via email and the necessary precautions taken by the school
(disinfecting classrooms).
Evacuation Policy
It is the responsibility of the Headteacher and Senior Staff to ensure that evacuation drills are
carried out. The following information deals with evacuation for fire but will also apply to
evacuation for other reasons.
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• The people who may be in danger act in a calm and orderly manner.
• Those people who may have designated responsibilities carry out their tasks efficiently.
• The escape routes are used in accordance with a Predetermined and Practiced Plan.
• Evacuation of the building is achieved in a prompt and orderly manner.
• To promote an attitude of mind where-by persons will react rationally in an emergency.
Alarm Operation
Evacuation
• On hearing the fire alarm, pupils must be instructed to leave the building in single file and in a
calm, orderly manner. Children should be encouraged to be silent.
• The person in charge of each class must indicate the exit route to be used and everyone
must be directed to the Assembly Point, children should be aware where their class line will
be.
• Arrangements must be made to assist pupils with physical disabilities or special needs.
• No running is to be permitted to avoid panic.
• Anyone not in class when the alarm sounds must go immediately to the assembly point.
• Consideration needs to be taken for children offsite, for swimming lessons or educational
visits.
• No one must be allowed to re-enter the building until told to do so by the Fire Service in
attendance, or in the case of an evacuation drill the Head of the Emergency Response Team.
Assembly Points
• An area outside the school premises must be designated as an assembly point. It must be
clearly marked and easily identified by any person who might be expected to be in the school
premises.
• The assembly point must be far enough away from the school to afford protection from the
heat and smoke in a fire situation.
• The assembly point must be in a position that does not put pupils and staff at risk by
emergency vehicles responding to the incident.
• The Headteacher (or Head of the Emergency Response Team) will have overall responsibility
to ensure that a roll call is conducted in the event of evacuation of the premises.
• Immediately classes have assembled at the assembly point, each class teacher will be
responsible for taking a roll or count for their class. Teachers should then hold up the
green/red sign to indicate if all children are present.
• Any visitors or contractors (such as catering/maintenance staff) in the premises at that time
must be included.
• The count at the assembly point must be checked with the attendance registers.
• Attendance registers and visitor’s book must be brought to the assembly point by
receptionists when the alarm sounds.
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Meeting the Brigade
The Head of the Emergency Response Team in charge of the roll call (with help from a Native
Speaker) must identify him/herself to the Fire Brigade on their arrival. In doing so vital information
can be relayed to the Fire Officer which will dictate the necessary actions to be carried out by the
Fire Brigade.
During the first week of term all staff and pupils should be shown the primary escape routes of the
school. They should also receive instruction on the school fire evacuation routine.
All members of staff shall each receive a personal copy of this fire/evacuation policy.
A record of evacuation drills held, including any caused by alarm malfunction, shall be entered in
a log book by the Head of Administration and will include the following:
All classrooms shall display a fire evacuation route on the back of the classroom door. The
Director of Administration is responsible for updating the plans and should be contacted by the
class or form teacher if a plan is missing or in need of an update.
Fire evacuation drills, using the instruction given above, should be held at least once per term,
preferably at the commencement of each term.
• For the 1st drill all staff and children will be informed in advance.
• For the 2nd drill all staff will be informed in advance but not students.
• For the 3rd only the Headteacher and Director of Administration will be aware of the drill.
Each fire drill should simulate that one escape route is not available (with the use of a
marker/cone). Each fire drill should be started by a pre-determined signal and the whole premises
checked to ensure evacuation is successful. The Headteacher will be responsible for organising
drills and in their absence a nominated deputy will to be available to carry out the above duties.
• Please note that at any time NO children are allowed in the lift without an adult.
24
notified using the e-mail and telephone contacts available. Such a decision would not be taken
lightly and would only be taken if the health and safety of students was thought to be at risk.
Site Security
Malaysia/KL is a very safe environment to work in but in keeping with other International Schools
we employ an on-site security firm to ensure that the school site is safe and that resources are
protected. If for any reason you need to move resources from the site please ensure that you
contact the Head of Administration to allow them to inform the security that this is happening. All
staff will receive 1 ID card to be worn at all times on the premises. The school will also provide up
to 2 car stickers to be placed on cars if entering into the school in a motor vehicle. Entry into
school is with the car sticker or ID card (if walking in). Parking is available to all staff at B3 car
park at the Primary campus and B2 car park at the Secondary campus.
Note: ALL payments are only accepted at the Reception counter, Primary Campus.
1. Any collections related to School Trips / Activities Weeks / Enrichment / Ad-hoc Events
should be notified to Finance at least ONE week in advance before officially announced to
parents/staff.
2. Activities co-ordinators are responsible to answer all the queries / discrepancies raised from
parents/staff.
Payment Procedures
Administration Standards
BSKL ENERGY SAVING PLAN –PRIMARY CAMPUS
AIR CONDITIONING
Turned on/off by security at 7.15am/4pm respectively.
Turned on/off by receptionist at 7.15am /4pm at the main reception area
Temperature controlled by red marker on the dial. This temperature is not to be changed at all.
LIGHTS
Turned on/off by security at 7.15am/4pm respectively.
Turned on/off by receptionist at 7.15am /4pm at the main reception area
Gym – only to have half of the lights on permanently. (Exception of school events
notwithstanding).
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ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES (IWB/PC’S/PHOTOCOPIERS ETC..)
All to be turned off at 4pm by relevant staff
IWB/PC (including the main switch at the classroom wall with the red light) Teaching staff.
Photocopiers/ICT suite, staffroom laptops etc and other electrical appliances IT Staff
Note: All computers at BSKL have been set for auto shutdown at 6pm.
CLASSROOMS
If the classrooms are not in use the teaching staff to turn lights and air conditioning off.
Welcome to BSKL
26
Appendix A – Educational Visits
Trips checklist
27
EDUCATIONAL VISITS – DETAILED PLANNING & FINAL APPROVAL
Complete relevant sections and submit a hard copy of this form as a cover sheet with required documents to EVC at
least 7 days before the excursion. If more space is needed, please attach additional sheet.
Date of Submission: ______________________ Destination: ____________________Type of
excursion: International
Number of students: (M) _____ (F) _____ (Total) _____ Year group(s): _____
(Note that minimum staff to student ratio is 1:10 unless hazardous activities are involved. See EVC for advice)
Confirmed accompanying staff Experience (Extensive, Some, None) First Aid?
Excursion leader
(F)
Date
Name
Address
Contact person
Telephone
Mobile No
Travel details
28
Meals organised- book with Sodexo or SHF (including allergy/halal food)
Parent letter
Permission forms
THIS LETTER CAN GO OUT AS A HARD COPY ON HEADED PAPER:
Dear
Parents,
Re:
Trip
to
FRIM
on
Thursday
26
March
2015
th
In
Science
this
term
we
have
been
learning
about
Habitats.
To
consolidate
our
learning,
we
have
arranged
a
trip
to
the
Forest
Research
Institute
Malaysia
(FRIM).
During
the
trip,
the
children
will
be
taking
part
in
a
guided
nature
trek
and
a
treasure
hunt.
We
will
not
be
visiting
the
canopy
walkway
on
this
occasion.
On
the
trip
day,
please
can
the
children
come
to
school
at
normal
time.
They
should
come
to
school
wearing
their
PE
top
and
long
trousers.
They
should
bring
a
snack,
a
water
bottle,
hat,
suntan
and
mosquito
cream.
A
packed
lunch
will
be
provided.
The
children
will
return
for
normal
dismissal
time.
Please
complete
and
return
the
slip
below,
including
any
medical
needs
your
child
may
have,
along
with
two
contact
numbers.
In
accordance
with
our
Admissions
Policy,
the
school
does
not
provide
medical
cover.
This
is
a
parental
responsibility.
Please
return
the
slip
below
to
your
child’s
teacher
by
Friday
20
March.
If
you
have
any
questions,
please
th
29
Appendix B – Teaching Staff
Teacher TA Teacher TA
NYGL Natasha Daynes Elena Allday RYGL Tor Marshall Dearbhail Tobin
NC RA
Teacher TA Teacher TA
YGL Marianne Leech Katherine Costello YGL Christine McNicol Freddy Weaire
1A Terrapins 2C Adders
Teacher TA Teacher TA
YGL Stephen Scott Sinead Hawkins YGL Carol Comber Jason Keen
3D Dolphins 4D Owls
30
Teacher TA Teacher TA
YGL Emily Keen Michelle Lee YGL Craig Moore Alison Lasenby
5D Zebras 6B Tigers
Jimmy Lim Chyuan (HoD) Frances Tok Sok Yee Tan Ying Qian Yee Sow Kee Liew Yeen Mei
Ko Siao Tong Zheng Wan Li Jing Jing Grace Geng Li Goh Pey Yuh
31
Primary PE Department
Harrie Thomson (Director of PE and Sports) Jenny Reeves (HoD) Vicky Wright Wayne Grant
Gareth Pearson (HoA) Yang Chong Teng Matt Collins Emma Willson
32