Student Behaviour Policy

Aims

To promote desirable student conduct and behaviour, the school has adopted the Student Code of Conduct provided by the UAE  Ministry of  Education and all the other applicable state and federal laws therein.

Pakistani Islamic School nurtures a climate in which all students, irrespective of their academic abilities, act positively, to create an ethos where positive and considerate behaviour becomes the norm.

Scope

Important  elements  of  a  school  Code  of  Behaviour  and  Discipline  of  Pakistani School include the following:

• Its context is the school community where mutual respect, co-operation and the practice of humanistic values should be integral features.
• It is in consonance with the rights and responsibilities of all the stakeholders concerned management, educators, students, parents, and support staff.
• Its standards permeate all the phases of the school and create a sense of social cohesion within it.

Responsibilities:

Managerial Responsibility:

The school management is responsible for ensuring that a fair and effective Code of Behaviour and Discipline that includes rules, ways of encouraging and affirming student efforts, rewards, penalities,   and   implementation   procedures,   be   developed   and   implemented   with   the participation of all the stakeholders of the institution.

Staff Responsibility:

Staff will take every opportunity to raise students’ awareness and understanding of the many issues related to behaviour and discipline through effective use of Circle Time, Student Council, Islamic  Education/  Values  Education,  PSHE  and  an  all-pervading  strand  of  social,  moral  and spiritual development in our teaching. 

School staff should consider themselves responsible at all times for the behaviour of students within  sight  or  sound  of  them  and  should  respond  promptly  and  firmly  to  any  instances  of unacceptable behaviour.

Parental Responsibility:

Parents  should  provide  a  conducive  home  environment  as  it  plays  a  crucial  role  in  shaping attitudes that produce good behavior in schools. It is therefore important that parents should be aware of the aims, values and the nature of expected behavior of the school.

Student Responsibility:

Students should apply themselves to the learning and application of real life enhancing skills as  self-control,  conflict  management,  problem-solving,  decision-making,  and  effective  intra-/inter-personal communication. They should also learn to appreciate that offensive behaviour has its consequences and that good behavior shapes the desired community environment.

Attitudes and Behaviour:

The  cornerstones  of  standards  of  students’  behaviour  are  respect  for  oneself,  respect  for others, respect for the school and local community, and respect for the environment.

Pakistani Private  Schoolstrives  to  offer  all  their  students  a  hazard  free  and  emotionally  safe environment in which they can achieve their full academic and personal potential. In order for schools to achieve this objective, the responsibilities of students and parents include:

• Abiding by  the  school’s  behaviour  policy.    This  policy  will  cover  expected  code  of behaviour during the school timings, during extra-curricular activities, on school buses, during school trips and students’ participation in social-media forums.
• Ensuring the student understands the school’s expectations and possible consequences that may arise due to breach of the behaviour code.

The school has a zero-tolerance policy for bullying in all its forms. Bullying is the intentional and  deliberate  intimidation  of  another  person  through  emotional,  physical,  psychological and/or  cyber  means.  Instances  of  proven  and  intentional  bullying  may  result  in  immediate suspension  of  the  aggressor  from  the  school.  The  matter   will  be  referred  to ADEK  for ratification.

Aligned with the above, the school will not tolerate any form of defamation or intentional harm practiced through social media forums.

• Parents and students in all year levels using any social media forum must, at all times, demonstrate respect for the members of the school community (including all students and personnel);
• Parents and  students  must  not  breach  confidentiality,  defame  or  make  threats  to  any person in the school community;

Instances  of  proven  and  intentional  breach  of  the  above  will  result  in  sanctions  that  may include Suspension from the school.

Unacceptable Behavior:

Given that students  have a right to  be  in an orderly  and safe learning  environment, they  are expected to behave, both inside the school premises as  well as on school  buses, in a  friendly and orderly manner and to show respect for all persons and property.

Unacceptable  behaviour  in  such  contexts  includes  repeatedly  disrupting  the  class,  shouting, leaving  the class  without  authorization  , showing  disrespect for  teachers  and  other  students, lingering, failure to do work to the best of one’s ability, fighting, using inappropriate language, playing  rough,  behaving  disrespectfully  with  others,  throwing   objects  at  others,  bullying someone and indulging in acts of vandalism.

Bullying and Interpersonal Abuse: 

All students have a right to learn in a safe environment without fear. Bullying can undermine and even prevent students from progressing academically and socially and it can have lifelong negative consequences for both the victim and the bully. We therefore have zero tolerance for bullying.   All   students   involved   in   bullying   will   be   disciplined   and     receive   appropriate counseling and support from the school, whether the bullying is physical, social, conducted in cyber space, or verbal.

The  School  has  zero  tolerance  for  Cyber  bullying  and  media  misuse  for  defamation purposes.

Refer Internet Usage policy.

Assemblies:

Assemblies  are  an  essential  communication  tool.  The  goal  of  a  successful  assembly  is  to contribute to the development and maintenance of a quality environment for all students that will enable them to enjoy their daily collective experience.

Travel on School Buses:

While travelling on a school bus, students must behave in an orderly and respectful manner.

Changing Classes between Lessons:

When  it  is  necessary  to  move  between  lessons  this  should  be  done  quickly  and  quietly.  No lingering should be allowed. Where  a system of student-based classes is in use,  teachers  and class  leaders  or  prefects  should  ensure  that  the  class  group  is  not  left  unsupervised  for  an unreasonable length of time. Students are expected to abide by school rules.

Organized Excursions:

Educational visits, field trips and seminars are authorized and may be taken as an extension of the classroom to contribute to the achievement of the educational goals of the school. Students are  expected  to  attend  these  activities.  While  on  such  excursions,  students  are  to  consider themselves  as  guests  and ambassadors  of  their  school. Students  must treat  teachers, helpers and guides with respect and courtesy. Schools are required to notify parents and to obtain their written consent in advance.

Property:

Students are expected to respect such school property as furniture, buildings, books, materials and   equipment.   Students   have   an   important   role   to   play   in   ensuring   that   the   physical environment is kept clean and attractive.

Break time:

Students are expected to leave the classrooms during the break and keep the school premises eco-friendly by disposing the garbage appropriately.

Lockers:

Where  lockers  are  available,  they  are  the  property  of  the  school.  Students  should  use  the lockers assigned to them solely for storing their school materials and personal items necessary for school attendance. It shall be the responsibility of each student to keep the assigned locker clean and undamaged. Items found in students’ lockers in violation of school policies, rules and regulations are to be confiscated.

Behaviour in Common Areas

While  in  the  library,  in  the  laboratories,  study  areas,  canteen,  grounds  and  other  common areas, students are expected to behave well as they would in class. Standards of behaviour and hygiene in toilets must be ensured.

Behaviour and Sanctions

A clear school behaviour policy, consistently and fairly applied, underpins effective education. School staff, pupils and parents should all be clear of the high standards of behaviour expected of all pupils at all times.

Parent Code of Conduct

In order to support a peaceful and safe school environment the school cannot tolerate parents, guardians and visitors exhibiting the following:

• Disruptive behaviour which interferes or threatens to interfere with the operation of a classroom, an employee’s office, office area , reception or any other area of the school grounds.
• Using loud/or   offensive   language,   swearing,   cursing,   using   profane   language   or displaying temper.
• Abusive or threatening e-mails, phone calls or other written communication.
• Defamatory, offensive  or  derogatory  comments  regarding  the  school  or  any  of  the students/parent/staff, at the school on social sites.

Any concerns you may have about the school must be made through the appropriate channels by speaking to the Heads of Schools, Principal or the Chair of Governors, so they can be dealt with fairly, appropriately and effectively for all concerned.

Should any of the above behaviour occur on school premises the school may feel it is necessary to contact the appropriate authorities and if necessary, even suspend the offending adult from entering the school grounds.

School has the right to refuse re-enrollment of the child whose parent has been disrespectful to the School Authorities and Staff in spite of receiving repeated warnings.

Managing Inappropriate Behaviour:

A Stepped Approach:

Pristine has a range of options and rewards to reinforce and praise good behavior. These will be proportionate and fair responses that may vary according to the age of the pupils, and any other special circumstances that affect the pupil.

When poor behaviour is identified, sanctions should be implemented consistently and fairly in line  with  the  behaviour  policy.  We  have a  level  of  measures  clearly  communicated  to  school staff, pupils and parents.

These can include:

• First Warning is filling an Incident Report
• Second Warning is a written warning
• Third Warning is again a written warning and the student is referred to the counselor
• Fourth Warning is Suspension from school
• The last step in extreme cases is exclusion from the school.

Rewarding Good Behaviour: Accentuating the Positive

The Rewarding good behaviour policy addresses two important aims of the school:-

• To develop a Rights and Responsibilities Approach in our students to ensure that they develop into responsible world citizens.
• Build Team Spirit-Together Everyone Achieves More ensures that a larger scope of the student body is acknowledged for their good work.

In  order  to  promote  the  best  code  of  conduct  to  enhance  academic  progress,  a  deserving student will be chosen from each year group every month for “The PIPS Student of the Month” Award.

A  “House  Merit  Chart”  system  will  be  used  by  the  teachers  to  keep  track  of  the  students behaviour and additional achievements.

The below mentioned categories are outlines for students to be consistently aware of:

• Respect for others
• Personal cleanliness and hygiene
• Discipline-School/Playground/Outing
• Respect for school property
• Neatness and timely submission of assignments
• Punctuality
• Endeavour