Parent Handbook
It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Primary School at ISB; a place where everyone excels.
We ensure that all pupils have access to the very highest standards of education, within a warm and caring community environment. We believe in nurturing every pupil’s full potential by working in partnership with parents and families, creating an ethos which promotes self-reliance and enthusiasm. Our priority is to ensure that our pupils are confident, kind-hearted, resilient and inquisitive.
The stunning Primary School campus enables us to promote a love of learning within a fully inclusive setting. ISB is a truly International School, with pupils from more than 40 different countries. Through our engaging Primary curriculum, we provide pupils with opportunities to develop a wide range of skills both within the classroom and beyond. We enable our pupils to become global citizens; learning from each other’s cultures and traditions.
Our staff have the very highest expectations for all pupils. This, together with the fact that our pupils are highly self-motivated, ensures that all pupils succeed. As you first enter the school, you will immediately feel the stimulating and supportive atmosphere. This begins with our Early Years provision where pupils experience learning through play. Continuing throughout the Primary School, you will find pupils excelling in all areas of school life; from the classroom, to the theatre, in the pool, or on the sports field. Not only do we strive for academic excellence, we ensure our pupils are wonderful ambassadors able to speak confidently and articulately about their own personal learning achievements.
As a result of providing lifelong learning opportunities, our pupils are aware of their own goals. In addition, pupils have an impressive understanding of the world around them and the impact their decisions have upon the environment both locally and worldwide.
We have highly skilled staff who ensure that the needs of all pupils are met within a thriving learning community. This dedicated team of professionals are both approachable and supportive. I am confident that in choosing ISB, together we will ensure that your child excels.
Mr Michael Everett | Head of Primary
At ISB, we use Seesaw across Pre Kindy to Year 6. Seesaw is an online learning journal that enables us to work collaboratively with parents. Your child will have an individual access code known as a 'Home Learning Code'. As a parent, you will also receive an email invitation to be used with the Family account.
School Day
Attendance:
Please ensure that your child is on time for the start of the day: Registration is at 7:20am. If your child is unwell or not going to attend school for any reason, please let the school know as early as possible on the first day of absence.
At the beginning of the day:
Members of staff are on duty every day from 7am. We ask that parents do not drop off before this time as your child will not be supervised.
At 7:20am, when the bell goes, children should go directly to their classrooms.
The main gates are closed at 7:25am. After this time you should go through the Front Office and register. You will then be let into school via this office. Please note that parents are not permitted to enter school after 7:20am.
At the end of the school day:
Primary students attending UGAMA will be supervised within their Year Groups by UGAMA staff at the end of the school day. UGAMA staff will also facilitate changing for UGAMA if required.
Extra Curricular Activities:
Please note, we do not provide supervision for children at the end of after-school activities and all children must be collected promptly from the ECA location. ECA booking takes place within EduLink during the first week of each term.
For children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, we have after school provision in place between the end of the school day and the start of ECAs. ISB staff will ensure that students in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are ready and changed for their ECA.
Medical Conditions:
Please ensure that you advise us of any medical conditions that might affect your child during the time he/she is at ISB, including any changes or updates.
Please advise us of any food allergies or other allergies suffered by your child as soon as they become known. The school cannot accept responsibility for any harm to your child through lack of information.
If your child has an ongoing need for medication, please discuss this with your child’s teacher and the school nurse. School policy only allows medicines to be stored with, or given by, the school nurse.
Illness:
Children in close contact with each other are vulnerable to minor illnesses and contagious infections of various kinds. Parents are, therefore, asked to watch for early symptoms of illness such as fever, sore throat, headache, diarrhoea, sickness, rashes or discharge from eyes and ears.
Children brought to school suffering from any of these conditions may not only delay their own recovery, but also put at risk other children, parents and staff. Therefore, if children display any of these symptoms, they should be kept at home until completely recovered, or until medical advice has been sought. For those suffering from fever, parents are requested not to send their child back to school until a 24 hour period has elapsed, without medication, where no fever symptoms are present.
If children become unwell while they are attending school they will be made comfortable and will be cared for whilst the parents are contacted and arrangements are made for the child to be taken home as soon as possible.
Accidents:
The school has qualified full-tme nurses on duty. If your child is unwell, they will be taken to the nurse’s room for further assessment or treatment. The nurse will then complete a record slip for your information.
In the event of a serious accident or illness requiring emergency medical care, an ambulance will be called and every effort made to contact you before your child is transported to the hospital. Please ensure that your emergency contact numbers are up-to-date so we can get in touch with you.
If your child has an accident or injury at home please inform your child’s class teacher or the Primary Office.
Food:
Children in Primary have an opportunity for both snack and lunch during the school day. We encourage parents to provide snacks and lunches that children can manage themselves, that are as healthy as possible and include a portion of fruit and/or vegetables.
It is our policy that sweets and candy should not be included in children’s snack. We are a nut-free school and appreciate your support in not sending food products that contain nuts or nut extract (this includes certain chocolate spreads).
Please put children’s snack and lunch in containers that they can manage to open and close without help. Pre-ordered food can be purchased through the school canteen ordering system. Food ordered through the canteen will be delivered to classrooms.
Please ensure that your child also has plenty of water to drink in a named refillable water bottle. These can be refilled at the school’s water fountain. On PE days you may wish to provide more water.
No cans or glass bottles for safety reasons please.
Uniform:
School uniform can be ordered through the main office.
As part of our sun safe policy all children should wear a hat when learning or playing outside. Please make sure your child has a hat at school every day. You may also wish to provide sun cream but this is the responsibility of your child.
Children need to wear black shoes that they can easily remove and put on themselves. They must also be secured to the feet with straps or laces. If shoes have laces please make sure your child can tie these on their own.
On PE & swimming days children should come into school wearing their PE kit.
On Swimming days your child will need to bring their swimming kit and a towel in a separate bag. All personal items should be clearly labelled with your child’s name.
As children get older, they more often want to wear jewellery as part of their identity. School policy is that a watch and stud earrings are acceptable. All jewellery must be removed for Swimming and PE. For younger children who may not be able to remove their own earrings please send them to school without them on these days.
Safeguarding:
All Primary staff have a statutory responsibility to ensure that children are safe and that their needs are being met. Any concerns regarding the protection and safety of children may need to be referred and/or shared with our school counsellor and other agencies. Whatever course of action is decided upon, it is the school’s policy, wherever possible, to involve and support parents and guardians at all stages, whilst ensuring that the child is not placed at further risk.
We kindly request that you restrict the taking of photographs within school to general views and, when taking individual shots, to your own child.
Admissions:
ISB positively welcomes children of all abilities and works with parents to ensure that each child’s needs are met.
In order to do this, we will develop partnerships with parents and consider each child as an individual, working to fulfil their needs and achieve their full potential. We will ensure that all children have access to a broad and balanced curriculum and record, monitor and evaluate children’s progress.
We will ensure that information is shared with all relevant colleagues and ensure that record keeping and reports are open to a child’s parents.
We will liaise with and support parents to liaise with outside agencies and organise and access training to ensure staff are aware of assessment of support needs at an early stage.
All children are offered a place on a 6 week trial basis to ensure that we can fully support their needs. After this time, a pastoral report will be sent home.
At the end of the trial, a review will take place and a decision made as to whether a full offer of a place can be made. The people responsible for co-ordinating the day-to-day provision for children with additional needs are Heads of Year in conjunction with the Head of Learning Support.
House System
All students are part of an ISB House and wear a House Shirt for special events. Students work for House Points throughout the school year and compete in specially organised events and activities.
Read more here: https://www.isbprimarynewsfeed.com/house-points