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School Policies

Assessment Recording and Reporting

Assessment Recording and Reporting Policy (ARR)

Rationale
At Bradbury School assessment, recording and reporting (ARR) is integral to all teaching and used to guide and improve student learning. We use the ARR process to promote student learning, provide information about student learning, and contribute to the successful implementation of the Primary Years Programme. (www.ibo.org)

Definitions

Assessment

Measuring and evaluating students’ knowledge and understanding

Recording

Collecting and analysing data to inform teaching and learning

Reporting

Communicating what students know, understand and can do;

describes the progress of student learning

Assessment
A range of assessment strategies and tools should be used to assess student learning on a regular, ongoing basis, across the five essential elements of the PYP, in order to:

  • inform planning and improve student learning outcomes
  • provide specific and effective feedback that informs student learning

We do this through/by:

  • taking into account the diversity of students’ learning. See Making the PYP Happen (2009) page 48 for examples of these.

Recording
All teachers are expected to track student achievement and progress across time through regular collection, recording and analysis of data, which will answer questions such as:

  • how will we know what students have learned
  • can strengths, areas for improvement and trends be identified at macro and micro levels

Reporting
Reporting at Bradbury School promotes communication between stakeholders. It should be clear and understandable to all parties, taking into consideration audience and purpose. Reporting enables an understanding of student progress, achievement, needs and next steps for teaching and learning.

Please refer to Bradbury School ARR Guidelines, Assessment Schedule, Making the PYP Happen (2009)

 

Last reviewed: October 2017
Next Review date: October 2019

Code of Conduct

The aims of our code of conduct are to:

  • Promote a safe and happy learning environment for our school community

  • Develop positive personal attitudes towards people, the environment and learning

  • Encourage members of our school community to take responsibility for their actions

  • Empower students to consistently make positive choices when faced with challenging situations

 

We achieve our aims by using:

  • The IB Learner Profile attributes to support code of conduct

  • The Bradbury School Rules of Respect to guide our behavioural expectations

  • Constant reinforcement of behaviour expectations through class essential agreements, Phase assemblies and timely individual reinforcement

Bradbury School Rules of Respect:

  • Respect yourself and others

  • Respect your own and others’ belongings

  • Respect your environment

Bradbury School Steps Procedure:

  • STOP and think about the rule you have broken

  • THINK about your choices

  • CHOOSE put it right and make the right choice next time

 

 

SEN Policy

Bradbury School

Please see below for updated policy:

Inclusion and SEN Policy

Purpose

To describe the philosophy and provision for students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) at Bradbury School.

To describe how students with SEN are identified, what provision is made for them and how the effectiveness of this provision is monitored.

Philosophy

The students at Bradbury School are the responsibility of all staff and each teacher has a significant role to play in meeting the needs of SEN students. All Bradbury School teachers are teachers of students with additional or special educational needs.

Objectives

  • For all students to have access to a broad, balanced curriculum and to experiences and activities provided by the school.
  • To identify and celebrate the strengths of all our students.
  • To identify gaps in learning and support students to make progress.
  • To raise the self-esteem of all students.
  • To identify students with Special Educational Needs as early as possible.
  • To keep parents fully informed of their child’s progress and educational provision.
  • To involve students in evaluating their progress, setting targets, and making decisions about their future provision and support.

1. Definitions

Students with Special Educational Needs include:

  • Students who have a greater difficulty in learning than the majority of students of the same age.
  • Students who have a disability which prevents them from making use of education facilities or accessing the curriculum.
  • Students whose potential and/or attainment is extremely high

2. Roles and Responsibilities

(i)The Principal has overall responsibility for SEN in the school.

(ii)The Head of Learning Support/Individual Needs has responsibility for:

  • Co-ordinating the provision for students with SEN.
  • Managing the team of Learning
  • Support/Individual Needs staff
    Liaising with, and giving advice to, teachers and support staff.
  • Overseeing students’ records.
  • Liaising with parents and carers.
  • Liaising with outside agencies.

(iii) Teachers have responsibility for SEN students in their class. This includes:

  • Planning to meet the student’s needs within the context of their normal class planning/differentiation including the use of Educational Assistants.
  • Working with the student, within the class context, to help them achieve their targets.
  • Implementing IEPs with the support of LS staff where appropriate.
  • Keeping parents/carers informed of student progress and keeping a record of this.
  • Involving the student in setting targets and reviewing progress.

    • 3. Identifying students with SEN

    (i) A referral can be made about a student by teachers, parents/carers, educational assistants and students themselves.

    (ii) The referral should outline the concerns in an email to the Head of Learning Support which will trigger an initial discussion about the concern.

    (iii) A referral may be about concerns in any of the Dimensions of Learning, as defined by the ESF SEN policy (see section 8 below)

    Students may enter Bradbury who have already been identified as having SEN, a disability, or diagnosed medical condition. Information received on admission will be shared with the relevant teachers and Educational Assistants.

    4. SEN Register and Individual Needs Logs

    When a referral has been made an Individual Needs Log will be opened to record the concern, the information gathered, and any agreed action.

    The Log will be a record of interventions, reviews of progress, meetings with parents, involvement of outside agencies or other significant information about the child.

    Diagnosis, assessment details and recommendations from outside agencies will be summarised in the Log by the Head of Learning Support to ensure teachers have ready access to this information.

    At the end of each academic year a copy of the Log is uploaded onto Gateway alongside any other SEN documentation, such as outside agency reports.

    The purpose of the Log is to ensure that all staff working with students have access to up to date information about students so they can take steps to meet students needs effectively.

    The Individual Needs Log is confidential and should not be shared, copied, printed or viewed by anyone other than the school staff directly involved with the student.

    A register of all students with SEN will be kept using the school database Gateway.

    Monitoring (M)
    1. A concern has been raised, Head of LS has been contacted, information has been gathered, IN Log opened. The concern is being monitored.
    2. A student has had support, has made sufficient progress to no longer needed and is being monitored for 1 term.
    Level of Adjustment (LOA) 1 The student is having additional support from the IN department staff.
    Level of Adjustment 2 (LOA2) The student has an outside agency report.
    The students has needs in multiple Dimensions of Schooling and needs regular individualised adjustments and support.
    The student’s attainment is well below age related expectations.
    Progress is limited despite consistent additional support over time.
    A student need not meet all four criteria to be at LOA2.
    Level of Adjustment 3 and 4 Students have a place in the Learning Support Class. (see also Section 8)

    5.
    Meeting Students’ Needs

    (i) Every child is entitled to quality inclusive teaching. Teachers will differentiate a broad and balanced inquiry based curriculum to meet a diverse range of needs in their class. They will plan and teach lessons appropriate to move students on to the next step in their learning, including students with SEN.

    (ii) Additional support from the Individual Needs staff is managed by the Head of LS/IN. The current staffing is one part time IN teacher and three full time IN Educational Assistants.

    6. High Ability Learners

    Some students with high ability may have needs which cannot be met through the differentiated class provision described in 5(i) above in one or more areas.
    These students may

    • have extreme abilities and potential
    • excel and stand out compared to their peers
    • be creative thinkers
    • have advanced moral reasoning
      be underachieving

    These students will be identified as described in (3) (4) above.
    The gathering of information and decisions about what action will be taken will include the relevant VP, PYP co-ordinator and Principal, parents and students.

    7. Reviewing Students with SEN

    Teachers regularly review students’ progress with the Head of LS/IN where the level of support is discussed, and amended if needed. Recommendations for assessment by other professionals such as Educational Psychologist, Occupational Therapist, Speech and Language Therapist may result from these reviews. Parents and students are included in reviewing progress.

    8. Levels of Adjustment

    ESF use Levels of Adjustment (LOA) from 1-4 to describe a student’s level of need in mainstream/LSC across the Five Dimensions of Schooling:

    Thinking and Learning
    Emotional and Social Well Being
    Social and Communication
    Speech and Language
    Motor Coordination, Physical and Self Care
    Medical

    The needs of students at LOA 1 and 2 can be met in mainstream classes with additional support from Individual Needs staff.
    The needs of students at LOA 3 and 4 can be met in mainstream school with additional support from Learning Support staff.

    9. Learning Support Students

    Bradbury is funded to meet the needs of 21 students assessed by ESF at LOA 3 and 4. Although this provision is still referred to as the Learning Support Class, the students at LOA 3 and 4 are part of mainstream classes, with additional staffing provided to support their needs. Currently this provision is three Learning Support Teachers and three LS Educational Assistants. LSC students have an Individual Education Plan which is reviewed four times per year.

    10. Monitoring and Evaluating Provision

    As part of their evaluation of school effectiveness, the Principal and Head of Learning Support will monitor the effectiveness of the policy and procedures in meeting the needs of students with SEN. Success factors will include:

    • Early identification of students with SEN.
    • Extent to which student views and opinions are taken into account effectively.
    • The school and parents work in partnership
    • Interventions and provision are regularly reviewed and evaluated via individual progress and data collection
    • The school works in close co-operation with other agencies and fosters multi-agency working

    f

    Supporting students with social and emotional difficulties

    Purpose

    This policy outlines the philosophy and approach to providing support for students with social and emotional difficulties. This policy is consistent with the School’s mission statement which is:

    • Builds strong foundations in a dynamic,
    • innovative and enjoyable learning environment
    • Supports the needs of learners through a balanced curriculum
    • Empowers learners to be socially and globally responsible

    Philosophy

    When students are experiencing difficulties at home or in school their learning and behaviour can be adversely affected.

    A student may be anxious, have friendship and social problems, lack confidence, have poor self esteem, present with poor behaviour, or have difficulty showing or dealing with their emotions.

    By providing emotional support, enabling students to explore their feelings, and by providing them with strategies and tools to help them move forward,a student can feel better about themselves, build their self confidence and be more successful in school.

    This support is available in the following ways:
    School Counsellor; Play Therapy; Drawing and Talking therapy; support from ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant); and the Friends/Fun Friends programme.

    Referral pathway

    1. Concerns

    Concerns raised by anyone working with a student should be followed up with a referral to the Head of IN/LS by email, briefly outlining the concern. An Individual Needs Log is opened and the concerns are recorded. The parents will be contacted, usually by the person raising the concern, and the concern will be share with them.

    2. Gathering of information

    Any information already held by class teacher, Head of IN/LS and by VPs is collated by the Head of IN/LS. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQ) are completed by teacher/parents/students to provide more detail about the student’s needs.

    3. Pastoral Team meeting

    The information gathered is discussed by the Pastoral Team (may include Principal, Head of IN/LS, Counsellor, VP).

    The Pastoral Team will recommend the next steps, such as inclusion in a school programme, referral to counsellor, referral to outside agency (see details of provision available below). A decision might be taken to monitor the student for a set period of time. Parents will be kept informed. Records of decisions and actions will be kept in the student’s IN log.

    4. Signed consent

    If the agreed action is referral of the student to the counsellor, parental consent in writing, using the appropriate form, will be obtained.

    5. Parental referrals

    A parent requesting an appointment with the counsellor should contact the Head Of IN/LS by email. They will be asked to meet with Head of IN/LS to complete a referral form. The Head of IN/LS and the counsellor will discuss and prioritise. CB will keep records and share with relevant VP/class teacher.

    6. Critical incidents and exceptional circumstances

    Students involved in critical incidents such as bereavement will be prioritised for counselling by the Principal in consultation with the Head of LS/IN.

    7. Review

    The Pastoral Team will review the student’s progress every 6-8 weeks, or more frequently if required, with parents and/or student involvement where appropriate. The SDQ will be used to review progress.

    Support available at Bradbury

    Friends/Fun Friends

    Students who lack resilience might be referred to Friends/Fun Friends. The programmes use a Cognitive Behaviour Therapy approach, giving students the tools to think positively, scale problems, learn coping strategies such as Mindfulness, and develop plans to solve problems. Students usually work in a group once per week with a trained facilitator. This programme is not for students who do not have any friends or have social communication difficulties.

    ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistants)

    ELSAs work with students usually 1-1 once per week. They set goals with the students focusing on what they would like to improve. Students who lack self confidence, have difficulties making friends, who are showing anxiety or seem unhappy, might benefit from working with an ELSA. Students who would not cope with a group approach, such as Friends, could work on the Friends programme with an ELSA individually. Each of the Individual Needs EAs are trained ELSAs. The ELSAs work with a supervisor (teacher) to set goals, timeframes, and select the right tools to support the student. The school Educational Psychologist is an ELSA mentor, and can also provide support.

    Play Therapy

    Child-centred play therapy can benefit children who have difficulty adjusting to changes in their lives. For example, new siblings, divorce, separation, illness, bereavement, trauma, experiencing social difficulties, shyness, bullying, or having behavioural difficulties in the classroom. One to one play therapy sessions are confidential and are held after school with the qualified, registered play therapist.

    Drawing and Talking

    Students who may have difficulty managing their behaviours and emotions could benefit from this therapy. Students work 1-1 once a week during school time with a trained teacher. Drawing and talking helps children express their concerns and worries through their drawings in a relaxed and non judgemental environment.

    Counselling

    This provides an opportunity for students to talk in confidence about things that are worrying them or interrupting their ability to learn. The counsellor, as part of the school team, focuses primarily on the personal, social and emotional development of the students. The aim of the counselling service is to professionally meet the needs of the student in a familiar, safe and secure place. Counselling supports students with issues such as: parental separation; stress; friendships; change; behaviour issues; anger management; bullying; traumatic events and bereavement.

    • Time used for these interventions is considered learning time. As with all interventions which require a student to work outside their classroom, adults should take into account the student’s timetable and ensure that the student and class teacher are comfortable with the agreed timings.
    • Child Safeguarding: all adults working with students in these programmes and interventions should be mindful of Bradbury School’s Safeguarding Procedures.
    • If a student is deemed to be at risk of significant harm from others, to others, or to themselves the adult involved will inform the Vice Principal (CPO), or Principal

    Appendix for Counselling

    • The school counselling service is provided by a professionally trained counsellor, who operates in collaboration with the school, to support the wellbeing of the students. Bradbury School employs qualified counsellors from St. John’s Counselling Service to fill this role.
    • Confidentiality is essential as it enables the student to develop a trusting relationship with the counsellor, to express and share feelings without fear or blame and to talk freely about issues. The student is able to talk to anyone about their counselling sessions if they wish but should not be directly questioned by others.
    • The school counsellor will meet with parents at the commencement of, and during, the counselling process to provide an opportunity for any concerns to be voiced and questions to be raised. If parents request additional meetings with the school counsellor, either for themselves or their child, these need to be arranged through St. John’s Counselling Service outside of school time and independently funded by the parents.
    • The school counselling service is a limited service, provided by the school one day a week during term time. Students are allocated 30 minute blocks of time unless otherwise agreed by the school counsellor and Pastoral Team.
    • When feasible, the school counsellor will use the values of the school and the IB Primary Years Programme (learner profile, attitudes and approaches to learning) to help make connections for the student.
    • Counselling will generally last for 1-2 terms, providing time for issues to be explored in a meaningful way. The length of the sessions may vary. However, the counsellor will regularly review the value of the counselling with a student and if the counsellor and/or student no longer feel the need for counselling the sessions will come to an end.
    • The school counsellor is managed by the Head of LS/IN, who will meet with the counsellor on a regular basis to discuss the service provided to students and to act as a liaison between the counsellor and class teachers if required.

    Sanctions Policy


    1 Verbal Warning

    Follow the “Bradbury Steps Procedure.”
    “Which rule of respect did you break?”
    “The consequence of you breaking the rule is that you are on a warning.”

    2 Time Out

    If a child continues to break the rules then they should be removed to a ‘Time Out Area’ in the classroom. SLT member to be informed when it reaches a point of concern to the teacher.

    SLT then meets with the child to discuss their behaviour and the consequences of further misbehaviour.

    3 Behaviour Reflection Sheet and Further Sanctions

    SLT Member to discuss and supervise the completion of a Behaviour Reflection Sheet by the student. The Behaviour Reflection Sheet is then taken home by the student as a prompt for further discussion between the student his/her parents. The sheet should be signed by the parents and returned the SLT member. Class teacher is informed. SLT member to decide on further sanctions depending on the severity of the behaviour. There will be no tolerance of bullying, fighting, or stealing.

    BUSES

    Please refer to the Bus Service Rules and Conditions policy for student behaviour expectations on the school bus.

    Language Policy

    School Mission and Vision:

     

    Inspiring learners, inquiring together, enhancing our world

     

    Bradbury School:

     

    • Builds strong foundations in a dynamic, innovative and enjoyable learning environment

    • Supports the needs of learners through a balanced curriculum

    • Empowers learners to be socially and globally responsible

     

    The Bradbury School language policy is underpinned by the school mission and vision statements and the following philosophy:

     

    Philosophy

    The Bradbury School community believes that language is the basis for all learning and communication. Language learning is viewed as a lifelong process, best developed through immersion in, and exposure to, rich and diverse models of language and literacy.

     

    The school aims to provide a learning environment that supports all students to actively learn language, learn about language and learn through language. There is a shared commitment to achieving this through the provision of meaningful teaching and learning experiences that inspire students through an inquiry approach supported by explicit, targeted teaching.

     

    Teachers at Bradbury understand the developmental process of language learning. They recognise that students differ in their level of language acquisition and in their learning requirements. The development of students’ abilities in speaking, listening, reading and writing, is supported through the delivery of a differentiated teaching program. This addresses the diverse learning needs of all students. All teachers are viewed as Language teachers with the responsibility for addressing students’ language learning needs and facilitating effective communication across all curriculum content areas.

     

    As an internationally minded school the status of all languages is validated through supporting additional language learning and valuing the multilingual abilities of the students. Recognition is given to the role of Language learning in the development of cognitive skills and the benefits derived from the acquisition of additional languages, such as promoting higher order thinking skills and multiple perspectives. Also acknowledged, is the significance of maintaining and enriching mother tongue languages to support student learning and maintain cultural identity. The school community is seen as a valuable source of expertise for fostering language learning and the sharing of language skills and experiences is encouraged.

     

    An awareness of the host country’s culture and language is continually developed through the teaching of Mandarin Chinese at all acquisition levels across the school. The ability to communicate in more than one language is viewed as critical to the development of cultural empathy and open-mindedness- attitudes which are important in developing students as balanced, global citizens who are socially responsible.

     

    Language Profile

    Bradbury School is a member of the English Schools Foundation which is located in Hong Kong. The school has a constant enrolment of 720 students aged 4-11 years. It operates 24 mainstream classes, each with 30 students, with 4 classes at each of the Year Levels 1 to 6. The school also caters for 21 students with moderate Special Educational Needs with a Learning Support Centre. These students are supported within the mainstream classes.

     

    Currently there are over 45 nationalities represented in the student population with the majority of students being multilingual, many with more than 2 languages. English and Cantonese are the two most commonly spoken home languages, followed by Hindi, Dutch, Mandarin, and small cohorts of many other languages. Understanding the language population of the school is an ongoing process. Language background data is initially collected from admissions information and parent interviews, and is further monitored by speaking with parents and students and with home language data collected from International School Assessments.

     

    Information about individual students’ language ability in English is gained through the admissions interview process and is then tracked across the school using a wide range of formative and summative assessments.

     

    Language of Instruction

    English and Mandarin Chinese are the two official languages of the school’s host country. English is the main language of instruction at Bradbury School with specialist classes held in Mandarin Chinese across all Year levels.

     

    Admissions Policy

    Applicants to Bradbury School must demonstrate, through interview and assessment, that they are capable of engaging with an English medium curriculum. Further information about this process and the Language requirements for each Year level can be found on the English School Foundation website at www.esf.edu.hk following the links to Our Schools/Admissions.

     

    Chinese

    All students learn Mandarin Chinese (Putonghua) with lessons timetabled regularly across the week. The Programme is taught by a team of qualified teachers and educational assistants who are native speakers.

     

    A differentiated programme delivery caters for the varying range of student abilities and differing Language learning needs. Students with Mandarin Chinese as a mother tongue or with demonstrated native speaker ability are grouped together from across each Year Level. Students for whom Chinese is an additional language receive a differentiated programme delivery within their class group.

     

    The Chinese Team plans collaboratively, both within the team and with class teachers across the school. This facilitates the meaningful incorporation of the teaching and learning of Chinese language across the Programme of Inquiry at all Year levels.

     

    Mother Tongue

    The school continues to explore ways in which the development and maintenance of students’ mother tongue languages can be supported. Mother tongue language backgrounds are acknowledged as a resource that students can draw on to make connections with the Language learning needs of English.

     

    A collection of bi-lingual and other language books and resources are maintained in the school Library Resource Centre to support students in maintaining their mother tongue. These resources are regularly updated to reflect the current mother tongue profile of the school population. Members of the school community are regularly invited into school to share their languages through sharing stories with the students. These sessions are advertised to students across the school.

     

    Students are able to access a number of programmes run by ESF Educational Services (owned by the ESF) which assist with the maintenance of mother tongue. These classes operate out of school hours at various ESF schools and at ESF central office. The range of languages being offered in the various schools can be found on the ESF Educational Service website at www.esf.org.hk.

     

    Interpreters are organized on request for any parent who would prefer to conduct conversations or interviews through their mother tongue. Office and reception staff are also available to assist with day to day interactions with parents in a number of languages.

     

    English as an Additional Language

    The learning needs of students with English as an Additional Language (EAL) are addressed within the classroom learning environment. All teachers are seen as EAL teachers with responsibility for making explicit the language learning needs of English for all students.

     

    The skills and understandings that EAL students bring from their mother tongue and other languages are viewed as a strength to be acknowledged and used to support their learning in English. Many staff have specialist training in teaching EAL students in mainstream classrooms and actively employ teaching strategies that support these students in developing their language skills and understandings.

     

    The Language learning needs for each Unit of Inquiry are clearly articulated to support all teachers in their role as EAL teachers. Additional support for EAL students is also provided as part of the Individual Needs support program.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Agreed Practices

    • Bradbury School follows the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Program (PYP). The PYP is an international, concept based curriculum delivered using an inquiry methodology for teaching and learning. As an IB school Language learning is seen as central to all areas of learning.

     

    • Language teaching is also informed by the English Schools Foundation’s Language Scope and Sequence documents. These documents incorporate the PYP Language outcomes and provide further detail in the areas of Speaking and Listening, Reading, Writing, and Viewing and Presenting. These can be found on the school website. www.bradbury.edu.hk , following the links-Learning at Bradbury/Scope and Sequences .

     

    • Language learning is integral to each Unit of Inquiry (UOI) within the PYP and takes on an authentic purpose by being taught within the UOI.

     

    • All teachers collaboratively plan to clearly articulate Language learning outcomes for each Unit of Inquiry and for Language learning that occurs outside the UOI.

     

    • The Language Coordinator, PYP Coordinator and Teacher Librarian are involved in Language planning across the school. This ensures that learning outcomes are aligned across the school that resources are targeted to support the teaching and learning.

     

    • Teachers are committed to providing a stimulating and effective range of evidence based teaching and learning opportunities to develop students’ Language abilities.

     

    • Planning for Language learning is based on students’ prior understandings and skill levels. Ongoing assessment is used to inform teaching and learning to meet the range of students’ learning needs.

     

    • Teachers understand the importance of oral language development as the foundation for Language learning in all other areas.

     

    • Differentiated teaching and learning is delivered using a wide range of strategies. These include, but are not limited to: the use of flexible groupings based on student readiness, interests and abilities; open ended questions and tasks; mixed ability groupings ; guided and cooperative reading groups; peer tutoring; opportunities for student choice, based on interests and strengths.

     

    • Students’ development in Language learning is tracked across the school using a range of formative, summative and diagnostic assessments. This information is used to inform teaching, to provide explicit feedback to students and for reporting to parents.

     

    • Language teaching utilises a ‘gradual release of responsibility’ model, with students being supported in their language development through cycles of explicit teaching and supported learning, through to the independent construction of new knowledge.

     

    • Professional development in Language teaching is targeted to meet teachers’ and students’ needs and is informed by the School Strategic Plan and the annual Language Curriculum Development Plan.

     

    Appendices:

     

    1. Bradbury School Handwriting Policy

     

    Handwriting at Bradbury School

     

    At Bradbury School we believe that handwriting is an essential skill that students must develop during their primary school years. Although word-processing programs and assistive technologies are also important communication tools -legible, efficient handwriting is still an important skill for future education and most types of employment. The explicit teaching of handwriting also provides many cognitive benefits to support literacy and numeracy development and enhances fine motor skill development.

    Our aim at Bradbury School is to teach each child to write legibly, fluently and at a reasonable speed. To support this aim a structured, whole school approach to handwriting has been adopted.

    • The model used at Bradbury is the Nelson Handwriting font. This is a modern cursive font style widely used in schools overseas (UK, Australia, NZ) and here in Hong Kong. Modern cursive handwriting fonts allow students to move from script to cursive using a natural linking` style. They also allow for personal styles to develop easily once the basic style is mastered.

    • The font is taught explicitly across the school using whole class and small group teaching.

    • Students progress from a focus on clearly shaped correctly oriented letter formation in the early years, to joining letters and finally a clear fluent style that can be adapted to a range of writing tasks.

    • Attention is paid to correct posture and pencil/pen grip to assist with ease of writing.

    • Students are involved in regular handwriting practice for a variety of purposes and by Year 6 the focus is on producing legible, efficiently produced handwriting as students develop more individualised styles.

    • We respect that our students come to Bradbury from many different countries and have already learnt to write using many different handwriting styles and fonts. Provided the handwriting style is established, legible and efficient the student will be supported to continue using that handwriting style.

    • Year level Nelson handwriting resources are provided for each Year Level as a style guide and with an outline of the appropriate order for teaching letter joins,

    • Appropriately sized formative pencils are used in Years 1 and 2. Students use pens in their workbooks from Years 4 and 5 onwards, as they gain control and efficiency with their handwriting.

    • The use of lined paper facilitates more legible handwriting than unlined paper- the use of developmentally appropriate line spacing, including the use of dotted thirds is reviewed annually.

     

    Handwriting Policy

    At Bradbury School we believe that handwriting is an essential skill that students must develop during their primary school years. Although word-processing programs and assistive technologies are also important communication tools -legible, efficient handwriting is still an important skill for future education and most types of employment. The explicit teaching of handwriting also provides many cognitive benefits to support literacy and numeracy development and enhances fine motor skill development.

    Our aim at Bradbury School is to teach each child to write legibly, fluently and at a reasonable speed. To support this aim a structured, whole school approach to handwriting has been adopted.

    · The model used at Bradbury is the Nelson Handwriting font. This is a modern cursive font style widely used in schools overseas (UK, Australia, NZ) and here in Hong Kong. Modern cursive handwriting fonts allow students to move from script to cursive using a natural linking` style. They also allows for personal styles to develop easily once the basic style is mastered.

    · The font is taught explicitly across the school using whole class and small group teaching.

    · Students progress from a focus on clearly shaped correctly oriented letter formation in the early years, to joining letters and finally a clear fluent style that can be adapted to a range of writing tasks.

    · Attention is paid to correct posture and pencil/pen grip to assist with ease of writing.

    · Students are involved in regular handwriting practice for a variety of purposes and by Year 6 the focus is on producing legible, efficiently produced handwriting as students develop more individualized styles.

    · We respect that our students come to Bradbury from many different countries and have already learnt to write using many different handwriting styles and fonts. Provided the handwriting style is established, legible and efficient the student will be supported to continue using that handwriting style.

    · Year level Nelson handwriting resources are provided for each Year Level as a style guide and with an outline of the appropriate order for teaching letter joins,

    · Appropriately sized formative pencils are used in Years 1 and 2. Students use pens in their workbooks from Year 4 and 5 onwards, as they gain control and efficiency with their handwriting.

    · The use of lined paper facilitates more legible handwriting than unlined paper- the use of developmentally appropriate line spacing, including the use of dotted thirds is reviewed each year.

    Academic Honesty Policy

    The IB Programme standards and practices (2010) requires schools to show that teaching and learning promotes the understanding and practice of academic honesty (Academic Honesty in the IB, 2012).

    In developing Bradbury’s academic honesty policy teachers and parents should encourage students to be:

    • Inquirers who acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research.

    • Principled; acting with integrity and honesty and taking responsibility for their own actions.

    • Open‐minded and accustomed to seeking and evaluating a range of points of view.

    • Risk takers who are brave and articulate in defending their beliefs.

    • Knowledgeable; exploring concepts, ideas, and issues.

     

    An academically honest student will:

    • Appropriately use the help of parents, older siblings, or friends.

    • Acknowledge the source of direct quotations when being used for research purposes.

    • Reference resources using bibliographies, references and appendices.

    • Cite all sources (books, internet, CD ROMs, maps, audio-visual, illustrations and graphs) in suitable format when being used for research purposes.

    • Know what constitutes cheating and abides by these agreements.

    • Follow test conditions.

     

    An academically honest student will not:

    • Copy from another student during assessments.

    • Copy another student’s homework or written task and hand it in as their own.

    • Directly copy information from primary or secondary sources without referencing its source.

    • Complete tasks for another student and/or give another student his/her own work to copy.

    • Communicate to anyone during an assessment/test.

     

    Furthermore teachers and parents will:

    • Work with students to develop shared understandings about cheating, plagiarism, and other instances of academic dishonesty.

    • Teach students to reference sources correctly.

    • Actively supervise tests, assessments and research tasks.

    • Emphasise, teach and assess note-taking and summarising skills.

    • Clearly outline test/assessment expectations to students which value the process, not only the end result

    • Encourage students to reflect on the learning process.

    Library Policy

    Our goal: To challenge, celebrate, create, ignite curiosity, and read!

    Developing life-long readers, thinkers, and learners!

     

     

    Aims The objective of this policy is to see that our library provides a variety and abundance of materials from all media to support and enrich our school curriculum, to stimulate cultural development, to motivate students to read, and to provide the teaching staff with relevant professional materials.

     

    We aim to achieve this by:

    • recognising that everyone is a learner and that learning is continuous

    • working collaboratively and supporting each other

    • communicating effectively in a variety of ways and in more than one language

    • respecting and valuing our own and other people’s cultures

    • appreciating that we are all different and that we learn in different ways

    • having a balanced approach to life and learning

    • striving for excellence in learning

    • being active learners who are curious about the world around us

    • reflecting on our experiences and learning from them

    • sharing responsibility for ourselves and others and believing that our actions can make a difference

    • recognising the importance of mother tongue in the development of literacy

     

    We aim to develop learners who are:
    Inquirers – Thinkers – Communicators – Risk-Takers – Knowledgeable – Principled – Caring – Open-Minded – Balanced – Reflective
    and who demonstrate the following attitudes:

    Appreciation – Commitment – Confidence – Cooperation – Creativity – Curiosity – Empathy – Enthusiasm – Independence – Integrity – Respect – Tolerance
     

    The Teacher Librarian will: 

    • ensure that the Library programme, in its content, design, implementation, assessment and review, shall reflect the Bradbury School philosophy, objectives and policies with library maintenance, purchasing and instruction.

    • promote digital citizenship and keep to the guidelines stated in ‘Internet Guidelines for Staff’ and the ‘Responsible Use Agreement’.

    • provide materials which will enrich and support the curriculum, taking into consideration the varied interests, abilities, and maturity levels of our students.

    • provide materials which will stimulate growth in conceptual understanding, knowledge, literary appreciation, aesthetic values and ethical standards.

    • provide background information which will enable our students to make intelligent judgments in their daily life.

    • provide materials on both sides of controversial matters so that our students may develop, under guidance, the practice of critical reading and thinking with classroom instructional units.

    • place principle above personal opinion in the selection of materials of the highest quality in order to assure a comprehensive collection appropriate to the users of our Library.

    • Implement a systematic programme of library and research skills for students and where appropriate teachers.

     

    Criteria for Selection of Library Resources

    • Library resources will be chosen to support the mission statement, and the beliefs and values of Bradbury School.

    • Library resources will be chosen to support the existing curriculum, as well as the personal needs and interests of library users.

    • Library resources will meet high standards of quality in factual content and presentation.

    • Library resources will support the transdisciplinary nature of our curriculum.

    • Our Library resources will be appropriate for the age, emotional development, ability level, learning style, and social development of the students for whom the materials are selected.

    • Library resources will be selected to help students gain an awareness of our global society and reflect the international nature of our curriculum, school and world.

    • The selection of Library resources on controversial issues will be directed toward maintaining a diverse collection representing various views.

    • Library resources will be selected for their strengths rather than rejected for their weaknesses.

    • Library resources will also support the development and provision of the mother-tongue language collection both text and online materials.

    • Support the resourcing of units of inquiry.

     

    APPENDIX ON LIBRARY PROCEDURES:

     

    Procedures for Selection of Library Resources

    • In selecting Library resources, the librarian will measure available materials against the above criteria and the emerging needs of the curriculum.

    • All members of the community will be regularly encouraged to make recommendations for purchase.

    • When feasible, the resource itself will be examined.

    • Gift materials will be measured against the above criteria, and will be accepted or rejected accordingly. The physical condition of gift material needs to be considered and contributors should have an understanding that the librarian has the discretion to handle the materials how he/she see fit thereafter.

    • Resource selection will include the routine removal of outdated and inaccurate materials, as well as the replacement of lost and worn items still of educational value.

     

    Procedures for Library Borrowing and Recess

    • Morning Break: students are welcome in the library from 8:10-8:20. They are welcome only for quiet reading, studying, or working on a project. Access to computers will only be allowed for research. (There will be a limit of around 40 students.) Lunch from 12:10-12:40 – Monday-Thursday Y4-6; Lunch from 12:40-1:10 – Monday-Thursday Y1-3

    • Students (individually), who are independent users, may come to the library throughout the school day, including recess (Non-fiction section/Early Years Fiction section depending on the class) and are quietly engaged in an activity. They may simply come for checkout as well. If planning to send in a group, please call first. * When there is no adult, the library is off limits.

    • Borrowing:

      • Year 1: one book per week (until January, then 2 books per week.)

      • Year 2-4: two books per week

      • Year 5-6: two to four books per week

      • Students may renew a book as long as no holds exist.

      • Reference books are not to leave the library

    • Overdues:

      • Students may not borrow if they have an overdue.

      • Overdue notices will go out at the beginning of the month to teachers.

      • Students will be asked to take care of any problem within the month, so that they never go long without checking out a book. Arrangements can be made for students who may not be able to pay for a lost or damaged book.

    • Expectations:

      • Same as whole school expectations.

      • Treat the books responsibly.

    • Consequences:

      • A look, a talk, back to class, removal of privileges for a specified time.

    Acceptable Use Policy

    ESF Child Protection Policy

    Bradbury Inclusion SEN Policy

     

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