HEALTH & WELLBEING

A healthy mind needs a healthy body and The British School of Kuwait is serious in fulfilling its responsibilities to the entire school community to inform and lead by example in this regard.

STUDENT WELFARE AND SAFEGUARDING

Within the context of education, safeguarding is about promoting the welfare of young people and enabling them to have the best outcomes possible in terms of their personal development.

At The British School of Kuwait (BSK) we are committed to safeguarding the welfare of the children in our care.

In line with national and international standards, we have clear policies and procedures in place that seek to protect the welfare of students of all ages.

These standards place a duty of care upon every adult who has contact with children in their everyday work to help safeguard and promote their welfare.

Members of staff who fulﬁl Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) roles act as points of contact for support and advice.

BSK is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all our students, and to working closely with all members of the BSK community in order to keep them safe.

HEALTHY LIVING IN LOWER AND JUNIOR PHASES

Parents may be assured that the health and safety of our students is our first concern. Students in the Lower and Junior Phases must bring a healthy snack each day and everyone is encouraged to drink water at regular intervals throughout the day. Healthy snacks include fruit, salad and salad sandwiches, wraps or rolls, yoghurt and good quality muesli bars.

Unhealthy snacks, such as crisps, chocolate, chocolate biscuits, fast food burgers and fries are not acceptable as part of our children’s snack bag and will be returned home. This will be done in a discreet manner which will not cause embarrassment to any child. Staff do have fruit available for students who would otherwise have no snack.

Our School Nurses conduct assemblies that deal with teeth, weight and hygiene, as well as how to be sun smart, fit and active. We also address road safety issues such as seat belts and crossing the road. Internet safety is also addressed at an age-appropriate level.

PREVENTING INFECTION

We need parents' support to ensure that the risk to the children of infection is kept to the absolute minimum.

If your child has any infectious or contagious condition, a temperature of over 37.6° Celsius or is experiencing any symptoms of fever such as body aches, vomiting or diarrhoea, it is school policy that your child stays at home until the symptoms have passed. In certain cases, the school may require documented proof, from a suitable medical professional, that your child’s return to school poses no risk to other students or to staff.

As many infections are spread by contact we urge you to remind your children to wash their hands regularly and to use antibacterial hand sanitisers that are available at most supermarkets and pharmacies.

Emergency Evacuation Procedure

When an evacuation practice is held, or in the event of an emergency alert:

For the purposes of emergency evacuation, the BSK campus is divided into four zones. The emergency alarm systems for these four zones are independent of each other.
Students, staff and guests must only react if the alarms sound in their zone. There must be no movement into a zone where the alarms are sounding.
An emergency evacuation alert will be signalled by a continuous ring on the fire alarm system.
All students must proceed, under the instruction of the teacher, to leave the buildings silently and in an orderly fashion, leaving all bags and personal possessions behind.
Students will return to class in an orderly way when told to proceed by the member of staff in charge.

HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY

The British School of Kuwait has a comprehensive Health and Safety Policy which all staff must read and implement. Specific managers are assigned to various areas.

Overall responsibility for the implementation of the Health and Safety Policy lies with the Principal. The day-to-day management of the policy is the responsibility of the Health and Safety Coordinator.

ANTI BULLYING

The British School of Kuwait is careful to ensure that students learn in a supportive, caring and safe environment without fear of being bullied. We are aware that students may be bullied in any school or setting, and recognise that preventing, raising awareness and consistently responding to any cases of bullying should be a priority to ensure the safety and well-being of our student. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all students and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Bullying is antisocial behaviour and affects everyone. We are determined to promote and develop a school ethos where bullying behaviour is regarded as unacceptable, to ensure a safe and secure environment is sustained for all students We aim for all students to reach their potential academically, socially and personally through learning and playing in a safe and secure environment.

The whole community has a responsibility to deal effectively with bullying and The British School of Kuwait will not shy from its responsibilities to teach and lead in this regard.

Home School Partnership

One of the features of The British School of Kuwait is the professionalism and availability of staff.

Formal consultation days are held a number of times each year and staff are also available to meet during the school day, by appointments made through the main reception desk or via email. The student planner allows for daily communication and teachers can also be readily contacted via their school email account.

Primary teachers are also present at the end of the day. Informal conversations take place daily at collection time to update parents on how their child's day went. Most pastoral and academic issues are dealt with promptly this way.

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Attendance Policy

Excellent attendance and punctuality are essential factors in educational success. By contrast, poor attendance and/or lateness are significant factors in most cases of academic underperformance. Research has also shown that students with 95% school attendance perform almost twice as well in Year 11 external examinations as students with 90% attendance.

As students who are frequently absent from or late to school miss out on vital learning the school places great emphasis on encouraging excellent attendance and punctuality.

The expectation is that parents support the school in this regard. Full details of attendance and punctuality arrangements can be found in the student handbooks for each phase.