ANTI-BULLYING POLICY
Bullying can impinge dramatically on the education and well-being of any child who is affected and will not be tolerated in Dunluce School. However, bullying must not be confused with aggression between two or more parties and this will be dealt with under the school’s normal procedures for indiscipline. Bullying recognises a repression, over a period of time, of one or more pupils by one or more other pupils to the point where the bullied feels intimidated and under threat. Bullying has little or nothing to do with the actions of the bullied pupil.
Guiding Principles:
· The Pastoral Education programme is designed to help pupils address the problem of bullying. It encourages an awareness of why people bully and are bullied. Pupils will be helped to develop positive strategies for change. This topic will be visited on more than one occasion during the pupil’s time in the school. · Parents will be alerted to the important part they can play in recognising symptoms,communicating with the school and supporting their child if bullied. · Reports of bullying whether originating from pupils, parents, teachers or other adults will be treated as a priority and will trigger set procedures which have been in place for some years. · Abully will be treated severely in accordance with the school’s discipline procedures in a manner appropriate to the offence.
All pupils will be supported through the school’s pastoral care system and encouraged to participate fully. Parents may obtain more information about the school’s anti-bullying policy from the Headmaster.
CHARGES AND REMISSIONS POLICY
Under the Education Reform (NI) Order 1989 the Board of Governors is required to establish a charges policy. The North Eastern Education and Library Board requires to be provided with a copy of each school’s Charges and Remissions Policy together with any amendments made under the terms of this scheme.
The school’s Charges and Remissions Policy is outlined below.
EDUCATION DURING SCHOOL HOURS
With certain exceptions, no charges will be made in respect of education during school hours.
TUITION, MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT
No charge will be made in respect of books,materials, equipment, instruments or incidental transport provided inconnection with the National Curriculum, statutory religious education or in preparation for prescribed public examinations or courses taught at the school. For practical subjects such as Home Economics, Technology & Design or Art charges may be made to those parents who have agreed in advance that they wish their child to take the finished product home. All finished products for which no charge has been made will remain the property of theschool.
EXAMINATIONS
Parents will not be charged for the cost of entry for a public examination for which preparation has been provided by the school. Should the preparation enable the pupil to take two or more examinations in a syllabus during a school year e.g. in the winter GCSE series and the summer GCSE series, and entry is requested by parents the full charge for the second and subsequent examinations will be made.
No charge will be made for entry for one examination during the school year in the G.O.M.L. scheme.
SPORTS
Where pupils participate in sporting fixtures and events, which are wholly or partly organised during the school day and are not residential in nature, no charge for transport or equipment will be made.
MUSIC
No charge will be levied for individual tuition in the playing of a musical instrument whether in or out of school hours.
ACTIVITIES ARRANGED DURING SCHOOL HOURS BY A THIRD PARTYe.g. Educational visit to France and Ski-ing Trip.
There may be occasions when an outside organisation arranges an activity to take place during school hours and parents ask the school to grant their children leave of absence to join the activity. The Third Party would be able to levy charges direct on the parents in return for the services provided. The school would not take part in the transaction but staff members may be released to accompany a group of pupils.
RESIDENTIAL VISITS
The school will levy, except where pupils are entitled to statutory remission, a charge for all board and lodging costs on residential visits. Where the residential visit is inside school hours no charge will be made for the education provided nor for the cost of travel and fund raising will be on a voluntary basis.
For residential activities outside schoolhours a charge will be made including elements for travel, board and lodgings,materials and equipment, insurance cover, entrance fees, non-teaching staffcosts or costs involved in engaging teaching staff specifically for the activity.
NON-RESIDENTIAL ACTIVITIES
A non-residential activity is deemed to take place during school hours if 50% or more of the period spent occurs during school hours. School hours do not include the lunch break. Where an activity, not provided as part of the syllabus for a prescribed public examination and not required in order to fulfil the statutory duties relating to the Northern Ireland Curriculum, takes place outside school hours a charge will be made. The charge will not exceed the cost of provision of the activity.
No charge will be made for education or associated incidentals provided outside school hours where the education is provided to fulfil any requirements specified in the syllabus for a prescribed public examination or to fulfil statutory duties relating to the Northern Ireland Curriculum.
VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS
The school may request voluntary contributions from parents for school activities in or out of school time for which compulsory charges cannot be levied but which can only be provided if there is sufficient voluntary funding, whilst ensuring that no pupil is excluded from such an activity by reason of inability or unwillingness to make a voluntary contribution.
DAMAGE TO PROPERTY
The school will seek payment from parents for damage to or loss of school property caused wilfully or negligently by their children.
REMISSIONS
In cases where parents are in receipt of Income Support or Family Credit full remission for board and lodging charges will be made where the activity takes place in school hours or the activity whether in or out of school hours forms part of the syllabus for a prescribed public examinationor is provided specifically to fulfil statutory duties under the Northern Ireland Curriculum. All parents will bemade aware of this provision in relation to each activity involving board and lodging so that they may inform the school, if they so wish, of their circumstances. The cost may not be recovered by levying an additional charge from other pupils. |