Policies

THE DANQUAH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
POLICIES, BINDINGS, ACTIVITIES AND THE OPERATION OF THE SCHOOL

ACADEMIC POLICY

AIMS

At The Danquah International School, we believe that homework is an essential part of students’ learning. We appreciate how important the links between home and school are and the need for us to work to ensure a good education for all children. It is for this reason that we believe it is important that children have homework set that will support learning within the classroom. Homework will be carefully planned to extend learning; enhance and reinforce skills and understanding; and allow children to consolidate and improve their skills further.

DEFINITION

Academic Work means any act performed in connection with work required to be submitted, being prepared to be submitted, or actually submitted for academic advancement in connection with academic research or teaching. Academic work includes, but not limited to, homework, class work, class corrections, project work, essays, examinations, presentations, exercises, required attendance, among others.

WHY WE SET ACADEMIC WORK

For goal setting purposes: goal setting is an essential component for growth and development in our learners for several reasons:

It personalizes the learning process based on their needs.
It creates intention and motivation that empowers learners.
It establishes accountability to shift responsibility to learners.
It provides a foundation for students to advocate for their needs.

All learners are entitled to have academic works set by their teachers, which is matched to their abilities and needs for their holistic development. Parents are entitled to share in the learning of their child.

HOW CAN PARENTS HELP

There are many ways you can help:

Meet your child’s teacher
Attend parent-teacher conferences and keep in touch with your child’s teacher
Help your child to prepare for tests
Make sure your child gets homework done
Ask learners questions about what they are learning at school
Spend a little time on a regular basis, listening to your child read and discussing the books they have brought home.
Encourage your child to read words and books regularly
Read what your child has written, and talk to them about their writing
Encourage your child to check over his/her work
Help your child find out additional facts by visiting the library or researching on the internet
Monitor your child’s television, video game and internet usage

We ask for your support in seeing that academic work is done conscientiously and in the best possible conditions. If academic work e.g homework is not completed, learners are often at a disadvantage in class, as many homework tasks are discussed in class and often inform future learning.

ACTION

A learner who consecutively fails to participate in home works, class exercises, group work among others shall be considered as insubordinate and therefore, queried followed with a bond of good behavior, suspension, and or withdrawal.
Detain him/her in class to complete the homework after closing.

PHILOSOPHY

At TDIS we believe that every child is specially gifted with unique innate and apparent qualities to meet every academic challenge and that can be unearthed by the employment of modern and preeminent teaching and learning methods .

ATTENDANCE AND PUNCTUALITY POLICY

The Danquah International School values, recognizes and respects each learner’s individuality. We believe that every student is entitled to the highest possible quality of education and high level of participation. Therefore, the school is committed to providing full, rich, efficient and appropriate education for all its students. To this end, the school is committed to giving the highest priority to attendance and student development. Irregular attendance undermines the learner, school and the community as a whole.

With this policy, we seek to achieve maximum student attendance by asking parents to support and encourage their children to take full advantage of their educational opportunities by regular and punctual attendance at school.

OUR AIMS

1. To establish and maintain a high level of attendance.

2. Make attendance a priority for staff, students and parents.

2. Ensure attendance procedures are effective and consistent.

3. Ensure the marking of registers is completed accurately and within agreed periods.

RESPONSIBILITIES

We expect our learners to:

Attend school regularly and arrive on time
Attend all assemblies and be fully involved in all lessons
Be properly prepared and equipped for the day’s learning
Follow correct procedures for attendance and punctuality

We expect our Parents / Guardians to:

Encourage their children to attend school regularly
Contact the school whenever their child is unable to attend school
Ensure that learners arrive on time, properly dressed and equipped for the school day

RESPONSIBILITES CONT.

Keep in touch with the school and inform the officer in charge of any problem that occurs which may hinder learners’ regular attendance discipline or behavior in school
Be prepared to attend meetings in school to discuss their learners’ progress and attendance

The school will:

Ensure accurate recording of attendance
Make early contact with parents when a learner is absent
Take action on any problem notified to the school
Provide work for students who will be absent for lengthy periods of time to help them keep up to date and ease their return to school.

AUTHORISED / UN-AUTHORISED ABSENCES

Absence from school may be authorized if it is for the following reasons:

Illness or family emergencies
Medical appointments
Exceptional family circumstances, such as bereavement.

Absence from school will not be authorized for:

Shopping
Looking after siblings or unwell parents
Birthdays / trips

Lateness

Lateness will be recorded after 8:00am and 4:30pm in the afternoon
Lateness will be monitored by the Officer in charge
Late pick up will attract a fee
Parents will be issued receipts for late pick-up – learners whose parents refuse to pay will have it added to their fees.

ACTION

If a parent continues to be late 7 consecutive times and there is evidence of such, such parent might be advised to withdraw his/her child.

BULLYING AND HARASSMENT POLICY

BULLYING: Refers to the act or behavior of intentionally causing harm or discomfort to another person.

HARASSMENT: A behavior which is intended to trouble or annoy someone; or an aggressive pressure or intimidation which per our definition it may also include sexually inappropriate behavior.

The Ghana Education Service prohibits harassment, bullying, hazing, or any other victimization in the school so as The Danquah International School.

We do not encourage a student to intimidate, harass, or bully another student through words or actions.

All members of our school community are valued and have a right to learn and work in an environment which is safe, inclusive and conducive for learning.

ACTION

An individual who has been bullied or harassed should notify the customer service personnel or the class teacher. The local governing body of the school will be consulted as to the course of action to be taken.
Immediate investigations will commence.
Such a student will be consoled and the fellow who meted out the unfortunate act, if found culpable will be reprimanded as per the code of conduct of the school.

When an incident or similar is repeated by a student, a letter will be addressed to the parent/guardian to inform them of such incident to sign a bond of good behavior and to involve the parent/guardian in the correction of the ward as may be determined by the school’s local governing body.
A third action, such a child will be suspended for a week and given a notice of withdrawal/or be ask to withdraw in the event that the incident occurs again.
In the case that this happens by a teacher to a student, the teacher will be suspended for investigations to commence. In the unlikely event that the teacher is found culpable, he/she shall be suspended or summarily dismissed. For a minimum of 2 weeks with a month’s salary deduction.
In the event of a corporal punishment, teaching or non-teaching staff will be deducted a month’s salary and half to be used as medical bills for the ward/student/pupil and the other half put in a staff welfare fund.
On a mid-termly basis, the school’s counseling unit shall have one-on-one meetings with pupils to elicit information on the care that is given to them in the class with the intention to find out certain critical information that may not be reputed for fear of stigmatization.

CELL PHONE POLICY

CELL PHONES / TABLETS / PERSONAL COMPUTER / RECORDING DEVICES AND ALL UNAUTHORISED DEVICES

UNAUTHORISED DEVICES: These are devices that are not authorized by an institution/ any recording device that reviews and transmits radio frequency.

Examples of such devices are: mobile phones, tablets, personal computer, smart watch, etc.

AUTHORISED DEVICES: They are devices that can be used in the institution.

Example: pen, pencil, stationary

Cell phones are prohibited from use in classrooms and any other area in which academic work is being done.
All calls must be made outside the school buildings.
If you feel your child must have a cell phone, in case of communications, it must be brought to the administration for safe keeping and shall be returned to your ward after school.

There’s no bigger classroom destruction than a student using a phone. That is why we don’t encourage the use of phones.
They may take photographs, audio recordings or videos of other individuals like students, teachers, administrators or other staff members without their authorization which has legal consequences on the school and your ward as it impedes certain rights.
If it’s necessary or urgent that a parent/guardian should reach a ward that can be done through the customer service lines as provided by the school.
Students/pupils are banned from using any recording device in the class without the express approval of the headmaster/headmistress. If any of such devices is seen with a student/pupil, such a student shall be suspended summarily.

HEALTH POLICY

The Danquah International School has a health policy that is an important contribution to improving the quality of education and reducing the transmission rate of various diseases in the broader interest of all members of the school community.

We are by this policy assuring parents, students/pupils and the school staff that there are adequate health and safety measures in place for their wellbeing.

HEALTH MEASURES PUT IN PLACE

There is a first aid for any student who isn’t well. First aid is restricted to the provision of pain relief and treatment of stomach upset/pain at the school level by a qualified nurse or the first aid giver.
There is a clinic in connection with the school that provides medical services to staff when they are not well. In the case of emergencies for pupils, they may be referred to the clinic and an onward call, placed to the ward’s parent/guardian.
We take information on pupils/students in relation to allergies/genotype to assist third party health givers in providing medical care in the case of emergencies or referrals. Parents/guardians are to assist the school authorities when formal efforts are made to elicit such information from them.

Pupils and staff are not to come to school when ill. They are to give themselves time to adequately recover so as not to infect other staff/pupils.
Such to be made formally by providing customer service with a doctor’s report either by whatsApp or hand delivered to customer service for onward processing by the school’s administrator.
The school’s policy is such that a child in an untenable situation after one hour, has to be picked up by parent/guardian after a call has been placed and sent to the nearest hospital.
You shall also by this policy concede legally that the school shall do all that is necessary to protect your ward and will not be held liable either financially or in any other form in the event of carrying out our efforts to protect the life of your ward in medical emergencies.
The school is fumigated every month on weekends; 48 hours before any contact with persons to ensure that all occupants (staff/students) are safe at all times.

PROMOTIONS POLICY

Promotions policy is a set of guidelines that defines how, when a student/pupil is eligible for promotions.

The Danquah International School identifies learners who are not on track to meeting promotion bench-marks at the end of the school year. To make sure students attain required grade to meet challenges of new class.
We reserve the right to organize studies/extra classes for weak learners in the most appropriate way to guarantee the best academic conditions for both the students and the school. This may come at a cost to the student.
After you have taken the entrance/promotional examination, we may suggest that you take a different course or repeat a class based on the school’s assessment/general guidelines.
Promotional targets will be a minimum pass in all subjects with grade C as standard (TDIS).
Principal/Headmaster makes promotion decisions based on (but not limited to) the English language and Math skills shown in the learner’s portfolio.
Learners in B4-B6 must pass in English language, Math, Social studies and Integrated Science in order to be promoted. (with a grade B)
The school does promotion portfolios of learners who may not be ready for the next grade level. This is based on learners work and assessment throughout the school year.
Families of learners who are not promoted are notified by the school.
Families of learners whose promotion is in doubt shall receive or be sent an email or a written notice by the mail or hand delivered.

Exceptional Promotions – This is where the school deems it appropriate that a learner performs satisfactorily above the expectations of his/her age/class and the academic board puts together academic and social reasons to promote such a child to a higher class where such a child will be challenged adequately.

A student/pupil who does not meet the pass mark in an entrance exam shall take extra classes in support of his or her academic development to meet the school’s standard.
A student/pupil shall work hard to maintain the required marks in the end of term’s exams which is not less than 85%.
A student/pupil who fails to meet these standards shall be repeated.
Families of learners who will be promoted shall be required to have a monthly meeting with the academic board in relation to his or her ward’s performance.

- A student/pupil shall pay an amount of $20 or its equivalent to sit an entrance exam.

- A student shall have the opportunity to write such an entrance exam for parents induce/suggested promotion once a year.

In the case that the parents want such promotions as indicated above without the express approval of the school, such a parent shall pay a whole academic year’s fees and write an entrance exams by the schools standard and should have a pass mark of not less than 90% in English/Science/Math and an additional elective subject.

SAFEGUARDING POLICY

Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm.

EMPOWERMENT- Taking action to enable all children and young people to have their best outcome.
PREVENTION OF PROBLEMS- Preventing harm to children’s health or development.
PROTECTION- Protecting children from abuse and maltreatment.
PARTNERSHIP/PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY- The safety of the child is a responsibility of the school and the parent/guardian. We must all work together to achieve that.
ACCOUNTABILITY- The child is the property of the state and our action (both the school/parent/guardian) should fall within the remits of ethics and the laws of GHANA.

These policies, procedures and practices are employed to actively prevent harm, abuse and distress.

Our number one priority is protecting the welfare of the children in the school and at home, if possible.

This is why there is a compliance officer to see to the welfare of the children. This should send a signal for parents to trust the school for the care and safety of the students.

Our commitment is to protect all children in the school.

We protect the children from abuse and neglect.
In the event of bad weather, children will be kept safe in classrooms and till when their parents/guardians arrive.
We prevent impairment of children’s health or development.
The school shall not be held liable for any casualty that happens outside the walls of the school vicariously. By this, no teacher or staff should be burdened by or need to take or accompany a child home.
Ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care.
We undertake these roles so as to enable these children to have optimum life chances and to enter adulthood successful.
Teachers do not take undue advantage of weak students to recommend expensive extra classes, but should resolve to help the child within his/her means.

WRITTEN APPEALS AND COMPLAINS POLICY

Students should contact their classroom teachers in the first instance to attempt mediation/informal resolution of the complaint.
If the matter cannot be resolved by the class teacher, the matter will be referred to the compliance officer. For academic issues, it will be referred to the headmaster.
The compliance officer is always available to listen to any complains or concerns from Parents, Students and Staff and refer such to the appropriate departmental head for resolutions.
All such matters of the appeals shall be resolved within two working weeks.

That of complains shall be resolved within a week, depending on the nature of the complaint.

All unresolved issues will be sent to the P.T.A executive body to resolve.

The Danquah International School has its policies (rules and regulations) that everyone should comply with for the smooth running of the institution as the general welfare of beneficiaries of its services.

A written or verbal appeal can be done through text, SMS, email, phone call or WhatsApp.

If a student/staff/parent has a grievance or a complaint regarding anything, it is brought to the complaint officer, and then he or she follows up on the issue. The follow up includes a meeting with the departmental head and a report sent to the principal head on the immediate Friday.

Grievances brought by a student against another student will be dealt with under the school’s School Rules Policy statement.
In the first instance, we request there is an attempt to informally resolve the issue through mediation/informal resolution of the complaint.

WITHDRAWAL POLICY

Definition of Withdrawal:

Withdrawal is the permanent cessation of study. It can be affected either by the parent or by the school, but both types of withdrawal require formal written notification.

The Danquah International School can withdraw any learner due to:

A learner failing to report to school on time on fifteen (15) notable occasions.
Disciplinary issues (insubordination to authority, consecutively fails to participate in class exercises, home works and group work.
Verbally or physically abuses another learner or staff member.
Negatively influence their peers into engaging in uncultured, immoral and unacceptable actions.
Non-payment of fees for a term.

WITHDRAWING A LEARNER FROM THE DANQUAH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Parents/guardians who decide to withdraw or transfer their wards during the school year or academic term; a three (3) month written notice is required. Failure to do so will attract payment for the next academic tuition fees. If school is in session at the time of withdrawal and the learner has been attending school during that academic year, all school properties must be returned to the respective teachers.
A withdrawal notice form must be filled. Parents/Guardians who decide to withdraw/transfer their wards shall fill the withdrawal form.

No school records will be released to the parents/guardians or to transferring schools until the withdrawal process has been completed and the financial requirements fulfilled. The respective Principal will not approve the withdrawal until the withdrawal process has been completed.
Failure to attend class at the beginning of the school year, and even for new students – is not a withdrawal and parents/guardians will not receive adjustment of charges (tuition or other fees) if the learner does not attend class.
The student will remain in the school’s system until the withdrawal date provided by the parents/guardians on the withdrawal notice.
There will be no refund on the tuition or any other fees during which withdrawal notice is given.

THE WITHDRAWAL PROCEDURE

Parents are required to formally give three (3) months prior notice to the school. Withdrawal requests should be made in writing to the headmaster.
Parents shall fill a withdrawal notice form.
Meet with the officer in charge for an exit interview.
Meet with the Accountant for any outstanding balance and payment.
Return all textbooks to the respective teacher if the learner benefited from the book exchange programme.
Return all library books checked out to the respective librarian.
The headmaster shall approve of the withdrawal if all procedures have been completed.
Request for school testimonials and transcripts will attract charges.