Disciplinary Actions for Students

The policy which is part of the comprehensive policy titled “Behavior for Learning Policy” – version of September 2018 which was reviewed in June 2019 by Phase Leaders and Students’ Support Committee.

Abiding by this policy ensures the smooth pacing of the day-to-day Teaching and Learning processes at

DIPS-G and guarantees highest levels of student’s safety at all times.

Minor Offenses

Minor offenses are offenses that do not result in:

• Damaging school property

• Offending or harming others

• Jeopardizing the safety of others

• Violating governmental rules

Major Offenses

Major offenses are offenses that result in/ and/or are an example of:

• Damaging to school property
• Harming others
• carrying illegal or dangerous items
• departure from school grounds without permission
• verbal or physical assaults to other students
• use of mobile phones inside the school premises
• use of laptops to open restricted/inappropriate websites

Serious Offenses

Serious offenses are offenses that result in/ and/or are an example of:

• verbal or physical assaults to any school staff
• use of dangerous items with or without harm being inflected
• unauthorized video recording/photo shooting of any staff, students, and visitors on the school grounds
• showing any signs of disrespect to UAE laws and UAE leaders

Verbal Warning

The teacher or school staff may give a student a verbal warning for the first violation in minor offenses. The teacher reaches out to the student by attempting to identify the cause of the incident and determine the positive measures that would lead to modifying student behavior. The teacher approaches the student in a constructive manner by emphasizing the student’s positive attributes and showing that it is the student’s behavior that is being criticized and not the student’s character. The teacher should keep a record of all types of offences for later reference.

Written Warning

A written warning is issued to the student by the supervisor after three verbal warnings in minor offenses. If necessary, the supervisor will schedule a meeting with the teacher and the parent with or without the presence of the student to discuss steps to be taken to help student modify behavior.

Community Service in School

Community service is usually served when a student commits one or more minor violations. Community service may be assigned on the same day or the following day and may be applied for one time or more times depending on the number of occurrences and the level of violation. An Administrative Supervisor or a teacher, in coordination with the Administrative Supervisor, may take the decision of imposing a suitable community service based on the violation committed by the student. Parents may or may not be notified of this action depending on seriousness of the actions done by the student.

Community service may include:

• Planting trees and flowers inside the school premises
• Helping clean the cafeteria after a break time
• Reading stories for students in KG and Elementary School
• Helping rearrange the books in the library
• Any other suggestions made by parents, teachers, or Administrative Supervisors

Suspension

Students may be suspended temporarily from school internally or externally for one or more days depending on the stage of the violation.

1. If a student is internally suspended, s/he will be allowed to come to school but will not attend scheduled classes and will stay in the library to complete work independently. S/he will be provided with the required material being covered in class by the teachers. S/he may take breaks under the supervision of the Administrative Supervisor but in different break times than the rest of his/her grade level.
2. If a student is suspended externally, s/he will not be allowed to come into the school and will be sent the covered material to work on independently at home.

Suspension takes place the following school day and does not include weekends and holidays.

A student will receive a suspension if committing a major offense or repeating a major offense. When a student commits the offense that results in a suspension:

• The teacher calls the Administrative Supervisor to escort the student from the classroom or location to a supervised area.
• The teacher provides the Administrative Supervisor with an Incident Report on the same day.
• The Administrative Supervisor will convene with the Phase leader to decide whether the student is suspended from the school. Phase Leader and the Superintendent (School Principal) approve the form and the Administrative Supervisor will notify parents.
• The Phase Leader will schedule a meeting with the parents and the Superintendent to discuss the student’s behavior and steps for behavior modification. A record of such meetings is officially documented in writing and signed by all parties.

Expulsion

Any student who commits a serious offense or is suspended for three times in one academic year or four times in two consecutive years will be considered for expulsion from school. Further consequences will be determined by the school leadership. Any student expelled from DIPS-G will be denied admission to the school in future years. When a student commits the offense that results in an expulsion:

• The teacher calls the Administrative Supervisor to escort the student from the classroom or location to a supervised area
• The teacher provides the Administrative Supervisor with an Incident Report on the same day
• The Phase Leader will convene with the Superintendent to decide whether the student is to be expelled from the school upon consulting with KHDA
• The Administrative Supervisor will call in parents to meet with the Phase Leader to notify him/her of the final decision.

Rewards and Sanctions

Positive behavior is rewarded with praise, through Participation and Conduct marks, and through a system of certificates and prizes organized within Departments and by Administrative Supervisors. Each student in Grades 6-12 will start with an average of 100% in the conduct mark at the start of each term.

Specific sanctions will be applied according to the nature and/or frequency of the negative behavior. There are stages of sanctions, ranging from a verbal warning at stage one to a request for permanent exclusion and our refusal to renew registration. Of course, we expect our students not to experience such sanctions.

In putting such sanctions, our aim is to ensure a safe and positive teaching and learning environment in a healthy and safe school.