GENERAL SCHOOL ROUTINES & INFORMATION

The School Day

The school day is divided into 6 periods.

Most lessons are double periods lasting 50 minutes.

In addition to lessons Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs) take place from 06:30 am, at lunchtime, and after lessons from 2:50 pm.

See section 8 for further details regarding CCAs.

The School Year

Student Absences, Late Arrivals and Early Departures

Absences due to illness or injury

If your child is absent from school, please contact the school to inform us. This can be by telephone or email. 

Telephone:      028 3744 2335  

Email:             studentcentre@bisvietnam.com 

                      cc: Form Tutor

See contact list here.

Please be vigilant in monitoring your child’s temperature during times of seasonal influenza outbreaks and keep them at home if their temperature exceeds 37.5°C.

Requested Absences

We expect students to attend school for the full school year and plan the curriculum and teaching with that in mind. Unexpected absences are, however, occasionally necessary, usually on compassionate grounds. Please contact the Head of Year as appropriate to request permission for absence.  Such requests may be referred to the Head Teacher. Valuable learning experiences will take place up to and including the final day of each term. In most circumstances, we cannot take responsibility for any effect on progress or academic attainment that may occur as a result. 

Arriving Late in the Day

Students arriving late to school should report to the Welfare & Guidance Administrator  in the Student Centre.  All late arrivals are recorded.

Leaving Early in the Day

Students are expected to remain in school for the entire day. If on a rare occasion a student needs to leave early for example due to a medical appointment, they should bring in a signed note from home. If no note is presented, we will phone home to check with parents. Students then sign out with the Welfare & Guidance Administrator  the Student Centre, who will issue a slip to inform the guards that permission has been granted.

Students are not permitted to leave the campus independently during the school day.

Transport

Buses

We have school buses serving many districts. This bus service is not included in fees and there is a separate charge for this service. The buses are fitted with seat belts and all staff and students are required to use these seat belts. There is an escort on each bus who has a mobile telephone in case of an emergency. If you would like further details of the bus service please contact Ms. Trang Pham in the Secondary Office, School Reception or the Cashier. Availability of the school bus service may be limited and is on a first come first served basis.

Morning pick-up: it is important to be ready when the bus arrives so that it can continue on its route without delay. 

Afternoon pick-up: Students are expected to be ready at the pick up as the bus arrives so that it can leave the school promptly

Afternoon drop-off: Parents must collect their child promptly; we do not supervise at drop-off points. If children are left unsupervised then alternative arrangements will need to be made for transport.

Car drop-off and pick-up

Students who arrive by car can be dropped off and collected at Secondary Gates A or C, or at Gate C on the Junior campus.

Traffic outside school becomes congested at the beginning and the end of the school day. Extreme caution should be exercised at all times.

Students are not allowed to walk across the road unless supervised during an evacuation.  The footbridge must always be used.

Dropping off in the morning

●     Approaching from Highway 1, moving towards Junior campus – students alight at Junior campus Gate C, enter the Junior campus Gate C, then use the footbridge to proceed directly to the Secondary campus. 

●     Approaching from The Village / Xi / River Garden direction – drop by the Secondary Gate A. or D

●     Approaching from Quoc Huong – drop off Secondary Gate C.

Collecting at the end of the day

●     Approaching from Highway 1 moving towards Junior campus – students will exit Secondary campus over the bridge and can be collected on the opposite side of the road by Junior Campus Gate C. You will need to go beyond Junior campus if you wish to carry out a U-turn.

●    Approaching from The Village / River Garden direction – collect  on Nguyen Van Huong. Drivers must not wait outside Gate A  and will be requested to move on.

Bicycles

Students are welcome to cycle to school. Students must wear a proper bike helmet. The school reserves the right to withdraw permission to cycle from individuals who do not comply. The school provides secure bike racks but students are advised to lock their own bikes and keep their helmets in their lockers.

Motorcycles

Students are not permitted to ride their own motorcycles to school (exception 6th formers - but only with 50cc motorcycles, with helmets and no passengers).  We have limited parking available on site with no room for student motorcycles.

DRIVERS

Whilst we understand the need to transport children safely to school, and that this sometimes involves a driver dropping your children at school in the morning and collecting of an evening, we also need to be aware of our responsibilities to the flow of traffic around the Thao Dien area, and our neighbours in the immediate vicinity. Please ensure that your driver has read the following code of conduct and understands the importance of respecting our stance on the importance of road safety and the need to keep traffic flowing for the good of our children. 

Dining Facilities

The secondary campus offers a choice of two dining outlets, the BIStro and the Cafeteria.

Payment is made using a card system.  Students are issued with a card on arrival at the school and they are expected to keep this card for the entirety of their time in the school.  Lost cards can be replaced for a small charge.  The value loaded onto the card is actually stored on the card system rather than the card itself.  If we are informed that a card is lost, the value loaded can be cancelled and transferred to a new card.

The cards can be topped up by students at the cashier in the Cafeteria between 7:00 am – 7:55 am, 10:50 am - 11:15 am, 1:30 pm - 1:25 pm

Students are expected to manage their spending on the card as purchases will not be possible otherwise. Students should report to the Student Centre if unable to purchase a lunch. 

BIStro

An open-air café serving hot food, snacks, salads, fresh baguettes, sandwiches and wraps along with soft drinks and fresh fruit smoothies. 

Open all day from 7:00 am - 4:00 pm and for evening events such as concerts, discos and plays.

The Cafeteria

An indoor canteen, serving a selection of hot Asian and western meals, with vegetarian options for both.   

Open at break time, 10:50 - 11:15 am, and at lunchtime, 12:30 – 1:25 pm.

Packed lunches

Students are welcome to bring in lunches from home and eat them in the BIStro or Cafeteria. Sixth Form students may eat in the kitchen area of the Sixth Form Centre.

Deliveries

In order to maintain site security in accordance with safeguarding protocols, students are not permitted to order food to be delivered to school.

Books & Equipment

Textbooks

All textbooks are provided by the school as part of the school fees and most of the books are purchased from the United Kingdom and are linked to the Programmes of Study or Examination Specification. Some subjects issue more than one textbook and collect them in when not being used. Students are permitted to take textbooks home for their on-going study and are required to keep books in good condition.  An increasing number of subjects provide Digital textbooks, especially at IGCSE &  IB Diploma level.

Books are issued by subject departments, managed through our library database and recorded against a student’s name. Students should write their name, form and year (2022-23) in the front of textbooks issued to them.  Textbooks are the property of the school and they must be paid for by the student if damaged or lost. Textbooks are collected in at the end of each year for stock-taking.

Exercise books and equipment

Exercise books, worksheets, and subject-specific resources are provided by the school as part of the school fees. 

Students will be given all the relevant exercise books, files and folders which are needed for lessons. Every day the following equipment should be brought from home.

●    A large pencil case to store pens/pencils, calculator, etc.

●  It is also a good idea to bring in a folder, with file dividers, to keep worksheets and loose papers tidy, together with a notepad.

●   All equipment and books should be carried to school in a sturdy bag which is sectioned off to help organise equipment effectively and prevent damage to any of the materials being carried. The bag should fit into the locker provided at school.

Calculators

Students in Years 7-11 need to have a scientific calculator – these should not be programmable or graphical as such calculators can only be used in the IB Diploma Programme exams. Scientific calculators can be bought from department stores and we recommend the Casio FX570VN.  Please label the calculator with your child’s name.

For IB DP students, the model we recommend is the Texas Instruments: TI Nspire (not the CAS model).

The Curve

Students have access to a well-stocked library collection and can borrow fiction and non-fiction books for their own use. Books are bar-coded and are logged against the student’s name when borrowed. Books remain the property of the school; if they are lost or damaged, the student will be issued with an invoice to cover the costs of replacement. Students are also able to access a range of titles from the school e-books library. Students are provided with username and password to enable this.

Uniform Shop

Replacement items of uniform are available from the Uniform Shop (located next to the BIStro). The Uniform shop is open Monday to Friday, 7:30 am - 11:30am and 12:30pm - 4:30 pm.

Learning Technologies

BIS supports the use of mobile computing devices and has the infrastructure to allow the effective use of laptops, tablets, smart-phones and Wi-Fi enabled equipment for all students.

Student Laptops

It is compulsory for all students in Years 7-13 to bring a suitable laptop computer to school for learning purposes (minimum specifications are provided on admission).    

Mobile Phones

School Computers

BIS is well equipped with computer laboratories, with a range of Apple Macs and PCs.  

Visiting the School

Parental and Guardian Expectations

At BIS we are very fortunate to have a committed and supportive school community where staff, parents/guardians and all community members  recognise that the education of our children and young people is a partnership between all of us.  

Accordingly, we welcome the full participation of our parents/guardians in the life of the school.  We endeavour to maintain positive relationships with parents/guardians and visitors.  We are committed to constructively resolving difficulties through open, positive communication and respectful dialogue.

Our school values and ethos as illustrated in our aide memoire (see below) require that all members of our school community can expect to be treated reasonably and with respect.  BIS further has a duty of care to its employees, students, and volunteers to protect them from unacceptable behaviour.

Security

All visitors to the school must wear an identity badge while on campus.  Other than parents with their own BIS Parent Badge , all adult visitors are signed in at the guard house and exchange photo identification for a visitor badge.  Visitors are then accompanied to Reception to await the person they have an appointment with.  

Parents

Parents are issued with two security tags that grant them entry to the school.  These are swiped at the guard house on entry and exit.  Parents may enter and exit at any gate, including those at the Junior Campus at the start and end of the school day.  The Secondary Campus Gate C is closed during the day.   Parents are welcome to visit at any time but are advised to call in advance to ensure that the person they wish to see is available. Parents of Primary students may enter the Secondary Campus and access the Junior Campus using the bridge, and should swipe their identity tags as they enter.  

Friends, relatives and alumni

We recognise that students occasionally have visitors who wish to see the school.  In order to avoid disruption to lessons and overcrowding the campus, this is only permitted at lunch times and only with prior permission of the Deputy Head Teacher. Those wishing to invite visitors at lunch time should request permission in writing in advance, with a current parent of the school vouching for the visitor’s good conduct.

BIS Alumni are always welcome! It is always a pleasure to see alumni in school and to hear of developments in their lives. To make the best of alumni visits we advise them to contact the Deputy Head Teacher (W&G) in advance which is also an effective way of ensuring the right staff and students are aware of the visit too.

Visitors please note that BIS operates a strict no smoking policy on all of its campuses at all times. 

Emergency Evacuation & Lockdown

General information

●    Emergency evacuation of the school may be necessary in the event of fire, bomb, other threat or natural disaster.  The default evacuation route and assembly point for each are the same.

●    The fire alarm will sound for drills and for a genuine evacuation. Every drill should be treated as genuine and acted on seriously and with urgency.

●     If there is a need to change to a secondary assembly point an announcement will be made over the tannoy system giving specific instructions.

Alarms

●     Fire & bomb threats:  continuous two-tone siren and flashing lights.

●     School lesson bell:  single three second ring. 

●  Lockdown (in case of intruder or similar danger): “Lockdown, lockdown, lockdown” over the PA system.

Visitors

●     All visitors on site should evacuate in silence.

●     In the event of a lockdown, they should follow the instructions of their host.

●    Take the nearest staircase to the ground floor and cross Nguyen Van Huong Street to the school field.

●  Listen carefully to the instructions given by the senior staff leading the evacuation.

Lockers, Valuables & Lost Property

At BIS, “…we act with integrity and treat one another with respect.”  (Mission Statement)

All BIS students must take responsibility for their own belongings and treat others' belongings with respect. 

Lockers 

All students have access to a locker of their own where they can store books, PE kit and valuables.  Students are encouraged to use their lockers for security and also to avoid the problems of carrying heavy bags to lessons.

There are three types of locker.

Main School lockers

Year 7-11 students have automatically been allocated a locker. Students provide their own combination lock.

Sixth Form Lockers

Allocated to Sixth Form students in the Sixth Form Common Room.  Students provide their own lock.

Valuables and lost property

Students and staff at BIS are entitled to a theft-free environment and firm action to deal with those who commit theft.  In our pursuit of a technologically rich learning environment, it is important to safeguard our freedom to bring valuable technology to school and use it confidently.

Role of the school

The school works to ensure valuables are cared for through:

●     valuables boxes for student use during PE lessons

●     security guards

●     security cameras 

●     visitor labels and visitor records

●     parent ID cards

●     preventative education (ILS lessons, assemblies, reminders)

●     individual numbered lockers for each student

●     student cards for canteen purchases.

Role of parents

●     Limit the amount of money brought to school by students.

●     Ensure that all belongings are labelled.

●    Talk to children about care of belongings and encourage a cautious and responsible  attitude.

●     Insist on use of lockers for valuable items.

Role of students

●     Do not bring large amounts of money or unnecessary valuable items to school.

●     Have a solid padlock on lockers.

●     Use lockers for valuable items at all times and for wallets during PE/Drama.

●     Never leave valuables unattended in bags.

●     Report suspected theft immediately to the Student Centre

●     Label all valuables clearly. 

Take care with their belongings and those of others

What to do if an item goes missing

●     Student informs a teacher as soon as it appears that the item is missing.

●     Student goes to the Student Centre and reports the loss, completing a missing items log.

Lost Property

Unlabelled items found in school will be taken to lost property in the Student Centre and stored.  Students may visit lost property to recover lost items.  At the end of term, unclaimed items are displayed.  Any remaining unclaimed after the end of term may be disposed of.

Withdrawing from school

We hope that students will be able to complete their secondary school education with us at BIS.  We recognise, however, that families move on.  If you intend to leave, parents need to complete the school’s standard Withdrawal Form at least 90 days prior to intended departure, and to ensure that the school has acknowledged receipt of the form in writing in order to obtain any refund (inclusive of deposit).  The form is available from Reception.