2025–26 | DBIS Secondary Parent Handbook

PARENT HANDBOOK SECONDARY 2025–26

Our Mission To empower every student to develop their full potential and achieve personal excellence in all endeavours, enabling them to lead successful, fulfilling lives and enrich the world.

Our DBIS Mission is enacted through our values of Courage, Respect and Integrity.

Our Core Values Courage We embrace challenges, persevere and work hard to reach our full potential. We are resilient and always striving to learn and grow.

Respect We

value

our

diverse

community,

appreciating

their

unique

contributions, needs and rights. We foster positive relationships through kindness and empathy, embracing a global mindset.

Integrity We act with honesty and make responsible choices, understanding the impact of our actions on ourselves and others. We are self-aware, compassionate and accountable.

Contents The DBIS Learner Profile

02

Our DBIS Learning Principles

04

Staff

06

Curriculum

10

Assessment, Reporting & Targets

15

DBIS Character & Culture

17

Pastoral & Community

21

Student Safety

22

Attendance

23

Technology

24

Uniform

25

General Information

27

Communication

29

DBIS Sixth Form

31

Term Dates

32

School Hours & Contact Details

33

Useful Links

34

FOR DBIS STUDENTS As DBIS students, you will be supported in actively developing these learner attributes in many ways. They are a guide for your holistic and personal development, and by identifying and acting in ways that develop these attributes, you will become more skilful, empathetic and well-rounded young people. Through considered reflection, you will be genuinely prepared for the wider world that awaits you.

FOR DBIS TEACHERS

THE DBIS LEARNER PROFILE The DBIS Learner Profile is a set of personal learner attributes that are at the heart of our curriculum and the international education we provide for all our students. We actively support our students with their holistic development in order to prepare them for their lives as global citizens. We believe that through the development of these learner attributes and skills, DBIS students will recognise that their time at DBIS has resulted in them being exceptionally well equipped to live successfully in the wider world that awaits them.

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The DBIS Learner Profile is a guide to support the holistic development of all learners across all phases of the school.

They are common goals that transcend individual curriculum areas and unite us in a shared belief of what all DBIS students can and should become. We embed meaningful learning opportunities throughout the curriculum in order to support this.

FOR DBIS PARENTS The DBIS Learner Profile demonstrates to you our aspirations for your children. The creation of opportunities to develop these attributes are all around us, and we want to work with you, in partnership, to support your children in the development of these attributes that we truly value.

COMMITTED LEARNERS

Dedicated students who channel their curiosity and develop their intrinsic motivation to learn.

As they take risks and learn from mistakes, they grow as resilient, lifelong learners who adapt to their learning environment, establishing mutual respect in pursuit of collective and individual excellence.

MINDFUL LEADERS

Empowered students who build trust to activate and lead others to take action and make a positive difference in the world. They lead with kindness, integrity, honesty and a strong sense of equality and respect for all, nurturing an inclusive and respectful approach to leadership at all levels.

PROBLEM SOLVERS

Adaptive students who think deeply and critically about their learning and apply logic and innovation to identify and solve authentic problems. They set goals, plan and prioritise their approach and keep solution focused as they explore and iterate to discover creative solutions and different strategies.

EFFECTIVE COLLABORATORS

Purposeful students who work together towards a shared goal and promote a collaborative learning culture which is inclusive and celebrates diversity in the perspectives of others. They are confident when working independently but recognise they can be stronger when collaborating together.

BALANCED INDIVIDUALS

Reflective students who value their sense of self and are aware of their emotions and the impact they have on others. They understand the importance of physical, social and emotional balance to achieve personal wellbeing and know when to draw on the support of others.

RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS

Internationally minded students who act proactively to make a positive difference in the lives of others and to the environment.

They are courageous change agents who understand the importance of their role and are proud of the positive contribution and impact they have both locally and globally through service.

CREATIVE THINKERS

Inquisitive students who think creatively and imaginatively, asking great questions in order to enquire and make connections to further their understanding and satisfy their curiosity.

They investigate their own lines of enquiry and demonstrate their learning in innovative and creative ways.

CONFIDENT COMMUNICATORS

Articulate students who process, organise and coherently express their thoughts and opinions and actively listen and reflect on the views of others. They carefully consider purpose, audience and style when communicating, interpreting and expressing their ideas.

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OUR DBIS LEARNING PRINCIPLES Our learning experience at DBIS is: ● ● ●

Enriched through Discovery; Achieved through Personalisation; Stronger through Community.

Our curriculum is underpinned by our five Learning Principles, which have been developed to ensure all students have access to a learning experience in a through school which is driven by consistent values. Our commitment to these learning principles ensures our students have the opportunity to achieve their full potential and achieve optimal learning and development.

CONNECTED

RELATIONAL

The Learning Experience at DBIS is: - Enriched through Discovery - Achieved through Personalisation - Stronger through Community

PERSONALISED

04

INTENTIONAL

RELATIONAL At the heart of best practice and the development of the whole child lie strong and meaningful relationships. At DBIS we nurture positive environments where our students are safe and feel a sense of belonging and happiness.

CONNECTED The DBIS learning experience enables our students to make connections, transfer skills and develop a local and global perspective. Our students develop a strong sense of self-esteem and self-awareness, which enables them to lead sustainable and fulfilling lives.

INTENTIONAL Intentional learning at DBIS is the mindset of seeing every experience as an opportunity to learn. Learning opportunities are designed and facilitated to ensure that all students develop a love of learning and approach challenges positively, with creativity and independence.

ENRICHED The DBIS learning experience raises aspirations and creates personal pride in achievement. A greater meaning to learning is given through the cultivation of students’ natural inquiring minds. They are encouraged to be curious and motivated to learn by exploring and expanding their experiences and broadening their interests.

PERSONALISED Every DBIS learner is valued as an individual. We celebrate students' strengths in order to identify realistic and challenging expectations that are uniquely tailored to each individual's learning journey and meet their specific needs.

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STAFF The Secondary School at DBIS is managed by specific teams, each of which takes responsibility for an area of the phase’s operations. The list below provides some information about the relationships within the organisation of the Secondary School. The Secondary School team is responsible to the Principal, Mr Marc Morris.

SECONDARY LEADERSHIP TEAM

Marc Morris Principal mmorris@dbis.edu.hk

Jason Broderick Deputy Head of Secondary jbroderick@dbis.edu.hk

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Simon Oakley Head of Secondary soakley@dbis.edu.hk

David Coburn Assistant Head of Secondary dcoburn@dbis.edu.hk

Alexander Kilford Assistant Head of Secondary akilford@dbis.edu.hk

HEADS OF YEAR Year 7

Louise Tyrrell

ltyrrell@dbis.edu.hk

Year 8

Nicholas Moore

nmoore@dbis.edu.hk

Year 9

Aaron Day

aday@dbis.edu.hk

Year 10

Bobby Wilson

bwilson@dbis.edu.hk

Year 11

Amrith Prabhu

aprabhul@dbis.edu.hk

Year 12

Ashley Jennings

ajennings@dbis.edu.hk

Sixth Form

Rebecca Boddington

rboddington@dbis.edu.hk

EXAMINATIONS/UNIVERSITY & CAREERS University & Careers Guidance Counsellor

Cecilia Lau

celau@dbis.edu.hk

Examinations Officer

Rosanna Nongdhar

rnongdhar@dbis.edu.hk

Head of Learning Enhancement

Serena Clark

serenaclark@dbis.edu.hk

EAL Coordinator

Minoli Samarakkody

msamarakkody@dbis.edu.hk

LEARNING ENHANCEMENT

HEADS OF DEPARTMENT (WHOLE SCHOOL) Learning Technologies Nicolas Ng

nng@dbis.edu.hk

Mandarin & Modern Foreign Languages

Myra Mi

mmi@dbis.edu.hk

Music

Christopher Preddy

cpreddy@dbis.edu.hk

Physical Education

James Lugg

jlugg@dbis.edu.hk

HEADS OF DEPARTMENT (SECONDARY) English

Amy Hii

ahii@dbis.edu.hk

Humanities

Tom Boddington

tboddington@dbis.edu.hk

Science

Alexander Jamali

ajamali@dbis.edu.hk

Mathematics

Graham Glew

gglew@dbis.edu.hk

Art and Design & Technology (Acting)

Naomi Higgins

nhiggins@dbis.edu.hk 07

TEACHING STAFF Art & Design, Design & Technology

Chris Reinhardt

creinhardt@dbis.edu.hk

Business, Economics

Tom Boddington

tboddington@dbis.edu.hk

Business

Mark Beedham

mbeedham@dbis.edu.hk

Business

Nadeane Botha

nbotha@dbis.edu.hk

Computer Science

Nicolas Ng

nng@dbis.edu.hk

Computer Science

Diya Bakre

dbakre@dbis.edu.hk

Design & Technology

Naomi Higgins

nhiggins@dbis.edu.hk

Drama, English

Laura Tennant

ltennant@dbis.edu.hk

English

Amy Hii

ahii@dbis.edu.hk

English

Veronica Chow

vchow@dbis.edu.hk

English

Colette Jones

cjones@dbis.edu.hk

English

Louise Tyrrell

ltyrrell@dbis.edu.hk

English, Humanities

Andrew Buddery

abuddery@dbis.edu.hk

French

Boris Le Feuvre

blefeuvre@dbis.edu.hk

Geography, Humanities

Bobby Wilson

bowilson@dbis.edu.hk

Geography, Humanities

Rebecca Youde

ryoude@dbis.edu.hk

History, Humanities

Rebecca Boddington

rboddington@dbis.edu.hk

History

Amy McGlashan

amcglashan@dbis.edu.hk

Mandarin

Myra (Ting) Mi

mmi@dbis.edu.hk

Mandarin

Fiona Mak

fmak@dbis.edu.hk

Mandarin

Weichi Wen

wwen@dbis.edu.hk

Mathematics

Graham Glew

gglew@dbis.edu.hk

Mathematics

Amie Allison

aallison@dbis.edu.hk

Mathematics

Samuel Cheung

scheung@dbis.edu.hk

Mathematics

Amrith Prabhu

aprabhu@dbis.edu.hk

Mathematics

Shawn Xia

sxia@dbis.edu.hk

Media Studies, English

Jordan Warburton

jwarburton@dbis.edu.hk

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TEACHING STAFF Music

Christopher Preddy

cpreddy@dbis.edu.hk

Music

Mark Thaxter

mthaxter@dbis.edu.hk

Physical Education

James Lugg

jlugg@dbis.edu.hk

Physical Education

Jamie Owen

jowen@dbis.edu.hk

Psychology, Science

Aaron Day

aday@dbis.edu.hk

Science

Alexander Jamali

ajamali@dbis.edu.hk

Science

Ashley Jennings

ajennings@dbis.edu.hk

Science

Juniper Thang

jthang@dbis.edu.hk

Science

Nicholas Moore

nmoore@dbis.edu.hk

Science

Gerard Tennant

gtenannt@dbis.edu.hk

Science

Samantha Whiting

swhiting@dbis.edu.hk

Spanish

Richard Koenig

rkoenig@dbis.edu.hk

Outdoor Education

Drew Skellern

dskellern@dbis.edu.hk

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CURRICULUM CURRICULUM OVERVIEW The Secondary School offers a broad and balanced curriculum covering the first two years of your child’s Secondary education, which applies to students aged between 11 and 13 years old (Years 7–8). Following this period, students then move into their (I)GCSE and BTEC Level 2 examination programmes, which cover students aged 13 to 16 (Years 9–11). The final phase for our students is when they move into Sixth Form to do their A Level and BTEC Level 3 qualifications, which cover the final two years of schooling (Years 12 and 13).

Students are taught in mixed-ability classes, with the exception of Mathematics and Science, whereby students are set according to their current attainment levels and aptitude for the subject. Work takes place both individually and in small groups.

Mandarin is a compulsory subject, alongside Spanish for Year 7 and Spanish or French for Year 8. After this, one language is studied at IGCSE level, having been chosen during the options process.

In addition to our general subjects, our Year 7–8 students also take our bespoke inquiry-based learning class, Discovery.

This time gives students a chance to think and learn beyond the curriculum, exploring new concepts with their teacher. Further details about our Year 7–8 curriculum can be found in the Year 7–8 Curriculum Handbook.

In Years 9–11, we offer a number of different pathways that include BTEC and IGCSE. At IGCSE level, students study a breadth of subjects in the Creative Arts, Technology and Humanities fields, as well as a chosen language and the three core subjects: Mathematics, English and 10

Science. Typically, students will study nine or ten IGCSE subjects. As an alternative route, and to support more vocational choices, we also offer BTEC options.

Further details of our IGCSE and BTEC Level 2 offerings can be found in the curriculum handbooks linked below: Year 9–11 Handbook (2025–28) Year 10–11 Handbook (2025–27) In Years 12 and 13, students can choose from a combination of AS/A Level and BTEC courses of study, studying two, three or four subjects in Year 12. We encourage students to then take up to three subjects in Year 13, although, in exceptional circumstances, we allow a fourth subject to be taken. Students are able to choose from a wide variety of different subjects and are supported in their decision-making to ensure pathways are held open for higher education options.

LEARNING FOR LIFE We believe that promoting the health and wellbeing of our pupils is an important part of their overall education. One approach we use at DBIS is through our Learning for Life programme (L4L).

The L4L curriculum assists our students to make safe and informed decisions during their school years and beyond. Skills such as communication, listening, refusal, decision-making and negotiation, critical thinking, building self-awareness, developing empathy, accessing reliable information or services, challenging stigma and discrimination, and advocating for rights are explored.

The L4L objectives permeate throughout all subjects and form an integral component of the pastoral programme

through Tutor Time and assemblies. L4L also offers Relationships and Sexual Education (RSE) lessons, and the content covered during these lessons will include age-appropriate topics such as: the human body and puberty, pregnancy, contraceptives, prevention of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, prevention of sexual abuse, body image, sexting and social media, pornography, and consent. Further information about our RSE can be found on our Hub. LEARNING ENHANCEMENT At DBIS, we embrace diversity, difference and the uniqueness of every learner. We recognise our collective responsibility to promote a nurturing environment in which all students have a sense of belonging, participation and equal access to every aspect of school life.

Within the resources of the school, students are supported to achieve their full potential through pathways that foster independence and resilience, instilling in every individual the confidence to succeed.

Students who are being supported by Learning Enhancement staff either within the classroom or as a small-group instruction/one-to-one session may have a Personal Support Plan (PSP) in place.

This is either an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or a Student Support Plan (SSP). Targets and support strategies will be written to support the student’s learning. IEP and SSP targets will be reviewed three times throughout the year. Parents will be invited to the review, and it is expected that they attend. If they are unable to attend then a copy of the new support plan will be sent home and the parents’ views will be welcomed and added to the document.

DBIS recognises the individual progress achieved by all students and celebrates students’ successes relative to their Need.

The Learning Enhancement department embraces a holistic approach to student progress, which is clearly identified through achievable targets.

The achievement and progress of students with identified needs can be defined in a number of ways.

For example, it might be progress which: ● ●

● ● ●

Matches or betters the student’s previous rate of progress; Is similar to that of peers starting from the same attainment baseline but less than that of the majority of peers; Where possible, prevents the attainment gap growing wider; Ensures appropriate access to the full DBIS curriculum; Demonstrates improvement in self-help, self-regulation, social or personal skills.

HOME LEARNING Home learning plays a significant role in supporting a student’s capacity for greater academic achievement – we hold this in very high regard. Although the demands of each subject will differ, our home learning provision ensures that students are provided with opportunities to consolidate or extend their learning whilst developing their ability to self-regulate. Greater ownership of learning is promoted and underpinned through our belief that students develop an increased sense of self-efficacy through engaging with appropriate levels of challenge.

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Home learning will broadly align with the amount of learning time required to adequately supplement in-school learning; expectations will reflect the increasing academic demands associated with the respective year groups. Guidelines can be accessed within our Secondary Home Learning Policy HERE. We strongly encourage you to engage with your child in relation to their home learning and to work in collaboration with us to ensure that your child is actively engaging with this fundamental aspect of their DBIS schooling.

WEEK WITHOUT WALLS Our Week Without Walls (WWW) philosophy centres on providing students with unique opportunities that foster the development of important leadership, service and interpersonal skills. We seek to challenge students in an outdoor setting away from the classroom. These activities are clearly linked to the school’s Learner Profile Attributes as well as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and are aimed at developing empathy and understanding of different perspectives.

In 2025–26, we are offering exciting opportunities for every Secondary student and are enhancing our previous provision.

Our full programme takes place from

Monday 10th to Friday 14th November 2025. Destinations and activities will vary by year group, with some year groups having international options. Please rest assured that student safety is our top priority on all trips.

At DBIS, we believe that the WWW trips offer unique opportunities for students to develop essential life skills, explore their interests and gain a deeper understanding of different cultures and perspectives.

These experiences not only enhance their academic learning but also foster personal growth, resilience and empathy.

Therefore, we would like to emphasise the importance of student participation in these trips throughout their time at DBIS. There is an expectation that all students attend a WWW trip and take part in activities, which are carefully designed to complement the students’ overall educational journeys and provide invaluable learning experiences.

However, we understand that there may be exceptional circumstances preventing a student from participating in a specific WWW trip. In such cases, we kindly request that parents communicate their genuine reasons with the Head of Year.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES ECA activities are a key part of fulfilling our aim to provide a holistic education to our students. Students are expected to contribute to wider school life by taking at least one ECA per term. A wide range of sports and physical activities are on offer throughout the academic year. In addition to these, there are a variety of non-sporting activities, in particular from areas such as the performing arts, charitable causes, the Student Council and subject-based clubs.

The majority of ECAs at DBIS are offered free of charge; however, there may be some paid activities delivered by external providers. Any paid selections will be invoiced to parents directly by the external service provider.

Students sign up to sports clubs at the beginning of each term via SchoolsBuddy.

Commitment is a key trait of all DBIS students, and we ask that once a student commits to an activity, they attend for the duration of the term/season.

FOBISIA The Federation of British International Schools in Asia (FOBISIA) is a regional group of leading British international schools in Asia, established over 25 years ago.

FOBISIA applies stringent entry standards to all prospective member schools and maintains these standards through a review cycle. This cycle requires an ongoing commitment to excellence, including inspection or accreditation by recognised external agencies.

The federation's overall aim is to promote educational excellence within its member

schools and provide opportunities for inter-school competitions and enrichment programmes. Our FOBISIA membership offers students several unique opportunities to travel and represent the school. Each year, our highest-performing Primary and Secondary students are invited to the international sporting competition. Students may also be invited to participate in other FOBISIA events, such as Model United Nations (MUN), as well as Drama, Music and Mathematics competitions.

COSTS FOR OVERSEAS TRIPS Payment for overseas trips, including all FOBISIA competitions and Week Without Walls, require a deposit in advance to secure flights, followed by full payment prior to departure. Agreeing that your child will attend these events will also include a commitment to fully cover the costs.

EDUCATIONAL/FIELD TRIPS Several subject teachers organise local field trips for various year groups throughout the year. Information about these trips, including details and consent forms, is typically shared via the Parent Hub. During the school day, teachers may also take their classes off campus for local learning activities; these are considered part of regular class time.

Students participating in school-organised trips are school representatives at all times and are expected to adhere to the Character & Culture Policy and uniform guidelines, and demonstrate consideration for the wellbeing of others.

A deposit is requested at the start of the academic year to cover the cost of these local trips. Any remaining balance will be returned at the end of the year.

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LIBRARY The DBIS library enriches teaching, learning and wellbeing across the Secondary School by providing a well-targeted collection of resources, fostering students' love of reading, collaborating with teaching staff to develop students' information literacy skills, and maintaining a welcoming learner-focused environment for collaborative learning and individual study and reflection.

Staffed by a qualified librarian and experienced library assistant, our library is

located on the first floor of the Discovery Centre. Opening hours are 8am to 4pm, and students may visit before school, at break times and as instructed by teachers during class time.

Our rich collection includes a large range of novels suitable for ages 11–18, a focused non-fiction collection and a growing number of ebooks, audiobooks and databases. To learn more about the library, visit the library website at library.dbis.edu.hk.

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ASSESSMENT, REPORTING & TARGETS ASSESSMENT Assessment is the process of obtaining, analysing and evaluating evidence of student achievement in order to inform future learning experiences and associated provision.

The primary purpose of assessment is to promote student learning and achievement. We aim for high-quality teaching and learning, and at the heart of this is reliable, valid, accessible and timely assessment, underpinned by our growth mindset belief that all pupils can succeed.

It is essential that teachers know how well a student has progressed and that students understand how well they are doing and what they must learn to help them improve.

A variety of assessment tools are used to monitor learning and to plan for future development. In addition to summative assessments in each subject to ascertain the level a student has achieved, regular formative assessment and assessment for learning strategies take place to measure individual and/or collective understanding and to shape future learning and lesson design. Further information about formative and summative assessments can be accessed HERE. Attainment grades may be awarded for certain assessment items; however, as a school, we believe that formative feedback is more likely to result in positive improvement than the assignment of a grade is. Marking will be a reflection of the learning objective(s) and the associated success criteria, and feedback will identify successes and areas for improvement (e.g. gaps in knowledge, understanding or application). Feedback will account for the

students’ current attainment (and, often, their personal learning goals – see Target Setting section on p16 re. aspirational/ subject targets), what they have done well and what they need to do to improve.

ACADEMIC INTERVENTION At key junctures, we will formally capture student achievement. This enables us to monitor student progress with a view to ensuring that no individuals ‘fall through the gap’ academically. We aim to identify barriers to learning at an early stage in order to support students in overcoming any obstacles preventing them from making progress. This is a stepped process based around student performance, linked closely to the report cycle, with a clear timeframe of actions, interventions and communications.

We also place significant value on the importance of self-management skills and the effective use of information literacy to positively impact personal achievement; this includes academic integrity. It is an expectation that students produce authentic, original work and, where appropriate, acknowledge the work of others. Our Academic Honesty Policy HERE provides more detail about types of malpractice and consequences should a student be found to be in breach of our expected standards.

REPORTING Each student in the Secondary School receives at least three formal reports per year, the content of which changes according to the development needs/course demands in the respective year groups. The various types of reports and an explanation of the associated terminology can be accessed HERE. 15

Report information is incredibly important and is used internally to inform pedagogical practice and instruction.

Reports also enable teachers to: ●

● ●

Have timely and impactful learning conversations with students (please refer to Target Setting section below for supplementary details); Recognise and celebrate student achievement; Establish (and/or modify) intervention strategies for students who require additional academic support.

Furthermore, reports provide an additional opportunity to work in partnership with you as they provide a platform for informed discussion about your child’s achievements and areas for growth; you will be better equipped to have impactful learning conversations at home and to understand your child’s academic profile and their capabilities as they advance through school.

TARGET SETTING Secondary students will undertake appropriate adaptive baseline tests as they commence a particularly key stage. Data generated through respective CEM (Centre for Evaluating and Monitoring - Cambridge University) computer adaptive baseline aptitude tests (MidYIS, Yellis and ALIS) supports the academic target setting process in the Secondary School. Whilst this information is both reliable and critical to ascertaining student potential, we feel that this data has even greater value when used in consultation with students, to enable them to take greater ownership of their learning journey.

Students in Years 9–13, with the support of their teachers, will establish aspirational target grades for the academic year. These will be reviewed at key junctures through 16

guided learning conversations and reflection to refocus and prioritise learning goals. When establishing appropriate aspirational target grades, students will utilise their personalised chances graphs to facilitate the initial conversations and understand the scope of their learning journey. Example chances graphs can be found in your child’s student diary.

Students in Key Stage 3 will work with their subject teachers and tutors to establish suitable subject targets. A process of consultation, reflection and feedback will support the students in shaping their academic and pastoral goals throughout the year.

Students will also work with their tutors to establish pastoral targets.

PARENT–TEACHER–STUDENT CONFERENCES (PTSCs) There will be one annual afternoon/evening PTSC per year group. At all other times, parents are welcome to book appointments with tutors regarding any matter. PTSCs are aimed at giving parents an insight into their child’s attainment level and progress in all subjects. Areas for improvement are also highlighted to ensure parents and students come away from the conference with clear targets.

Appointments run for five minutes, and in all instances students should attend with their parent/s in order to engage in learning conversations and to reflect on progress and areas for improvement.

We want to make sure everyone has the opportunity to meet. The booking window for appointments will be shared with you in advance. To ensure we can schedule your meeting, please make your booking within the specified timeframe as we may not be able to accommodate requests after the window closes.

DBIS CHARACTER & CULTURE The Character and Culture policy contains a reflective approach to behaviour choices, illustrating steps to success as well as a restorative process enabling there to be an agreed understanding between student and staff member.

Through our character and culture approach, positive choices are promoted at DBIS so that every student feels supported, happy and secure. We recognise that our students are developing. This can mean that students occasionally make mistakes. We aim to put restorative actions in place that guide and support our students towards making better decisions in the future and also help them to develop a sense of personal responsibility.

FOR DBIS STUDENTS As DBIS students, you are expected to continually reflect and develop your character throughout the years, always holding yourself accountable to your choices. This will allow you to become self-aware, self-managing, socially aware and able to develop strong, effective relationships as a key cornerstone of your approach to life.

FOR DBIS STAFF DBIS staff members are here to guide and support the holistic development of all learners across all phases of the school. The role of a staff member is to embed and support expected character and culture, using common language and role modelling the values expected of us and our students.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION If your child experiences or perceives that they are experiencing bullying, they are requested to speak with their form tutor or another trusted adult in school for assistance. As a parent you are requested to immediately inform your child's form tutor. This will allow the necessary internal processes to commence, and parents will be informed as appropriate on the next actions to be taken. Each context is individual, and restorative solutions are seen as a vital part of the resolution.

FOR DBIS PARENTS DBIS endeavours to build a supportive dialogue between home and the school, and we inform parents immediately if we have concerns about their child's displayed character and/or choice(s). If our school has to use reasonable responses, we ask parents to support those actions. If parents have any concerns about the way their child has been treated, they would initially contact the class/form teacher.

Bullying is not: ● ● ● ●

Single episodes of social rejection or dislike; Single episode acts of nastiness or spite; Random acts of aggression or intimidation; Mutual arguments, disagreements or fights.

These actions can cause great distress; however, they do not fit the definition of bullying and they are not examples of bullying unless someone is deliberately and repeatedly doing them.

CATEGORY ZERO CONCERN Description of your child’s conduct The student has demonstrated a minor level of misconduct and received a reminder or reminders about expected conduct.

Examples of misconduct (this list is not exhaustive) ● ● ● ●

Incorrect uniform Home learning not completed Lateness Equipment for a lesson/lessons is not prepared or available

Actions taken by staff & students (this list is not exhaustive) ● ●

As a consequence of not demonstrating the expected conduct, the student and yourself will receive a notification for your awareness Repeated offences will require reflection at a designated time

CATEGORY ONE CONCERN Description of your child’s conduct The student has demonstrated a low level of misconduct and received reminders about expected conduct.

Examples of misconduct (this list is not exhaustive) ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Distracting others from their learning Not following instructions Discriminatory racial/sexual/homophobic comments Inappropriate comments to members of our school community Low level of physical violence to another person and/or property Use of a mobile phone in lessons and/or around school without permission Arguing/deliberate, intentional talking back to an adult – disrespectful behaviour

Actions taken by staff & students (this list is not exhaustive) ●

●

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As a consequence of not demonstrating the expected conduct, the student will be required to meet with the subject teacher or member of staff to undertake a restorative conversation During the restorative conversation with the staff member, the consequences of the student’s actions will be decided; these could include: detention, apology letter, replacing the broken item, parents informed etc.

CATEGORY TWO CONCERN Description of your child’s conduct The student has displayed an intentional level of misconduct during school.

Examples of misconduct (this list is not exhaustive) ● ● ● ● ● ●

High frequency of category one incidents Repeated racial/sexual/homophobic comments Intentionally made or directed inappropriate comments Intentional physical violence to another person and/or damage to property Continued non-compliance e.g. home learning, uniform expectations Truancy

Actions taken by staff & students (this list is not exhaustive) ● ● ●

Parents are notified A restorative meeting will be arranged between your child and either their tutor and/or Head of Year During the restorative conversation with the staff member, the consequences of the student’s actions will be decided; these could include: detention, report card, social and emotional counselling

CATEGORY THREE CONCERN* Description of your child’s conduct The student has displayed a significant level of misconduct during school.

Examples of misconduct (this list is not exhaustive) ● ● ● ●

Intentional racial/sexual/homophobic comments Significant physical violence to another person and/or damage to property Inappropriate use of social media within school premises or on school-related activities Theft

Actions taken by staff & students (this list is not exhaustive) ● ● ● ●

A meeting with parents is arranged A restorative meeting will be arranged between the student and the appropriate staff member Following the restorative conversation, the process will allow the student and the staff member to come to an agreed understanding of the chosen consequence These could include: internal exclusion, fixed-term exclusion, report card, daily commitment to after-school reflection etc.

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CATEGORY FOUR CONCERN* Description of your child’s conduct The student has displayed severe misconduct during school.

Examples of misconduct (this list is not exhaustive) ● ● ●

Racial/sexual/homophobic harassment Serious physical violence to another person and/or damage to property Possession of any illicit substances or materials

Actions taken by staff & students (this list is not exhaustive) ● ● ●

Parents are notified and a meeting arranged with the appropriate Secondary SLT member or Head of School At this stage, all restorative plans are adapted relating to the seriousness and frequency of the behaviour The consequences are one of the following: a fixed-term exclusion or permanent exclusion

* Note that continued demonstration of Category 1 & Category 2 behaviours is considered to be equivalent to a Category 3 or Category 4 stand-alone incident due to the continued disruption to the learning environment of others in the school.

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PASTORAL & COMMUNITY THE HOUSE SYSTEM Students are designated to a house for the whole of their time at DBIS; siblings are usually assigned to the same house. Our four houses are Dragon, Griffin, Goldhorn and Phoenix. Students will generally stay in the same house (and tutor group) throughout their school experience, meaning they develop close connections with members of their group. Each house has House Captains, who are elected by their peers and are responsible for coordinating house competitions and aiding the Heads of Year with house-related matters.

STUDENT LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES DBIS is committed to preparing our students to become community and professional leaders in their chosen fields.

To this end, students are provided with a rich array of student leadership opportunities to develop confidence and skills that they can take with them after graduating. Leadership development at all levels of our school is encouraged and valued.

COUNSELLING The school provides counselling services to assist with low to moderate social and emotional barriers to learning. Parents will be contacted for consent and will be informed of the process. Any counselling sessions initiated by the school will have agreed-upon and clearly understood boundaries of confidentiality.

Any information divulged through the counselling will remain confidential unless a student’s health is at risk or there are child protection issues at hand. The appropriate member of staff will then discuss with parents the external options available if necessary.

STUDENT SAFETY Student safety is paramount to us here at DBIS, and even within our extremely safe Discovery Bay community, we need to

ensure that students are ready to act calmly and appropriately in the event of an emergency.

FIRE DRILLS

GUEST VISITS

Fire drill procedures are carried out each term and involve all staff and students. In the event of a fire, all Secondary staff and students are evacuated to the pitch, where class registers are taken. Clear procedures are in place, and staff will direct students appropriately in the case of any situation.

Parents are informed by email and SMS that all students are safe following fire drills. Further information is available upon request.

All ex-students and family members of students attending DBIS must sign in upon arrival and are required to wear a visitor’s pass at all times whilst on campus. Visitors are not permitted to attend classes with students. This is to ensure learning is not disrupted as well as for insurance liability reasons.

LOCKDOWN PROCEDURES Lockdown procedures are usually carried out once or twice a year and involve all staff and students. In the unlikely event that the school campus needs to be locked down, all blinds and windows are closed, and all staff and students stay silently and safely in a locked area until the all-clear is given over the school tannoy system.

Again, parents are informed by email and SMS that all students are safe following any drill.

CHILD PROTECTION The health, safety, physical and emotional wellbeing of every child and young person enrolled at DBIS are of paramount importance. At DBIS, we believe that children and young people, as individuals, have the right to be treated with dignity and respect, free from emotional or physical danger, abuse and neglect. All children and young people at our school are entitled to learn in a safe environment where they receive the support of caring adults and are able to develop a positive image of themselves and a secure sense of identity. Child protection always comes first at DBIS; it is our core concern.

ATTENDANCE Our mission calls upon us to fulfill each individual’s potential. Regular attendance is a prerequisite for success in school, and those who are not in class will miss important learning opportunities. Poor attendance can lead to underachievement, and absence can have a detrimental impact on student progress and overall academic development. It is vital that we work together with families to ensure every child is in school and being challenged to meet their potential.

ATTENDANCE & PUNCTUALITY PROCEDURES Regular attendance at school is vital for students to achieve their full potential, and we value your support in helping us maintain high attendance rates at DBIS. We expect all students to make every effort to attend school each day and to have a minimum attendance of 95%. For a student attending DBIS from EYFS-1 to Year 13 with an attendance rate of 90%, they would miss one and a half years of schooling, significantly impacting their learning. We closely monitor attendance to ensure regular school attendance, and we will directly address any concerns with parents.

If a student is absent, we require parents to notify the school as soon as possible on the day of the absence with the reason for the absence. Absences should be notified using the forms on the Parent Hub. There are two forms: one for planned absence and one for unplanned absence. If we notice that a student is missing school frequently or for an extended period of time, we will reach out to parents to discuss the situation and provide support.

We reserve the right to intervene when we feel it is necessary to support a student's attendance and academic progress. This includes situations where a student has been absent for an extended period of time or has repeatedly missed school.

We are aware that due to the nature of some of the work-leave restrictions our parents have, families may make the decision to take their children out during term time. Although some holidays may be considered educational, your child will still miss out on the teaching and learning that their classmates will receive during the holiday. Students returning from a term-time holiday are also unprepared for the lessons, which build on the teaching they have missed. The extra time it takes for a teacher to assist a student in catching up also has a potential impact on other students in the class – this is something we all have a responsibility to avoid. If a family decides to take their child(ren) out of school during term time, the online application form should be submitted in advance.

EARLY DISMISSAL If a student needs to be dismissed early from school, they must collect a slip from either the school receptionist (where parents have notified the school of an arranged appointment) or the nurse (for instances when a student has had to visit the nurse’s office). Students must bring slips issued by the nurse to the reception to collect a leaving sticker, which records the student leaving the premises. This sticker must be shown to the guard on gate duty before the student can be allowed to leave school.

PARENTAL ABSENCE Please notify the school if you are planning to take a trip out of town for more than a day. The school office will require details of appointed guardians and emergency telephone numbers.

ILLNESS When your child is unable to attend school due to being unwell, please complete the relevant absence form as soon as possible.

TECHNOLOGY DIGITAL DEVICES IN SECONDARY The school has a 1:1 technology programme throughout the Secondary School. Students in Years 7–11 should bring their own Chromebook or laptop (with paid antivirus already installed and the school’s wellbeing monitoring software uploaded by the IT team).

Students in Years 12 and 13 are required to bring their own device, and it is recommended that this is a Windows laptop or a Macbook rather than a Chromebook as many of the courses in the senior years have greater software needs.

Students are required to read the school’s BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Agreement. and sign the agreement via the jotform HERE. Students should read and adhere to the school’s Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) for the use of technology at DBIS. All agreements and the AUP are available on the Parent Hub. Please note, it is the responsibility of our students to use their mobile devices in an acceptable way at school. Recording or taking photos of others – both students and staff – without their permission is unacceptable and will be dealt with according to the schools Character & Culture policy. At home, however, the responsibility falls upon parents, and your guidance is key. Setting family rules pertaining to the use of mobile devices is encouraged to avoid misuse.

The link to the DBIS Secondary School Guide to Learning Technologies document can be found HERE.

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GOOGLE CLASSROOM & WORKSPACE Google Classroom is an easy-to-use online tool. The Google Classroom serves as a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) that allows teachers to set work and send information to students in their classes.

Sometimes this will be simple class messages (such as ‘Don’t forget to come to the revision session tomorrow lunchtime’), but more often it is used as an area for students to access learning materials, share and upload work and collaborate with their teachers and fellow classmates, both in school and at home.

Google Workspace comprises all other items supplied by Google, such as Gmail (email), Google Drive (cloud storage) and Google Calendar. All students have a DBIS Google Workspace account set up when they join the school. These different systems allow the students to contact their teachers, receive messages, organise their work and generally operate as well-equipped and efficient students. For additional information and guidance, please see the DBIS Secondary School Guide to Learning Technologies.

UNIFORM Secondary School uniform for Year 7–11 students should be worn at all times and be in a clean and neat state. There are summer and winter uniform options available at the uniform shop, located at the Main Campus. The shop is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8.15am–12pm and on Wednesdays from 1.30pm–4pm during term time. Further details regarding uniforms, including order forms, can be found on the Parent Hub. Formal Uniform DBIS navy blue shorts or skort, and DBIS blue-striped navy blue polo shirt (untucked).

Cooler Weather Option Unisex trousers, or navy tights with skort, and warm-weather school jacket.

Footwear ALL-black footwear that must be neat and tidy. Multi-coloured trim and laces are not appropriate. Navy or black socks.

Caps Caps are required for use in PE lessons, hot weather and during off-campus school events.

Jewellery & Make-up The following jewellery items may be worn: a watch, one pair of plain studs or sleepers (gold or silver) in the lower lobe.

Make-up, acrylic and gel nails are not to be worn; clear nail polish is acceptable.

Hair Hair should appear naturally coloured.

Wearable Electronic Devices Wearable electronic devices are not encouraged and, if they must be brought into school, should be in school mode at all times while students are on campus. The wearing of AI glasses is not allowed.

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PE Uniform & Footwear DBIS navy blue PE shorts with DBIS PE shirt. Trainers with sports socks. Formal school uniform should be worn to school each morning unless a student has PE or a sporting ECA that day, in which case they may come to school wearing their PE kit.

Changing facilities are available for students who wish to wear full school uniform and then change into their PE kit at school and/or who wish to change into full school uniform after taking part in sporting activities.

During the block of swimming lessons, students should wear PE uniform and trainers to school and bring their full swimming kit in a bag, in case swimming is cancelled.

In certain circumstances, there may be exceptions to the above points. Parents and students will be informed in advance if this is the situation.

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Non-Uniform Day Make-up and jewellery regulations remain the same as for any school day. Clothes must be clean, neat, modest, in good repair and appropriate to the day’s activities. Very short skirts and shorts, midriff/tank tops and torn jeans are not permitted.

Field Trips PE uniform to be worn (unless otherwise advised).

Hot/Wet Weather PE kit should be brought to school on extremely hot or rainy days to ensure students have a change of clothes.

Lunchtimes Students involved in physical activities at lunch should change into a school sports shirt.

GENERAL INFORMATION LOCKERS Students in Years 7–11 are assigned a locker number at the beginning of the school year. Students are provided with a key that they are responsible for. Should the key be lost, the first replacement will be free of charge. A small fee will be charged for the second replacement and onwards.

All Year 7–11 students must keep their belongings in their locker throughout the school day. The ten-minute period between lessons can be used to retrieve necessary items for lessons.

STUDENT DIARY At the beginning of the school year, each student receives a Student Diary. The diary is used to record all homework and upcoming activities and events. The Student Diary also contains a realm of key information pertaining to uniform, pastoral care, key dates and other important information. The Student Diary is used as one important form of regular communication between school and parents.

CAFETERIA Our school cafeteria is open before and after school and at morning break and lunchtime. The Boardwalk Cafeteria serves hot meals (including a vegetarian option) as well as snacks and drinks. Students can purchase a swipe card from the cafeteria manager any time, enabling a cashless option when purchasing meals. The cafeteria also accepts Octopus cards.

PERSONAL INFORMATION It is very important for the school to have complete, up-to-date information about all of our students and those whom we may need to contact in case of emergency.

Please complete the online form

on the Parent Hub if you need to update your details.

LOST & FOUND Lost and found items are either kept at the Secondary reception or in the Primary covered playground, and students can ask at the Secondary reception. We ask that all student clothing is clearly labelled with the student’s name. At specific times throughout the year, we will put all lost and found items on display, and, if unclaimed, we will donate these items to one of our school charities.

MEDICAL CARE If a student becomes unwell while at school, they will need to take a medical card given by their teacher and take this to the school nurse. The school nurse will evaluate the student’s medical condition.

The school nurse will decide as to when students are required to be collected from school, as directed by the Hong Kong Department of Health. The time of handover to a parent or caregiver must be noted and the classroom teacher made aware.

If a student has a minor complaint or accident, the school nurse will administer first aid and care in the school’s medical room. In the case of a more serious concern, the school will contact the parents and/or emergency services and will make medical decisions based on doctor’s recommendations. Parents will be systematically informed if the school contacts emergency services, but it may not always be possible to do this in advance of making an emergency call.

Please note the school nurse is not authorised to administer mild medications, such as paracetamol, to students.

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Prescribed medication can be administered on completion of the Prescribed Medications Permissions Form.

For more details, please refer to the Medical Room page on the Parent Hub. VALUABLES Students are asked not to bring valuables into school. Occasionally, students may wish to bring valuable items into school as part of a project or other piece of school-related work.

Under these circumstances, any valuables should be given to the school office for safekeeping.

WITHDRAWAL OF STUDENTS To withdraw a student, please complete the official Student Withdrawal Form not less than 60 days (excludes July and August) before the student leaves DBIS. If students are not returning to DBIS after the summer holidays, official notice must be given 60 days before the last day of term.

The school will charge school fees in lieu if the above notice period is not adhered to.

PERMISSION FORMS From time to time, parents may be asked to sign an online permission form, which gives students advance permission to attend all local school trips.

SCHOOL CANCELLATION The school website will display weather warnings and notifications of school closure. In the event of school being cancelled, parents and guardians will be emailed. If there is a red or black rainstorm in place at the end of the school day, Secondary children will be dismissed unless their parents have completed the associated jotform for us to keep their Secondary children students in school until they are collected. Please familiarise yourself with the school’s Severe Weather Policy.

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COMMUNICATION Clear communication between home and school is essential. Our communication system utilises the functionality of the

following platforms to communicate with our parent community:

THE PARENT HUB All communication to parents regarding upcoming events and information can be found on the Parent Hub. A bulletin for calendared events will be added to the Hub approximately two weeks prior to them taking place. The bulletin notices will also be shared via the weekly parent bulletin email, which is sent each Saturday.

password to log in to SchoolsBuddy will be shared with you so you can see all of the activities your child is involved with.

iSAMS PARENT PORTAL & APP

DBIS WEBSITE The school’s website, linked HERE, is a window into the school, giving parents access to information on all aspects of the school’s operations as well as teaching and learning approaches. The website also provides parents with a link to the Parent Hub.

Parents can access all student-specific information via the iSAMS Parent Portal and app. This platform is used to communicate confidential information about your child, such as school reports and attendance data. The app can be downloaded free from the App Store and Google Play Store. The school code is DBIS, and you will need your personal iSAMS username and password to log on.

STUDENT DIARY Students are required to write all home learning tasks in detail in their diary. The diary is to be signed by a parent/ guardian once a week. This is then viewed by the tutor, ensuring a strong communication network whereby each student is accountable in ensuring home learning activities are noted and completed.

SCHOOLSBUDDY ACTIVITIES & TRIPS PLATFORM All information about your child’s extracurricular activities (ECAs), fixtures, camps and trips can be found via SchoolsBuddy. A personal username and

SCHOOL NEWSLETTER Each Friday, the school’s newsletter is emailed to parents. The newsletter provides a snapshot of the week’s events across all phases of the school.

GOOGLE GUARDIAN The Google Guardian add-on to Google Classroom allows the school to add to our communications system and provide all parents with more insight into their child’s online learning experiences.

CONTINUATION OF LEARNING In the event of a school closure, the school will continue to operate with all lessons moving into online mode. Students will follow their usual timetable, which will be shared via their Google Calendar. Live, synchronous lessons will be delivered via Google Meet according to the students’ timetables. The students will also be shared all learning resources and materials through their existing Google Classrooms for each subject taught. Pre-recorded learning videos and other resources may 29

also be uploaded to your child’s Google Classroom to allow both synchronous (live/real-time) and asynchronous (accessed later) accessibility.

EMAIL CONTACT For all general enquiries, parents can contact the school office by email at dbis@dbis.edu.hk or by phone on +852 2987 7331.

TEXT MESSAGE/SMS Occasionally, we will send out a text message/SMS to parents to inform them that we have had a fire drill or lockdown practice and that all children are safe and accounted for.

DBIS SIXTH FORM The Sixth Form Campus is located at the North Plaza in Discovery Bay. This campus is equipped with classrooms dedicated to the teaching of Years 12 and 13, as well as a study room and specialised Art room.

The majority of Sixth Form lessons take place at the North Plaza Campus; however, for some subjects, such as Science, D&T and PE, students are required to travel by shuttle bus to the Main DBIS Campus.

SIXTH FORM SUBJECTS

a wealth of resources are available as well as private study rooms, which can be booked with the librarian. Books will need to be purchased for each course. The book list can be accessed here.

Most students choose three subjects to study at either A Level or BTEC. In some cases, students study four subjects, usually only if this is necessary to fulfil future university entry requirements.

DRESS CODE

Each A Level and BTEC subject is timetabled for nine hours in the two-week cycle. The remainder of the Sixth Form timetable is made up of careers advice, Learning for Life, PE and independent study periods.

STUDY RESOURCES Sixth Formers are very welcome to work in the library on the Main Campus, where

Having personal copies of books is important and enables students to effectively use their resources outside of lessons and enable them to annotate and keep personal notes to revise and refer back to.

Students are not required to wear uniform at DBIS in Years 12 and 13. The exception to this is core PE lessons, for which Sixth Form students should wear their house PE top with plain blue or black shorts and footwear appropriate for physical activity.

SIXTH FORM HANDBOOK Our Sixth Form Handbook contains further information about studying in Years 12 and 13 at DBIS, including useful links to bus timetables and study resources. Students can access the Sixth Form Handbook HERE.

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TERM DATES School Dates and Holidays for 2025–26 can be found on the Parent Hub HERE.

AUTUMN TERM Monday 18th August 2025

Y7, Y9, Y10 & Y12 Students Start Term 1 New Students Also in School

Tuesday 19th August 2025

Y8, Y11 & Y13 Students Start Term 1

Wednesday 1st October 2025

Public Holiday

Tuesday 7th October 2025

Public Holiday

Monday 20th – Friday 24th October 2025

Half Term

Monday 10th – Friday 14th November 2025

Week Without Walls

Monday 17th November 2025

Teacher Professional Development Day (Students Not in School)

Friday 12th December 2025

End of Term 1

SPRING TERM Monday 5th January 2026

Start of Term 2

Monday 16th – Friday 20th February 2026

Chinese New Year Half Term

Friday 6th March 2026

Teacher Professional Development Day (Students Not in School)

Friday 27th March 2026

End of Term 2

SUMMER TERM

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Monday 13th April 2026

Start of Term 3

Friday 1st May 2026

Public Holiday

Monday 25th May 2026

Public Holiday

Friday 19th June 2026

Public Holiday

Friday 26th June 2026

End of Term 3 09

SCHOOL HOURS & CONTACT DETAILS TIMINGS OF THE SCHOOL DAY

Time

Activity

08:00 – 08:20

1:1 Tutoring

08:20 – 08:45

Tutor Time

08:50 – 09:50

Lesson 1

10:00 – 11:00

Lesson 2

11:00 – 11:20

Break

11:20 – 12:20

Lesson 3

12:30 – 13:30

Lesson 4

13:30 – 14:20

Lunch

14:20 – 15:20

Lesson 5

SECONDARY SCHOOL CONTACT DETAILS Website: Main Campus Email:

www.dbis.edu.hk :

+852 2984 7331 dbis@dbis.edu.hk

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USEFUL LINKS Year 7–8 Curriculum Handbook Year 9–11 IGCSE/BTEC L2 Curriculum Handbook Year 10–11 IGCSE/BTEC L2 Curriculum Handbook RSE Programme Overview Secondary Home Learning Policy Parent Hub Parent Portal School Website DBIS Library Secondary Assessments Academic Honesty Policy Secondary Reports Explained Parent–Teacher–Student Conferences Secondary Student Leadership Booklet - To be published in August Student Planned Absence During Term Time Form Student Unplanned Absence During Term Time Form Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Agreement Acceptable Use Policy DBIS Secondary School Guide to Learning Technologies Uniform Policy & Order Form Student Contact Details Change Form Prescribed Medications Permissions Form Medical Room Information Secondary Students Severe Weather School Dismissal Form Severe Weather Policy Student Withdrawal Form Sixth Form Handbook

dbis.edu.hk