School Information Booklet - The British School of Vilnius

School Information Booklet

Table of Contents Welcome from the Headmaster Welcome to the Team Contact Information General Information School Day Terminology Keep us Informed Parent App What to Bring What to Wear School Timetable Teaching and Learning Curriculum Class Trips Assessment and Reports Specialist Subjects After School Activities (ASAs) Community Activities Languages Lithuanian English as an Additional Language (EAL) Lithuanian Program for Native Speakers PE Music House System Rewards Homework Communication with Parents Daily Email and Letters Progress Reports Open Door Policy Parent Teacher Consultations (PTC) Transportation School Buses Use of Electronic Devices Life in School School Lunches & Snacks School First Aid Medicines Absence Parents' Connection Safeguarding Fees and Invoicing Glossary

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Dear Parents, Welcome to The British School of Vilnius. You are joining the school at a very exciting time in its history with the development of our new campus due to open in September 2023. My sincere hope is that you will become an integral part of our school community; working together to ensure the very best outcomes for our children.

Our school’s mission is to be a ‘World Leading School’, which means nothing less than having the highest of standards in everything we do. We are ambitious with the education we provide, ensuring our students thrive, not just academically, but also personally and socially.

Every child who attends our school is uniquely special to us and we endeavour to instil a love for learning, core values and experiences that will remain with them throughout their lives.

The British School of Vilnius is dedicated to achieving a baseline of excellence in education, but is also outward looking and innovative in its approach. We will always aim to stay at the forefront of the latest educational developments and seek to integrate them into our pedagogical approach.

Our vibrant and enriched extracurricular programme also seeks to expose our students to high quality tuition in music, drama, sports and the arts.

I hope you find this booklet helpful, we have tried to include as much relevant information, relating to the day-to-day operations of the school.

Communication with our families is very important to us, so if there should be any queries that are not addressed in this booklet, then we would encourage you to get in direct contact with the school. My door is open to all parents should you wish to come and chat with me. I look forward to welcoming you to to the school.

With my warmest regards,

Andrew Prosser Headmaster

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Welcome to the Team Whether you are new to Vilnius or not, the Admissions Team at The British School of Vilnius is here to help you get up-and-running into the new school year as quickly as possible. We will provide helpful information for your transition to Vilnius.

Enjoy an exciting and successful school year!

CONTACT INFORMATION Tel: +370 52 33 88 55 Email: info@britishschool.lt Finance: info@britishschool.lt Administration: info@britishschool.lt Headmaster - Andrew Prosser: headmaster@britishschool.lt Our school website address is: https://britishschool.lt List of numbers to call in the event of an emergency in Lithuania: Police (national): 112 Ambulance: 112 Fire: 112 Child Protection and Safeguarding is of paramount importance for us and we encourage you to review the dedicated information section on page 19, but please always contact us for further information and help in this regard.

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General Information School Day The school day starts at 8.30 am. Students not travelling by school bus should be dropped off at school between 8.15 am and 8.30 am. For all students, the school day finishes at 3.30 pm, except for Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, when students have After School Activities (ASAs) until 4.30 pm. NB: You will be notified when ASAs begin and end each term.

Terminology You will sometimes hear the following terms used for our year groupings: Early Years (EY): Nursery, Reception Key Stage 1 (KS1): Years 1 and 2 Lower Key Stage 2 (LKS2): Years 3 and 4 Upper Key Stage 2 (UKS2): Years 5 and 6 Key Stage 3 (KS3): Years 7 to 9 Keep us informed: Parents are asked to keep the school informed of any changes that may occur to their contact details. Please make sure you inform the Admissions Team of any changes as soon as possible so we have the most up-to-date information in our database.

Email us at: admissions@britishschool.lt

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Parent App When a student joins our school, the day-to-day messaging, timetabling, specialist lessons, etc. are all conveniently sent to the parent’s mobile device. This is accomplished through the school’s Parent App. The BSV Parent App is one of many ways parents keep in touch with their child's academic progress, and is available to all parents regardless of the child's year group.

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What to bring Nursery: School backpack, bag with a change of clothes and water bottle. Mid-morning and afternoon snacks are provided by the school.

Reception: School backpack with water bottle. Mid-morning and afternoon snacks are provided by the school.

Years 1 to 6: School backpack with water bottle and a healthy snack (nut-free) to eat during the morning.

Years 7 to 9: School backpack with water bottle and a healthy snack (nut-free) to eat during the morning. All relevant books for the day.

All children are required to use our regulation school backpack which can be purchased from our Uniform Shop.

What to wear School uniform is compulsory for all students.

Please note that black leather shoes are required for both boys and girls. Shoes will need to be externally purchased.

At the beginning of the school year, students should attend school wearing Summer uniform. Winter uniform is usually worn from mid-October until the end of March, the school will advise on the exact date depending on the weather. Dates may change at the discretion of the Headmaster.

On PE days (two days a week), all students should come to school wearing PE kit.

For more details please see the uniform guide.

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School Timetable The school day begins at 8:30 am, students should arrive between 8:15 am and 8:30 am.

Late students should register at reception and collect a late pass. In the case of your child being sick and unable to attend school, please advise the school office by email or phone call, ideally before 8.30 am.

Nursery & Reception 8:15-8:30 am

Students arrive

8:45 am

Registration / Lessons begin

10:25 am -10:55 am

Morning Snack and Breaktime

12:35 pm - 1:20 pm

Early Years lunchtime

1:30 pm - 2:00 pm

Nursery Quiet Time

2:55 pm - 3:15 pm

Afternoon Snack

3:30 pm

School day ends (parent and bus pick-up)

Years 1 to 9 8:15-8:30 am

Students arrive

8:45 am

Registration / Lessons begin

10:25 am -10:55 am

Snack and Breaktime

12:35 pm - 1:20 pm

Lunchtime

3:30 pm

School day ends (parent and bus pick-up)

After School Activities After School Activities (ASAs) are optional for all other students. Most ASAs are free of charge, but some are charged.

Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays only 3:30 pm-4:30 pm

After School Activities

4:30 pm

School day ends (parent and bus pick up)

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Teaching & Learning Curriculum For many families, a British education is the best choice, especially for those regularly moving between countries, as it provides consistency and continuity for children.

At BSV all lessons and objectives are delivered in line with those set out in the English National Curriculum (ENC), ensuring any pupil can relocate to another country, attend a British school and pick up exactly where they left off.

Some subtle changes are made to the curriculum to tailor the topics we teach according to our international environment. Our aim is to ensure that topics are relevant and the skills acquired can be applied to any topic they may study in the future.

Class Trips Excursions are an essential element of the education we provide, being in Vilnius affords us unrivalled access to some of the most amazing resources.

From museum visits to a trip to the local markets, we make sure excursions are relevant, linked to topics and enhances learning. These trips bring learning to life and provides students with a real world perspective on the learning in the classroom.

These trips are an integral part of the overall school experience and fosters independent thinking, working as a team and builds confidence. Trips are designed and chosen to be inspiring, educational, cultural and ultimately a lot of fun.

Whether the children go on a school trip 5 minutes from the campus or an hour away by bus, a full risk assessment is conducted by teaching staff prior to the actual visit taking place. This ensures that even the most exciting and challenging activities are wellprepared, managed and most importantly, safe for all.

Assessment and Reporting Students are continually assessed by our teachers to refine the pace and content of future lessons. This ensures each child has maximum access to the curriculum. Feedback from these and the progress of your child are provided to parents via an initial ‘Baseline’ report, followed by Parent/ Teacher consultation evenings, mid-year and end of year reports.

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Specialists Subjects We are proud of our highly qualified team of Specialists. In addition to EAL and Lithuanian, we have experts in Music, PE and Spanish. Children receive Music and Choral lessons and enjoy two weekly PE sessions. There are opportunities for children to join the school choir and play in school teams.

After School Activities We offer a range of ASAs that include: cookery, football, art, drumming, indoor games and IT. ASAs are held from 3.30 pm to 4.30 pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays for all students. Usually, in the second week of each term, your child can select three ASAs. The most popular ASAs can only be chosen once a year. All ASAs will be limited to a maximum of students based on the activity. The cost of ASAs are included in the fees except for any provided by external companies where a small charge is made to cover costs.

On ASA days, buses will leave one hour later than usual. Parents who opt out of the ASA programme must arrange for the collection of their children at 3:30 pm.

Community Activities Here at BSV we try to organise after school activities for every day of the week. In addition to our own ASAs, we work with a number of providers to ensure there are always fun, challenging and enriching activities for children in our school and the wider community.

Please note that for the community activities you will need to sign up directly with the provider. We do not arrange school buses to fit in with these activities, and children need to be taken to and from these activities by a parent/ guardian even if these activities take place on a school day.

Languages We offer a variety of language options for students. We fully understand that we are an International School and we have an obligation to help support and develop the multilingual abilities of our students.

Lithuanian Lithuanian is taught as a specialist lesson to our students from Reception through to Year 8. Within their year group children are grouped according to their language ability, allowing for targeted teaching and learning to take place.

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English as an Additional Language (EAL) We are used to children arriving with limited English and have an excellent EAL (English as an Additional Language) Programme to cater for this. Children have 3 hours of EAL classes each week and are given a lot of support within the classroom to enable them to acquire English quickly. We find that children pick up English incredibly quickly in this environment.

Lithuanian Programme for Native Speakers We provide Lithuanian lessons to our native Lithuanian speakers. Students study reading and writing as well as spoken Lithuanian in order to maintain their mother tongue.

PE At the BSV Campus we have an indoor multi purpose room. In addition, we also have arrangements with a community sports facility to ensure that a full PE program can be provided as per the requirements of the English National Curriculum. Children enjoy two weekly PE sessions and there are opportunities for children to play in school teams with both friendly and competitive tournaments in football, tag rugby and basketball.

Our sports programme gives opportunities to learn, build skills and have new experiences outside of the normal classroom environment. At BSV we aim to provide a very high standard of coaching and competition for our athletes as well as enable all our students to find something they can enjoy in the sporting arena.

Music We use Music to unlock your child’s imagination through our Performing Arts Programme which enriches the music education at BSV. Your child will study an inspiring curriculum featuring musical works which represent a wide variety of genres, styles and cultures.

We bring these works to life in the classroom through hands on experiences for students of all ages. Activities such as improvisation and basic composition will unlock your child’s creativity.

Your child will also gain an understanding of how music functions and its role in our cultural and social history. Additionally, all children receive a choral lesson each week and in KS1 to KS3 they can join the school choir and participate in both school and outside performances.

Our choir will perform at a number of events throughout the year including school assemblies and external outings such as a Christmas tree lighting ceremony.

Children experience wide reaching benefits from learning to play a musical instrument. Our instrumental programme will support your child’s development across the whole curriculum, fostering valuable life skills, such as creativity, communication and critical thinking.

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House System What are School Houses?

The House System is used to promote team identity and competition. Commendations and other competitions (sport, music, academic) contribute towards the House Cup, which is awarded at Prize Giving at the end of the academic year.

All students are allocated to one of four Houses when they join BSV: Shackleton, Franklin, Eliot and Turing, with siblings being assigned to the same House. The Houses run across the school and students meet regularly in their House group.

Each House supports a different charity and is run by a House Leader. During the year we raise money through our various events and fundraising activities. The proceeds are divided at the end of the year between the houses.

The House with the most House Points receives the biggest donation for their chosen charity. Refer to our website for details of Houses.

Rewards We have high expectations of our pupils in their work and behaviour and it is important that we reward students accordingly. Pupils are awarded House Points for good work in lessons and for their homework.

They can also earn ‘marbles’ for their class based on good behaviour and participation in lessons. Additionally, individual children are also recognised during school assembly when ‘Student of the Week’ certificates are awarded for academic and social excellence.

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Homework Here at BSV we believe that Home Learning plays a role in the development of skills and, when used correctly, can have a positive impact on all learners. As such the BSV Home Learning timetable is carefully designed to avoid overloading students but at the same time ensuring that enough effective provision is in place.

Home Learning will always be given adequate time for students to be able to complete the task (for example two days) as many children have commitments outside of school hours.

Century Tech will play a large role in providing Home Learning provision in KS2 and KS3.

A homework timetable for each class will be issued at the start of each academic year.

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Communications with parents Daily Email and Letters A newsletter is circulated via email monthly that includes an update from the latest school news and upcoming events. Parents are kindly requested to make sure that the school is always kept informed of current email addresses, to ensure these newsletter updates are properly received.

Parents receive regular emails from the class teacher; this will either be delivered via email or directly through our Parent App. This updates parents on important school events, what lessons the students had that day and suggests questions you can ask your child to help support their learning.

Parents are encouraged to get into the habit of checking their Parent App regularly.

Parents should always contact their child’s class teacher with any questions.

Progress Reports Progress reports are sent home each term. The first report is a ‘Baseline’ report. This will mainly be a pastoral account of how your child has settled into class and their attitude to learning. The mid-year and end of year reports will focus on academic achievement as well as personal and social matters, and will include targets for future learning.

Children joining the school mid-way through the school year will receive a ‘settling in’ report after the student has been in school for six weeks.

Open Door Policy Parents need not wait for an official opportunity to meet with teachers, but are kindly requested to make an appointment in advance; usually email is the best method. This will avoid disappointment if the member of staff is not available and will prevent any disruption to the teaching day.

Parents who wish to meet with the Headmaster should contact administration, either by telephone or email (you will find details at the beginning of this booklet).

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Parent Teacher Consultations (PTC) A curriculum and ‘Meet and Greet’ session will be held during the first weeks of the academic year, providing parents with an opportunity to meet the teaching staff, visit the classrooms and learn more about the teaching and learning programme for the coming year.

Parent Teacher Consultation events are held three times per year, following the distribution of the baseline report, mid-year report and end of year report. During these meetings, teachers will discuss with parents the academic progress of pupils as well as personal and social matters.

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Transportation School Buses BSV operates a bus service from most of the surrounding residential areas and offers several pick up locations. You can choose one way or return trips and a full bus timetable is available from the administration.

Parents will be contacted if there is any delay to the service on either the outward or return journey. Children from 3 years old can take the bus, however, due to space limitations, parents cannot travel on the school buses.

The timetable for buses is changed on ASA days (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday); buses for students will leave one hour later than usual.

Children must be accompanied to and from school by a designated adult. Children taking the school bus must be accompanied to the bus stop and collected from the bus stop by a designated adult.

The school is located Nemenčinės pl. 48, the surrounding roads are generally quiet during the day. However in the morning, with our school buses arriving and other local ‘rush hour’ traffic, the roads outside of the campus may be busy. Please consider other road users and pedestrians when parking your car or if you are just pulling up to drop off your child. The same traffic issues can often occur at school pickup time and unfortunately poorly parked cars will quickly clog up the local streets and cause delays, especially to our larger school buses.

Use of Electronic Devices Children are not allowed to bring electronic devices into school which includes iPads and smart watches. This includes bringing items in their school bags and using them on school buses. Children with school iPads are not permitted to use these on school buses.

Any items found/reported will be confiscated and parents will be asked to come into school to collect them from the Headmaster.

Mobile phones are permitted for children in KS3.

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Life in school School Lunches and Snacks A hot lunch is served to all children in school every day. School lunches are paid for in advance along with tuition fees. If your child has dietary restrictions (whether for health, religious or allergy reasons), please inform the school immediately. We will inform the school kitchen and special arrangements will be made to provide suitable alternatives. The school aims to offer a balanced healthy meal.

Healthy snacks are served both in the morning and afternoon in Early Years. Children in Year 1 and above are welcome to bring in a suitable, healthy snack from home (fruit, dry biscuit) to eat mid-morning.

Please note that the school is a nut-free zone.

On their first day at school, all children with special lunch requirements will be identified and all teaching staff will be aware of the individual needs. Kitchen staff will also be made aware and make sure they are given the correct meal.

School First-Aid The school trains all staff in first aid prior to the beginning of the academic year. In the unlikely event of a more serious incident occurring at school, parents will be telephoned to inform them of the accident. If deemed necessary, parents will be asked to meet the child and staff member at school or the local hospital. If required, payment for any treatment is the responsibility of the parent.

Medicines The school requires a prescription from a doctor with the doctor's signature and stamp in order to administer any medication to a child. Additional written authorisation from the parent is required with clear instructions as to how to administer the medicine. All medication stored at the school shall be placed in a specific locked medical cabinet. All medication requires the original packaging, with clear labels identifying the name of the child, instructions of use and expiration dates.

Pupils may not administer their own medicine. Please advise us of any medical needs your child may have, particularly when there is an allergy to materials or food.

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Absences Regular daily attendance at school is expected but we understand that sometimes absence is unavoidable. Please inform the school if your child is not able to attend, the most effective method is by email direct to your child’s teacher or you may telephone the school office. Please also inform the school immediately if your child has an infectious illness or condition (i.e. chicken pox, hand foot and mouth, head lice, measles, etc.).

Children with a fever or upset stomach MUST stay at home for 24 hours before returning to school. If your child takes the school bus, the bus coordinator will need to be informed that your child will not be on the bus.

Absences due to extended holidays are strongly discouraged.

Parents’ Connection The Parents’ Connection (PC) is a fun, social and welcoming organisation. It works to promote and encourage interactions between parents and the school community. Through this principle function it acts as a meeting place for parents and facilitates fundraising activities that provide for the school community and for charitable causes. All parents become members of the PC as soon as their child joins the school.

If you wish to contact the PC with questions, suggestions, or to volunteer please email info@britishschool.lt Safeguarding BSV follows procedures and policies in line with UK guidelines and Lithuanian Law on the protection of minors and, where deemed appropriate and necessary, will seek help from relevant local authorities or Embassy Departments. Safeguarding training is provided as part of the Induction cycle to staff every year and procedures clearly shared with all staff to ensure that all students are protected.

Any Safeguarding concerns should be reported to: Andrew Prosser Designated Safeguarding Lead Headmaster Inna Krutoyarskaya Designated Child Protection Officer Director

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Fees and Invoicing The tuition fees are displayed on our website: www.britishschool.lt Tuition fees include stationary, learning materials and consumables but do not cover the cost of school excursions, uniforms, the bus or school meals. Fees are payable in three (3) equal instalments in advance of the start of each term and are subject to annual review.

School fees will be invoiced on a termly basis.

For your financial planning, the following table details when you can expect to receive the invoice and when the invoices will be due.

Fees for

Invoices sent out by

Due Date

Autumn Term

30th June

1st August

Spring Term

15th November

15th December

Summer Term

15th February

15th March

The administration team will be in touch to confirm your individual invoicing details. If you wish to be invoiced yearly, or for any subsequent changes and requests, our accounting department can be contacted at: info@britishschool.lt

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Glossary ASA - After School Activity Class Assembly - Each class will take a turn on a Friday to present a short show to children and their parents. This will often feature music, songs and videos about their learning journey.

EAL - English as an Additional Language EYFS - Early Years Foundation Stage (Nursery to Reception, children aged 3 to 5) IMPS - Individual Music Programmes (optional individual music tuition, available each term, fees are payable) KS1 - Key Stage One (children in Years 1 and 2) LKS2 - Lower Key Stage Two (children in Years 3 and 4) UKS2 - Upper Key Stage Two (children in Years 5 and 6) KS3 - Key Stage 3 (children in Years 7 to 9) One to One - An adult allocated to assist a specific child in class PC - Parents’ Connection PE - Physical Education PSED - Physical, Social and Emotional Development PSHE - Physical, Social and Humanities Education STEAM - Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics TA - Teaching Assistant. An adult working with a class

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Our Location School Campus: Nemencines pl. 48, Vilnius 10103, Lithuania Contact Us Phone: +370 52 33 88 55 Email: info@britishschool.lt