FAQs

Does the school value my input and how can I communicate with the school or my child’s teacher(s)?

Our school values the importance of cooperation and communication between home and school. Please make an appointment at the Registrar’s office to schedule an appointment with your child’s teacher or the Deputy for the Primary section.

Your child’s school diary is also an important tool to be used in communicating between school and parents. We also have a website specifically for the Early Years Programme where you can find out about activities at school and a host of other information. Kindly check your child’s diary and the website regularly to keep yourself updated with the activities done in school as well as to see if there is a new circular or communication from the school. You may also set up appointments with your child’s teacher through the diary.

Please refrain from calling a teacher out of the classroom for any reason during school hours as it tends to disrupt lessons. 

Is my attendance at parent meetings important?

It is most beneficial for parents to take these opportunities to find out more about the school or to discuss children’s progress at school and find solutions to academic or behavioral problems. Parent Meetings are held regularly at the end of the term when report cards are distributed, as well as in the middle of each term when interim reports are distributed; you may check the diary or the website for the schedule of these distributions. However, on occasion, the school also calls for parents to attend other meetings for other specific needs.

What time should I ensure that my child is at school and when may I collect my child from the school?

School day begins at 8:30 AM every day of the week. We ask for your cooperation in ensuring that your child/ward is dropped off at school not earlier than 7:30 AM.

Pick up is at 10:30 AM/12:30 for Nursery, 12:50 PM for children in Reception1, and 3:05 PM for children in Reception 2, Year 1 and Year 2 with no after-school activity, or at designated times on days when an activity that your child has chosen to join ends.

We firmly request that your child be picked up promptly after school dismissal. The school cannot provide supervision at the end of class time and/or the end of after-school activity.

What security arrangements are in place to ensure that my child is safe, especially at the start of the school day and the end of the school day?

The school management is very conscious of its responsibility in ensuring the safety of each and every child during school hours and whilst the child is on school property.  Three security guards are on duty at all times to ensure that unauthorised persons do not enter the school building.

In no case shall your child be released to any person that is not on the list of those authorized to pick-up your child/ward. During the first week of classes, an Authority to Fetch ID will be given. Kindly fill out the card and attach the pictures of persons authorized to fetch your child. In case of an emergency or if a family or friend was unable to secure the necessary ID, the school will only allow the release of the child if a request is submitted ahead of time either directly by telephone or by fax.

In addition all corridors, the main entrance to the school and the main parking areas are covered by close circuit television cameras to monitor the arrivals and departures at the school.

What happens if I am unable to accompany my child to the school but can send the child with a child-minder (yaya)?

Children from Nursery to Reception 2 may be accompanied to school by a child-minder and the child-minder may remain on the school premises until the child is collected at the end of the school day.  The child-minder may not, except in case of an emergency, enter the classroom or any of the classroom corridors to respect the safety and security of other students.

Please note that as a parent you are expected to be responsible regarding the behaviour and appearance of your child-minder while on the school premises.  The school will in due course provide all parents who have child-minders attending the school with guidelines regarding expected behaviour in respect of child-minders.

What do I do if my child has to leave school for an urgent matter?

Children may not be pulled out during the course of the day unless for emergencies. On such occasions, kindly secure a Permit to Leave Slip from the Guard or the Registrar’s Office and have it signed by the Headmaster and Form Tutor.

My child sometimes bites when he/she get angry.  How will the school handle a situation such as this?

Biting occurs mostly when proper classroom management is not maintained. But even with proper precautions, biting can still occur because biting is a normal stage of development that a child goes through. Children bite for many reasons. Some children are tired, need attention or are over stimulated. Others are just teething or exploring their surroundings. Whatever the cause of biting might be, IBA will handle biting by: 

• Talking to and comforting the child that has just been bitten.
• We will talk to the child who bit and explain the hurt that was caused and explain to him/her the right way to handle the situation next time.
• Staff will shadow the child that has bitten on more than one occasion to prevent recurrence.
• We will remove the child if biting continues and a meeting will be set up with the parent and the Headmaster.
• If a child breaks skin, first aid will be administered and the parents will be called.

Will the school cooperate with parents in celebrating a special event such as a child’s birthday?

It is important that Birthday Party Reservation form be requested before a birthday activity is arranged so that the necessary preparations can be made.  The form needs to be submitted to the child’s form tutor at least three days before the celebration date. This form can be obtained through your child’s form tutor who will liaise with the Deputy Head. 

The parents or family representatives of the celebrant are the only visitors that may assist during the meal time, and the party may be celebrated only within the snack or lunch period to prevent disruption of the regular school day. 

What are my responsibilities as a parent regarding the health of my child and what should I do if my child is ill or if my child falls ill at school?

We must have a current Certificate of Immunization on file at all times. It is our policy, for the benefit of our overall student enrolment, that no student may start school unless we have an adequate Certificate of Immunization on file. The admission for continued enrolment of any child may be denied when a child has an illness or disability that the school management, in its sole discretion, deems potentially harmful to any other student or staff member; and whose illness or disability is beyond the capacity of the school to properly handle. No child with a communicable disease will be permitted to attend.

• A health certificate and immunization form signed by your child’s physician must be on file at IBA within 30 days of enrolment.
• Shot records must be updated each time your child is due for another immunization.
• A health check is made every morning by your child’s teacher and the Headmaster is notified if a child is thought to be ill.
• Your child must be well enough to participate in everyday activities to be at school.
• If your child has any allergies, special diets, etc., it must be brought to the attention of school upon enrolment by declaring such in the Health Form which is part of the application documents upon entry. The Health Form is on file at the school clinic.

In the interest of the well being of the rest of the children, we can only accept well children. Please do not bring your child if he/she shows signs of illness such as a fever within the past 24 hours, intestinal disturbance accompanied by diarrhoea or vomiting, any undiagnosed rash, sore or discharging eyes or ears, profuse coloured nasal discharge, and/or a communicable disease. For the well-being of all the students, we will call parents when a child is found to have a fever or communicable illness. Please make arrangements to have your child picked up within 30 minutes of our phone call. We do not have personnel on hand to care for seriously ill children.

All children become ill at some time or another.  Unfortunately, that time may be while in school. You will be called if your child becomes ill during the day. You are expected to promptly pick up your child when called.

Reasons for calling include:

• a fever of 38 degrees or higher
• a constant cough causing the child to become blue or red in the face
• difficult or rapid breathing
• diarrhea
• stiff neck
• conjunctivitis (pink eye)
• unusually dark urine and/or grey or white stool
• nasal discharge
• yellowish skin or eyes
• vomiting
• severe itching of scalp (lice)

Should your child become ill while he or she is in the care of the school, we will take proper action as deemed necessary. If the school finds it necessary to seek further medical attention and care for your child, IBA will contact the necessary medical personnel. Parents will be notified immediately at the time of accident/incident. Transportation will be provided by the school.

What should I do if my child is on medication and needs to take that medication during school hours?

IBA takes the position that when children are ill, it is best to develop a treatment plan with the consultation of a physician. When possible, the treatment plan should provide for administering medication at times other than during school hours. However, the school recognizes that there may be instances when medication must be administered during the school day. It will be necessary for parents to provide the School Nurse with parental AND physician consent/prescription.

If it is necessary for a student to take medications, either prescription or non-prescription during the school day, the Authorization for Prescription or Non-Prescription Medication Form must be completed and signed by the parent AND physician. The form is to be submitted when initially requesting administration of medication during school hours.

What happens if my child is involved in an accident at school?

First Aid will be administered to minor injuries in case of accidents. Should your child be involved in an accident while he or she is in the care of the school, we will take proper action as deemed necessary. If the school finds it necessary to seek further medical attention and care for your child, IBA will contact the necessary medical personnel. Parents will be notified immediately at the time of accident/incident. Transportation will be provided by the school.

 If an accident is such that further treatment is indicated, we will:

• Call you at home or work.
• Call emergency numbers listed on the enrolment form.
• Call your child’s physician.
• A written report would be written in the diary.