Code of Conduct of Learners
Paddington’s Educare Center felt that there was a definite need for an affordably priced independent school in Glen Austin, which offers quality education and is aimed at the middle income group.
We accept learners from all population groups and also from all religious affiliations. We are a registered CC and receive no subsidies and are therefore totally dependent on school fees.
We aim to remain small enough so that we can give each learner in our school the necessary individual attention and constantly strive to improve our facilities.
Our motto is : Passion, Pride & Diversity.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Paddington’s Educare Center is managed by the owner, Candice Gilford.
AFFILIATIONS
Glen Austin Primary School, a division of Paddington’s Educare Center, is registered with the Department of Health Services and the Department of Social Services and Development. We are also registered with the Gauteng Department of Education.
We have been granted accreditation by Umalusi, Council of Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training – Accreditation number 19 SCH01 00652
SCHOOL CALENDAR
Paddington’s Educare Center and Glen Austin Primary follow the Four Term school calendar.
SCHOOL TIMES
Monday to Friday – 7:30 am to 2:00 pm
12:00 pm on the Last Day of every Term
NB : It is our standard policy to close the school when a single day falls between a Public Holiday and a weekend.
WE OFFER THE FOLLOWING:
A small, private school with small classes (max. 26 learners per class).
Extra-curricular activities: School-based – Netball and Soccer and Outsourced – Soccer, Dance and Playball (these are subject to change from time to time).
Reasonable rates.
- Child assessments and learner support programs.
Fully qualified staff with SACE Registration, a valid First Aid & CPR for Educators Certificate and a Fire Safety Certification. Police and Sexual Offender Register Clearances are mandatory.
- Aftercare available throughout the four terms (excluding school holidays).
Transport available by an outsourced provider.
- Educational excursions.
AN INTEGRATED DAY:
As a registered independent school our programme includes daily / weekly themes encompassing:
NOTE: Physical Education incorporates swimming, athletics, netball, soccer & hockey
AFTERCARE
The School has an Aftercare facility, operating each afternoon from 14h30 up until 17h30. The costs are over and above school fees. Application and registration may be made through the office. This provides for aftercare every day of the week within the four school terms each year.
Any Public Holidays within this period are excluded. Aftercare fees include a light lunch, afternoon snacks and Supervised Homework. However, all tasks and assignments must be checked daily, as well as studying and reading all remain the parents responsibility. A calendar months’ notice is required in the event of a pupil leaving the Aftercare facility.
This service is available to learners who are not permanently enrolled in Aftercare should the need arise from time to time. In this instance, there is an ad-hoc fee per day. However, it is noted that arrangements must be made with the office or teacher in charge, ahead of time otherwise a late collection fee may apply.
TRANSPORT
Transport is available on request, however these services are outsourced. Transport related costs are billed with your fees and amounts paid to the service provider on your behalf. Transport is managed and run by the owner of the transport and the liability is that of the owner, and not Paddington’s Educare Center or Glen Austin Primary.
School Fees and Related Information
School fees are payable in advance by the 1st of each month. Failure to do so could result in legal action. Compulsory method of payment is via Debit order unless payment for 6 or 12 months is made in advance. Parents must provide the School Office with the correct and accurate information as requested on the enrolment forms.
Costs include an assessment fee which is payable on the day of Assessment, a non refundable registration fee (subject to acceptance) to secure a place in the school, monthly fee payments (in advance), as well as an Annual Stationery and Consumables Levy (for stationery, books etc). Parents are responsible for the purchasing and payment of textbooks that are not provided by the school.
The tariffs are applicable as per our Standard Pricelist. Interest accrued on moneys paid in advance is accrued to Paddington’s. The fees are inclusive of basic schooling, Physical Education, Swimming, Art and Craft supplies, readers and photocopied workbooks. School fees do NOT include: uniforms, outings, stationery and textbooks / exercise books. Parents are billed for stationery and consumables annually by way of a levy, however this may NOT include everything.
NB: No child will be enrolled unless the registration fee has been paid in full, the required registration forms have been completed accurately and correctly and the relevant documents have been handed in.
THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS MUST ACCOMPANY YOUR APPLICATION:
R 300-00 Application Fee (Non-refundable) (Grade 1 – 7)
- Unabridged Birth Certificate
- Study permits for all foreign students
Immunization card (must be up-to-date)
- Completed Enrolment forms – ALL Pages completed in full and signed by both parents
- Previous School Report
- ID size photo of the child (Grade 1 – 7)
- Copies of BOTH parents ID Books or Passports with valid Work Permits where applicable
- Proof of Employment
- 3 months bank statements (for the person whose account details appear on the Debit Order form)
CONDITIONS OF ACCEPTANCE AT OUR SCHOOL:
The admission policy of Paddington’s Educare Center / Glen Austin Primary is determined by the Principal. The policy is:
- Children are subject to a written assessment prior to a decision being made regarding acceptance.
- Admission to the School shall not be limited by religion, race or cultural beliefs.
- A learner’s admission to the School may be denied if he or she is outside the accepted or recommended age range of the grade level the learner qualifies to enter.
The school reserves the right to decline applications made at their discretion.
Admission may also be limited by the learner’s desired subject choices or by a parent’s inability to afford / pay school fees.
Regarding age for school entry, the Act stipulates that in order to qualify for Grade 1 a learner shall turn seven in the year of attending Grade 1. Therefore learners will be accepted for Grade R in the year in which they turn six, for Grade 00 in the year in which they turn five and Grade 000 in the year they turn four.
REMOVAL OF LEARNERS FROM THE SCHOOL
- Notice period applicable as per enrolment contract. Paddington’s Educare Center and Glen Austin Primary does not accept notice during the months of November and December.
- Parents understand that their registration fee (payable on acceptance for Grades 1 to 7) is non refundable.
- Should they fail to honour this agreement in any manner, they will be held liable for interest, calculated monthly, on the outstanding amount, as well as any legal costs incurred and that Paddington’s Educare Center / Glen Austin Primary subscribes to standards issued by Trans Union and the National Credit Bureau. As a result they may be listed on their database for failing to comply with the conditions, as set out above.
- Parents further understand that should their child utilise the aftercare and transport facilities offered by Paddington’s Educare Center / Glen Austin Primary at any given time during their enrolment, the same conditions relating to payment and notice periods, as stipulated above, apply.
- Parents accept and agree that upon application at Paddington’s Educare Center / Glen Austin Primary a full Credit Check will be performed prior to acceptance of their child.
ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURES
OWNERSHIP
Paddington’s Educare Center CC forms the basic business unit of the school. It is owned and managed by Candice Gilford.
FUNDING
The School shall be funded by school fees raised from parents on an annual basis and a non-refundable registration / enrolment fee.
ACADEMIC CRITERIA
No child shall be admitted to any level unless they have successfully completed the entrance tests or evaluation appropriate to that level. A pupil must be seen to be benefiting from the teaching of the school. If progress is not satisfactory, alternative or supplementary education will be required.
OBJECTIVES AND SCHOOL ETHOS
GENERAL EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES
- To provide, promote and encourage the maintenance of teaching and educational services to boys and girls from Grade 000 to Grade 7.
- To ensure a high level of excellence in teaching and learning with English as our medium of instruction.
- To maintain such numbers of learners per class as will optimise teaching effectiveness.
- To provide education to any fee-paying learner in a positive, supportive ethos where academic rigor and excellence form the focus of lessons.
- To use special days and festivals of all religious groups to provide opportunities to share and understand the different cultures and religions.
- To provide a secure, disciplined learning environment in which the imagination can be kindled, intellectual curiosity aroused, industry rewarded and academic potential fulfilled.
- To provide a healthy learning environment and to educate and inform learners in an effort to assist and encourage them to make healthy lifestyle choices.
THE LEARNER
- To develop each individual to his or her full potential spiritually, intellectually, physically, culturally and socially.
- To focus on cognitive development by challenging each learner to think, reason, debate and to form personal opinions based on available information.
- To empower learners to access and manage information by providing them with computer skills and exposing them to the most up to date information technology.
- To encourage in learners a sense of community arising from service as a means of personal growth and civic responsibility.
- To provide facilities for sport, cultural and adventure activities to maximise the natural environment provided at Paddington’s Educare Center / Glen Austin Primary and its surrounding areas.
- To develop in learners a sense of personal style and self worth by providing a strong ethos, a strong value system and a sense of history and tradition.
- To provide every child with life skills to enable him or her to focus on clear, attainable personal goals.
LEARNERS WITH DISABILITIES
Paddington’s Educare Center / Glen Austin Primary endeavours to cater for children with minor disabilities where possible as long as the levels of care and Education offered by the school serves in the best interest of the child. Should the learner’s condition deteriorate whilst enrolled, the school reserves a similar Right to Terminate the said contract on a term’s notice.
COMMITMENTS
Paddington’s Educare Center / Glen Austin Primary commits itself to:
- Serving the community via service-related projects as may be determined from time to time by the School.
- Maintaining a business and fee structure based on the principles of efficiency, affordability and sustainability, as directed by the School. To this end the School shall strive, as far as possible and without compromising the quality of education offered by it, to maintain fees at market-related rates.
- Support Local Communities and Community Projects in the way of attendance at a significantly reduced rate.
- Paddington’s Educare Center / Glen Austin Primary will continue it’s support of local children’s homes and the community at large through local outreach programs e.g. Blanket/food & clothing collections, as well as continued donations of used stationery and other educational aids.
THE EDUCATOR
Paddington’s Educare Center / Glen Austin Primary commits itself to:
- The school undertakes to ensure its staff are well qualified and registered with the relevant teaching bodies.
- The school will continue to offer various ongoing Skills Development courses and workshops for our staff.
THE PARENT
While Paddington’s Educare Center / Glen Austin Primary shall endeavour to encourage parents to participate meaningfully in the governance, management, development of facilities and activities of the School, it also asks the following of parents:
- Parents accept their role as primary educators of their children.
- That the role of the School is to assist parents in carrying out this responsibility.
- That active support by parents of a child’s schooling will increase the likelihood of the child gaining maximum benefit.
- That the Code of Conduct established by the School be accepted fully and actively supported by the parent.
DISCIPLINE
The School shall institute codes of conduct for learners, educators and parents by written and verbal notifications, and through practice and precedent established from time to time.
A disciplined environment is essential for effective learning to take place.
Serious misdemeanors or persistent infringement of school rules will require the parent to make alternative plans for their child’s education.
The learners are expected to conform to the Schools discipline policy which makes use of the merit and demerit system. This policy is sent home in the children’s books and is also available on the D6 School communicator.
Discipline is what is done FOR a student, not what is done TO him/her. If your child comes home complaining about a policy or discipline, please follow the following procedure:
Give the staff the benefit of the doubt in front of your child before checking up with the staff member concerned. We are sure you do not want a disagreement to be used to divide parent and teacher.
- Realise that your child’s reporting may be emotionally biased and may not include all the information.
- Realise that the school has reasons for all rules and that they are enforced without partiality.
- Support the school and call the teacher for all the facts.
- The discipline will be firm, consistent, fair and tempered with love. Our staff maintains standards of behaviour in the classroom through kindness, love and genuine regard for the students. However, when disciplinary action becomes necessary it will be firmly carried out tempered by good judgement and understanding.
- BULLYING is not tolerated in any form or nature at Paddington’s Educare Center.
Please Remember: The attitude and actions which you adopt with regard to regulations and discipline will send a very strong signal to your child. If you are perceived by the child to be “side-stepping” inconvenient regulations, they will assume that they too may do this, and our ability to run an ordered community will be seriously undermined.
GENERAL
- At Paddington’s Educare Center / Glen Austin Primary we have an “Open Door Policy” where parents are welcomed and encouraged to come and discuss grievances and concerns with the Principal.
- Parent involvement with the school is a pre-requisite for the school to function effectively. Parents are required to attend school functions, Parent/Teachers meetings and Parents’ Evenings.
Whilst pupils are in the care of the school, the Headmaster / Mistress is in Loco Parentis (including consent to medical treatment, operations and anaesthetics); who will consult the parents where, in his / her opinion, this is possible.
- Paddington’s Educare Center / Glen Austin Primary reserves the right to Terminate the contract.
The school makes use of the following communication tools, namely the D6 School communicator, email and sms facilities as well as the homework and communication books.