Dear Parents,

It is our privilege to extend to you all a warm welcome at the start of this new academic year. In particular, I would like to offer a special welcome to all new families joining BISC and the Senior School community for the first time.

Here at Senior School, we take great pride in our vision to inspire all members of the school community to be curious, courageous, engaged and resilient learners. We are committed to securing an effective pastoral provision for our students, so they can thrive personally and academically. 

As an incoming Head of Senior School, I feel deeply honoured to have been appointed to the role and to continue our unwavering commitment to excellence. I will base my approach to the Headship of this excellent Senior School on the principles which have guided me throughout my journey in educational leadership: to create a caring and supportive environment to allow each student to develop and thrive; to develop a strong relationship between home and school so that the students sense our support for them; to encourage our students to commit to their studies and to all the opportunities available to them; and for me to serve the community with integrity, openness and passion. It is a responsibility which I take on with humility and enthusiasm. 

Ensuring that students fulfil their academic potential is only a part of their educational journey. Raising kind, curious and courageous young people who will grow into responsible changemakers both locally and globally is also our key mission. We have the privilege of shaping each individual so that they can lead fulfilling lives and affect a positive change in society. For us to do so successfully, the relationship with home is an essential one, a positive partnership between a child’s parents and their school has a significant impact on the success and well-being of each pupil. 

Whether your child is joining us this year in Year 7, continuing on their journey through the Key Stages or entering their final year preparing for their IB Diploma examinations and university applications, we are delighted to be here to support them. The joy of learning is at the heart of everything we do and high quality teaching and learning is of utmost importance to us. In addition, following the significant investment over the summer, we are looking forward to enhancing student learning with the latest technology this academic year.

You may at times have questions, concerns or frustrations. It is important that you make us aware of those through positive and constructive feedback following the communication policy below. We are committed to working together to do our best to resolve or develop an understanding of the circumstances.

I am looking forward to meeting you over the course of the coming weeks. In the meantime, we hope this Handbook will be able to answer many of the everyday questions that you may wish to ask. If you cannot find the required information in this document, please do not hesitate to contact the school and we will be happy to help.

Your sincerely,

Tyla Arabas

Head of Senior School

Aims of the Senior School

This profile epitomises the type of student that BISC strives to produce and links in seamlessly with our mission statement. As parents, you can support the school by discussing these values at home and promoting them when appropriate. 

IB learners strive to be:

Contact Details

BISC is located within the Beverly Hills Compound in 6th October City, approximately 22km from central Cairo. The School’s contact details are as follows:

Communication 

The diagrams below outline who parents should contact in case of concerns about their child: 

The tutor is responsible for the day to day pastoral care of the student. She/he is the link person between the parent and the school. 

The HoY has responsibility for the overall welfare of the student, and has an overview of their academic and social progress at school.  

For academic concerns in any specific subject, parents are encouraged to contact the subject teachers/Head of Department.

Parents will receive regular reports on students’ progress and there are scheduled Parents’ Days where you have the opportunity to discuss progress with the Form Tutor, subject teachers and the Head of Year. Dates of which are published on the calendar, which is available on the BISC website.

If you need to contact the school at any point during the day please telephone the main switchboard number +02 3827-0444 and ask for one of the three members of the Senior School administrative team.

General Queries and Reports: 

Ms. Nehal Zohny (PA to Head of Senior School) nehal.zohny@bisc.edu.eg 

Examinations and Transcripts: 

Mr. Hamza Ahmed (Exams Officer) hamza.ahmed@bisc.edu.eg 

Engage Information:

Mrs. Hanaa Tobia (Engage System Manager) hanaa.tobia@bisc.edu.eg 

Attendance related emails should be sent to attendance@bisc.edu.eg 

For queries about subjects please email the teacher directly. Tutors should be the first point of contact if you have any concerns about your child’s academic or pastoral welfare. 

The School uses a variety of methods to communicate with parents, including:

Parental Complaints

The School’s goal is to provide a high-quality learning environment. From time to time, however, issues may arise that parents may wish to raise with the School. The School takes complaints seriously and views them as potentially making an important contribution to the School’s quality assurance measures. It is hoped that most complaints or concerns can be resolved quickly and informally. At all times staff will listen carefully and patiently to you. In doing so they will recognise that the issue is of concern to the parent or student. An outline of the procedures is set out below but full details can be found in the Parental Complaints Procedure Policy which is on the BISC website

1. Any safeguarding/child protection concerns should be reported directly to our child protection officer, Ms. Jennifer Ibrahim (Jennifer.Ibrahim@bisc.edu.eg)
2. The first point of contact for most informal complaints will be the Form Tutor and Head of Year (Pastoral) or Subject Teacher (Academic). If not resolved, it should then be referred to the Head of Key Stage (Pastoral) or the Head of Department (Academic). 
3. Formal Complaints should be addressed to the Deputy Head Academic or Deputy Head Pastoral in writing (preferably via email).
4. In the unlikely event that the issue is not resolved, then it can be referred to the Principal in writing (preferably via email).
5. Finally, in very rare occasions the Board of Directors can be contacted via the Board Secretary. 
   

Parental complaints that have not gone through the proper channels will be referred to the appropriate person. 

Emergencies

If there is an emergency, of any nature, we will contact you. We must have up-to-date contact numbers and email addresses. Please inform us, in writing, with your signature and date, of any changes, including postal address and medical information.  

For up-to-date information please visit https://www.bisc.edu.eg/term-dates.html

For a full staff listing please visit the school website at https://www.bisc.edu.eg/our-staff.html

For a full staff listing, sorted by departments, please visit the school website at https://www.bisc.edu.eg/our-staff.html

THE SENIOR SCHOOL CYCLE

Starting in the academic year 2024-25, the Senior School moves to a two week cycle, commencing on a Sunday, using a Week A / Week B model. This allows for the full range of Senior School subjects delivered to be incorporated clearly and consistently into the timetable. 

Days in the cycle adopt the following notation:

Week A is the red week, with Week B the green week: these colours are consistently used to provide visual prompts to support staff when identifying the Week referred to.

The School Day

Curriculum Overview

The curriculum in the Senior School is broad and ambitious. Based broadly on the National Curriculum for England and Wales, it seeks to provide students with both substantive and disciplinary knowledge that will allow them to transition effectively to the next stage of their education journey, all the while, supporting them to achieve their own personal excellence. As an international school, we use the National Curriculum as a framework for our own curriculum but adapt it to take into account the context in which we are teaching.

In Key Stage 3 (Years 7 – 9) students are taught across the range of National Curriculum subjects. We believe it is important to develop knowledge and understanding that will allow our students to become ‘GCSE-ready’ by the time they reach the end of Year 9.

In Key Stage 4 (Years 10 – 11), students’ curriculum is narrowed slightly through the options process. Students can study from a range of ‘academic’ and ‘creative’ IGCSE, GCSE, and O-Level subjects. All the courses offered at Key Stage 4 provide learning pathways towards further study at Key Stage 5 in our 6th Form, or other Post-16 provisions in Egypt and beyond.

Our Key Stage 5 (Years 12 – 13) offer provides students with the opportunity to further specialise their learning through the study of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IDBP). By the end of their studies in the Senior School, students are well positioned to secure places for university study or employment.

Alongside the ‘examined’ curriculum, students in the Senior School follow an age-appropriate Personal Development (PD) curriculum and are encouraged to participate in a wide-ranging extra-curricular provision, through our After School Activity (ASA) programme. The intention of this PD and extracurricular offer is to provide opportunities for students to become:

• Confident individuals who are able to live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives.
• Responsible global citizens who can make a positive contribution to society.
• Globally aware young people who will be able to thrive in the 21st Century world.

Curriculum Allocations

The number of lessons allocated for each two-week cycle in AY 2024-25 is visible on the PDF below :

Below is the curriculum structure for the Sixth Form:

Reporting and Assessment in the Senior School

There is a strong correlation between effort, behaviour and a student’s performance in a subject. Equally, the school recognises that students differ in ability. Our reporting system is designed to help students and parents clearly identify the factors that are affecting progress.

Progress Reports

Students will receive up to 2 Progress Reports across the first two terms of the school year. These will include the student’s grade at that point of learning and will measure the following:

Learning Development

• Ready - This is a teacher’s assessment of a student’s ability to organise their time, bring the correct equipment and participate actively in class.
• Respectful - This is a teacher’s assessment of a student’s ability to work well with others in a positive, mature and respectful manner.
• Independence - This is a teacher’s assessment of a student's ability to complete tasks independently including homework.

Subject Attainment

• Performance – This is a teacher’s assessment of the academic achievement of a student in the subject relative to ability based on teacher judgement and baseline data.

We believe this way of reporting will allow students who are working extremely hard and behaving in an exemplary fashion to be recognised for their efforts even if their overall aptitude for a subject indicates they find it challenging. Likewise, it will be easy to distinguish students who have exceptional ability but are not working hard enough to fulfil their potential.

Full Reports

All students will receive one full report towards the end of the school year. Year 11 and Year 13 will receive this report before the exam period begins.

The Full Report will be similar to the Progress Reports but will also include a summative comment by teachers and recommended targets for students to work towards in the future.

Schedule of Reporting 

Curriculum Support

Where possible and where resources permit, the School offers support to students whatever their learning needs. In particular, we offer support to students who may have specific learning needs, who have English as their second language or who are considered gifted or talented within a particular subject. Ms. Karima Marei coordinates the work of the Curriculum Support team throughout the Senior and Junior Schools.

At BISC we value, support and encourage each student to become holistic, well rounded members of the global society. The Pastoral care structure of the school is integral to this. Every teacher is pastoral and will strive to commit to:

• Consistent, calm adult behaviour - at all times in and around school
• Give first attention to best conduct - recognising desired behaviours
• Commit to relentless routines - ensure consistency and fairness
• Scripted interventions - promote certainty and prevent escalations
• Restorative follow up - encourage reflection and positive relationships

Pastoral Support

There is a pastoral support structure based, in the first instance, around the Form Tutor. Every day there is a meeting between the Form Tutor and their tutees; a ten-minute registration period is scheduled for the beginning of the day.  It must be stressed that this is seen as an important contact period and parents are urged to see that all students are in the building at a good time so as to attend registration at 08:00.

In addition to the channels outlined, each student is under the overall charge of a Head of Year. S/he is involved with the overall pastoral care of the students and as such, you or they can approach him/her. The Head of Key Stage and Deputy Head Pastoral provide yet further pastoral care.

The Pastoral team has an overall responsibility to monitor the attendance, behaviour for learning and academic effort and progress for every student in their care.

Attendance Policy

The correlation between school attendance and educational success is strong. From analysis, students who have an attendance below our minimum expectation of 95% achieve at least 1 grade lower per subject. 

Code of Conduct

Ready - Respectful- Safe

A school is a place that promotes responsibility, respect, civility and academic excellence in a safe learning and teaching environment. All students, parents, teachers and staff have the right to be safe, and feel safe, in their school community. With this right comes the responsibility to follow the school rules and to be accountable for actions that put at risk the wellbeing of others or oneself. https://www.bisc.edu.eg/policies.html

Behaviour

We expect students to adhere to a code of conduct and behave appropriately at all times. Disciplinary matters are dealt with by the Form Tutor, the Heads of Year, Heads of Key Stage, the Deputy Head Pastoral and the Principal. Parents are kept informed of any such issues. 

At BISC, we have very high expectations of our students. We have a number of mechanisms to support our students, both to reward good behaviour and to address any incidences of inappropriate or unacceptable behaviour. 

Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking

The possession, use, sale or distribution of drugs or alcohol is prohibited. Students suspected of taking drugs or alcohol will be reported to their parents. Smoking or vaping is not allowed at BISC nor when travelling to and from the school or when representing it in other places. Students not observing this rule may be removed from the student roll and banned from trips. In cases where a child is taking a course of prescribed drugs, please inform the school Doctor so that she may monitor and administer the medication.  

The School Day

Students are expected to arrive between 07:45 and 07:55 each day to ensure they reach Registration by 08:00. Students arriving after 07.55 will be considered late to school.

Please note that on Thursdays, when we hold our traditional Flag Ceremony, Gates 4 and 5 will be locked at 07:55. Students arriving after this time are required to enter the school via Gate 3. From this entry point, our students will be able to participate in the Ceremony and feel part of the school community.

End of Day Arrangements

Only students involved in an extra-curricular activity may remain on site after 15:15. Students involved in activities may remain on site until 16:30 at the latest. Most students travel by school bus or private car. There are bike racks available for students who choose to cycle to school. 

BISC Bulletin

This is sent to parents by email at the end of each week during term time. Besides general news, it contains information specifically for Senior School parents. Copies can also be found on the Engage parent portal.

After School Activities - ASAs

Students are expected to take part in at least one co-curricular activity run after school and sometimes at the weekend (e.g. swimming, volleyball, drama rehearsals, etc.). A schedule is set up every term to inform students as to the activities on offer and students then sign up electronically on Engage, via a link sent to their BISC email accounts.

Students are encouraged to bring additional food and water to school on days when they participate in activities and to ensure that they have the appropriate clothing and equipment with them, such as shin pads for football. For some activities, a charge has to be levied to cover the cost of the activity. 

Students are not allowed to leave the campus between school and the start of an ASA. ASAs will begin at 15:15.

Annual Events

There are a number of events that occur annually such as parents’ meetings, concerts, open days and exhibitions. Details can be found in the weekly BISC Bulletin and on the Engage Parent Portal.  

Assemblies

All students are involved in assemblies either with the whole of Senior School or as a Key Stage or as a Year Group on a monthly basis or as the need arises.  

Calendar

This is posted on the Engage Parent Portal and the BISC website and includes details of all school events, assemblies, dates for reports to published and scheduled holidays.  

Field Studies and Trips

The school organises field trips to various regions of Egypt and takes advantage of alternative facilities offered by other educational establishments within the Cairo area.  

The school has its own buses and, when necessary, hires additional coaches for these visits. Before such excursions take place, parents must complete consent and medical forms. There may be an additional charge for such visits.

Trips for activities such as sport, Model United Nations and the International Award take place throughout the academic year; some of these trips take place overseas. Parents will be contacted with all the information relevant to the trip well in advance of the departure date.  

Students may not be allowed on trips if:

• Attendance is below the expected minimum of 95%
• There behaviour record is poor as per Engage entries
• There are clear signs of academic concerns
• School fees are unpaid at the time when the trip is being organised

BSME (British Schools of the Middle East) and COBIS (Council of British International Schools)

The school is a full member of BSME, an organisation of several schools from all over North Africa, the Middle East, and the eastern Mediterranean.  We are also a full member of COBIS, an alliance of international schools that provide British education across the globe. We take part in a variety of sporting and cultural events each year involving other BSME and COBIS schools. 

Careers

The school helps students towards the next step after BISC by providing career lessons during the PSHE time to every student across the academic year. In addition, the Careers Adviser is available to meet students and parents for individual guidance. 

For Year 9 and Year 11 students who have important subject option choices to make, there will be a subject showcase and Options Evening. Dates for these will be communicated to parents. At this event, parents and students can meet directly with teachers to discuss the nature of each subject at IGCSE and IB level respectively. 

Catering

There are two catering outlets available on site for students to use at break times or after school. La Cantine serves hot meals, while Beano's provides healthy sandwiches, snacks and drinks. Students may bring in money to purchase food from these outlets or they may bring in a packed lunch. We encourage students to bring healthy snacks and not to bring in fizzy drinks or sweets. 

Students are not permitted to use these outlets between lessons.

Water is available throughout the school, single use plastic cups are not; students should have a water bottle with them at all times.  

Library

The Library contains a variety of paper and electronic resources and periodicals. Students are encouraged to use the Library to complete research which may be required as part of their studies. 

Equipment

Students require a pencil case with pens, pencils, coloured pencils, eraser, ruler, sharpener, protractor, pair of compasses, a scientific calculator and it is recommended that IB students have a graphical calculator.  They should also bring a fully charged laptop and charger to all lessons. On days where students have timetabled PE lessons, tutors will check that each student has the necessary equipment.

Homework

Homework plays a key role in extending the knowledge, understanding and skills that are developed in school and provides opportunities for students to consolidate, enrich and extend their learning. Homework tasks are designed by departments to be meaningful and manageable but require students to be independent and organised in their independent study.  

The homework is posted by class teachers on Google Classroom and can be accessed via the parent dashboard. Students can check their homework tasks via the Google Classroom dashboard or via their school email account. 

If students do not complete homework, it will have a detrimental impact on their learning and their teachers will issue appropriate sanctions. If there are recurring problems, parents will be invited to discuss the matter with the Form Tutor or Head of Year. 

All missed deadlines are recorded and parents will be notified via email that their child has missed an academic deadline. Students who persistently miss deadlines will have to attend after-school sessions to catch up. 

Induction

An induction programme is offered to students in Years 7, 10 and 12, as well as new students in each year group, at the start of each academic year. This is an important day as it introduces students to the requirements and routines of each Key Stage. 

Jewellery and Valuables

Such items, which include necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings, brooches and badges, may not be worn at school. Girls who have had their ears pierced may wear up to one pair of studs, but these may have to be removed for PE or other activities. Students may also wear a religious necklace, provided it is discrete and not on display. If such items are brought to school and lost, the school will not be held responsible. 

Mobile Phones

BISC operates a no phone policy. Smartphones and smartwatches contribute to low level disruption and can limit positive social interactions at break times as students can often be found only looking at their phones. Smartphones also have a negative impact on concentration levels and in extreme cases can be used for cyber bullying.

Students will be allowed to bring phones onto campus as we recognise that students may need them whilst travelling to and from school. Students will have access to a locker and their phone should be locked in there throughout the day. If there is a necessity for students to bring a phone to school and they wish to keep it safe it should remain switched off in their bags. Students found with their phone will be asked to hand it over to the member of staff and it will be locked away securely in the office of the Pastoral team. 

Should you need to contact your child in the event of an emergency please contact the school directly on +202 3827 0444. A runner will be sent to your child to deliver the message as quickly as possible.

Lockers

Students are encouraged to only pack their bags with the equipment and books which are required for the day's learning. Please support them in organising themselves.

Any personal items brought into the school are the responsibility of the student. Such items ought to be clearly marked with the student's name.  

Any bags which are left unattended on the floor or carelessly around the school campus will be cleared away by the Security team.

Medical Matters

The school has two full-time, qualified doctors on the premises during school hours together with an ambulance on site. They will deal with any accidents and illness as they arise, informing parents of any action needed or taken. When it is necessary for a student to be sent home, parents will be notified and asked to collect him/her; if it is deemed necessary to send a student to a hospital, the medical officer will arrange transport and notify the parent with the necessary details.  

Parents will be asked to complete a form giving the medical officer permission to deal with medical emergencies. They will also be required to complete a form covering their children's medical history.  

Students are encouraged to wear a hat, carry water with them at all times and to wear sunscreen to counter the side effects of the hot weather we experience in Cairo.  

Music Tuition

There are a number of peripatetic music staff who offer instrumental lessons on a private basis.

Please contact the Head of Performing Arts, if you need further advice.  

Parents' Meetings

Parents’ meetings are held at regular intervals throughout the year. Parents will be informed of the dates by letter and in the BISC Bulletin, together with an email reminder. These meetings give parents an opportunity to talk about student progress with the relevant subject teachers, Form Tutors and Heads of Year.  Bookings for these meetings are made via the Engage Parent Portal. 

Members of the teaching staff are generally available during the term to answer any queries from individual parents. When any student becomes a cause of concern, arrangements are made for the parents to come in to talk to the relevant teachers and tutors. Teachers can also be contacted via email.  

Transport

A comprehensive bus service is offered to all BISC students. Safety is paramount and students using the school buses must adhere to the school code of conduct and must wear their seat belt properly for the whole journey. Students failing to adhere to these rules will be banned from using the school bus. Should you have questions about transport, please contact Mr Ashraf Gad, our Transport Manager, on his mobile 01116222234 or via his email address ashraf.gad@bisc.edu.eg  

Opportunities for Student Leadership

Year Group Leaders

There is a Student Council, which meets on a regular basis to represent the views of the students as well as to organise social and charity events. Students have the opportunity to stand for election to the Student Council on an annual basis.  

Wellbeing Ambassadors

Students can apply and go through a formal interview process to become a Welbeing Ambassador. BISC takes wellbeing and bullying very seriously and our ambassadors take great care and pride in carrying out their roles respectfully and dutifully. These include leading assemblies, anti-bullying week and being available for drop-ins.

House Captains

In line with our house system, House Captains will be elected annually to help coordinate inter-house events.

Subject Mentors

Students may be approached by Heads of Department to work within their subjects, mentoring younger students. This is a great honour and an important position of responsibility.

Students from Years 7 to 11

Parents can buy school uniforms on site from Sunday 4th August 2024. The uniform shop will be open from Sunday - Thursday, between 09:00 - 16:00. The uniform shop is located next to the Cafeteria building.

Students are allowed to wear a watch. Please note girls are only allowed to wear small stud earrings. 

Any student who arrives at school not wearing the appropriate uniform will be given a new appropriate item in exchange for a financial deposit. If students do not comply, the school will contact the parents to arrange for transportation home. The loss of  a school day, due to failing to wear the correct school uniform, will be recorded as an unauthorised absence.

Please note the following points:

• Students should not have dyed hair; make-up and coloured nail varnish should not be worn. 
• Boys’ hair should be short enough not to touch their collar. 
• Facial and body piercings are not acceptable. 
• A fine chain with one small pendant of religious significance may be worn, provided the pendant is out of sight.  

Sixth Form Dress Code

The dress code for the Sixth Form is clean, smart casual, such as would be worn by business people. All boys must be clean shaven with hair no longer than collar length. Hair should not be dyed in a fashion which attracts attention; this applies to both genders. 

Parents are asked to support the school in ensuring that students are appropriately attired at all times. 

Dress Code for Young Men

Dress Code for Young Women

General