ABSENTEEISM POLICY

• No learner may stay away from school unless he/she is ill, or unless the Principal has given permission prior to the day of absence.

• If your child needs to be collected during school hours for whatever reason (sickness, medical appointment etc.), it is imperative that the following procedures are followed:

  • Parents/guardians need to make the pre-arrangements with the school secretary early in the morning or well in advance.

  • Parents/guardians are to enter the school through the main entrance.

  • Parents/guardians are to report to reception and under no circumstances go directly to the classroom.

  • Parents/guardians will be required to sign him/her out.

  • When a learner has a valid reason to be absent, a letter of explanation by the parent/ guardian must be handed in beforehand.

  • Parents must inform the school before 08h00 that a learner is absent. If this is not done, the secretary will follow up and afterwards inform the staff of the reason for absence.

• Absence of 2 days or longer requires learners to submit a medical certificate upon returning to school.

• No learner may leave the school grounds without written permission from the office.

• Only in exceptional circumstances may learners leave school early for private affairs.

• All appointments for the afternoon should be made well in advance.

• Absenteeism of any kind during examinations is only permitted if accompanied by a medical certificate.

• The principal should be informed if there has been a death in the family.

• Frequent absenteeism by a learner may lead to poor academic results.

• Chronic absence can affect all learners when teachers have to spend time reviewing concepts for learners who missed the lesson in the first place. Sending catch-up work home is not the solution.

• In case work is missed, it becomes the learner’s responsibility to catch up.

• If a learner is absent during a Topic test, a doctor’s certificate must be produced. It is up to the teacher’s discretion whether the learner is to write another test.

• Learners who wish to leave the classroom during the lesson must do so at the beginning of the lesson so as not to disrupt the class during the lesson and may not leave the classroom without the appropriate pass.

• If a teacher is informed by the parent, the teacher must inform the office.

• Absenteeism must be done by the teacher him-/herself and not by a learner.

• The teacher must indicate clearly when the child is ill or absent due to a sport or cultural activity, etc.

 

CELL PHONE POLICY

• The school acknowledges that cell phones have become an important and useful means of communication. However, it is also aware that their use and abuse, particularly by learners, pose social, ethical and safety concerns.

• Cell phones are not permitted at Walvis Bay Private School during school hours. If a learner is in possession of a cell phone upon entering the school in the morning, the cell phone must be placed in an envelope with the learner’s name written on the envelope, and handed in at the office. At the end of the academic day, the learner collects the cell phone from the receptionist.

• Consequences for using a cell phone during school hours or failing to hand the cell phone in are 25 merit points deducted from the learner on the Merit System and the cell phone being confiscated. A N$200 fine must be paid to the financial secretary to release the cell phone at the end of the school day.

 

ILLNESS OF LEARNERS

• Learners not feeling well must be sent to the secretary.

• A learner cannot come to school to write a Topic test and immediately thereafter go home.

• The secretary will then hand the learner medication and the learner returns to his/her class.

• If necessary, the secretary admits the learner to the sick bay.

• If the learner is too ill to be treated at school, the secretary obtains permission from the principal to send the learner home.

• His/her parents are notified and asked to fetch the learner.

• The names of all the learners who are sent home in this way must be entered in a register and thoroughly controlled.

• The names of learners who are injured during school hours or during sport meetings must be entered into a prescribed register available in the secretary’s office. All information must be written down. The teacher in charge of the sport meeting or the teacher on playground duty is responsible for completing the register.

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HAIR POLICY

BOYS

• Hair must be neat, tidy and cut as requested and required by the school.

• Hair may not be cut according to extreme fashion trends.

• Fringes may not touch the eyebrows.

• Hair may not touch the ears or collar.

• Sideburns may not be longer than the middle of the ear.

• Hair colour must look natural.

• No hair products or any products may be applied to enhance styling.

• Moustaches and beards are not allowed.

• Hairstyles for special events are to be forwarded in writing to the school management for approval.

 

GIRLS

• Hair must be neat and tidy.

• Fringes may not touch the eyebrows.

• Hair longer than the collar must be worn in a ponytail, plait, 2 pigtails or neat bun. Loose hair must be fastened in such a way that it does not fall into the face.

• Hair colour other than the learner’s natural colour will not be allowed.

• Only dark blue, black, brown, white or plain school-related-colour hair elastic bands or accessories may be used.

• Braids must be neat.

• Braids may not be longer than elbow length when tied up.

• No extreme styles will be allowed. (large buns, patterns and decorations braided into hair, no beads)

• Braids can only be dark brown or black.

• No head scarves are allowed.

 

VEHICLE POLICY

• No motorised vehicles of any type are permitted on the school grounds without written permission from the principal.

• Cars will only be permitted under exceptional circumstances.

• A learner must own a legal driver’s licence before he/she applies for permission to drive a vehicle on the school grounds.

• Once a learner has obtained permission to drive a vehicle to school, the vehicle must be parked in the designated area during school hours.

• The helmets are handed in at the office before school starts in the morning and collected at the end of the school day.

• Learners are not allowed to go to their vehicles during school hours.

 

SUBSTANCE ABUSE

• The possession, use or distribution of illegal drugs, including alcohol and tobacco, are prohibited in Namibian schools.

• According to law, smoking in public places is prohibited. Walvis Bay Private School is a declared smoke-free zone.

• According to the law no under 18-year old may enter a facility where alcohol is sold. Learners may do so only in the company of their parents or guardians.

 

VANDALISM

• Walls, doors, ceilings, pinboards, blackboards, posters, desks, tables and chairs must be kept clean and clear of graffiti.

• The damaging and/or defacing of school equipment, textbooks, library books, exercise books and stationery is unacceptable.

• No learner may force a door open or climb through a window to gain access to or exit any of the buildings or classrooms.

• No learner may tamper with any vehicle, bicycle or motorcycle which is not their own.

• All bicycles must be securely locked at the start of the school day.

• No learner may remove, tamper with, or use, without permission of the owner, any suitcase, books, clothing, personal effects or equipment which do not belong to them.

• All books and personal effects MUST be clearly marked with the owner’s name.

• No learner is allowed to damage any school property or litter on the school grounds on special occasions such as 40 Days, etc.

• Vandalism on school property is a very serious offence.

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SCHOOL UNIFORM POLICY

FORMAL SCHOOL UNIFORM

 

BOYS:

• Long grey trousers or grey school shorts.

• WBPS long-sleeve jersey or WBPS pullover (compulsory for Grades 1-7).

• Black belt.

• Grey school socks (long grey socks with shorts and short grey socks with trousers).

• Black leather school shoes. (sport shoes NOT permitted with uniform)

• White school shirt (long sleeves or short sleeves with tie collar).

• Blue WBPS tie for Grade 4 – 9 learners.

• Grey WBPS tie for Grade 10 – 12 learners.

• WBPS blazer (compulsory for Grade 8 – 12 learners).

• Navy school jersey or pullover for Grade 8-11 learners; Maroon jersey for Grade 12 learners.

• Senior Prefects – Navy blue trousers.

 

GIRLS:

• Grey WBPS tunic dress or grey skirt or trousers (WBPS tunic dress allowed on hot days without jersey or pullover).

• WBPS long-sleeve jersey or WBPS pullover (compulsory for all Grades 1-7).

• Grey school socks (long socks with a tunic dress and grey skirt, short grey socks with trousers).

• Navy school stockings with a tunic dress or skirt.

• Black leather school shoes. (sports shoes NOT permitted with uniform)

• White school shirt (long sleeves or short sleeves with tie collar for Grades 8 - 12).

• Blue WBPS tie for Grade 4 – 9 learners.

• Grey WBPS tie for Grade 10 – 12 learners.

• WBPS blazer (compulsory for Grade 8 – 12 learners).

• Maroon jersey or pullover for Grade 12 learners.

• Senior Prefects – Navy blue skirts.

 

SCHOOL BAGS AND SCHOOL BOOKS:

• Suitable and reinforced school bags are necessary in order to protect learners’ books. School bags should also be compliant with the school’s dress code. Please cover your child’s books with ordinary thick plastic, not with ‘contact’ (self-adhesive plastic).

 

GENERAL ATTIRE FOR LEARNERS

• Learners in Grades 1 to 7 may wear an open-collar white school shirt.

• School jersey (compulsory) or school blazer for the junior grades.

• Grade 12 learners are distinguished by wearing a maroon jersey/pullover with their school

• blazers. The Prefects wear navy trousers (boys) and navy skirts (girls) with their school

• blazers.

• No coloured T-shirt, or T-shirt with a logo, may be worn underneath a white school shirt.

• No tracksuit tops instead of blazers and jerseys are allowed.

• Only school-related lapel badges may be worn on the blazer.

• Learners must wear the prescribed school uniform to all school functions and activities – unless otherwise stated by the principal.

• Learners must wear the correct, appropriate sportswear to extramural activities.

• All matches are played in the correct sport uniform.

• As a special favour and as acknowledgement for representation in a Namibian team, Namibian

• tracksuit tops and/or first-team blazers or the prescribed Grade 12 jackets may be worn on Fridays only. This includes the NAPSO tracksuit.

• Girls must wear appropriate underwear at all times.

• Girls may wear the prescribed grey school skirt or grey tunic dress with dark blue stockings.

• Dress of skirt not shorter than four fingers above the kneecap.

• Girls may wear trousers, but for girls in Grades 8 to 12, it is compulsory to wear a school blazer with their trousers.

• On "civvies" days, clothing has to be respectable and acceptable and must be in line with the rules prescribed by the Disciplinary Committee.

• No bangles, armbands or necklaces may be worn to school (except Medic Alert).

• In cases where girls have pierced ears, a simple ring (1 cm in diameter) or round stud (without gems) may be worn in the lowest piercing on the earlobe. No ornamentation may be on or attached to the earrings.

• Boys may not wear any jewellery.

• No tattoos may be visible.

• Watches with simple straps are allowed.

• No make-up may be worn with the school uniform or casual wear.

• Nails must be short and neat. Girls may wear colourless nail polish.

• All learners must be familiar with the uniform, appearance and hair regulations. Only the prescribed WBPS items of uniform may be worn (e.g. shirts and jerseys with badges or logos of companies, clubs or other schools are not allowed.)

• Ignorance of the uniform and appearance regulations is no excuse for failure to comply with the regulations.

• Outside of school hours, learners may not wear only part of their school uniform – they must either be in civvies or full school uniform.

• Uniforms as well as shoes must be clean, tidy and well-pressed at all times. Worn-out uniform items must be replaced.

• Learners may not put their hands in their pockets.

• Chewing gum is not allowed on school premises or whenever a learner is in school uniform or representing the school.

• No decorative buckles may be worn.

• School shirts are to be tucked in at all times.

• Learners must always be neat and correctly dressed, to present a good image of our school to the general public. The complete uniform must be worn at all times, even when travelling to and from school.

 

INFORMAL JACKET

• Teachers and Grade 12 learners may acquire this jacket. Grade 12 learners may wear it on Fridays and appropriate occasions.

 

NEATNESS INSPECTIONS

• Inspections are done on a regular basis. Learners who do not wear the appropriate uniform need to report it, make the necessary excuse and acquire a permission slip from one of the members of the Internal Disciplinary Committee. Learners who do not have a permission slip must receive a negative.

 

SCHOOL CASUAL WEAR

• School sport shirt with first team jacket, matric jacket, tracksuit top or school jersey and neat long dark blue jeans with running shoes, sneakers or flat pumps for girls.

• No bleached or torn jeans are allowed.

• Sneakers or running shoes with laces in blue, white, black or brown. Girls may wear flat

• pumps in blue, white, black or brown.

• First team jacket, matric jacket, tracksuit top or school jersey.

 

SPORT WEAR & PHYSICAL EDUCATION WEAR

• Full tracksuit, school sport shirt and running shoes.

• Tracksuit tops and trousers can be ordered separately on request. When wearing a tight, it

• must be accompanied with a pair of shorts.

• The first team jacket or matric jacket may be worn instead of the tracksuit top.

• If a learner does not have the full tracksuit with a school sport shirt, he/she must wear the normal full school uniform to school and bring sport clothes in a bag to wear for PE periods.

 

“CIVVIE” DAYS

• The clothes learners wear as well as the behaviour of learners must be of such a nature that the discipline and normal order of the day is not disrupted.

 

GIRLS:

• No underwear may be visible.

• No spaghetti tops.

• No tights or skinny pants without a long top or T-shirt.

• The length of the skirts or pants is the same as the rule for school skirts. ¾ pants are permissible.

• No tongue rings.

• Normal school rules regarding hair colour and nails.

• Hair may be worn loose but must be tidy.

• Only Grade 12 girls are allowed to wear light make-up and nail polish.

• 2 earrings per ear; 1 ring per hand and 1 toe ring per foot.

• 2 chains and a maximum of 3 armbands.

• The blouse/shirt/top must cover the midriff.

 

BOYS:

• No underwear may be visible.

• 1 ring; 1 chain; 1 armband/bangle

• Normal school rules regarding beard and moustache.

 

ALL

• One must always bear in mind that we have a normal school day and our clothes and the way

• we behave may not disturb the normal discipline and order of the day.

• Hair products such as gel and wax are allowed.

• School scarves may only be worn during the winter months.