HomeHallmark Heights Policies

Hallmark Heights Policies

Hallmark Heights College Policies

Succinctly alphabetically expatiated below are our Policies & Governance Principles;

  1. Absence Policy-Procedure On Student Attendance & Absences (Incl CME)
  2. Admissions Policy
  3. Anti-Bullying Policy
  4. Behaviour and Discipline Policy
  5. Complaints Procedures for our highly-esteemed Parents
  6. Curricula Policy
  7. Disability (Physically/Mentally Challenged) and Accessibility Plan
  8. Equal Opportunities Dignity At Work Policy
  9. Ethos, Mores, Aims, Objectives and Vision of Hallmark Heights College
  10. Fire Prevention & Suppression Policy & Procedures
  11. First Aid (First Responders) Policy
  12. Gender-Friendliness & Gender Pay Gap
  13. Safety, Health & Environment (SHE)- At Work Policy
  14. Privacy and Confidentiality Policy
  15. Procedures for Visitors
  16. Promoting & Rewarding Good Behaviour
  17. Personal, Social, Health & Economic Education (PSHE) Policy (for Students)
  18. Recruitment and Selection Procedures
  19. Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy
  20. Special Education Needs (Committee) [SENCO] – Policy Guidelines
  21. Supervision of Students Procedures
  22. The House System

All other Policies, Procedures & Governance Principles are available on Parental Request.

Rules and Regulations

  1. As a traditional school, Hallmark Height College prides itself in the maintaining of good discipline and upholding the traditions and ethos of the School.
  2. All staff are responsible for all discipline in the Boarding House. Students may be placed on detention by any staff member or prefect if they break any of the Boarding House rules.
  3. Prefects are responsible for general discipline led by the Head Prefect, they are answerable to the Housemasters and the Senior Housemaster.

Serious Offences:

  1. Serious offences will be handled by the Senior Housemaster.
  2. Serious offences, such as bringing the name of the school into disrepute, could have serious consequences such as gating or a disciplinary hearing.
  3. Students may be placed on early morning detention as punishment. The maximum length of the session will be 1 hour. For more serious offences, students may be placed on Saturday night detention for 3 hours. Parents are asked to be supportive of staff in this regard.

 

GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS

Bullying

Any form of bullying is strictly forbidden. Any student found guilty of bullying, whether physical or verbal, will be severely dealt with and could be asked to leave Hallmark Heights College, either on suspension or expulsion.

Out of Bounds

The School buildings are out of bounds during non-school hours except for the music block, library, for special classes or with special permission from the Master on duty. The School will not take responsibility for any students who decide to go out of bounds without permission.

Dress

  1. School uniform is to be worn at all times.
  2. Students should change after school (even if not playing sport), into sporting kit.
  3. Casual clothes are not worn.
  4. Bare tops only in swimming bath area.
  5. Students are to have regular hair cuts; unusual styles are unacceptable.
  6. Students will remain correctly dressed.

Games

Students will participate in school games to the satisfaction of their Housemasters.

Money

  1. Students are responsible for their own pocket money which is to be kept in a card account. To restrict theft, large amounts should not be left in the hostel or be carried around for long periods. No valuables are to be left in change rooms.
  2. No student may have more than N1000.00 on his person at any time.

Breaking Rules

Smoking, drinking alcohol and bunking are a breach of trust and are regarded in a very serious light and could result in possible expulsion from the School.

The School will not take responsibility for any students who act contrarily to these rules;

Noise

Running, whistling, shouting and unnecessary noises are not allowed indoors. Radios are to be played quietly

Prep Rooms

These are out of bounds on fine afternoons unless used for quiet reading or study.

Prep Hours

See Prep Sessions

Telephone

  1. Students may not take telephone calls during meal hours.
  2. During prep hours students may not receive calls before 21:20.
  3. Outgoing calls may not be made during prep or after silence.
  4. Boarders are allowed to have cell phones but these must be stored in their personal safes at all times. They will be responsible for the safe keeping of their cell phones.

TV Room & Games Room

These are for the exclusive use of boarders and no day student or outsider is permitted to use these facilities. On Saturday, boarders may use the TV Room and Games Room after lunch provided that any other commitments have been fulfilled. Matrics may watch TV after prep provided that their academic work has been properly completed. Watching TV after prep is a privilege, which may be granted by the Master on duty.

Computer Room & Library

  1. The computer room may only be used under the supervision of a teacher or prefect.
  2. No student may bring his own personal computer into the computer laboratory.
  3. Radios, CD player and cell phones are also banned from the computer room.
  4. The library and project room will only be used for research and projects. No group studying may take place at these venues during prep.
  5. Boys are however allowed to bring their laptops to hostel in order to do prep via the WiFi system. Permission must be obtained from the master on duty to do wifi-prep. Boys must take responsibility for the safe keeping of these devices.

DVD Players

These will be operated only by students appointed to do so and only at the times stated by the Master on duty.

Miscellaneous

Roller skates, roller blades, skateboards and push scooters are not permitted on the premises.

Motor Bikes and Motor Cars

No Boarding House student may be in possession of a motor car or motor bike whilst in Hallmark Heights College campus site. No student may keep a motor car or motor bike with friends for use over weekends. No Boarding House student may be transported by another school student in a motor car or on a motor bike. The School and Boarding House will not be held responsible for any mishaps that might occur as a result of students breaking this rule.

Dormitories

These are open after lunch until the warning bell rings before students have to attend sports practices and thirty minutes before pre-supper study. At all other times of the day they are strictly out of bounds unless special permission has been obtained from a Master. No games of any kind are to be played in the dormitories. No food or liquids are allowed in the dormitories. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, students will vacate their dormitories by 14:00. On Sundays, students may remain in their dormitories to sleep, read or listen to the radio (earphones only). Abuse of this privilege will cause its withdrawal.

Showers and Baths

Showering is to be done quietly. Open neck shirts are allowed for supper and prep provided a student has had a shower.

Slip slops

To be worn from changing room to dormitories at all times.

Laundry

Each student is personally responsible for sending and collecting his clearly marked and accurately counted laundry. All clothing must be marked. School bedding is not to be taken from the premises. Clothing, books, etc., may be borrowed only with the owner’s permission; habitual borrowing is an offence.

Rollcall

As per the noticeboard.

Lights-out

A bell will ring for lights out. After this, no student is to leave his bed for 30 minutes after lights-out. In an emergency, permission must be obtained from the prefect in charge of the dormitory. Silence is to be observed after the ringing of the first bell. Lights-out is on the second bell. In the morning, students may not get out of bed before rising bell without the permission of a master. Students may do Early Prep only with the permission of the Master on duty. There will be no cribbing. Late Prep: maximum of 90 minutes only with the permission of the Duty Master. Late prep will start at 21:30. The use of cell phones after lights-out is strictly prohibited. All cell phones must be switched off after lights-out. Any student who is seen using a cell phone after lights-out will have his cell phone confiscated for the rest of the term.

Reading

The reading of School or Boarding House library books, or books approved by the Duty Master is allowed during evening prep only, subject to homework being satisfactorily completed.

Radios/CD players

No noisy apparatus. No radios without earphones after lights out. Radios may not be used during prep.

Breakages

These must be reported at once to the Housemaster and to the Matron in charge of breakages and entered in the repair book. All property should be carefully looked after and respected.

Travelling and Lifts

It is a school rule that no student will travel in a car driven by a school student. No boarder will drive a car, motor cycle or pedal cycle and may not be carried as a pillion passenger. This includes weekends. Parents of students who will be given lifts on leave-out weekends must give permission by letter or fax. Hitch-hiking is forbidden. The School and Boarding House will not be held responsible for any mishaps that might occur as a result of students breaking this rule.

Pornography

Viewing or being in possession of pornography is against the law. The viewing of pornography in any form, whether on DVD or on a cell phone is strictly prohibited and will be regarded as a serious offence. Any student found guilty will be dealt with appropriately.

Exeats

  1. General town leave after breakfast on Saturdays.
  2. All students must obtain permission from the master on duty directly after breakfast on Saturday morning if they wish to go downtown.
  3. Private houses are strictly out of bounds unless special permission has been obtained. No exeats will be given out to any student unless a letter, email or fax of consent is received from the parent. No sms or telephone calls will be accepted for exeats. This includes boarder leaveout weekends.
  4. On Sundays students may visit homes if approved by the Proprietor or Housemaster. These students must receive exeats from the Senior Housemaster to leave the premises on a week-end.
  5. A leave-out weekend is granted during term usually from 13:45 on Friday until 21:00 on Sunday or 06:30 on Monday morning by arrangement. Such leave may not interfere with School commitments.
  6. Special leave for doctors and dentists must be made through Matron; report back to Matron after the visit.

Signing out

For normal exeats, e.g. to town, church, etc., students will go out only after obtaining the permission of the appropriate Duty Master. On leave-out weekends, students will sign the exeat list giving the name, address and telephone number of the people to whom they are going and also the time of their return.

Sunday visiting

Boarders may visit friends over weekends. They must obtain an exeat from the master in charge of their grade before they visit. Boarders will indicate their destination and a contact phone number to the master in charge of their grade.

Lunch out/Supper out

Permission will be sought from the Senior Housemaster in writing. Lunch out is for lunch only and will not take up the whole day (approximately 10:30 to 15:00). Supper out – students will return to the Boarding House to be in bed at his usual lights-out time unless with special permission.

Leave Arrangements

  1. Boarders are allowed out every Sunday to visit homes approved of by their parents.

Times: 09:00 – 17:45.

They will only be allowed to visit those homes approved of by their parents or by the Proprietor/Senior Housemaster. Parents must return a list of persons whom their sons may visit. As your son will make new friends whose parents may want to take him out, it is advisable to list persons whom your son may visit, but also allow him to visit others at the Housemaster’s discretion.

  1. There is usually one compulsory weekend leave-out per term.

Times: Friday after lunch to Sunday 21:00 or Monday 06:30.

Times: Saturday 08:30 – 17:55 Sunday 09:00 – 17:55

Weekends

  1. These are granted at the discretion of the Housemaster in charge of his grade. A weekend will commence at 14:00 on a Friday, provided the student has no sporting commitments or Detention.
  2. If parents/guardian travel to PE to support their child/ward’s sports match on a Saturday, they may, at the discretion of the Housemaster, be allowed to take their child/ward out for the remaining weekend and return him to the Hostel by 17:45 on Sunday or 06:30 on Monday. All boarders must spend at least four (4) weekends in the Boarding House per term.

Meals Lists

These are finalised at supper on Thursday night for the weekend and will not be changed except in an emergency. All students present in the Boarding House over weekends must attend all meals. A student may not miss breakfast so that he can sleep late on a Sunday.

Vacations

Requests to leave early must be directed to the Proprietor. Permission to leave early will be granted in exceptional cases only. Students wear school uniform when travelling.

Illness

In case of illness students must report to the Matron immediately. Students are not to treat themselves without consulting the Matron. On returning from the hospital or the doctor, the student must report immediately to the Sick Bay Matron (with the master involved i.e. the master who took the student to the hospital or doctor) to report to Matron on what the doctor says is to be done and to confirm who will notify the parents.

Swimming Pool

The school swimming pool is out of bounds except during periods specified by the Duty Master or the Senior Housemaster. The swimming pool area is out-of-bounds for ALL students and students may only swim if a master is present. The School or Boarding House will not be held responsible for any mishaps that might occur at the swimming pool as a result of the breaking of this rule.

Rules for Sundays

  1. Dormitories should be vacated as soon as possible after breakfast and after dinner.
  2. All students in the Boarding House are allowed to attend a church service on a Sunday morning or evening.
  3. Students who remain on the premises in the afternoons should change out of their school uniform into suitable sportswear. This is compulsory.
  4. Prep: 18:45 – 21:20
  5. Sports: The swimming bath may be used at the arranged times if a Master is in charge. Tennis, athletics and other games (not organised) are allowed, but there must be no undue noise.

Tuck

No food is allowed in the dormitories. Tuck will not be kept in the dormitories and box rooms. Tuck lockers are provided.

Packet/Early and Late Meals (Weekends): These are for students involved in matches or special activities and will be granted at the discretion of the Senior Housemaster. Meals lists will not be changed except in an emergency.

Manners and Courtesy

A high standard of neatness, manner and courtesy is expected at all times. Bullying will not be tolerated

Grace at Meals

Absolute silence before Grace is said.

Visitors

Daily Visiting

  1. Parents or friends may visit during the afternoon provided the visit does not interfere with the extracurricular programme of the students.
  2. No friends or parents are allowed into the Boarding House dormitories at any stage unless they have the permission of the Senior Housemaster. Visitation during study period is not allowed unless permission is obtained from the Senior Housemaster.
  3. No parent or visitor may take any boarder out of the school grounds at any stage unless permission and an exeat are obtained from the Duty Master.

Weekend Visitation

The visiting of boarders over a weekend is allowed under the following conditions:

  1. A boarder may not leave the school grounds unless permission is obtained from the Duty Master.
  2. No boarder may miss any meal over a weekend without permission from the Housemaster. Once permission is obtained, the student must notify the Matron on kitchen duty.
  3. Students may be allowed out in the evenings provided permission and an exeat is obtained from the relevant Housemaster. No exeats will be given to any student unless a letter, email or fax is obtained from the parents and only then will it be at the discretion of the Housemaster.
  4. All students must be appropriately dressed when being visited (full school tracksuit and closed track-shoes or tennis shoes).