INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF ÄLMHULT

EQUAL TREATMENT PLAN

SCHOOL YEAR

2013/14

  1. Introduction
  2. Mission and Vision
  3. Definitions
  4. Current situation
  5. Actions: preventative and short term

Timeline of Actions

  1. Procedure in case of an incident “Always act”

APPENDICES

Appendix 1 Essential agreements

Appendix 2 Expectations document

Appendix 3: Learner Profile descriptions

Appendix 4: “Assessment of Measures”

  1. IntroductionThe Swedish Discrimination Act (SFS 2008:567) provides a basis for our work against all forms of discrimination. At our school, we will not tolerate any form of discrimination as named in the law, based on gender, sex, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or age. In this plan, we will detail specific actions with both short and long term (preventative) goals. In this plan, we will focus on goals for the current school year. In next year’s plan, we will review to what degree our measures were successful.

Additionally, we work in accordance with the National Curriculum for the Non-Compulsory School System (Lpf94) and the Education Act (Chapter 6) which states that schools must strive for the freedom and integrity of the individual, for equality, gender equality and show solidarity towards the weak and under-privileged. Nobody in school should be a victim of bullying; and any signs of offensive behavior or harassment must be actively dealt with.

2. Mission and Vision The school’s mission statement is our guiding force:

“At the International School of Älmhult (ISA), we are a diverse community of learners who are committed to continuously, through education, strive for the development of a better world. We are all learners; who aim to be knowledgeable, open-minded, reflective, and caring.

The teachers and administrators are dedicated to putting our students’ needs first and creating a safe learning environment for all stakeholders. We believe in a holistic approach to teaching and learning; and we believe that an inquiry-driven and concept based programme creates sustainable learning. We encourage natural curiosity, critical thinking, and cultural sensitivity. We embrace thought-provoking ideas and celebrate our differences, which we believe enrich the environment. We welcome the responsibility to prepare our students for the demand of an ever changing world.”

Our vision is that at the International school of Älmhult, all students and teachers should aim to incorporate as much of the IB Learner Profile as possible in their everyday life at the school. If we are caring towards each other, more students will feel appreciated. If we are good communicators we will not use hurtful language. If we are reflectivewe will consider the effect of our actions on others. If we are open-minded, we accept and appreciate that we all come with our differences and allow everybody to express themselves in their own personal way. We hope to create and maintain a safe learning environment, where all students and staff are respected and feel like they are an equal part in a democratic school-organization.

  1. Definitions

Harassment is a behavior that without being discriminatory, violates a person or a persons’ dignity (Swedish school law section 6§3)

Hurtful language can be vocal or non-vocal. It is words or body language which affects a person in a hurtful way. For example, saying to a student in a group that “you are my best friend”, when there are other possible friends listening, or even rolling one’s eyes to someone.

Discriminationis behaviors towards somebody that violates that person’s dignity and is typically related to gender identity or expression, ethnic affiliation, religion or belief, disability, sexual orientation or age. (Swedish Discrimination Act section 1§4)

To offend someone is to cause displeasure, anger, resentment, or wounded feelings.

Bullying is a form if harassment or intimidation which involves a repetitive negative action from someone (or several) with the intention of harming (mental or physical) another person (or group).

Racism: is the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics, abilities, or qualities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races.

Prejudice: Dislike, hostility, or unjust behavior derived from pre-conceived or unfounded opinions.

  1. Current situation

A survey was done in the Autumn Term of the 2013-2014 School Year by Friends, and the result was showing that most of the students in the school feel safe. But some students feel like they can’t talk to the adults in the school.. The survey also showed that there are some areas in the school, where some students feel less safe, these are the toilets and the changing rooms. Some students mentioned in the survey that they have been offended online or though text-messages.

After we got the results back we had a teachermeeting to discuss the results and brainstorm root causes regarding the results we want to improve. Another outcome from that meeting was that some teachers felt the need to make the school more friendly towards lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered people, or other ways of sexual identity or expression. . The teachers also came up with suggested strategies for improvement that will be incorporated into this plan.

We also formed a student committee to help us with solutions to the issues brought up by the survey. Some of them are listed in our plan below.

  1. Actions: Preventative actions
  • Start the school year by putting focus on values by making it one of our main goals for the year
  • Staff devised new Essential Agreements for the year with an emphasis on common ground for how we treat each other and how we want to be treated.
  • Analyzed the word “safe” to come to a deeper understanding about what we mean by the word. We agreed it meant more than just “accident-free” but it also meant respectful language, open-mindedness, and feeling safe to show who you are, and feeling safe to communicate with others.
  • Analyzed scenarios so we could understand why we sometimes act the way we do in certain situations
  • Create a sense of community and team spirit by having once a month Whole School Assemblies where we focus on the 10 Learner Profile Attributes:
  • Inquirers
  • Knowledgeable
  • Thinkers
  • Communicators
  • Principled
  • Open-Minded
  • Caring
  • Risk-takers
  • Balanced
  • Reflective
  • Implement the Friends programme for both preventative measures and to learn about how to put good actions in place in case of an incident.
  • Inform school community about the programme
  • “Always Act” policy
  • Zero tolerance to “play fights”
  • Introduce the core Friends team to the school
  • Put in place a student Friends committee

Actions: Immediate for the Short Term, based on our Current Situation

GENERAL

Strategy
Have an assembly to present the Equal Treatment Plan in a student-friendly way.
A school assembly run by MYP 1 presented a drama about children being mean to another student. Student responses for what could be done were collected and shared to all staff.
  1. Students not feeling comfortable talking to adults in the school.

Strategy
Put up pictures of the Core Friends Team teachers so students become more familiar with our faces.
Teachers will approach students if they look like they need someone to talk to instead of waiting for students to come to us.
We will inform students about how confidentiality works.
The councilor will introduce herself in classes, as well as talking to individuals and small groups.
There is a Concern Box for students to drop in any issues they want to discuss, either anonymously or otherwise. The concern box started for Student Council but it will be communicated that it can be for all issues.
Above the Concern Box, we can put up a list of things students can do if they aren’t feeling happy or safe.
In Spring, the Core Friends Team and the Student Friends team will plan a team-building day for students and teachers to take part in equally on the first days of school in the next term.
  1. How to create a safer environment in the locker-room, toilets and at break-time.

Evaluate our current reading system to see if it can be extended as a whole school initiative.
Discuss clustering idea and the logistics of how it could work.
Teach students to implement the question: “Can I play with you” instead of “Do you want to play?” (especially when they see someone looking lonely)
Zero tolerance for play fights.
Remind students of essential agreements (should be hanging in classrooms)
Map out units where ETP topics will be worked with in the classes
Subject/class teachers/librarian inventory resources we have with ETP topics and issues. (films, and novels, or read-aloud/picture books)
Remind and ensure students tell teachers when they are going to the toilet. All teachers keep an eye on the toilets.
Locker rooms: We have addressed cleaning staff to let them know when students are in changing rooms and requested that they clean later.
Also, make sure that different age groups aren’t in the locker room at the same time.
Ensure female or male staff do not enter changing rooms for the opposite sex unless in an emergency.
Knock before entering.
Remove the mirror
  1. Internet safety

Talk about internet-safety (a natural part of our essential agreements) in an assembly and also regularly in classes when using computers (from PYP 3)
Bring in a guest speaker to discuss the issue with students
MYP: Watch the movie CyberBully.
Follow up with discussions in Homeroom.
  1. Sexuality and gender equality.

Review the curriculum to see when we address and discuss the topic in every year group. / Subject/class teachers and PYP/MYP coordinators. With the help of Managebac. / August 2014
Review literature and books to see how men and women are represented, identify weak areas and purchase more resources as needed. / Madde / August 2014

Equal Treatment Plan Timeline of Actions

What / When
Revised Essential Agreements for both staff and students / August 2013
Informed parents and students about the new Friends Team, new Zero play fight tolerance / August 2013
Presented 1st draft of Equal Treatment Plan Goals and Procedures for Incidents using the Friends Program / August 2013
Friends Survey completed / November 2013
Survey results compiled and communicated / November 2013
Team of teachers and separately, team of students formulated suggested strategies for the action plan / November 2013
Presented 2nd draft of Equal Treatment Plan during Worksite Meeting, including the updated strategies gleaned from teachers and students. Feedback and revisions completed as needed. / January 2014
Final Equal Treatment published and available on web and in every classroom. / Feb 28 2014
The Älmhult Safety and Security survey is completed by all students / May 2014
Evaluate ETP and revise as needed-worksite meeting / August/September 2014
  1. Procedures in case of an incident “Always act!”

Since the start of the school year autumn 2103, we started to work with Friends and we formed a Friends-team at the school. We follow Friends “Always act” recommendations in case a student feels victimized.

When offensive behavior occurs, we follow the following steps:

A. Intervene and report

If you witness insulting behavior during class time, on the school yard, in the corridor etc. it is important that you show that you have seen what happened and that you do not accept it. In this way, all adults in the school contribute to maintaining fundamental values and keep them alive in practice. This applies when you witness insulting behavior between pupils as well as insulting behavior your colleagues may subject pupils to. It is a responsibility which all school personnel shares together, regardless of whether they are on the Friends-team or not.

Report to the teacher in charge, the Friends-team and the head master if one or several pupils display insulting behavior towards another pupil. A headmaster who becomes aware of a pupil having been subjected to insulting treatment is obliged to report this to the head of schools. The head of school can delegatehis or her obligation to the headmaster or other personnel, but must follow up on and stay up-to-date with the case. We recommend that the teacher responsible for the victimized pupil take charge of the investigation in consultation with someone from the Friends-team. If it is an adult in the school who has insulted a pupil, it is the headmaster who shall take charge of the investigation.

B. Investigate the incident immediately

  • Gather information and map out what has happened through talks with those involved. First talk to the victim, then the perpetrator, then the relevant teacher.
  • Analyze the reasons why the situation has arisen. Analyze from different perspectives: Reasons with individuals and groups? Organizational reasons at the school? Can the incident be related to norms and ideas concerning ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, sexual orientation, functional disability or age?
  • It is important not to remain at individual level IDV the analyses of the incident’s underlying causes. Friends believes that individuals, groups, the school’s organization as well as the school as social norms and perception influence why insulting behavior occurs and what form it takes.
  • Is it an isolated incident or does anything point towards it being bullying?
  • Are there similar cases at the school? If so, how were these managed and acted upon? Use the existing knowledge and experience. Cooperate with the Friends-team.

C. Contact parents/custodians

  • Contact parents/custodians of the pupils involved at an early stage.
  • View the parents/custodians as a resource in the work against insulting behavior! Maintaining preventive cooperation with them will make it easier to make contact in case of urgent situations.
  • Take a stand on which parents/custodians should be involved, depending on the situation; sometimes only the parents/custodians of those directly involved need to be contacted. Sometimes it can be relevant to raise the problem with all parents/custodians in the class in order to bring about change.

D. Consider reporting to the social services, police and Work Environment Authority

Some incidents that happen at school are nor the school’s responsibility to investigate, but should be reported to other authorities. These may be incidents involving mandatory reporting and which involve crimes having been committed or suspicion of this and/or that one or more pupils are in harm’s way in the situation that has arisen. Consult with your school management in each individual case about whether further measures should be taken in the form of reporting to the social services, police or Work Environment Authority. If the school reports to another authority, the school must assess which measures the school should take to support the pupils and parents/custodians in question. If reporting is made to another authority, the parents/custodians shall be informed of this.

APPENDIX 1:

STUDENT ESSENTIAL AGREEMENTS

Student Rights and Responsibilities (Indoor/General)

Teachers will be helping you to remember these rights and responsibilities:

Right (what you get) / Responsibility (what you are expected to do)
A pleasant learning environment / Keep the noise level at lunch reasonable so that students and teachers may carry on quiet conversations without disruptive noises.
(get a decibel measure)
A clean and safe school / Do not bring food outside of the lunch room.
Clean up after yourself.
Always wear indoor shoes.
A calm and good learning environment / Walk slowly and quietly in the halls, work, and break areas
A clean, organized, orderly classroom / Tidy the classroom periodically.
To not have a phone in PYP 1-2
To have a phone with you in your bag in PYP 3-5 and switched OFF.
To have your phone or smartphone with you from MYP 1-5
A good learning environment without disruptions / Listen respectfully to your teachers when they tell you under what circumstances you are permitted to use your phone.
A protected and safe learning and social environment / Demonstrate the appropriate behavior for learning in various contexts.
PYP, MYP, Fritids, Breaks, Lunchroom, Library, Bathroom, PE Hall, Swimming Pool, Busses and Hallways, etc.
Treat others the way you want to be treated yourself.
Understand yourself and others and work to develop and improve. / Complete reflection time as requested.

Outdoor Agreements/Rights and Responsibilities

Right (You have a right to…) / Responsibility
Climb trees / Only climb trees that are marked.
Play in the forest / Respect the boundaries.
Use toys from the shed / Put them back in the shed where they belong (even if you weren’t the one to get them out)
Protected head and body / Wear a helmet in PYP 1-2 when cycling on red bikes.
Be careful
Enjoy the swing / Don’t stand on swings
Play for a certain time limit / Come and line up when called
Listen to the teacher
Dress appropriately for the weather
Enjoy time with your friends and feel included and welcome / Be inclusive, treat others with respect, and follow the Friends guidelines.
Have a snack outside / Eat near the benches.
Play in the snow / Bring your own and be responsible for sled and helmet.
PYP are required to wear a helmet when sledding and MYP by choice.
No snowballs as this is a kind of play fight
Sled ride / Use the designated area
FRITIDS ONLY
Use of tools / Tools can only be received from a staff member.
PYP 5 has the responsibility to use the saw.
Use the knives with a supervisor.

STAFF ESSENTIAL AGREEMENTS