Profile
Beijing World Youth Academy (BWYA) is an independent, international, day school located in Beijing. Founded in 2001 with a small cohort of students studying the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, it has now grown into a large K-12 school with over 1100 students. BWYA has developed a reputation for academic excellence coupled with a strong sense of community. We educate students with English and Chinese as the main language of instruction, as well as with a commitment to the Chinese government education policies for national students. BWYA is authorised with International Baccalaureate Organisation (IB), Cambridge International Examinations (CIE), and accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). The school is also a member of Association of China and Mongolia International Schools (ACAMIS) and East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS).
Mission
Beijing World Youth Academy strives to provide members of our community excellent learning opportunities that incorporate critical investigation, exposure to different cultural perspectives and assessment against objective criteria. Our mission is to develop principled, open-minded thinkers who are capable of integrating with diverse international communities and who are empowered to shape their environs for the improvement of quality of life for themselves and others.
Values
As a school community, these are our values:
- Compassion
- We respect and empathise with the rights, opinions, culture and feelings of others.
- Trust
- We believe that honesty, integrity and reliability in ourselves and others, forms the cornerstone of our community.
- Solidarity
- We value harmony and oneness while recognising the individuality of each person in our community.
- Collaboration
- We recognise that the development of the student is the shared responsibility between the student, the family and the school.
Schoolwide Learner Outcomes
We have adopted the International Baccalaureate ® (IB) Learner Profile, which describes a broad range of human capacities and responsibilities that go beyond academic success, as our Schoolwide Learning Outcomes as part of our commitment to help all members of the school community learn to respect themselves, others and the world around them.
As learners we strive to be:
- Inquirers
- We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.
- Knowledgeable
- We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global significance.
- Thinkers
- We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyse and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.
- Communicators
- We express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups.
- Principled
- We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.
- Open-minded
- We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience.
- Caring
- We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around us.
- Risk-takers
- We approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change.
- Balanced
- We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives — intellectual, physical, and emotional — to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We recognise our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live.
- Reflective
- We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.
Rationale
This policy is made with the purpose of creating a structured school environment in which students can develop into responsible and successful learners. BWYA encourages students to take ownership of their learning and to show commitment to hard work to achieve their potential, recognising that consistent attendance, punctuality, and adherence to school policies help mould disciplined individuals.
Introduction
This policy sets out BWYA's expectations for student attendance, punctuality, and uniform. It applies to all members of the BWYA learning community, who should be fully aware of the school's expectations in these areas.
Guiding Principles
The school upholds attendance, punctuality, and uniform expectations consistently, fairly, and transparently, treating them as shared responsibilities among students, families, and staff. Consequences are applied proportionately and restoratively to foster self-discipline, respect, and personal growth.
Policy and Implementation
Attendance
BWYA believes that the classroom experience cannot be duplicated and that attendance at school for all lessons is very important. Every student is expected to be at school every day, for every lesson, on time, and prepared to learn. An absence is defined to be a period or lesson in the timetable missed for an unexcused reason. Students are permitted a maximum number of absences on each campus depending on the structure of the timetable.
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Grades 6-8: 35 absences from all subjects each term
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Grades 9-12: 55 absences from all subjects each semester
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K Class to Grade 5: 80 absences from all subjects each semester
If a student's absences accumulate to 25 (Grades 6-8), 45 (Grades 9-12), 64 (Primary School) within a term or a semester, the student and parents will receive a warning letter. If a student's absences exceed the aforementioned limit within a term or a semester, there will be an attendance notice posted on the student's behaviour profile calling parents into a Principal's meeting. Further consequences can be implemented, depending on the seriousness of individual cases. Students can be subject to non-promotion or exclusion from the school.
All absences must be explained. Parents must post a message on ManageBac before 08:15 on the first day of absence. If the student is absent and there is no ManageBac message, the parents will first be telephoned and then emailed by the front desk of each campus. If an absence has not been explained to the school, there will be a truancy notice posted on the student's ManageBac behaviour profile.
Expectations
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Parents must excuse their student from school on medical grounds for 1 day, via ManageBac before 08:15.
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Doctor's notes are required for health absences for longer than 1 day. The student should submit these to the school nurse or the PE Department if they are to be excused from the PE lesson.
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Parents are to notify school at least 2 days in advance of a planned absence, via ManageBac, if the duration is less than 5 lessons, or 1 day.
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Parents are to request permission from school for any other absences, in writing, to the Principal, if the duration of absence in longer than 1 day. This request may be denied.
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Parents are to seek routine appointments for doctors, dentists, hospitals, visas or opticians outside of the designated school hours as not to disrupt learning. If this is unavoidable, parents should post a message on ManageBac explaining the absence then the student follows the Leaving Campus Protocol.
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If a student needs to leave campus during the school day for a personal matter such as dental or visa appointment, the Leaving Campus Protocol should be followed. The front desk issues a sign out form once the request has been posted on ManageBac. If a request has not been submitted, no form will be issued. The student shall seek signatures from all teachers whose lessons will be missed, followed by the homeroom teacher and a Principal. The Principal, Deputy Principal or Head of UPC or LPC, signs last. Also, a parent or guardian must always collect the student at the front desk. The student will then be marked absent on ManageBac.
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If a student falls ill during the school day and needs to see a doctor or go home, he/she should follow the Procedures for Using the Nurse. If the nurse agrees the student is too ill to remain in school, the nurse will call the parent for pick up. The front desk will mark the attendance as “excused”, noted health, on ManageBac and notify the subject teachers whose classes the student is missing for the day by email. Again, if the student leaves campus, he/she must be collected by a parent/guardian.
Attendance Classification
At BWYA we use ManageBac to track and keep student attendance, which is classified into the following three categories.
| Present | Excused Absences | Unexcused Absences |
|---|---|---|
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A student may only be excused for these reasons:
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If the student is absent, this means they are out of school for an unexcused reason. Examples of these include, but are not limited to:
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Attendance on ManageBac
Homeroom teachers are responsible for the first attendance record of the school day. Attendance must be taken and recorded on ManageBac correctly during the homeroom period every morning. If a parent emails the Homeroom teacher with an absence, the homeroom teacher needs to record this on ManageBac.
In addition, each subject teacher will take attendance on ManageBac every lesson for additional record keeping. In the case that ManageBac does not work, attendance can be taken by hand and entered on ManageBac later in the day. The Deputy Principal at Wangjing campus, the Deputy Principal at Lido campus, the Head of LPC and the Head of UPC are in charge of student attendance and issuance of warning letters to students and parents.
A note on ManageBac should accompany all absences and excuses. This note will show up on each attendance register throughout the day. For example, the note should relate to the correct category whether the student is excused or absent. If a parent incorrectly inputs this, it is the role of the homeroom teacher to change the attendance, for example, from excused to absent for a doctors visit for a check up. If the student has a doctors visit because they are sick, then it will remain as excused.
Attendance Record and Report
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Attendance Daily Digest – ManageBac automatically generates this and sends it to all the ManageBac administration at 09:00.
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Daily Attendance Update and Attendance Summary – The front desk of each campus collates the attendance on ManageBac in an excel sheet and sends it via email to all the teachers and the school administrators at 10:00. Every Monday, the front desk of each campus also sends, together with the daily attendance update, a summary in excel sheet with the total number of absences up to date for each student. The class teacher manages attendance at the Primary school.
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Weekly Attendance Update – ManageBac generates this record and sends it to all the ManageBac administrators at midnight every Saturday. This attendance is checked and teachers make changes if there are mistakes.
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Report cards – Student report cards, termly for Grades 6 to 8, semesterly for Grades 9-10 and quarterly for Grades 11 and 12, indicate student attendance for each subject (number of periods) and homeroom (number of days).
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School Transcripts – The total number of absences (in days) is included in the school transcript.
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Attendance Log – This is kept on the student profile page on ManageBac, which is accessible to students, parents, teachers and administrators.
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Truancy is recorded on the student's ManageBac behaviour profile.
School Sponsored Events
These are absences due to school-sponsored events, such as athletic competitions and field trips, and are considered excused. However, if a school-sponsored trip would result in more absences than what is permissible, the student will be excluded from participating.
Non-School Sponsored Events
BWYA encourages students to continue exploring their talents in fields that they had been already excelling before joining the school such as golf, rock climbing, sailing and robotics. If they need to miss school to participate in a national or international competition, their absence may be recorded as excused upon their parent's request as well as submission of the necessary documents from event organisors. Note that not all such requests can be approved as excessive absence from school may result in an incomplete report, which may lead to no promotion.
Make-Up Work (Excused and Pre-Arranged Absences)
Work missed due to an excused absence that is not pre-arranged must be made up in a reasonable amount of time that takes into account the nature and duration of the absence. Work assigned well before the absence will not be given further extensions. Anyone absent on the due day of an assignment must send in the assignment or submit it on the day of return. Students should refer to their teachers' policies and procedures for the consequences of not meeting the deadline. Students assume full responsibility for making proper arrangement for make-up work. At the Primary school, this is at the discretion of the class teacher.
Make-Up Tests
Students missing a test or quiz due to an absence are to make it up immediately upon return to school, at the discretion of the teacher. If a student is absent only on the day before a test, he/she will be required to take the test with the class.
Make-Up Exams
Exams are defined to be those taken by students as summative assessment in MYP and end-of-unit, semester or mock exams in DP and IGCSE. They may also include external assessments like MAP and WIDA testing. Students are not allowed to take an exam they miss as this may give them an unfair advantage over others. In MYP, an N/A is awarded for any criteria assessed for the first time during that term. In DP, teachers may still award a grade provided there is sufficient evidence to judge a student's performance; however, teachers may decide not to award a grade if they have insufficient data to produce a meaningful grade. Under some very special circumstances, the school administration may consider allowing a student to take a newly designed exam if a teacher makes such a request.
Punctuality
Because punctuality is important, students are held strictly accountable for being on time to school, to all classes, and to scheduled meetings, assemblies and sports events.
Procedures to Follow for Arriving Late
Students should arrive between 08:00 and before the homeroom time begins at 08:20.
Students who arrive late should report directly to their campus front desk and have a written explanation signed by a parent/guardian or a doctor's note. Students who are 15 minutes late or more will be marked as absent for that period.
Consequences for Excessive, Unexcused Tardiness
Students with continual unexcused tardiness as indicated in number per term/semester below may face the following disciplinary consequences at the Secondary School:
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2 late homerooms per week:
- After school detention
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2 detentions per month:
- Parent meeting
Uniform
Purpose of School Uniform
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To instil students with discipline and sense of pride in BWYA as their school
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To encourage personal responsibility for how we look so that we are always presentable to visitors
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To organise our appearance so that we are seen to be 'fit for the purpose of learning'
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To recognise individuality but develop a 'we first - me second' culture with a focus on the community
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To improve school spirit with students taking pride in their school's appearance and respecting the school facilities we share
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To aid teachers, administrative staff and campus guards to recognise BWYA students, which helps keep the campus safe
Uniform and Dress Code - Secondary School
Standard Dress Code (October-April)
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School tie and a plain white collared school shirt
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School grey or dark blue jumper with logo
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School trousers
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Black, flat shoes; no colourful logos or design
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School T-shirts or tracksuit for physical activities only
Casual Dress Code (August, September, May and June)
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Black or white polo shirt (no tie); white dress shirt with BWYA logo (with tie)
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School shorts or school trousers
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Dark-coloured, flat shoes
Other
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Outer garments may not be worn in the classrooms.
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Shirts should be tucked in and buttons fastened.
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Only 1 pair of studded earrings permitted as jewellery.
Uniform and Dress Code - Primary School
Standard Dress Code (October-April)
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All K-Class students should be wearing the BWYA tracksuit and the PE t-shirt or blue and orange long sleeved top.
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All Grade 1 & 2 students should be wearing black shoes, black school trousers and either a white shirt and tie or blue and orange long sleeved top.
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All Grade 3 to 5 students should be wearing black shoes, black trousers and either a white shirt and tie or blue and orange long sleeved top. Students also have the grey sweater to wear.
PE Uniform
All students are to wear their BWYA tracksuit, PE t-shirt and athletic shoes. Students can wear the grey or green PE t-shirt. Students can wear their sports shorts under their tracksuit and wear them during PE lessons but should wear their tracksuit bottoms at other times during the day.
Casual Dress Code (August, September, May and June)
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All K-Class students should be wearing the BWYA blue school shorts, blue and green polo shirt, and black shoes.
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All Grade 1 & 2 students should be wearing black shoes, blue school shorts and either a white shirt and tie or blue and green polo shirt.
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ll Grade 3 to 5 students should be wearing black shoes, blue shorts and either a white shirt and tie or blue and green polo shirt.
PE Uniform
All students are to wear their BWYA PE shorts, Green or Grey PE t-shirt, lower than knee length black, white, grey or blue sports socks and athletic shoes.
Other
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Students can wear tops or tights under their uniforms during cold weather as long as they cannot be seen. Anything worn under the white shirts should also be white so as not to detract from the uniform.
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Socks need to be sports socks for PE lessons and not fashion items.
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Black shoes can be of any style but they should be black and not a mixture of colours.
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Students can wear stud earrings but no other jewellery should be worn.
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Shirts should be tucked in and ties should be tied in a way that reflects a sense of pride in BWYA.
Uniform Check
Homeroom teachers check student uniform during the homeroom every morning. Students not in proper uniform will be sent to the front desk. In addition, subject teachers also have equal responsibility in checking student uniform and sending students to the front desk as appropriate.
The front desk will then give the following directions to the student:
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The student calls to ask their parent to send the uniform.
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If the parent can do so, the student will wait at the front desk or admissions office if available until the parent arrives with the uniform, get changed and go to class.
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If the parent cannot send the uniform but agrees that their student can buy it from the shop, the student goes to the shop, buys the uniform, gets changed and goes to class.
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If the student does not have enough money, they will go to the Deputy Principal, Head of LPC, or Head of UPC and work outside of their office the rest of the day.
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If the student comes to school again in the wrong uniform and without the money to buy the uniform, the DP or Head of LPC/UC will call the parent into school for a meeting. The student is removed from lessons.
Consequences for Uniform Violations
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5 uniform infringements (Homeroom teacher to monitor. Subject teachers to inform the homeroom teacher about uniform issues):
- After school detention
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2 detentions per month:
- Parent meeting
At the Primary school, class teachers work with parents on standardising their student's uniform.
Related School Policies
This policy is made in reference to the following school policies. The following policies should also be consulted for a better understanding of this policy:
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BWYA Staff Pastoral Care Handbook
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Admissions, Transition and Promotion Policy
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Health and Safety Policy
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Student Handbook
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Parent Handbook
Questions and Answers
References and Appendices
Policy Reviews
This policy is to be reviewed annually.
Edited May 2017 Deputy Principal
Accepted SMT: 16th May 2017
Updated by the Primary and the Secondary School Principals on January 7, 2019.