Exclusions Policy

⚠️ ADAPTED POLICY — REQUIRES AFS LEADERSHIP, GOVERNANCE, AND LEGAL SIGN-OFF BEFORE USE Exclusion decisions affect young children (KG1 – Grade 6) and involve the Bahrain Ministry of Education. Before this policy is published or relied upon, Al Fajer Private School must: (1) fill every [NEEDS AFS INPUT] placeholder — the governance body and review-panel composition in particular, (2) have legal counsel settle the fee/deposit/notice consequences of exclusion, and (3) verify current Bahrain MoE exclusion requirements and formally adopt the policy with real dates. Nothing in this document has been invented to fill those gaps.

(The file name keeps the source slug permanent_exclusions_policy so the PDF↔MD pairing stays obvious; the policy's own title — retained from the source document — is "Exclusions Policy," covering fixed-term exclusion, required withdrawal, and permanent exclusion.)

DOCUMENT CONTROL

Table of Contents

1. Aims
2. Policy Statement
3. Policy Procedure
4. Investigation of Suspected Offenses
5. Examples of Aggravating Circumstances
6. Standard of Proof
7. Evaluation of Evidence from the Investigation
8. Internal Contemplation Time
9. Authorized Absences from School
10. Re-integration Meeting
11. Removal at the Request of the School (Required Withdrawal)
12. Expulsion (Permanent Exclusion)
13. Discretion
14. Access
15. Request for Review of the Decision

This policy should be read in conjunction with the Behavior, Rewards & Sanctions Policy, which explains the school's expectations for behavior and details sanctions for misbehavior.

The following policy deals only with major disciplinary issues.

1.0 Aims

1.1 The aims of this policy are:

1.1.1 To ensure procedural fairness and justice. 1.1.2 To promote cooperation between the school and parents when it is necessary for students to leave earlier than expected.

2.0 Policy Statement

2.1 A student may be excluded from normal day-to-day schooling for a fixed period of time or excluded permanently (permanently excluded/expelled) from AFS, or parents may be asked to remove a student, or a student may be required to leave permanently for reasons of misconduct. Because every AFS student is a young child (KG1 – Grade 6), exclusion of any kind is a genuine last resort, considered only when the supportive and restorative approaches of the Behavior, Rewards & Sanctions Policy have not succeeded, or when the safety and wellbeing of others require it.

2.2 The main categories of misconduct which may result are set out below. These are kept at the level of principle; with young children, the school always considers the child's age, development, and understanding (and any safeguarding dimension) before treating an incident as misconduct:

2.3 Possession, use, supply, or inciting the use of prohibited substances — drugs and solvents or their paraphernalia, substances intended to resemble them, alcohol, vaping products, and tobacco.

2.4 Theft, blackmail, physical violence, intimidation, racism, and persistent bullying, including online bullying.

2.5 Misconduct of a sexual nature, including possession or sharing of sexually explicit material. In a school of young children, any such incident is assessed first and foremost as a safeguarding matter (see Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy) before any disciplinary response is considered.

2.6 Possession or use of unauthorized firearms or other weapons.

2.7 Serious violations of the school's expectations for responsible technology use, including vandalism of school systems and computer misuse (see Online Safety Policy) [NEEDS AFS INPUT: the source refers to an ICT Acceptable Use Policy, which is not in the current AFS policy set — create it or route this reference to the Online Safety Policy].

2.8 Persistent attitudes or behavior which are inconsistent with the ethos of the school.

2.9 Other serious misconduct towards a member of the school community or which brings the school into disrepute (single or repeated episodes), on or off school premises.

2.10 Violations of local Bahraini law.

2.11 Violations of the terms of a previous or existing exclusion.

2.12 Please note that this is not an exhaustive list and other behaviors may result in exclusion.

2.13 Action will be taken following a single offense where that offense is deemed to be sufficiently serious. In most cases, a lesser sanction will be the result of a first offense, although the Principal may permanently exclude any student for a first offense which is considered to warrant such a step. In other instances, permanent exclusion may be the result of a series of less serious offenses, where repetition of these offenses indicates the student's unwillingness to conform to an acceptable pattern of behavior. In such cases parents will have been consulted before such a stage is reached in an attempt to correct the behavior.

2.14 A student may also be required to leave if, after all appropriate consultation, the Principal is satisfied that it is not in the best interests of the student, or of the school, that he/she remains at the school.

2.15 The policy applies to all students at AFS but does not cover cases when a student has to leave because of ill health, non-payment of fees, or withdrawal by his/her parents.

3.0 Policy Procedure

3.1 The following procedures specifically deal only with major disciplinary issues.

3.2 For Kindergarten students (KG1 – KG3), an exclusion would only take place once all other avenues have been explored and exhausted, including one-to-one intervention. Across the whole school, the same spirit applies: exclusion is never the starting point for a young child.

3.3 Sanctions for serious disciplinary matters:

3.3.1 Internal contemplation time. 3.3.2 Authorized absences. 3.3.3 Removal at the request of the school (also known as required withdrawal). 3.3.4 Expulsion (also known as permanent exclusion). 3.3.5 Only the Principal may initiate the removal of a child or the permanent exclusion of a child. For required withdrawal and permanent exclusion: The Principal recommends; [NEEDS AFS INPUT: AFS governance body] endorses; the Ministry of Education reviews/approves as required.

3.4 Before deciding to suspend a child, the Principal will:

3.4.1 Ensure that an appropriate investigation has been conducted. 3.4.2 Ensure that all the relevant evidence has been considered. 3.4.3 Give the child an opportunity to be heard. 3.4.4 Consult other relevant people if necessary.

4.0 Investigation of Suspected Offenses

4.1 A staff member who suspects a student of having committed a serious offense should report the matter as soon as practicable to the relevant phase leader (KG, Grades 1 – 3, or Grades 4 – 6) [NEEDS AFS INPUT: confirm AFS's leadership structure below the Principal], who should in turn report the matter to the Principal. All offenses should be logged in the school's student-information system [NEEDS AFS INPUT: AFS student-information system].

4.2 The relevant phase leader, or an experienced staff member appointed by the Principal, should, as soon as possible, conduct an investigation to determine the facts surrounding the alleged offense. Where appropriate, more than one person may assist in the conduct of the investigation; the scope and length of the investigation will depend upon the individual circumstances and may include, without limitation, the following:

4.3 Witness interviews, including interviews of the student suspected of the offense.

4.3.1 Students who are suspected of the offense should be given the opportunity to tell their story. Leading and intimidating questions should be avoided; interviews with young children are conducted gently, age-appropriately, and with due care for the child's understanding. 4.3.2 Security-camera footage. 4.3.3 Reports and information gleaned from the use of software. 4.3.4 Any other evidence deemed relevant by the investigators. 4.3.5 Facts to be investigated should include possible mitigating and aggravating circumstances, if they exist.

4.4 Examples of mitigating factors include:

4.4.1 Provocation as a result of bullying or racial abuse. 4.4.2 Coercion by others. 4.4.3 The student's medical condition. 4.4.4 The student's emotional condition. 4.4.5 The lack of previous instances of misconduct. 4.4.6 Evidence of the student's remorse and willingness to make restitution. 4.4.7 The student's cooperation with the investigation. 4.4.8 The student's admission of the offense. 4.4.9 The student's apology for the offense.

5.0 Examples of Aggravating Circumstances

Examples of aggravating circumstances include:

5.1 The nature and frequency of previous misconduct. 5.2 The failure to heed warnings. 5.3 The failure to respond to pastoral support offered by the school. 5.4 Evidence of planning and premeditation. 5.5 The use of a weapon or other means of violence. 5.6 Targeting younger or smaller victims. 5.7 The failure to apologize or to make a genuine apology. 5.8 The lack of remorse. 5.9 The failure or refusal to cooperate with the investigation. 5.10 Lying in response to the investigation.

6.0 Standard of Proof

6.1 When investigating an offense, the school asks a simple question: is it more likely than not that the student did what is alleged? The school does not need certainty beyond reasonable doubt — it is not a court of law — but it must weigh the evidence fairly and reach a reasonable, justified conclusion.

7.0 Evaluation of Evidence from the Investigation

7.1 Once, in the estimation of the investigator(s), sufficient evidence has been gathered, it should be presented to the Principal for evaluation.

7.2 If, in the opinion of the Principal, the evidence is inconclusive, he or she may require the investigators to conduct further investigations, or determine that further investigation would not be useful.

7.3 If the evidence is sufficient, the Principal shall, in consultation with the investigator(s), determine whether it is more likely than not that the suspected student committed the offense.

7.4 Where a designated senior leader is acting in the Principal's absence, that leader should evaluate the evidence in consultation with at least one, and if possible two, other members of the school leadership team.

7.5 The Principal should maintain a written record of the investigation; this should be prepared no later than 15 days after the start of the investigation, but preferably as soon as practicable.

8.0 Internal Contemplation Time

8.1 There may be offenses where students are withdrawn from classroom-based education in order to reflect on their actions. This may be part of an investigation procedure or form part of the sanction itself.

8.2 During this time a student will be closely supervised to ensure they are safe. Work will be set, and the student will be supported to reflect, put things right, and return to class ready to learn.

8.3 Parents will be informed of this sanction.

9.0 Authorized Absences from School

9.1 Work will be set for a child to do at home during the period when they are absent from school (as far as is reasonably possible).

9.2 In addition, consideration will be given to any relevant problems of the child and how they might be addressed in the interim, together with reintegration on their return.

9.3 The Principal will inform parents. The school will also write to confirm the authorized absence, stating the length of time and the reason(s).

9.4 This sanction constitutes a clear warning about continued membership of the school, and this warning might be regarded as final. The school is highly reluctant to impose this sanction more than twice.

10.0 Re-integration Meeting

10.1 A re-integration meeting should be scheduled at or before the end of the exclusion period. This meeting should be attended by the student, at least one parent or guardian, the Principal (or a designated senior leader), and one other member of the school leadership team or a designated alternate to record the meeting.

10.2 The purpose of this meeting is to determine whether the student can return to school.

10.3 Parents may not be accompanied by legal counsel.

10.4 At the re-integration meeting, the representatives of the school should:

10.4.1 Describe the offense and the rules that were broken. 10.4.2 Describe the investigation. The names of witnesses who were interviewed may be withheld at the discretion of the school representatives. 10.4.3 Indicate the standards of behavior that are expected of the student upon his or her return to school, and discuss the appropriate level of support necessary to enable the student to return to school. 10.4.4 Describe to the student and parent(s) or guardian(s) the consequences of the student's repeated offenses and/or failure to maintain the expected behavioral standards. If appropriate, the school may offer a contract to be signed by the student and parent(s) or guardian(s) setting out the expected behavioral standards and consequences of further misconduct by the student. With a young child, any such contract is written in language the child can understand and is framed around support as well as expectations. 10.4.5 The consequences may include further temporary exclusion(s) or permanent exclusion, and the concomitant effect on the student's records. 10.4.6 Listen to and consider the comments and concerns of the student and parent(s) or guardian(s). The student and each parent or guardian shall have the opportunity to speak; if such speech should become rude or abusive, the Principal has the discretion to require them to stop.

11.0 Removal at the Request of the School (Required Withdrawal)

11.1 Parents may be required, during or at the end of a term, to remove the student, temporarily or permanently, from the school if:

11.1.1 The Principal is of the opinion that the conduct or progress of the student has been unsatisfactory. 11.1.2 In the judgment of the Principal, the student is unwilling or unable to profit from the educational opportunities offered. 11.1.3 A parent has treated the school or members of its staff unreasonably, and in any such case removal is considered to be warranted.

11.2 Financial consequences of removal (fees, deposits, refunds, and notice): [NEEDS AFS INPUT: legal/fees terms].

Legal review note: the source policy contained detailed clauses on fee refunds, fees in lieu of notice, and deposit forfeiture tied to the source school's own contract terms. None of that has been carried over. The financial consequences of required withdrawal and permanent exclusion must be defined by AFS and its legal counsel, consistently with AFS's admissions contract and fee schedule, before this policy is adopted.

11.3 Only the Principal can require parents to remove a student, and before doing so he/she will follow the same procedure as for authorized absences, together with the approval chain in 3.3.5.

11.4 In making decisions about required withdrawal, the Principal will take into account any special educational needs, disabilities, mental-health concerns, and gender and cultural differences that may be relevant to the case.

12.0 Expulsion (Permanent Exclusion)

12.1 A student may be expelled at any time if the Principal is reasonably satisfied that the student's conduct (whether on or off school premises or in or out of term time) has been prejudicial to good order or school discipline or to the reputation of the school. For a young child, this step is contemplated only in the most serious circumstances, after the supportive measures in the Behavior, Rewards & Sanctions Policy have been exhausted.

12.2 The school and the Principal will act fairly and in accordance with the procedures of justice and will not expel a student other than in serious circumstances. Financial consequences of expulsion (fees, deposits, and notice): [NEEDS AFS INPUT: legal/fees terms] — see the legal review note in section 11.2.

12.3 Some parents prefer, after due consideration, voluntarily to withdraw their child rather than the school imposing permanent exclusion. However, it must clearly be understood that the Principal reserves the right to insist on permanent exclusion.

12.4 Only the Principal can initiate the permanent exclusion of a child and, before doing so, he or she will follow the same procedure as for suspension.

12.5 The approval chain for permanent exclusion is: The Principal recommends; [NEEDS AFS INPUT: AFS governance body] endorses; the Ministry of Education reviews/approves as required. The Principal will write to the Ministry of Education before deciding on a permanent exclusion. The MoE will then review the school's proposal and will inform the school about the final status. [NEEDS AFS INPUT: verify the current MoE exclusion-approval procedure as it applies to AFS]

12.6 If it is a criminal offense, the school will inform the police.

12.7 In making decisions about exclusion, the Principal will take into account any special educational needs, disabilities, mental-health concerns, and gender and cultural differences that may be relevant to the case.

13.0 Discretion

13.1 The decision to exclude, require removal, or expel a student, and the manner and form of any announcement, shall be in the sole discretion of the school, acting on the recommendation of the Principal and subject to the approval chain in 3.3.5.

13.2 In no circumstances shall the school or its staff be required to divulge to parents or others any confidential information or the identities of students or others who have given information which has led to sanction, the requirement to remove, or expulsion, of which the Principal has acquired during an investigation.

14.0 Access

14.1 A student who has been withdrawn, removed, or expelled from the school has no right to enter school premises, be on school grounds, or attend school trips.

15.0 Request for Review of the Decision

15.1 A decision to permanently exclude, or require removal of, a child is not taken lightly, and before it is reached the Principal will have given careful consideration to any representations by the parents.

15.2 In the process, [NEEDS AFS INPUT: AFS governance body] will have been consulted and will have endorsed the issues relating to exclusion, consistent with the approval chain in 3.3.5.

15.3 Grounds for review: Parents may appeal against the decision of the Principal, if they wish, by writing to [NEEDS AFS INPUT: AFS governance body]. If parents wish the governance body to review the case, they should state the grounds on which they are asking for a review and the outcome they seek. Parents also retain the right to appeal to the Ministry of Education, as set out in the Behavior, Rewards & Sanctions Policy (in writing, within 7 days of being informed of the decision).

15.4 Review timing: Under normal circumstances, a request for review must be made by parents within two weeks of the Principal's communication of the decision to permanently exclude a student.

15.5 Review panel: The review will be undertaken by a three-member panel, who will have no detailed previous knowledge of the case or of the student or parents. [NEEDS AFS INPUT: review-panel composition — who serves on the panel and how its independence is assured at AFS] Parents will be notified in advance of the names of the panel members. Fair consideration will be given to any bona fide objection to a particular member of the panel.

15.6 Review meeting: The meeting will take place at the school premises, normally between 3 and 10 days after the parents' application has been received. A review will not normally take place during school holidays. A review meeting is a private procedure and all those who are concerned in it are required to keep its proceedings confidential, subject to law.

15.7 Attendance: Those present at the review meeting will normally be:

15.7.1 Members of the review panel. 15.7.2 The Principal and any relevant member of staff whom the student or their parents have asked should attend and whom the Principal considers should attend in order to secure a fair outcome. 15.7.3 The student together with his/her parents and, if they wish, up to two members of the school staff who are willing to speak on the student's behalf. 15.7.4 The parents may be accompanied by a friend or relation who must not be legally qualified. 15.7.5 This friend or relation may not speak during the meeting.

15.8 Conduct of meeting: The meeting will be chaired by one member of the review panel and will be conducted in a suitable room and in an informal manner. All statements made at the meeting will be unsworn. The proceedings will not be recorded without the consent of both the chair and a parent, and any recording will be used only to assist the panel members in reaching their decision and formulating their reasons, and will belong to the school. A suitable member of the school staff will be asked to keep a handwritten minute of the main points which arise at the meeting. All those present will be entitled, should they wish, to write their own notes. The meeting will be directed by the chair of the review panel, who will conduct it so as to ensure that all those present have a reasonable opportunity to ask questions and make appropriate comment. Everyone is expected to show courtesy, restraint, and good manners. The chair may at his/her discretion adjourn or terminate the meeting. If the meeting is terminated, the original decision will stand.

15.9 Procedure: The panel will consider each of the questions raised by the student or his/her parents so far as relevant to:

15.9.1 Whether the facts of the case were sufficiently established when the decision was taken to expel or remove the student. 15.9.2 In plain terms, the panel asks whether it was more likely than not that the events occurred, and whether the sanction was warranted — that is, whether it was proportionate to the breach of discipline or the other events which are found to have occurred, and to the legitimate aims of the school's policy in that respect. 15.9.3 Basic fairness — the requirements of natural justice — will apply. 15.9.4 If for any reason the student or his/her parents are dissatisfied with any aspect of the meeting, they must inform the chair at the time and ask them to note their dissatisfaction and the reasons for it.

15.10 Identification: If the Principal considers it necessary in the interests of an individual or of the school that the identity of any person should be withheld, the chair may require that the name of that person and the reasons for withholding it be written down and shown to the panel members.

15.11 The chair at his/her discretion may direct that the person be identified or not, as the case may be.

15.12 Student's character: Up to two members of the school staff may speak generally about the student's character, conduct, and achievements at the school if they are willing to do so.

15.13 Leaving status: If, having heard all parties, the panel is minded to confirm the Principal's earlier decision, it is open to the panel, with agreement of the Principal, the student, and his/her parents, to discuss the student's leaving status with a view to reaching agreement.

15.14 Decision: When the chair decides that all issues have been sufficiently discussed and if by then there is no consensus, he/she may adjourn the meeting; alternatively the chair may ask those present to withdraw while the panel considers its decision. In the absence of a significant procedural irregularity, the decision of the review panel will be final. It will be notified, with reasons, to the parents by the chair of the review panel by email within three days of the meeting.