School Policies

To ensure the safety and well-being of all students by providing a secure learning environment that protects them from harm, abuse, neglect, and exploitation. This policy applies to all staff, volunteers, visitors, and students.

• Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO): The school appoints a DSO responsible for handling safeguarding concerns and reporting them to appropriate authorities. At West Virginia Academy this refers to our two social workers that are on campus as well as two vice principles that handle more serious matters.
• Staff Training: All staff are required to undergo regular safeguarding training, including recognizing signs of abuse, bullying or behavioral concerns and the correct reporting procedures.
• Reporting Process: Any safeguarding concern must be reported immediately to the DSO. The process of reporting includes incident reports and in-person meetings. The DSO will then assess the concern and take appropriate action.
• Confidentiality: Safeguarding matters are handled with the utmost confidentiality, and information is only shared with those directly involved in the resolution process.
• Parental Involvement: Parents will be notified of any safeguarding concerns related to their child, unless it compromises the student’s safety.

To prevent bullying in all its forms and provide a safe, inclusive environment where students can thrive socially and academically. This policy applies to all students, staff, and visitors to the school.

Bullying includes physical, verbal, social, and cyberbullying. It can involve direct actions like hitting or indirect actions like exclusion.

• Reporting Bullying: Students and staff are encouraged to report any instances of bullying. Reports can be made directly to a teacher, social worker, or the highest available authority figure.
• Intervention: Once bullying is reported, an investigation is conducted. Depending on the outcome, mediation, counseling, or disciplinary actions are taken. The involvement of parents depends on the severity of the actions reported.
• Support for Victims: Victims of bullying are provided with emotional and psychological support. Regular follow-ups ensure their well-being.
• Prevention Programs: The school conducts awareness programs, workshops, and campaigns to educate students on the effects of bullying and promote empathy and respect.

Whistleblowing Policy

To encourage and protect individuals who raise concerns about illegal, unethical, or improper behavior within the school. This policy applies to all staff, volunteers, and individuals affiliated with the school. Issues may include financial misconduct, safeguarding violations, discrimination, or health and safety risks.

• Confidential Reporting: Concerns should be reported in writing to the designated Whistleblowing Officer, DSO, vice principals or Headmaster. Reports can be made anonymously if desired.
• No Retaliation: Individuals who raise concerns in good faith are protected from retaliation or discrimination. False claims made with malicious intent, however, will result in disciplinary action and/or termination of work/studies.
• Investigation: All reported concerns are thoroughly investigated by senior management, and appropriate actions are taken based on findings.

Concerns and Complaints Policy

To provide a clear and transparent process for addressing concerns and complaints from students, parents, staff, and the wider community. This policy applies to all stakeholders in the school community.

• Initial Resolution: Concerns should be raised informally with the relevant teacher or staff member in the first instance. Many issues can be resolved quickly at this level.
• Formal Complaints: If the issue cannot be resolved informally, a formal written complaint should be submitted to the school administration via reception. An investigation will be conducted within a specified timeframe.

• Response Time: The school will acknowledge receipt of a formal complaint within five working days and provide a full response within 20 working days. Urgent matters can be dealt with in a much quicker timeframe if it is within West Virginia Academy’s means.

• Confidentiality: All complaints are handled confidentially, and details are shared only with parties directly involved.

West Virginia Academy aims to resolve any problem or conflict with utmost care and efficiency.

To ensure students use the internet and digital technologies safely and responsibly, protecting them from harmful content and cyber threats. This policy applies to all students, staff, and anyone using school technology. The school monitors internet activity on all school devices. Students are only allowed to access approved websites and digital content when partaking in computer lessons.

• Cyberbullying: Any instance of cyberbullying is treated with the same seriousness as in-person bullying and is subject to the same disciplinary measures. This includes the use of the Teams’ chatrooms or private social media platforms.
• Parental Involvement: Parents are encouraged to discuss online safety with their children and monitor their internet usage at home.
• Reporting: Students and staff are encouraged to report any concerns related to e-safety, including inappropriate content or online harassment.

To promote a sense of school pride and equality among students by maintaining a standardized dress code. This policy applies to all students enrolled in the school.

• Uniform Requirements: All students must wear the prescribed school uniform during school hours and at school-related events. Detailed guidelines are provided at the start of the academic year.
• Non-Compliance: Students who do not comply with the uniform policy will receive reminders. Repeated violations may result in disciplinary action.

Exceptions: Reasonable adjustments to the uniform policy may be made for religious or medical reasons, with prior approval from the school administration.

To ensure a positive and respectful learning environment by outlining clear expectations for student conduct. This policy applies to all students during school hours, on school property, and at school-related activities.

• Behavior Expectations: Students are expected to demonstrate respect, responsibility, and kindness at all times. Disruptive or inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated.
• Rewards: Positive behaviors are encouraged and rewarded through the school’s reward system, which includes recognition, certificates, and other incentives.
• Consequences: In cases of misconduct, consequences range from verbal warnings to suspension, depending on the severity of the infraction.
• Restorative Practices: Where appropriate, restorative approaches are used to address behavioral issues and repair harm between affected parties.
• Parental Involvement: Parents are involved in discussions regarding their child’s behavior when necessary, especially for recurring issues. Meetings can be requested by all parties including parents, teachers or administrators.

Dear  Parents We would like to inform you of West Virginia Academy’s communication policies and procedures.

• You may meet with any member of the social support for students at any time during the school day, provided that the meeting is preceded by writing your complaint or suggestion and hand-delivering it to the academic secretary or send it to the academy’s email address and as a reminder
  Wv-academy@education.qa so that so that the academy staff can investigate or study it before the meeting to maximize benefit from the meeting with you and find the most appropriate solutions.

• If your complaint is not resolved, you can meet with the Academy’s director or deputy director After requesting a prior appointment from the Academy’s secretary with the complaint or suggestion in writing in advance and before discussing it verbally during the meeting.

• Please note that the bylaws and the Academy’s written policy will be referenced when
  resolution of any of your complaints, which you were informed of on your application form, without any
  exceptions to these bylaws to ensure complete fairness and objectivity.

• In the event that any of the above-mentioned persons are busy the representative will be interviewed.
• In cases of emergencies that require the seriousness On the safety of the student Do not wait until you write and send an email to the Academy, you can call the following numbers

The following number : 44111000 or 44142617.

We wish that your call should be brief, with a maximum of three minutes to allow the Academy’s for the Academy’s reception staff to receive to receive more calls or to serve the parents or teachers in attendance.

• In case If you wish to meet any of the teachers at the academy, you can do so by sending a message to
  The mentioned e-mail address
• Your request for an appointment should include the details of the complaint to be discussed with the teacher (a ready-to-fill appointment request form is attached). So that the teacher can review it before the meeting.
• You will be informed of the available date to meet with the teacher, provided that a representative of the administration will attend the meeting, and the details of the meeting will be written and signed by all attendees and kept in the student’s academic file for documentation purposes.
• Please note that the meeting with the teacher should not exceed twenty minutes per meeting in order to allow him to continue to do his work or meet other parents, so please adhere to discussing the topics contained in your request and on the basis of which the meeting was determined, and please note that the parent requesting the meeting must have full knowledge of the English language as all teachers at the academy except for Arabic and Sharia teachers speak only English and the translation service for the parent is not available during this meeting.

Social Media Policy

1.1   Introduction to the Policy:

The school is aware and acknowledges that increasing numbers of adults and children are using social networking sites. The widespread availability and use of social networking applications bring opportunities to understand, engage and communicate with audiences in new ways. This policy and associated guidance is to protect staff and advise school leadership on how to deal with potential inappropriate use of social networking sites.

The policy document aims to provide this balance to support innovation whilst providing a framework for good practice.

Our guidelines are designed to create an atmosphere of good will, honesty, and individual accountability. West Virginia Academy staff should always keep in mind that information produced, shared, and retrieved by them is a reflection on the school community and is subject to the school’s policies.

The reputation of the school should not be adversely affected. When accessing, creating, or contributing to any blogs, wikis, podcasts, or other social media for classroom or, in most cases, for personal use, we expect you to keep these guidelines in mind.

Failure to meet or follow these guidelines may result in disciplinary action.

1.2   Scope:

This policy covers the use of social networking applications by all staff and the overall aim is to safeguard and protect pupils and staff. The requirements of this policy apply to all uses of social networking applications which are used for any school related purpose and regardless of whether the staff are contributing in an official capacity to social networking applications provided by external organizations.

Social networking applications include, but are not limited to:

• Blogs
• Online discussion forums
• Collaborative spaces, such as Facebook
• Media sharing services, for example YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram
• ‘Micro-blogging’ applications, for example Twitter
• Chat groups on WhatsApp, BBM, etc.

All staff should bear in mind that information they share through social networking applications, even if they are on private spaces, is subject to copyright and data protection.

 1.3    Use of Social networking sites in worktime:

Use of social networking applications in work time for personal use is not permitted.

 1.4    Guidelines:

The intent of these procedures is to clarify the professional boundaries to protect you and your pupils from potential misinterpretation of the staff-pupil relationship.

These procedures apply to all social interaction between you and your pupils both during and outside of working hours where a staff-pupil relationship exists.

Where applications allow the posting of messages online, users must be mindful that the right to freedom of expression attaches only to lawful conduct. West Virginia Academy. expects that users of social networking applications will exercise the right of freedom of expression in accordance with these conditions.

1.5    Conditions

Social Networking applications

• Must not be used in an abusive or hateful manner
• Must not be used for actions that would put school representatives in breach of school codes of conduct or policies relating to staff.
• Must not breach the school’s misconduct, equal opportunities or bullying and harassment policies
• Must not be used to discuss or advise any matters relating to school matters, staff, pupils, or parents
• Must not include use of the school’s name or logos without first attaining permission from the Principal
• Must not have any postings by staff within the school day
• Must not be used to publish any content which may result in actions for defamation, discrimination, breaches of copyright, data protection or other claim for damages. This includes but is not limited to material of an illegal, sexual, or offensive nature that may bring the school into disrepute.
• Must not be used for the promotion of personal financial interests, commercial ventures, or personal campaigns

In Addition

• No staff should join any social media group pages as a member or representative of West Virginia Academy.
• No staff member should have a pupil or former pupil under the age of 18 as a ‘friend’ with whom to share information.
• Employees should not identify themselves as representatives of the school.
• References should not be made to any staff member, pupil, parent, or school activity/ event unless prior permission has been obtained by and in agreement with the principal and the person/s concerned.
• Staff should be aware that if their out-of-work activity causes potential embarrassment for the school or detrimentally effects the school’s reputation then the school is entitled to take disciplinary action.

1.6    Guidance/protection for staff on using social networking

As a school staff member, you are subject to a level of public scrutiny over and above most other public sector employees because you work with children. For many of you, web-based, and other electronic communications are an essential part of your social and professional lives.

Using new technologies, whether during or outside working hours, presents significant risks for you. You should not engage in social interaction with pupils through social networking sites unless there is an educationally valid context. In the event of a complaint or allegation being received by the School/Board, the responsibility will be on you to demonstrate that the use was appropriate.

This policy sets clear guidelines and boundaries for appropriate behavior between you, parents and your pupils by any means, especially out of school hours.

Staff should not:

• Interact with any pupil in the school on social networking sites
• Enter chat rooms with pupils
• Exchange mobile phone numbers with pupils for private communication. Sometimes a class or subject WhatsApp group is created for pupil support. In this forum it is acceptable.
• Take photographs or videos of pupils without parent/guardian consent
• Take photographs or videos of pupils for non-school purposes
• Send or exchange images or videos of school staff, pupils or any aspect of school operations without authorization or approval
• Download and store inappropriate images or other inappropriate material on laptop computers outside school hours and off school sites.
• Interact with any parents as a representative of the school
• Join community or public forums as a representative of the school

Please note:

• If you have any evidence of pupils or adults using social networking sites in the working day, please inform your line manager or Principal.
• Staff should be aware that if their out-of-work activity causes potential embarrassment for the school or detrimentally effects the school’s reputation then the employer is entitled to take disciplinary action.

Violation of this policy will be considered as gross misconduct and can result in disciplinary action being taken against the employee up to and including termination of employment.  The Social Media Policy will be reviewed on an annual basis