Student Well-being Policy

Last Revision: July 2026

Next Revision: May 2027

1.  RATIONALE & PURPOSE

Amman Academy is committed to the holistic well-being of every member of its community, students, staff, and families. Well-being at Amman Academy is understood not merely as the absence of harm, but as the active cultivation of safe, caring, healthy, and purposeful environments across all aspects of school life.

This policy provides the school’s overarching framework for student well-being. It draws together the school’s commitments across six areas aligned with CIS Standards 1 to 6: a safe and respectful school environment; child safeguarding; healthcare and healthy relationships; off-campus safety; transition support; and guidance and counselling. It applies across the full IB continuum, from Early Years through Year 12.

This policy is to be read alongside related school policies (see Section 8 Related Documents). Detailed operational procedures are contained in those documents and in the AA MTSS Manual 2025-2026.

2.  REGULATORY & STANDARDS REFERENCE

3.  SCOPE

Applies to: all students enrolled at Amman Academy (Early Years through Year 12); all teaching and non-teaching staff, volunteers, and contracted personnel; school leadership and board members; parents, guardians, and family members of enrolled students; external visitors and partners on campus or engaging in school-related activities.

Does not apply to: this policy does not replace the detailed procedures described in the Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy, Inclusion Policy, MTSS Manual, IT Policy, Assessment Policy, or School Trip Policy. Those documents govern specific operational areas and must be read in conjunction with this policy.

4.  DEFINITIONS

• Well-Being: A positive state in which individuals experience physical safety, emotional security, a sense of belonging, and the capacity to learn and grow. Well-being encompasses academic, social-emotional, physical, and developmental dimensions.
• Child Safeguarding: The processes and structures through which the school protects children from abuse, neglect, exploitation, and harm, and promotes their welfare.
• Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): The senior member of staff with lead responsibility for child protection matters, recording safeguarding concerns, and liaising with external agencies.
• Child Safeguarding Team (CST): The team designated by school leadership to oversee child protection at Amman Academy, including the DSL and deputies.
• Social and Emotional Learning (SEL): Structured, age-appropriate educational programmes developing self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.
• Student Support Team (SST): The interdisciplinary team providing student well-being, inclusion, and pastoral support services across all divisions.
• Temporary Guardian: An adult (minimum 18 years; not a current student) formally designated by a parent to care for their child when the parent leaves the townsite during the academic year.

5.  POLICY STATEMENTS

5.1   Core Principle:  Amman Academy commits to the holistic well-being of every student through six integrated areas aligned with CIS Standards 1 to 6: a safe, caring, and respectful school environment; comprehensive child safeguarding; healthcare, healthy relationships, and well-being education; health, safety, and security for off-campus activities; student and family transition support; and guidance, counselling, and careers education. Well-being is the active cultivation of safe, caring, healthy, and purposeful environments.

5.2   Requirement:  The following operational requirements apply across the six CIS-aligned well-being domains:

5.2.1   Safe, Caring and Respectful School Environment:  Vision and Values: Amman Academy’s vision is to foster global citizens by providing a quality and meaningful learning experience. All members of the school community are guided by the IB Learner Profile, developing students who are inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced, and reflective.

• Openness, Fairness, Trust, and Mutual Respect: All students have the right to work in a secure environment free from intimidation, bullying, or harassment. The school does not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, sex, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age, or national or ethnic origin. All members of the community are expected to behave honestly and with integrity. Faculty acknowledge the uniqueness and potential of each child, enhancing their strengths, competence, and self-esteem. The School Uniform Policy promotes equality and fosters a sense of belonging.
• Student Agency and Voice: Student Led Conferences (SLCs) are held twice per year across PYP, MYP, and DP. Three-Way Conferences in Terms 1 and 3 bring students, parents, and teachers together as equal stakeholders to co-set goals. Students complete self-assessment reflection forms on all summative tasks in MYP and DP. Student questions are a required planning element in PYP units. Students are actively involved in setting and reviewing their own IEP targets where age-appropriate.
• Compassion, Leadership, and Community Stewardship: Service as Action (MYP) and CAS (DP) develop student compassion, leadership, and community contribution through real-world service. The PYP Exhibition and MYP Personal Project develop agency, research skills, and community engagement. Community service is a formal part of school life.
• Physical Safety and Campus Environment: School facilities are maintained to be safe, well-equipped, and accessible. Age-differentiated playground access rules protect younger students during unsupervised periods. The assessment calendar limits summative assessments to a maximum of two per year level per day.

5.2.2   Child Safeguarding:  Amman Academy is committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment for all students. The welfare of the child is paramount. All staff, volunteers, and external partners are subject to the school’s child safeguarding requirements. The school’s Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy provides full procedural detail and must be read alongside this section.

• Roles and Responsibilities: A Child Safeguarding Team (CST) is designated, led by the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). The names and contact details of the DSL are published in the Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy and communicated to all staff annually. School leadership ensures all staff complete EduCare-certified child protection training and annual refreshers, and implements Safer Recruitment procedures including police background checks for all employees. All staff have a mandatory duty to report any safeguarding concern to the DSL within 24 hours; specific disclosures must be reported before the close of the school day. Parents must inform the school when leaving the townsite and designate a formal Temporary Guardian in writing.
• Safer Recruitment: All candidates undergo thorough vetting including full CV with all employment gaps explained; reference checks; police clearance certificates from home country and last country of employment; social media and sex offender clearance by an external agency; medical and substance screening. New staff complete full safeguarding training as part of induction before commencing work with students.
• Staff Conduct: Staff are prohibited from following, befriending, or connecting with current students on personal social media platforms. All professional communication between staff and students must use approved school channels (school email, Toddle, or other school-authorised platforms). Staff may not post photos or videos of students on personal accounts. Content from personal devices must be transferred to the school’s secure drive and permanently deleted. One-on-one meetings with students are held in observable spaces. Physical discipline of a child is strictly prohibited.
• Reporting and Record-Keeping: The school maintains a clear reporting hierarchy: concern about a student goes to the DSL; concern involving staff goes to the Head of School; concern involving the Head of School goes to the Chair of the Board of Directors. All safeguarding reports are held confidentially on a need-to-know basis. Records are maintained by the HR Department with restricted access. If immediate danger is suspected, emergency services will be contacted without delay.
• Online Safety: A Digital Citizenship Policy governs responsible, ethical, and safe use of technology. Cyberbullying, digital harassment, and access to prohibited content are explicitly banned. Violations result in graduated consequences up to and including loss of device privileges and disciplinary action. Acceptable Use Agreements (AUAs) are signed by all students and staff annually. Parental consent for use of student images is collected at enrolment.
• Campus Security: All visitors must register at the security post, wear a visitor badge, and be escorted while on campus. Students must be supervised by an authorised adult at all times on campus. School hours are formally defined. Early departure requires an Early Leavers Form submitted to security staff.

5.2.3   Healthcare, Healthy Relationships and Well-Being Education:  The school delivers structured, age-appropriate well-being education and provides student support and counselling across all year levels.

• Social and Emotional Learning (SEL): SEL is embedded across all year levels, including age-appropriate lessons on safety, consent, well-being, self-regulation, empathy, and resilience. All students are educated about child safeguarding, safety, and healthy relationships annually through classroom-based delivery. The Code of Conduct promotes personal independence, self-confidence, self-esteem, and active participation in learning.
• Healthy Eating and Nutrition: The school promotes healthy eating habits, recognising the link between nutrition, physical activity, and academic performance. A nut-free policy applies to all students. No sugary drinks are permitted; fresh water is actively promoted. Special events must not include food of minimal nutritional value. During Ramadan, the school adjusts its schedule in consideration of fasting students.
• Physical Health and Safety: Appropriate footwear (fully enclosed shoes) is mandatory for all students. Hats are required during outdoor activities. School facilities include a swimming pool, sports gym, and playgrounds, supporting physical well-being and active lifestyles. Health-related incidents (e.g., head lice) follow documented management procedures.
• Healthy Relationships Education: Students are educated on consent, age-appropriate relationships, and healthy boundaries as part of annual safeguarding education and SEL. Inappropriate public displays of affection are addressed directly with students; persistent behaviour is escalated to parents and the school counsellor.
• Student Support and Counselling: The Student Support Team (SST) provides individual and group counselling, classroom guidance, and a comprehensive school counselling programme. Students of concern (below expected thresholds in 2+ subject areas in MYP, or not fulfilling DP criteria) are flagged and placed on an academic support plan. A psychologist is available as part of the student support escalation pathway for diagnostic and therapeutic support in complex cases.
• Workload and Assessment Well-Being: A maximum of two summative assessments per year level per day is enforced across all programmes. Formative feedback is due within five working days; summative feedback within fourteen working days. Homework assignments are designed to be reasonable in scope and aligned with the Homework Policy.

5.2.4   Health, Safety and Security for Off-Campus Activities:  Off-campus activities include field trips, sports competitions, Model United Nations, World Scholars Cup, community service, and other school-approved events. All activities must be aligned with curriculum objectives across PYP, MYP, DP, and CAS.

• Approval and Risk Assessment: A risk-tiered approval hierarchy applies. Low-risk activities are approved by the Coordinator; medium-risk by the Principal; high-risk (including formal institutional partnerships) by the Head of School. A documented Risk Management Plan is required for all off-campus activities, identifying hazards, likelihood, consequences, and control measures. Activities rated Extreme, High, or Significant risk cannot proceed until mitigations are in place. A site visit or feasibility investigation is required prior to any new field trip.
• Parental Consent and Communication: Written parental consent is mandatory for all off-campus activities. Students without signed consent remain at school under supervision. A parent letter must be sent at least one week prior, including costing, curriculum tie-in, and safety assurances.
• Supervision, Logistics, and First Aid: Supervision ratios are set by the Principal based on the age of students. A student list with all phone numbers is distributed to all accompanying adults. Basic first aid materials are mandatory on every field trip. If a chaperone becomes unavailable, a designated backup assumes responsibility. A point of contact at school (Reception or Secretary) manages student whereabouts and holds all contact lists throughout the trip.
• Academic Continuity: Students must meet with teachers before any trip to obtain materials for missed classes and are responsible for keeping up with work via Toddle. Academic eligibility for participation in trips is based on satisfactory performance and effort across all subjects. Personal learning devices are mandatory on all trips.

5.2.5   Student and Family Transition Support:  The school supports student and family transitions at admission, between divisions, and at exit.

• Admission and Entry Transition: New student orientation is delivered by each homeroom teacher. School Administration shares student reports and relevant records with all relevant staff upon enrolment. Parent Teacher Conferences in Week 3 of Terms 1 and 3 provide early structured access to teachers, particularly valuable for recently enrolled families. Students with no or limited English are automatically placed on the EAL programme (PYP) or assessed phase-wise (MYP) upon entry. Students enrolling with existing IEPs are supported through continuity of their programme.
• Transition Between Divisions: The school ensures smooth articulation and progression between all three IB programmes (PYP to MYP to DP), maintaining curriculum alignment and language profile review at each transition. DP course selection involves structured conversations with students, parents, and subject teachers, with formal sign-off required before enrolment. The university counsellor manages predicted grades and supports DP students through the university application process.
• Family Communication During Transitions: All MYP and DP units are shared with families via Toddle, including aims, objectives, and assessment tasks. Portfolios are shared with families each term and during Student Led Conferences. Family Messaging on Toddle is the designated channel for ongoing teacher-parent communication. The parent concern escalation pathway is documented: Homeroom Teacher to Programme Coordinator to Campus Principal. Pastoral or well-being concerns are referred to the School Counselor or SST.
• Temporary Guardian Policy: When parents leave the townsite during the academic year, they must formally appoint a Temporary Guardian (minimum 18 years; not a current student) and notify the school in writing. The Temporary Guardian is authorised to make critical legal, medical, and social decisions for the child in the parent’s absence.
• Student Exit: When a student leaves the school, parents must complete all required exit documentation. The school reserves the right to communicate relevant safeguarding concerns directly to the receiving school’s Child Safeguarding Coordinator.

5.2.6   Guidance, Counselling and Careers Education:  The school provides academic counselling, student guidance, and careers education across the IB continuum.

• Academic Counselling and University Guidance: A university counsellor manages predicted grades and provides structured support for DP students through the university application process, in line with country and university-specific requirements. DP course selection includes structured guidance to ensure students choose pathways appropriate to their goals and abilities, with formal sign-off by students, parents, and teachers. University collaborations (formal MoUs) connect students with higher education institutions.
• Academic Support and Student Guidance: Student Led Conferences (twice yearly) and Three-Way Conferences (Terms 1 and 3) provide structured, recurring touchpoints. Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills are tracked through the Toddle gradebook, providing evidence of skills development beyond academic grades. The SST provides individual and group counselling and assists families in understanding how specific difficulties may affect academic and social progress.
• Careers Education: A career aptitude test is compulsory for all students in Year 12, fulfilling Indonesian national curriculum requirements. Industry exposure, including engagement with AMMAN Mineral Nusa Tenggara and corporate departments, provides students with real-world professional experience. Guest speakers, expert workshops, and community service (PYP Exhibition, MYP Personal Project, DP CAS) support career exploration and self-discovery across year levels.

5.3   Compliance:  Compliance with this policy is monitored through annual review by the Head of School and SST Coordinator / Counselor / DSL, supported by CIS evaluation cycles, IB programme review, and the AA MTSS Manual implementation audit. Non-compliance with safeguarding requirements (section 5.2.2) follows the reporting hierarchy and may result in disciplinary action up to termination. Non-compliance with other well-being requirements is addressed through standard school procedures. Any concern raised is handled fairly, discreetly, and in accordance with the rights of all parties.

6.  ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

7.  EXCEPTIONS & WAIVERS

Authority to grant exceptions:  Head of School holds authority over exceptions to non-safeguarding requirements (e.g., off-campus approval for high-risk activities, medical or compassionate adjustments). Safeguarding requirements (section 5.2.2) are non-negotiable and not subject to exception.

Process:  Written request with supporting rationale and risk assessment, routed via the relevant Principal or Coordinator. Decisions are documented in writing.

Documentation:  All approved exceptions logged in the relevant school register (off-campus activity log, medical accommodation file, or pastoral case file maintained by the SST).

8.  RELATED DOCUMENTS

• Refer to the AA Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy for full procedural detail for CIS Standard 2, reporting hierarchy, and safeguarding training.
• Refer to the AA Inclusion Policy for student learning needs, MTSS framework, IEP procedures, and confidentiality.
• Refer to the AA MTSS Manual 2025-2026 for operational support procedures, SST roles, and Tier 1, 2, 3 interventions.
• Refer to the AA Code of Conduct (Student) for student behaviour expectations, academic integrity, and disciplinary procedures.
• Refer to the AA IT Policy and Digital Citizenship Policy for acceptable use agreements, online safety, and cyberbullying.
• Refer to the AA Assessment and Reporting Policy for assessment calendar management, summative limits, and workload.
• Refer to the AA School Trip Policy for off-campus activity procedures, parental consent, and supervision.
• Refer to the AA Admissions Policy for enrolment procedures, transition intake, and screening.
• Refer to the AA Homework Policy for workload management and assignment expectations.