Expectations of students are high and are clearly stated in the student behaviour code, signed at the time of admission, and in the code of conduct. The Head Master and the Head of the Junior School regularly remind students that they must assume the consequences of their actions. Failure to respect the school’s expectations can result in sanctions which apply to all students across both the Senior and Junior Schools. The aims of these are to deter, educate and encourage positive personal growth.
Sanctions applied should take into account the nature of the offence. The reasons for any punishment should be explained in a clear and balanced way to a student and should be proportional to the gravity of the offence.
Physical restraint will only be used in exceptional circumstances where it becomes necessary to restrain a student for their own protection or others’ safety. No form of corporal punishment is authorised, this also includes any punishment that involves inappropriate or excessive physical exertion.
Students at Aiglon receive merits as a way to encourage and recognise student achievement in and out of the classroom. Merits exist within the framework of Aiglon’s Guiding Principles, and students can achieve recognition in mind, body and spirit. Merits in mind are awarded for academic achievements, merits in body are awarded for physical achievements and merits in spirit are awarded for achievements in attitude.
In accruing enough merits students will have the opportunity to receive a special commendation. Through this system, Aiglon can recognise students for the small, daily tasks in a positive and encouraging manner.
Demerits are given if a student fails to meet minimum expectations in their approach to their lessons. They are awarded for lateness to lessons, poor uniform or failure to bring basic equipment, inappropriate use of technology and unacceptable language or behaviour. Students will be issued a single demerit for each infraction and this information will be provided to tutors who will then discuss the demerits with the student and look towards improving behaviour in future and offering them the opportunity for students to learn from their mistakes. An excessive accumulation of demerits will lead to school laps.
Laps are issued as punishments for minor misdemeanors either in the boarding house or in the wider Aiglon Community.
House Laps are given as punishment for minor misdemeanours in the boarding house. These are served in Houses after lessons every weekday. 1 lap requires 15 minutes of work.
School laps are given for a range of misdemeanors, such as missing Meditation or not attending scheduled activities, and are usually held on Saturday mornings before school in the Senior School. Junior laps are normally held after school during the students free time.
Any student who is given laps must be informed of the reason at once by the member of staff allocating the laps. Students gaining twenty school laps or more will automatically be put on a full school gating which would normally include regular check-ins with a member of staff and removal of social (including weekend) privileges. Those with high lap counts may be required to perform community work at a time decided by their House staff or a member of the extended School Council.
Houses regularly publish the status of laps.
Students receiving fifteen or more House laps are automatically given a house gating until the laps have been totally worked off. Official sports practices, activities, rehearsals and authorised commitments usually take priority over House gating. House staff can, at their own discretion, decide to gate a student at any time.
This is a more serious punishment. It normally involves confinement to the House during all free time, checking in with the duty staff every half hour. It may be accompanied by practical jobs. Gated students may not receive visitors. School gating takes priority over all other school activities and anything else which may distract the student from this punishment. The gated student will be permitted to take part in public events if they are deemed sufficiently important by Houseparents.
At the end of the school gating period, the student is to report to his or her Houseparent with the completed gating sheets. Twenty laps or more automatically attract a school gating.
Students who have committed serious or regular breaches of the school rules or have fallen short of basic expectations may be required to take a report card to all classes and activities, obtain signatures and remarks from the respective teachers or supervisors, and report to a member of the extended School Council every day with evidence of progress.
Students who have committed serious or regular breaches of the school rules or have continually fallen short of basic expectations may also find themselves liable to perform community work at the bequest of a member of the extended School Council. A school sanction is the most serious punishment that can be issued before the student is required to attend a disciplinary panel with the Head Master.
Students involved either in serious breaches of school rules (including, but not exclusively, offences involving drugs, alcohol, smoking, theft, bullying or violence, sexual misconduct) or persistent more minor misdemeanours will face a Disciplinary Panel composed of the Head Master, a member of the extended School Council, the Tutor, Houseparent and a senior student (usually the House Captain or a Prefect). The Head Master, in close consultation with the Disciplinary Panel and any staff who have conducted an enquiry where appropriate, will make a judgement based on evidence and a process of reasoning, remaining mindful of any mitigating circumstances relating to a student’s academic and disciplinary record, before deciding on an appropriate sanction. Incidents in the Junior School will follow the same procedure but will be overseen by the Head of the Junior School along with a member of the extended School Council.
Students involved in breaches of academic honesty, persistent failure to attend class or complete work satisfactorily, or other academic misdemeanours may be required to attend an Academic Panel, meeting in the same way as the aforementioned Disciplinary Panel, joined by a member of the extended School Council.
The decision of the Disciplinary or Academic Panel will be communicated directly to the student and subsequently normally in writing to the student’s parents. Houseparents will keep parents informed throughout any investigation and immediately after a Disciplinary Panel or Academic Panel has been convened. A member of the extended School Council will communicate the decision of the panel to the rest of the school community. A copy of the letter sent to parents will normally be placed on the student’s confidential file. Incidents in the Junior School will follow the same procedure but overseen by the Head of the Junior School along with a member of the extended School Council.
Occasionally it is decided that a period of time away from school is necessary, either temporarily or in the long term. The aim of suspending students is to give them time for reflection away from school and to serve as a clear warning message that their behaviour is unacceptable and cannot continue. Students who are suspended twice within a year risk not being re-admitted to the School.
When students are suspended from school a member of the extended School Council, will usually place them, at the parents’ expense, with a local host who is known and trusted by the School, preferably with either a current or past professional relationship to Aiglon. The host typically will be able to host the student without judgement in a safe environment, provide suitable accommodation within their home at quite short notice and capable of providing intelligent support and care appropriate to the situation. The School does not place any responsibility on the host for counselling or punishing the student(s).
Whilst suspended, the student is expected to bring school work and reading to do, help with jobs around the home and garden and to be polite, courteous and cooperative at all times.
Students may alternatively be sent home to serve a suspension, when circumstances make this a more appropriate or practical sanction in the opinion of the School.
Where an offence is punished by a suspension close to a school holiday or break, the School reserves the right to hold back a student at the beginning of the holiday to serve a suspension.
At the Head Master’s discretion, certain records of sanction may be removed from a student’s file after a period of time. In cases of less serious breaches of conduct, the Head Master may, at his discretion, dispense a student from the obligation to disclose a disciplinary sanction in the context of an application to universities, colleges or schools. This dispensation is unlikely to be granted in cases of gross misconduct. Examples may include: drug use, serious abuse of alcohol, violent or anti-social behaviour, gross academic dishonesty or illegal activities.
An indefinite suspension may be applied when the Head Master feels that further investigation or consideration is required before determining whether a student may return to school.
Following appropriate investigation and a Disciplinary or Academic Panel, a student may be expelled from the School for serious breaches of the Student Behaviour Code or of Swiss Law.
Sanctions for smoking are imposed for any situation, in which a student is caught or suspected of having been smoking, including, but not limited to:
Smoking incidents are formally recorded by Houseparents and shared with appropriate staff and parents. Houseparents send a report of any incidents to the Senior Tutor where a record will be kept centrally.
The following guidelines exist for staff to follow in the event of a smoking incident (smoking in a building or on a school trip is treated as more serious and will incur more serious sanctions):
Step 1 – first offence (normal procedure): 1 day gating; Houseparent records and informs parents and Senior Tutor
Step 2 – second offence (normal procedure): 3 day gating; Houseparent records and informs parents and Senior Tutor
Step 3 – third offence (normal procedure): 5 day gating; Houseparent records and informs Senior Tutor and parents in writing. An appointment is made for the student to meet with the Health Centre Manager. The student is required to attend although we appreciate that doing so under duress is not helpful, nor is it the panacea for the underlying issues for repeat offenders. House staff will continue to invest in this process to ensure the student receives clear messages as well as sound advice. Health Centre staff will discuss health issues concerning smoking with the student and will assess their personal motivation and suitability for the Stop-Smoking Group.
Step 4 – fourth offence (normal procedure): 7 day Gating; no weekend exeat; independent expedition privilege may be revoked at Houseparent’s discretion; Houseparent arranges a formal meeting with the student, Tutor, Houseparent and Senior Tutor; Senior Tutor communicates with parents highlighting the risk of attracting serious disciplinary sanctions should their child continue to smoke.
Step 5 – fifth offence (normal procedure): 7 day gating; Houseparent records as usual, informing parents and Senior Tutor; a Disciplinary Panel is usual with the likely outcome being a formal warning from the Head Master. The Senior Tutor will write a formal letter to parents.
Step 6 – sixth offence (normal procedure): A Disciplinary Panel is convened with the likely outcome of the student being suspended for a period of time. The panel determines the exact nature of the sanction and the Senior Tutor sends another formal letter to parents.
Further offences – in extreme cases students may be expelled should the pattern of behaviour continue with no apparent motivation on the student’s part to stop smoking.