17 FEBRUARY 2025
General
Detention should be reserved for serious misdemeanours and used as part of a broader classroom management strategy. Over-reliance on detention as a disciplinary measure often signals deeper issues in classroom control, student engagement, or behaviour management that need to be addressed. A balanced approach, incorporating positive reinforcement and clear expectations, is essential for maintaining discipline effectively.
Purpose
- To ensure that detention is used as an effective and efficient means to instill discipline
- To ensure that all teachers are aware of the actions leading to detention
- To ensure that all teachers are aware of the procedures to be followed during detention
Detention Process/Protocol
- NOTE: Please exercise discretion when issuing demerits, particularly for minor infringements. Where possible, a verbal warning should be given first to guide students toward better behaviour. Demerits should be reserved for repeated offenses or more serious breaches of discipline. A thoughtful approach ensures that discipline remains constructive and fosters a respectful and positive learning environment.
- Demerits will be recorded in the office manually until The SASPAC program can facilitate this.
- The office will inform parents via WhatsApp when 25 and 45 demerits are issued until SASPAC is able to do this.
- There is an attached list of transgression with allocated demerits. This list is not exhaustive but a guideline.
- Each teacher is responsible for reporting the issue of demerits by completing and submitting the demerit form to the office on a daily basis, according to the prescribed process.
- Once the system reaches 50 demerits the learner will receive a notice of detention for the following week.
- The Head of Pastoral will issue notice of detention to parents.
- The demerits do not get decreased after detention but accumulate. Once a learner gets to 100 demerits, he/she will receive a notification of in-house counselling with a senior teacher and further detention.
- The demerits continue to accumulate and once a learner reaches 150 demerits a notice goes out for a detention and an interview with parents, the principal and necessary staff. Any further transgressions get handled through the office and the disciplinary process.
- The demerit system is set to zero and the beginning of each new grade.
Important
- The parents are timeously informed on every transgression and detention sanction.
- High School Detention is run by a teacher and usually takes place on Wednesday from 15h00 to 17h00
- Primary School Detention is run by a teacher and usually takes place on Monday from 13h30 to 15h30
- A five-minute toilet break will be provided after the first hour.
- No work must be done during detention.
- Learners must be timeously informed of a detention a week in advance.
- Detention may not be used for a “blanket” punishment
- The Head of Pastoral will set timetables indicating the teachers to be on detention duty
- Detention will take place in the duty teachers’ classroom or venue advertised
- Parents must be informed that their child is required to attend detention via sms, email and or WhatsApp
- Exam conditions must be adhered to during detention ie learners may not eat, walk around in the detention class, make a noise or disturb other learners, or sleep during detention, use any device
- The Head of Pastoral must generate a list of the names of all learners that should attend detention to the teacher on duty
- A register should be kept of all learners attending the detention
- The register should be returned to the discipline manager by the teacher on duty
- The Head of Pastoral must retain the register in a file
- A learner may not do any physical labour during detention
- Where a learner cannot attend detention in the session to which he/she has been allocated:
- Where a learner cannot attend detention on the date as required the parent should submit a letter to the Head of Pastoral indicating the reasons for not being able to attend.
The Head of Pastoral should evaluate the reasonableness for the request and should notify the parent in writing of the following date of detention
Where a learner neglects to attend detention the learner will receive a second detention and a further 50 demerit points the parents will be informed.
NOTE Only one extension may be considered.
- If a learner has extra class on the day that he/she has to report for detention, the detention will take place after the extra lesson.
- Detention takes precedence over sport
- All cell phones must be handed in at the start of the detention session
Record of Demerits
- A separate High school and Primary school file will be maintained at reception.
- Each file will be separated according to grade and class
- A class list will be included in each divider.
- Demerits are recoded on the demerit sheet with all details. The learner will sign the demerit sheet,
- All completed demerit sheets must be handed in at the end of the school day
- The front office will file a keep a running total of individual demerits
- Parents will be notified when a learner reaches 20 demerits and 40 demerits with the reminder that detention will be triggered at 50 demerits.
- As when the system allows demerits will be recorded onto SASPAC
Demerit Guidelines
Note the Principal may ascribe demerit points at his or her discretion for offences not listed below
Behaviour
| Inappropriate affectionate behaviour (hand holding, kissing, foul language, etc. | 5 |
| Late for class without permission | 5 |
| Disrupt class / ignore commands / uncooperativeness | 5 |
| In the presence of smokers / vapers | 10 |
| Illegal use of technology (all tech devices) or confiscation of cell phone. | 20 |
| In possession of smoking / vaping apparatus | 30 |
| Disrespecting / defacing property | 30 |
| Caught smoking (vaping) / using or under the influence of alcohol | 50 |
| General Insolence towards teachers or support staff | 50 |
Absence
| No letter of absence | 10 |
| Repeated late arrival for class (3 warnings) | 10 |
| Use of tuck shop between lessons | 20 |
| Absent from class without permission | 25 |
| Leave school without permission | 50 |
| Absent from scheduled detention | 50 |
Vandalism
| Damage property | 25 |
| Producing of offensive graffiti | 25 |
| Any defacing of school property | 50 |
General Appearance
| General Appearance infringement | 5 |
| School uniform infringement | 5 |
| Nails not according to school rules | 5 |
| Not shaved (without permission) | 5 |
| Jewelry infringement | 5 |
| Hair infringement | 5 |
Dishonesty
| General Dishonesty | 25 |
| Counterfeit signature | 50 |
| Copy in test / examination – in possession of notes | 50 |
| Dishonesty during assessment – Plagiarism | 50 |
Serious Offences
| In possession of drugs / hazardous weapons | 50 plus DH |
| Theft | 50 plus DH |
| Under the influence of alcohol | 50 plus DH |
| Criminal offences, whether common law or statutory. e.g. Sexual harassment / indecent action / extortion / assault with the purpose to seriously injure etc. | 50 plus DH |
| The use of – under the influence of – trading in – tested positively for – any drugs | 50 plus DH |
| Incriminating posts or bullying on social media | 50 plus DH |
| Threatening / intimidation / provoking / victimization of fellow learners or staff members | 50 plus DH |
* DH Disciplinary Hearing
Academic
| Failure to hand in general reply slips | 5 |
| Sharing homework to another learner to copy | 10 |
| Failure to do homework | 10 |
| Failure to hand in an assignment on required time | 10 |
| Copying homework | 10 |
| Failure to hand in disciplinary reply slips | 10 |
Respect
| Disrespectful towards school leaders | 20 |
| Verbal bullying and harassment of a learner | 20 |
| Disrespectful towards staff / workers / guests | 50 |