• Regular attendance is required of our students in the study courses of their choice. 
• Moreover, students are expected to show interest, motivation and commitment. In the case of prolonged unsatisfactory progress, they may be asked to discontinue the course. 
• Students are duty bound to follow their school timetable. Unjustified absence from lectures (even one lecture) on any school day leads to the deduction of that day’s stipend. 
• Attendance for tutorials and practical sessions is obligatory. 
• Unjustified absenteeism leads to dismissal from school and, eventually, to the termination of registration. 
• Students’ attendance is recorded daily.  
• Students are not accepted for lectures if they report late without justification. Parents are informed about students’ habitual absences. 
• Students reporting sick must be covered by a medical certificate. 
• Requests for exemption from lectures for examinations, interviews, medical appointments, bereavement, and other valid reasons must invariably be approved in writing by the School Administration to be considered valid. 
• Students must show their medical certificates or exemption notes to their teachers and afterwards forward them to the clerks’ office. 
• Students are allowed 15 days sick leave per scholastic year against a medical certificate.
• Students who are absent for more than 70% of lectures in a term, even if covered by medical certificates, are NOT allowed to sit for the end of term written tests. Moreover, in such cases of absenteeism, the Head of School may request students’ termination from attending GCHSS. 
• Students who feel sick during the day and need to go home, must inform Ms. Templeman (Assistant Head). If Ms. Templeman is out of office, the student may go home and then bring a written note from his/her parents/guardians. The note must then be presented to Ms. Templeman the next day. 
• Students who are sick for just one day, must present a note from their parents/guardians and then handed in to Ms. Templeman the day after. 
• Students who are sick for more than one day are to be covered by a medical certificate covering the days of absence. Medical certificates have to reach the Clerks’ Office, Administration Block, Room 1, by not later than 5 working days. 
• In order to sit for final examination and to be promoted to 2nd Year the student must obtain a minimum of 70% attendance, a minimum of 50% marks in course work, and a minimum of 45% marks in the annual exam.
• A student who fails in one exam only, whether at Advanced or Intermediate Level will still be promoted.
• If a student fails in more than one subject the student will not be promoted. 

Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary School has an Assessment Policy based on Students’ engagement, retention and continuous evaluation.  The Academic Year is spread over 3 Terms: 

1st Term: October till December 
2nd Term: January till March 
3rd Term: April till June 

Attendance is compulsory for all courses and a minimum of 70% of Attendance needs to be reached in order to be eligible for Tests/Examinations and to continue with the course. Poor Attendance and unsatisfactory Academic performance can lead to the termination of Students’ registration with the School. 

1st Term: 

During this Term the Academic Report includes: 

• Attendance Mark (70% is minimum expected)
• Continuous Assessment Mark (50% pass mark)
• Tutorials/Practicals Mark (50% pass mark)

In January a Parents’ Day for all students is held at School to discuss students’ progress with parents/guardians. 

2nd Term: 

During this Term, time-tabled tests are held for 1st Year Students and Mock Exams are held for 2nd Year Students.  These are held at the beginning of March. 

To be eligible for Tests/Mock Exams, students need to have not less than 70% of Attendance.

Marks for Continuous Assessment and Practical/Tutorials will be also included in the 2nd Term Academic Report. 

3rd Term: 

First Year Students have their Final Academic Report based on: Attendance, Assessment, Tutorials/Practicals and End of 1st year Examinations.  These are held in June and Students are Promoted to 2nd Year on the following criteria: 

• The overall evaluation of 3 Academic Reports
• Did not fail in more than 2 Exams
• Students who fail in more than 2 Exams and who have an overall Academic Reports below the minimum standard required in Attendance, Continuous Assessment and Tutorial/Practicals will not be promoted to 2nd Year. 

Casual wear is the standard gear for students. The school is aware of the importance of clothes for students with regards to their self presentation. However, suitability and propriety in dress and appearance are expected. Students are not allowed in school if they are improperly dressed. More specifically, this includes: 

For boys: 

• Sleeveless tops 
• T-shirts with offensive or Political slogans
• Shorts
• Piercings 

For girls: 

• Strapless/narrow straps and low-cut tops 
• Bare midriffs 
• Mini skirts 
• Heavy jewellery
• Piercings

Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary School aims to: 

• Integrate diversity and equal opportunity into all its activities. 
• Avoid discrimination on the grounds of gender, race, disability, age, religion and belief, sexual orientation, or other distinction. 
• Work with diversity in a wholly positive way to promote understanding, equality and inclusiveness. 
• Ensure that staff, students, and visitors receive fair and equal treatment. 
• Ensure that our buildings are accessible to staff, students, and visitors with disability as far as is reasonable and possible. 

Through its mission statement Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary School aims to promote disability equality by providing for flexibility in the recruitment process of students with disability. These students are eligible to apply for the SEC Revision Course on completion of Form V at secondary level and participation in the SEC examinations. They need to fulfill the basic requirements in order to be eligible to apply for entry into the Advanced Level and the Matriculation Certificate Courses. 

All applications are considered on individual basis. Students who require support must produce a Statementing Report or its equivalent. Applications from students with disability are processed in advance of the registration process so as to prepare for the individual needs requested. 

Students with disability benefit from the following support structure: 

1. An Assistant Head of School designated for the responsibility of inclusive education
2. A Learning Support Unit
3. Counselling and Guidance to help students with disability in:

• Their choice of subjects. 

• Organising annually Individual Educational Programmes, MAP sessions, annual reviews. 
• Personal counselling and special arrangements for the school and MATSEC examinations. 
• Personal and social development sessions. 
• Developing links with other agencies such as: ETC, MCAST, ITS, and the University of Malta. 
• Empowering them to make their voices heard and to participate fully in the educational process.
• The provision of other support services: a learning support assistant, peripatetic teacher, sign language interpretation, medical support. 
• The provision of any other support deemed necessary and appropriate. 

PROCEDURE TO BE FOLLOWED BY STUDENTS IN THE EVENT OF FIRE 

Procedure to be followed when you are in class and hear the fire alarm: 

• Close all windows. Switch off electricity and all electrical appliances. Turn off gas. 
• LEAVE the room in a single line. Adopt the ‘buddy’ system, that is, form pairs and be accountable for your friend’s presence till the end of the evacuation exercise. DO NOT STOP to collect personal belongings. Follow the teacher. The last person who leaves the room is to close the door. 
• Walk towards the exit by following the escape route indicated by EXIT signs. 
• If your route is blocked, try to find an alternative route. Stay with your group. 
• Once out of the building, walk towards the assembly point indicated. 
• STAY WITH YOUR CLASS in the assembly area. Report immediately to your teacher if your ‘buddy’ or any one of your friends is missing. 
• DO NOT get back inside the building until told to do so by your teacher. 

Some important points: 

• If while evacuating a building there is a lot of smoke, stay as low as possible or crawl towards the exit.
• If while getting out of a room your route is blocked by fire, go back into the room and close the door. Use pieces of cloth available to block any gaps in the door. Open a window and call for help. 

If you hear the fire alarm bell when you are not in class: 

• LEAVE the building at once, quickly and calmly. Follow escape routes indicated by EXIT signs. If you are not inside the school building, proceed quickly to the assembly area. 
• DO NOT STOP to collect personal belongings. 
• DO NOT use lifts. 
• When clear of the building, PROCEED TO THE ASSEMBLY AREA. Report to school administrators if persons who were with you are missing. 
• DO NOT get back inside the building until told to do so by the school administrators. 

PROCEDURE TO BE FOLLOWED IF YOU DISCOVER A FIRE: 

• If you are NOT in class: Raise the alarm by informing one of the school administrators, a member of staff or one of the health and safety teachers.
• If you are in class: Inform your teacher IMMEDIATELY. 

AIM 
Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary School retains and processes information on staff and students to carry out its administrative and educational functions according to the Data Protection Act 2001, the Education Act, and other subsidiary legislation. For the provision of the Data Protection Act, the Data Controller is the Head of School 

STAFF 

• School staff members provide personal information to the school when they fill in the Personal Information Form.
• Staff information files are retained by the Head of School.
• Personal information is stored on the computer systems of the Head and the Assistant Head in charge of processing this information to the Education Division. 

STUDENTS 

• Students forward personal information to the school through their application. This information can also be forthcoming from the Education Division and the students’ previous schools.
• The School retains, processes, analyses, and assesses students’ personal data to provide them with the educational service provision of their study courses.
• This information is retained in document form by the Assistant Head in charge of processing students’ information.
• This information is also kept on the School Administration computer systems and can be accessed and used by the School Administration, the Guidance Office, the School Secretary and Clerks, Subject Coordinators and the Teaching Staff.
• This information is also forwarded to the various departments within the Education Division. 

PROCESSING OF VISUAL IMAGES 

The School is responsible only for visual images taken by school representatives. 

RIGHTS

• Staff and students have the right to request, in writing, information on their personal data retained by the school, and to rectify or erase personal data that is not processed in accordance with the Act.
• While the School may periodically request staff and students to reconfirm their personal data, they are expected to inform the school immediately with any changes of their personal data.
• A written request for a copy of the full School Data Protection Policy can be forwarded to the Head of School. 

Students who have studied abroad and are applying to continue their studies at GCHSS need to present a qualification recognition certificate. To obtain this certificate students are required to contact the Malta Qualifications Recognition Information Centre.  A certificate indicating the level of education compared to the Maltese education system will be issued. 

Foreign students in possession of an eID can apply online through the school website. Foreign students not in possession of an eID can only apply through the school. 

All foreign students (EU nationals or Third Country nationals) also need to present the following documents:  

1. A valid (not expired) Residence Permit Card obtained from Identity Malta;  
2. A copy of the original passport or ID card;  
3. A copy of the original passports or ID cards of parents or legal guardians;  
4. A copy of a valid (not expired) Residence Permit Card of parents or legal guardians;  
5. A copy of work permit/or licence to operate a business of one of the parents or legal guardian;  
6. A copy of contract of lease of residence of parents or legal guardians; 
7. A copy of recognition of the academic qualifications by MQRIC. Only a Level 3 or equivalent (or better) is accepted by GCHSS. The student might be asked to sit for a proficiency test in English;  
8. Third Country nationals (non-EU) are requested to pay the required fee at the Education Division, Accounts Section, Great Siege Road, Floriana. A receipt of payment for the whole scholastic year is to be presented;  
9. Third Country nationals (non-EU) may request exemption from fees by applying at the Educational Institutions Board, Education Division, Great Siege Road, Floriana. 

Students following  MC, AIO  and SEC courses are eligible for the maintenance grant. 

To apply for maintenance grant, please click here or phone 25982305/25982272 

Students who, after having their application accepted, fail to turn up for the timetable,  will have their registration cancelled. 

Students who decide to discontinue their course of studies before the end of the scholastic year are to inform the Administration Office.

Resignation forms are obtained from the Clerks’ Office.

Students receiving a stipend must also inform the Maintenance Grant Office. 

• There is a direct service from Valletta to GCHSS and return by Bus number 43 every 15 minutes starting at 05:15. 
• The school helps students organise their own group transport to different localities when there is sufficient demand.