Page 9 - Etonhurst Boarding House Handbook

ETONHURST

BOARDING

LIFE

PREP
The minimum requirement is that there is both an ethos and Students should request their exeat before the Wednesday
an environment within Houses that supports the academic of the weekend in question, with parental/guardian
work of all students. This means that during prep time, all permission required in advance. An email or a phone
boarders will be in appropriate spaces, the House will be message will suffice, however students are not allowed to go
quiet, and staff supervision good. Doors will be propped on exeat without this parental confirmation. Housemasters/
when a bedroom is occupied. mistresses will always reply to an exeat request to confirm
the plans accordingly. After parental permission is received,
SIGNING IN/OUT travel chits are issued and transport arrangements are made
When students leave or return to house for any reason by the school. Students are allowed to go out with their
(including getting on or off the school bus for country family on a Sunday without this counting as an exeat.
houses) they must check in/out using the tag board or
personally see house manager and/or the duty member of CARE OF PERSONAL POSSESSIONS
staff. It is essential that all students ensure that their return All possessions should be indelibly marked, name taped or
to the house is known to house manager and/or the duty engraved. Clothing must have name tapes stitched/ironed
member of staff. on. Students will not be allowed to send clothes to the
school laundry unless each item is named. Name tapes can
FIRE SAFETY be ordered from the School Shop and spare name tapes
A fire safety briefing will be given at the start of the are necessary for items purchased during term-time. Minor
academic year and all houses carry out planned fire drills sewing jobs such as name-taping can be done in houses
every term. If the fire alarm is heard at any time, all students by house managers. Socks are bagged together in a single
must congregate outside at the relevant fire safety location. named bag, and so do not need to be individually named.
Articles of value should be insured under your household
LEGAL GUARDIANS policy under all risks or you may wish to use the insurance
Following the Children Act (1988), the Protection of Children policy recommended by the school. Students should keep
Act (1989) and the Care Standards Act (2000) Millfield the amount of possessions they bring to the school to a
School, in promoting and safeguarding the welfare of every minimum. Lockable drawers for more valuable personal
student, requires parents who do not live in the United possessions will be made available to all students via the
Kingdom to appoint a guardian to act on their behalf for any Housemaster/mistress upon arrival.
student in the school. The above legislation protects the
rights of children and makes ‘proper and appropriate care’ a ROOM ALLOCATIONS
compulsory requirement. Year 10 students are accommodated in either double or
three-berth dorms, Year 11 students will have double or
During term time, the school is legally responsible for occasionally three-berth dorms. Where possible, Upper
each student’s welfare, and undertakes delegated parental Sixth students will be allocated a single room, although this
responsibilities. However, there are times (e.g. exeat cannot always be guaranteed and Lower Sixth will be a mix
weekends, half-term breaks, or when a student is suspended of single and double dorms. Every effort will be made to
by the school, etc.) when the school must be able to hand accommodate sharing preferences, however compromises
over these parental responsibilities to another adult – a will have to be made from time to time. Dorm allocations
properly appointed guardian. change each term, therefore over the course of the two
junior years, your son will have shared with most of the
EXEATS boys in their year group. It is important that tolerance,
Students are allowed three exeats a term and these can be understanding and acceptance is always paramount in a
taken at any time. In addition to this, there is a compulsory shared boarding community. Rooms must be kept tidy at all
whole-school exeat in the Autumn Term where the whole times, especially in the mornings so the cleaning staff can
school will be closed for the entire weekend (Friday 12.45- do their job unhindered. Beds must be made and desks left
Sunday evening). Exeats start after games commitments free of clutter. Posters can be displayed on the pin-board
on Saturdays (but not before 3.30pm). All students should alongside flags if desired.
return from exeat by 9pm on Sunday to allow adequate
time to prepare for school the next day. It is a statutory BEDDING / LAUNDRY
requirement that all overseas boarding students have a UK The school provides all bedding, duvets and pillows so there
based guardian. is no need to bring these items from home.

HOUSE HANDBOOK 9