Page 8 - Holmcroft Boarding House Handbook

HOLMCROFT

BOARDING

LIFE

PREP arrangements are made by the school.
The minimum requirement is that there is both an ethos and Students are allowed to go out with their family on a Sunday
an environment within Houses that supports the academic without this counting as an exeat.
work of all students. This means that during prep time, all
boarders will be in appropriate spaces, the House will be CARE OF PERSONAL POSSESSIONS
quiet, and staff supervision good. Doors will be propped All possessions should be named. Clothing must have name
when a bedroom is occupied. tapes stitched on. Students will not be allowed to send
clothes to the school laundry unless each item is named. We
SIGNING IN/OUT can organise name tapes. Minor sewing jobs can be done
We need to know where you are, so if you are out before in by house manager. Socks are bagged together in a single
7am or are going off campus, or are out after 7pm, please use named bag, and so do not need to be individually named.
the flip board and register using the QR code in the hall. Articles of value should be insured under your household
policy under all risks or you may wish to use the insurance
FIRE SAFETY policy recommended by the school. Students should keep
A fire safety briefing will be given at the start of the the amount of possessions they bring to the school to a
academic year and all houses carry out planned fire minimum. Every student has a lockable drawer. Do not have
drills every term. If the fire alarm is heard at any time, all any more than £10 on you or in your room at any time. Do
studentss must congregate outside at the relevant fire safety not bring valuable watches, jewellery or designer clothing to
location. school. It just doesn’t work and usually leads to something
going missing or getting broken.
LEGAL GUARDIANS
Following the Children Act (1988), the Protection of Children ROOM ALLOCATIONS
Act (1989) and the Care Standards Act (2000) Millfield Year 10 students are accommodated in either double or
School, in promoting and safeguarding the welfare of every three-berth dorms, Year 11 students will have double or
student, requires parents who do not live in the United occasionally three-berth dorms. Where possible, Upper
Kingdom to appoint a guardian to act on their behalf for any Sixth students will be allocated a single room, although this
student in the school. The above legislation protects the cannot always be guaranteed and Lower Sixth will be a mix
rights of children and makes ‘proper and appropriate care’ a of single and double dorms. Every effort will be made to
compulsory requirement. accommodate sharing preferences, however compromises
will have to be made from time to time. Dorm allocations
During term time, the school is legally responsible for each change each term, therefore over the course of the two
student's’s welfare, and undertakes delegated parental junior years, your son will have shared with most of the
responsibilities. However, there are times (e.g. exeat boys in their year group. It is important that tolerance,
weekends, half-term breaks, or when a student is suspended understanding and acceptance is always paramount in a
by the school, etc.) when the school must be able to hand shared boarding community. Rooms must be kept tidy at all
over these parental responsibilities to another adult – a times, especially in the mornings so the cleaning staff can
properly appointed guardian. do their job unhindered. Beds must be made and desks left
free of clutter. Posters can be displayed on the pin-board
EXEATS alongside flags if desired.
Studentss are allowed three exeats a term and these can be
taken at any time. In addition to this, there is a compulsory BEDDING / LAUNDRY
whole-school exeat in the Autumn Term where the whole The school provides all bedding, duvets and pillows so there
school will be closed for the entire weekend (Friday 12.45- is no need to bring these items from home. However, if
Sunday evening). Exeats start after games commitments students should wish to bring their items, these should be
on Saturdays (but not before 3.30pm). All students should clearly labeled. Fresh school bedding will be provided weekly
return from exeat by 9pm on Sunday to allow adequate and students are required to strip and change their own
time to prepare for school the next day. It is a statutory beds.Laundry is sent to be washed on different days, house
requirement that all overseas boarding students have a UK dependent and is returned three days later. It is therefore
based guardian. Parents should send in an email by 10pm on. advisable to have more than one set of games kit and
After parental permission is received, travel arrangements sufficient school shirts/blouses. We will provide all students
can be organised. the plans accordingly. After parental with a laundry basket to keep in their rooms. Each house
permission is received, travel chits are issued and transport has additional washing machines and tumble dryers for the
students to use for any items that are needed urgently;
8 HOUSE HANDBOOK