Page 38 - Handbook for House Staff Aug2024

Malvern A-Z
Alcohol
See the “Smoking, Alcohol, Drugs and Substances Policy” on Sharepoint.
No one in the Lower School is allowed to consume alcohol. Sixth Form are allowed to consume alcohol under adult supervision up to Longy limits. Any pupils who have consumed alcohol without permission must be sent to see Deputy Head Pastoral or
Head of Lower School. Parents may not wish their children to drink alcohol and this must be communicated to staff taking tutor outings, school trips etc in line with parental wishes. Legal drinking occurs in the Sixth Form Centre (Longy) for those in the
Sixth Form aged sixteen or over. However 3 drinks might not keep smaller, lighter pupils sober. Keep an eye on them. If pupils
are obviously drunk having had their longy drinks only (deemed by two adults to be the case), please report this to DHP – they
will not be allowed Longy drinks for the following week and we may need to review how many Longy drinks the pupil normally
is allowed. Uptown pub chits allow pupils who are 18 years and over to go the pub on a Saturday night – they are allowed from 8.30 to 10.30pm. The Duty Team will check that pupils have pub chits. The same rules apply in relation to excessive consumption having been at the pub - i.e. if two adults feel that the pupil has consumed too much, the pupil will not be allowed to go to the pub the following week. The House must have a working breathalyser – any problems with it speak to DHP. Illegal drinking will go on, however hard you work to keep it under control, but when discovered, it must be dealt with. The proper sanction process must be followed. Be aware of the binge drinking culture. The bottom line is “what would you say in the Coroner’s Court?”. When in doubt call an ambulance. Try seriously hard to inculcate a sense of care and responsibility in your pupils so that they acknowledge they can’t cope and will come to fetch the HouseM. “Would you prefer to be there for a friend in trouble or wake up and find that friend had choked and died?” Be very aware that putting them in the shower and turning them into the recovery position is the chosen option of pupils in some Houses. So far Malvern has been lucky.
Pupils are not allowed to go uptown, for tutor outings, etc. and then drink alcohol in Longy. Email Phil Stafford (Longy Manager) and DHP to let them know who has gone out. Anyone that wants to go uptown for a meal and then go to Longy must come to Longy and be breathalysed first, i.e. they cannot drink alcohol and then go to Longy UNLESS they are with their parents. They must check back with the House before they come to Longy and will not be allowed to have Longy alcoholic drinks unless they test clear on the breathalyser, i.e. they did not have any alcohol when they were with their parents. Pupils who go out with their tutors cannot come back into Longy, unless they have had no alcoholic drinks with their tutor, so they will need to be breathalysed too.
If you let pupils go out on Saturday evening – don’t let them be out for a long time before you see them (stick to the two hour guideline). Pupils may go to Longy and then go to the pub BUT they may not go to the pub and then come back to Longy.
Bicycles
Pupils can keep a bicycle at Malvern as long as they and their parents have completed the form in Appendix Nine. The bicycle must be mechanically sound and have his/her name and House painted or fixed securely to the frame.
The pupil must wear a helmet and understand the Highway Code. Attention is drawn to the regulation forbidding cyclists to ride more than two abreast. Bicycles may not be used Up-Town except when passing through on Community Service. They may not be ridden to the Playing Fields.
Pupils may not cycle or scoot anywhere within the College grounds, nor in College Road or Abbey Road, between the main building and Ellerslie House nor in Thirlstane and Woodshears Roads above the railway bridges.
Insurance of bicycles is the responsibility of parents. The College insurance does not cover personal effects. Most household policies can include bicycles, but parents are advised to inform their brokers that the bicycle will be taken to school.
Birthday Suppers
Most Houses hold birthday suppers – these are once a term celebrations for all pupils who have a birthday that term. The House tutors and Academic tutors of the relevant pupils are invited. Some Houses have a theme, some do fancy dress and party games, others are more akin to a dinner party. The funding comes out of Free Issues. These are very important events and highly popular. Sixth form in the House are allowed to have alcohol in line with the Longy guidelines – make sure you put a very reliable member of staff in charge of alcohol.
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