egerton house handbook 2018-19 - bloxham school house handbook 2018-19.pdf · 2018. 9. 4. ·...
TRANSCRIPT
Egerton House Handbook2018-19
C Welcome 3
Meet the Team 4
Boarding at Bloxham 6
Advice from Peers 7
Life at Bloxham School 8
Photos 9
Upper Sixth Students 10
Notes From Matron 12
Life in Egerton 13
Beginning Your First Term 14
Timings of the Day 16
Weekly Timetable 17
Academic Information 18
School Rules 19
Help and Advice 22
Map 23
ONT
ENTS
Egerton House
A message from Mr. Thompson
I would like to wish a warm welcome to all those joining
Egerton House. I am Simon Thompson, the Housemaster
of Egerton House, and it is a pleasure to have you with
us.This handbook is designed to help you prepare fo
r
your move to Bloxham, giving you and your parents
something to refer to for any questions about the
running of the house or what Bloxham School life
is all about. Of course, any member of our house
staff will be happy to help you and their contact
information is included in this booklet. You could
also contact your assigned buddy, who will be able
to share their personal experiences with you. My
own contact information is given on page 4.
Once the new term has begun, your parents
will have lots of ways of keeping up-to-date,
including our house newsletter; the website; the
school’s Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and YouTube
profiles; the Parents’ Area of the website; and
the app. Egerton has its own Twitter profile,
@Bloxham_Egerton, which your parents can
follow for regular updates on life in the house
itself.
The Egerton House StoryEgerton House was opened in 1956. The house is home to about 55 boys and is named after the founder of the school, Reverend Philip Reginald Egerton. Egerton House is located on the edge of the school campus and the house colour is green. Over the last few years the house has seen some redevelopment, including a new front door, new dormitory and a lovely patio. This bodes well for the summer months,
providing the perfect spot for the boys to relax in the sun. On entering the house, boys are welcomed by matron’s locker room, whilst the main area for congregating in is the conservatory. Third Form day boarders and boarders share dormitories, with the Fourth Form boys in rooms of four or five. By Fifth Form boys will either be in a double or a single study, and all Sixth Form boys have their own room. Mr Thompson and his family live next to the conservatory and Mr Best (Egerton’s Assistant Housemaster) has a house at the other end of Egerton. Jan Kearns and Cheryl Turner, Egerton’s Matron and Assistant Matron, run a tight ship and ensure that the boys
look after the house and have everything they need.
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Welcome from everyone in
Let’s Meet the TeamMr Thompson (SDAT) – Housemaster My name is Simon Thompson and I took over as Egerton Housemaster in September 2014. I was a Housemaster and Head of Geography at my previous school, and Assistant Housemaster in Egerton for a year. I completed my degree at Southampton University (where I was Hockey Club Captain), before gaining my PGCE from Cambridge University in Secondary Geography (during which time I played Varsity and National League hockey). I am a keen sports fan, particularly rugby, hockey and cricket, and play hockey and cricket for the staff teams. I am married to Kim, a primary school teacher. We have two children, Rory, 3, and Lachlan, 1, and the boys love spending time talking about their favourite characters from Paw Patrol! We love spending time in Cornwall, the New Forest and Norfolk. I am a keen photographer and enjoy playing the guitar. I am a firm believer in taking opportunities and this is the ethos of the house, with all boys giving things a go, at least once!
[email protected] 01295 724309
Mr Best (DRB) - Assistant HousemasterMr David Best has been teaching for 35 years, 17 years of which have been at Bloxham. He joined Egerton House five years ago, having been Crake Housemaster for 10 years. He is a Third to Fifth Form tutor and teaches maths to all ages and abilities, from First Form up to further maths with Upper Sixth, as well as coaching hockey and cricket. His three children were all educated at Bloxham and have now moved through university and into the world of work. He is also co-captain of the Black Caps, the staff cricket team.
[email protected] 01295 724386
Mrs Janet Kearns (JEK) - Egerton House MatronJan Kearns has two daughters, Charlotte and Sophie, both of whom are Old Bloxhamists and were members of Raymond House. She has been Egerton Matron since January 2010 and encourages the boys to stop by for a friendly chat in her locker room, and even offers an ‘ear to bend’ if needed. She runs the house in as homely a way as possible and encourages everyone else to do the same—she can lend you uniform or kit if yours is forgotten or lost. Together, Jan and Cheryl Turner ensure that the boys are ready to go at all times.
[email protected] 01295 724347
Cheryl Turner – Assistant MatronCheryl Turner is Assistant Matron and shares the care of the house with Jan from 8.00am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday and 8.00am to 11.30am on Saturdays. Matron’s team also includes domestic assistants who come in every day to clean the house and have excellent relationships with the boys in house.
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Tutor System in Egerton HouseAll of the houses at Bloxham are run in a similar way—the housemaster/mistress leads, with lots of support from their assistant housemaster/mistress. At each stage of your life at Bloxham you are assigned a tutor from the house, a member of the teaching staff, who provides support and guidance. Recognising specific educational and pastoral needs at these stages, you are assigned a tutor for your time between Third and Fifth Form and another when you get to Sixth Form. As a member of Egerton House, your tutor supports Mr Thompson and Mr Best within the house and will help you to monitor your progress, both academic and personal. You will have weekly meetings with them and they will offer you advice. Each tutor is on duty in Egerton House on a fixed night each week from 6.30pm until 10.30pm. We encourage day boarders to stay late on the day their tutor is working in the house as it is a very good opportunity to discuss all pastoral and academic concerns with them.
Mr Pigott
Mr Nick Pigott joined the Egerton tutor team towards the end of the last
century and is the Head of Geography. He is a Sixth Form tutor in Egerton. He coaches hockey and many of the boys are keen to embrace his ‘Wenger’ style of management! He is a keen footballer, getting anyone and everyone to play 5-a-side during the week or on the weekend, in attempts to emulate his beloved Arsenal FC. He will keep quiet about it but he is also a talented chef, with his homemade samosas and chocolate eclairs something to behold!
Mr Dann
Mr Robert Dann teaches economics and business studies
at Bloxham. He is a Third to Fifth Form tutor. Prior to taking up teaching, he had an international corporate career. He has also been a professional photographer and enjoys climbing and coaching sports teams. He is Master in Charge of Third Form and lives locally with his son Ryden.
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Mr Stindt
Mr Georg Stindt joined the tutor team in 2014, having previously been the
Head of Lower School and a tutor in Crake House prior to that. He is a Sixth Form tutor as well as teaching maths and physics and has previously been Head of Science. His passion is spending time in the outdoors, and he enjoys introducing students to the French Alps, thanks to the annual Second Form trip. He still likes to think that he can do some running when the joints allow, but tends to spend more time supporting rugby from the touchline now! Both his boys spent happy and successful years at Bloxham.
Mr WalKer
Mr James Walker recently joined Bloxham as Head of PE, having been a
PE teacher and Assistant Housemaster at Kirkham Grammar School in Lancashire. He joins us as a Third to Fifth Form tutor. He enjoys coaching sport and has run several different school sports teams. Away from the sports field, Mr Walker has an interest in history, skiing, walking his golden retriever and watching Manchester United.
Mr Gray
Mr Alex Gray joined Bloxham in September 2016 as Head of
Computing and Digital Learning and is a Sixth Form tutor here in Egerton. He has enjoyed his first couple of years in the house, and loves a good duty night! His interests outside of teaching include behavioural economics, politics and spending time with his wife and two young children. He is a big fan of computer coding and is teaching many of the students about the e-safety programme being delivered in schools and colleges around the United Kingdom.
BOarding at Bloxham SchoolAs one of the six senior boarding houses at Bloxham School, we in Egerton House work hard to try and make you feel as comfortable as possible during your life here at Bloxham. Using the boarding principles as our guide, we strive to help each student, whether a boarder or a day boarder, to:
• Settle, develop and grow
• Embrace fun, friendships and challenges
• Inspire each other to be ambitious about who we are and what we can achieve.
Before a student arrives at Bloxham we seek full and detailed information about their background, identified learning needs, family situation and health. This information is distributed efficiently to those who need to know.
Each student will attend a new student event to begin the familiarisation process.
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Make sure you socialise
with the whole house, getting to know everyone in the other years as well.
“Create good memories with friends you will keep forever.”
“With so many extra-curricular activities, it is so worthwhile doing as
much as you can!”
“Treat those around you with respect.”
“Do things for the house, and be
prepared to get involved!”
Keep up with your hobbies, as
well as finding a balance between work and play.
Advice from Peers
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“Work hard,
play hard”
• A full and proper induction, particularly for any pupil joining the school at an unusual time
• Leadership and ‘parenting’ from the housemaster/mistress• Guidance, support, encouragement and advocacy from their tutor• Leadership opportunities within the house and school• Accommodation in well maintained and cared for boarding house• An understanding of the variety of people who they can talk to if they wish to seek
help• A PSHE course which is relevant to their age and experience• Advice on keeping safe, with particular reference to cyber-safety• The opportunity to have their voice heard in the house and school• Healthy meals and snacks• Advice and guidance on leading a healthy lifestyle • A warm and friendly environment in which to feel secure and happy • Support in personal spiritual development• Help to develop respect for others both locally and in a diverse world• Help to develop respect for the property of others• Encouragement to have an inquiring mind, to read and to think• Opportunities to take part in structured and safe social activities appropriate to
their age• Opportunities to explore careers and prepare for life after Bloxham• Instruction as to how to improve their communication skills• Support, guidance and help to form positive relationships• Instruction to develop listening skills• Nurturing to build and develop self-esteem and that of others• A regular communication between school and parents• Encouragement to develop their talents to the full – both academic and non-
academic• Help to become emotionally robust• Fair and transparent disciplinary procedures• Recognition for their success and effort in every area of school life• Access to the school counsellor...
...so that they may leave Bloxham as engaging, respectful, caring and confident individuals who are ready to live happily, contributing positively to the ever-changing world in which they live.
Whilst at the School Every Student Will Receive:
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Upper Sixth StudentsSAM FLOWER
Subjects: Geography, history, English literature
Interests: Current affairs, politics, history, music
Hopes to go into: Study at university
TOM GRIFFITHSSubjects: Drama, geography,
psychologyInterests: Rugby, people, music, being
active, actingHopes to become: Actor or producer
BEN ELLIOTTSubjects: Politics, history, economicsInterests: Hockey, badminton, cs:go,
F1Hopes to: Get to my desired
university
ALEX BRADLEYSubjects: Maths, physics, DT
Interests: Shooting, horse riding, scuba diving, drama
Hopes to go into: Something within engineering, as a degree apprentice or
at university
ALFIE BARBEARYSubjects: Geography, business, PE Interests: Likes to play PUBG with
the sitting sharks as well as darts and rugby
Hopes to go into: I hope to be a professional rugby or darts player
MAX DOUGLASSubjects: DT, geography, businessInterests: Farming, rugby, AFLHopes to go into: Farming /
agriculture
(Deputy House Captain)
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JAMES LOCKHARTSubjects: Biology, chemistry,
geography Interests: Rugby, shooting, friendsHopes to go into: Agriculture
TOM OWENSubjects: History, geography, politics
Interests: Shooting, rugby, PUBG, F1
Hopes to become: A politican
PATRICK McNICHOLAS
Subjects: Biology, chemistry, PEInterests: Long walks on the beach, gym, rugby and making sure Fourth
Formers get the snackHopes to go into: Marine biology
JOHNNIE HANDSubjects: English, geography, theatre
studies, EPQInterests: Playing rugby, playing on
ps4, being with matesHopes to go into: Possibly film or
journalism
HENRY HOPKINSSubjects: Politics, psychology,
businessInterests: Rugby, cricket, darts, Xbox Hopes to go on to: Be a millionaire
JONTY RICHMOND-WATSON
Subjects: Geography, DT, physicsInterests: Rugby, shooting, hockey,
cricketHopes to go into: Agricultural
university/college
JAMIE THOMASSubjects: Geography, photography, physics
Interests: Music, football, rugby, skiing
Hopes to go into: University
ARCHIE MAcCOLL
Subjects: Economics, politics, maths
Interests: Rugby, football, clothes
Hopes to go into: Economics/business at
uni or an apprenticeship degree
(House Captain)(Deputy House Captain)
Notes From Matron:
• All clothes (and shoes) are
clearly
marked with name tapes, including
casual clothes, making them easier to
return if lost.
• All items of uniform conform to the
lists on the school website.
• You bring spare name labels in case
any are lost over the yea
r.
• Don’t forget to bring your
own duvet, cover and pillow
case!
• All clothes are machine washable and tumble drier
safe. • You bring personal crockery
and cutlery (to be kept in
your room). • Your hair is regulation length
and colour.
Matron would like to offer a few pointers regarding your belongings and appearance. Please ensure:
Laundry and Matron’s RoomDirty laundry goes to the locker room between 8.00am and 8.30am on Mondays, and sports laundry is done on Thursday mornings. You also collect clean bedding from here. Your clean washing is returned to your shelf in matron’s room each Tuesday. The Running of
Egerton House:Cleaning— Egerton House is cleaned every morning from Monday to Friday. The cleaners do a fine job but it is essential that all boys keep their rooms tidy to help the cleaners to do their job. Once a week, desks and floors are cleared to allow a thorough clean (aka Room Clean).Rotas and duties—All boys in the house are expected to help with the smooth running of the community by carrying out various duties and rotas are published around the house. Students should ensure they know when their duties are and how to carry them out properly. Duties include:
Third Form Newspapers, fruit and milk collectionFourth Form Evening snack collection, wake up bellFifth Form Kitchen clean upLower Sixth Kitchen clean upUpper Sixth Prefects Prefect duties (incl. prep supervision)
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Visiting Other HousesBoys may visit other houses during allotted times. Boys may only enter the common rooms in other houses and at set times, between 6.00pm and 6.30pm on weekdays. On Saturdays, students can visit other houses after 4.00pm until bedtime/10.00pm, and after brunch until bedtime/10.00pm (but not during quiet time) on Sundays.
After evening tick-in on weekdays (6.30pm) students remain in house for prep until 7.45pm. During this time various clubs and groups will take place and students may attend these, as long as they sign out, and back in again. Between 7.45pm and 8.15pm there is evening break during which students may have free time in house or in the designated central area. Between 8.15pm and 9.15pm there is quiet time / second prep session. Sixth Form students may attend various clubs during this time but must sign out and in if they leave the house.
Non-members of the school may only visit the house with permission from the duty tutor or housemistress– who must also be consulted before a student visits a private residence. All visitors to Egerton must sign in on entering the house.
Parental Access Parents have full access to Egerton House at the beginning and end of each term in order to deliver and collect their son. However, in accordance with the school’s Safeguarding Policy, they may not visit Egerton unsupervised during term time. If parents wish to visit, they should contact either the housemaster or matron in advance, and sign in with the staff member on duty on arrival. There may be some occasions during the week when it is not appropriate for parents to enter the house.
Egerton House KitchensThe three Egerton House kitchens are stocked with milk, fruit, cheese, bread and spreads each day. Each kitchen also has a kettle, microwave, toaster and fridge. Boys may store their own provisions in a lockable tuck box and it is essential that everyone respects that personal provisions are not for general consumption. Snacks are available for boarders after 9.00pm.
Signing OutStudents must log the time they leave the house on the sign in sheet. This is stored in matron’s room during the day and in the duty tutor room. All students must also sign out when returning home.
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Beginning Your First TermThere will be various induction day activities taking place throughout Wednesday 5th and Thursday 6th September. Please check the timetable below to ensure you know when you need to be in school. House staff and prefects will be in the house to greet you on arrival. Please arrive wearing your school uniform but ensure your games kit is accessible for activities later in the day. Day boarders should put their belongings in the day room on arrival. Lessons begin on Friday 7th September.
Induction Week Timetable
Coloured text = overseas studentsBold text = arrival time for each year group
DATE Third Form Fourth Form Fifth Form Lower Sixth Upper Sixth
Tuesday 4th September
5pm New overseas students’ arrival,
induction & fire drill
5pm Boarders return & induction
tasks
Wednesday 5th
September
9.30am Arrive in houses & welcome
10:15am Head of Year10:15am HM talk to
parents10:30am Parent coffee in
large dining room11:30am Computers in library – collection in
rooms 1-51pm Assembly in GH
1:10pm Lunch1:45pm Bag collection
from houses2pm Leave for camp
12pm New overseas
students’ arrival & induction
5.30pm Boarders return
6.00pm Tea 7pm House drills
7:30pm Safeguarding
8pm Social (games)
12pm New overseas
students’ arrival & induction
5.30pm New & current students
arrive7pm House fire
drills7.30pm
Safeguarding8pm Social
9am Day boarders’ arrival in houses
9.30am Leadership & induction tasks
7pm House fire drills
7.30pm Safeguarding
8pm Social
Thursday 6th
September
6pm Return from camp, tea & induction
activities
8am Day boarders return
Study skills & activities
5.30pm Boarders
return & tea7pm Talk -
Kevin Sinfield
8.30am Assembly & study skills
7pm Talk - Kevin Sinfield
Leadership, induction tasks & UCAS statements 7pm Talk - Kevin
Sinfield
Friday 7th September
8.30am School assembly8.45am Lessons &
medicals (boys)11.05am Midyis &
medicals 5pm Eucharist
8.30am School assembly8.45am Lessons
2.05pm Sport5pm Eucharist
Saturday 8th
September
Normal timetable6pm Community charity event
Sunday 9th September
10.30 Boarders’ brunch11.30am House day
5.30pm Boarders’ supper
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Third Form, don’t forget to bring all
your gear for camp!
Normal timetable starts on
Friday 7th September.
Bold text in the induction week timetable shows the arrival
time for each year group - make sure you know when you need
to arrive!
Parents, be sure to check the
timetable for when you are invited
to hear from the Headmaster,
Paul Sanderson.
Bed Lights Out
Third Form 9.30pm 9.45pm
Fourth Form 9.45pm 10.00pmFifth Form 10.00pm 10.15pmLower Sixth 10.15pm 10.45pmUpper Sixth 10.45pm 11.00pm
Timings of the dayTime Activity Place8.15am Registration Conservatory1.35-1.50pm Lunchtime registration Conservatory8.30am (Wednesdays only) Whole school assembly Great Hall8.30am (Saturdays only) Week A: Year group assemblies
Week B: House assemblies12.25pm (Saturdays only) Lunchtime registration Conservatory
2.00pm (Mondays only) Whole school assembly Great Hall
5.45pm (Monday to Friday) House assembly Conservatory6.30pm Tick-in (all years) Conservatory5.30pm (Saturdays) Tick-in (all years)6.30pm - 7.45pm Prep In house or students may sign out to
use the library or to attend events or school activities with permission from the duty tutor.
7.45pm - 8.15pm Evening break8.15pm - 9.15pm Quiet time
10.00pm Tick-in (Fourth, Fifth, Sixth Form)10.00pm (Saturdays) Tick-in (all years)
Day Boarders
Day boarders register at 8.15am each day and their day ends at 9.00pm (unless parents have agreed a 6.00pm finish with Mr Thompson by email). The Egerton House staff work hard to accommodate everyone, but is inevitable that boys will miss out on activities, prep time and opportunities to see tutors if they aren’t able to stay until 9.00pm.
Every effort must be made for students to stay at school until 9.00pm on their tutor’s duty night and there are a number of compulsory activities that take place after 6.00pm throughout the year.
Senior day boarders will receive two nights boarding within their school fee. Any additional overnight stays will be charged at a rate of £55 per night. Should a day boarder stay for four nights a week, on six or more occasions in one term, then they will be deemed a boarder and will be charged the full boarding fee upgrade retrospectively.
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Weekly timetableMonday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
7.30am - 8.00am Boarders’ breakfast
8.15am Registration
8.30am - 8.45am Whole school
assembly
8.30am - 8.45amA week: Year
group assemblyB week: House
assembly
8.30am - 9.30am P1 P1 8.50am - 9.30am P1 Fourth to
Sixth Form PSHE
P1 P1 8.50am - 9.50am P1
9.35am - 10.35am P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 9.55am - 10.55am P2
10.35am - 11.05am Break 10.55am - 11.25am Break
11.05am - 12.05pm P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 11.25am - 12.25pm P3
12.10pm - 1.10pm P4 P4Third and Fourth
Form games
P4 P4 P4 12.25pm - 1.25pm Lunch
1.10pm - 2.05pm Lunch
Registration
2.05pm Whole school assembly
Third and Fourth Form lunch
Fifth and Sixth Form games
Games SSR SSR
2.25pm - 3.25pm P5 P5 Third and Fourth Form
Fifth and Sixth Form Games
Games P5 P5
3.25pm - 3.50pm Break Activities CCF/service Activities
3.50pm - 4.50pm P6 Activities P6 Activities P6 Drop-in classes/assisted
prep
P6 CCF/service P6 Music/team practice/drama
5.00pm - 6.00pm P7 Tutor time and house assemblies
P7 Drop-in clinics/prep
P7Third Form head
of year time
5.15pm Chapel (Fifth and
Sixth Form)
P7 Sixth Form lecture
programme5.15pm Chapel (First to Fourth
Form)
5.30pm - 6.00pm Registration
6.00pm - 6.30pm Boarders’ supper
6.30pm - 7.45pm Evening prep
7.45pm - 8.15 pm Evening break
8.15pm - 9.15pm Quiet time in houses
Sundays follow a different format, with a typical structure of brunch at 10.30am, followed by a trip or gym and swim sessions on the campus. Supper is at 5.00pm, with quiet time in houses at 6.30pm. We offer football at 7.30pm for those who wish to participate.
Internal Assessment ReportsAssessment Reports are written every half term by teachers to comment on your academic progress within each subject.
You will receive three grades:
Your AtL - Your attitude to learningYour CWT - Your current attainment level (currently working towards)Target Grade - Self explanatory!
Your teachers will also give you advice on how to improve. On occasions, you and your tutor might agree to write a Student Improvement Plan (SIP) to highlight key areas for improvement over the next half term. During the week immediately following the report, your tutor will discuss the comments with you. Your parents will receive an email from the school after this point, including log on details so they can access your report themselves. This makes it essential that the school has the most up-to-date email address for your parents, so if they get a new email, please ask them to alert the Admissions Department at [email protected].
Students are required to write their own ‘self-reflection’ reports at the end of each term. These allow students to look critically at their own performance and judge for themselves how they are progressing.
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•Fountain pen or good quality roller
ball pen
•Spare ink cartridges (blue or
black ink)
•2 spare roller ball style pe
ns (blue or black)
•2 sharp HB pencils
•Coloured pencils (at least 6 colours)
•Scientific calculator - Casio Fx 83
•Green biro
•Red biro
•Purple biro
•Pencil sharpener•Pritt Stick or similar glue•Pair of scissors•Protractor•Set square•15cm or 30 cm ruler
•Pair of compasses•Rubber
Students should have a clear plastic pencil case containing the following items:
School RulesTerm Dates and Holidays Beginning and end of term. The dates, start and finish times of each half term are listed on the school calendar and the app. As a guide, boarders are usually expected to return between 8.00pm and 9.00pm on the evening before lessons restart. If students are not able to return at the publicised time, parents need to contact their housemaster/mistress in good time to organise alternative arrangements. This is essential to make sure that a member of staff can be present to meet them.
Exeats and HolidaysTerm dates are available on the Parents’ Information pages of the school website. There are three terms each school year and each is broken up by a half term holiday. This year’s Exeat weekends (when the school is closed and all students leave) are 28th to 30th September and 24th to 26th November. Parents or guardians are responsible for their child during the breaks and holiday periods.
Absence from SchoolStudents are expected to attend school for the whole term and any leave of absence (except medical or dental appointments) during this time must be approved by the headmaster (he can be emailed at [email protected]).
MealsAll school meals are compulsory for boarders. All day boarders must go to lunch and those staying after 6.00pm should also attend dinner. Eating in public is contrary to good manners and is against the school rules, as is chewing gum.
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For a full list of regulations, please see the ‘School Regulations’ list available in the house.
Weekend Leave Boarders may take advantage of weekend or Sunday leave to visit their families if it is agreed with Mr Thompson (and confirmed by email) by the end of the previous Thursday. N.B. On the first weekend of the school year, we arrange induction activities from which the students greatly benefit and all are expected to attend. Weekend leave begins after Saturday sport commitments and runs until 6.00pm on Sunday (or 8.00am on Monday). It is subject to students having no other school commitments during that time.Sunday leave runs from 9.00am until 6.00pm on Sundays.
Mobile PhonesMobile phones are useful for students to keep in contact with home and their housemaster/mistress. Use of mobile phones is subject to our Phones Policy. We recommend insuring expensive phones as they can easily get lost or damaged. Please attempt to name phones in some way.
ComputersStudents from First to Fifth Form are provided with a device, to be used as a learning tool. Each is pre-loaded with all the necessary academic software and the latest version of Microsoft Office. New Sixth Formers provide their own devices and connect to the Bloxham School network whilst on site.
House BankThe housemaster/mistress looks after students’ pocket money in the ‘House Bank’- £3-5 a week should be plenty. Deposits need to be made via bank transfer or cash (please email Mr Thompson for more information). If students choose to open a bank account, there is a cashpoint outside the village shops; however, the security of a bank account is the student’s own responsibility.
Uniform and Casual ClothesThird to Fifth Form must wear their school uniform throughout the day until after dinner, and also at formal school events. Sixth Formers wear suits instead of a uniform. More uniform advice is available on the school website.
SecurityEach student has access to at least one lockable locker for their valuables, and Fourth Formers and above have their own room key. Keys are issued by matron and boys will be charged £10 for lost/non-returned keys. The houses themselves are secured by digilocks and the codes are changed regularly. Students must not let people into the house who they don’t know and should store their valuables safely.
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ShopsStudents may visit the village shops at allotted times of the day. Student access is via the swimming pool gate and using the pelican crossing.
IT and E-safetyStudents of Bloxham School using Bloxham Computer Network and the remote web portal are required to follow all the conditions laid down in the Acceptable Usage Policy that they sign at the beginning of the year. Any breach of these conditions may lead to withdrawal of the user’s access to the Bloxham Computer Network and remote web portal and in some instances could lead to criminal prosecution.
Students should be mindful of the fact that anything they put on social media sites can be seen by teachers, universities and future employers.
FireAll students need to familiarise themselves with the escape routes in the house and congregation points in case of fire. Egerton boys congregate on checkpoint A (signposted) outside the cricket pavillion on Main Field. There is at least one fire drill per term, which students should treat as a real fire. The alarm system is checked weekly.
Cars and Driving LessonsNo students may drive cars nor be driven by any person under the age of 25, unless the headmaster gives permission, as set out in the Driving to and from School Policy. Once parental permission has been requested, Sixth Formers may book driving lessons as long as they do not coincide with school commitments. Upper Sixth students may book driving lessons in study periods, Lower Sixth may not.
Out of BoundsAll students need to acquaint themselves with a definitive list of the areas in the village that are out of bounds. Pubs are out of bounds for students but for the following exception: housemasters/mistresses and the deputy head (pastoral) together can give permissions for school and pastoral prefects to visit The Elephant and Castle pub between 9.00pm and 10.00pm, or 10.30pm with housemaster/mistress permission.
Offensive WeaponsAny non-fixed blade knives, BB guns, air guns and replica guns are considered to be offensive weapons and must not be brought to school.
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Help and AdvicePalmer Health CentreThe school’s health centre is based on the main site and is staffed by registered nurses and a visiting school medical officer. They look after students’ health and wellbeing whilst at school, including: general ill health; support for physical or psychological health conditions; emergency ill health or first aid; health education; support or administration of medication; and general health advice. Parents should notify the health centre about any prescription medication their child takes.
If a student feels unwell they should attend the health centre for advice and support. If the sister decides a student is unfit to re-main at school, they will contact parents/ guardians to discuss appropriate action. Students must not arrange to be collected by parents without visiting the health centre for assessment.
All boarders are expected to register with the school GP, whilst day boarders can choose to stay with their family GP. The school’s doctor holds two surgeries each week (times above) and students can book an appointment via the Palmer staff:Palmer Health Centre can be contacted during the day on 01295 724306 or in an emergency on 01295 720441. To get in contact via email, use [email protected].
Don’t forget that if you have any worries or need advice, there is a long list of people who can help: Your own familyYour house team A house captain or prefectThe ChaplainA peer listener (they can be contacted by emailing [email protected])
The school’s counsellor, Steve Thorpe, is here to help students with any worries or problems they would like to share, whether it’s school work, friendship difficulties or issues at home. He is in school on Mondays and Tuesdays and can be emailed directly using [email protected], or an appointment can be booked for a student, by a member of staff.
Other useful numbers that are available include:Childline: 0800 1111Ofsted: 08456 404045Children’s commissioner: 0800 5280731 Bloxham School independent listeners: Becky Horton on [email protected] or 01295 721152Mike Tydeman on [email protected] or 01295 721525
Surgery Opening TimesMonday to Friday8.00am—8.45am 1.15pm—2.00pm 6.00pm—7.00pm Saturday 8.00am—8.45am 1.00pm—1.30pm 5.00pm—6.00pm
Sunday 10.30am—11.30am 5.00pm—6.00pm
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