This version was updated January 2025
Please find the most recent version at boxhillschool.com/parents-handbook
KEY CONTACTS
Headmistress
Chief Operating Officer
Deputy Head (Pastoral)
Deputy Head (Academic)
Director of Admissions & Marketing
Assistant Head (Academic)
Assistant Head (Pastoral & Boarding)
Assistant Head (Pastoral & Wellbeing)
Assistant Head (Sixth Form)
SENCO
Reception (+44) 01372 373 382
Executive Assistant to The Head
Second Hand Uniform &
Ms Hayley Robinson
Mr Stuart Ansell
Ms Kate Cobb
Mr Chris Bond
Mrs Alison Vernon
Mr Drew Vermeulen
Mrs Claire Ellis
Mr George Cook
Mr Anthony Bainbridge
Mrs Shelley Marsh
Ms Hayley Dudley AM
Mrs Sarah Brown PM reception@boxhillschool.com
Mrs Heather Buchanan hmpa@boxhillschool.com
Ms Helen Sage
Transport Coordinator helen.sage@boxhillschool.com
IT Support support@boxhillschool.com
Bursary fees@boxhillschool.com
TERM DATES
SPRING TERM 2025
Tuesday 7th January
Boarders return by 8pm
Wednesday 8th January Day students arrive by 8.15am
Friday 14th February
Sunday 23rd February
Half Term - 4.30pm finish
Boarders return by 8pm
Monday 24th February Day students arrive by 8.15am
Thursday 3rd April
End of term - 12pm finish
SUMMER TERM 2025
Tuesday 22nd April
Boarders return by 8pm
Wednesday 23rd April Day students arrive by 8.15am
Friday 23rd May Half Term - 4.30pm finish
Sunday 1st June
Boarders return by 8pm
Monday 2nd June Day students arrive by 8.15am
Thursday 3rd July
End of term - 12pm finish
AUTUMN TERM 2025
Wednesday 3rd September
Thursday 4th September
Boarders return by 8pm
Induction Day for new pupils and all Year 12
Existing Boarders arrive by 8pm
Friday 5th September Day Pupils arrive by 8.15am
Friday 17th October Half Term – 4.30pm finish
Sunday 2nd November
Boarders arrive by 8pm
Monday 3rd November Day Pupils arrive by 8.15am
Friday 21st November
INSET Day – No Day Pupils
Friday 12th December End of Term – 12pm finish
SCHOOL CALENDAR
The online calendar can be found on the main website, and via a link in the Parent Portal in Useful Links. Please do check on a regular basis for changes and additions as the term proceeds. Sports Fixtures can be found here, and also on the Sports Calendar on the website.
Annual School events include:
Christmas Carol Services
Autumn term
Cross Country
Autumn term
Make A Difference Day
Spring term
Box Hill School Day
Spring term
Valedictory Ball
Summer term
Speech Day
Summer term
Sports Day
Summer term
Production
We aim to put on 3 productions a year, one musical, a play and a junior school production.
Open Events
Over the course of the academic year there will be 3 whole School open events for prospective families. Scholarship and award holders are expected to contribute to these events by attending as tour guides. Many other events are run by the School and we will communicate these to you in advance. The calendar is regularly updated to include new events.
THE SCHOOL DAY
Tutor time 8:15am - 8:40am
P1 8:40am - 9:35am
P2 9:35am - 10:30am
Break 10:30am - 10:50am
P3 10:50am - 11:45am
P4 11:45am - 12:40pm
Lunch 12:40pm - 1:45pm
P5 1:45pm - 2:40pm
P6 2:40pm - 3:35pm
P7 3:35pm - 4:30pm
End of School 4:30pm
The School operates a two week timetable known as Week A and Week B. Certain School events involve weekend as well as week-day evening attendance, and students may be asked to be present on these occasions. Most of these can readily be identified in the Calendar but others may be added at short notice.
Snack Service
Students are able to buy a snack at breaktime in the Dining Hall. They will need tokens to buy these. 1 token is required per item. Tokens can be purchased by Parents/Guardians by the ‘Snack Service’ form which can be found on the Parent Portal under Links > Forms.
There will be suitable options for vegetarians.
Common Rooms
Students will have access to their common room where they can spend lunchtime with their year group. These will be supervised and offers a place for socialising regardless of the weather.
Pick up and drop off
We ask please for all parents picking up their children in Years 7 - 9 (and those with older siblings in Years 10 - 13) to arrive no earlier than 4.20pm and to pick up between 4.30pm and 4.45pm. Please can all parents of students in Years 10 – 13 (who don’t have younger siblings at the school) arrive no earlier than 4.45pm. At all times, please respect our neighbours by not blocking driveways or parking on double yellow lines.
School Transport
Students using the minibus service must arrive promptly to their minibus pick up point at the start and at the end of the school day. We would be grateful if parents can remind students about behavioural expectations – these can be found on the bus route form.
Parents will have access to BatOnRoute which gives them real-time tracking of their child’s bus route on a map, notifications for the bus approaching the stop and school arrivals/departures, as well as delay reasons and bus locations. They can also send absence notifications or request bus changes.
CAMPUS MAP AND BOARDING HOUSES
1. Reception
2. Dalewood House
3. Library, Reading Room and Sun Room
4. Admissions and Marketing
5. Dining Room
6. McComish Hall
7. Music School
8. Climbing wall, high ropes and caving
9. Sports Centre
10. Multi Use Games Area
11. Modern Foreign Languages, ICT 2, Student
Reception and Exams Office
12. Atwood House
13. The Hub
14. Ralph House
15. Dance Studio
16. Medical Centre
17. Burford
18. Careers, ILC and Computer Science
19. Sixth Form Centre/ Winthrop Young Building
20. Maths and English (ground and first floor)
21. Burmester House
22. Larg Cottage
23. Allotments
24. Old Cottage
School Shop
Drama Studio
DT Workshop
The Quad (Business, Geography, History)
Science Block
Weatherall Cottage (Learning Support)
Art Block
Jubilee Building
Juniper
Constantine House
Bursary
Pavilion
HOW WE COMMUNICATE WITH YOU
Keeping you updated
The School will regularly communicate with parents, either about whole school, year group and individual matters relating to your child.
It will most likely come from your child’s Tutor or Head of Year.
The most usual way to receive communication is via the school email system. Once your child has joined, our IT department will send you log ins for the following useful platforms:
Parent Portal
Here you’ll find reports, useful forms, exam results, documents, and a link to the billing portal and calendar.
You can find your child’s timetable here, as well as contact details for members of teaching staff.
SOCS
Box Hill School uses SOCS for sport and co-curricular activities. This includes fixtures, team sheets, results and for selecting activities at the start of each term. You will use your child’s details to log in.
Satchel:One
This is the online system where all homework is assigned. Please note there is likely to be changes to the way homework is assigned in the next academic year. We will of course advise you in advance about this.
HOW YOU CAN COMMUNICATE WITH US
Once at the School, your child’s Tutor is the first port of call. If you are contacting us regarding a routine matter, it would be usual to contact the Tutor directly. However, more significant issues should be directed to the Head of Year in the first instance.
They will all introduce themselves to you via email, and there is usually an opportunity to meet in person.
During the first fortnight, you will receive logins to Satchel:One, the Parent Portal and the iParent App. Students will get all their logins upon joining.
Unplanned absence
If your child is late, absent or unwell, please ring Reception on (+44) 01372 373 382 and/or email reception@boxhillSchool.com. If we do not hear from you on the day of absence, the register will be marked as “unauthorised absence” and you will be contacted by Reception to confirm the absence. If the period of absence is due to illness and likely to be prolonged, you should also please contact your son or daughter’s Tutor.
If your son or daughter is late to School and will miss being registered by his/ her tutor, they must sign in at Reception on arrival.
For planned and extended absence from School
Please note that absence from School disrupts your child’s education and is discouraged. In particular, please do not take your child on holiday during term time (dates are published on our website and on page 3 of this booklet). Requests for planned absences need to be approved by the School and must be requested using our ‘Pupil Leave of Absence Request’ form which can be found on the Parent Portal under Links > Forms.
Routine dental work and optician appointments should be arranged by parents or guardians during the School holidays wherever possible.
Emailing a member of staff
Please bear in mind, if you send an email to a member of Box Hill School’s staff, you may not get an immediate reply. At times, staff also run a variety of activities and trips which can keep them from being able to access a computer. During lessons, duties, meetings and activities, email is unlikely to be a focus for staff.
For urgent communication, particularly which requires a quick response or information to be passed on that day, please consider whether email is the most effective means to communicate. The main office can be emailed on reception@boxhillschool.com or reached by telephone on (+44) 01372 373 382.
For incoming emails requiring a response, we aim to reply as soon as possible. Certain emails may need to be prioritised in light of their content – professional judgement will be exercised here. A holding reply may be sent where further action/investigation/clarification is required.
To contact a specific member of staff by email, a list of staff with job titles and contact details can be found on the Parent Portal in the School Directory.
Contacting your child during the day
If you need to contact your son or daughter during School hours in an emergency, please call Reception (+44) 01372 373 382. Students in Year 7 - 11 will not have access to their mobile phones without specific permission during the School day.
Therefore, it is possible that they will not pick up a text or message left on their device and it is usually better to contact Reception. Although Sixth Form (Year 12 & 13) students are allowed to use mobile phones appropriately during the School day, it may still be easier to contact them via Reception.
Consent must be obtained for students to leave the School site during the School day (8:15am - 4:30pm) and they must sign out at Reception on departure.
Keeping us updated
Please update your contact information via the Parent Portal, or by informing contacts@boxhillschool.com of any change of address and/or telephone number. The School is required to keep parents’ and students’ details up to date and we will periodically contact parents about this.
UNIFORM
Students should be in full school uniform each day. We remind students that as representatives of School they need to present a tidy appearance and conform to uniform and appearance rules. We draw your attention to the specific rules regarding items of uniform: https://www.boxhillschool.com/school-life/uniform/
To purchase new uniform items, please visit our uniform suppliers’ website; Unismart, where all our School uniform is available to buy online – www. unismart.co.uk/product-category/our-Schools/box-hill-School.
They can arrange delivery of uniform to a destination that suits you; either your home address or the on-site School shop, or for boarders to school.
Appointments are available at the on-site uniform shop. To arrange an appointment please contact Unismart on unismartltd@gmail.com. Please note appointments for the on site shop must be booked in advance, unfortunately we can not accommodate direct walk ins.
Consultations are available if you need any help or advice with sizing and quantities, please contact Unismart directly.
Secondhand uniform
We have a limited supply of secondhand uniform and to see what is available, please email helen.sage@boxhillschool.com. These items will be recharged. To collect, students must visit Student Reception (located in the Languages Block).
To donate secondhand uniform please email helen.sage@ boxhillschool.com and hand into Dalewood Reception. We welcome donations of items in good condition.
Appearance Standards
Standards are the same for both boys and girls.
Hair should be kept tidy. In Years 7-9 long hair should be neatly tied back and in Years 10 - 13 hair may be worn long and is not required to be tied back. Unnaturally coloured or excessively styled hair that draws attention to the wearer is not allowed. The Headmistress is the sole judge of this standard.
Jewellery may not be worn apart from a watch and small, stud earrings – no hoops. In Years 12 & 13 neck chains are allowed and must be short.
Other body jewellery (for piercings) must be removed during the school day.
Make-up is not allowed in Years 7 – 9 and in Years 10 - 13 it must be worn discreetly. Only clear nail polish is allowed. No artificial eyelashes or nails are permitted.
For the full Uniform List please visit: https://www.boxhillschool.com/school-life/ uniform/
ACADEMIC OVERVIEW
The Curriculum
The School Curriculum broadly shadows the National Curriculum but provides additional breadth. In Years 10 & 11 students typically study 9 (I)GCSE subjects. Students on the intensive 1 year programme study 6 (I)GCSE subjects. Sixth Formers study either 3 A Level subjects, or 6 IB subjects. The (I)GCSE and Sixth Form Handbooks which detail the curricula are distributed during the Autumn term.
Year Primary point of contact Curriculum
7, 8 & 9
Tutors and Head of Year
10 & 11
Tutors and Head of Year
(I)GCSE
1 year (I)GCSE
12 & 13
Sixth Form
Tutors and Head of Programme
Tutors and Sixth Form Team
English, Maths, French, Spanish, History, Geography, Computer Science (Year 9 only), Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Art, DT, Physical Education, Music, Drama and PSHE
Finalised subjects can be found in the (I)GCSE Booklet: https://www. boxhillschool.com/GCSE-curriculum/
A selection of (I)GCSE subjects can be found in thehttps://www.boxhillschool. com/intensive-one-year/
Finalised subjects can be found in the A Level & IB Booklet: https://www. boxhillschool.com/sixth-form/sixthform-curriculum/
Assessments
Assessments take place every half term in most subjects, with the exception of the summer term when there is only one assessment for each subject at the end of the term.
Parents are able to access their child’s reports and assessment grades via the Parent Portal and iParent App.
Parents’ Evenings
This is an opportunity for parents to be updated about their child’s academic progress. These may be virtually or in-person. Details will be communicated to parents in advance.
Homework
Homework (also can be known as ‘Prep’) is assigned to stimulate curiosity, encourage responsibility, and of course, further the students understanding and learning of a topic. Students are currently set homework via Satchel:One and are expected to complete this at home. Below you can see the table of daily prep expectations.
For each group, the homework timetable is also available on the Parent Portal at the start of the term.
They can access homework via satchelone.com.
Year Homework Duration
7, 8 & 9 30 minutes of homework per subject, two subjects per evening.
10 & 11 40 minutes of homework per subject, two or three subjects per evening.
1 year (I)GCSE 40 minutes of homework per subject, two or three subjects per evening.
A Level Five hours of homework, independent study and reading per subject, per week (15 hours in total for three subjects)
IB Two hours of homework, independent study and reading per Standard Level subject per week, three hours per Higher Level subject per week (15 hours in total).
PASTORAL SYSTEMS
Student Induction
To help all new students settle in at Box Hill School, there are numerous induction events. The Admissions team or Head of Year will notify you of these. For those joining the School, in September there is an Induction Day in June so that students can meet others in their year group, meet a number of key pastoral staff and get to find their way around the School site.
The first day of the Autumn Term is also an Induction Day when all new students will continue to find their feet a day before the whole School assembles. Tutors will also help the students to settle in as quickly and smoothly as possible.
Parents’ Welcome Evening
There is a Parents’ Welcome Evening early in the Autumn Term which serves as an additional mechanism through which parents and staff can help with the settling-in process. This may be in person or virtual, details will be communicated to you.
Tutors
Each student will be assigned to a Tutor group. These groups are small (12-15 students). They meet daily in the morning for tutor time, digital literacy and to be given any updates on the week ahead.
Tutors are the primary point of contact for the student and parents. Tutors are supported by the Head of Year and the academic team, as well as the Senior Management Team.
School Council and Student Committees
There are plenty of opportunities for students to become involved in shaping aspects of life at Box Hill School. There is the Student Council which deals with whole School issues, as well as sub committees to give students a voice on relevant subjects. There is also an active Environment Committee as well as a Food Committee. Beyond these groups, students can become involved in various ways through activities and within departments.
CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
These activities are within each student’s timetable. They will sign up for their chosen activities at the beginning of each term via SOCS (Our School’s co-curricular and Sports Communications System). You can see the full list of activities here: https://www.boxhillschool.com/school-life/co-curricularprogramme/ They will have an opportunity to change their activities each term. Co-curricular activities take place as follows:
Year 7 and 8
Tuesday Enrichment Activities P6 & P7
Wednesday Games (Sports) P5 - P7
Year 9 and 10
Wednesday Games (Sports) P5 - P7
Thursday Enrichment Activities P5 - P7
Year 11 - 13
Wednesday Games (Sports) P5 - P7
Thursday Enrichment Activities P6 & P7
SPORTS FIXTURES
SOCS also includes information on teams, fixtures, results and timings. You can see the details here: https://www.boxhillschoolsport.com/
We regularly play competitive team sports. All our sports fixtures are accommodated during the School week, no weekend matches are played. Matches are organised mostly within the School day where possible. From time to time fixtures may run after School. You will be notified if this is the case in advance as pick up will be the parent’s responsibility. Students are allowed their mobile phones on fixtures so are able to communicate this too.
THE ‘HOUSE’ SYSTEM
Each student is assigned to one of our four Thirds when they join. They will stay in this Third until they graduate. Students will represent their Third during inter-third competitions such as cross country and Sports Day to gain points. Students staying on for Sixth Form retain their Third and siblings are usually allocated to the same Third.
THE MEDICAL CENTRE
The Medical Centre is open for all Box Hill School students from 7:30am to 5:00pm Monday - Friday. Students are expected to attend the Medical Centre between the following hours unless permitted by a teacher.
Break time 10:30am - 10:50am
Lunchtime 12:40pm - 1:45pm
We use a holistic approach in planning the care of students, taking into consideration their physical, emotional and psychological needs. The Medical Centre is a welcoming environment, so that students can access support when required. All students with diagnosed medical or additional needs will have a detailed individual care plan.
We work closely with individuals helping them take responsibility for their own health, to ensure that each student fulfils their potential. We support them with their health needs, whilst striving to keep them fully engaged in their education. We aim to treat students with a caring and professional approach.
We are always pleased to talk to any parent/guardian about their child’s health, either on the telephone or in person, and we are always available for students to talk to us. Sometimes individuals talk to us in confidence, and we respect this, except where their welfare is at risk.
We ask parents to complete a medical form and for boarders an emergency consent form IN FULL and return them to School before students starts at Box Hill School. Information supplied is confidential and is not released to other departments in the School without appropriate consent. Our Thirds:
Keeping us updated
We would be grateful if you could keep us informed of changes to your child’s health status during their time at Box Hill. We DO NOT send out annual update requests, but DO expect prompt, open communication where health information changes.
Vaccinations
The school requires up to date vaccinations. We request ALL vaccination dates from the GP’s immunisation record, a photocopy of the child’s records, or any other international vaccination certificates. We will contact you should your child require any boosters or further vaccinations.
We are keen to ensure that appropriate immunisations are given. Please inform the nursing team if any immunisations are given at home so that we can amend pupils school health records as appropriate. Central Surrey Health (CSH) come to the school annually to vaccinate for HPV (cervical cancer vaccination in Year 8) and DTaP/IPV (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis and Polio booster) and Meningitis ACWY in Years 9 & 10. Notifications will be sent out prior to these events asking for parental e-consent via the NHS portal.
Admissions to Hospital
In the case of an emergency, everything possible is done to contact parents/ guardians immediately. In exceptional cases however, if this is not possible, the Head (or authorised deputy) must act in loco parentis and in such circumstances, has the right to authorise medical and surgical treatment, including the administration of anaesthetic. Pupils over the age of 16 are permitted to give their own consent to medical treatment. Pupils will normally be admitted under the NHS. If parents would prefer, or are insured for, private medical care they should include details of the relevant policy. Where a pupil needs medical attention outside school, they would normally be accompanied by a member of staff. The cost of transport/taxis etc. will be recharged to their school account.
Medications
The school provide over the counter medications such as paracetamol. Pupils must not bring these medications into school. The school policy is that all prescribed medications brought into school should be clearly labelled with the pupils name and must be handed in to the nursing team. All prescribed medications must have a consent form and current prescription from the authorised prescriber attached (please e-mail nurses@boxhillschool.com for the form).
It is the responsibility of parents to ensure that medication brought into School is in date.
Asthmatic pupils must always carry their inhaler on their person at all times. There are emergency asthma kits around the School, in the event of an emergency. Pupils with Adrenaline Auto Injector pens (AAIs) are required to keep two on their person at all times. Spare AAIs are located in the Medical Centre and Reception in the event of an emergency. Two AAI pens are required for all school trips. All boarding pupils bringing their own prescribed medications into school who wish to self-medicate, must see the School Nurse to be assessed and sign a self-medication form to meet School and ISI guidelines.
Facilities
The Medical Centre comprises of five beds, two shower rooms, three offices and a waiting area. The nursing team are responsible for all medical issues around the school. There are first aid kits available in most departments and two defibrillators located in the sports centre and outside Dalewood. The nurses have a wide range of medical policies some of which can be found on the school website, others are available on request. These are reviewed regularly in accordance with governance.
Allergies
We ask please that students do not bring any nuts into school as snacks as we have students who have serious nut allergies.
PERSONAL POSSESSIONS
Students are responsible for their personal belongings and all clothing and equipment should be named. Students should be made aware that they bring valuable items onto the School site at their own risk. Each student will have a locker in which valuable items, sports bags and equipment should be secured. When brought into School, musical instruments should be kept in the Music department’s instrument store. We do our best to find lost or missing items using our Lost Property system. Parents and students should be aware, however, that the School insurance does not cover loss of or damage to personal possessions.
Mobile Phones
In years 7 - 11, students hand in their mobile phones during tutor time at 8.15am and will receive them back at 4.30pm, or at other times with the express permission of a member of staff during the day. Students in the Sixth Form may use such devices during the School day but should only use them in the Sixth Form Common Room and during break and lunchtimes. All mobile phones should be made silent and put away and must not interfere with lessons.
Students taking part in away sports fixtures will be permitted to have their mobile phones in the event of a delay in returning to School.
Digital Devices
Our digital device initiative ensures that every student has access to a Dell Latitude 5340 2-in-1 device, enhancing their learning experience with powerful and versatile technology. These devices support a wide range of educational activities, from interactive lessons to collaborative projects, and come equipped with robust security features to ensure a safe online environment. By integrating these digital tools, we aim to prepare our students with essential 21st-century skills, fostering both academic success and digital literacy. Parents can order the laptops through a dedicated Easy4U web portal, details of which will be provided. You can learn more about it here: https://www.boxhillschool. com/school-life/academic/digital-literacy/
Bicycles
Although the School will exercise all possible supervision, parents must accept the risk of loss or damage to bicycles. All students owning bicycles should, in their own interests, take out a comprehensive policy. There is a secure cycle shed for those who ride to School. Bicycles must not be ridden on the School grounds. Cyclists must wear a crash helmet of an approved type.
Lost Property
All items of clothing and equipment (where practical) should be named. A system is in place whereby items of clothing and equipment which are left lying around the School are collected and stored in the Lost Property store. Un-named or non-uniform items will be cleared at the end of each term. Similarly, water bottles, for reasons of hygiene, will only be held for one term. Valuable items such as mobile phones are usually handed to Reception.
Chewing gum
We do not allow chewing gum at School and students should not be bringing it in.
POLICIES
As you would expect, the School has a variety of policies covering the many aspects of school life. Please visit our website on www.boxhillschool.com/ about-us/school-policies/ to view a selection of them. Some are also available to view on the Parent Portal.
FRIENDS OF BOX HILL SCHOOL
The Parents’ Association, which is known as Friends of Box Hill School, is made up of volunteer parents from each year group.
Year Rep
Their roles are to liaise between the School and the year groups to provide communication and organise social events for parents. If parents have questions they can act as a point of call for a source of informal information.
Meetings
There is a Parents Forum at least once a year where Year Reps will gather and collect issues/comments from the year group and present them anonymously for discussion with the School. However, if there are any issues please do contact your Year Rep or Tutor.
Social Events
Notification of events and other activities run by the FBHS will be sent via email and Year Reps. Some events may be fundraisers.
