Holidays during Term Time

TVs/DVD Players

We have communal lounges in each home which are equipped with TVs and DVD Players, however, we can accommodate additional electrical goods such as personal TVs/DVD players and games consoles being installed within the student’s own room. All electrical items will need to be risk assessed and PAT tested before use by a member of our maintenance team, and there may be a delay of approximately 48 hours before this occurs if the student arrives over a weekend.

If a student chooses to have a personal TV in their bedroom, then there will be a small TV licence fee of around £13 per annum.

Personal Computers/iPads/Laptops

Throughout the College, communal PCs with restricted internet access (see restrictions) are available for use by all students. We also have a student Wi-Fi network that personal devices can be connected to, again with restricted internet access. Connections to this Wi-Fi network are overseen by our IT department and there may be a delay of approximately 48 hours for an IT technician to connect devices to the network.

Inventory

Prior to admission, parents and students are required to complete a full inventory of possessions. An inventory of student belongings will also be completed at regular intervals by residential staff.

Insurance of Personal Items

It is important to note that Beechwood College does not accept liability for any kind for items brought into the College, particularly those of any value. We recommend therefore that you consult with your insurance provider who will be able to advise you on the type and level of cover you will need.

Storage space at the College is limited to the student’s own bedroom, so please bear this is mind when considering how much to bring.

Medical and Dental Information

GP Services

The College has agreements with two local GP surgeries in Barry to provide us with an enhanced service to meet the healthcare needs of our students. Within this agreement, each surgery holds a monthly ‘clinic’ here at the College where students can be seen in an environment that they feel comfortable in. In addition to this, all of our students will receive an annual health check as part of this enhanced service.

So that we can effectively meet the healthcare needs of our students, all residential students are required to be registered with one of the two surgeries that we use, The Practice of Health Surgery or Highlight Park Medical Practice. Homely Remedies

Due to the strict legislation around the safe administration of medications that we must adhere to, we can only administer medications that have been prescribed by a GP or consultant. The only exceptions to this are the following medications, which have been agreed under our Homely Remedy Policy and their use would be agreed for each individual student during their new patient check with our GP: • Simple Linctus – for dry, irritating coughs • Maalox – antacid mixture for indigestion and heartburn • Senna – for constipation • Dioralyte – for use during diarrhoea • E45 or Sudocrem – for mild dry skin conditions • Paracetamol – for mild pain relief

The use of any other medications, including over-the-counter medications, would need to be agreed in writing with a GP before we are able to administer them.

Dentist

If required, the College will register students with a local NHS dentist to oversee their dental care and support students to attend all appointments. If going to the dentist is particularly stressful, we can also arrange with the local NHS service for a dentist to visit the College, with a long-term goal of building confidence towards attending future appointments.

Alternatively, due to the anxiety that visiting the dentist can cause, some students choose to remain with their current and familiar dentist and attend appointments during College holidays.