Student Handbook Osborne House to Welcome
Osborne House Staff
Miss Swiech Housemistress
Miss Church
Senior House Assistant
Miss Pollitcott-Reid
Graduate Boarding Assistant
Miss O’Connell
Residential Tutor
Miss Capes
Non- Residential Tutor
Welcome
It is my great pleasure and honour to welcome you all my lovely ladies to your home away from home - Osborne. For some of you, the journey with boarding only begins and for some of you, the journey continues, bringing new challenges. Regardless of where we all are on this life journey we are all together on the same ship. Therefore, in order to reach our destination we need to take care of each other, communicate, show empathy and compassion throughout. Although we will face many storms, we have wonderful and dedicated people who will guide us for the whole duration of the journey. Please do not forget we are always here for you and no problem is too small for us. This booklet will be useful for students, parents and guardians as it covers useful information about Osborne and how the House systems meet the highest requirements laid down by the Government through the National Minimum Boarding Standards. If you or your parents/guardians have any concerns before you join the school or once you have arrived, please, contact me on:
Paulina.swiech@lvs.ascot.sch.uk
Miss Paulina Swiech –Housemistress
Message from our House Captain:
Hello and welcome to LVS Ascot, Osborne House! My name is Ashira, and I am your house captain for this academic year. I have been in this school since Year 10. I have also been boarding since Year 6. Joining a new school, especially a boarding school, can be hard. But me and the people in this house’s job is to help you settle in. My job is to ensure everyone is happy, comfortable, safe, and feels welcomed joining this one big family. In my time I have found many relationships that feel like family to me, from all age groups. Even though I have been boarding for many years, it is this school that has made me many memories that I wish to last forever. Growing up as an army child is hard, as many other people know, moving from school to school can be tough, moving house and leaving everything you once knew behind. Living across the globe has taught me so many diverse cultures and traditions. With this, I am prepared to use my knowledge to help you feel settled and comfortable. I look forward to meeting you, wish you the best of luck and the warmest welcome.
Prefects
The Prefect Team help with waking you up and putting you to bed. They are also your voice in the House recommending improvements to the staff. Prefects help to organise and run activities in the evening and at weekends. In short, the House would not run without the Prefect team and regardless of your age, they should be respected. This is for the responsibilities they carry and the duties they perform voluntarily giving up their time for the running and furthering of Osborne House.
Meet your Pre
Ashira R House Captain
Annika R Deputy
Dayana S
Academic Prefect
Callie N
Activities Prefect
Mina C
International Prefect
Jaiyana G
Pastoral Prefect
Anna I
House Prefect
Useful Communication Information
Post and packages for you should be sent to the following address: [Your Name] Osborne House, LVS ASCOT London Road Ascot Berkshire SL5 8DR
Microsoft Teams
All girls will be added to the Osborne girls team. Here notices are posted daily and plans for the evening/weekend day. We also run quizzes and other events on this platform.
Roll Calls
This is where registers are taken, and notices given to check that you are safe.You are expected to be on time.
Phones, sleeping, talking, and eating are NOT permitted during roll calls and showing of these behaviours is seen as very disrespectful
Main roll call times: (All roll call in downstairs common room)
Weekdays:
07:30 Roll call.
17:30 Roll call.
Weekends:
Saturdays:
10:30 Roll call.
12:30 Check in with staff in the office.
17:30 Roll call.
21:45-22:00 Check in with staff in the office.
Sundays:
10:15 Roll call.
12:30 Check in with staff in the office.
17:30 Roll call.
Meal Times
Attendance at mealtimes is compulsory. Electronics, flip-flops/sliders/slippers, hats are not allowed in the dining hall.
On a school day
Breakfast is served from 07:45-08:15.
Lunch is served from 13:00-14:00.
Dinner is served between 17:30-18:30.
Mealtimes are different at the weekend and all menus are published in advance on one of the House noticeboards.
If students are found to be regularly skipping meals or not eating sufficient“good”calories to see them through the day, they will be supervised closely during mealtimes. Skipping a meal and replacing it with noodles or a subway is NOT an option.
Tuck (Snacks)
Tuck (snacks) should be kept in your labelled clear box on top of your wardrobe or in the fridge if it is perishable. Any food outside of this will be disposed of. NO NUTS are allowed on site, this includes Snickers bars
Takeaways
Takeaways are permitted on Saturdays ONLY between 17:00 and 20:00.
Weekday Routines
You will hear staff and prefects say“Windows, Curtains, Beds, Boxes” at wake up.
You are expected, every morning before breakfast to open windows and curtains in your dorm, empty laundry boxes in the trolleys downstairs and make your beds (duvet folded in half). We also expect there to be nothing left on the floor, shoes on the rack and desks tidy. Sanctions will be put in place if these expectations are not met.
07:15 Wake up by House staff and Prefects
07:30 Roll call and girls go to breakfast
08:30 House locked (a.m. registration starts at 8:40)
13:00-13:45 House open during lunchtime
16:00 House opens and girls have free time
17:30 Roll call then Supper (Girls are expected to be changed out of school uniform by this point of the evening unless participating at an event or function)
18:30 Prep commences
20:00 Year 5-8 End of Prep (and on a Monday for all Years ready for a whole house activity)
20:30 End of Prep for Y9-11 Tuesday-Thursday (Friday Prep ends at 19:30)
20:50 Year 5, 6 & 7 curfew and by 21:00 to the showers
By 21:15 Lights out for Year 6 & 7
By 21:30 Year 8 curfew and to the showers
By 21:45 Curfew for Y9-11 Lights out for Year 8s, Year 9s to dorms and showers
By 22:15 Lights out for Year 10 & Year 11 to dorms
By 22:30 Lights out for Year 11 and Prefects to dorms
By 22:45 Lights out for Prefects
Curfews
You MUST be back in Osborne House every evening by YRs 5, 6, & 7 - 20:50 Yr 8 - 21:00 YRs 9-11 - Y 21:45
You MUST NOT use the showers between 22:00-07:00 overnight as this disturbs others’sleep. We also ask that you think of others when you are in the showers and not to play music too loudly or have very loud conversations.
Weekend Routines
From 07:15 Wake up for fixtures
From 07:30 Fixtures breakfasts
10:00 Wake up for house
10:30 Roll Call, Brunch & activities
12:30 Check in with staff in the office
13:15 House activities and trips
14:30-14:45 Check in roll call
17:30 Roll call and then Grab n’go
19:00 Evening activities or film
21:00 Curfew for Osborne Juniors
Wake up
(times may vary)
Roll call and Brunch
12:00 Prep 12:30 Check in with staff in the office 17:30 Roll call and dinner
18:00 Weekly Boarders return and sign in with Duty Staff 20:00 Dorm checks
Rest of Sunday evening as per weekday evenings
Weekend Arrangements
You will be asked“In or Out?”at the start of the week, we MUST know your plans for the weekend by the preceding Wednesday bedtime.
Parents/Guardians MUST then fill out a leave request on Orah and submit for approval. This is also the case for holiday whereabouts.
Weekend outing/activities
Every weekend has a programme of activities and trips planned. These can be done on a whole house/every house basis or sometimes via sign up. The girls will get the chance to go shopping in Town for anything they need as well as go on fun trips to the Trampoline Park, GoKarting, Legoland, Coral Reef and many more fun trips.
Town Leave
Students will be allowed to leave the school to make the following visits:
Expectations
To be polite and courteous to other members of the house, to other members of the school and to members of staff.
To be tolerant of others and to respect the feelings of others.
To be clean and smartly dressed at all times.
To be punctual, both in attending lessons and handing in work.
To take pride in belonging to Osborne House, accepting responsibility for helping to keep it clean, tidy and welcoming to visitors
To participate in everything to the best of their ability.
School Bounds
LVS Ascot has a 26-acre site, most of which is accessible to all students and it is important that the boarders at LVS are allowed to explore the campus. However, it is also important (particularly during the evening and winter hours) that boarders understand the safe parameters within which they must operate.
of bounds to all except Kew borders
Signing in & out of the house
Every time you cross the threshold into or out of Osborne House, you MUST sign in/out. If you are going off site, you must be in groups of no less than 3 and you must alert the duty member of staff of where you are going. This is via Orah or with a member of staff.
ORAH
All students need to use our boarding electronic registration system Orah. Each student has to download the app, register by clicking on the link sent by Orah to their school email and use the same log in details as for accessing school email or the Internet . Students must sign in and out via Orah. There are tap devices in house to make the process easier. Parents must use Orah to submit all leave requests.
Visitors to the House
All visitors to the House must report to the duty member of staff before entering the House. Once permission has been granted for them to come in the visitor must sign in using Orah in the main downstairs common room.
At no point do visitors enter student dorms. They are welcome in the common area downstairs
Any student visitor who has not sought permission from the duty member of staff will not be welcomed back in the House
Fire
Procedures
The evacuation procedure in case of fire is displayed in the common room downstairs.
In the case of fire, the Osborne meeting point is the covered area below the Art Block.
A Fire Drill will take place at least once a term, and the housemistress will walk through the procedure with all pupils. If a fire alarm has been wilfully set off, the cost of the call out will be passed on to the student’s family.
In the event of a fire evacuation:
1) You must get out of the building as quickly as possible, via the nearest fire exit
2) If you are not sure which fire exit is your nearest, check the fire escape routes which are displayed in all dorms, the common room, corridors and lobby
3) Be quiet and sensible as you make your way out of the building. Head towards the fire assembly point.
4) The member of staff on duty will take a register. Listen carefully for your name and answer promptly and clearly
5) Once it has been confirmed that it is safe, you will be able to re-enter the building
In the event of an invacuation (lockdown):
1) You must go into the nearest room, it does not need to be your dorm! If you are already in a room, just stay where you are
2) Curtains should be drawn and windows should be shut
3) Furniture should be used to barricade the door e.g. sofa
4) Remain silent
5) Stay in whichever room you have entered until you are told it is safe to come out by a member of staff on duty
Electronics
Year 5-7s have no access to recreational electronics on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
girls up to and including Year 11 hand in all their electronics every night.
Prefects are allowed to keep their electronics overnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
All electrical items are subject to PAT testing and valuable devices are stored in a locked cupboard overnight.
Allowed –
· Clocks
· Laptops/tablets
· Mobile phones
· Cameras
· Hairdryers, straighteners etc.
Not Allowed –
· Electric heaters or blankets
· Kettles
· Personal fridges
· Televisions
· Rice Cookers
· Electric Fans
Mobile phones
Boarders’mobile numbers need to be registered with the House staff on arrival into the House or when they change their phones. These will be used in an emergency or as otherwise required.
Laundry Numbers & Lost Property
ALL clothing, including underwear, must be labelled with a laundry number (a list of which can be found next to the white board at the bottom of the staircase). Sharpies can be borrowed from the office to label clothing but MUST be handed back in.
Any clothing that is unlabelled is deemed “lost property”. Lost uniform is brought back to the House every day, personal, casual clothes are brought back to Osborne House on a Friday afternoon only. ANY lost property left when students have left for a holiday WILL be appropriately disposed of. Your property is your responsibility!
Suggestion Box
The house suggestion box is located in the TV room. All boarders who wish to make a suggestion about the running of the house or to raise a concern of any kind may write it down and place it in the suggestion box (either with or without their name). The box is checked regularly by the house staff.
Prep in Osborne
Supervised prep may take place in common areas or the LRC - Learning Resource Centre, depending on the needs of students.
Things to do during prep:
Treat the rooms with respect. Push chairs in under the tables at the end of the session. Clear any mess/cuttings away. Ensure that any issues with ICT equipment are reported to the member of staff supervising.
Things not to do during prep:
Eat, chew or drink.
Use your mobile phone for purposes other than study and without consent from staff. Disrupt the learning of other students
Chores Rota
Each boarder within Osborne House is expected to do at least one chore per week to help with the running of the House
Rations – Collect a trolley of snacks and whole House stick items from the dining hall, return it to Osborne and put it away in the kitchens. This is quite a big job on a Friday!
Laundry Boxes – You will be assigned to either upstairs or downstairs and will need to collect the laundry boxes with clean laundry in for that floor of the House and put into the correct dorms.
Kitchen – The upstairs kitchen needs to be cleaned, the dishwasher loaded and put on, as well as the bin needs emptying before you go to bed.
Common rooms – All three common areas of the House need cushions appropriately placed on sofas, rubbish bins emptied and crockery and personal items removed. The pool table needs its covers put on and the areas need to be vacuumed if there is mess on the floors.
Should someone be on an HMDT sanction, they will do everyone’s chores for that day.
Kitchens
It is EVERYONE’s responsibility to keep the upstairs kitchen clean and tidy throughout the week and at weekends. If the kitchen is left in a mess be that untidy or dirty or both, then the microwave, toaster and kettle will be removed for a few days. Also ensure the milk is ALWAYS standing up in the fridge!
There is an oven in the Prefect flat downstairs, all are welcome to use this, but it can only be used with permission from staff, only Year 10 and 11 may use the oven without direct supervision.
Toilet management/etiquette
Please leave all facilities in Osborne House in the condition you would wish to find them in. If your aim is not that good, then sit down! If you mark the toilet, clean it off using the brush provided! Remember we sit on toilets in the UK, not stand/squat on them! If there are any blockages or mess in the toilet, report to a member of House staff so we can get it cleared.
And most importantly, WASH YOUR HANDS!
There are hand sanitiser stations around the House, please use these as you pass them to keep the passing of germs to a minimum.
Common rooms
The ONLY common language of the House and indeed the School is English. You are expected to speak in English in the common areas of the House and the School. You will be frequently reminded. If you wish to speak with a friend in another language, please do so out of the hearing of others.
Items that must be handed in
Passports
Visas
Legal documentation (particularly pertaining to ID)
Boarding Passes
Money of any denomination worth over £50
ANY medications including vitamins, supplements, and protein powders.
Quiet Room
There is a well being (quiet room), located on the ground floor east corridor which has been recently revamped, for students to use as a quiet, private space in which to make private phone calls, have private conversations with their parents, guardians or staff
Open Door Policy
The staff of Osborne House are always here to listen to you and help you should you need us. Never be afraid to come and speak to us whether it be good or bad!
Counselling
Confidential Counselling Services are available to all students at LVS Ascot. Counselling is a safe space for young people to explore whatever is bothering them. Boarders can arrange to see a counsellor by emailing the counselling service directly at counsellor@lvs.ascot.sch.uk or by speaking in confidence to the House Staff.
Health & Wellbeing Centre
The Health & Wellbeing Centre (HWBC) is run by nursing staff and pupils have access to facilities such as doctors and counsellors through the Centre. If boarders feel unwell for any reason – physical or mental – they should speak either with house staff or directly with the HWBC.
Further information can be obtained from the house notice board, duty member of staff or from the LVS Senior School Handbook. Surgery times:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday - 08:00 - 20:00
Thursday – 8:30am – 4:30pm Saturday – 8:30am -13:30
Rewards
'In Osborne House we run a house points reward system. Girls are awarded house points throughout the week and on Sunday evening the student with the most amount of points draws a prize from the tombola. We also then choose a Boarder of the Week (someone who has been particularly helpful) who will also get to draw a prize from the tombola.'
House points are awarded for:
Kindness towards others
Helping students and staff
Assisting in the house with extra duties and jobs
Supporting and organising house activities
Positively representing Osborne House in the boarding and wider school community
Teams
'The House will be split up into teams for competitions each led by a Prefect. Osborne has a prefect activity every friday that helps the girls bond with other year groups
Sanctions
and finally..
In Osborne we cultivate the following principles:
• The development of the whole person, physically, spiritually, intellectually, morally, socially and emotionally in a conducive atmosphere of positive praise and reinforcement.
• Mutual respect and the right to be treated as an individual.
• The right of the individual to not suffer any form of abuse.
• An equality of opportunities provided to all, regardless of socio-economic or cultural background.
• The right to privacy.
• Supportive links with parents and guardians
