Routine

Term Dates for 2023 – 24

Michaelmas Term 2023

Start Tuesday 5 September*

End Wednesday 13 December

Lent Term 2024

Start Thursday 4 January

End Friday 22 March

Summer Term 2024

Start Monday 15 April

End Friday 28 June

Exeat 22 – 24 September

Half-term 13 – 29 October

Exeat 17 – 20 November

Exeat 19 – 21 January

Half-term 9 – 18 February

Exeat 8 – 10 March

Exeat 3 – 6 May

Half-term 25 May – 2 June

*New Shell and Lower Sixth pupils arrive on 4th September 2023.

At the start of terms and after half-terms and exeats, pupils rejoin their Houses no earlier than 6pm and no later than 9pm. Pupils are usually free to leave for exeats at the end of Period 3. The timings for ends of terms are similar.

Exeats

The first weekend of each term is closed. In addition to half-terms the College has a number of fixed weekend exeats (Fixed Privs) during the school year, when most pupils go home or to stay with friends although, exceptionally, by prior arrangement, a pupil may remain at the school. A pupil may take six further weekends (Privs) in the course of the year. These require some forward planning and the agreement of HMs, plus written parental permission in good time, (by the Thursday of the preceding week at the latest). Privs begin after the fulfilment of Saturday commitments (usually school matches) and end by 9pm Sunday evening. On rare occasions HM permission is refused, usually for academic or disciplinary reasons. In the case of a pupil who wishes to visit the home of another pupil the HM needs written permission from both sets of parents.

If pupils are invited to parties during Privs, parents must give written permission to the HM for their son or daughter to attend, and are asked to contact the host’s parents directly to satisfy themselves as to the arrangements. No party should be allowed in the absence of parental supervision and the College discourages any gathering involving more than half a dozen pupils. No pupil may ever travel in a car whose driver is under 25 years of age. HMs do not advance cash for travel. Parents may find it helpful to refer to the document Guidance on ‘Privs’ & Parties which can be found in the secure Parent Portal (see page 8).

Given their short duration, it is the College’s strong recommendation that Fixed Privs and Privs are used for vital rest and recuperation, and are not occasions for parties. Pupils will find it difficult to re-engage with their busy school life, after a weekend of late nights. We ask for parents’ co-operation in this matter.

Travel

At the end of term and at half-term and exeats, transport can be arranged for pupils. For complete details see the Transport Information on page 54.

Sundays

Pupils may go out on Sundays with their HM’s permission after Chapel, returning in time for prep on Sunday evening at 7.30pm. Written parental permission is required when a pupil is travelling by car or outside of Marlborough.

Telephones & Mobile Telephones

HMs will not summon pupils to the telephone except in emergencies; however they will be happy to take messages within reason and to ask pupils to ring back. Similarly, messages can be left for pupils with the college switchboard.

Marlburians are allowed mobile phones, if parents so wish. Members of the College community follow a protocol for the use of mobile devices, which will be available to pupils and explained to them in their Houses. Pupils may not receive or make calls during Studies, Prep, nor after 10.15pm or bedtime if that is earlier.

Parents are asked to observe the following restriction on ringing pupils on mobile phones in order to avoid disturbing the house in its work routine:

• Lesson times;

• Studies (Tuesdays and Thursdays 5.30 – 6.40pm);

• Prep (nightly except Saturdays 7.30 – 9.00pm).

Inappropriate material may not be stored or viewed on a PC, laptop disk, phone or other digital device. Pupils joining the College are required to abide by all College policies governing the use of ICT.

All Marlburians have their own email addresses consisting of their school number @marlboroughcollege.org

Pocket Money

All necessities are provided by the school with the exception of textbooks and personal stationery which are paid for through the Book Office on the termly bill. Essential items can be paid for through the “chit” system (see page 54); these are added to the termly bill. Please seek the HM’s advice as to how much additional pocket money your son/daughter should receive, and as to suitable arrangements for its receipt. Most houses run a House Bank for pupils in the Lower School; you will receive details from your child’s HM in due course.

Parents may feel that they want their child to have a bank account and possibly a cash card for incidental purposes. However, virtually all a pupil’s needs are catered for by the school or through the chit system and large sums at a pupil’s disposal are not necessary or helpful. The bank managers in Marlborough have agreed to keep the College informed of bank accounts where their management is causing them concern and, therefore, parents are advised to open an account with one of the banks in the town. Their telephone numbers are:

Barclays 0845 7555555

NatWest 0870 2403377

Clothing and Laundry

L loyds TSB 0845 3000000

All washable clothing must be suitable for sending to the College laundry (i.e. suitable for machine wash and tumble dry) and all must be clearly marked with the pupil’s name, school number and house code, which are to be found in this booklet. The College cannot accept liability for damage to unsuitable articles of clothing sent to the laundry. Items that require hand washing should not be sent, and items marked dry clean will be returned unwashed.

Crosby & Lawrence, 67 High Street, Marlborough

“Crosby’s” is the sole provider of uniform for the College and is also a fully equipped sports shop. The shop also has a second hand uniform department. The manager can be contacted on 01672 892498. During the summer the shop operates a booking system for parents of new pupils wishing to buy uniform. Appointments should be made between 1st June and 20th August for UK pupils requiring the name taping service. Please telephone the above number for an appointment.

Private Property

All private property brought to school must be marked and insured by parents. (See also Bursarial Matters page 53). Private electrical heaters, mini-fridges, plug-in air diffusers and fairy lights are not allowed in the boarding houses. Private property is required to be removed from most boarding houses at the end of each term and it is best if possessions are kept to a minimum.

Electrical Equipment

Personal electrical equipment such as personal computers, hair dryers or straighteners do not require electrical inspection but occasional visual checks are conducted on an ad hoc basis by house staff to ensure they are free from damage and not likely to cause a hazard. Responsibility for repair or replacement is that of the pupil and his/her parents.

Personal Computers

The College enables access from all pupils’ studies/study areas in Houses to the College’s computer network. This access allows pupils to connect computer equipment (described below) to the College’s systems, enabling access to the Internet and network storage areas. There is also an extensive Wi-Fi network covering academic areas and boarding houses.

The College recognises that most academic activities are substantially enhanced by access to the Internet and the online resources provided by the College. The ability to store, retrieve and share work can increase the efficiency of the process. Increasingly, teachers present their subjects in a style that makes use of electronic communication methods.

Your son/daughter will thus need to have a laptop computer.

Equipment

The College is committed to ensuring that pupils have access to the most up-to-date and educationally beneficial technologies. The school provides a significant number of computers both in boarding houses and in ICT areas. Over the past few years, the College has invested significant sums in devices running the Apple operating system. To take full advantage of the benefits of 1:1 computing technology, it is suggested that pupils arrive at the College with a laptop, which should be an Apple device: a 13” Mac Book Air will perfectly suffice. The College licenses Microsoft Office 365, which entitles pupils to install the latest version of Office on their personal devices and use the Cloud versions of these applications. Upon leaving, the license to use this software becomes invalid.

While iPads are welcomed they are not regarded as a replacement for a laptop, since not all of the software that is currently used in College is available for the iPad. If pupils wish to bring an iPad in addition to a laptop, this is perfectly acceptable.

Along with the laptop we strongly recommend:

• A sturdy rucksack or good protective cover;

• AppleCare extended three-year warranty.

Please note that accidental damage, loss or failure due to misuse are not covered by the AppleCare warranty; they should be covered on your home contents or a separate insurance policy.

You are free to purchase your Apple laptop from your preferred supplier. Alternatively, there is an educational discount available via an authorised Apple retailer. Details of these arrangements are available separately in the joining instructions.

ICT Support

Pupils may take their laptops to the IT Support Department for an initial diagnosis and typically something that takes a few minutes to resolve will be addressed there and then. Anything beyond a few minutes will be booked in and, if time and workload permit, a technician will try to rectify problems they can diagnose that do not require the College to replace components or in anyway invalidate the manufacturer’s warranty. Such work is undertaken free of charge and the College will not, nor should be expected to, provide fixed timescales for these repairs.

However, a few simple steps (mostly arranged or provided at the time of purchase) can help to ensure that your child’s machine has maximum availability: a) Details of the warranty terms, supplier contact number and procedure available to your child; b) Original, licensed media, if appropriate available for the reinstallation of the operating system; c) Only genuine, licensed software installed; d) Anti-virus protection installed.

These latter four items are recommended if the College is to be able to properly support your child and their computer.

Code of Conduct

All pupil users of the College’s ICT facilities are bound by a Pupil Code of Conduct and the current Information and Computing Technology (ICT) Policy as published. A copy can be found in the PARENTS area of the College website.