Boarding Handbook
Contents Head of Boarding Introduction
2
Whitfield House Ethos
4
The Boarding House Team
5
Daily Routine
6
Key Information
8
Welcome to Whitfield House
14
Contacts Guidance
16
Head of Boarding Introduction A very warm welcome to boarding at St John’s. I am delighted that you and your child are joining our boarding community. I hope that this Boarding Handbook, together with the Chorister Handbook, will provide you with all the information you need to help your family feel confident and at home from the beginning. At St John’s, our boarding ethos is founded on four key values: respect for children, faith in children, a strong sense of community, and care for the whole child. We believe that every child should feel safe, valued, encouraged and supported to flourish, both personally and academically. We see boarding as an extension of family life. Our aim is to provide a happy, nurturing and welcoming environment in which children feel secure, develop independence and confidence, and build lasting friendships. Every member of our boarding community has an important part to play in ensuring that each child feels known, cared for and celebrated as an individual. As Housemistress and Head of Boarding, I have overall responsibility for the care and welfare of every boarder. I am supported by a dedicated team of residential and non-residential staff, whose commitment, experience and kindness are central to the life of the boarding house. Together, we work closely to ensure that every child receives the highest standard of pastoral care and enjoys a happy, positive and enriching boarding experience. St John’s is a warm, welcoming and friendly school, and I hope that your child will quickly feel part of our caring community. I look forward to getting to know you and your family and to sharing this special part of your child’s journey with you.
Mrs Clare Gorick Head of Boarding & Housemistress
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Whitfield House Ethos The ethos of Whitfield House is rooted in knowing every child as an individual and providing a warm, supportive environment in which they feel safe, valued and able to flourish. We are committed to meeting the individual needs of every boarder, fostering their unique talents and aptitudes, and nurturing each child’s personal, emotional, social and academic growth. We believe that boarding should feel like an extension of family life, where children are encouraged to develop confidence, resilience and a strong sense of belonging. Through gentle guidance and encouragement, we help our boarders to become increasingly independent, equipping them with the skills, responsibility and self-belief they need both within the boarding house and beyond. At the heart of Whitfield House is a strong sense of community. We encourage children to care for one another, celebrate each other’s successes and support one another through challenges.
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The Boarding House Team Head of Boarding and Housemistress - Lives in private accommodation within Whitfield House and has overall responsibility for the care, welfare and pastoral support of all boarders. The Housemistress leads the boarding team and oversees the day-to-day running of the house, ensuring that every child feels safe, supported and valued. Deputy Head of Boarding – Lives in private accommodation within Whitfield House and works closely with the Head of Boarding to provide continuity of care and leadership. The Deputy Head of Boarding plays a key role in the daily life of the house, supporting the children and helping to ensure the smooth running of boarding. Matron – Lives in private accommodation within Whitfield House and is responsible for the health, wellbeing and day-to-day care of the children. Residential Boarding Staff – Live on site and provide care, supervision and pastoral support outside the school day. They help create a welcoming environment. Non-Residential Boarding Staff – Work alongside the residential team to support the daily operation of Whitfield House. They play a vital role in providing pastoral care and supervision, ensuring that every child is well cared for. Independent Listener - Once every term, the children have the opportunity to meet with our Independent Listener for boarding. They are reminded that they can also contact Sarah Upjohn at any time if they would like to speak to someone outside of school about any personal worries, problems or concerns. Sarah provides a friendly and confidential space where children can talk openly and feel listened to and supported. (Sarah’s number: 07593 188450) Other contacts - Childline 0800 1111 - Office of Children’s Commissioner 0800 528 0731 - Cyberbullying www.thinkyouknow.co.uk 5
Daily Routine MONDAY TO FRIDAY MORNING (AM)
TUESDAY
Time
Activity
Time
Activity
0630
Wake up
1600
Tea
0650
Registration / House Meeting
1610
Prep
0700
Breakfast
1715
Choir Rehearsal (Chapel)
0725
Instrumental Practice
1830
Choral Evensong
0800
Choir Rehearsal (School)
1945
Supper
Except Mondays
2015
Prep (F 5 & 6)
School Day
2015
Bedtime Routine begins (staggered)
0900
EVENING ROUTINE
WEDNESDAY
MONDAY
Time
Activity
Time
Activity
1600
Free time
1600
Tea
1610-
1610
Free Time
1930
Optional leave
1730
Prep
1730
Prep
1800
Supper
1800
Supper
1830
Prep (F 5 & 6)
1830
Prep (F 5&6)
1900
Free Time/life skills/activities
1900
Free Time
1930
Bedtime Routine begins
1930
Bedtime routine begins (staggered)
(staggered bedtimes according to age)
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THURSDAY
WEEKEND CHOIR DUTIES
Time
Activity
SATURDAY
1600
Tea
Time
Activity
1610
Prep
0815
Instrumental Practice
1715
Choir Rehearsal (Chapel)
0915
Choir Rehearsal
1830
Choral Evensong
1035-
Optional Leave Out
1945
Supper
1615
2015
Prep (F 5 & 6)
1715
Choir Rehearsal
2015
Bedtime Routine begins (staggered)
1830
Choral Evensong
1945
Supper
FRIDAY Time Activity
SUNDAY
1600 Tea
Time
Activity
1610 Prep
0915
Choir Rehearsal
1715 Choir Rehearsal (Chapel)
1030
Eucharist
1830 Choral Evensong
1600
After Eucharist-Optional Leave Out
1945 Supper
1645
Choir Rehearsal
2015 Prep (F 5 & 6)
1750
Buttery Supper
2015 Bedtime routine begins (staggered)
1830
Evening Service
Please note that all timings are subject to change. Any changes will be communicated to pupils and parents in advance.
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Key Information Bed Change - Beds are changed once a fortnight, normally on a Wednesday evening. Bedtimes Forms 2, 3 & 4: 8:30pm – 8:30pm Forms 5 & 6: 9:00pm – 9:30pm All children have fifteen minutes of reading time before lights out. A member of the residential team is on call throughout the night and can be contacted using the button on the first floor.
Chorister Parent Representatives - Our Chorister Parent Representatives are Iain and Naomi MacLeod-Jones and Louise and Will Bowes.
Committee Meetings - House committee meetings take place once every half term. The children are encouraged to share their views and ideas on a range of topics.
Duty Log - Boarding staff record important information and observations regarding the children during the evening duties. This information is shared with the boarding team daily.
Electrical Equipment - Technology is not permitted in the Boarding House. This includes devices such as smartwatches and any devices capable of accessing the internet.
Getting Dressed - Please encourage your child to practise getting dressed independently before they join us as a boarder. This includes the boys being able to tie their own tie. Being able to manage their own clothing is an important part of developing confidence and independence. If your child is going to wear lace-up shoes to school, please ensure that they are able to tie their own shoelaces independently. If they are not yet able to do this, we kindly ask that they wear Velcro shoes instead.
Our morning routine is quite busy and timings can be tight, so it is important that children are able to get themselves dressed without assistance. Practising this at home beforehand will help your child feel confident and settled when they join us.
House Meetings - House meetings take place every Monday evening and give staff the opportunity to share important information and updates. There is also a shorter house meeting each morning to go through the daily schedule. 8
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Key Information Instrumental Practice - The children practice every morning after breakfast under the supervision of the Director of Music at SJCS and the Music Graduate.
Laundry - Clothes are sorted into lights and darks every evening, following the laundry basket poster in each dormitory. Laundry is washed and returned to the laundry cubby holes the following day.
Leave - Leave is available to probationers on Mondays during the Michaelmas Term only, from 4:00pm–7:30pm. Probationers must have eaten supper before returning to Whitfield House.
Wednesday leave is available to all children from the end of the school day. All children must return to Whitfield House at 7:30pm, having eaten supper. Please ensure that you return to Whitfield House on time at the end of your leave. The official return time is 1930, and unfortunately it will not be possible to return before this time as the boarders who are staying in will be busy taking part in activities across the school site, with staff supporting and supervising them.
Life Skills - Throughout the year, all boarders take part in a Life Skills programme. These sessions take place on some Monday evenings.
Probationers join the Life Skills programme from the Lent Term.
Prep Forms 2, 3 & 4: 30 minutes of prep from Monday to Friday. Forms 5 & 6: 1 hour of prep from Monday to Friday. The boarding staff hear all Forms 2 and 3 read throughout the evening on a daily basis. If a child goes out on leave on a Monday (probationers) or Wednesday, they are still expected to complete their prep while they are out. Please make sure you set aside some time to assist your child in getting their prep done so they are ready for the following school day.
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Key Information Preparing for Bedtime Once you have received an offer of a place and know that your child will be joining us at Whitfield House, we ask that you begin helping them to become comfortable sleeping independently. If your child has been co-sleeping, please start to gently move away from this and encourage them to sleep in their own bed each night. Our dormitory doors need to remain closed at night for fire safety purposes, so it is important that children are comfortable sleeping in their own bed, in the dark, with the dormitory door closed before they start boarding. We appreciate that this can be a big step for some children, and we encourage you to introduce the change gradually and positively. We provide night lights in the dormitories for children who would find one reassuring, and the landings are well lit throughout the night. There are also members of the boarding team on hand to support the children if they need us. Helping your child to establish these routines at home before they join us will make the transition to boarding much easier and help them to feel confident and settled from the outset.
Security - All boarders are told not to open either the front or back door of Whitfield House to anyone, even
if they know the person waiting to come in. If they hear the doorbell, they are to let a member of staff know straight away.
Showering and Personal Hygiene - All boarders are expected to shower at least once a day and to take care of their personal hygiene. They are reminded to use soap or shower gel and shampoo when showering. Taking care of personal hygiene is an important part of becoming more independent, and the boarding staff are always happy to help if the children have any questions.
Tea - After school, tea is provided for all boarders. This consists of a variety of foods, such as sandwiches, chopped vegetables and hummus, fruit and cake.
Weekend Leave - Weekend leave is available to all choristers on Saturdays from 1035 until 1615, and on Sundays from 1135, after the Eucharist service, until 1600.
Please note that these times may occasionally change depending on the choir schedule. We will always let you know in advance if there are any changes.
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Welcome to Whitfield House How do I get to Whitfield House? Ring the front doorbell and a member of the boarding team will let you in.
What do I do when the fire alarm goes off? Just like at school, if we need to leave the building, we do so quietly and sensibly. We meet together on the grass outside the front of the house, in the corner next to Clarkson Road. And don’t forget to put on your dressing gown and slippers!
What do I do if I wake up in the night and need a grown up? If you need help during the night, go down to the middle landing and ring the doorbell on the Head of Boarding’s flat door. This will alert the member of staff who is on call. If the bell doesn’t work, try ringing it a couple of times and then knock on the door. If there is still no answer, walk down the main stairs. This will set off the alarm and wake someone up. Most importantly, don’t worry about waking anyone up - we are here to look after you.
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How do I phone home? There is a phone booth you can use to ring home. If you can’t remember your number or you are having difficulty getting hold of your parents, speak to a member of staff and we can help you.
Where do I put all my belongings? Everything has a place and some of these are a bit different to home. School bags stay in your locker or classroom if you are at Senior House. Uniform, games kit and home clothes are kept in your wardrobes and chest of drawers in your dormitory. Each night you will collect your clean clothing from the laundry room to take upstairs to your dormitory. A member of the boarding team will help you get your clothes ready for each day.
I don’t know what to do, who can I ask? There are lots of people you can ask if you are unsure about something. You can ask someone in your dorm, an older or younger boarder, or any member of the boarding staff, who will be very happy to help you. We know there is lots to learn and get to know when you first come to boarding, so please don’t worry about asking questions even if you have asked the same question before! We are all here to help you.
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Contact Guidance SUBJECT ISSUE
WHO TO CONTACT
CONTACT INFORMATION
Academic Matters
Email class tutor and subject teacher. Please copy in Clare Gorick for her awareness
cgorick@sjcs.co.uk
Medical Matters
Clare Gorick (Head of Boarding)
cgorick@sjcs.co.uk
Deborah Phillips (Matron)
dphillips@sjcs.co.uk
Urgent Contact During the
Call Main School Reception
01223 353532
School Day
Email Clare Gorick (Monday, Tuesday,
cgorick@sjcs.co.uk
(E.g. I have booked a lastminute physio appointment, and I need to pick my child up at 1130 today)
Thursday, Friday)
olepagedean@sjcs.co.uk
Oliver Lepage (Wednesday)
lbedford@sjcs.co.uk
Urgent Hours
Call Whitfield House mobile
Contact
Boarding
0630-1000 & 1600-2200 Please note that the Whitfield House mobile is not checked regularly between 10:00 and 16:00 on weekdays
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For all school absence requests, Email Lisa Bedford
07731 816843
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Contact Guidance SUBJECT ISSUE
WHO TO CONTACT
CONTACT INFORMATION
Non-Urgent Matters Relating to Boarding
Email Clare Gorick
cgorick@sjcs.co.uk
Matters Relating to the Choir
Email Chris Gray
c.gray@joh.cam.ac.uk
Matters Relating to Music in the Day School
Email Simon Kirk
skirk@sjcs.co.uk
Minor Concerns or Issues Relating to the Day School
Email Form Tutor
Concerns Relating to Boarding
Email Clare Gorick
Formal Complaints
Contact the Head Teacher
Sarah Wright
Refer to the Parents’ Complaints Procedure
swright@sjcs.co.uk
Staff will aim to respond within 24 hours
Staff will aim to respond within 24 hours
www.sjcs.co.uk 18
cgorick@sjcs.co.uk