Boarding-Handbook.Pdf
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BOARDING GUIDE BOARDING AIMS AND PRINCIPLES ‘Our School, Our Home’ Our over-riding aim in boarding is to ensure that you feel at home in school and that boarding is a place of comfort, fun, support, ambition and shelter for you during your time at Burgess Hill Girls. Our specific aims for boarding at Burgess Hill Girls are to: ● Enable boarders to live harmoniously within a community, whatever their individual strengths, weakness, backgrounds or beliefs. ● Safeguard and promote the welfare of each boarder ● Enable boarders to grow into independent, disciplined and self-reliant young women ● Enable boarders to develop good relationships with all sectors of the community ● Enable boarders to develop their own moral, spiritual and social values ● Enable boarders to fulfil their intellectual, academic, sporting and creative potential ● Enable boarders to have the opportunities for leadership and responsibility within the house and school ● Enable boarders to gain the skills and confidence to be successful in an ever changing world How we aim to fulfil these aims: ● Develop an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect within the house ● Create an enjoyable environment and community where we all can live and work together in a spirit of harmony and tolerance ● Provide time within the structure of the house programme for boarders to discuss issues with a variety of adults ● Provide clear guidelines on behaviour and responsibilities, whilst encouraging debate and discussion on all aspects of boarding life to encourage pride in the houses and a sense of loyalty ● Encourage boarders to take care of those within the house and outside in the wider community ● Provide a framework which will allow the boarders to achieve a high standard in their interests and academic pursuits ● Arrange varied and enjoyable opportunities for relaxation, hobbies, cultural and social outings ● Provide an environment which is safe and free from danger ● Provide accommodation which is comfortable, well maintained and appropriate to the boarders’ needs ● Create good relationships between the house staff, boarder, parents and guardians USEFUL CONTACTS School Address: Burgess Hill Girls Keymer Road Burgess Hill West Sussex RH15 0EG School telephone: +44 (0) 1444 241 050 Fax: +44 (0) 1444 870 314 Website: www.BurgessHillGirls.com Email: [email protected] Headmistress: Mrs. L. Laybourn Email: [email protected] Assistant Head, Pastoral and Boarding: Miss. N. Donson Email: [email protected] Assistant Head, Academic (Learning & Teaching): Ms. R. Flint Email: [email protected] BOARDING HOUSE ADDRESS AND CONTACT DETAILS Silverdale: 8 Silverdale Road Burgess Hill West Sussex RH15 0EF Silverdale telephone: +44 (0) 1444 237027 Avondale: 3 Glendale Road Burgess Hill West Sussex RH15 0EE Avondale telephone: +44 (0) 1444 237026 Head of House – Avondale: Miss A. Mehmood Email: [email protected] Telephone: +44 (0) 7927 370020 Mobile: 07927370020 Head of House – Silverdale: Mrs S. Beels Email: [email protected] Telephone: +44 (0) 7927 902731 Mobile: 07927 902724 Boarding Assistant – Avondale & Silverdale: Ms. A. Mahoney Email: [email protected] Telephone: +44 (0) 7927 902724 Skype username: bhgboarding TERM DATES – 2018-2019 AUTUMN TERM 2018 Monday 3rd September New and existing boarders arrive. New boarders between 1pm - 3pm. Existing boarders from 3pm. Tuesday 4th September Boarders Induction Day All day Wednesday 5th September First Day of School 08.30 Friday 21st September Exeat starts Depart between 16.00 and 18.00 Sunday 23rd September Exeat ends Return between 18.00 and 20.00 Friday 19th October Half Term starts Depart between 16.00 and 18.00 Sunday 4th November Half Term ends Return between 18.00 and 20.00 Friday 23rd November Exeat starts Depart between 16.00 and 18.00 Sunday 25th November Exeat ends Return between 18.00 and 20.00 Wednesday 12th December Last school day Boarders may leave after 16.00 but can stay overnight if required Thursday 13th December Christmas holidays All boarders must have left by 13.00 SPRING TERM 2019 Wednesday 2nd January All boarders return Silverdale House will be open from 7am. Avondale House from 18.00. Thursday 3rd January School starts 08.30 Friday 25th January Exeat starts Depart between 16.00 and 18.00 Sunday 27th January Exeat ends Return between 18.00 and 20.00 Friday 15th February Half term starts Depart between 16.00 and 18.00 Monday 25th February Half term ends Return between 18.00 and 20.00 Friday 29th March Last school day Boarders may leave after 16.00 but can stay overnight if required Saturday 30th March Easter holidays All boarders must have left by 13.00 SUMMER TERM 2019 Tuesday 23rd April All boarders return Silverdale House will be open from 7am. Avondale House will be open from 18.00. Wednesday 24th April School starts 08.30 Friday 3rd May Exeat starts Depart between 16.00 and 18.00 Monday 6th May* Exeat ends Return between 18.00 and 20.00 Friday 24th May Half Term starts Depart between 16.00 and 18.00 Sunday 2nd June Half Term ends Return between 18.00 and 20.00 Friday 21st June Exeat starts Depart between 16.00 and 18.00 Sunday 23rd June Exeat ends Return between 18.00 and 20.00 Wednesday 10th July Last school day All boarders must have left by 18.00 *Due to bank holiday, exeat/half term ends on Monday not Sunday Arrangements outside the hours stated above, must be confirmed with the Assistant Head Pastoral. Early departure at the end of term, or late arrival at the beginning of term will only be granted in exceptional circumstances. Girls are able to stay overnight at the end of the Autumn and Spring Terms to allow access to flights which do not require them to leave early. All terms: After Half Term and Exeat weekends, boarders return the day before school re-opens between 6pm and 8pm, should you need your daughter to return earlier this is by prior permission from the Assistant Head Pastoral and Boarding. All information is also available on the main school website. STARTING AT BURGESS HILL GIRLS It is very important that before your daughter starts at Burgess Hill Girls, we have all of her information and completed forms. This will allow us to get to know her quickly and ensure that we are giving her the best possible care whilst she is with us. Please complete all the forms fully giving as much information as possible (especially with regards to her medical history) and if there are any areas that she may need additional support in. If you have any queries, please contact us on [email protected] During the first few days at the school there is a full Induction programme which includes tours of the school, meeting staff and other students, going through the rules of living in the houses, getting to know the area, and a few fun bits as well. All boarders (including weekly boarders) are expected to take part in the activities arranged for the first 2 weekends of the Autumn term. These activities are designed to help everyone get to know each other and to facilitate team building. On the day that all the new boarders arrive in September, we hold a welcome supper which parents and guardians are invited to. This gives you a chance to meet the boarding team and some of the teachers, as well as being able to talk to other parents. WHAT YOUR DAUGHTER NEEDS TO BRING Uniform is ordered online and you can arrange for it to be delivered to the school so it is ready for when your daughter arrives. Full details are given in the New Starter Packs sent out to you. Cupboard space is limited in the boarding house, so please only bring items that are on the clothing list (given in the New starters pack). We strongly recommend that you do NOT bring any special care (i.e. dry clean or hand wash only) or expensive items of clothing. All clothing, including uniform, socks/underwear and your own clothes need to be labeled before arriving at school. Please remember to supply extra labels to put in new clothes purchased. We also recommend that valuable items such as jewellery or watches are not brought as they can easily be mislaid. For health and safety reasons, candles, some electrical items and similar items are strictly forbidden. The following items are therefore NOT permitted in your rooms: candles, kettles, lighters, matches, fireworks, cigarettes. No electrical items such as radios, kettles, ipod docks/speakers, heaters or electric blankets are allowed. VISAS & PERMITS: Most international students will require a visa or permit to study full time in the U.K. Please ensure that all visa application processes are completed in plenty of time for your daughter to start school. Because of the restrictions places on student visa’s, your daughter is required to complete a certain number of days of school each year. To ensure that she does fulfil these requirements it is very important that she does not miss any days of school because of leaving early or arriving late after holidays. GUARDIANS: Every overseas boarder must have an official guardian who is located close enough to the school so that they can easily stay with them for exeat weekends. It is your responsibility to appoint a suitable guardian for your daughter. Although the school cannot advise you which guardian agency may be best for your daughter, we do have a list of agencies that are used by current pupils which can be found on our website. POCKET MONEY: We will help your daughter open a bank account when she arrive at school, if you would like.