contents INTRODUCTION 2 AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES 20 MANAGEMENT 3 P ASTORAL CARE 22 CONTACTS 4 SCHOOL RULES FOR PUPILS 24 PARENT SCHOOL LIAISON GROUP 6 HEALTH 26 SCHOOL WEBSITE 7 UNIFORM 27 ADMISSIONS POLICY 8 SCHOOL EVENTS 29 THE PRE-PREP DEPARTMENT 9 WEEKLY AND OCCASIONAL BOARDING 30 THE JUNIOR DEPARTMENT 11 OTHER INFORMATION 31 MAIN SCHOOL – SCHOOL DAY AND ROUTINES 13 OWNERSHIP OF THE SCHOOL 32 ACADEMIC 15 FEE RATES 2005/2006 & FEE REGULATIONS 33 LEARNING SUPPORT 17 TERM DATES 36 A W ARDS GAINED BY LEAVERS 18 LOCATION 37 This booklet is intended to provide current and prospective parents with useful details about life at Holmewood House. Please remember that if you are in doubt about anything, the Headmaster and his staff will be only too happy to answer your questions. Further information is available on our website - www.holmewood.kent.sch.uk - including an excellent Inspection Report from the Independent Schools Inspectorate (February 2001).This was our most recent full inspection. We shall have our next full inspection in 2007.The March 2005 Ofsted Nursery and Reception Inspection Report is available on request. THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS BOOK IS CORRECT TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE AT THE TIME OF GOING TO PRINT. (AUGUST 2005). HOWEVER, WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES WHEN REQUIRED DURING THE COURSE OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR. HOLMEWOOD HOUSE SCHOOL introduction THE HEADMASTER REGISTRATION AND ENTRY Andrew Corbett was brought up in Surrey and Dorset. He was educated at Marlborough We hope that you will choose to register your child(ren) for Holmewood and, at this College and Edinburgh University, where he obtained an honours degree in the History stage, a completed Registration Form should be returned to the Registrar with a of Western Art and Architecture. He also has a PGCE from London University. He was registration fee for each child. Once registered, if a place is available, prospective pupils Head of History and coached sport at The Hall, Hampstead, for 13 years before moving are invited for a visit and an assessment at an appropriate time. A report is requested to Port Regis in Dorset to become Director of Studies and Houseparent of the girls’ from current schools for pupils aged 5+. boarding house with his wife, Julie. In 1993 he became Headmaster of King’s College Entry to the Pre-Prep is generally non-selective. However, entry to the Main School (Year 3) Choir School, Cambridge, and from there was appointed to Holmewood House in 1998. is subject to an academic screening process. Please see the section on our Admissions He has wide-ranging interests in history and literature, and is a keen golfer. He is a member Policy. Pupils are invited to visit the school for a taster morning prior to entry. of The Incorporated Association of Preparatory Schools. Julie Corbett is also a teacher and takes a Year 3 form at Holmewood in addition to other duties. The Corbetts have A deposit is payable to secure a place and this is credited to parents’ accounts when two daughters.They were pupils at Holmewood and are now boarding at King’s School, pupils leave, provided they take up the place, that all financial commitments are met, and Canterbury. one full term’s notice is given. PROSPECTIVE PARENTS Details of current fees and fee regulations will be found at the back of this guide. We are always delighted to welcome prospective parents, with or without their children, for an exploratory visit and to see the School in action. Parents can meet the Headmaster ENTRY SCHOLARSHIPS Entry Scholarships for promising pupils are awarded annually to pupils for entry to Years and be shown round the School. A full visit lasts about two hours but can be tailored to 3 – 5, if places are available.We hold a formal assessment in February or early March, but suit individual needs. awards may be made to pupils from Maintained schools at other times, funds permitting. If you would like to visit the school, please call our registrar, Mrs Karen Gwinnett, Awards are based on academic promise and are all means tested, so that we can help on 01892 860006. the maximum number of pupils to attend the school. 2 HOLMEWOOD HOUSE SCHOOL management Holmewood is a charitable trust, managed by a Board of Governors, founded to provide education for boys and girls. It prepares pupils primarily for scholarship or Common Entrance examinations to independent senior schools. The Governing body consists of a number of Headmasters of other independent schools together with a number of professional people with strong local connections, most of whom are former parents. THE GOVERNING BODY THE SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM Chairman The Senior Management Team meets regularly and includes the following: M.A. Evans, F.C.A. Former Holmewood parent Headmaster: Andrew Corbett J.R. Bowden Former Holmewood parent Deputy Headmaster: Simon Etchell S.P. Davies, M.A. Headmaster, Eastbourne College Bursar: Cdr David Stanesby B. Cook Former Holmewood parent Director of Studies: Dr Alan Towey Chairman of Finance Sub-Committee Head of Pre-Prep: Mrs Angela Greensmyth-Jones H. Davies Jones, M.A. Ex-Headmaster, St. Andrew’s School Eastbourne, Chairman Independent Schools Inspectorate Head of the Junior Department: Mrs Ann Hill T.H.P.Haynes, B.A. Headmaster,Tonbridge School Head of Year 5: Peter Cook Mrs S. Marshall Former Holmewood parent Senior Tutor (Academic): Ian Soutar Lady Newman Former Holmewood parent Headmaster’s wife: Mrs Julie Corbett M.N. Sanderson Former Holmewood parent Chairman of Premises Sub-Committee A full staff list is included in the Fixture Card issued to each child at the beginning of each The Bursar, Commander David Stanesby, is Clerk to the Governors. term. The Fixture Card also contains a full school list and a school calendar for the term. The Governors, who are Trustees of the School, hold a plenary meeting each term, as Every child in the school has a Fixture Card for his or her own use, and one copy is also do the Financial and Premises Committees.The Staff Committee meets annually. sent home for each family. 3 HOLMEWOOD HOUSE SCHOOL contacts e-mail: [email protected] F INANCIAL B URSAR: Mrs Suzanne Preston 01892 860015 (Wednesdays only) To contact a member of staff by e-mail, use first initial plus for all fee related enquiries [email protected] T HE B URSAR’ S SECRETARY: e.g. acorbett@ ……… Mrs Jane Blyth & bursary staff 01892 860015 THE SCHOOL OFFICE for all financial matters The school office is open and the telephones manned Monday - Friday from 8am to 5pm, and Saturdays from 8am to 1pm. Detailed times for the office staff are as follows: T HE H EADMASTER’ S S ECRETARY: PRE-PREP & THEATRE Mrs Anne Woodruff 01892 860001 Pre-Prep Secretary & Assistant Theatre Manager: for all Headmaster’s appointments with current parents, future schools, scholarship and Mrs Nichola Napleton 01892 860005 Common Entrance enquiries. for all Pre-Prep & Theatre enquiries 8am – 3.30pm (not Saturdays) 8am – 5pm Mon,Tues,Wed, Fri. 8am – 12 noon Thursdays Internal extensions can now be dialled into the School’s telephone system. An internal 8am – 1pm Saturdays extensions telephone directory is available upon request from the Main Office T HE S CHOOL S ECRETARY: Mrs Jane Blyth 01892 860000 for all general enquiries PARENTS’ CONTACT LIST 8am – 5pm Mon,Wed,Thurs, Fri. 8am – 12 noon Tuesdays A contact list of parents’ addresses and telephone numbers is available to all current 8am – 1pm Saturdays parents upon request. Parents may ask not to be included on it if they so wish. REGISTRAR Mrs Karen Gwinnett 01892 860006 for all admission enquiries 9am – 5pm Monday – Friday BURSARY T HE B URSAR: Cdr David Stanesby 01892 860015 4 HOLMEWOOD HOUSE SCHOOL APPOINTMENTS THE FRIENDS OF HOLMEWOOD Parents may easily make appointments via the School Office to see the Headmaster, their Membership of the Friends of Holmewood is automatic for all parents/guardians of current children’s form teacher or subject teachers at a mutually agreeable time. In addition, there pupils in the school, current staff and Governors. There is no subscription. The object of are regular formal parent/teacher meetings when progress may be discussed. Dates of the Friends is to organise social events with the intention of fostering good relations parents’ meetings will be found in the Fixture Card, and prior to each meeting a letter will be sent out to parents concerned asking them to return a slip indicating those members of amongst parents and staff, and thereby to raise funds to purchase items for the school for staff they wish to see. It is helpful if these are returned promptly. the direct benefit of the children. SENIOR SCHOOLS The Friends of Holmewood Committee consists of an Honorary Chairman (currently, The Headmaster’s Secretary is happy to make appointments with the Headmaster for Mrs Joanna Bartley), Honorary Treasurer and Honorary Secretary, plus up to 12 current parents to discuss the choice of future senior schools. Peter Cook co-ordinates 11+ parents, elected each year at the Annual General Meeting, and, ex officio, the Headmaster grammar school entry arrangements and Ian Soutar, 11+ and 13+ Common Entrance and and his wife, and two other members of staff. Scholarship arrangements. It is stressed that the Friends of Holmewood is not a form of PTA and is NEWSLETTER & NOTICES not a lobbying committee. The Newsletter contains any recent news about the School or its pupils, and also a timetable of events for the following week. If your child has achieved something notable outside School, please inform the Headmaster so he can include it in the Newsletter.