Pastoral Care

BEDFORD SCHOOL

The Houses

There are six day houses and six boarding houses in the Upper School. Each day house is twinned with a boarding house to ensure that all boys interact in every area of school life. Your son will remain in the same house throughout his time at Bedford School.

Day House Boarding House

Ashburnham » Sanderson’s

Bromham

Crescent » Burnaby

» Pemberley

Paulo Pontine » Redburn

St Cuthbert’s » Phillpotts

St Peter’s » Talbot’s

The twinned houses regularly take part in activities together, such as House Singing, House Drama, House Tug-of-War, House Charity Run and numerous interhouse sports competitions, to compete to win the coveted House Cup.

Tutors

Your son’s Tutor will also remain the same throughout his time at the school, which allows them to get to know each other well and build a high degree of trust. His Tutor will follow his academic progress closely and, in partnership with you, provide direct and individual support and guidance.

Together with your son’s Housemaster, his Tutor will work to ensure that he settles in quickly and successfully. We encourage parents to contact Tutors by email if they have any concerns about their son that they wish to share with us.

In addition to his daily Tutor periods, your son will also receive formal academic tutorials at specific points in the school year. Your son will be asked to attend a one-to-one appointment with his Tutor to discuss his academic progress, and will be asked to set aspirational targets in all subjects. In instances where we believe a boy is under-performing, the school will be in touch with parents, either via the school reporting system, or directly. Likewise, when boys are doing especially well we are keen to recognise this and will be in contact with you.

Tutor Groups

The school operates a vertical tutor group system, which allows new and younger boys to grow and develop alongside older boys, inspiring them to achieve similar levels of success. Boys meet with their Tutor every weekday at 08:35 before lessons.

At the start of the year, boarders will join their vertical tutor groups from the outset, having plenty of time for informal induction during the evenings as they get to know their Housemaster, Tutor and other boys in the boarding house. New boys in all year groups apart from the Fourth Form will also be welcomed into their vertical tutor group from the start of term.

Fourth Form day boys, however, will be guided through the first few weeks of school by their Housemaster, who will take them through an induction programme and spend time with them in the day house each morning for the first three weeks. This induction programme will take the place of their timetabled tutor period and will provide all the boys in the house with a chance to establish friendships, ask questions and generally help one another find their feet.

Of course, we want all the boys to enjoy the benefits of our wonderful tutoring system, and the Fourth Form day boys will join their vertical tutor group ‘full-time’ from Monday 27 September (after our first Exeat). Before that, and to ensure a seamless transition as possible, boys will have the chance to get to know their Tutor and others in their vertical tutor group (such as their tutor group ‘buddy’) as part of their induction.

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Academic Staff

A full list of academic staff in the Upper School can be found on the school website.

Who to talk to about any concerns or worries?

At Bedford School we encourage boys to talk about any worries or concerns that they might have. Parents, too, should be assured any worries or concerns they have will be taken seriously by the school. Normally, boys and parents are encouraged to speak to their Tutor or Housemaster as a first port of call about anything that is on their mind. Some teachers have special training in dealing with safeguarding, child protection and difficult issues including: Dr Koch, Mr Everitt, Mr Bury and Mr Hodgson. You can email them directly or ask the Vice Master’s PA to make an appointment. Boys can make an appointment to see one of the school’s counsellors. The counsellors are ‘independent listeners’, not members of the school staff, available to both boarders and day boys. Full contact details can be found here. Boys can also speak to the Chaplain, Mr McCleery, or any of the school nurses in the Medical Centre, which is open every day.

Buddy System

When boys start in the Fourth Form they are assigned a ‘buddy’ partner who will be one of the older boys in their tutor group. This is someone to whom they can turn at any point in those early days whenever they have a question about where to be, who to speak to or how something works.

Peer-Mentoring

During the second half of the autumn term every Fourth Form boy is given a peer-mentor - a Lower Sixth student from his own house who has been trained in mentoring, listening skills and safeguarding. Each of these Lower Sixth boys knows, from his own experience, how valuable it is to have an older boy looking out for him. In practice this might consist of an informal, occasional chat about hobbies or fixtures, or a pre-arranged regular meeting to talk through issues surrounding friendships or school work. Mentors will also play a valuable role as the boys progress through the years, giving support and guidance to those going through public exams, for example. Of course, boys are always welcome to come and share their successes and challenges with members of the house staff who are on duty in and around the houses throughout the day.

The Chapel

The school welcomes all faiths. Its foundation is nevertheless rooted in the Christian tradition and the chapel plays an important part in the life of the school community, symbolising Bedfordians past and present, and providing a daily reminder of life’s spiritual dimension.

Families are always welcome to join us for Sunday Services in the chapel. Details of services can be found on the chapel page on the website.

The school Chaplain, Mr Neil McCleery, is available throughout the school term and during much of the holidays, and provides pastoral counselling and support to any member of the school community.

Medical Centre

The school has a professionally staffed and equipped medical centre which offers all boys a kind, confidential and professional service. They deliver a high standard of nursing care, aiming to treat every pupil holistically, looking at his social, psychological and physical needs. The medical centre has a treatment room, bedroom and a quiet seating area.

Medical Questionnaires Medical questionnaires are completed before admission to the school. The school nurse will check these and identify any health issues. If necessary, a care plan is written in consultation with you and your son. It is essential that your son’s medical questionnaire is completed and sent to the school by Monday 15 June. We may be unable to allow your son to start with us if this form has not been completed in full and returned to the school.

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You will also be asked to regularly update your son’s medical information during his time at the school to ensure that his medical record remains accurate.

EU Medical Cards Boys from within the European Union (EU) should bring their medical card with them at the start of each term.

Staff at the Medical Centre y Jill Turner-Webb, Lead Nurse y Trish Comerford, School Nurse (part time) y Karen Henry, School Nurse (part time) y Holly Clifton, School Nurse (part time) y Claire Collins, School Nurse (part time) y Lisa Kenna, Administrator (part time) The nursing team are available during term time from 08:15 to 17:30, Monday to Saturday.

The school Medical Officers are local GPs from the De Parys Group. They are available in school each Tuesday and Thursday between 10:30 and 11:30.

All full boarders are registered as NHS patients at the De Parys Medical Centre upon joining Bedford School.

Sports Therapy / Physiotherapy

A sports therapist/physiotherapist is usually available on Tuesday between 12:00 and 15:00, and Thursday between 12:00 and 17:00 during term time. The current charges are £28.00 for a 30 minute session.

Appointments with the sports therapist/ physiotherapist should be booked directly with the provider.

Contact Details (The Stables Therapy Centre)

Tel: 01234 349464

Website: www.stablestherapycentre.com - select online booking and choose Bedford School as the location.

Counselling at Bedford School

The school has a long-established counselling service. All boys are free to visit and talk to a school counsellor in complete confidence for help and support during difficult times. Boys can seek help and advice on a wide range of issues.

Parents can also be seen, and referred to counsellors in their locality, if ongoing support is required.

Counsellors are available at school during term time:

Monday 12:00 - 15:00 Tuesday 15:00 - 17:00 Wednesday 12:00 - 15:00 Thursday 12:00 - 17:00 Friday 12:00 - 14:00

Appointments can be made by emailing counsellor@ bedfordschool.org.uk, by calling +44 (0)1234 362248 (voicemail available) or through the school medical centre: +44 (0)1234 362261.

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School Rules

Copies of all school policy statements, including the school rules, can be found in the parents’ section of the school website www.bedfordschool.org.uk/portals/parents/ school-policies.

Money and Valuables We encourage all boys to take responsibility for their belongings and request that boys do NOT bring expensive or desirable belongings to school unless it is absolutely necessary. Valuables are not covered by school insurance and under no circumstances will the school accept any liability for their loss or damage.

We recommend that:

y Boys make sure that their belongings are marked clearly and permanently. The marking should be distinct, so as to make it easy to return lost property. Name and postcode are among the most useful details to record on valuable items such as laptops. y Boys keep valuable items out of sight and out of reach. y Bicycles should always be securely locked with a strong chain and left only in the bike sheds. y Musical instruments should be kept safely in the Music School or kept with boys. Valuable belongings should not be left in bags, lockers or in clothes hanging in houses. Mobile phones can be handed in to the Bell Room for safekeeping. y Valuables may be left in the secure lockers in the recreation centre or in lockers in the day house. y Bags should either be carried or left in an authorised place such as a common room. y Losses should be reported immediately, in all cases, to a member of staff together with any helpful details. The best chance of recovering property is to report the loss immediately. We ask that boys also do let us know when their property has been found. Mobile Phones The Upper School rules state that ICT, including all portable electronic devices, must be used responsibly. It is forbidden for boys to store or send inappropriate or offensive material. Boys are not permitted to use mobile devices in the Dining Hall, and are not permitted to have headphones in their ears when on the school site. The school reserves the right to confiscate a phone if it is known or suspected to have been used inappropriately.

Using phones responsibly means:

y Using them for legitimate reasons at school such as: y Phoning home. y Checking emails. y Accessing Firefly. y Keeping organised. y Not having phones out whilst walking round the school. y Not having phones out in classrooms unless given explicit permission by the teacher. y Not taking or sharing photographs of people without their permission. y Not playing games or being on social media. y Not sending or viewing anything inappropriate or that has the intention to hurt or demean others (cyber-bullying). The school has an IT Network Use Policy which says no one may seek out, store or transmit material that might be deemed inappropriate or offensive. Viewing or downloading any material which the school believes is unsuitable, at any time, is strictly prohibited. Use of VPNs is not allowed. The school also has an Anti-Bullying and Anti-Cyberbullying Policy that applies both in and out of school.

Boys in the Upper School are reminded that it is a breach of Public Examination Regulations to take a mobile telephone into an examination. The same rule applies to all school examinations.

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Merits

Academic and conduct merits are awarded to boys for good effort, attainment and behaviour. Parents are informed via email when their son is awarded a merit.

Commendations

Commendations are awarded for boys whose academic work or conduct exemplifies the school’s values in an outstanding way. Each term a handful of Head Master’s Commendations are also awarded for exceptional work or conduct.

Detentions

Conduct Detentions Conduct detentions are given for misbehaviour: when a boy breaks school rules or behaves in a way that is unacceptable to the school. They cover areas such as general misbehaviour, lateness, poor appearance, bad manners and non-attendance at games.

Conduct detentions are held on Monday evenings from 16:30 – 17:30 in Room A13 and are supervised by a member of staff. Parents, along with the boy’s Tutor and Housemaster, are routinely informed if their son receives a conduct detention.

Academic Detentions Academic detentions are primarily for unsatisfactory work. They cover areas such as failure to hand in homework, poor effort in work, academic dishonesty, etc.

Academic detentions are held on Friday evenings from 16:30 - 17:30 in Room A13 and are supervised by a member of staff. Parents are routinely informed if their son receives an academic detention.

Conduct and academic concerns are recorded by your son’s Tutor. Any conduct or academic warnings boys receive are communicated to parents via an automatic email notification. Full details of these concerns and warnings can be accessed via the school portal.

Additional information on detentions and other sanctions are detailed in the school’s Behaviour Policy.