Downside School Parent Handbook

June 2022

Dear Parents

I would like to extend a ver y war m welcome to you all and to give you an outline of the ethos and culture of Downside as an introduction to this handbook

Downside’s foundations are fir mly rooted in Chr istian values, specifically Catholic and Benedictine values They are the basis for our school, which provides suppor t and challenge in equal measure for our pupils

We aim to wor k in par tner ship with families and to provide an environment which nur tures young people of integr ity, who can think for themselves and stand up for their beliefs so as to make a positive difference in the wor ld The strength and confidence , which both pupils and staff dr aw from belonging to a community, which has a fir m Chr istian foundation and such a clear sense of shared pur pose , encour ages them to str ive to achieve their potential and to suppor t other s to do the same , but, impor tantly, without letting their achievements define them or become the source of their self-wor th

Of cour se , we celebr ate when our pupils get great results and achieve success beyond Downside but most of all we want them to value themselves and other s for who they are , not for what they have acquired or achieved We view those achievements as the by-product of the values and wor k ethic we encour age as opposed to the singular aim Resilience is the quality we most want for our pupils as they move through Downside and on into the wor ld outside We want them to be open to and embr ace growth and change , to have the confidence to take on a challenge and do their best. Resilience is nur tured in individuals who are par t of a community in which kindness and looking to the needs of other s is the cur rency At Downside , we str ive to be just such a community

We hope that this handbook will prove a useful reference guide as you and your family prepare for the beginning of next ter m It is intended to give a sense of what day-to-day life at Downside is like and details the policies and procedures of the School

Best wishes

The Houses and House Tea ms

There are six Houses for pupils in Downside School, two for girls, three for senior boys and one for junior boys

Each House is run by a resident Housemaster or Housemistress (HsM), together with an Assistant Housemasterr or Housemistress and, in some Houses, an additional resident House Tutor. Boarders and Day Pupils are fully integrated into the same Houses, each forming par t of a Tutor Group, under the care of one of the House Tutors who also spends at least one evening a week in the House . Each House has a Housemother, whose role is to suppor t the pupils day to day needs.

Girls Houses

Each House is run by a resident Housemasterr or Housemistress, Boarders and Day Pupils are fully integrated into the same Houses,

Caverel House

H o u s e m i s t re s s M r s A n n a M c G a r r y

A s s i s t a n t H s M H a n n a h A l c a n t a r a

C ave r e l H o u s e i s h o m e t o g i r l s a g e d 1 3 t o 1 8

Yo u n g e r g i r l s s h a r e f o u r- b e d r o o m s o r t wo - b e d

r o o m s , F i f t h a n d S i x t h F o r m g i r l s ( Ye a r s 1 1 , 1 2 a n d

1 3 ) h ave t h e i r ow n s t u d y b e d r o o m s C ave r e l H o u s e i s

n a m e d a f t e r A bb o t P h i l i p d e C ave r e l B o r n i n 1 5 5 5 , h e b e c a m e A bb o t o f S t Ve d a s t ’ s a t A r r a s i n

N o r m a n d y a n d l a t e r p r ov i d e d t h e m o n a s t i c c o m mu n i t y w i t h i t s fi r s t h o m e a t D o u a i

Isabella House

H o u s e m i s t re s s M r s K a re n We s t l a ke

A s s i s t a n t H s M M i s s A m a n d a B a l l

I s a b e l l a H o u s e i s h o m e t o g i r l s a g e d 1 1 t o 1 8 I s a b e l l a H o u s e i s n a m e d a f t e r I n f a n t a I s a b e l l a C l a r a E u g e n i a o f S p a i n a n d Po r t u g a l w h o g ave p e r m i s s i o n f o r t h e e s t a bl i s h m e n t o f t h e E n g l i s h B e n e d i c t i n e c o m mu n i t y o f S t G r e g o r y ’ s , D o u a i , i n 1 6 0 6 , a n d p r o m i s e d i t p r o t e c t i o n

A n n a M c G a r r y – H o u s e m i s t r e s s o f C ave r e l H o u s e

Karen Westlake – Housemistress of Isabella House

Junior Boys House

Powell House

H o u s e m a s t e r M r A n d rew H a m i l t o n

A s s i s t a n t M r D av i d Po l l a rd

B oy s j o i n Powe l l H o u s e f o r t h e j u n i o r ye a r s ( F o r m s 1 ,

2 a n d 3 ) T h e a c c o m m o d a t i o n – t wo d o r m i t o r i e s

s u b d i v i d e d i n t o p r i v a t e l i v i n g a r e a s , a l a r g e ,

c o m f o r t a bl e d ay r o o m , a n d a we l l - e q u i p p e d g a m e s

r o o m a n d k i t c h e n – p r ov i d i n g a w a r m h o m e f r o m

h o m e fe e l T h e b oy s f o r m l a s t i n g f r i e n d s h i p s o u t s i d e

t h e i r d e s t i n e d S e n i o r H o u s e , l i v i n g a s a c i v i l i s e d a n d

we l l - o r d e r e d c o m mu n i t y. Powe l l H o u s e t a k e s i t s

n a m e f r o m B l e s s e d P h i l i p Powe l l , a m o n k o f S t

G r e g o r y ’ s a t D o u a i , w h o w a s m a r t y r e d a t Ty b u r n i n

1 6 4 6

A n d y H a m i l t o n – H o u s e m a s t e r o f Powe l l H o u s e

Senior Boys Houses

Barlow House

H o u s e m a s t e r M r S i m o n Po t t e r

A s s i s t a n t M r Ju l i a n M c N a m a r a

F o u r t h F o r m b oy s ( Ye a r 1 0 ) s h a r e a c o m f o r t a bl e d o r m i t o r y, F i f t h a n d S i x t h F o r m b oy s ( Ye a r s 1 1 , 1 2

a n d 1 3 ) h ave t h e i r ow n s t u d y b e d r o o m s

B a r l ow H o u s e i s n a m e d a f t e r S t A m b r o s e B a r l ow, a m o n k o f t h e c o m mu n i t y o f S t G r e g o r y t h e G r e a t , w h o w a s m a r t y r e d i n 1 6 4 1

Smythe House

H o u s e m a s t e r M r Jo h n S t o rey

A s s i s t a n t M r I a n R a m s d e n

S my t h e h a s l a r g e d i s t i n c t r o o m s , a v a r i e t y o f

d ay r o o m s , a n d H o g w a r t i a n s p i r a l s t a i r s . F o u r t h F o r m

b oy s ( Ye a r 1 0 ) s h a r e a m o d e r n a n d c o m f o r t a bl e

d o r m i t o r y, F i f t h a n d S i x t h F o r m b oy s ( Ye a r s 1 1 , 1 2

a n d 1 3 ) h ave t h e i r ow n s t u d y b e d r o o m s S i r E d w a r d

S my t h e , a C a t h o l i c a n d f o r m e r s t u d e n t o f S t

G r e g o r y ’ s , o f fe r e d t h e c o m mu n i t y s h e l t e r a t h i s ow n h o u s e , A c t o n B u r n e l l H a l l , i n S h r o p s h i r e , a f t e r

t h e y we r e f o r c e d t o f l e e f r o m

D o u a i i n 1 7 9 5

S i m o n Po t t e r – H o u s e m a s t e r o f B a r l ow H o u s e

Roberts House

H o u s e m a s t e r Jo s h u a F re e m a n

A s s i s t a n t D r Je s u s Ta p i a A m a d o r

F o u r t h F o r m b oy s ( Ye a r 1 0 ) s h a r e a m o d e r n a n d

c o m f o r t a bl e d o r m i t o r y, F i f t h a n d S i x t h F o r m b oy s

( Ye a r s 1 1 , 1 2 a n d 1 3 ) h ave t h e i r ow n s t u d y

b e d r o o m s R o b e r t s H o u s e i s n a m e d a f t e r S t J o h n

R o b e r t s , a m e m b e r o f t h e c o m mu n i t y n ow

a t D ow n s i d e , w h o w a s m a r t y r e d i n 1 6 1 0

J o h n S t o r e y – H o u s e m a s t e r o f S my t h e H o u s e

J o s h u a F r e e m a n – H o u s e m a s t e r o f R o b e r t s H o u s e

visions and aims

Downside School’s vision – as a leading Catholic School – is to be a bright light in the world of education, illuminating the lives of young people and inspiring ser vice in the world through experience of Benedictine culture . It enables pupils and staff to develop their own identity through experience of a community with Christ as its centre

OuR AIMS:

1. To guide pupils and staff to encounter Chr ist through exper ience of a Benedictine community of faith

2 To be uncompromising in the pur suit of academic excellence

3. To foster a culture of unselfish love , integr ity, humility and leader ship through ser vice

4 To develop the char acter and confidence of young people through spor t and extr a-cur r icular oppor tunities

5 To develop the school community’s facilities and resources through str ategic stewardship

STATEMENT OF BOARDING PRINCIPLES

Downside is a traditional, Catholic , family orientated boarding School, and as such, the values and ideals of the Gospel and the Rule of St Benedict lie at the hear t of the community here Whilst Downside is a strong academic School, our aim is to develop the character of our boarders and day pupils alike , where the impor tance of moral courage , integrity and ser vice is emphasised

AIMS

• To engage our pupils in living their lives according to the eight aspects of a Benedictine Education

• To foster a community at Downside where individual boarder s and day pupils, exper ience a secure , happy, mutually suppor tive and creative environment within which they can flour ish

St. Benedict says, ‘Let none follow what seems good for himself, but rather what is good for another’ (RSB , Chapter 72)

The pr ior ity of a Downside pupil is a duty to other s Pupils are obliged to act with cour tesy and common sense for the good of the community It is the aim at Downside that all pupils grow in love , knowledge and wisdom, and become a source of good for themselves and other s Ever y pupil is encour aged to develop a per sonal relationship with Chr ist and is suppor ted to become a mature , car ing and responsible Chr istian adult

PRACTICE

Our aims are pr imar ily achieved through our unique House str ucture where excellent pastor al care is provided by the Housemaster s/Mistresses (HsMs) and their respective teams The School Chaplains are centr al to this endeavour, and the HsMs are also ver y well suppor ted by the School’s Health Centre and the School’s wider pastor al team

The HsMs str ive to develop mutual respect within their Houses and celebr ate all cultures and diver sity, ensur ing that there is equality of oppor tunity for all of their pupils regardless of age , ethnicity, religious background or disability As a boarding School, we have a full wor king week, suppor ted by a r ich progr amme of weekend activities, social occasions and other recreational oppor tunities The pastor al team provide the suppor t for pupils to develop life-long fr iendships, intellectual growth, their physical and mental wellbeing, confidence and selfawareness, yet at the same time ensure that their pupils lear n to treat each other with kindness, sensitivity and respect, wor king tirelessly for the good of the other s Our responsibility is to develop the whole pupil, providing a rounded education, thereby prepar ing our pupils for life after School

‘Our ta sk, then, is to establish a School of the Lord’s service’

Rule of St Benedict, Prologue

THE EIGHT A SPECTS OF A BENEDICTINE EDUCATION

The eight aspects provide a valuable perspective on the key qualities of a Benedictine education.

1 Welcome and hospitality are key elements in a school where pupils wor k and staff wor k together to for m a kind, mutually suppor tive community, based on the core pr inciple of Chr istian love

2 Careful, active listening is an essential par t of positive human relationships, and this is emphasized at Downside , as young people are guided in how to live together within their houses and within the school community as a whole

3 Reverence, as an intr insic par t of regular school wor ship, and as par t of respect for each per son ’ s individual human dignity, is a hallmar k of life at Downside as a Benedictine school; it is par t of the wor ship and love of God in Chr ist. This divine and human love dr aws the School into a communion whose member s grow together in the love of tr uth and of one another. Humility enables people to live tr uly, communicating honestly with each other and God, enabling this love to develop

4 Teaching and learning are centr al because of the need for our pupils to be skilled and educated people in a competitive wor ld but also because our higher pur pose is to grow in the knowledge of tr uth, which leads to God

5 Per sonal discipline is something essential for the well-being of the individual and the community It means that we are not enslaved to the wor ld’s distr actions but free to pur sue higher ambitions, such as ser vice and the pur suit of knowledge

6. Downside emphasizes the impor tance of living within a nur tur ing spir itual community; concern for the individual enables groups of individuals to live and grow together in a manner that foster s human flour ishing

7 Har monious community life is the consequence of building communion; while there will always be some difficulties within communities, a spir itual pur pose means that communion between people and with God is made possible

8 There are many gifts in human life , if people are prepared to receive them. Through the Holy Spir it, the wor ld is made full of beauty and wisdom; the stewardship of gifts, from the natur al environment to human abilities, means that the whole wor ld can benefit

ESSENTIALS FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS

We aim to suppor t all pupils in fulfilling their learning potential and we feel that the following advice will help you achieve your target grades.

We aim to suppor t all pupils in fulfilling their lear ning potential and we feel that the following advice will help you achieve your tar get gr ades

The key char acter istics of a successful lear ner :

• Humility

• Reflectiveness

• Independent lear ning

• Healthiness

• Attendance

• Or ganisation

The following are our recommendations for how you can build upon these key char acter istics and enjoy great success:

1 Star t with prayer : “Make prayer the fir st step in anything wor thwhile you attempt ” (RSB: Prologue)

2. Determine your own learning outcomes:

• Know your tar get gr ades – they are ambitious, yet realistic , so avoid causing your self undue stress by aiming for a gr ade you are unlikely to achieve

• Assess your own lear ning exper ience within lessons – are you par ticipating positively? What do you do if you don’t under stand?

• Engage in mature conver sations with teacher s and tutor s about what you can do to achieve your tar get gr ade

• Assess your own perfor mance – know the mar king cr iter ia

• Prepare your self to achieve your full potential in examinations.

3 Learn how to revise:

• Plan a schedule and stick to it!

• Ever ybody is more attentive in the mor nings; decide when you will get up

• Set your self lear ning outcomes for each revision session

• If you are reading through your notes, ask your self ‘why?’ Is it to check you can remember key facts and/or under stand key concepts, or is it because you cannot think of anything else to do?

• Lear n the mar king cr iter ia

• Tr ain your self to pass examinations eg complete timed questions with a par tner and mar k each other’s wor k.

4 Cramming is stressful so avoid it!

• The best lear ner s are always lear ning

• If you have been consolidating your lear ning throughout the academic year, revision leading up to examinations can be an invigor ating, positive exper ience

• Staying up all night before an examination is not the best way to succeed

• Reduce stress by being or ganised and planning your time effectively

• Olympic athletes tr ain for year s to win the gold medal – nothing comes easily.

5 Stay healthy:

• You are an academic athlete - your examinations are your Olympics!

6 If you are not in lessons, you are not learning:

• Statistically, the most significant factor affecting examination results is attendance .

THE RULE OF ST BENEDICT & SCHOOL REGUL ATIONS

THE DOWNSIDE RULE:

The priority of a Gregorian is duty to others. He/she is obliged to act with cour tesy and common sense for the good of the community Any behaviour that causes discomfor t, distress or danger does not conform to the rule

REGULATIONS

Dress - Regulation dress:

1 For Girls: consists of School blouse , jacket and skir t as supplied by the School Shop. Instead of the jacket, a maroon V-necked sweater may be wor n All gir ls in the Sixth For m may wear a black sweater Tights should be black in winter but flesh coloured tights may be wor n dur ing summer dress Gir ls in For ms 1 to 5 must have their hair tied back when in regulation dress

For Boys: consists of black shoes, a suit as supplied by the unifor m shop, and a white shir t, which has to be wor n with a tie and the collar buttoned Instead of the jacket a black sweater, V-necked and showing the collar and tie , may usually be wor n Any school tie to which the wearer is entitled is per mitted. Prefects have the pr ivilege of wear ing their own ties Socks are to be black or grey in colour Two pair s of regulation trouser s are necessar y

2. The jacket is necessar y for all pupils because it is wor n at Mass and on other for mal occasions

3. Shoes must be flat, smar t, black polished leather (not suede) with black soles

4 Full regulation dress is to be wor n dur ing the wor king day On Sundays it must be wor n until after Mass This includes pupils in the Schola Cantor um and those ser ving at the altar unless given special per mission by a member of staff Gir ls should have their hair tied back

5 In the Refector y dur ing the wor king week (Monday to Fr iday) for breakfast and lunch the appropr iate clothing is regulation dress, subject to any exceptions issued from time to time by the Deputy Head or the Director of Pastor al Care . For supper dur ing the wor king week the appropr iate clothing is regulation dress, smar t casual wear or the Downside tr ack suit At Saturday breakfast, regulation dress must be wor n Regulation dress, the Downside tr ack suit or smar t casual wear may be wor n for meals from Saturday lunchtime through to Sunday supper

6. Infor mal dress must be respectable and not of the kind to make other s feel uncomfor table Dur ing the Michaelmas and Lent Ter ms, no one may enter the Refector y wear ing shor ts, and hats are never to be wor n indoor s At other times, shor ts and tr ainer s may be wor n. Dir ty, muddy clothes will not be per mitted at any time

7 All clothes must be mar ked with the owner ’ s name Unmar ked clothes (regulation and casual) will be disposed of by the Laundr y after a shor t per iod

8. Hair styles must be appropr iate: for boys, cut neatly, shor t enough to show the collar and not to fall over the eyes Shaven heads, and No 1 haircuts, are not per missible . Pupils are expected to have neat, clean and presentable hair Tinting or dyeing is not allowed, and yellow bleaching is not per missible Extremes of hair style are not acceptable Boys must be clean shaven For safety reasons, gir ls may have to have hair tied back for cer tain lessons, e .g. games. Gir ls’ hair should be tied back when in full regulation dress

9 While in regulation dress, and dur ing the wor king day (7 30 a m to 5 00 p m ), pupils below the Sixth For m may not wear visible make-up or nail var nish Sixth For m gir ls may wear discreet make-up, and clear nail var nish, if they wish.

10 Boys are not per mitted to wear ear r ings or studs in School Gir ls are per mitted to wear one stud in each ear lobe In regulation dress, br acelets may not be wor n In the Sixth For m, one discreet r ing may be wor n. Other than in ear s, no piercing should be on display at any time While in casual clothes, and outside the wor king day, sensible nor ms and limits should be obser ved. For reasons of safety, all jeweller y may have to be removed at cer tain times, e g for games and spor ts

11 Headphones or ear pods should not be wor n by pupils when in regulation dress dur ing the wor king day unless a pupil requires them for studying

12 Items of regulation dress may not be wor n in combination with casual clothes When regulation dress is wor n it must be wor n smar tly

13 Tattoos are not per mitted

E XPECTED BEHAVIOUR CODE

EXPECTED BEHAVIOUR AT DOWNSIDE SCHOOL

Downside School is a community where the welfare of all is protected and promoted. To this end, cer tain standards of behaviour are expected of all pupils in and around the School, and on any School activity or trip. These expectations are promoted and reinforced, within the overall School behaviour policy, by a system of rewards and sanctions All pupils will receive their own Pupil Handbook at the star t of term.

WE EXPECT EVERYONE TO:

Show respect for others

• Show good manner s, toler ance , regard for author ity and for individual pr ivacy

• Celebr ate difference and diver sity in other s

• Show respect for the Catholic religion, the Abbey Church, and for those of different faiths

• Follow and suppor t the School’s anti-bullying policy

• Avoid bad language and any behaviour which might cause offence

Strive for self-respect

• Be tr ustwor thy, honest and tell the tr uth

• Attend and be punctual at all School obligations

• Keep your self safe and healthy by proper appreciation of r isk, by regular exercise and by avoiding har mful substances

• Be self-disciplined and committed

• Take pr ide in your appear ance

Make a positive contribution

• Take pr ide in your member ship of the School and be its ambassador

• Engage with and commit to a wide r ange of activities

• Think how you can ser ve the School community

• Par ticipate in decision-making about how the School is r un via the School Council or House Councils

• Suppor t activities to help the wider community outside School

Enjoy and achieve at School

• Value achievement

• Take responsibility for your own lear ning and academic progress

• Help promote a positive lear ning atmosphere in the classroom and elsewhere

• Develop your own skills and interests by full par ticipation in co-cur r icular activities

• Prepare your self for life after School by developing good wor k habits and social skills

Respect proper ty and the environment

• Respect the proper ty of other s

• Look after the fabr ic and proper ty of the School

• Think ‘ green ’ in your attitude to the School and wider environment

• Respect other people’s wor king and living environment by avoiding undue noise

• Avoid dropping litter and pick it up when you find it

• Suppor t activities to help the wider community outside School

WORRIES AND CONCERNS – A PUPIL’S GUIDE

“ What do I do if I just want to talk to someone?”

All people have occasional wor r ies or problems which can affect both themselves and other s In a boarding school, such matter s can often be dealt with by talking to fr iends or to any member of staff, or by telephoning home Your Housemaster/Housemistress, your Tutor, your House Parent, the Chaplains, the School Doctor or the Health Centre staff, the Director of Pastor al Care , the Deputy Head and the Head are available and will always be ready to listen

If you wish to contact someone who is not involved in the day-to-day r unning of the school, you are welcome to speak to the School’s Independent Listener who has agreed to be an independent advisor to any pupil in difficulty Details can be found in the Boarding House notice boards

It is impor tant to realise that you may choose the people with whom you would like to speak Your choice may depend on the circumstances and your feelings at the time and you do not have to tell anyone else what you are doing

These are some of the situations in which you may not be able to manage without help:

• if you feel you are unable to cope because of problems with wor k or for social reasons;

• if you feel you are being discr iminated against on grounds of r ace , or for any other reason;

• if someone has hur t, abused or har assed you or has made suggestions – sexual or otherwise – that you feel are inappropr iate;

• if you are being bullied or treated unkindly or unfair ly by another pupil;

• if you feel you have been treated unreasonably by a member of staff;

• if you think you are being badly taught

The School’s pastor al and counselling system is there to suppor t you through your time at Downside and to deal with most matter s of concer n

In some circumstances you may wish to make a for mal complaint in wr iting, especially if an infor mal complaint has not been satisfactor ily resolved Whether you deal with a problem by your self, or seek advice , or make a for mal complaint, is a matter for you to decide .

Please refer to the Worries and Concerns notice that is in your Boarding House and in the Pupil Handbook

If you feel that your concer n has not been dealt with, you should r aise the matter for mally with your Housemaster/Housemistress, or if appropr iate , with the Director of Pastor al Care or the Deputy Head

The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) will infor m the Head of all cases of actual or suspected abuse The only exception to this would be if the Head were implicated in the concer ns, in which case the Chair of Gover nor s would be infor med. Any concer ns relating to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) should be refer red to the Head

PUPILS’ CONFIDENTIALIT Y

1 A conver sation in which pupils make a safeguarding disclosure of a child protection nature , about themselves or someone else , to any member of staff, including the schools designated safeguarding lead (DSL) or the deputy designated safeguarding leads (DDSLs), will be kept pr ivate to those who need to know about the matter : these per sons may include the social ser vices, the police , parents or other responsible per sons The DSL will tell the pupil involved to whom they will have to refer the matter, and will tr y to achieve the pupil’s agreement

2 A conver sation of a health and medical nature with a School nur se or doctor in the Health Centre will be kept confidential to the per sons involved, unless in the opinion of the nur se or doctor the safety of children means the matter must be refer red to the School’s DSL In these cases, the nur se will tell the pupil concer ned that such a refer r al will be made

3. If a pr iest feels that a matter brought up under the seal of confession suggests that they or another child is a r isk of har m, he will suggest that the pupil should discuss the matter with him or another member of staff outside the seal of confession

In none of the situations above is confidentiality binding on the pupil who gives the confidence , though discretion is always impor tant; a pupil may speak to another per son about anything that happens in any of the situations above , especially if they feel they have been unfair ly treated

In all situations regarding sensitive pupil matter s, staff must respect the confidentiality of anything said to them by a pupil, and only speak of the matter to the proper per sons responsible for the pupil, i e the Head of Nur sing Care , the pupil’s tutor, Housemaster/Housemistress, the Director of Pastor al Care , the Deputy Head, or the Head It is essential that, when infor mation should be passed on to another per son for the good of a pupil, it is passed on

Confidentiality of pupils’ records: Pupils’ medical records are confidential to them and the Health Centre staff, and are not shown to other per sons, apar t from those who have to check that the records are being proper ly kept (i.e . the School doctor s).

PA STOR AL AND SAFEGUARDING LEADS

Mrs Claire Murphy, Director of Pastor al Care , is the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) at Downside School and can be contacted via cmur phy@downside co uk and 01761 235183

Mr Andrew Hobbs, Head, via ahobbs@downside co uk 01761 235102, is a Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) at Downside School

Mr Michael Randall, Deputy Head via mr andall@downside co uk, 01761 235116, is a Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) at Downside School

Mr Ror y Worsman, rwor smann@downside .co.uk, 01761 235126, is a Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) at Downside School

Mrs Terri Wilcox is the Gover nor with responsibility for Child Protection at Downside School (twilcox@downside co uk, 07853 804716)

KEY NUMBERS

Somer set Direct 0300 123 2224

Designated Officer at the Local Author ity (for mer ly LADO) via Somer set Direct 0300 123 2224

DBS confidential checking ser vice sensitive@dbs.gsi.gov.uk

DBS refer r als helpline 01325 953795

HEALTH CENTRE

WELCOME TO THE HEALTH CENTRE

We provide Health Care ser vices to the pupils seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day during term time . The team of Health Care Practitioners are available for routine clinics through to medical emergencies We have eight beds in the Health Centre . In addition to the expected medical provision, we can help with general health suppor t and advice , and use a holistic approach in the deliver y of care We provide health education through a variety of means, including 1:1 and small group discussions, alongside patient information leaflets and health education resources which are available for pupils to take away.

We encour age parents to meet the staff in the Health Centre at the beginning of a child’s fir st ter m and discuss any concer ns they may have about their child’s health Please disclose any ongoing health issues for your child or past significant events

All new boarder s are invited to a medical and any pupil with pre-existing medical conditions e g asthma/diabetes will be refer red to the School Doctor shor tly after joining the School

General Information

It is School policy that a pupil cannot keep their own medication Some pupils are able to self- administer in house but this is only after agreement with a member of the Health Centre Team All medication needs to be handed into the Health Centre and we will ar r ange for the pupil to access them as necessar y Your suppor t in this matter is vital for the individual and the wider School community.

Ser vices

We hold three Gener al Pr actitioner Clinics per week within the Health Centre , these appointments are booked by the Health Centre staff and are available to all boarder s and any day pupils who are registered with the Oakhill Sur ger y (https://www oakhillsur ger y co uk/) All boarder s will be registered at Oakhill Sur ger y at the star t of their time at Downside

Asthma

All pupils with Asthma will be offered the oppor tunity to attend regular Asthma reviews with the Pr actice Nur se at Oakhill Sur ger y

Physiotherapy

The School provides access to a pr ivate Spor ts Injur y Specialist who is able to meet with pupils at a time to suit them and who will liaise directly with parents. There is also access to the NHS Physiother apy Ser vice for those who would prefer

School Psychotherapist

The School provides access to a Consultant Psychother apist who r uns weekly ‘drop-in’ clinic’s Tuesday and Wednesday after noons and by appointment at other times This is a confidential ser vice and allows pupils the oppor tunity to address any issues which may be impacting on their Emotional Health and Wellbeing

Accidents

We can ar r ange for pupils to be seen at the Minor Injur ies Unit in Shepton Mallet or at the Emer gency Depar tment in Bath, if necessar y Dur ing the Michaelmas ter m, a par amedic is available ever y Saturday by the spor ts pitches at Downside School

Off Games or Restricted Games

If you have a concer n regarding your child’s fitness for games, please contact the Health Centre We are able to give per mission for a pupil to be off games if they are unwell or have sustained an injur y. Please can you infor m the Health Centre of any accidents or incidents dur ing the holiday that require fur ther care and please send any suppor ting documentation

Admission to the Health Centre

If a pupil is unwell dur ing ter m time they may have to stay over night in the Health Centre This will be decided after being assessed by the Health Care Pr actitioner in char ge The parent or guardian will be infor med.

Prescriptions

If your child has a regular prescr iption, please can it be in the or iginal packaging, clear ly prescr ibed to the child and have a suppor ting consultant’s or doctor’s letter attached We order repeat and new prescr iptions and collect them from the sur ger y when they are ready If your child requires regular medication which is on repeat prescr iption, we ask that you share any infor mation regarding the diagnosis at the time of application to ensure the Health Centre are able to suppor t this when required

Confidentiality and Consent

As Health Care Pr actitioner s, we wor k under a Professional Code of Conduct, which states we offer a confidential ser vice to patients in our care However, if infor mation has been disclosed which indicates that a pupil is at r isk of har m /or is at r isk of har ming another we have a duty of care to share that infor mation as par t of our Safeguarding Pr actice The pupil’s consent is not required in these circumstances, but we will always tr y to discuss it with the pupil fir st

Health Needs

When a pupil fir st joins the School the parent will already have filled out and retur ned the medical histor y and signed consent for ms for treatment and medication

Please update the Health Centre as a matter of pr ior ity, if your child develops a medical condition, illness or injur y dur ing the cour se of their time spent in the School If the medical condition, illness or injur y occur s dur ing a school holiday, please make sure to infor m the Health Centre staff before your child retur ns to School

Vaccinations

The Health Centre r uns a vaccination progr amme in line with the NHS routine immunisation schedule Any gaps identified in your child’s immunisation histor y will be discussed with you and/or your child. Tr avel vaccinations are available through the local sur ger y and parents are asked to fill out a tr avel health questionnaire and a consent for m six weeks before tr avel. All pupils with a chronic illness e g asthma, diabetes, will be offered a year ly flu vaccination free of char ge Other pupils will be offered this vaccination for a small fee

Dental Care

There is no School dentist, but the School includes all pupils in the Denplan insur ance scheme at £2 00 per pupil per ter m to cover all emer gency dental treatment including broken br aces. Boarder s are expected to have routine dental treatment at home in the holidays

Spor ts Mouthguards

All pupils will need a mouth guard for contact spor ts These can be of the self-mouldable for m, but the School offer s a professional fitting ser vice at the star t of the Michaelmas Ter m, provided by OPRO Parents wishing to take up the OPRO ser vice must confir m this direct with OPRO via the web link provided in the online Downside School Joining For ms These can be found on the School Unifor m infor mation on the website

Sun Protection

We recommend that pupils provide their own sun protection lotion, no less than SPF30 for spor ts and on school tr ips dur ing the war m weather

Transpor t

Tr anspor t to medical appointments is or ganised through the Health Centre Pupils will be accompanied by an official school escor t (DBS checked) either in a taxi or tr anspor ted via the escor t, parents will be billed for any tr avel costs incur red Alter natively, if parents live locally they may wish to take their son/daughter themselves

The NHS (National Health Ser vice) for pupils with EU Settlement Scheme or Child Student Visa

For pupils who are cur rently under the EU Settlement Scheme , please note that you will be entitled to use the NHS Ser vices For those who are studying in the UK with a Child Student Visa, you will have been asked at the time of application to pay a healthcare surchar ge as par t of the application process which entitles your child to access the NSH and wider ser vices.

Contact: HCentre@downside co uk

TERM DATES AND ARR ANGEMENTS

Beginning / End of Term Arrangements (dates to be found overleaf and on the School Website)

At the beginning of each term, pupils are expected to be back in their boarding house in the window of time as indicated on the website The duty Housemaster will be in the boarding house from the time indicated If your child is retur ning in advance of this time , please ensure you have made pr ior engagement with them We have three ter ms in the academic year, they are the Michaelmas Ter m (September-December), the Lent Ter m (Januar y-March) and the the Summer Ter m (end of Apr ilear ly July)

At the end of term, ar r angements are usually as follows:

Michaelmas Term ends with the School Carol Ser vice in the Abbey, followed by a Reception Parents are ver y welcome .

Lent Term ends at 11:30

The final day of the Summer Term is Speech Day There is a ser vice and Pr ize Giving Ceremony that takes place on the day; all parents are welcome to join the event and br ing a picnic and enjoy meeting their children’s fr iends and families For the Upper Sixth pupils and parents there is a Leaver s ’ Ball in the evening

Half Terms

Half Ter ms begin at 11:30 and pupils may be collected at this time . The School will ar r ange tr anspor t for those needing to tr avel to air por ts All pupils are to retur n at the time stated over leaf The Duty Housemaster will be in the building from 14:00 and the School can accept no responsibility for pupils before this time unless pr ior agreement has been made with your child’s HsM.

Requests to leave ear ly or retur n late can only be gr anted if there is par ticular tr avelling difficulties, for example longhaul flights Requests must be made in advance to the HsM

Exeats

We hold two Exeat weekends in the Michaelmas Ter m, two in the Lent Ter m for Fir st and Second For m only, and none in the Summer Ter m, as this is shor test in the academic year.

Exeats are not mandator y for boarder s who live outside of the UK. The School offer s a progr amme of spor t, culture and local activities (with plenty of rest included) for those who wish to remain in School Parents will be asked at the star t of each ter m to book their child’s places in advance

Authorised weekend leave

If a pupil wishes to go out of School dur ing Saturday or Sunday but does not wish to be out for the night, are required to seek per mission from the Housemaster/ Housemistress, who must know the proposed times of depar ture and retur n

Any absence from School which falls outside the above times, or which involves missing any class, or prevents a pupil from attending a spor ts fixture or other commitment, demands a special exeat This is given only in exceptional circumstances following a wr itten request to the HsM

All tr anspor t requested of the School is to be paid for, even if, in the event, it is not used.

KE Y DATES FOR THE 2022-23 ACADEMIC YEA

MICHAELMAS TERM DATES 2022

INDUCTION PROGRAMME FOR NEW PUPILS AND THEIR PARENTS

Sunday 4th September

All pupils should arrive in home clothes

Parking: Boys’ Houses: Bar low, Powell, Rober ts & Smythe in the Quad

Girls’ Houses:

Caverel and Isabella by the Houses Heads of School at the gate to help direct parents

NEW BOARDERS

09:30 Mass in the Abbey Church (optional)

09:30-11:00 New Fir st (Year 7), Second (Year 8) and Third For m (Year 9)

UK Boarder s and Inter national Boarder s to ar r ive in Houses to unpack

10:00-11:30 New Four th (Year 10), Fifth (Year 11) and Lower Sixth (Year 12)

UK Boarder s and Inter national Boarder s to ar r ive in Houses to unpack

NEW DAY PUPILS

11:00-11:30 New Day pupils (all Year s) ar r ive , par k in the Quad, and directed to the Theatre

Followed by:

11:40 Welcome from Andrew Hobbs, Head, and an introduction to key member s of Staff in the Theatre

12:30 Lunch for all pupils and parents

14:00 Parents say goodbye and depar t

14:30 New pupils star t after noon induction progr amme

WHOLE SCHOOL ExEAT

Begins Friday 23rd September

Pupils leave 12:35

Ends Sunday 25th September

Fir st & Second For m boarder s retur n 17:00-18:00

Third to Upper Sixth For m boarder s retur n 17:00-21:00

HALF TERM

Begins Friday 14th October

Pupils leave by 11:30

Ends Sunday 30th October

Fir st & Second For m boarder s retur n 14:00-18:00

Third to Upper Sixth For m boarder s retur n 14:00-21:00

Monday 31st October

Day pupils retur n by 08:20

WHOLE SCHOOL ExEAT

Begins Friday 25th November

Pupils leave 12:35

Ends Sunday 27th November

Fir st & Second For m boarder s retur n 17:00-18:00

Third to Upper Sixth For m boarder s retur n 17:00-21:00

TERM ENDS

Thursday 15th December

Pupils may leave after the Carol Ser vice

LENT TERM DATES 2023

TERM BEGINS

Sunday 8th Januar y 2023

Fir st & Second For m boarder s retur n 14:00-18:00

Third to Upper Sixth For m boarder s retur n 14:00-21:00

Monday 9th Januar y

Day pupils retur n by 08:00

FIRST & SECOND FORM ExEAT

Begins Friday 27th Januar y

Pupils leave by 12:35

Ends Sunday 29th Januar y

Fir st & Second For m boarder s retur n 14:00-18:00

HALF TERM

Begins Friday 10th Februar y

Pupils leave by 11:30

Ends Sunday 19th Februar y

Fir st & Second For m boarder s retur n 14:00-18:00

Third to Upper Sixth For m boarder s retur n 14:00-21:00

Monday 20th Februar y

Day pupils retur n 08:20

FIRST & SECOND FORM ExEAT

Begins Friday 10th March

Pupils leave by12:35

Ends Sunday 12th March

Fir st & Second For m boarder s retur n 14:00-18:00

TERM ENDS

Friday 31st March

Pupils leave by 11:30

SUMMER TERM DATES 2023

TERM BEGINS

Monday 24th April 2023

Fir st & Second For m boarder s retur n 14:00-18:00

Third to Upper Sixth For m boarder s retur n 14:00-21:00

Tuesday 25th April Day pupils retur n at 08:00

HALF TERM

Begins Friday 26th May

Pupils leave by 11:30

N B : Fifth & Upper Sixth for m pupils that may be sitting exter nal exams on Fr iday 26th May will be per mitted to remain onsite until their exam is complete This should be a key consideration when making travel ar rangements for your child

Ends Sunday 4th June

Fir st & Second For m boarder s retur n 14:00-18:00

Third to Upper Sixth For m boarder s retur n 14:00-21:00

Monday 5th June Day pupils retur n at 08:00

Friday 30th June

Fir st to Lower Sixth For m Pr ize Giving Assembly

Saturday 1st July

Pr ize Day

Pupils leave 14:00

Upper Sixth For m Leaver s ’ Ball – timings to be confir med

Exeats are not mandator y for inter national pupils, we offer a weekend of activity, cultur al tr ips and rest. Emails will be sent to parents and guardians ahead of each break and bookings must be made to secure your child’s place

For fur ther infor mation on Exeat, Half Ter m and End of Ter m tr avel please find more infor mation on the website: https://www downside co uk/downside-school/parentinfor mation/tr avel-infor mation/

Heathrow Airpor t Collection Point: A School chaperone will collect students from Ter minal 3 from the designated meeting point at the collection time detailed in the ter mly tr avel infor mation document The designated meeting point in Terminal 3 is Caffè Nero, located near ar r ivals, outside secur ity, Level 0 A map showing the location of Caffè Nero, Ter minal 3, is available here.

For flights ar r iving at Ter minal 5, please advise your child to use the free shuttle tr ain to tr avel from Ter minal 5 to Ter minal 3 A member of staff will be waiting at the Caffè Nero store (a link can be found above).

This Heathrow Airpor t map shows where the two ter minals are in relation to each other.

Please note: the above are pr ivate coach ser vices for pupils of Downside School only All bookings made are a per sonal ar r angement/contr act of engagement between you as the parent or guardian, and Centur ion Coaches, not with Downside School

Taxi: Taxi transpor t plans must be arranged directly by parents/guardians with any business you choose A link to a list of taxi companies near Bath is available here A local taxi company, Atlas South West Ltd, offer ser vice routes to Downside and you can make a booking directly with them via a dedicated email address they have set up for this pur pose at downsidetr avel@gmail com Atlas South West Ltd are familiar with the pr actice of providing tr ansfer s for Downside and have exper ience of collecting and deliver ing pupils to our site

Parents are advised to copy in your Housemaster / Housemistress to email communications so that they are fully infor med of your children’s tr avel plans.

OTHER SCHOOL INFORM ATION (A-Z)

ALCOHOL AND TOB ACCO

On for mal occasions, which involve a set meal, pupils in the Sixth For m may be ser ved wine or beer with the meal Otherwise alcohol is forbidden It is against the law to sell or supply alcohol to anybody under the age of eighteen except on for mal occasions with a sit-down meal. It is against the law for anybody under the age of eighteen to purchase alcohol Alcohol may not be brought into the School without per mission from the pupil’s Housemaster/Housemistress.

Smoking or vaping is not allowed within the School and while the pupils are under the school’s control It is illegal for per sons under the age of eighteen to buy tobacco Smoking mater ials and par apher nalia including ecigarettes must not be brought into School The School Anti-Smoking Policy must be followed

BEDROOMS & FURNISHINGS

Each child has their own notice board in their bedroom, so please do br ing family photos or any decor ations that will fit on a board as it really br ightens up their rooms It is recommended that children br ing a bedside light/lamp which can be sent to the School directly to them and taken to their boarding house The School will supply the pillow, sheets (pillowcase , duvet cover and fitted bottom sheet) but many pupils prefer to br ing their own, which we fully under stand. If so, please ensure all are labelled with nametapes You will need to purchase a duvet cover on the school unifor m website (in non clothing items) or br ing your own/purchase elsewhere , the school doesn’t provide this

Each child has their own noticeboard in their bedroom, so please do br ing family photos or any decor ations that will fit on a board as it really br ightens up their rooms. It is recommended that children br ing a bedsidelight/lamp which can be sent to the School directly to them and taken to their boarding house . The School will supply bedding (pillow and duvet), sheets (pillowcase , duvet cover and fitted bottomsheet) but many pupils prefer to br ing their own, which we fully under stand If so, please ensure all are labelled with nametapes

C ARS & BIKES

No pupil may dr ive a motor vehicle dur ing ter m time , without the per mission of the Deputy Head, except for per mitted dr iving lessons, nor keep any motor vehicle at Downside or in the village Dr iving instr uction is not negotiable through the School If per mission to dr ive a motor vehicle has been gr anted by the Deputy Head, the pupil and his/her parents/guardian must sign and abide by a ‘dr iving agreement’ document and car keys must be deposited with the pupil’s Housemaster/Housemistress on ar r ival at School

Bicycles must have their owner ’ s name clear ly mar ked on them, and their ser ial number should be given to the Housemaster/Housemistress They must be locked when not in use ,and kept in approved places. Passenger s must not be car r ied on bicycles Cycling off site requires both parental and School per mission Please see the Director of Pastor al Care to be placed on the list of approved offsite cyclists Any pupil r iding a bicycle on or off the School site must wear a helmet at all times.

Hitch-hiking is not allowed No pupil may be dr iven in a car by any per son other than parent, guardian, brother or sister unless his/her Housemaster/Housemistress has given specific per mission If the dr iver is under 25 year s old, then wr itten consent from parents is required.

CCTV

The School does have some CCTV camer as in place to deter theft and assist in its prevention, as well as to enhance secur ity in potentially vulner able areas of the School There may be times when cover t camer as are required, but they will only be employed where there is reasonable cause to suspect that unauthor ized or illegal activity is taking place or is about to take place Cover t camer as can only be set up on the wr itten author ization or request of the Head or Deputy Head Any such cover t processing will only be car r ied out for a defined, limited and reasonable per iod, consistent with the objectives of making the recording and will relate to the specific suspected unauthor ized activity Pupils may not set up their own sur veillance systems.

ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT

Electr ical equipment must be mar ked, PAT tested and be electronically safe with a single Br itish 3-pin plug, and be approved for use House Staff may wish to ask that items are checked before use . A list of banned electronic equipment will be distr ibuted by the Head of Health and Safety and published in houses Cooking devices, heater s and kettles are not allowed to be brought into the School Each boarding house has a well stocked kitchen and the House teams are always open to new ideas.

ExTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

There is a wide var iety of extr a-cur r icular activities for your child to be involved in This includes Combined Cadet Forces (CCF), Duke of Edinbur gh Awards and Mountain Biking, to Debating and Model United Nations to lear ning Sign Language and Cooking Lessons These all take place dur ing the week and will be offered to your child at the star t of each ter m; they will sit with their Tutor and have the oppor tunity to sign up for their choices at this point and will not need to choose them in advance

FOOD AND MEAL TIMES

This is an impor tant element to your child’s well being and we are proud of the standard of cater ing provided by our specialist in house cater ing fir m, Holroyd Howe All our meals are eaten together in the Refector y (Ref), with Staff in attendance Saturday nights are the only time we eat in house with specially prepared picnics, a change for a more infor mal House get together. We cater for all tastes and have a wide var iety of alter natives for those who have special dietar y requirements

Meals take place at the times published in houses Pupils are required to attend all meals, unless given leave of absence by their Housemaster/Housemistress

Eating or dr inking is not allowed in classrooms, labor ator ies, the libr ar ies, the ICT centres or the spor ts hall without per mission from a member of staff Chewing gum is forbidden in the School at all times.

LAUNDRY

Each House has its own laundr y day when unifor m, spor ts kit and per sonal clothing may be handed in for washing All clothing should be clearly named with a name tape . Bed linen and towels laundered by the school too Whilst we take ever y care to ensure your child’s clothes are laundered carefully, please remember to think twice about precious designer clothing coming to School

LIBRARIES

The Petre Libr ar y is open to all pupils and staffed with a Libr ar ian who will suppor t your child in their reading interests Bor rowed books must remove it according to the procedures published in the Libr ar y

Each depar tment has its own libr ar y and many of the books can be bor rowed Reading lists can be obtained from Heads of Depar tment. All libr ar ies should remain quiet places for study and reflection

LOST PROPERTY

Do not br ing valuable equipment to School unless it is essential to studies or approved recreation. If you have any valuable equipment, give a descr iption of it that includes its ser ial number, colour and make to your Housemaster/Housemistress. It is your responsibility and that of your parents to record and insure any valuable items As soon as you are cer tain that any item of proper ty has been illegitimately taken from you, repor t its loss to your Housemaster/Housemistress They will then infor m the Director of Pastor al Care .

MOBILE TELEPHONES AND DEVICES

Mobile devices may be used with per mission from a classroom teacher or Housemaster/ Mistress in order to access approved lear ning platfor ms

Mobile phones should not be used in lessons without per mission from the teacher. We wor k extensively with pupils, through education in PSHE lessons to suppor t the safe use of inter net and devices and would expect pupils to treat one another with respect and The School accepts no responsibility for loss, detr iment or injur y attendant on the use or possession of a mobile telephone or mobile device

The use of devices and mobile phones is gover ned by the Acceptable User Policy and Br ing Your Own Device (BYOD) Policy (See new joiner for ms)

POCKET MONEY

The best and safest way to provide pocket money is with a prepaid cash card (either Visa or Mastercard) You can set-up the card before tr avel and pre-load their pocket money by bank tr ansfer. These cards are available for young children and you will be able to set spending limits as well as top up the card and monitor their spending from home They will be able to use the card to pay in shops or take money from ATMs just like a debit or credit card. If you wish, we can hold your child’s card safely for them while they are in School and issue it to them for excur sions and shopping tr ips There are many different provider s of prepaid cash cards across the wor ld and you will be able to find the most suitable one for you Any pupil who has more than £20 in cash should hand it immediately to the Housemaster/ Housemistress or Assistant Housemaster/Housemistress If neither of these is available it should be given to the House Parent.

SCHOOL POLICIES

Our policies are available on the website and we would recommend that you take the oppor tunity to review them. www.downside .co.uk/downside-school/parentinfor mation/policies

UNIFORM

School unifor m is purchased through the School Shop’s website , which can be found in the Parent's section on the School Website . The full list of Regulation Dress (unifor m) and Spor ts clothing is shared on the New Joiner For ms There is some second hand unifor m kept in the School Shop, so if you are interested, please contact Tr acey Coles, who manages the onsite School Shop, once you have established your child's recommended sizes

In the fir st instance , you will need to take a few measurements of your child, to input into the website , and you will be given suggested sizes to purchase . Unifor m is then sent to the School Shop (select ‘collection’ at check out), to have the name tapes sewn on, and then it is taken to the boarding house When your child is tr ying on their unifor m, at the star t of ter m, please ask them to leave the labels on until they have tr ied the item on, in case it needs to be exchanged If an item is the wrong size , your child can take it back to the School Shop and it will be exchanged. To book an appointment, if local or visiting, please email Tr acey Coles on shop@downside .co.uk

WEBSITE – PARENT PORTAL

All new parents will be contacted with infor mation on how to log onto the School’s Parent Por tal The Parent Por tal is an inter active view into your child’s life at the School, including School Repor ts, Rewards and Sanctions, Timetables and Activities Infor mation regarding the Parent Por tal including your account log-in will be sent at the star t of the academic year by the School Office For enquir ies please contact Laur a Cr ay on lcr ay@downside .co.uk

WEBSITE – SPORTS WEBSITE

https://www.downsidespor t.co.uk/ Your suppor t and encour agement of our teams and athletes is always most welcome both on the touchlines and by reading our published match repor ts We hope that our spor ts website will make this suppor t much easier for you and give you direct access to fixtures, tam sheets, results and match results For more infor mation, please contact Director of Spor t, Richard Jones, on rjones@downside co uk

WEEKENDS

Weekends are busy and pur poseful at Downside On Saturdays, pupils have a mor ning of lessons and an after noon of Spor t and Fixtures against other schools. At the star t of ever y week, our Director of the Cocur r iculum, shares the weekend poster which is circulated to all the boarding houses Pupils are asked to pick activities to take par t in before the star t of the weekend Ever y Sunday, after Mass, we have a tr ip to Bath or ganised, accompanied by a teacher, to offer the pupils an oppor tunity to get off site and do some shopping or take in the beautiful sights. For our older pupils, the weekend is also an oppor tunity to get some welldeser ved rest or catch up with their studies Here is an example of a recent weekend at Downside

WIFI

As you would at home , sensible pr actice is put in place to ensure that your child has access to safe and filtered WiFi. If your child enjoys audio books, it would be useful to enjoy this through a standalone MP3 player or eBook device to avoid being distr acted by a mobile after lights out The use of mobiles phones is discour aged after lights out; and HsMs adopt pr actices that are appropr iate to different year groups.

ONLINE SAFET Y AND E-SAFET Y POLIC Y

In par ticular pupils may not:

a) Use proxy ser ver s or VPN’s to bypass the School’s ICT secur ity system

b) Log-in using another per son ’ s user name and/or password

c) Download Zip (*.zip) files or executable (*.exe) files

d) Download illicit mater ial

e) Make contact with anyone on the Inter net, whose identity is unknown

f) Run any executable file , or any progr am capable of affecting the system registr y

g) Run any hacking software , including those searching for files or passwords

h) Attempt to modify any computer in any way

i) Abuse copyr ight, or attempt to pass off downloaded wor k as their own

j) Use the dar k web or Tor browser s.

All children at Downside School will have the oppor tunity to engage explore online safety as par t of whole school initiatives, such as Safer Inter net Day, or within PHSE and other lessons Your child will be educated in the safe and respectful use of technology in a planned and progressive way, to help them under stand how to make the most of digital oppor tunities while

keeping themselves and other s safe This will include lear ning about online bullying, sexting and shar ing of other inappropr iate content, under standing their digital footpr int, keeping per sonal infor mation safe , and under standing contacts with other s online

All networ ks in the school are subject to web filter ing to reduce access to inappropr iate content. However, due to the complexity of the Inter net there is always a small chance that undesir able mater ial may get through these filter s and your child will therefore be educated about how to respond appropr iately in such instances Staff are also tr ained regular ly in under standing online safety issues that pupils may faces par t of our safeguarding tr aining progr amme Where online safety issues occur, staff will suppor t pupils to manage and provide relevant education

We would appreciate you taking the time to read through the User Acceptance Policy with your child, to reinforce the impor tance of following these guidelines, so that your child can make full use of the ICT provision within our school in a safe and responsible manner These guidelines will be displayed across school and regular ly refer red to by staff when using digital technologies Please note that it is School policy that pupils’ mobile phones should not be visible , distr acting or used in lessons, as they have the potential to inter r upt lear ning If pupils use their phones in lessons, teaching staff have the r ight to confiscate the device Any exception to this, and only for explicit educational pur poses, is at the discretion of the member of staff

All pupils must read the School’s Acceptable Use Policy and must sign a letter to say that they will abide by it and this should be done in line with the E- Safety Policy (Found in the online joiner forms)

This E-Safety policy has been developed by the Downside School E-Safety Committee which, at the time of creation, compr ises of:

• E-Safety Officer

• DSL

• Deputy Head

• Teacher Representative

• Networ k Manager

• Pupil Representative

Consultation with the whole school community will take place through the following:

• Staff Meetings / INSET Days

• School Pupil Council

• Appointed School ICT Council

• School Website / Newsletter s to Parents

Scope of the Policy:

This policy applies to all member s of the Downside School community (including staff, pupils, volunteer s, parents/carer s, visitor s,) who have access to and are user s of school ICT systems, both in school and out of school where actions relate directly to school set activity or use of school online systems

The Education Act 2011 empower s the Head, to such extent as is reasonable , to regulate the behaviour of pupils when they are off the school site and empower s member s of staff to impose disciplinar y penalties for inappropr iate behaviour

This is per tinent to incidents of cyber-bullying, or other ESafety incidents covered by this policy, which may take place out of school, but is linked to member ship of the school The school will deal with such incidents within this policy and associated behaviour and anti-bullying policies and will, where known, infor m parents / carer s of incidents of inappropr iate E-Safety behaviour that take place out of school

Roles and Responsibilities:

The following section outlines the roles and responsibilities for E-Safety of individuals and groups within the school:

Governors:

The Gover ning Body is responsible for the approval of the E Safety Policy and for reviewing the effectiveness of the policy The review will be under taken by the Gover nor ’ s Education Committee (GEC).

Head and SLT:

• The Head is responsible for ensur ing the safety (including E-Safety) of member s of the school community, though the day to day responsibility for E-Safety will be delegated to the ESafety Officer

• The Deputy Head is responsible for ensur ing that the E-Safety Officer and other relevant staff receive suitable CPD to enable them to car r y out their ESafety roles and to tr ain other colleagues, as relevant

• The Head and member s of the SLT will receive a ter mly repor t from the E Safety Officer pr ior to the GEC meeting

• The Head and member s of the SLT are aware of the procedures to be followed in the event of a ser ious E-Safety allegation being made against a member of staff or pupil (Appendix 2 of the Child Protection Policy p 32 ff)

E-Safety Officer :

• Chair s the E-Safety Committee

• Takes day to day responsibility for E-Safety issues and has a leading role in establishing and reviewing the school E-Safety policies / documents

• Receives repor ts of E Safety incidents and creates a log of incidents to infor m future E Safety developments.

• Repor ts ter mly to the Senior Leader ship Team

• Liaises with Downside School Networ k Manager

Network Manager : The Networ k Manager takes ever y precaution for ensur ing:

• That the school’s ICT infr astr ucture is secure and is not open to misuse or malicious attack.

• That they keep up to date with E-Safety technical infor mation in order to car r y out effectively their ESafety role and to infor m and update other s as relevant.

• That the use of the networ k, email are appropr iately monitored in order that any misuse / attempted misuse can be repor ted to the E-Safety Officer for investigation / action / sanction

Teaching and Suppor t Staff:

These user s are responsible for ensur ing that:

• They have an up to date awareness of E-Safety matter s and of the cur rent school E-Safety policy and pr actices via tr aining and Inset sessions

• They have read, under stood and signed the school Staff Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)

• They repor t any suspected misuse or problem to the E-Safety Officer for investigation / action / sanction

• Digital communications with pupils will always be under taken on a professional level and in accordance with the Downside School Staff Code of Conduct

• E-Safety issues are embedded in all aspects of the cur r iculum and other school activities

• Pupils under stand and follow the school Acceptable Use Policy

• Pupils have a good under standing of research skills and the need to avoid plagiar ism and uphold copyr ight regulations

• They monitor ICT activity in lessons, extr a-cur r icular and extended school activities.

• They are aware of E-Safety issues related to the use of mobile phones, camer as and devices and that they monitor their use and implement cur rent school policies with regard to these devices.

• In lessons where Inter net use is pre-planned pupils are guided to sites checked as suitable for their use and that processes are followed for dealing with any unsuitable mater ial that is found in searches

• At all times, they take care to ensure the safe keeping of per sonal data, minimising the r isk of its loss or misuse

• They use per sonal data only on secure password protected computer s and other devices, ensur ing that they are proper ly “logged-off ” at the end of any session in which they are using per sonal data

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL):

The DSL is tr ained in E-Safety issues and is aware of the potential for ser ious child protection issues which can ar ise from the use of the inter net and ICT They will act in accordance with the procedures descr ibed in the Child Protection Policy and the South West Child Protection Procedures should any issue ar ise , par ticular ly in relation to:

• Shar ing of per sonal data

• Access to illegal / inappropr iate mater ials

• Inappropr iate on-line contact with adults / str anger s

• Potential or actual incidents of grooming

• Cyber-bullying

• Sexting

• The Prevent Duty

E-Safety Committee:

Member s of the E-Safety Committee will assist the ESafety Officer with the production, review and monitor ing of the school E-Safety policy and associated documents

Pupils:

• Are responsible for using the school ICT systems in accordance with the Pupil Acceptable Use Policy

• Have a good under standing of research skills and the need to avoid plagiar ism and uphold copyr ight regulations

• Need to under stand the impor tance of repor ting abuse , misuse or access to inappropr iate mater ials and know how to do so

• Are advised with regard to Downside School policies on the use of mobile phones, digital camer as and handheld devices They are also advised with regard to Downside School policies on the taking / use of images and on cyber-bullying.

• Should under stand the impor tance of adopting good E-Safety pr actice when using digital technologies out of school and realise that the school’s E-Safety Policy cover s their actions out of school, if related to their member ship of the school

Parents / Carers:

Parents and Carer s, as Pr imar y Educator s, play a cr ucial par t in keeping their children safe and are responsible for :

• Encour aging their child / children follow the Pupil

• Acceptable Use Policy at home

• Encour aged to discuss E-Safety issues with their child / children and monitor ing their home use of ICT systems (including mobile phones and games devices) and the Inter net

Policy Statements: Education

Pupils: Whilst regulation and technical solutions are ver y impor tant, their use must be balanced by educating pupils to take a responsible approach The education of pupils in E-Safety is therefore an essential par t of our school’s ESafety provision Children and young people need the help and suppor t of the school to recognise and avoid ESafety r isks and build their resilience E-Safety education will be provided in the following ways:

• A planned E-Safety progr amme is provided as par t of a broader Per sonal, Social, Health and Economic Education progr amme which is delivered for mally through Spir itual, Mor al, Social and Cultur al (SMSC) and other relevant lessons and is regular ly revisited. This is outlined in our scheme of wor k which cover s each year group This ensures that pupils are taught in all lessons to be cr itically aware of the mater ials they access on-line and be guided to validate the accur acy of infor mation. It also cover s both the use of ICT and new technologies in school and outside school

• Pupils are helped to under stand the need for the pupil AUP and encour aged to adopt safe and responsible use of ICT, the Inter net and mobile devices both within and outside school

• Pupils are taught to acknowledge the source of infor mation used and to respect copyr ight when using mater ial accessed on the Inter net

• Rules for use of ICT systems / Inter net are posted in all ICT rooms and displayed on log-on screens

• Staff act as good role models in their use of ICT, the Inter net and mobile devices.

Education – Parents / Carers:

Parents and carer s will have var ying degrees of under standing of E-Safety r isks and issues, and in some cases their under standing may be only limited, yet they play an essential role in the education of their children and in the monitor ing/regulation of the children’s on-line exper iences. Parents may either underestimate or not realise how often children and young people come across potentially har mful and inappropr iate mater ial on the Inter net and are often unsure about what they would do about it “There is a gener ational digital divide” (Byron Repor t)

The School therefore seeks to provide infor mation and awareness to parents/carer s through:

• Regular parent consultation

• Infor mation sent in the Head’s Newsletter

• Infor mation sent by the E-Safety Officer

Technical – Infrastructure / Equipment, Filtering and Monitoring

The school is responsible for ensur ing that the school infr astr ucture / networ k is as safe and secure as is reasonably possible and that policies and procedures approved within this policy are implemented. It also ensures that the relevant people named in the Roles and Responsibilities sections are effective in car r ying out their E-Safety responsibilities:

• School Ser ver s are securely located, and physical access is restr icted

• All user s are provided with a user name and password by the Networ k Manager who keeps an up to date record of user s and their user names. User s are required to change their password on a regular basis

• School ICT technical staff may monitor and record the activity of user s on the school ICT systems and user s are made aware of this in the Acceptable Use Policy

• Actual / potential E-Safety incidents are repor ted immediately to the E-Safety Officer who will ar r ange for these to be dealt with immediately in communication with the Networ k Manager/DSL, repor ting to the Head

• Appropr iate secur ity measures are in place to protect the ser ver s, firewalls, router s, wireless systems, wor k stations from accidental or malicious attempts which might threaten the secur ity of the school systems and data

• The school infr astr ucture and individual wor kstations are protected by up to date anti-vir us software

• Advice is given to staff and pupils about ensur ing they have password protection on mobile devices

Curriculum

• Where pupils are allowed to search the Inter net, eg using search engines, staff are vigilant in monitor ing the content of the websites the young people visit and encour age pupils to use specific appropr iate search ter ms to reduce the likelihood of coning across unsuitable mater ial

• Pupils are taught to be cr itically aware of the mater ials / content they access on-line and be guided to validate the accur acy of infor mation

• Pupils are taught to acknowledge the source of infor mation used and to respect copyr ight when using mater ial accessed on the Inter net

Use of Digital and Video Images - Photographic , Video (To Correspond with Digital Images Policy)

The development of digital imaging technologies has created significant benefits to lear ning, allowing staff and pupils instant use of images that they have recorded themselves or downloaded from the Inter net

However, staff and pupils need to be aware of the r isks associated with shar ing images and with posting digital images on the Inter net

Those images may remain available on the Inter net forever and may cause har m or embar r assment to individuals in the shor t or longer ter m.

There are many repor ted incidents of employer s car r ying out Inter net searches for infor mation about potential and existing employees The school infor ms and educates user s about these r isks and implements policies to reduce the likelihood of the potential for har m:

• When using digital images, staff should infor m and educate pupils about the r isks associated with the taking, use , shar ing, publication and distr ibution of images They should recognise the r isks attached to publishing their own images on the Inter net eg on social networ king sites

• Staff can take digital / video images to suppor t educational aims, but must follow school policies concer ning the shar ing, distr ibution and publication of those images They are advised that they should not store pictures of pupils on school or per sonal devices but should copy them on to the School’s networ k for stor age and then delete them from their per sonal device .

• Care should be taken when taking digital / video images that pupils / pupils are appropr iately dressed and are not par ticipating in activities that might br ing the individuals or the school into disrepute .

• Photogr aphs published on the website , or elsewhere that include pupils will be selected carefully and will comply with good pr actice guidance on the use of such images.

Data Protection:

Per sonal data will be recorded, processed, tr ansfer red and made available according to the Data Protection Act 1998 which states that per sonal data must be:

• Fair ly and lawfully processed

• Processed for limited pur poses

• Adequate , relevant and not excessive

• Accur ate

• Kept no longer than is necessar y

• Processed in accordance with the data subject’s r ights

• Secure

• Only tr ansfer red to other s with adequate protection

N B Staff must have regard to the section on roles and responsibilities in which it states that they must:

• Acknowledge by signature their acceptance of the Downside School Acceptable Use Policy.

• At all times, they take care to ensure the safe keeping of per sonal data, minimising the r isk of its loss or misuse

• They use per sonal data only on secure password protected computer s and other devices, ensur ing that they are proper ly “logged-off ” at the end of any session in which they are using per sonal data They use encr ypted memor y sticks

Communications

A wide r ange of r apidly developing communications technologies have the potential to enhance lear ning When using communication technologies, the school consider s the following as good pr actice:

• The official school email ser vice may be regarded as safe and secure and is monitored

• User s need to be aware that email communications may be monitored.

• User s must immediately repor t the receipt of any email that makes them feel uncomfor table , is offensive , threatening, extreme or bullying in nature and must not respond to any such email. They should not delete it

• Any digital communication between staff and pupils or parents / carer s (email, chat etc) must be professional in tone and content. It should be only via school approved systems

• Pupils should be taught about email safety issues, such as the r isks attached to the use of per sonal details

Per sonal infor mation should not be posted on the school website and only official email addresses should be used to identify member s of staff

Responding to Incidents of Misuse: It is hoped that all member s of the school community will be responsible user s of ICT, who under stand and follow this policy However, there may be times when infr ingements of the policy could take place , through careless or ir responsible or, ver y r arely, through deliber ate misuse Listed below are the responses that will be made to any apparent or actual incidents of misuse:

If any apparent or actual misuse appear s to involve illegal activity, such as:

• Indecent images of children

• Adult mater ial which potentially breaches the Obscene Publications Act.

• Cr iminally r acist mater ial

• Other cr iminal conduct, activity or mater ials

• Radicalisation

Responding to use of a VPN: Using a Vir tual Pr ivate Networ k (VPN) within the school is seen as a deliber ate attempt to circumvent the safeguarding filter s put in place As such, a pupil is exposing themselves to inappropr iate content including (but not limited to) r adical mater ial, por nogr aphy and grooming

It is more likely that the school will need to deal with incidents that involve inappropr iate r ather than illegal misuse It is impor tant that any incidents are dealt with as soon as possible in a propor tionate manner, and that member s of the school community are aware that incidents have been dealt with Incidents will be dealt with, in the fir st instance , by the HsM and, where appropr iate , the school sanctions for unacceptable behaviour will be applied

However, if any illegal misuse is detected or repor ted action will be taken in accordance with the guidance contained in the section entitled ‘Procedures for dealing with Inappropr iate/Illegal Inter net Access or Mater ial’ in the Child Protection Policy (Appendix 2 – Safeguarding and ICT)

Digital/mobile communication between Pupils / Downside Staff

Communication between pupils and staff, by whatever method, should take place within clear and explicit professional boundar ies This includes the wider use of technology such as mobile phones, text messaging, emails, digital camer as, videos, web-cams, websites and blogs

All communications between staff and pupils via social media will be perfor med using an account which is not the member of staff ’ s per sonal account If a member of staff is unsure how to set up a business/professional account they should fir st gain per mission from the Deputy Head and then seek guidance from the Exter nal Communications depar tment.

EDUCATION GUARDIAN –GUIDANCE NOTES

Education guardianship

Parents of pupils at Downside School (the School) who are resident outside the UK must appoint an Education Guardian for their child in the UK This is the case for all pupils, ir relevant of age , even for those aged 18 or over by the time they leave the School

Why must an Education Guardian be appointed?

It is usual for independent schools to insist that over seas parents appoint Education Guardians for their children whilst they are at school in the UK This is to ensure that there is somebody in the UK who can take responsibility for the child or young per son and provide them with care and suppor t when they are not in the care of the School The Education Guardian should also be given legal author ity to act on behalf of the Parent(s) in all respects

Who can be an Education Guardian?

An Education Guardian may be a family member, a family fr iend, a guardianship agency, a host family, or other responsible adult based in the UK The Guardian must be aged 25 or older, unless a brother or sister of the child, when they must be over 21 year s of age The Guardian cannot live in univer sity halls or shared accommodation with any other adult under 25 year s of age

Most over seas parents use a guardianship agency to act as Education Guardian

Guardianship agencies typically ar r ange accommodation as well as acting as Educational Guardian for their students Guardianship agencies will usually ar r ange accommodation for their students through host families, although sometimes other accommodation options will be used Host families will then be responsible for providing the day to day care of the student, accommodation and meals. If the guardianship agency ar r anges accommodation for the child or young per son, the agency will be responsible for ensur ing the quality and safety of the accommodation

including the necessar y Disclosure and Bar r ing Ser vice (DBS) checks

An Education Guardian must be resident in the UK at a suitable proximity to Downside School, prefer ably within 90 minutes tr avel, but no more than two hour s, and be capable of providing care for a child in a happy home environment as would a reasonable and responsible parent.

How is an Education Guardian appointed?

The responsibility for choosing an appropr iate Education Guardian rests solely with the Parents The Parents are responsible in each case for satisfying themselves as to the suitability of an Education Guardian

It is impor tant to note that the School does not recommend any specific agency and parents are required to make their own checks into the suitability of any agency The School is not able to ar r ange the appointment of an Education Guardian and is not able to ar r ange accommodation for any pupils (except when they are boarding at School)

It is expected that, other than when appointing a relative or close family fr iend, the Parents will appoint an Education Guardian via a reputable or ganisation, prefer ably a member or ganisation of the Association for the Education and Guardianship of Inter national Students (AEGIS) AEGIS is the author itative association for inspecting and accrediting guardianship agencies in the UK AEGIS can be contacted via their website: www aegisuk net

Informing the School of a change of Education Guardian Parents MUST infor m the School as soon as possible if there are any changes to any details relating to the Education Guardian, including any change in Guardian This is especially impor tant if your child holds a student visa

THE DUTIES OF AN EDUCATION GUARDIAN

An Education Guardian must:

• Be aware of all tr avel ar r angements of the child at the beginnings and ends of ter m, each half ter m and each exeat And, within this, to be available to host the child in any planned or emer gency situation in which the child will retur n to School later than 10:00pm on any of the star t of ter m, retur n from half ter m, retur n from an exeat or from an extr aordinar y time away from school (such as at a weekend, univer sity visit, etc )

• Collect, if required, and accommodate the child in their home at half ter m, at exeats and at the beginning and end of ter m, if the child is unable to tr avel home and, if necessar y, for the School holidays for the same reason or for other exceptional reasons;

• Collect and accommodate the child in their home in the event that the child is excluded for non-payment of fees or suspended or withdr awn from the School for disciplinar y or other reasons;

• Collect and accommodate the child in their home in the event that the School has to take emer gency action, such as in case of a pandemic , damage to par t of the school or a par tial closure of the School;

• Liaise with the Housemaster/Housemistress, Head of Nur sing or other senior member of the School staff in connection with matter s related to the health, welfare , tr avel plans and education of the child

• Attend the School premises or any other location in case of emer gency or if the child is unwell and if deemed necessar y by the School, provided that the Education Guardian immediately infor ms the Parent(s) of what has happened;

• Collect and accommodate the child in their home in the event that the child is unwell and unable to attend School;

• Attend medical appointments with the child, if requested by the Parent(s) to do so;

• Provide consent for the child to receive emer gency medical treatment if necessar y and only if the School is unable to contact the Parent(s);

• Should the Parent(s) request, the Guardian is welcome to attend, as appropr iate , School events such as Parents’ Conferences, Pr ize Day, Carol Ser vice , House at Home , Spor ts Fixtures, Concer ts and other instances in which the child is par ticipating. In such circumstances, the Guardian is requested to infor m the Housemaster/ Housemistress in advance

PR OCEDURES FOR VISITORS

Downside takes the following steps to ensure that its premises are secure:

1 All Staff and Volunteer s (recr uited in accordance with Safer Recr uitment Procedures) wear identity badges at all times *1

2 ‘Visitor s ’ includes all per sons ar r iving on the School site , who are not gover nor s, member s of staff, volunteer s (for whom there are separ ate ar r angements), or pupils of the School

3 All visitor s must repor t to Reception in the Old House of the Main Quad *2 (Reception is staffed on weekdays between 8am and 6pm and on Saturdays between 8.30am and 2.30pm)

4. Visitor s must display the visitor’s badge given and must sign the visitor s ’ book in Reception

5 Visitor’s badges must be retur ned to Reception just before depar ture .

6 Visitor s must be accompanied by a member of staff at all times *3

7 Boarding Houses:

The boarding Houses are nor mally closed to visitor s However, parents visiting their own children in their boarding house may do so after checking in with a member of the House staff and signing the House visitor s ’ book

Parents are advised to contact the House to infor m the House staff of the time they are ar r iving.

*1 Coloured lanyards are as follows: Black – Staff

Yellow – Contr actor s White – Gover nor s

Green – Monastic Community / Abbey Staff

Blue – Residents

Pur ple – Volunteer s

Red – Visitor s

*2 Exceptions:

1. Parents visiting their children in Caverel, Bar low or Isabella Houses, and who are not enter ing the Main School buildings Parents visiting these Houses must repor t directly on ar r ival to the House staff on duty in the House at the time

2 Parents visiting their children outside the hour s when reception is staffed. Parents are advised to contact the House to infor m the House staff of the time they are ar r iving

3. Visitor s to the Spor ts Hall or Swimming Pool for an exter nal club or county event

Visitor s should make their way to the Spor ts Centre/Swimming Pool via the path from the Main School Quad

Sign the register on ar r ival at the Spor ts Centre/Swimming Pool.

Remain in the area designated for the activity you are attending or, if by agreement with the activity or ganiser you are leaving a child at the activity, you must leave the site and retur n to pick up the child at the agreed time

*3 The exception to this is prospective parent visits who are given a school tour by a senior pupil (6th For m). These pupils are br iefed by the admissions team Dur ing examination per iods or under special circumstances Fir st and Second For m pupils may be asked to take a tour They will nor mally be in pair s on these occasions

It is also recognised that there are cer tain times when parents and other visitor s will enter the School without having to wear badges eg Match teas, concer ts, plays and other such events On these occasions visitor s should remain in the area in which the event is taking place

It is also impor tant to remember that at the star t and end of ter m and at exeats parents/guardians can often be present on site without having to sign in and wear a badge , as they drop off or pick up pupils Staff and volunteer s are asked to be sensitive and polite in questioning those without badges to ascer tain who they are and their reason for being on the School site Concer ns should be repor ted to a member of the SLT.

Pupils are advised never to pass on the school or house entr y codes to visitor s and, whilst being at all times cour teous, they are asked not to allow admittance to people who do not have a school identity badge or are unaccompanied They should direct such visitor s to reception or to a member of staff If they are at all concer ned about an unidentified str anger on the school site , they should repor t the matter to a member of staff immediately

Protocol for visitor s to the monaster y guest wing

Though they are geogr aphically next to each other, the School and the Monaster y occupy separ ate areas and are distinct from one another. Visitor s may not enter any par t of the School or School grounds

Visitor s to the monaster y will only be allowed on School premises if they have business with the School and comply with the School’s visitor protocol

SCHOOL POLICIES

Academic and Cur r iculum Policy

Accessibility Plan

Admissions Policy

Anti-bullying Policy

Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy

Concer ns and Complaints Policy

COVID-19 Policy

COVID Risk Assessment

Equality, Diver sity and Inclusion Statement

Equal Oppor tunities Policy

Expulsion Removal and Review Policy

Fire Policy & Procedures

Fir st Aid Policy

Health and Safety Policy

Physical Restr aint Policy

PSHEE Policy

Pupil Behaviour Policy

Risk Assessment Policy

Relationships & Sex Education (RSE) Policy

Safeguarding Statement

Statement of Boarding Pr inciples

Super vision of Pupils Notice

If you require any fur ther School infor mation copy please contact the School Office via hmpa@downside .co.uk

MUSIC AT DOWNSIDE SCHOOL

It is my ver y great pleasure to welcome you to the Music Depar tment at Downside School, which is also the first point of contact for dance and drama. I hope you will enjoy playing a full par t in the performing ar ts while you ’ re here at Downside

The Music Depar tment, based in the recently refurbished O’Flaher ty Music School, is happy, busy and flour ishing. It deliver s more than 250 individual instr umental, singing, dance and dr ama lessons ever y week, and it suppor ts our bands, choir s, orchestr as and other ensembles with around 20 weekly rehear sals Not sur pr isingly, many new pupils and their parents find this all a little daunting!

I hope the infor mation which follows will help to guide you through the day-to-day pr acticalities of individual music lessons, pr ivate pr actice and member ship of the ensembles

Please don’t hesitate to ask if you have a musical quer y, however tr ivial it may seem Contact details are given in the ‘Member s of the Music Depar tment’ section

Over the cour se of a year there are many musical events including Chor al Concer t, St Cecilia Concer t, House Music Competition, House Singing, Rock Nights, Music for a Summer’s Evening, regular Abbey ser vices and the joint Char ity Showcase var ious local bands, plus a var iety of ‘one-off ’ events involving musicians

How much do lessons cost?

Music lessons cost £290 00 per ter m in the academic year 2022-23. This is based on an aver age of 9 lessons per ter m In reality, pupils are likely to receive more that this in the (longer) Michaelmas ter m and fewer in the (shor ter) summer ter m. In the event of a pupil not receiving 27 lessons over the cour se of a full academic year, an adjustment will be made to the final summer bill It is impor tant that you read and understand the school policy on missed music lessons

If a pupil uses a school instr ument r ather than their own you will be char ged £40.00 per ter m for instr ument hire .

Music Ensembles and events

There are lots of different ensembles at Downside and you will be encour aged to join those which are appropr iate to you Singer s have Schola Cantor um (the main school choir), the Mixed Chamber, Boys’ Chamber, Gir ls’ Chamber Choir s and Barber shop while instr umentalists have ever ything from Orchestr a to Concer t/CCF Band, Br ass Group, Pipe Band and Jazz Band Chamber ensembles such as Cello Group, Str ing Quar tet and Junior Piano Tr io are put together on a more ad hoc basis and there are plenty of oppor tunities for music-making with other s Some of these groups are auditioned and your teacher will be able to advise you on which is appropr iate for you

Where do lessons take place?

All lessons take place within the Perfor ming Ar ts Centre , also known as the O’Flaher ty Music School

Lesson times – where to find them

All lessons are shown in the SOCS School App for pupils This will be explained to your child in their induction.

Fixed Lessons: Pupils in the 6th for m are offered a fixed time for their music lesson which avoids all academic lessons Fixed lessons may, in exceptional circumstances, also be offered to pupils in other year s where it is clear that this is necessar y

Other Lessons: For the major ity of pupils in Fir st to Fifth

For m, the time of a music lesson with a par ticular teacher will change ever y week This is done to avoid missing the same academic lesson too often and we wor k closely with tutor s to ensure that the system is as fair as possible .

Finding out when your lesson will take place: Ever y week, usually on a Fr iday after noon, timetables for the following week are published in var ious places These will be explained in more details once you ’ ve joined the school Timetables are also posted on the Parent Por tal of the website ever y Fr iday for the following week. Music Depar tment and House staff are all glad to help pupils with their music timetables

What happens if a pupil can’t make a lesson?

It’s impor tant that the Music Depar tment knows as soon as possible We can tr y and re-ar r ange things if we know beforehand, prefer ably 48 hour s in advance If a pupil is ill and not in school then we’ll know from the register s and there’s no need to contact us House staff including House Parents can get messages to us

What happens if a pupil misses a lesson by mistake?

We’re all human and know that, in the busy life of a school, things are sometimes for gotten The Music Depar tment has a policy on missed lessons which is both on display in Houses and given below. We pr ide our selves on treating all pupils as individuals and wor k closely with tutor s and house staff to help ensure that music lessons are a success for each pupil, but they also need to make sure that they do their best to attend lessons; 100% attendance is not impossible and is achieved by most pupils ever y ter m!

Pupil Absence Procedure (Music Lessons)

Missed a lesson?

• Come down to the Music School and see Mr s Rees-Jones or Ms Child

• Did you miss because you were ill / on a school tr ip / involved in a spor ts match (NOT just a nor mal games session)? It will not be treated as an absence but if you know in advance then you should see Mr s Rees-Jones or Ms Child in the fir st instance

• Did you miss because you for got / misread the timetable / didn’t check the timetable? It will be mar ked as an absence

Missed 2 lessons on the same instrument this term through forgetfulness / misreading or not checking the timetable?

• The missed lesson will be mar ked as an absence and your child will receive a de-mer it

Missed 3 lessons on the same instrument this term through forgetfulness / misreading or not checking the timetable?

• The missed lesson will be mar ked as an absence , your child will receive a de-mer it and parents will be contacted to advise them of the missed attendance

A CHAR GE WILL BE M ADE FOR ALL LESSONS MISSED WITHOUT A VALID REASON

Practice times, including smar t card access

The Perfor ming Ar ts Centre is protected by a ser ies of electronic locks and each pupil taking music lessons will be asked to sign a contr act of responsible use before being issued with a smar t card giving them access to the building as appropr iate . The fir st smar t card issued is free but, in the event of a smar t card being lost, replacements are char ged at £10 to cover the cost of the smar t card Pupils are able to access the building at the following times:

Monday to Fr iday 07 00 – 21 00

Saturday 07 00 – 18 00

Sunday 11 30 – 18 00

There is no for mal booking system for the pr actice rooms; if it is not in use by a teacher or another pupil then you are able to use it Pianists are also able to use the piano in the Theatre and the Gasquet Hall

Stopping music lessons

If you wish to stop lessons in a par ticular instr ument, we need a full half ter m ’ s notice in wr iting (email is acceptable). You will then be char ged to the end of the following half ter m This is in accordance with the ter ms and conditions of music lessons as given on the on-line Music Lessons For m The half ter m notice per iod is in order for us to fulfil our contr actual obligations to our instr umental staff.

Members of the Music Depar tment Director of Music , organist anD Master of the schola c antoruM

Mr Julian Mcnamar a Ma (oxon), frco, PgDipPerf (rncM) jmcnamar a@downside co uk

heaD of ac aDeMic Music

Mr geor ge Bevan

BMus (hons), Ma, arco(chM) gbevan@downside co uk

Music school aDMinistrator

Mr s Patr icia rees-Jones

BMus (hons), Pgce, Ma music@downside co uk

Music school aDMinistrator (tiMetaBling)

Ms natasha child music@downside co uk

Please find a list of the instr umental Music teacher s here , together with introductor y infor mation about the Music Depar tment

downside sport

Our spor ts development philosophy for players and coaches is based on a positive mental attitude and exceptional work ethic , and this is expected from all pupils par ticipating in Spor t and Physical Education at Downside School. Our aim is to coach the whole child to ensure that they find a spor t in which they can par ticipate , excel and learn the values of being par t of a team

Discipline | Honesty | Stewardship

these foundational values of Downside spor t are derived from our Benedictine traditions and underpin an integral framewor k of spor ts coaching at our school that aims to develop young people as strong, resilient leader s of character that can excel in spor t, school and life our emphasis on ‘talent Development’ recognises the power of teamwor k and the impor tance of moral and performance character all pupils at Downside , regardless of ability, will par ticipate in spor t and physical activity during their time here , affording us the oppor tunity to offer all pupils a foundation of spor ting experiences, leading to a development of ability/interest and culminating, for those who represent the school competitively, to an attitude focusing on the fulfilment of talent

ideologically, ‘talent Development’ remains central to our mission our spor ts coaching staff are committed to developing the potential in each and ever y pupil By way of emphasising this pur suit of the best that we can be , the notion of establishing a positive coaching climate has been paramount Whilst some schools may adhere to a ‘win at all costs’ mentality, the Benedictine values to which we hold so dear have suppor ted Downside’s staff and pupils in developing a spor ts coaching philosophy that has prioritised attitude and effor t in both training and competitive performances, above simplified performance values such as winning and losing. it is nice to have both of cour se , but it is much easier to realise the latter if you can fir st develop a culture that celebrates the former

We believe that in these changing social times, the significant majority of young performer s will recognise the

value of attitudes and behaviour s that are indicative of a climate of development in spor t. these include effor t & improvement, a growth mind-set, sense of belonging and fundamental movement skills it is our aim to establish this

climate of development in all areas of spor t at Downside school our most able or more senior pupils, in a representative pathway for their specialist spor t or for tunate enough to play for their respective ‘a’ or 1st team in school might experience attitudes and behaviour s indicative of a climate of performance , e g : performance training & specialisation We are justifiably proud of the culture of spor t at Downside school and we are equally proud of the achievements of our talented performer s and the growing reputation of our spor ts teams

Downside school believes that physical activity plays an impor tant role in ever y child’s development the aim of spor t & Physical education at Downside school is to provide a high quality balanced curriculum of team and individual activities which allows each student to gain under standing of his or her own physical ability, to provide experiences which help to promote character and provide the oppor tunity for high levels of performance ‘spor t for all’ is a central par t of the school’s philosophy as is the desire for ever y pupil to enjoy physical activity and achieve their own per sonal best Whilst our curriculum distinguishes between Physical education and spor t, the notion of excellence permeates throughout We are unashamedly aspirational for all our spor ts performer s and challenge all our pupils to be “the best me i can be” in ever y aspect of school life

our athlete Development Programme has been designed to suppor t scholar ship holder s and other talented pupils, ensuring that ever y lesson, coaching session and mentoring meeting is designed to reinforce and suppor t attitudes and behaviour s that will create excellence and high performance conditions that are full of challenge , creative thinking, critical thinking, problem solving and student choice . adhering to the core Downside spor t values par ticipants will have access to subject specific mentoring & suppor t from our experienced team of outstanding

coaches they will be expected to par ticipate in enrichment extra-curricular/co-curricular activities, receive and offer feedback and share per sonalised objectives and targets that will ensure that a climate of development leads to an effective climate of performance , fur ther endor sing Downside school’s desire to be:

the school is a full member of the Bristol corinthians sailing club which is located at the cheddar reser voir in somer set the club is affiliated to the rYa and pupils have access to a wide range of water spor t activities there , including sailing, windsurfing and stand-up paddle boarding. Downside has an excellent fleet of topaz argo sailing dinghies and, for those pupils who wish to progress and either enter sailing races or gain qualifications from the rYa, including instr uctor award, the royal navy section of the Downside ccf is open to all

responsibility and leader ship for the major spor ts in the school is assured by our outstanding team of experienced education professionals and highly respected Development lead coaches, all of whom have played/coached at the highest levels representatively substantial suppor t is provided by a large team of additional level 2 and level 3 specialist female and male spor ts coaches and academic staff who deliver excellent coaching throughout the school and across the age range .

alongside timetabled games sessions three times per week for all pupils, there are a wide range of extra-curricular clubs and activities throughout the year these include , but are not limited to scuba diving, kayaking, fencing, archer y, 5-a-side football, cross countr y, badminton, basketball, table tennis, swimming, .22 rifle shooting, clay pigeon shooting, sailing, touch r ugby, squash, hor se riding, yoga and fitness training

no pupil may swim without a responsible adult being present and a qualified lifeguard games that can cause damage to windows are to be played away from the buildings golf may be practiced only on the athletics field and beyond the long shr ubberies studded boots may not be worn inside the buildings.

SPORT & GAMES PROGRAMME AT DOWNSIDE SCHOOL

the following spor ts or games are available dur ing the three ter ms of the academic year, as follows:

Michaelmas Term

Year Group Boys Girls

1st & 2nd Form rugby hockey

3rd & 4th Form rugby hockey

5th & 6th Form rugby hockey

cross countr y, swimming cross countr y, swimming Badminton, football Badminton, health & Well-Being

Lent Term

Year Group Boys Girls

1st & 2nd Form hockey netball

3rd & 4th Form hockey netball

5th & 6th Form hockey netball

cross countr y, swimming cross countr y, swimming football, table tennis health & Well-Being, table tennis

Summer Term

Year Group Boys Girls

1st & 2nd Form cr icket tennis

3rd & 4th Form cr icket tennis

5th & 6th Form cr icket, tennis tennis, athletics, athletics, swimming swimming, health & Well-Being

Badminton, Volleyball

Badminton, Volleyball sailing sailing

‘ to be a bright light in the world of education, illuminating the lives of young people and inspiring service in the world through e xperience of Benedictine culture’

E XA MPLE OF A T YPICAL WEEKEND AT DO

CO-CURRICULUM

Co - curricular activities, clubs and societies at Downside provide vital experiences and opportunities, introducing pupils to new experiences, new life skills and new friends.

All pupils participate in the co-curriculum programme which runs throughout the week and on weekends. With over 100 options to choose from, there is something for everyone – from adventure and sports to creative arts and service.

Archer y

Army Advanced Platoon

Army Basic Platoon

Art Academy and Club

Athletic Development

Badminton

Board Games Club

Book Chat

Caving Trips

CCF (Army & Navy)

CCF Corp of Drums

CCF Target (.22) Shooting Club

Chess Club

Clay Target Sunday Shooting Club

Cricket - indoor net training

Cross County Club

David Attenborough Documentar y Club

Debating Club - Abingdon Society

Development Tennis

Dingy Sailing Club

Duke of Edinburgh Award

Environmental Group

Expedition Society

Fashion Show Club

Fencing

Fitness Gym

Football

Golf Development & Leadership

Health & Wellbeing

Illustration

International Committee

Kayaking Club

Knit and Natter

Language Leaders

Lectio Divina Group

Maths Magic

Medical Society

Model United Nations Club

Mountain Bike Club

Music Technology/Recording Group

Paddlesport Club

Recreational Dance

Robotics Club

Rugby 7's Training

Rugby Coaching & Leadership

Sailing Club

Scuba Diving

Sewing Group

Shooting Club

Sign Language Course

Squash

Swimming

Ten Tors

Volleyball

Wine Appreciation Course - Sixth Form

Woodworking

World of Curiosity - Desire for Drawing

World of Maths

MEETINGS

MUSIC REHEARSA

CHAPL AINC Y

Mass is celebrated in the Old Chapel on Tuesdays and Fridays at 7.40 a.m., except on days when Mass is celebrated with the School in the Abbey Church Anyone who would like to assist with reading or ser ving at the morning Mass is asked to see one of the Chaplains

on thur sday evenings at 9 00 p m in the old chapel there are house Masses or house reconciliation ser vices

confessions are heard before sunday Mass in the abbey church in st Benedict’s chapel (from 9 40 a m when the Mass is at 10 00 a m ) confessions are heard on thur sdays before and dur ing the evening Mass in the old chapel, or at other times by pr ivate ar r angement with one of the chaplains.

lectio DiVina groups meet once a week, ar r anged by the leader of the group.

the rosarY grouP meets ever y tuesday in the old chapel at 9 15 p m

DaY PuPils attend a weekly ser vice with the chaplains.

OLD GREGORIANS OF ST GREGORY ’S SOCIET Y

Alumni from Downside School are called “Old Gregorians”. The first recorded meeting of St Gregor y ’ s Society was in 1843. Today St Gregor y ’ s Society comprises around 5,000 Old Gregorians and it is thriving.

the centrepiece in the society’s calendar is the easter retreat held at Downside each year from Maundy thur sday to easter sunday and attended by many ogs both young and old and their families Dinner s in london, hong Kong and Br azil remain regular annual fixtures and events are held ever y three year s in Dublin, Madr id and Malta.

spor t also flour ishes under the auspices of the society through the Wanderer s cr icket club, the og golfing society and more recently, og rugby the society publishes a monthly newsletter sent via email and there is an active group on facebook and linkedin

old gregor ians provide invaluable career s advice and assistance to cur rent pupils and have a wealth of exper ience in a wide r ange of professions, which they are ver y happy to share with cur rent Downside pupils

one of the great pr ivileges of member s of the society is that we are remembered in the Masses and pr ayer s of the community at st gregor y ’ s

the Development office at Downside suppor ts st gregor y ’ s society by managing all administr ative tasks the office holds the og database if you are looking for old fr iends, r un the on-line shop for memor abilia and events, keep this website up to date and if you want to visit Downside we will ensure you receive a war m welcome

GREGORIAN PRAYER

almighty father, by the power of your holy spir it, gr ant that the whole Downside community may prosper in its devotion to you through chr ist our lord