Holyport College is more than just a school. It is a close-knit community of students, staff and their families that work together to develop the lives of young people and enrich their futures.
Boarding is at the heart of the College community and reflects its values and ethos. The modern boarding model that we provide seeks to replicate the family atmosphere of a home where relationships are familiar in nature and the environment relaxed and stable.
This caring and nurturing environment builds the confidence of boarders and encourages them to develop new skills and to go outside of their comfort zones. Boarding provides opportunities that open doors, turning interests into passions and setting futures in motion.
We believe that balance is the key to a happy and successful education. We hope that all boarders will aspire to academic success. At the same time, they should balance their time with activities and events that enrich their mind and boost their physical and mental health. We also believe it is important for young people to socialise.
Boarding at Holyport College is based on the following principles:
● The development of the whole person, physically, spiritually, intellectually, morally, socially and emotionally in an atmosphere of positive encouragement.
● Mutual respect and the right to be treated as an individual.
● The right of the individual to not suffer any form of abuse.
● An equality of opportunities.
● The right to privacy.
● Supportive links with parents and guardians.
In addition to addressing physical needs and a sense of security and safety, each House seeks to contribute to its students’ development in their sense of belonging, their self-esteem and self-respect and self-realisation.
Deputy Head Master & Head of Boarding
PA to the Deputy Head Master
House Masters
Assistant Housemaster (JF)
Assistant House Master (BT)
Matron & Domestic Bursar
Resident Boarding Assistant (JF)
Resident Boarding Assistant (BT)
Steve Gardner
Esther Tabram
Katie Brown (Johnson)
Natasha Smyth (Fawcett)
George Fowles (Brunel)
Simon Wingate (Turing)
Hayley Howard
Chris Slyper
Becca Biddle
George Atkinson
Lauren Kerr
Each evening there will be up to ten members of staff on duty. This will include the House Master(s), Matron, Boarding Enrichment and Sixth Form Tutors. All play their part in supervising the boarders and enriching their boarding experience.
In addition to addressing physical needs and a sense of security and safety, each House seeks to contribute to its students’ development in their sense of belonging, their self-esteem and self-respect and self-realisation.
We endeavour to update our social media accounts on a daily basis to ensure that all parents, carers and guardians can see the range of opportunities that are on offer to our boarders. Please do follow the below accounts, if you can.
Twitter:
- @holyport_deputy
Instagram:
- @boarding_holyport
- @fawcett_holyport
- @johnson_holyport
- @brunel_holyport
- @turing_holyport
Isambard Kingdom BRUNEL
Katherine JOHNSON
Millicent FAWCETT
Alan TURING
There are a number of modes of communications depending on purpose and time of day.
For general enquiries during school opening hours, please contact reception.
Reception Telephone: 01628 640150
Reception email: reception@holyportcollege.org.uk
After 5.00pm you can contact the boarding house on the house mobile:
● Johnson: 07733 171966
● Fawcett: 07760936828
● Brunel: 07340442857
● Turing: 07733174320
The house staff on duty that night will answer the phone. This phone number is also on Whatsapp which tends to be more reliable than the reception, so feel free to text us.
Alternatively you can email the relevant House Master:
Johnson: Miss Katie Brown k.brown@holyportcollege.org.uk
Fawcett: Mrs Natasha Smyth n.smyth @holyportcollege.org.uk
Brunel: Mr George Fowles g.fowles@holyportcollege.org.uk
Turing: Mr Simon Wingate s.wingate@holyportcollege.org.uk
Pupils are also given their own email address which they may access on site and at home. Boarders are allowed to receive parcels and letters but not food deliveries.
College Address:
Holyport College
Ascot Road
Holyport
Berkshire SL6 3LE
Boarders’ mail should be addressed to:
Pupil Name
Holyport College, Ascot Road
Holyport, Berkshire SL6 3LE
We use a system called Orah for leave requests and signing boarders in and out of boarding. Further details will be sent to parents at the start of the year.
Boarders must have permission to leave the school site unless they are going off-site for an activity or event organised by Holyport College or they are going to an ‘approved location’. We encourage our boarders to join local clubs and sports teams and they are allowed to attend local training sessions and fixtures. Last year, our boarders represented clubs in the following sports: football, hockey, rugby, ice-hockey, cricket, rowing. We also had boarders attending cadets and other such groups.
● Parents must request leave on Orah every time the boarders leave the site (even if this is a weekly occurrence).
● Requests should be made at least 24 hours in advance to allow staff time to authorise them.
● Parents must organise and arrange all transport and communicate this with duty staff via Orah
● Return times must be clearly stated on the leave request.
● The student must ensure they are able to contact duty staff.
● Parental permission MUST be approved on Orah even if a parent is picking up the child.
● Weekend leave requests are needed by 4pm on Tuesday prior to the weekend to allow us to organise catering numbers and transportation for trips. Parents must give any additional information on the notes section on Orah so duty staff are fully aware of student movements.
● Boarders should return to College between the hours of 1900-2100 on a Sunday night.
● Leave must be submitted on Orah please.
● Departure is at 3 45 pm on Friday
● Return after 7pm on Sunday and before 9pm.
● Please respect the boarding staff’s time off and keep to the above timings.
Like day students, boarders will want to attend parties and social occasions at weekends. If there is a party at the weekend, the student must sign out for the weekend. No student should be attending a party and returning to the boarding house.
The only exception to this is if a student has requested to go for dinner to celebrate a birthday or special event and are able to return within their usual curfew hours.
We ask parents to send House Masters communication if there is a big party or social event occurring during an evening or over a weekend.
There are a number of ‘approved locations’ that boarders are allowed to visit unsupervised without parental permission. Permission must still be granted by the duty House Master (or equivalent member of staff) and boarders must sign out on Orah as they leave.
Boarders must leave the site in groups of three (minimum) and must ensure they are able to contact their house-phone in case of an emergency. The rules, boundaries and curfews vary for each year group. The Housemaster on duty will agree terms with the boarders upon leaving the school site.
Year 7
Year 8
Year 9 Holyport Village
Weekends only Walk in groups of 3 or more
House Master
Year 10 Holyport Village, Windsor, Maidenhead and Bracknell
Weekends only Walk in groups of 3 or more to Holyport
Taxi*or bus to Windsor, Maidenhead and Bracknell
Timings agreed by House Masters.
Year 11 Holyport Village, Windsor, Maidenhead and Bracknell
Weekends only (including weekend evenings)
Walk in groups of 3 or more to Holyport
Taxi*or bus to Windsor, Maidenhead and Bracknell
Timings agreed by House Masters
Sixth Form Holyport Village, Windsor, Maidenhead and Bracknell
From 4pm each day with the exception of Monday Walk to Holyport
Taxi*or bus to Windsor, Maidenhead and Bracknell
Timings agreed by House Masters
* Taxis must be booked and paid for by boarders. Where possible we will do our best to transport groups in minibuses.
At weekends, the duty House Master will agree timings according to weekend plans.
There are clear times that the boarding houses open and close. Please do not arrive outside of these times as the boarding houses will be closed and there will not be an adult to supervise your child. If travel for international boarders dictates that your child will arrive outside of these hours then their guardian must be used until the boarding houses are open.
Monday 4th September Inset day
Monday 4th September Year 12 and Prefect boarders arrive 5pm
Tuesday 5th September
Start of term - Year 12 only Year 7, Year 9 and Year 13 boarders arrive 5pm
Wednesday 6th September Year 8, Year 10 and Year 11 boarders arrive 5pm
Friday 22nd September to Sunday 24th
September Exeat weekend - departure 3 45pm
Friday 13th October
Boarders leave for half term - departure 3.45pm
Monday 17th to Friday 28th October Half term
Monday 30th October Inset day/boarders return after half term return from 7pm
Friday 17th to Sunday 19th November Exeat weekend - departure 3 45pm return after 7pm
Tuesday 12th December
End of term -boarders leave at 2.30pm
3rd January Christmas holiday
Monday 13th December to Wednesday
Thursday 4th January Inset day
Friday 5th January Inset day
Sunday 7th January Boarders return at 7pm
Monday 8th January
Friday 26th to Sunday 28th January
Friday 9th February
Monday 12th to Friday 16th February
Sunday 18th February
Friday 8th to Sunday 10th March
Thursday 28th March
Start of term
Exeat weekend - departure 3 45pm return from 7pm
Boarders leave for half term - departure 3.45pm
Half term
Boarders return after half term - return from 7pm
Exeat weekend -departure 3.45pm return from 7pm
End of term -boarders leave at 2 30pm
Friday 29th March to Friday 12th April Easter holidays
Sunday 14th April
Monday 15th April
Boarders return from 7pm
Start of term
Friday 3rd to Monday 6th May Exeat weekend -departure 3.45pm return from 7pm
Tuesday 7th May
Friday 24th May
Monday 27th May to Friday 31st May
Sunday 2nd June
Inset day/boarders return at 7pm
Boarders leave for half term
Half term
Boarders return after half term 7pm
Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd June Exeat weekend -departure 3.45pm return from 7pm d d h l d f m -boarders leave at 2 30pm
Over the first few weeks of boarding we plan activities to allow the new boarders to get to know everyone and the systems of boarding. These include, but are not limited to; year group social events, orientation of the school site, walk-throughs of routines such as fire drills and trips at the weekend to get to know the local area. Our goal is to help each boarder feel settled and comfortable as quickly as possible.
● Quilt or duvet (for a single bed) and pillow(s).
● 2 quilt and pillow cover sets - with mattress sheets.
● 2 bath towels.
● Dressing gown or robe and nightwear.
● Slippers - shoes / slippers / flip flops must be worn in the house at all times.
● Casual clothes and shoes for wearing outside school hours (known as mufti). These clothes need to be appropriate please.
● Appropriate sporting equipment, safety items and sports clothing, including footwear and swimwear. The exact items will depend on the sports played.
● Each boarder has a limited amount of storage space (a small wardrobe and a drawers) so please pack sensibly and do not bring excessive amounts of clothing.
● Crockery - a cup, plate, bowl and cutlery.
● 2 padlocks - for tuck drawer and locker (combination locks are advised as keys are easily lost).
● 2 Net bags - labelled, and as strong as possible.
● All required toiletries and vanity equipment, in a suitable carry bag – no aerosols please as they can set off the fire alarms.
● Stationery.
● ICT equipment at discretion of parent. Advised: laptop or iPad.
● Alarm clock (Year 7-11 don’t have their phones overnight).
● Hangers.
● Hand / Hair towels.
● Tuck box - some boarders like to have a small, lockable tuck box.
● Flip flops for the shower room.
● Nightlight if required.
● Anything else to make the room personal and homely. 10
Saturday
Varied times Wake up and breakfast routines
Morning Sport or free time 12:30
Afternoon Trip, activities or free time 17:30
Evening Films, activities, free time
Sunday
As a school, we aim to ‘add value’ to a boarder’s education by offering a wide range of evening activities. Each term, boarders will have the opportunity to sign up for a number of ‘additional courses’. Some of these courses will be ‘paid for’ by parents by parent pay whilst others will be free of charge. All of these courses will be emailed to parents in advance.
We also offer a range of academic enrichment events throughout the year. This includes:
● (HEMP) Holyport Eton Mentoring Programme: The Holyport Eton Mentorship Programme is an academic enrichment programme for a select group of Year 8 students who are set challenges and are taught by Eton Sixth Form Boys over a number of weeks.
● Scholars: These are weekly talks hosted at Holyport College. This year we have welcomed experts and leading professionals from a variety of fields from politics and journalism to gaming and medicine.
● Eton Societies: Holyport College is extremely privileged to be invited to a variety ‘society talks’ at Eton College. These lectures will be published on a Monday and students must sign up in advance. Students will be supervised by staff and must wear school uniform. Sixth Formers and senior students will be prioritised for popular events.
Weekends at Holyport College are relaxed with a blend of work, rest, sport and excursions.
There is an expectation that all boarders, even those who go home for the weekend, must attend the organised matches and training sessions on Saturday morning. Saturday afternoons are usually quite flexible and we either go out on trips or have activities on site.
At weekends, we tend to go on trips or excursions. Recent trips have included: HMS Belfast, Frozen the Musical, Thorpe Park, Windsor Escape Rooms, Bletchley Park, iFly, Harry Potter Studios and the. We regularly take boarders to Windsor, Maidenhead, Reading and Bracknell and senior boarders have permission to sign out according to the rules of the house.
The majority of trips are offered as part of the boarding package but some do require a small payment to help subsidise it. Trips that are £15 and under will simply be charged to the bill with your consent. Trips over this cost will require more formal consent.
Holyport College is a ‘full boarding’ school and we offer a full weekend programme for those who stay on site. However, we also understand that many boarders live locally and choose to go home. We are flexible and work with parents to make it work on a case-by-case basis. Usually, boarders are free to go home from 1545 on a Friday, returning between 1900-2100 on a Sunday evening. A number of boarders choose to stay on Friday night ahead of playing a sports fixture on Saturday morning, returning home after the match.
The Boarding House is closed between 0830-1700 for Year 7-11 and between 0830-1600 for Sixth Formers. Like day students, boarders should pack all their belongings for the whole school day and should not need to return to their house. The common room areas are out of bounds for all students between the hours of 0830-1700.
● Electronic devices will be handed in before bedtime for Years 7-11.
● We will ask you to let us know the details of your child’s electronic devices to help us with this. Please let us know if they come back with any new, or different items during the year.
● Electronic devices will be returned before the start of the school day once boarders are ready for school and rooms are tidied. This is at the House Masters’ discretion.
● At weekends House Masters may allow boarders to have their electronic devices overnight depending on the commitments over the weekend.
● Year 11 may be allowed to keep laptops as they prepare for the GCSEs at the House Masters’ discretion
We have very limited storage space in the boarding houses and therefore we ask the following please:
● There is only space for one suitcase per boarder in the storage area - please label the suitcase clearly with your child’s full name.
● All belongings are taken home at the end of each term with the exception of
● International boarders - are provided with one box and a bedding bag - everything else must be taken home
● International boarders can only leave bedding over the summer holiday - everything else must be taken home at this time.
● Local boarders - it would really help if you could take your child’s suitcases home and then bring them in to be packed at the end of each term.
● At EXEAT we encourage boarders to take some belongings home to avoid a build-up of clutter in the boarding houses
Boarders are allowed to bring money and bank cards into school. There is a House bank which is monitored by the House Masters and/or our Matron. Boarders - or parents - can sign in money to the house bank or hand in their wallet. House Bank is open prior to all excursions and outings and Matron keeps a running balance of deposits and withdrawals. Boarders should not have large amounts of cash or their wallets in their rooms. Many boarders now bring debit cards to use for shopping and on trips. ALL passports must be handed to Matron who has a lockable cupboard to keep them safe.
Parent Pay is our online system for paying for everything school related from lunches to trips and activities. It's really easy and simple to use and you will be issued with your log-in details before your child starts at the College.
https://app.parentpay.com
We are working closely with our caterers to ensure the quality and quantity of food at the College is at the highest possible standard. Boarders will have regular student voice meetings in which they are invited to voice their preferences in relation to menus. These preferences are fed back to the catering team. Meals in the dining hall are compulsory for all boarders, including at weekend, unless there is specific permission given by a House Master (for example, a group of boarders are going out for dinner at a local restaurant for a special occasion or they have returned late from a sporting fixture). Those with allergies or specific dietary requirements can be catered for, but please ensure this information is shared with the Matron.
We always expect good manners at meal times. Sitting down with staff and friends over dinner is an essential part of boarding school life. We ask boarders not to rush their meals but to take part in conversation and have social time with their friends. Mobile phones should not be used during meal times.
Each corridor in the boarding house has a kitchen which boarders can use in the evening, and at the weekend. They are stocked daily with fruit, cereal, milk, bread, butter and jam for boarders to eat in the evening after dinner. Boarders are welcome to use the kitchen as a social space so it is important that they keep them clean for others. This includes washing up, sweeping the floor and cleaning the worktop. Boarders are expected to do chores around the house on a rota basis. Kitchens are closed shortly before bedtimes.
Sixth Form kitchens also contain an oven and hob, allowing you more freedom to cook additional food. Sixth form kitchens are therefore stocked with additional cooking equipment.
Each boarding house has a water fountain that serves chilled water so each boarder should bring a refillable bottle to use.
All boarders are welcome to bring their own ‘tuck’ (snacks and treats). Tuck can be kept in lockable storage in your dorm or in the fridge in the kitchen on your corridor. Tuck is aimed to be an extra snack after dinner, and is not to replace meals. Each boarding house has a vending machine in the common room which is open at set times. Snacks can be purchased using coins or contactless card payment.
All boarding houses must follow Health and Safety guidelines. As electrical and electronic equipment can present Health and Safety risks, we impose the following restrictions. All items will be Portable Appliance Tested (PAT) in Term 1. Boardersarewelcometobring electronicdevices,hairdryers/straightenersandfans.Pleasedonotbringheaters,electricalkitchen equipment(includingfridges),TVsorgamesconsoles.
Whilst it is not essential that the boarding students have their own laptop, we do recommend that they have their own access to online work. Whilst the IT room can be accessed during prep sessions, we do not have enough for every boarder to be using them at once. Parental discretion is important here. If you would like to discuss your son/daughter’s personal online habits and formulate a plan for them, please speak to their Housemaster. For Years 7-11 all electronics are safely locked away overnight. When they are under the care of the student, we cannot take responsibility for loss or damage.
Personal property remains the responsibility of the boarders and the school cannot accept liability for loss or damage. Therefore, any valuable property should be privately insured. Specialist insurance products are available for boarders. It is essential that each boarder brings a padlock to lock their valuable belongings in their lockable cupboard. Please ensure all personal possessions are labelled, including plugs and cables
The school laundry takes the boarders’ washing each day and aims to return it later that day. Bedding is washed on a weekly basis and the boarders are expected to strip their own beds. Boarders also have access to washing machines and tumble dryers in the kitchens which allows them to do any last-minute washing as needed. Laundry is returned to each boarder in their box in the corridor. Labelling of all items, including underwear is essential to make sure all items are returned. Labels should be clearly visible on the clothes when folded:
● Uniform & Mufti Tops: label should be placed so it sits inside the collar of shorts/blouses/kit shirts.
● Uniform & Mufti Bottoms: label should be placed on the inner waistband of kilts, trousers, skorts and kit shorts.
● Hats: write name in black permanent marker on the inside rim of the hat.
● Socks & Underwear: where possible, use sew on tapes Mark in the same place as trousers/kilts for underpants, on the back strap for bras, and on the soles of the socks
● Shoes: use black or metallic (e.g. silver) permanent marker on the tongue of the shoe and/or the inside heel. Use black on lighter shoes; silver/metallic on darker shoes. Mark all footwear, including flip flops and slippers
● Bedding: Please label bedding as clearly as possible. Please put names on the opening part of duvet covers and pillow cases. Also, bear in mind, the more unique the bedding is, the easier it is for laundry staff to identify who it belongs to.
● Mufti (home clothes) should be marked in the same way as uniform clothes.
Both houses have large lounge areas as well as Sixth Form TV rooms. Boarders are allowed to use the classrooms to work and socialise in the evenings allowing them to spread out. Other facilities including the Art Room and Sports Hall are also available with close supervision by staff.
The College has a Health Centre and boarders have specific drop-in sessions if they are feeling unwell or need some form of medical intervention. All boarders are required to register with the local doctors’ practice in Holyport so that any medical needs can be managed by the Nurses in communication with parents, and appointments made locally when needed. Students who have significant medical issues or who are undergoing treatment away from school will be supported; the College asks that any appointments made cause as little disruption as possible to pupils’ academic lessons. Where the College makes an appointment, a member of staff will escort the pupil if they are under 16. Parents will be charged for taxis if the school arranges them.
We have a non-residential Matron and Domestic Bursar who oversees boarders’ health and takes the lead in boarding hours. Any medical issues are passed on between the boarding house at the start and end of each day with a formal hand over between the Health Centre and the Matron. Any regular medication taken by a boarder is kept in Matron’s office and dispensed either by Matron or another trained member of the boarding staff. Parents are kept informed by Matron and the House Masters are also fully informed of any issues or concerns. The College’s policies on First Aid and Medicine Administration (detailing what medicines staff are authorised to dispense) are available.
The Matron or House Master will contact parents of unwell pupils to discuss whether they might be best cared for by returning home. Decisions are always made on a case-by-case basis. International boarders must have a guardian in place in the UK.
Parents are asked to ensure the college has all the necessary information requested before a pupil commences boarding at the College.
The Designated Safeguarding Lead is Mr Walter Boyle. We have a team of Safeguarding officers. This includes the Headmaster and Assistant HeadSENCO. Additional details on the School Welfare services are given in the School Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy.
First point of contact for medical advice is the College Nurse in the Medical Centre - details on medical services available to boarders are given in the Medical Care Policy. Counselling may be available through liaison with the Housemasters. If it is judged that a student will benefit from counselling then the Housemaster may discuss this with the medical centre and devise a strategy to advise the student. The student always has the right to refuse counselling and in this case we reserve the right to discuss alternatives with parents. Details of Counselling Service, ChildLine, Ofsted and the Independent School Inspectorate, will be prominently displayed in houses. The school has an Independent Person and she visits the boarders at the start of the academic year so they know who she is and how to contact her if they need to.
The views of our boarders are particularly important at Holyport College. We have regular ‘student voice’ meetings where the boarders are encouraged to have an open dialogue with staff so that any issues can be dealt with in a timely manner. These are usually planned with a specific focus and sometimes questionnaires are sent out to gather more opinions.
The school has a Health and Safety Policy, available on the website, which guides protocols and behaviours for day and boarding students alike. Whilst there are always an appropriate number of adult staff members on duty in the evenings and weekends, they cannot be in all places at all times. Boarders are therefore expected to conduct themselves sensibly and act in a way which accords with the principles of the Policy.
A plan of the school site is displayed in the boarding area of both BH & MF for boarders to see. In summary, boarders should, when outdoors on site, remain within reasonable view of any staff member on duty.
Fire drills are held regularly. On the first night of the year a walk-through is held for existing and new boarders alike. Whenever the fire alarm sounds it should be assumed there is a fire and all boarders should exit by the nearest fire exit and meet at the meeting point for their house. This should be done in silence. Causing a false alarm may result in a serious sanction and possible financial penalty should the school be charged for any unnecessary callout of the emergency services.
We recognise that boarding is separate from the school day, so we deal with rewards and sanctions separately. Our underlying policy is however the same, and we expect all boarders to behave in an exemplary manner at all times. When necessary we will use sanctions, but our preference is to reward good behaviour with rewards.
We have a ‘raffle’ system in boarding, where raffle tickets are given to recognise the positive behaviours. This may be for something small like being punctual to a callover or for bigger contributions to the boarding community. We then hold regular raffle draws and have prizes which vary from treats such as sweets or ice-creams through to bigger prizes such as a trip to McDonalds or out for a meal. We advertise the prizes on offer to encourage boarders to try and get raffle tickets.
Where sanctions are needed, they follow a similar system to the school behaviour policy and the level of sanction is decided upon depending on why it is required.
