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Welcome to Fonthill
House Staff
House Prefects & Mentors
House Contact Details
House Rules
House Sanctions
House Awards & Recognition
House Events & Competitions
House Charities
Daily House Routines & Protocols
Other House Information
A really warm welcome to Fonthill: the day and boarding house that I have been Housemistress of for three years now – my latest role at Kingswood, having been here for 19 years (since 2003!). The School is such a lovely environment – very inclusive, friendly and kind, and with beautiful grounds surrounded by nature and great views from above the city – so it’s no wonder that I have spent all of my career so far here!
As well as being Houseparent, I am a member of the English Department, who also teaches some Games (including taking both Hockey and Netball teams) and some PSHCE. I also try to support Outdoor Pursuits, and love being out on expeditions and training with Ten Tors and Duke of Edinburgh groups. Previously to my current role, I spent 10 years in charge of all the Westwood (Years 7-8) girls. Looking after pupils aged 14-18 certainly now presents different challenges, but being a Houseparent is truly rewarding, and something every day makes me laugh or smile.
I am resident in school with my family – my husband Richard who is Director of Expressive Arts at Monkton (boo, hiss!), and our two children, both of whom like to be in and around the house. Jack is 7 and, when not at Kingswood Prep School, can often be found in the house lounge challenging everyone to a game of Mario Kart, or in the garden with his friend Harry, whose parents run Middle House next door! Rose is 11 and looking forward to joining the Senior School next year as a Drama Scholar. She will not have far to commute! We also have a family cat – Cysgu (‘Cusky’ – it’s Welsh!) – but she is a rare sight because boarder terrier Twiglet – the Fonthill dog (who belongs to the house Resident Assistant) – is often around.
I am certain that the ‘Fonthill Family’ will help you settle in very quickly, whether you are a day pupil or a boarder. We are a house who are not that bothered about winning (although we always try our hardest), but who encourage every member to ‘Be the Change’ and be ‘Principled and Passionate’ (our house mottos). I am really looking forward to meeting you all and getting to know you very soon!
Mrs Juliette Mainwaring (Senior Houseparent Fonthill House and English Teacher)
The original Fonthill House (on Lansdown Road, opposite the main school gates) was built well over a hundred years ago (c.1874/5). It opened in 1972 as the first girls’ house in Kingswood School, with just eight Sixth Form boarders. In 1979, junior girls also joined the house, and within a few years Fonthill numbers had increased to almost 60 girls. In 2001, under the stewardship of Houseparent, Miss Angie Wright (who then became Kingswood’s Head of Boarding until retiring in July 2020), the house was relocated to its current position at the end of Fonthill Road, at the top of the line of four boarding houses on this side of the School campus. Until 2019, the house was led by Mrs Clare Sergeant, who stepped down from leadership of the house to take up a position as Kingswood’s Assistant Head (Pastoral) Both Miss Wright and Mrs Sergeant give their names to house end-of-year awards
In Fonthill this year there are 93 pupils, of whom 29 are boarders. There are over 10 different nationalities represented by members of the house.
Fonthill is paired with a boys’ house - Hall - with whom it shares many events throughout the school year, including regular tutor time discussions of various topics.
Fonthill’s house colour is red, as reflected in the house’s current emblem, which was formalised in 2021. It comprises of a design of its main letters (produced by former Fonthill member, Maddy Attwood, several years ago), and the house symbol of a bird in flight The bird was drawn by former Fonthill pupil, Lizzie Scott, as a representation of freedom and independence, which we hope all Fonthill members will achieve a sense of through their time in the house. The bird is sometimes affectionately known by Fonthill as the ‘flying seal’!
The two house mottos were established by Upper Sixth pupils in 2019-20 – an inspiring group who were extremely principled and passionate, and who worked tirelessly for change in all areas of school and global life. Members of Fonthill since then have taken up this mantle, involving themselves in promoting LGBTQ+ rights, being spokespersons for sustainable development, and chairing MUN committees on a number of different global issues. These mottos are also reflected in the house aims and ethos
In addition to the general ethos of the School, Fonthill House has its own specific values, which reflect the nature of the pupils in it. The following aims are actively promoted within the house – both by its tutors and senior pupils:
• To encourage Fonthill members to take responsibility through service – for themselves and their actions, for others, and for the closer community and wider world around them
• To encourage Fonthill pupils to take pride in, and be principled and passionate about all that they do, say and believe in - whatever that may be
• To foster in all Fonthill members a sense of their importance as people, recognising their value and worth as such, whatever future path they choose to take
All pupils are allocated a tutor – for a minimum of one year, but who may take them for subsequent years – who is responsible for their daily academic and pastoral wellbeing. The tutors get to know their tutees extremely well, and should be first point of contact in the event that any issues arise. Dependent on the weekly timetable, tutor groups get together for tutor time prior to period 1, and individual tutorials are also arranged between tutors and pupils at other times during the week.
SENIOR HOUSEPARENT
Mrs Juliette Mainwaring English, Games, PSHCE; Tutor – various year groups (jmainwaring@kingswood.bath.sch.uk)
RESIDENT ASSISTANT HOUSEPARENT
Miss Alice Moore
English; Year 12 Tutor (amoore@kingswood.bath.sch.uk)
House Tutors
Miss Alice Fox
Second in Mathematics; Year 11 Tutor (afox@kingswood.bath.sch.uk)
Mrs Janine Gardner
Computer Science; Diversity and Inclusion Lead; Year 9 Tutor (jsgardner@kingswood.bath.sch.uk)
Mrs Sarah Hopkin
Head of Economics; Year 11 Tutor (shopkin@kingswood.bath.sch.uk)
Dr Rachel McIlwaine
Deputy Head Academic; Year 12 Tutor (rmcilwaine@kingswood.bath.sch.uk)
Mrs Lucy Meredith
Mathematics; Year 13 Tutor (lmeredith@kingswood.bath.sch.uk)
Miss Una Paver
Games, Science; Year 13 Tutor (ujpaver@kingswood.bath.sch.uk)
Miss Louise Sobey MFL (Spanish); Year 10 Tutor (lsobey@kingswood.bath.sch.uk)
Mrs Lizzie Ward
Drama Teacher; Year 9 Tutor (lward@kingswood.bath.sch.uk)
Mrs Fiona Wight
Cover Supervisor; Year 10 Tutor (fwight@kingswood.bath.sch.uk)
House staff doing evening duties
Miss Anna Galloway Graduate Music Assistant
Mrs Yasmine Haines & Miss Chloe Dalton
… and Twiglet
‘Boarder’ Terrier and house dog!
Fonthill has a dedicated team of tutors, with a wide range of academic subjects and specialisms.
The school aims to give positions of responsibility to senior Upper Sixth pupils. These are chosen from each house at the end of the Lower Sixth and include: the Head & Deputy Heads of School; Head of House, Deputy Head of House & Head of Boarding from each house; and Senior and House prefects.
The Fonthill positions of responsibility for 2022-23 are as follows:
Tobina L Head of House
Bert F Deputy Head of House
Tobina L Head of Boarding
Molly W
Additional PR (Sustainability)
Senior Prefects Fade A
Florence B
Ciara N
Jojo S
House prefects are chosen in September, and along with the Senior prefects, and under the leadership of the Head and Deputy Head of House, and House Head of Boarding, play an important role in the house: assisting house-staff on duty; organising house events and teams; taking the lead in charity initiatives; and acting as role models and mentors for younger pupils. The prefects are crucial in setting the tone for the house and promoting the ethos of both the School and Fonthill House.
The house follows the Schools lead in terms of placing importance on peer mentoring, in the following ways:
• Big Sibling / Little Sibling – each junior member of the house is allocated a house ‘big sibling’ when they join in Year 9. The siblings are house Lower Sixth pupils, and they remain as big siblings to their little siblings through until the end of Year 13 (when their siblings are in Year 10). The siblings have regular scheduled times to meet and chat, but often meet or communicate outside of this.
• Lower Sixth Prefects – Year 12 pupils engage in a range of prefect and mentoring roles, including: Westwood Prefects (who work with Year 7 & 8 pupils); Junior Boarding Prefects (who assist with the youngest boarders); as well as prefects in other specific areas of the School, including Activities, KPS Activities, Library, IT, Careers, and academic subjects. Some students also get involved in Mentoring Plus, and work with young disadvantaged pupils from a local primary school.
Hi, my name is Tobina. I joined Kingswood in Year 9 - a shy kid from Kenya, who was both terrified of this new world and homesick, but the welcoming power of Fonthill won me over.
Fonthill became my home-from-home and gave me the stability to thrive and learn to enjoy the incredible community both boarding and day. I am honoured to follow in the footsteps of some great Heads of House. Their legacy of kindness is close to my heart, and I hope that it will continue in the years to come.
As I enter my final year at Kingswood, I feel it is my opportunity to give back to this amazing house and the people within it. I am so excited to welcome everyone into Fonthill - both ‘new’ and ‘old’, boarders and day pupils - and help them to prosper in their Kingswood and Fonthill journeys.
Here are a few of my top tips:
• Get involved in activities – if you give everything a go, you might surprise yourself and find something you love to do. It’s a great opportunity to get to know your community.
• There is a wide range of sports of available, and even if you don’t love sport, get some fresh air to clear your head. I have found it particularly helpful to have a blast on the hockey pitch.
• Look out for each other - if you notice something isn’t quite right, please talk to someone; we are all in this together.
• Lead with kindness - someone might be having a tough day, and even just a smile might make it better.
• Most things are made better with tea, and cake. � # $ %
• Hope everyone has a wonderful year!
Tobina LHouse address
Fonthill House
Fonthill Road
Bath
BA1 5RP
Telephone Numbers
If you wish to contact the house, please use one of the numbers below. House staff on duty will answer when there, and if not you can leave a message, or send a text to the house mobile. If the message is urgent, it is best to contact the School Reception directly (01225 734200)
During the School day the Housekeepers are in the house to take calls, and duty staff are present in the house from 4.30pm - 5.45pm, and again from 8.30pm - 10.30pm. Duty staff also have the house mobile with them from 4.30pm10.30pm.
Fonthill House Office 01225 734498
House Staff Duty Mobile 07436 152341
School Reception 01225 734200
Although first point of contact is usually the tutor, please feel free to contact me over anything (however small it may seem!). I would much rather respond to matters as they occur, than let them develop into bigger issues. I would also love to hear about everyone’s endeavours and successes outside of school, so that they can be shared and celebrated within the house.
I can be contacted any time between 7.45am and 10.30pm, either via the house numbers above, the Main School Office (who will pass on a message), or via the email address below, which I check regularly throughout the day. I will try to respond to any phone messages or emails within 24 hours, unless they require more urgent attention.
Jmainwaring@kingswood.bath.sch.uk
Fonthill has a Twitter account, which records and celebrates the life of the house, including information and images. This can be found on Twitter as follows: @KWS_Fonthill
Please follow the house account, to get a sense of the Fonthill family!
The following rules apply to Fonthill House. They are either house-specific, or are a re-iteration of School Rules that are particularly important. All members of Fonthill are asked to read and sign a copy of these rules at the start of the academic year.
1. Members of the house are expected to fully support Fonthill wherever possible – the house ethos as well as its specific events and competitions
2. All house members are expected to co-operate with staff and prefects.
3. All Fonthill members are expected to behave with good sense, good manners and good will at all times, and show friendliness, helpfulness and sensitivity to others
4. Inappropriate language will not be tolerated
5. The fabric of the house - furniture / belongings / communal areas - must be treated with respect and care. This includes the Locker Room and the Association Café, as ‘extensions’ of the main house space
6. All members are responsible for keeping the house clean and tidy, including using plates when eating, washing up / loading the dishwasher, putting rubbish / recycling in appropriate bins etc.
7. Pupils using the television in the Common Room must ensure that their viewing is age-appropriate Should this not be the case, duty staff may ask pupils to switch the television off. 18 certificate films are not to be viewed at any time.
8. No pupil may visit the house during lessons, unless with the permission of a member of staff.
9. Visitors from other houses (including boys’ houses) are welcome in the house at Quarter, Lunchtime and after lessons, but must be signed in by a member of Fonthill, who is then responsible for their guest’s behaviour. Only one guest per Fonthill member is allowed.
10. No day pupil visitors are allowed in boarders’ bedrooms
11. All pupils are expected to be punctual for morning registration and prep (if staying for this)
12. Use of mobile phones in the house spaces must be in line with the rules in the rest of the School. No mobile phones should be used at Registration or during other communal house gatherings e.g. assemblies / house notices.
13. All school meals during the week are compulsory. No substitute ‘meals’ may be prepared or consumed in the house.
14. Smoking (including e-cigarettes) or possessing / consuming alcohol in the house are considered very serious breaches of trust, and will be dealt with in line with the School Policies
Breaches of these house rules (especially persistent breaches) will result initially in warnings, followed by sanctions being applied. Details of these are recorded in the House Sanctions Book, which is checked regularly by members of the Senior Management Team, especially Mr Harding, Head of Boarding.
Sanctions are commensurate with the misdemeanour, and may include the following:
• Pupils may be asked to pay for damage caused to the house through irresponsible behaviour
• Pupils may be banned from certain areas of the house if their behaviour falls below the expectation. The length of any ban will depend on the seriousness of the offence
• Pupils may be asked to clean up any mess in communal areas directly attributable to them. This includes the Locker Room and Association Café
• Infringements relating to mobile phone use may result in the pupil being asked to hand in their phone to a member of staff for a specified length of time (usually until the end of the School day)
• Persistent lateness for registrations may result in communication with home, a house detention in activity time (4.30pm - 5.30pm), or be elevated to a School detention with the Deputy Head (Friday 5.30pm - 6.30pm)
Fonthill takes great pride in the achievements of all members of the house. Individual or one-off achievements in specific fields e.g. Academic, Music, Drama or Sport will be recognised in house via assemblies or the house Twitter account, as well as in Whole School Assembly and the School Newsletter. In addition, the house wishes to officially recognise those whose values, actions or general demeanour consistently place them ‘above and beyond’ the normal expectations of house members. House awards and recognitions are as follows:
These are awarded at the end of each term, and recognise pupils who have given a lot in terms of involvement in house or School life. They can be Fonthill members in any year group. Recipients are on and discussion between ousestaff, including Housekeepers. The Head and Deputy Head of House and House Head of Boarding may also offer their opinions. A badge with the house letters is presented to the recipient of House colours, and may be worn school blazer or jacket.
Last academic year, 13 members of the house were awarded their house colours, as follows:
Christmas Term: Karina B (Y13)
Tobina L (Y12)
Ningwa C (Y12)
Spring Term: Oyin O (Y10)
Ksenia M (Y10)
Sudipti C (Y11)
Noelina L (Y11)
Libby H (Y12)
Summer Term: Rosie W (Y10)
Chloe V (Y10)
Daisy N (Y10)
Kristy F (Y10)
Bert F (Y12)
In addition to House Colours, Fonthill makes the following awards to pupils once a year, in the final house assembly.
This is awarded annually, at the end of the year, and is given to a house member who embodies the spirit of the House through a positive attitude towards House and School life, showing kindness to others, volunteering to help peers and/or staff, or willingly offering to participate in House events. It is the students' choice, and each year many different names are nominated across all year groups. The recipient’s name is recorded on a stone plaque which hangs in the house
The recipient in 2021-22 was Year 13 Head of Boarding, Ningwa C.
Named in honour of Miss Angie Wright, a previous Houseparent of Fonthill, this is awarded annually, at the end of the year. It recognises a Fonthill member who has trodden the ‘Wright’ path by consistently going the extra mile to help out, somebody who is proactive - seeing what needs to be done before being asked - or somebody who acts with humility and not seeking the limelight. It could also recognise a pupil who has re-found the ‘Wright’ way, although who may not always have trodden it! It is always a hard decision for Fonthill tutors since there are so many pupils this could apply to. The recipient’s name is recorded on a wood plaque which hangs in the house
The recipient in 2021-22 was Year 11 boarder, Noelina L
This award was created in 2021, to mark the retirement from Kingswood of previous Houseparent, Mrs Clare Sergeant. It is not necessarily for the Head of House, but recognises a person in Fonthill who has shown effective leadership in any capacity – as captain of a sports team, leader of an orchestra, main part in a production, spokesperson for a group in school such as Pride, or head of an event such as an MUN conference. The award could perhaps recognise some of the less well celebrated qualities of leadership such as good organisation, or kindness to others, and as such may go to those who lead by example and the values they hold, rather than through obvious action and showy outcome – in other words, exactly the way that Mrs Sergeant led the house for her 7 years as Houseparent.
The recipient in 2021-22 was Head of House, Grace A.
There are several inter-house competitions which take place throughout the year and in which Fonthill members take on either the other girls’ houses, or pair with our brother house, Hall, to take on the other brother / sister houses. These events often require different year groups to within the house to work together, and are great for house bonding, as much as they promote healthy and friendly competition in the right spirit.
The year starts with the House Performance –comprising a house song competition and an ensemble competition. Fonthill and Hall combine to choose and prepare songs for this, including a mass dance routine. Despite not winning the previous time this was held, Fonthill has a strong record in the House Performance, and it is always very well supported by members of the house.
For many of these events, Fonthill uses its house shirts or vests. These display the house emblem and name, and were brand new in 2021, thanks to a very generous donation from an anonymous Fonthill parent, who wanted their gift to be put towards ‘something permanent that would benefit as many members of the house as possible’. These house shirts are always worn with pride!
Other house competitive events throughout the year include:
• All major School sports: Hockey, Netball, Athletics (Senior Sports Day), Tennis, Swimming, Cross Country / Cross Country Relays
• Debating
• Academic Awards: Commendations (Years 9-11), Distinctions (Years 12-13)
• Boarders’ Bake Off
Fonthill has several house mascots, who accompany the house to competitions when they are not resident in the house lounge. The mascots are bears, Big Trevor (also known as ‘Trevor Bigland’) and Mini Trev
In the academic year 2020-21, whilst the house were in Year group Learning Zones, the Fonthill Year 12s also adopted the skeleton in Science 1, officially welcoming a new member of the Fonthill family! As far as we know, this skeleton still proudly wears the house colours!
During the year there are several House Events. There is always evening House Entertainment in the final week before the end of each term. Fonthill gets together with Hall House for these events, and all members of both houses are invited to attend. The events are as follows:
Autumn Term Ice Skating in Bath, followed by a hot chocolate & hotdogs
Spring Term Dodgeball Tournament
Summer Term Outdoor Games - sumo wrestling bungee football, bungee running and limbo – followed by the very competitive inter-year group tug of war.
Upper Sixth Prefects from Fonthill and Hall also enjoy a dinner out in Bath during the Autumn term – a thank you in advance from Mrs Mainwaring and Mr B Brown (Senior Housemaster of Hall) for all that they will do to help during the year.
Additionally, at the end of the Summer term, the Fonthill Upper Sixth get together for an event to celebrate their time in the School and House. This includes reminiscences, and also the now traditional 'person most likely to ...' awards and baby / first day at school photographs for each Year 13 leaver. There is also a Leavers’ Dinner / Ball.
Fonthill House prides itself on its lively support of charities.
House charity events and initiatives include the everpopular Candy Canes at Christmas, organised by the Sixth Form house ‘elves’, and Fonthill Ice Creams in the Summer term. This year, members of the Lower Sixth also completed the 5km Pretty Muddy during the Summer holiday.
In 2021-22, the total raised through these initiatives was a staggering £2,557 for several charities:
• The Restart Centre in Kenya, and particularly sponsorship of Ken Kome – to help with his living and education. This has been Fonthill’s main charity for a number of years now.
• Cancer Research
• The Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal
• Open Arms Malawi
• The Bath Foodbank
Pupils at Kingswood gather in house groups every
The School is required by law to keep detailed and accurate registers, and evidence is required from parents to cover every period of absence.
If a pupil is going to be late or absent, for whatever reason, this must be authorised. Doing this in the following way is ideal (for sudden, unexpected, as well as prior known absence):
An email sent to registration@kingswood.bath.sch.uk, with the pupil’s tutor and Houseparent copied in.
Alternatively, you can call the School Office on 01225 734203
Following morning house registration, there is a regular pattern of assemblies, worship and time with tutors depending on Week A or Week B.
Every week the house gathers together for House Assembly on a Friday morning, when achievements of Fonthill members are celebrated, and when older and younger students from the house mix, for example the Big and Little Sibling pairs.
If a day pupil has to leave School early, written permission from parents / guardians needs to have been given in advance.
Pupils should sign out from the School Office if they leave anytime before the final lesson ends at 4.20pm. Twice daily registrations (at the start of period 1 and period 6) are legal requirements. Signing Out is part of the School’s good practice in monitoring the whereabouts of pupils during School hours. Your cooperation in ensuring that pupils adhere to registrations and signing out is much appreciated; this is for everyone’s safety and security.
Any day pupil is welcome to stay for supper and / or prep, following the boarders’ usual evening routine. There is a small charge for this, which is added to the School bill.
• This can be on an ‘ad hoc’ basis, by signing in during morning registration, or during the day in the School Office.
• It can also be a regular arrangement of a particular night(s) each week. This can be organised by emailing the Houseparent at the start of each term.
Fonthill House facilities include a Smart TV, DVD player, computer workstations, and a well-equipped kitchen and comfy lounge These are available for use by anyone in the house, and their ‘guests’ to the house. A number of House social occasions take place during the year, including end of term ‘entertainment’. The school provides an allowance to help towards the cost of these facilities and events, but each House also applies a levy of £5 for day pupils and £10 for boarders per term, which is added to the school bill.
The Fonthill Locker Rooms are in Main School, underneath the Library. Each member of the house in Years 9-11 has a locker, which is large enough to store books, Games bag and hockey stick / tennis racket. The lockers can be securely locked, so that personal belongings may be kept safe. Pupils are asked to supply their own padlock, please. A combination lock is best. Sixth Form have a study in the Dixon where they keep their belongings, and this also includes a lockable space.
Day pupils are welcome to casual board in Fonthill, if the need arises. This will either be in a spare bed, or a camp bed added to a room, depending on year group. A casual boarding form may be obtained from Mrs Mainwaring to book this facility and includes details of nightly charges (which are added to the termly bill). The form needs to be returned prior to the date of casual boarding.
It is lovely that, on occasions, day parents invite boarders into their homes. Please email Mrs Mainwaring a request in writing by Thursday lunchtime, stating timings, transport etc. Confirmation is also required from the boarder’s parents or guardian to agree to the exeat. Please let us know exactly what time the boarder will return to the house, and therefore when you relinquish responsibility for them.
J. Mainwaring, July 2022
It is imperative that all clothing and personal possessions are clearly named – ideally with pupil name and house. If this is the case, any item that goes missing will be returned to its owner through the lost property system. It is recommended that valuable items such as mobile phones, laptops / tablets, and musical instruments be privately insured. Pupils must take full responsibility for these items, using school systems to ensure they are stored securely.