Discipline

Rules

The School Rules are printed in the Almanac and are designed to ensure the welfare and safety of pupils and the smooth running of the College. It is important for the partnership that must exist between the school and parents that parents understand and support the College’s rules. If there is any doubt, please consult the child’s Housemaster or Housemistress.

Dress

The school clothing regulations are printed in the Almanac and clothes lists (page 60) itemise what is required. All clothes sent to school, including informal clothing, must be named. Parents of day pupils should ensure that their children come to school properly dressed, and boarders must have enough clothing to meet the requirements of the weekly school laundry.

School uniform must be worn throughout the school day; day pupils are expected to arrive and leave in uniform. Informal dress may be worn after 5.30pm on Tuesday and Thursday, after 7.00pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and after 12.00pm on Saturdays.

Pupils are expected to dress formally for Chapel and other official occasions on Sundays but otherwise they may wear smart casual dress.

Lost Property

Any private property found around the College will be handed to the College Proctor. All valuable items will be sent direct to the Security Lodge where a log will be kept. Pupils may re-claim their lost property from the College Proctor. Valuables can be reclaimed from Security.

Prefects

The Master appoints about twenty senior pupils to be Prefects in June of the Lower Sixth year and may add to these in January. The role of the Prefect is:

• To lead the school by example in terms of appearance, attitude, conduct, initiative and integrity; • To be reliable, conscientious and trustworthy;

• To liaise between the Master, the Management Team and HMs as an interface between Common Room and the pupil body, actively promoting the importance of pupil voice in our community; • To take pride in Marlborough College and in themselves; • To support the College’s pastoral system by adopting a sympathetic and approachable attitude to other members of the school and by supporting the school’s policies on bullying and Child Protection; • To set the tone and lead the pupil body according to the Marlborough Charter, revised periodically by the Prefects – and to honour this code of conduct.

Giving pupils responsibility is a vital part of education and so, in addition to College Prefects, there are many other posts (Heads of House, House Captains, Sacristans and so on) which enable pupils to exercise responsibility and play useful roles in the running of the College. Heads of House and Prefects receive training and meet on a regular basis.

Sanctions

For the vast majority of pupils the School Rules constitute a simple framework within which they can live and work comfortably. Disorganised, lazy or wayward pupils, however, for whom the odd mild rebuke proves insufficient, are dealt with by a simple range of sanctions:

‘Blue Chits’: are given for untidiness or lateness etc. Pupils who receive a Blue Chit report to the College Proctor/Second Master (Monday-Saturday) in the Medawar Centre. ‘Pink Chits’: are given for poor behaviour, repeat offences etc. Pupils who receive a Pink Chit report at 8.10am (Wednesday-Friday) to the relevant Head of Year / Proctor / Second Master with a formal note of apology endorsed by their HM. Failure to report for a Blue or Pink Chit results in a conduct detention on Saturday morning. Academic Detentions: are set for late, incomplete or poor quality work in pupils’ free time; more serious cases will do their detention on a Saturday night (supervised centrally). Gating: (confinement to Campus) is given to Lower School pupils for more serious offences. Loss of Privileges: (confinement to campus with detentions on weekends) are given to Upper School pupils for more serious offences.

Cautions

In the Upper School, the tone of our approach to sanctions reflects the growing maturity which we seek to encourage in our Sixth Formers. Thus, wherever possible, we avoid using the Lower School Gating system, using a Caution System, augmented where necessary, to

foster a sense of responsibility where serious offences and antisocial matters are concerned. Cautions may only be awarded by the Master or the Second Master and, if a given pupil acquires more than two Cautions within a year, this may well lead to his or her suspension; four Cautions are likely to result in the pupil being required to leave.

Records are kept of all the above sanctions and parents are informed by HMs, Second Master or the Master, of offences resulting in Gating or Caution. Parents should contact the child’s HM (or Second Master or the Master) at once if they consider that their child has been unfairly treated. In the unusual event of a child being expelled from the College, parents have the right to appeal.

Independent Listener

A College Independent Listener is available if a pupil wishes to speak to someone who is detached from the life of the school. To contact the Independent Listener there is a number on House notice boards and in the Almanac.

Day Pupils

Other than in a small number of exceptional cases, all pupils at the College are Full Boarders. Where circumstances are such that a pupil has been allowed to become a Day Pupil, all school rules apply as they would for Full Boarders but in addition there are a few rules which apply to Day Pupils only. The following areas are especially important:

Signing in and out: all day pupils must sign in by 8.15am. If a pupil cannot come in because of illness, the parent must inform his/her HM before 8.30am and, if the pupil has not signed in by that time, parents will be contacted for an explanation. If the pupil has an appointment in the course of the school day, the HM should be informed in writing/by email. Day pupils must sign out when they leave school for home and leave the College by 7.00pm, unless they have permission to stay in school. They should travel to and from school in uniform.

Saturday evening: pupils are not allowed to stay on campus after 7.00pm, or to return to it, unless they sign in to their House and sign out again when they leave for home from their House. They must be picked up or return home by the times stated in the School Rules, unless there is an event which ends later.

Parental absence: if parents are going to be away from home they should ensure that the HM knows of this, and knows who is responsible for the pupil.