Boarding Handbook 2023

Boarding Handbook Plymouth College

Plymouth College seeks to produce happy, knowledgeable and caring pupils who gain confidence in learning and strive to reach their full potential.

Boarding at Plymouth College fully supports the school’s ethos and aims. All pupils at the school are expected to be considerate and courteous. Personal development is an important aspect of life at school and we regard the following qualities as important:

Courtesy;diligence;resilience;forgiveness;honesty;kindness;patience;perseverance;punctuality; respectforothers;responsibilityforyourownactions;self-discipline;tolerance.

Introducingtheboardinghouseparents

MrIlott

Lee is Head of Boarding and Housemaster of Colson House. He is a TeacherofPE,EnglishandGamesintheseniorschoolandhasbeen a Housemaster for 10 years. He has worked in a variety of boarding schools from the Isles of Man and Wight and in Hertfordshire. Nikki, his wife, is a Teacher of English and they have three children; Charlie,LottiandHolly,alongwiththeirBlackLabrador,Buster.

MrsField

Beth joined Plymouth College in September 2018 as Head of Chemistry and then also took on the role of House Parent for Mannamead House in May 2019. Beth has been teaching Chemistryfor12yearsandwasayouthworker priortothat.

Beth lives in Mannamead House with her husband and sons, Rupert and Kit, and their dog,Bridget.TheyrelocatedtoPlymouthfrom the Midlands in order to pursue their love of sailing and all things nautical. Beth is a keen baker,knitterandsewer,andalsogetsinvolved with the musical life of school through singing andplayingtheflute.

Both sets of Boarding House Parents continue tofosterafamilyatmosphereandbuildonthe strong sense of community within the boardinghouses.

PlymouthCollegeBoarding PrinciplesandPractice

Boarding at Plymouth College caters for boys and girls at the Senior School aged 11 to 18+. In certain cases, we sometimes accommodate younger boarders. We welcome pupils with a diverse range of cultures and backgrounds from all over the world as well from the UK.

PastoralCare

On arrival, a member of the boarding staff will support new boarders. A new boarder is linked with an experienced boarder of a similar age where possible. Each boarder has access to useful information on all aspects of boarding life through weekly house meetings and on notice boards. In a caring community such as ours, there are many people that boarders can turn to for help or advice.

In our boarding community, we encourage all staff and boarders to have respect and consideration for each other. We encourage our boarders to be happy, healthy and successful individuals with a mature and responsible attitude towards their studies, and with the life-skills necessary for their futures. Our philosophy is to ensure a safe, secure and friendly environment for all members of our boarding community. We achieve this through dedication, compassion and sensitivity to the needs of our young people.

WelfareSupport

The school nurse, supported by the school doctor’s surgery, provides medical care for all boarders. A nurse is available in the school health centre during school hours from 8.30am to 5.15pm.

After school hours the boarding staff are responsible for boarders’ immediate medical care. All boarding staff have regular first aid training and adhere to the school’s policies when administering medicines.

GuardianshipforStudentswhoseParentsarenot ResidentintheUK

A Guardian, who is over the age of 25, or a Guardianship Agency must be appointed for any student whose parents are not resident in the UK, and who is unable to return home during school holidays or has to leave school due to suspension in line with the school’s behaviour policy. In addition to the Christmas, Easter and Summer holidays there is a break from school in the middle of each term, known as Half Term, when boarders cannot be accommodated by the school. If a boarder is unable to return home during school holidays, he or she will need to be looked after by a guardian based in the UK.

Academic support is provided for boarders who need it by the school’s Learning Support Department.

The school’s Modern Foreign Language Department provides language support for international students.

Boarding staff, tutors, heads of year and prefects provide general welfare support. Boarders are encouraged to speak to someone they feel comfortable with about any problems. This could be a member of the school community, a counselling service or an independent listener.

BoardingStatusandActivities

Weekly boarders arrive on Monday morning in time for school and return home on Friday.

Flexi boarding is available for day pupils who need to sleep over at school for up to 14 nights per term.

Once training or sporting commitments have been met Saturday is a free day for boarders to plan their own leisure time.

Weekly activities are organised, usually on a Sunday which may include activities such as bowling, paintball, karting, mini-golf, visits to the ski-centre or local attractions. These are encouraged but optional and can be added to fees.

There is a sports hall available for boarders with a variety of activities on offer, such as football, badminton or basketball. The cardiovascular suite is also available. There is an optional fun, life-guarded swim session for boarders every weekend.

Boarding at Plymouth College provides a unique residential experience in a location close to the city centre as well as to the beautiful moors and beaches of the South West.

Organisation

The Head of Boarding is responsible for the organisation of the boarding houses and leads a team of resident and nonresident staff. There is regular communication between boarding staff, teaching staff, coaches, parents, school nurse and the boarders themselves to make sure that everyone is getting the best out of their boarding experience. During the week there are always two members of staff on duty in each house supervising study times or mixing freely during leisure time to assist in creating a family atmosphere.

College House is a terrace of seven properties on the Ford Park site that provides accommodation for the majority of boarders.

The Head of Boarding and his family live in the central residence, which separates the Boys’ house (Colson) from the Girls’ house (Mannamead). The Head of Boarding is also the Housemaster of Colson House, which provides accommodation for 61 boys and 5 resident staff.

The Girls’ Houseparent and her husband live in a flat within Mannamead House, which accommodates 47 girls and 2 resident staff.

BoardingFacilities

The co-educational structure of Plymouth College boarding creates a family atmosphere with boys and girls encouraged to socialise together in a variety of recently refurbished ground floor communalrooms.

Facilities provided include TV, DVD player, pool tables, air hockey, table football, table tennis and space for quiet reflection. The boarding offices in Colson and Mannamead houses, which are staffedthroughouttheday,arehubsforboardersandstafftosocialise.Therearecomputerswith access to the school intranet and school-controlled Internet. Boarders may also bring their own devicestoaccesstheInternetwirelessly.

Allmealsareprovidedintheschooldininghallandthecommunalhousekitchensareavailablefor additionaldrinks,snacksandcookingatothertimes.

Theschoolfield,astro-turfandsportshallareavailableduringeveningandweekendfreetimesfor boarders’ownactivities.

The in-house laundry system operates on weekdays, although Sixth Form boarders may do their ownwashing.

Thebathroomandsleepingaccommodationupstairsisdividedbygenderandcomprisesofsome singlebedroomsusedforseniorboardersandarangeofsharedbedroomswithtwoorthreebeds. Thereisadequatestoragespaceandalockabledrawerforeachboarder. Boarderswillhavesupervisedstudysessionsintheeveningsupervisedbyacademicstaff. Athletes on Plymouth College provided sports programmes have easy access to their training venuesonsiteandaretakenbyschoolminibustoothervenuesasnecessary.

4.45 am – 6.00 am Swimming athletes wake themselves up and attend training as per timetabled sessions

Dailyroutine-Weekdays

7.40 am Drop off dirty laundry before breakfast

7.45 am - 8.15 am Breakfast (for non-athletes)

BedtimesandLightsOutMondaytoFriday

8.00 am - 8.45 am Breakfast (for athletes after morning training) 8.35 am Leave house for school day

pm Visit shops on Mutely Plain in groups of 2 or more 3.55 pm - 5.00 pm After school activities 6.00 pm - 6.30 pm First dinner Sitting 6.15 pm - 6.45 pm Collect clean laundry – second collection time 7.00 pm - 8.15 pm Study Time 8.00pm to curfew Free time / Sports Hall – independent choice

This is a basic outline of the daily routine. Athletes will be given individual timetables including meal times, prep times and any transport, alongside their training schedules.

The bedroom floors of the boarding houses are to be quiet from 9.00pmuntil7.00ameverynight.

Pupils in Years 7 to 11 must hand in their mobile phones 15 minutesbeforelightsout.

Athletesofallagesandyeargroupsareexpectedtogotobedby 9.00 pm where possible, especially when they have an early morningtrainingsessionbeforebreakfasttimethenextday.

Saturday Sunday

5.30 am

Swimming Athletes Wake Up for Morning Pool Sessions

10.00 am – 10.30 am Brunch / registration

10.30 am to 6.00 pm Free time / independent private study / visit town

6.00 pm Dinner / registration

6.30 pm onwards Free time / organised activity (optional) / staff led local activities

Bedtimes and Lights Out Saturday

9.30 am - 12.00 noon Places of Worship Services in Plymouth (optional)

10.00 am 10.30 am Brunch / registration

10 30 am onwards Free Time / Independent private study / visit town

12.00 noon (time subject to change) Activity

6.00 pm Dinner / registration

7 00 pm Study Time

Bedtimes and Lights Out Sunday

Curfews on Saturday will be as above unless the duty staff alter them occasionally at their discretion.

Weekend duty staff may also arrange impromptu events in the evenings, such as trips to Devil’s Point, ice cream on the Hoe and barbecues. This will be weather dependent.

PlymouthCollege2023-2024 Startandendoftermtraveldatesforallboarders

The flights you book should arrive and depart on the dates given below and between the times shown to allow enough time for the onward journey to and from Plymouth.

Direct flights are preferable where possible to avoid potential complications with connecting flights.

School transport will be provided from Heathrow Airport on all the dates listed in the table above.

To secure your child’s place on the school transport please email mhanrahan@plymouthcollege.com. The cost of £65 per person per transfer for Heathrow will be added to the next term’s school fees account. Please note that the transfer fee may change when the fees structure has been reviewed.

Parents of Child Student/ Student Visa pupils must provide all travel details to the boarding house parents each time the student enters or exits the UK and ALL details if remaining in the UK to include: travel arrangements, address, name and contact of where staying.

PublicTransportfrom LondonHeathrow

Train: Get the Heathrow Express to London Paddington, then change from London Paddington to Plymouth. (Approx 3.5 to 4 hours)

Bristol

You may prefer to book flights to and from Bristol Airport.

The transfer time between Bristol Airport and Plymouth is approx. 2 to 2½ hours. Individual transfers may be made by bus or taxi.

Book tickets through www.thetrainline.com

Coach: Direct route from London Heathrow to Plymouth Coach Station (Armada Way). (Approx. 4.5 to 5 hours)

Book tickets through www.nationalexpress.com

Bus: The Southwest Falcon provides a direct bus service between Bristol Airport and Plymouth Coach Station: www.stagecoachbus.com/south-west/fly-the-south-west-falcon or megabus.com, approx. £24 single

Taxi: A private taxi transfer provided by Airport Travel South West costs approx. £170

Email: enquiries@airporttravelsouthwest.co.uk

TheCollegeHouseaccountdetailsareasfollows (DONOTpayschoolfeesintothisaccount):

Money&Finances

Bank Accounts

We strongly advise boarders to have their own bank account with a bank card and that they keep minimal amounts of cash in the boarding house. We can help boarders set up a bank account if they don’t have one.

Alternatively, you can complete a bank transfer to the College House account using the details below. We can then withdraw cash for them as they require if there is sufficient money deposited; we are not able to lend money to boarders.

A record of all College House Account transactions is kept and a copy is sent home each term.

It is worthwhile for all boarders to keep at least £50.00 contingency fund per term in their own bank account or in the College House account. In addition, for those who are resident overseas, it is worth remembering extra funds for your child’s UK holidays and for travelling to and from their guardian. Parents should pay guardianship fees direct to guardians.

Optional Extra Fees (charged separately to the school fees)

If your child wishes to participate in the optional extras listed below the fees must be paid direct to the teacher or club and cannot be added to the school bill.

Music Instrument Lessons – payable termly direct to the teacher

Fencing Club Fees –payable monthly direct to Plymouth Fencing Club

Please make sure that enough money is deposited in your child’s bank account or College House account to cover each term’s fees. Alternatively, please set up a regular payment direct with the teacher or club from your bank account. Parents will be expected to sign joining papers for the relevant activities with each club or music teacher.

Purchasing Uniform

School Uniform and PE Uniform is purchased online with uniform lists available on each website.

School uniform is available direct from School Blazerwww.schoolblazer.com

Online Shop will be live from 26th June 2023

PE Uniform is available direct from www.playerlayer.com

Proofofageandidentity

The ability to determine the age of young people has become increasingly difficult over the years. This has led to problems for both retailers and young people when trying to purchase and sell age related goods. The local cinema requires proof of age when purchasing tickets to see a film. International students may use their own passport or national ID card to prove their age. British students who do not have photo ID are strongly recommended to purchase a Citizen Card, which is the most widely recognised Proof of age and ID scheme in the UK. Anyone can apply for a card via the website: www.citizencard.com Using a Citizen Card is voluntary, but it can make life much easier. Boarders must be aware that it is illegal to possess or to use false ID. Boarders are not permitted to borrow ID from anyone else or to lend their own ID to anyone else.

Packing

You will find a list of suggested clothing and equipment to bring with you on the “Plymouth College Boarding” Google Drive.

Please do not bring too much with you as you only have a limited space to store your items. All boarders must pack away all personal items from their rooms before the end of term. Boarders may store their suitcases in store rooms in the boarding house during term time. At the end of the summer term UK boarders should take all possessions home.

Any electrical items you bring will need to be PAT tested to ensure that they are safely constructed, fit for use and free from the risk of becoming faulty.

All electrical items will be labelled with their identification number. The label must remain on the item at all times during residence.

Only safe electrical equipment displaying the European standards CE mark will be permitted. Items assessed as unsafe will be removed. It will be the responsibility of the boarder to replace the unsafe item at their own expense (e.g. travel adapter, charger, etc).

Electrical equipment will not be permitted if:

there is visible damage to the lead including fraying, cuts or heavy scuffing, damage to the plug, e.g. to the cover or bent pins.

tape has been applied to the lead to join leads together or there is visible coloured wire where the lead joins the plug (the cable is not being gripped where it enters the plug)

there are signs of damage to the outer cover of the equipment itself, including loose parts or screws or signs of overheating, such as burn marks or staining

Daily life at Plymouth College

Boarding&Home Communication

Email&Internet

The school Network Manager gives each pupil an email address and password. Boarders can then access the network computers in the boarding house and have controlled Internet access. Boarders may bring their own laptop computer to work on in their own room as there is wireless Internet access throughout the houses.

LetterWriting

Boarders love to receive a real letter in your own handwriting and from other family and friends through the post. The occasional parcel and package from home is also an exciting event!

Importantphonenumbers

If you need to contact a member of boarding staff for any reason, please do so within sociable hours (07:30 am to 22:00 pm ). If you need to contact your child in an emergency during unsociable hours, please contact their House Parent

Boys’ Boarding Duty Mobile: +447973909185

Boys’ Office Landline: 01752 505178

Your child’s postal address will be: c/o College House, 8 Ford Park, PLYMOUTH, PL4 6RP, UK.

Visiting

en visiting your child please let a member of staff know our visit in advance.

Mr Ilott: +447540 056502

Girls’BoardingDutyMobile:+447540056259

Girls’OfficeLandline:01752505141

MrsField:+447494130390

s important that you see a member of boarding staff en you first arrive on site; for the welfare of all boarders member of staff on duty must be aware of your sence. Please sign in to the Visitors’ Book and out again your departure.

adult visitors (including parents) must be accompanied a member of staff. There is a designated toilet for adult tors; for child protection reasons, as well as our anced health and safety measures, please do not use the children’s facilities.

Boarders’ numbers are stored on the duty phones and boarders are expected to store these duty numbers in their mobiles. We communicate regularly through Google Chat.

ALL electronic devices will be handed in by boarders in Years 7 – 11 30 minutes prior to their lights out. Year 12 and 13 students are expected to manage their usage appropriately but may lose this privilege if staff deem it necessary.

It is important that all electronic devices and chargers are identifiable. Electronic devices can be charged overnight in our storage facilities.

SchoolLetters

Most school letters are emailed home to parents via school reception. Please make sure that you have signed up to receiving such communication on the joining papers so that you are able to sign and return permission slips for your child throughout the year.

PlymouthCollegeIntranet –Parents’Area

Academic/SchoolIssues

Any money for school trips must be paid by Parent Pay. Please make sure that your child has enough money in the bank or College House account for school trips.

www.plymouthcollege.net

On the Intranet homepage click on the link for the Parents’ Area

A wealth of information for Pupils and Parents is available on the College Intranet. To access the intranet, follow the process below: 1. 2. 3.

At the bottom of the page follow the directions for Parents Logging on for the First Time (click on the word webmaster to give details to request a username and password)

Log in with the username and password when supplied by the webmaster

Click on the links on the Parents’ Area homepage to view your child’s latest report, to check school calendar events and dates

Click on communication/contact staff to send a message to your child’s tutor, head of year, international student mentor or any other member of staff

If you are concerned about your child’s work, progress, subjects, activities, or behaviour in school your first contact should be with your child’s tutor.

If you cannot contact the tutor or the issue is not resolved satisfactorily or is more serious please contact the Head of Year. If the issue is still not resolved to your satisfaction or is very serious or urgent contact the Deputy Head (Academic) or Deputy Head (Pastoral).

Contact details for your child's class tutor and Head of Year will be sent separately.

4.

MedicalInformation

Parents should complete and return the school health form, giving dates of all immunisations and including a photocopy of your child’s immunisation record so that these are kept up to date. The school requires pupils to be vaccinated to the UK schedule. Should your son/daughter need an emergency admission to hospital it is important that our information is complete and up to date.

New boarder health checks take place in the school health centre. This is carried out by the school nurse and includes a brief health history and simple check.

It is essential that you complete the annual update for off-site information and consent form and return it to the school office each September. The purpose of this questionnaire is to ensure that we have up-to-date information to care for your child when they take part in an offsite activity and ensure that any special arrangements can be made to accommodate their needs.

HealthCentre

Medications

It is the school’s policy that asthmatic and anaphylactic pupils should carry their own medication, but all other medication must be handed in and kept in a locked cupboard in staff accommodation. Where appropriate, pupils can keep their own prescribed medication in their rooms in a locked area, but only with permission from the school nurse. Routine medication can be administered daily by the boarding house staff in the morning and in the evening.

Should your son/daughter already be taking prescribed medication for an illness, could you please supply information about the illness from your child’s doctor and information about the prescribed medication so that treatment can continue. Please do not send your son / daughter to school with a supply of non-prescribed medicines. We need to know when boarders are unwell so that appropriate medication may be given by a member of staff.

Illness

Pupils who are ill or injured during school time must report to the school nurse in the health centre. They are not permitted to return to the boarding house unless directed to do so.

Boarders who are unfit to attend school will remain in the boarding house where they will be cared for by the day matron and boarding staff. Some pupils may be isolated in the sick rooms but more serious cases may be sent home to parents or guardians.

Should your child require an appointment with your family doctor during the school holidays please see the doctor as a temporary resident and do not re-register your child.

Appointments to see a doctor or nurse can be made through the

School Nurse and boarders can request to see a male or female doctor / nurse.

Boarding staff are available before school on Monday to Friday to see boarders for regular medication and for those who are feeling unwell. Boarding can staff escort boarders to their medical appointments and look after them when they are off school during the day.

During the school day from 8.15am – 5.15pm, the health centre is open for all boarders who need regular medication, are unwell, injured or need to talk.

SurgeryAddressand

TelephoneNumber

It is the schools policy to register all boarders with the school doctor. The school doctor and the school nurse Mrs Nicola Lane, haveoverallresponsibilityforthehealthcareoftheboarders. It is therefore essential that parents regularly communicate all health-relatedinformationdirectlytotheschoolhealthcentre. After school hours, the boarding house parents are responsible for immediate health care and report to the school nurse The boarding staff hold first aid qualifications and work to strict protocols. Lisson

Tel: 01752 205555

Confidentiality

Parents and House Parents will be advised of health problems where appropriate. However, as registered health practitioners, it should be recognised that the School Nurse works under a code of conduct, which states that they should offer a confidential service to their patients. Pupils are always advised to discuss problems with their parents.

DentalTreatment

Whilst boarding, pupils must remain registered with their own family dentist and regular dental check- ups should be carried out at home during the holidays. Emergency treatment can be accessed for pupils who are registered with a dentist outside Devon and Cornwall. Parents of pupils who live in Devon or Cornwall will be contacted, should the need arise, as the pupil will need to be seen by the family dentist for emergency treatment. If your child is receiving or about to start orthodontic treatments please contact the school nurse before making arrangements. Emergency orthodontic care should be available but will incur a cost.

MedicalDeclarationforSwimmingAthletes

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy treatment will be arranged through the NHS on the advice of the school doctor, if required. Parents may be given the option of paying for private treatment with a physiotherapist. Our day matrons will take your child to their appointment.. If parents arrange separate physiotherapy for your child please inform the school nurse of all treatment provided.

Opticians

Whilst boarding, it is expected that pupils will remain registered with their own optician and that regular check-ups will be arranged during the holidays. In an emergency or newly diagnosed case, arrangements may be made to see a local optician.

Counselling

There is a school counsellor who is available for pupils to talk to in school with appointments booked through the health centre. The nurse is also available for confidential talks. In more serious cases, the nurse can refer a pupil to other professional agencies.

Contactus

Whenever your son or daughter has a health issue it is essential that you contact theschoolnurse: Email: schoolnurse@plymouthcollege.com Telephone:+44(0)1752505145

It remains the responsibility of each individual swimming scholar’s parents to complete the Swimming Medical Declaration Form. The form should be completed annually by anyone taking medication that is representing Great Britain or their Home Country internationally or competing in a British Swimming, ASA, SASA or WASA National event. It should be signed by both parent and competitor and sent direct to the ASA Membership Department. The school nurse keeps a record of the current medication being taken so do contact them for the information you require when completing the form.

ArrangementofMedicalAppointments

All term time appointments will be made on your child’s behalf by the school nurse who will also organise the necessary chaperone and transport at a time that is convenient to us.

Please do not make an appointment for your child unless you intend to escort him/her yourself, in which case it is essential that you keep the school nurse informed so that complete medical records can be maintained. Likewise, it is essential that all parents inform the school nurse if your child receives any treatments or changes in medications during the school holidays to enable us to continue to care effectively for your child.

AbsenceRequest

If your child wishes to be absent during a week night evening, they need to speak to their house parents 2 days before the planned absence. Their House Parent will review and give permission at their discretion.

If your child wishes to be absent during a weekend evening, they need to speak to their house parents and fill out Weekend Whereabouts Form by the Wednesday before. Their House Parent will review and give permission at their discretion.

If your child wishes to absent overnight from boarding, their parent or guardian needs to email house parent before the planned absence. We will need to check with the host family that they are happy to take responsibility for your child.

If there is an unavoidable reason for your child to go home overnight midweek please make the arrangement with us as soon as possible by email or telephone call.

We reserve the right to use our professional judgement to deny permission on a case by case basis if parents choose to give parental consent to a young person aged 16, 17 or 18 to be absent from boarding overnight without the immediate care of a responsible adult (either parent, guardian or adult host).

Child Student/Student Visa Status pupils may not miss 5 consecutive days’ unauthorised absence or more of school under the terms of their visas. The UK government expects us to withdraw sponsorship from a student who misses 5 days or more of school.

If your child will be absent from lessons, please contact the School Office in writing to make the request. This is a requirement by law and boarding staff are unable to grant permission.

AthleteInformation

To succeed at living away from home and to maintain their scholarship, sports scholars need to have a high level of personal organisation, be committed to managing schoolwork and private study effectively, be focused on reaching their full performance potential and be prepared to participate as fully as possible in the boarding community.

We expect boarding athletes to have the self-discipline to set their own alarm and get themselves up for morning training sessions. A pre-breakfast snack may be taken in the boarding house kitchen prior to morning training. After morning training athletes must dress in school uniform before going to breakfast in the school dining hall.

During the school day athletes often become tired. It is important that no lessons are missed because this causes schoolwork to become unmanageable. However, at lunchtime and in free periods athletes may go to the school Health Centre to catch up on some sleep. Occasionally, an athlete may be allowed to return to the boarding house to sleep in his/her own bed for a longer period of time if the School Nurse decides that it is necessary. It is important to get to bed on time at night, or even to go to bed earlier if possible to maximise sleep opportunities.

Athletes in Years 7, 8 and 9 are expected to fully participate in all PE lessons in school as part of their all-round education. Athletes in years 10, 11 and Sixth Form, who are not taking PE as an academic subject, may be allowed to use Games lesson time for an allocated training session or for homework or private study. It is often advisable for athletes starting the GCSE programme in Year 10 to take one less subject than normal to free up some lesson time during the day for private study. These decisions affect timetabling and must be discussed and agreed in advance with the Assistant Head.

It is recommended that athletes in Years 10, 11 and Sixth Form do not forgo the opportunity to take part in the school’s enrichment programme but get involved in activities such as the Sports Leaders Award, Art or Photography when possible on Friday afternoons.

In the evening athletes have supper either before or after training. Athletes then need the self- discipline to complete homework, prepare all equipment/bags for the next day and manage laundry before enjoying some free time prior to going to bed.

We understand that there will be some periods of time that are harder than others, e.g. at exam time; when performance is not as good as expected; or, when an athlete is injured. In these cases we do not look for perfection but for a realistic and honest attitude to the situation so that, with determination and the available support, the individual may overcome the particular obstacle. Boarding staff, health staff, academic staff, and coaches communicate with each other and with parents to ensure that the welfare of all athletes is maintained while they are in our care.

Chaperoningarrangementsfortermtimeswimming competitions

At least one chaperone will be provided to look after boarding swimming athletes at competitions during school term time only unless parents choose to accompany their own child themselves. Your child must have enough money to buy meals, drinks and snacks during the competition. The chaperone is not able to lend money.

For competitions during the school holidays when the boarding house is closed to boarders, parents are expected, either, to accompany your own child to the competition, or, to instruct your child’s UK Guardian to chaperone your child, or, to not enter that particular competition to enable your child to return home. This includes competitions that occur at the start or end of a holiday.

Parents are responsible for booking accommodation for your child at the hotel preferred by the Plymouth Leander Swimming Club as detailed in the relevant entry information for each competition. If you do not live in the UK and need help with making the accommodation booking for your child you can ask the swim office administrator to make the booking for you but only if you advance the money first. We are not able to lend money. If you have sufficient money deposited in a ‘College House account’ we can pass the money to the swim office on your instruction.

Food&Meals

All meals are provided in the school dining hall. Please note that we do not allow boarders to self- cater at mealtimes, except for the over 16s on Saturday and Sunday evenings only, which requires weekly permission to be obtained from their House Parent on the previous Wednesday when agreeing ‘weekend whereabouts’.

If your child has a special dietary requirement e.g. allergy to nuts, or gluten-free diet, please make sure that full details are given on the school health form. The school nurse will inform the catering manager so that your child’s needs may be met.

In the boarding house kitchens, we provide squash, milk, bread, butter, spreads and cereal to snack on in the evenings after school and at the weekends. Boarders may also purchase their own snacks, if they choose to, in addition to what is provided for them.

If a boarder is unable to attend a meal a packed meal will be provided. Packed meals must be ordered by the House Parents at least one day before they are required. When a boarder will be away for a day or more, e.g. D of E expeditions, camps, university open days etc. the boarder must have enough money to pay for all food and drink bought during this time.

All athletes are expected to adhere to the nutrition guidance given by their coaches, especially to avoid food and drinks with high sugar and/or high fat content. Cereals are provided in the boarding house kitchens for athletes who wish to eat before early morning training. This is in addition to attending breakfast as normal after morning training.

RoomShares

An important aspect of boarding involves sharing a room and learning to get along with room-mates. Your child will be placed in a room with one or two other boarders of a similar age.

Boarders have to be considerate towards each other, respecting each other’s feelings and socialising with friends in the ground floor communal rooms rather than perhaps disturbing the privacy of their roommate.

If your child is finding it hard to get along with a roommate, please let the House Parent know so that we can help to mediate. It is preferable allround if boarders can be helped to overcome their differences and live tolerantly with each other.

However, if a room share really is not working we will do our best to make the change at the next holiday time. We can not guarantee to accommodate all requests and we ask you to respect the professional judgement of the House Parents when allocating rooms.

Room allocations are reviewed at the end of each term and changes may be made for the following term. This allows for a more balanced integration of British and International students.

All boarders are expected to communicate in English even if it is not their first language. It is considered impolite for boarders to hold conversations in their own languages, which may make others feel excluded or uncomfortable.

Laundry

In order to facilitate the smooth running of the laundry system, it is important that all items are labelled with your child’s name and allocated laundry number. One boarder’s items of clothing will often be identical or similar to another’s and so could be easily mislaid.

Your child’s laundry number will be given to them on their arrival to boarding. Please write the laundry number on the labels of all items with a marker pen. The domestic services department will then provide a full labelling service for clothing, bed linen and towels, etc. Labels are machine printed with your child’s name and laundry number and are pressed onto your child’s items in an unobtrusive position where the operatives can easily find them when sorting items after laundering.

Items of uniform purchased in the school shop will be sent directly by the shop manager to the domestic services manager for labelling and will be available for collection from the school laundry.

LaundryEquipment

It is essential that you provide your child with at least one large drawstring bag for transporting dirty washing to the laundry building.

Laundry bags will be labelled with your child’s name and laundry number clearly marked on the outside in the school laundry.

We will issue your child with 2 named and numbered net washing bags for the washing of underwear (one for whites, one for colours). The underwear is washed and dried inside the net bags, which means that pants and socks do not have to be individually named.

Howthesystemworks

Boarders sort their own dirty washing into their drawstring laundry bag and net underwear bags each day and take them to the laundry room each morning before breakfast.

The items are either washed that morning or may be soaked overnight and laundered the next day.

FireDrills

Fire drills are carried out at least once per term during boarding time. These are discussed and explained to boarders as part of their induction process Occasional drills have to be conducted during the time when most boarders are asleep, to comply with regulations. We will try to minimise the impact on athletes in this situation.

Items are tumble dried where possible or hung on rails until dry, which may take a day or two.

Clean laundry is sorted into numbered shelves, while unlabelled items go into lost property.

The boarders collect their own clean clothes after school from their designated shelf.

Prefects

The role of the prefects is to be helpful and supportive to both boarders and duty staff. Tasks carried out by prefects include collecting in phones at bedtime, helping to supervise study timeand organising evening activities for other boarders.

PrivateStudy&Homework

Prep is set on a regular basis by subject teachers to encourage pupils to work independently. It is important that boarders arrive at supervised study time well prepared and on time. If for some reason a boarder will be late for a valid reason s/he must see the tutor on duty to let them know – it is only polite and good-mannered to do so.

Our prefects are role models to younger boarders as well as big brothers and sisters in the house. They also report back to House Parents if younger boarders aren’t behaving as they ought to or experiencing difficulties.

The heads of house are responsible for overseeing the prefect team alongside the House Parents. This includes creating and monitoring a prefect duty rota.

It is important that homework is completed on the day that it is given, unless other school commitments prevent this.

Duty staff will monitor homework completion during the supervised study time time and through use of Google Classroom.

Boarders in Years 11 and Sixth Form are expected to do their own private study in addition to the supervised study time session. Study sessions are provided after supper to enable athletes to complete homework around their training schedules.

Parents of boarders who go home at the weekend are responsible for checking your child’s homework over the weekend.

Protectionofpersonalpossesions

One boarder’s possessions will often be identical or similar to another’s, especially items of school uniform and electrical items. It is, therefore, essential for all personal possessions to be marked with name labels.

It is important for each individual boarder to take responsibility for the good care and security of their own property. Plymouth College does not accept liability for the loss of boarders’ personal possessions. It is also important that all boarders are able to trust the other members of the house not to interfere with their personal possessions.

The boarding houses are kept secure and boarders are asked to keep the security codes to themselves to prevent access by nonboarders.

Boarders are expected to keep their personal possessions in their own allocated space to keep them safe. Passports and large amounts of money may be handed into the House Parents who will keep them locked safely away in the safe within the staff office, if written consent is given by parents

Each boarder has access to a lockable drawer, either in the desk or wardrobe, where they are encouraged to keep valuable items, such as money, mobile phones and expensive possessions. Please bring a padlock for this drawer, preferably a coded one as keys can be lost. During school holidays all personal possessions must be packed away into clearly named suitcases or zipped bags and stored in the locked store rooms in each house.

Even though each boarder is provided with sufficient storage facilities possessions can be mislaid, borrowed and never returned and, on occasion, even stolen. It is recommended that parents ensure that expensive items are appropriately insured. Whenever a boarder cannot find a personal possession the loss must be reported to the House Parent. The House Parent will then do the following:

Lossofpersonalpossesion

Help the boarder re-trace his/her steps and think through when/where the item was last seen. Actively help the boarder to look for the item. Encourage the boarder to look in the school lost property and bag store and ask the Porters for assistance.

Announce the loss in House Meetings and encourage others to hand in ‘found’ or borrowed items.

If the item is not found and is valuable then parents will be informed.

In all instances of a theft being reported first ask – has the item definitely been stolen or could it have been mislaid? If it could have been mislaid then follow the points 1 to 4 above for ‘loss of a personal possession’. If an item is known to have been stolen then follow the next steps.

TheftofaPersonalPossession intheBoardingHouse

Take details of the stolen item, including time and place of theft, or the time and place it was last seen. Call a house meeting to alert everyone to the theft and ask for witnesses and information. Boarders are asked to co-operate in a search of the house including their own areas, which will only be searched if the boarder is present. The search will be carried out by a member of staff in the presence of an adult witness. If the search is successful the member of staff will record the outcome and inform the Head of Boarding who will decide what action to take.

If the search is unsuccessful, a short amnesty will be given so that the item may be returned either to the owner, or to a member of staff, or to a specified neutral point. If the amnesty passes without the item being returned the police will be informed via the website: Report My Loss

TheftofaPersonalPossessionon Schoolsite

Take details of the stolen item, including time and place of theft, or the time and place it was last seen. Inform the Deputy Head in writing of the allegation of theft. The Deputy Head will decide what action to take.

TheftofaPersonalPossession offSchoolsite

Take details of the stolen item, including time and place of theft, or the time and place it was last seen. Inform the police. The House Parent will inform parents.

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In the boarding house personal privacy may be somewhat limited. It is therefore very important that each boarder respects each other.

Boarders may not enter another person’s room without permission and must always knock first before entering. Members of staff will always knock loudly before entering.

Boarders must be considerate when using a mobile phone when others are in the same room (find somewhere else to take the call).

Boarders may not use or borrow things without permission (things get lost this way).

Music should not be played so loudly that it may be heard outside the room.

When watching TV and using the common rooms boarders must be aware of reasonable noise levels and consider other people.

Guests must be accompanied at all times and must remain on the ground floors of the boarding houses.

Members of staff will do their best not to sensitive to boarders at all times.

SecuringBoarders'Views

Boarders at Plymouth College are actively encouraged to contribute their views on their boarding provision, and are able to raise concerns and make complaints. Their views are given appropriate weight in decisions about the running of boarding and the school. They are not penalised for raising a concern or making a complaint in good faith.

New boarders are asked to fill in a questionnaire before they join the school so they can tell us what their expectations are, and what they hope to achieve during their time in the school.

Boarders fill in an annual questionnaire in the summer term to sum up their year in the school and in boarding, to tell us what they have enjoyed, or not, and what they have achieved, both in school and beyond. We use the information in the questionnaires to both review where we are and inform decisions about boarding for the next year. The questionnaires are kept secure in individual boarders’ files in the school office. There are regular house meetings and less formal gatherings, where boarders are welcome to raise concerns or make complaints. Boarders are encouraged to come and see any member of staff more confidentially if they have a concern or wish to make a complaint. There are also regular meetings between house staff and prefects, who act as a conduit for information to and from house parents.

The School runs a School Council to discuss wider issues in school, and boarders are often elected to the committee and so have another forum for expressing their views on the school’s provision.

ComplaintsProcedure

If you are concerned about a boarding issue your first contact should be with:

Boys’ Housemaster

Mr Lee Ilott – Ilott@plymouthcollege.com

Girls’ House Parent

Mrs Beth Field – bfield@plymouthcollege.com

EqualOpportunities

We recognise our obligation under the Equality Act 2010 to ensure positive attitudes to diversity and difference – not only so that every child is included and not disadvantaged, but also so that they learn to value diversity in others and grow up making a positive contribution to society. We undertake to make reasonable adjustments to enable all to participate in all aspects of boarding, to ensure that all are valued and supported.

If the issue is not resolved to your satisfaction contact the: Deputy Head (Pupil Welfare & Development) Mr Charles Irish: cirish@plymouthcollege.com

The Independent Schools’ Inspectorate inspects boarding provision regularly and may be contacted (www.isi.net) if there is a serious complaint concerning welfare, although they would expect you to have raised the issue with us first.

If you have a child protection issue please contact the DSL, Mr Charles Irish or the Plymouth Local Authority Designated Officer for Child Protection (LADO), Jane Parmenter. Email: jane.parmenter@plymouth.gov.uk