WELCOME TO DUN HOLME
SHERBORNE GIRLS - DUN HOLME
A very warm welcome to Dun Holme It is often overwhelming when you arrive somewhere new. There is a lot of information to take in and it is easy to end up feeling overloaded. This handbook gives you some key information about living in Dun Holme, which you can read in your own time and refer back to if you need to. I hope you find it helpful and feel reassured that everything will be fine. If you have any questions when you get here just ask an older girl or a member of the Dun Holme team. If you have any questions before you arrive, do not hesitate to email us. With best wishes Mr Gent Housemaster
‘Busy with sense and idle with honour’ House Motto
Contents Important contact details 1 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. House ethos 2 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. Family 3 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. The House staff 5 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. Support in House and in the School 7 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. The Health Centre and medicine 10 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. Who can I talk to? 12 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. Meals 14 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. House routines 16 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. Going out and welcoming visitors to the House 26 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. Keeping personal items safe 29 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. Day girls 32 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. House and School facilities 32 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. School Shop 36 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. Hygiene 36 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. Uniform expectations/dress 37 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. School facilities 39 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. Use of mobiles and other personal electronic devices 39 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. Sherborne Girls terminology 41 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. Campus map 42 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. Packing list 44 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. FAQ 45 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. Fire safety
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Important contact details House Mr Gent (Housemaster) 01935 818250 • r.gent@sherborne.com 01935 818251 • dunholme@sherborne.com Matrons 01935 818251 Mrs Blocke (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday) Mrs Wharfe (Tuesday, Friday, Sunday) Mr Greed (Resident Tutor) g.greed@sherborne.com
School Mrs Briggs (Deputy Head, Pastoral & Designated Safeguarding Lead) 01935 818338 General SG Emergency Number 01935 818333 Please add these details to your phone. It is important that you can get in touch with your House and your Housemaster at all times. The House phone is answered by the Matron during the day and the Tutor on duty in the evening.
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House ethos • Dun Holme is a community. We are one big family: a home away from home
• Dun Holme is our home, so we treat it with respect and look after it
• We give each other mutual respect without exception, treating others how we would want to be treated ourselves
• Everyone in Dun Holme has the right to enjoy living and working in our community
• We respect each person’s property, space, feelings and views • There is no hierarchy – we set a good example for others and look after each other, particularly when others feel unhappy, homesick or lonely
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• We understand that Dun Holme is part of the larger School and local community • We strive to be the best version of ourselves. Everyone should be a proud and active member of the House
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Family In Dun Holme we place being a family at the very heart of what we do. Everyone in House looks out for each other. Older girls are always available and more than willing to support younger girls in the House. We eat every meal together and twice a week in family groups, which change on a weekly basis. These are made up of a group of seven or eight girls from various year groups. The idea is that you get to know all the other girls in the House really well over the course of the year and become a tight-knit support unit for each other.
Everyone’s opinion is important and so House meetings take place regularly and are a great way of everyone having the opportunity to feed back their opinions. With your help, we can ensure that the House culture and ethos works for every resident. That’s the Dun Holme way.
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The House staff There are several members of staff in Dun Holme: Mr Gent, Mr Greed, Mrs Blocke, Mrs Wharfe, Mr Hind, Mrs McManus and Mrs Gent. You will get to know us all very well. Mrs Blocke and Mrs Wharfe are our Day Matrons. They are available in House every day from 8.00am to 6.00pm. The Matrons’ job is to look after the practical aspects of you living here. For example, they will make you appointments at the Health Centre or escort you to hospital, dental or orthodontist appointments if necessary. They organise train tickets and taxis for those who need them and liaise with your parents about your travel arrangements for exeats and the end of term. Matrons also check that your rooms are tidy and will help you with laundry if need be.
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Mr Gent is assisted by Assistant Housemaster, Mr Greed, as well as Mr Hind, Mrs McManus and Mrs Gent who are Non-Resident Tutors. They are all on duty during various evenings each week. There is a staff-on-duty rota on each year group noticeboard around the House and outside Mr Gent’s office. This lets you know who is on duty and when. Everyone is allocated a Tutor. Your Tutor will see you once a week and can come into the Boarding House and have lunch with you. They also will help you organise your school work and will answer any academic queries.
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They meet regularly with Mr Gent to discuss your performance and progress.
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Support in House and in the School There are many people you can talk to. All of the House staff are here for you and if you need any help at all, please just ask. New girls to the House are allocated a buddy. Please use your buddy as a useful source of information. In addition, the L6 are here to help you. The Head and Vice Head of House have been appointed to these important roles as they really do care about the House and the girls who live here. They have been where you are and know how you feel. They are great listeners and will always be available to help you. We also have a team of L6 Supporters and Listeners. These girls have been trained by our School Counsellor and will offer a listening ear if you are worried about anything and you would prefer to speak to someone nearer your own
age. Look on the noticeboards for information about our Supporters and Listeners. They all have a sign on their bedroom door that says ‘Supporter and Listener’. Just knock on their door if you need a chat or to see a friendly face. We have three School Counsellors (Heddy, Lauenna and Veronica), who come into School to talk to girls. You can also speak to the Chaplain if you want a chat. The Chaplain can often be found in the Ark in Main School. If you would like to speak to someone independent from School then do look at the noticeboards. You’ll find lots of telephone numbers there for a variety of support services.
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Dealing with homesickness For some of you this may be your first time away from home, and you may not find the first few days easy. That’s okay and it is perfectly normal to feel like this. It can be tricky getting used to different routines and getting to know new people. The important thing to remember is that if you are feeling homesick you are not alone, and these feelings will quickly pass.
Everyone has experienced homesickness and understands what you’re going through. But you can make things a little easier if you follow these tips: • Make sure you are not on your own. If you feel sad, it will make things worse to isolate yourself from others • You will not be the only person struggling – lots of other girls will be too. Look at the other girls around you and think, ‘if they can do it, so can I’. Keep yourself busy – don’t give yourself time to think about missing home • Try not to make contact with home unless you feel strong enough to handle it. Hearing Mum or Dad’s voice may set you off, so don’t phone unless you feel up to it
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• Don’t phone home just before bedtime. It’s the worst time of day to speak to parents as you are likely to be feeling most wobbly just before bed • When you do speak to parents at home, talk about everything you have been doing. Avoid talking about how you are feeling as this is likely to make you feel more emotional
• Come and get a hug from one of the members of staff on duty. We love hugs! Normally big groups of girls congregate in the HM’s office during tech hand-in time – come and join us for a chat! • Remember: you will get over your homesickness. In no time at all, Dun Holme will feel like your second home.
• Don’t encourage your parents to ‘pop in’ to see you. It just makes it harder in the long run • Don’t encourage your parents to keep texting you to ask how you are. Again, it just reminds you that you aren’t at home and this may upset you
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The Health Centre and medicine Dr Middle and Dr Thomas are our School Doctors. All boarders are registered with them. One of them comes to the Health Centre from Monday to Friday at 8.00am and you can easily get an appointment to see them if you need to. You can either make one yourself by going to the Health Centre, or ask Matron and she will organise an appointment for you. If you feel unwell, the House staff may suggest that you go to the Health Centre to see a nurse for advice (or we will phone from Dun Holme to get advice). There is always a nurse on duty in the Health Centre. If you need to visit the Health Centre, we will issue you with a purple slip. You need to give this in when you get there. Your teachers in Main School will also write a purple slip for you if you feel unwell in a lesson and need to see a 10
nurse. However, if you want to see someone in the Health Centre without anyone knowing, there is a ‘drop-in’ from 4.30pm to 5.00pm each weekday. Just pop along then and the nurse will be able to help you. You are not allowed to keep any medicine or tablets in your room. All medicines are kept in the medicine cabinet in the House office. If you need to take medicine regularly then usually this is done at 8.00am. The Matron on duty will help to dispense medicines and you will sign for them.
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Who can I talk to? Everybody has worries or problems at some time in their lives. Although there may be times when you do not want to talk about them, it is usually sensible and helpful to share and seek help in sorting them out. You could talk to one of the other girls in your year group or the older girls in House, such as your Head of House or Prefect. However, there are occasions when an adult may be more appropriate. There are a large number to choose from within School, as well as your parents, wider family and national helplines.
Childline* 0800 1111
Teachers
Matrons
Tutors
School Safeguarding Hotline 01935 818324 Safeguarding Officers Lead: Mrs Briggs Deputies: Mr McClary, Mrs Orton, Nurse Watson
*National organisations
Children’s Commissioner for England* 0800 5280731 www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk
Counsellors Mrs Heddy Smith 07970 843359 h.smith@sherborne.com Mrs Lauenna Luddington l.luddington@sherborne.com
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Mrs Veronica Rosello v.rosello@sherborne.com
Chaplain Revd. Katie Windle chaplain@sherborne.com
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House parents
Tutors
Aroundthe-clock support Senior Staff
Tootoot
Learning Support v.collyer@sherborne.com
Doctors Dr Charlie Middle Dr Katie Thomas Contact via Health Centre
Samaritans* 116 123 jo@samaritans.org
Independent Listeners Mrs Pat Appleyard 07785 781777 Mrs Katharine Stringer 07850 937158
Nurses health@sherborne.com 07977 469663
All members of staff will be pleased to talk to you and try to help. If you need to see the Headmistress quickly, see her Personal Assistant, Mrs Horton. Members of staff will listen to you in confidence, but there may be times when they must ask your permission to tell someone what you have told them, if they think you or others are at serious risk of harm.
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Meals All meals in House are compulsory. We always take a register and we also use this as a roll call. Please be prompt to mealtimes. If you have any specific dietary requirements, your parents need to notify the School ahead of your arrival so that appropriate provision can be made with the Chef manager. Mealtimes are as follows: Breakfast Monday / Wednesday / Friday 7.15am in full uniform Tuesday / Thursday / Saturday 7.30am in full uniform Sunday – 10.00am Brunch (if there is a morning service) or 11.00am (if there is an evening service) Lunch Monday – Friday 1.00pm Saturday – 12.00pm Sunday – 1.00pm (unless there has been Brunch at 11.00am in which case there is no lunch)
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Supper Monday – Friday 6.15pm Saturday 6.00pm Sunday 6.00pm (unless there is an Evening Abbey Service, in which case it is at 5.30pm) When arriving for mealtimes, please queue up in an orderly manner. Ensure that your hair is tied up and you have some kind of shoes on your feet (slippers are fine!). At breakfast, lunch and supper, girls tend to sit with their year groups. For two lunchtimes you will sit in your family groups. All meals are collected from the servery and then you sit down to eat. The rule in Dun Holme is that no one leaves the table until everyone at the table has finished, as a courtesy, and to encourage you to have a positive conversation and develop friendships. Mealtimes are a really good opportunity to slow down and have a little rest. You will be very busy, and it is OK to take a breath from time to time.
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Please remember table manners in the dining room. For example, no elbows on tables, don’t talk with your mouth full, etc. If you have a visiting Tutor or guest on your table for lunch, then remember to be good hostesses. Make sure they are comfortable and have a glass of water poured. Please chat to them – they have made an effort to come and spend lunch with you. The dining room is a mobile-free zone. Please do not take your phone into the dining room – expect it to be confiscated for 24 hours if it is seen!
Takeaways You may order takeaways on Saturday evenings. However, you need to get permission from Mr Gent by lunchtime of the same day so that the kitchen can be informed. Please do not expect to have a pizza every Saturday – we have a duty of care to make sure you eat healthily! You must also wait downstairs so that you can watch for the delivery driver, and your takeaway must arrive before 9.00pm.
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House routines Signing in and out If you are in L5, M5 or U5 then there is no need to sign in and out during the day as you are all out of the House for lessons. If you come back to House for whatever reason, you must inform Matron. However, after lessons finish you must sign in and out. It is very important that we know who is in House at any time. L6 have a signing-out board, as they are allowed to stay in House to study. If you have a study period, you must use the board every time you are in and out during the school day. We will show you how this works once you are in the House. After lessons you must use the paper signing-in and out system so that we know where you are. It is our job to keep you safe, so it is very important that you use this system properly.
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House meetings We have House meetings regularly in the common room. All girls in House are required to attend. We use the white board in the entrance to the dining room to convey information and messages. Please get into the habit of checking this every time you go into the dining room. On Monday mornings there is an Assembly in The Merritt Centre, and on Wednesdays, School Prayers in the Hall/The Merritt Centre. On Fridays there is Hymn Practice in the Hall/The Merritt Centre. We sit together as a House for these events.
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From Monday to Saturday lesson starts at 8.30am and break is from 10.55am-11.25am. You will come back to House for this and will need to get changed out of PE kit if you have had PE or Games during Periods 1, 2 or 3. You may need to get changed out of uniform into PE kit if you have a PE or Games lesson during Periods 4 or 5. During the week, lessons finish at 1.00pm and you need to come back to House promptly for lunch. After lunch you may have a tutorial, an activity (e.g. Choir or Sport), or you may get a bit of ‘downtime’. On Saturdays lunch is from 12.00pm-12.30pm followed by Saturday Sport for L5 and M5 from 1.00pm-2.00pm, or matches, if you are selected for a team. Team sheets are
posted on the noticeboards as soon as we know them. During the week, lessons restart in the afternoon at 2.35pm, so you need to leave the House in good time. Period 8 finishes at 5.00pm. There are lots of opportunities to get involved in activities after school. These usually run from 5.10pm-6.10pm. Please make the most of all the opportunities you have available. At the same time, don’t overload yourself. Your Tutor will help you choose activities and you can also talk things through with House staff if you are unsure what to do. There is an activities fair in September to enable you to select your clubs and activity choices.
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Daily routines 8.00am
Medication is given out by Matron
8.10-8.25am
Monday: Assembly Wednesday: Prayers Friday: Hymn Practice
8.30-9.15am
Period 1
9.20-10.05am
Period 2
10.10-10.55am
Period 3
10.55-11.25am
Break – in House *
11.25-12.10pm
Period 4
12.15-1.00pm
Period 5
1.00-1.45pm
Lunch – in House
1.45-2.30pm
Downtime / choir / activities / music lessons
2.35-3.20pm
Period 6
3.25-4.10pm
Period 7
4.15-5.00pm
Period 8
5.10-6.10pm
Activities / free time
6.15-7.00pm
Supper and Roll Call – in House
7.00-8.45pm
Prep – in house (varies for each year group): L5 work in library
9.30-10.15pm
Bedtime (varies for each year group)
*There are only three lessons on a Saturday. .
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Prep and evening routines L5 7.00-8.00pm 8.30-8.45pm 8.45-9.15pm 9.15-9.30pm 8.45pm 9.30pm
Prep 1 Free House meeting/drawing room/downtime Reading Hand in tech Lights out
M5 7.00-8.30pm 8.30-8.45pm 8.45-9.15pm 9.00pm 9.45pm
Prep 1 Free House meeting/drawing room/downtime Hand in tech Lights out
U5 7.00-8.30pm 8.30-8.45pm 8.45-9.15pm 9.15pm 10.00pm
Prep Free House meeting/drawing room/downtime Hand in tech Lights out
L6 7.00-8.45pm 8.45-9.15pm 9.15pm 9.30pm 10.15pm
Prep House meeting/drawing room/downtime Downtime Hand in tech Lights out
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Other prep points to consider… • L5 must do prep in the dining room • There will be at least one L6 girl to supervise prep • The whole House must be silent during prep time and be actively engaged in prep, revision or reading • If you need to work collaboratively with another girl, then this must be arranged with a member of staff on duty (or the L6 who is supervising prep). For collaborative work, you must use the work room next to the drawing room • Any girl who is found to be disruptive, noisy or not working will be asked to join L5 for supervised prep
Bedtime routine All girls must hand in mobile phones and any other electronic devices (e.g. tablet and laptop) one hour before bedtime (see above). You need to take these downstairs to Mr Gent’s office where a member of staff or a sixth former will be on duty ready to receive them. Each girl has a labelled slot in a cupboard where they put their devices. The office is locked every evening. If you are late by more than five minutes when handing in your phone and devices, they will be confiscated for 24 hours. Essentially this means that, for example, if you are late on a Monday evening, you will not receive your items back until Wednesday morning. The routine is different on a Saturday evening. Supper is at 6.00pm and then you will have a social. This could be a disco, a social with one of the Houses
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from Sherborne School, a movie night in House, a supper evening or something else thought up by your House team!
However, all girls need to be in their rooms by 10.30pm and the House needs to be dark and quiet by 11.00pm at the latest.
L5 need to hand in their phones on a Saturday night at 10.30pm, and we don’t have a bedtime as such.
Sunday nights are treated the same as a weekday night (but there is no official prep time).
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House duties There are House duties for all year groups. For example, the M5 have servery duty. This involves stacking and switching on the dishwasher, sweeping the floor, wiping down the workbenches and tables, placing the rubbish into the relevant bins, checking that lights are switched off and that all windows are closed.
L6 supervise prep and oversee mobile phone and device collection and bedtimes during the week. Please report for prep supervision a couple of minutes before the start. Please report for ‘goodnights’ duty by 8.55pm.
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Going out and welcoming visitors to the House Going out After lessons, and if you do not have an activity, you are allowed to go to Budgens. You must sign in and out and you must be back in House by 6.00pm. You must either be in full uniform, or in smart casual clothes (check the dress code for more details on this). You should never be ‘partly’ in uniform, by mixing it with your casual clothes. L5 and M5 are allowed into town on Saturday afternoons after either match commitments or Saturday Sport, and on Sundays when other commitments allow. U5 and L6 can go into town after lessons. You must be back in House by 6.00pm.
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Going outside Sherborne M5 upwards may go to Yeovil at the weekend, but permission must be sought from the Housemaster or the member of staff on duty. A taxi must be ordered by the person on duty and you must be in a group of at least three (L6 can go in pairs). L6 can go to Bath, Salisbury or Bristol by prior arrangement with the Housemaster. If it is your birthday or a special occasion, your parents may take you out for supper. However, unless this is a weekend, you may not invite any friends. This is because going out midweek is disruptive to prep routines. This is a School rule (not just a House rule). If you would like to celebrate your birthday with friends, it is best to wait until Saturday evening or Sunday lunch.
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L6 can go out to a restaurant for supper on Saturday or lunch on Sunday in groups of no more than six. Such trips need to be arranged in advance with the Housemaster. Please be aware that even if you do not have a match on a Saturday, if you are in L5 or M5 you do have a commitment of Saturday Sport from 1.00pm to 2.00pm. You are therefore not available to meet with parents until after this time. Your behaviour and dress when out and about must be exemplary, as you are representing the House and the School. Please create a good impression. The School boundaries are published on the Boarding House noticeboards – you must be aware of where you are and are not allowed to go.
Exeats/weekends out There are usually two exeats every term. These usually start at 1.35pm on a Friday. You may not leave School before this time. Matron will put up a list around two weeks before exeat, and you can sign up if you would like her to purchase you a train ticket or order you a taxi. The School train to Waterloo normally leaves at 1.35pm and gets to Waterloo at 3.47pm. It normally leaves Waterloo at 5.15pm on a Sunday afternoon to come back. It is an escorted service and you will be given the phone number and name of the member of staff on the train before you leave. All girls need to leave promptly for exeat, after which time Dun Holme will be locked. It will not reopen again until 6.00pm on the Sunday evening, so please do not return before this time as you will not be able to get in.
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However, if you do need to arrive back to School earlier than 6.00pm, Wingfield Digby House is open and a Matron will be on duty there. You are more than welcome to stay in Wingfield Digby until 6.00pm. All girls must return by 9.00pm after an exeat weekend. If you request to go out on a nonexeat weekend, this will usually be granted by special permission of the HM, but your parents need to email by Thursday lunchtime. This is because socials lists and numbers for catering are finalised on a Thursday. Abbey Services are compulsory, so if you choose to go home on the weekend of an Abbey Service, you must be back for that. The dates for Abbey Services are clearly marked in the online calendar. If we are worried that too many pupils are going to be away for the weekend, we may ask you to reconsider your request for weekend leave to protect the School’s full-boarding atmosphere.
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The Tea Crate, Queenie’s Café and The Coffee Pod The Tea Crate can be found in the basement of Mulliner and it is often open from 4.30pm–6.00pm for drinks and snacks. Boys from Sherborne School are welcome there too. The Coffee Pod is a café in the reception area of the Oxley Sports Centre, which you may also use after school and at weekends. There is also a café in the Upper Foyer of The Merritt Centre, called Queenie’s Café. This is open after lunch and after school. Visitors Girls from other Houses and boys from Sherborne School are very welcome to visit us here in the House. There is a visitor signing-in book that everyone must sign. Please let the member of staff on duty know that a visitor has arrived. It is very important that they are introduced to the member of staff on duty. If a friend, or family member from Sherborne School is visiting then you must stay in the dining room. Family members are always welcome to the House, but no one is allowed upstairs (including parents, unless it is the end of term). If you have friends from outside the School visiting, please let the duty member of staff know when they arrive, and introduce them.
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Keeping personal items safe All rooms and ‘cubies’ are equipped with a lockable drawer. You are advised to keep any precious items and money locked away. You will need to see Matron if you wish to have the key for your lockable drawer and she will sign it out for you. Please be aware that you need to return the key at the end of term. If you lose it, you will be charged £15 for a replacement.
Money and passports Passports must be handed in. If you require a Visa to study in England, your passport is kept in the safe in the office in Main School. Anyone who has a large amount of cash is advised to hand this in to us for safekeeping. You may use us as a House bank, and sign out money as you wish to use it.
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Day girls
House and School facilities
Day girls – you are welcome to come into School for breakfast and to stay until after prep. Day girls are expected to arrive by 8.00am every morning. It is also extremely important that day girls sign out when leaving at the end of the day, so that we know you have gone home. Please call or email the House if you plan on leaving straight from Main School. Please also chat to your Head of Year in House to find out if there is any information you have missed when you have been at home.
Laundry We have a laundry on the ground floor in Dun Holme. We have three washing machines and three dryers. Girls do their own general laundry, but bedding and towels are collected and taken off site to be washed and returned weekly. When you need your bedding and towels to be washed these items should be put in the large washing trolleys on the second floor by Sunday evening.
Day boarders – you have set nights that you stay. You need to let your Housemaster know which nights these are. You need to give 48 hours’ notice if you would like to stay on any other nights (or go home when you would normally sleep over).
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Each girl has a labelled shelf in the linen room on the first floor. The cleaners will put your clean bedding and towels onto your shelf when they are returned. You can of course choose to wash your own bedding and towels if you’d prefer. When you take your laundry, check how the rest of the washing is doing in there. If you pop someone’s washing in a dryer and put the next load
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on, it helps everyone’s washing to get done more quickly. The system only works if everyone uses it, so it is important to stick to. The machines are really straightforward to use. They also automatically dispense washing powder. Just get someone to show you the first time you use one if you are unsure. Matron will show you when you first arrive. If you do not name your clothes they are likely to get lost or mixed up with someone else’s laundry, and it is generally difficult to identify whose washing is whose. If you buy new clothes during the course of the term, borrow a Sharpie from Matron’s office to label your clothes. It will save Matron a lot of time trying to sort through unclaimed, unlabelled washing.
Common room The common room is available for all girls to use at any time in House (apart from during prep). In the common room you will find a smart TV and DVD player, a Wii, lots of DVDs, a multi-purpose games table, board games, cards and reading books. Study room This can be used by anyone but L5 must ask permission from the member of staff on duty. L6 prefects are on a rota to supervise prep, so there will always be at least one L6 girl studying in the dining room during prep sessions. All girls are able to use the printing facility by swiping their School Shop card in order to log in.
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Drawing room Our drawing room is on the first floor, next to the study room. This also has a television and DVD player, as well as a piano that you are free to use. There is another piano in the small room to the right-hand side of the common room. The drawing room is open to all girls to use whenever it is free. We also use it during the week for year group and House meetings. Reporting faults Like all buildings, the Boarding House will sometimes require repair and upkeep. Our Facilities Department come to the House most days to carry out routine repairs such as replacing light bulbs and fixing dripping taps. You need to report any faults or repairs to Matron as soon as you notice them. If the repair is urgent, we will get someone over as soon as possible to fix it. At each exeat and at the end of each half term we ask you to let us know if anything needs repairing in your area of the House. 34
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Oxley Sports Centre All girls are automatically members of the Oxley Sports Centre. Many make use of its well-equipped gym. In order to use this, you need to go to the front desk and register. The staff will organise an induction session with one of the Personal Trainers, following which you are free to use the
facilities. If you are under 16, you may sign up for the Junior Gym activity that happens several days each week from 5.00pm to 6.00pm. If you are 16 or over, then you are able to use the gym whenever it is convenient, but you must check with Mr Gent first. 35
School Shop
Hygiene
The School Shop is in Old Mulliner (near the Health Centre). It is open at break time every morning, and also after lunch. It sells a range of stationery items as well as snacks and sweets. If you need to replace uniform items, you can do this here too.
This is really important, especially living as communally as we do. Please make time to shower every day. Get yourself into a good routine. Use shower gel and deodorant. It is equally important that you wash your clothes regularly. It is pointless washing your body and then putting dirty clothes back on. The sports tops get smelly really quickly, so you need to make sure you wash them regularly.
You need to collect a chit from House if this is the case, which gives you permission to add clothing to your bill. You will be issued with a shop card and your parents will have set an amount of money that is available for you to spend each term. This means that you don’t have to use cash in the shop.
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It is a good idea to organise your clothes in your room or ‘cubie’. A small ‘pop-up’ laundry basket is a really good idea: if you put dirty laundry into one of these it is less likely to get muddled with clean clothes. If you put your clothes away, instead of using your floor as a ‘floordrobe’, then you will be able to separate clean and dirty clothes more easily.
SHERBORNE GIRLS - DUN HOLME
Uniform expectations/dress All girls are expected to uphold the uniform expectations as listed in the School dress code at all times during the school day, including time spent moving between lessons. When in academic lessons, sixth form pupils should wear their jackets at all times unless permission to remove them is requested and granted. Any pupils who have been given permission to visit Sherborne town during lesson times should be in school uniform. School trips will require either full uniform (or suits for Sixth Form) or smart casual. Appearance during lesson times You must look clean, neat and tidy at all times. Hair should be neatly tied back if it is long and jewellery should be limited to one pair of stud earrings. Piercings halfway up the ears are not allowed, nor are nose piercings. Bracelets are not allowed and just one simple necklace is permitted, such as a crucifix.
L5 to U5 must wear uniform (kilt/trousers blouse, jumper, black tights and black shoes) for all lessons. If you have PE or games, for example, during Period 2 you are allowed to wear sports kit during Period 1. You must, however, get changed into uniform at break time. In the same way, if you have games during Period 3 or 4, you must wear uniform until break then get changed into sports kit. You only need to wear your blazer on formal occasions e.g. Abbey Services or showing visitors around School. You do not need to wear uniform for School Services on Sundays – jeans are fine for these. L6 wear a School suit. You can wear your own top but this must not have a logo on the front, nor can it be hooded. You need to look smart and businesslike. All girls need to come to breakfast wearing full uniform every day apart from 37
Sunday, when PJs can be worn (don’t forget your slippers). Appearance out of School hours Outside of the school day (i.e. after timetabled lessons, or during evenings and weekends), pupils may wear casual clothes on the School site, but they are still expected to look tidy and presentable. Casual clothes may be worn at the weekends from midday on Saturdays (if not involved in sport) and Sundays (except for official School activities such as Tour Mornings 38
and Abbey Services). Casual clothes may sometimes be worn on trips out of School (e.g. to the theatre). Pupils should dress appropriately for the destination of the trip and respect the instructions given by the supervising staff. Labelling Everything brought to School must be clearly marked with name tapes, with at least the pupil’s surname in full followed by House initials.
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School facilities
Use of mobiles and other personal electronic devices
There are lots of places you can go with your friends for a snack at certain times of day. Queenie’s, in The Merritt Centre, sells delicious drinks and cake. The Coffee Pod, in the Oxley Sports Centre, sells sandwiches and hot and cold drinks and the Tea Crate, in the Mulliner basement, has a range of snacks available.
Mobile phones are extremely useful, but please use yours with care. The mobile-free zones in School are all dining rooms and the School Hall. Please refrain from walking down corridors checking your phones. You are not allowed to take your phones over to Main School during the normal school day and they will be confiscated if seen. Please do not use anyone else’s mobile phone. You must also give Mr Gent your number so that we can contact you if we need to.
including Queenie’s, Tea Crate and School Shop
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SHERBORNE GIRLS - DUN HOLME
Sherborne Girls terminology Year-groups L4 – Year 7 U4 – Year 8 L5 – Year 9 M5 – Year 10 U5 – Year 11 L6 – Year 12 U6 – Year 13 The Houses and their colours Aldhelmsted East – Purple Aldhelmsted West – Pink Dun Holme – Sky Blue Kenelm – Dark Blue Mulliner – Red Reader Harris – Green Wingfield Digby – Yellow General Ark – the Ark is a quiet space where the Chaplain is based. It is in the Main School building and all pupils may use it as a space for quiet reflection BLT – Beddington Lecture Theatre, a room in the Beddington Building Budgens – Budgens Store in the BP Garage Cubie – Cubicle (bedroom)
Drawing room – a second social space that is also used for more formal gatherings Exeat – when School closes for the weekend (usually from Friday lunchtime) Family dining – when year groups are mixed up to sit together for lunch Granny Patch – Richmond Green Main School – the Main School building, containing the School Hall Oxley – the Oxley Sports Centre Prayers – services that take place in the School Hall before school on certain days Prep – homework (also sometimes means private study period during the day) Queenie’s – the café in The Merritt Centre Socials – Saturday night social events SS – Sherborne School/the Boys’ School 41
Campus Campus
map
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Admissions, Library & Home Economics
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SHERBORNE GIRLS - DUN HOLME
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Sherborne Girls Bradford Road Sherborne DT9 3QN 01935 812245 office@sherborne.com
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Packing list Avoid bringing everything you own, as space is limited! Apart from uniform and PE kit (see the Dress Code on the School website: Sherborne.com/uniformshop, you only need a few casual clothes: jogging bottoms, jeans, t- shirts and hoodies for after school. You will need a smarter outfit for more formal occasions and something for end-ofterm parties. You may like to wear something a bit more ‘dressy’ for a weekend social event, but jeans and a nice top are usually fine. The School Dress Code lists the various occasions that require different types of outfits. Don’t forget an alarm clock (as mobile phones are collected at bedtime) and you can bring your own bedding. You may like to bring posters, photos and small personal items to decorate your room, and your favourite teddy.
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SHERBORNE GIRLS - DUN HOLME
FAQ Is it useful to have a mobile phone? Mobile phones are useful but are not compulsory. There are some ‘mobile-free zones’, such as the dining rooms and School Hall. Mobile phones are not permitted in the Main School during the school day. Remember, you can phone home at any time you are in House, even if you have not got your mobile with you. Just ask the member of staff on duty and they will let you use the House phone in a private space.
What do I do if I don’t feel well? First, tell the House staff. If you need to go to the Health Centre you will be issued with a purple slip that you hand in when you arrive. If you feel unwell in a lesson your teacher may also give you a purple slip. If you want to see a nurse but don’t want to tell anyone, then you can ‘drop in’ to the Health Centre without needing a purple slip on any weekday between 4.30pm and 5.00pm.
Is there anywhere I can keep my things safe? We recommend that you hand in anything of value, including money and passports, to be safely locked away. All rooms have a lockable drawer that you can keep precious items in. Your Matron will give you a key but please be aware that, should you lose it, you will be charged £15 to cover the cost of replacing the lock.
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Fire safety It is very important that you know where ALL the fire exits are in House. Please walk around and work out where your escape routes are should you need to get out in the case of a fire. If the alarm sounds, you must make your way out of the House as quickly and quietly as possible. We assemble on the garden area at the bottom of the steps from the courtyard. You must line up silently in year groups in alphabetical order. A member of each year group will be given a clipboard containing a register in order to tick off each girl. This is the quickest way that we, as House staff, can work out if everyone is present. We will then double check.
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The optimum time for us to evacuate and account for everyone is two and a half minutes. This isn’t a long time, so everyone must be sensible and quiet to enable this to happen efficiently. If the alarm goes off, look very quickly at your nearest fire sensor. If it is flashing red, please let a member of staff know when you get outside. This will help us locate the problem more quickly. It is possible that once we have assembled, we could be notified that the School is having a full evacuation. If this is the case, we will all have to make our way to the pitches where we will reassemble alongside the rest of the School in front of the Pavilion. When we line up on the pitches, we stay in House groups. We will periodically practise fire drills, so do not worry about this.
SHERBORNE GIRLS - DUN HOLME
We look forward to welcoming you to Dun Holme. If you have any questions, just ask!
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House contact details: Mr Gent: 01935 818250 Matrons: 01935 818251 House landline: 01935 818251 E: r.gent@sherborne.com E: dunholme@sherborne.com www.sherborne.com