Welcome to Aldhelmsted West (2023)

WELCOME TO ALDHELMS TED WES T

Welcome to Aldhelmsted West (West)

I may be biased but I believe that West is truly the best! From the moment you walk through the door, you will feel a sense of warmth and belonging and very quickly you will feel like part of the furniture. The L4s and U4s are fully integrated and apart from separate dorms and lessons, it is like one big family. W ith dogs, a cat, chickens, our cosy common rooms and luxurious dorms, West is a real home from home Slippers and onesies are a must! Fun, friendship (and food!) are often described as the highlights in West and it really is the perfect place to start your SG journey. We look forward to welcoming you.

Emma Jamieson Housemistress

Impor t ant cont act det ails

House

Mrs Jamieson (Housemistress)

e jamieson@sherborne com

House email: aldwest@sherborne.com

School

Mrs Briggs (Deputy Head, Pastoral & Designated Safeguarding Lead)

07711 002937

General SG Emergency Number

01935 818333

Please add these details to your phone It is important that you can get in touch with the House at all times The House phone is answered by the Matron during the day, and the Tutor on duty in the evening.

House ethos

West is a small and nurturing house where you really find your feet at the start of your Sherborne Girls journey. The L4s (year 7s) and U4s (year 8s) are very close knit and I like to think of the House as one big family, with the older girls like big sisters, there to help and guide you. You will be together for activities, trips and mealtimes but in your own year groups for lessons and in dorms. I hope that, during your time here, you will have a true sense of belonging and feel valued as an individual. Above all, we value kindness as this is paramount in a boarding environment. Learning to be independent is also a focus in West and you will be amazed at how much you will develop from arriving at the start of L4 to when you leave the House at the end of U4.

Packing list

Please make sure all belongings are clearly and robustly named.

• School uniform and games kit, all details are listed online*

• 1 duvet

• 2 duvet covers (sheets, pillows and pillowcases are provided but please bring your own if you prefer) Where possible, please do not bring any plain white bedding as this can get mixed up easily, even if named

• 2 bath towels (with loops sewn in for hanging them up)

• Wash bag with toiletries (including brush, toothbrush and nit comb)

• Dressing gown/onesie

• Pair of slippers

• Trunk/suitcase

• Small rucksack for day trips/outings

• Laundry bag/box for storing dirty laundry, the pop-up kind works well

• Small mesh laundry bag (named, for smaller laundry items)

• Tuckbox (lockable and named) not to exceed 55cm x 40cm x 35cm

• Pair of wellingtons or walking boots

• Waterproof coat for trips

• Music case for girls who have additional Music lessons

• Casual clothes and shoes (all named please)

• Nightwear

• Underwear

• Swimming costume and goggles

• Coat hangers

• Hairdryer

• Batteries

• Toothbrush charger and adaptor (if required)

• Bits and bobs to decorate dorm: e g photos, posters, cushions, teddies, bunting, fairy lights (battery operated only)

• Stationery: Pencil case, Blu Tack, sellotape, drawing pins, hole punch, scissors, stapler, notelets, rubber, sharpener colouring pencils, Pritt Stick/glue, fountain pen, pencils, calculator, compass and protractor set

• Alarm clock

• One set of slightly smarter home clothes suitable to wear for an evening with Dr Sullivan in White Lodge (skirt, dress, trousers and top)

• Device, charger, headphones (clearly named)

• Mobile phone and charger (clearly named) These items are not compulsory

Buddies

You will be assigned a buddy before you come to West. She will be an U4 girl from the House who will write to you, usually during the holidays, and then help you to settle in when you arrive. Your buddy will take you along to breakfast each morning in the first week, help you get ready for the school day and make sure you know your way around.

Your

Day 1 (Home clothes)

2.00-3.00pm Arrive

3 00pm Tea and welcome from the Headmistress

4 00pm Tour of the school

4 30pm Unpacking

6.00pm Supper

6.30pm House activity

8.00pm Bedtime routines

Day 2 (Home clothes)

8.00am Breakfast

9 00am IT Induction

10 30am Break

11 00am IT induction

12 00pm Issuing of timetables and prep diaries

12.30am T ime in House with tutors

1.00pm Lunch – change for sport after lunch

2.00pm Unpacking and changing for Sport

3.00pm Games and tennis

4 00pm Tea

5pm Showers and unpacking

6 00pm Supper

6 30pm Movie in PJs

f irst few days will look something like this…

Day 3 (Uniform)

8.10am Assembly

8 35am Lessons commence

10 30am Morning break

1 00pm Lunch

1.45pm Group tutorials in houses

2.30pm Lessons

4.45pm L4/U4 to Activities Fair

5.00pm Tea

5.30pm Free time in house

6 00pm Supper

7 00pm Evening activities in house

By this point you will be exhausted, but ready for the days and weeks ahead!

A typical day in West

Time/Event Where should I be? What should I wear?

7.00am/7.15am Waking up, showering/ School uniform Morning buzzer getting ready for School

7.30am Meet your buddy outside the You should be in Breakfast dining room for breakfast She school uniform and may even come and pick you be wearing slippers up from your dorm! Once you or something on have settled in you can come to your feet breakfast without your buddy!

7.55am Come to the downstairs hallway School uniform, House briefing with your books and anything blazer else you need for Periods 1,2 and 3 Collect your device from the cupboard.

8.05-8.25am Walk over to the School Hall/ School uniform, Assembly/ The Merritt Centre as a House blazer School prayers

8.30-10.55am Lessons

10.55-11.25am Come back to House. Have School uniform Break time something to eat and drink in the dining room Change your books for what you need for Periods 4 and 5

11.25-1.00pm Lessons

1.00pm Come back to House for lunch Take your books and Lunchtime other belongings to your rooms Wash your hands and then line up Lunch is generally with your tutor group

1.45-2.30pm Lunch break

You should not be in dorms except for dropping off belongings or changing for sport There are plenty of ways to spend your time:

• Scheduled activities/clubs or extra lessons e.g. music or tennis

• Meetings with tutors

• Music practice

• Games in the common rooms

• T ime outside, House garden or games fields

• Chilling out with friends

2.35-5.00pm Lessons

School uniform/ Games kit

5.00pm

Hurrah, it is the end of the

You can get Tea, change school day! Return to House changed into home unwind and have tea in the dining room. clothes at this point T ime to enjoy some well- if you have no deserved downtime. activities.

5.00-6.00pm

You may have an activity at this Clothing will depend Activities/ time From this point on you on the activity but Free time must SIGN OUT from the generally it is house Remember to SIGN uniform BACK IN when you return

If you do not have an activity you will have free time.

6.00pm Meet outside the dining room

Casual clothes/PJs, Supper slippers

Time/Event Where should I be?

What should I wear?

6.30pm Get settled for prep in your Casual clothes/PJs, Prep allocated prep room slippers

7.30pm Shower, chill, relax. PJs dressing Free time Occasional House meetings gowns/onesies, slippers

8.00pm Devices to be handed in L4s L4 start bedtime to rooms to get ready for bed.

8.15pm L4s into bed, 15 mins reading PJs U4 start bedtime time U4s to rooms

8.30pm L4s lights out - you will be tired! U4s into bed, 15 mins reading time

8.45pm U4 lights out

Weekends - Saturday

7.30am Lie in!

7.45am Breakfast Sports kit

8.15am House meeting

8.30-10.55am Lessons

10.55-11.15am Break

11.15am-5.30pm If there are no matches scheduled in the afternoon, you will have a sport session between 11.15-12.30pm followed by lunch and some free time in the afternoon. If there are matches, departure times will vary, and you will usually have a packed lunch

If matches are at home, you will have lunch in house first.

6.00pm Supper Home clothes

6.30pm Evening activities

8.30am You should stay in your rooms PJs (preferably asleep!) until 8 30am You may then come downstairs or carry on sleeping!

8.30-10.00am Rolling breakfast, chill time in PJs, usually TV in the common room

10am-12.30pm Get dressed. Once a term we Home clothes will have an Abbey service but generally it will be a lazy morning in house and time to catch up with Prep, music practice, tidy dorms and just relax.

12.30pm Lunch

1.00-5.30pm Activities/ trip

6.00pm Supper (traditional Sunday Home clothes/PJs Roast) if no prayers

7.00-7.30pm School prayers in the hall Home clothes

8.00pm Bedtime routines

Weekend activities

Our weekend activity programme is jam-packed with a broad range of fun and exciting activities. We usually have something planned for both Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons. It is assumed that boarders will attend all activities and day girls are welcome to join all of them too We usually have a full house as girls don’t want to miss out! Example activities are listed below:

Saturday evenings Sunday after noons

Themed parties

Pamper nights

Film nights

Mug painting

Bowling

Take away

Quiz/game nights

Splashdown

Dorset Water Park

Longleat

Cinema

Surfing

Falconry

Beach walks

Ringos

Go karting

Escape Room

Outward bound Activity Weekend

This is one of the highlights of the year and usually takes place at the start of September. It is the perfect way to ‘bond’ as a house and provides an ideal opportunity for you to get to know all the girls and staff in West. We go away for the whole weekend,

usually camping, and take part in a variety of exciting and challenging activities, such as coasteering, kayaking, caving and bushcraft. It is an unforgettable weekend and the girls always come back buzzing, with many a story to tell.

Why

we love West

• West is a positive environment fu of joy and friendship Kezia

• Salty, Chief and Mabel always make you feel better Seraphina

• Everyone is so nice and supportive, it's my home away from home. Candela

• I love West for its comfy beds, delicious food, lovely garden, amazing pets and my friends

Gigi

Useful House information

Morning checklist

Before you go to school, please remember to:

• Make your bed

• Open your curtains and blinds

• Switch off all plugs if not in use

• Leave your floor area clear

• Turn off the main light and bedside lights

• Leave your bathroom tidy

• Put your dirty washing in your laundry basket

• Strip your bed on Thursdays

• Gather what you need for lessons before break

• Brush your teeth!

If you manage to achieve all of the above, you will earn your daily sticker. Those girls who accrue the most stickers in the term are invited to a special pizza night. Beware, competition is tough!

Tuck and treats

• No food is to be taken upstairs

• All tuck should be stored in your named basket in the dining room annexe cupboard

• Tuck days: Monday Thursday Saturday Sunday

• Visits to The Merritt Centre/Coffee Pod: These will vary according to commitments in your spare time

Food

The food in West and at SG in general is excellent and there is a huge variety on offer If you are a ‘foodie’ you will be in your element and if you are a little fussy, there will be options for you too. All allergies and intolerances are catered for and there is always plenty to choose from A sample menu might include:

Breakfast: Selection of cereal, toast and spreads, yoghurt, fruit. Hot options may include eggs, mushrooms, sausages. Once a week we will have pastries

Lunch: Spaghetti Bolognese, Katsu Curry, Cottage Pie, casserole Jacket potatoes are always on offer We have soup each day in the winter and there is always a full salad bar. The puddings are delicious!

Supper: Fajitas, sausage and mash, pasta, pizza, stir fries, salad bar.

We enjoy a lovely roast every Sunday evening after activities

Device guidelines

• Phones and devices are not allowed upstairs at all except for use during Prep sessions

• Phones are not to be used during the school day. Devices are used during lessons, they are then put away in the device cupboard during break times and lunchtimes and kept in the Prep rooms overnight

• Phones may be used at the following times:

Monday-Friday: 5 15-6 00pm

Lunchtime: By permission, usually for overseas girls to call home 7.45pm-8.15pm: Option to call/text home

Weekends: T imings will vary each week depending on our activities

Prep

Prep takes place in the Prep rooms on the first or second floors of the House You should keep all your work, school books and stationery in your baskets in the Prep room overnight and when you are not in lessons Prep is a quiet hour between 6 30-7 30pm and is supervised by House staff and occasional U5 prefects.

Free time

During your free time there is plenty to do. Depending on the day, you can go to the Coffee Pod or Merritt Centre, visit the school shop or go for a walk around the grounds Walking Salty is also a favourite past time for some In house, you can watch TV, play games, enjoy the garden, help out with the chickens, chat to your friends or just chill out and read a book or have some quiet time There is never a dull moment in West! In your first few weeks you will be taken into Sherborne as a house and we usually do a treasure hunt as an orienteering exercise. Following that visit, you will be allowed into town at the weekends with your friends in groups of three or more.

Laundry and personal hygiene

Laundry: You may put your laundry in to be washed whenever you need to. The wash bins are located on each floor. Please ensure you put the right coloured clothing into the right bins; there will be signs to help you Your washing will be laundered and returned to your cubby hole in the laundry room on the third floor, usually by the following day

Bed change: is on a Thursday You should strip your bed before morning briefing and leave your dirty sheets in the baskets on your corridor. You should then make your bed with your spare set any time before lights out that evening

Personal hygiene: It is really important that you keep yourself (and your clothes!) clean. You will be doing sport most days so items of sports kit such as tops, socks and skorts should be put into the wash on a daily basis. You should change your school shirt and obviously your underwear each day too. You should be showering at least once a day and always at the end of the day if you have had sport You will be reminded to do so.

Make sure everything you own is named, including all home clothes.

Key cards

You will be issued one of these on your first day at Sherborne Girls. It is vital that you wear this at all times to enable you to get in and out of the house and other buildings around school Take good care of it because if you lose it, you will be billed £5 for a new one.

Signing in and out

It is compulsory to sign in and out when you leave the house to attend an activity or visit another part of the school outside of the school day. The same applies at the weekend if you go into town or venture on to the school site This is for your own safety in case of fire but also so we know where you are. Signing in and out is easy, there are books in the hallway by the front door so there is no excuse, you will be constantly reminded to do so You should also let a member of house staff know when you are leaving the house and when you come back. Day girls must sign in and out on a daily basis in a separate book

What to do if you feel unwell

Make sure you tell a member of House staff; don’t suffer in silence even if it is during the night. There is always someone available to look after you If you have a temperature and are really unwell, you will be sent home, if possible, or to the Health Centre if not. Otherwise, we will take care of you in House

The Health Centre

Our onsite Health Centre is manned 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and we are fortunate to have an amazing team of nurses. You will also be registered with the school GP so if you need to see a doctor, you can also do that there

Medicine

All medication must be handed in to the House office; girls are not permitted to keep any medication in their dorms If you do require medication, such as paracetamol, this will be given to you by a member of House staff from the House office where it is stored securely Alternatively, you may be sent along to the Health Centre if necessary Regular medication will also be stored in House and issued by house staff.

Homesickness

This is very common, and you should not feel surprised if you do feel homesick in the early stages of your life at Sherborne Girls All staff and girls will be here to help you settle in and look after you while you find your feet. It may feel daunting when you arrive, but you will be amazed at how quickly your homesickness passes and you feel part of the furniture If you do feel homesick:

• Keep busy and surround yourself with others as being on your own will make you feel worse

• Share how you are feeling with a member of staff or a friend, it is likely that others are feeling the same way

• Try not to call home too often, as it may make you feel worse Your best bet is to call home when you are feeling upbeat and positive rather than if you are feeling wobbly before bed

• Find someone for a hug, Salty and Chief are very good at this!

House duties

We have a duty rota in House where dorms take it in turns to carry out evening duties. These include:

• Closing all downstairs windows

• Closing curtains and blinds in the common rooms and dining room

• Switching off all lights on the ground floor including the dining room, common rooms and entrance hall

• Making sure the dining room is clean and tidy; tables should have been wiped down, toaster switched off, chairs tucked in

• Ensuring Prep rooms are tidycomputers turned off, lights switched off, chairs are tucked in

• The pool table and table tennis equipment have been tidied away

• Lost property put on the post shelf by the stairs in the hallway

Roles of Responsibility in West

There are opportunities for leadership and positions of responsibility during your time in West. These are rotated on a termly basis and awarded to girls who demonstrate and embody all of our House values We usually have a Head of House and a small team of Prefects Their roles include:

• Birthdays

Organising girls in House to sign birthday cards

• Charities

Helping to collect money and promote and initiate charitable activities

• Pupil Voice including food committee

Leading in-house discussions, feeding back to staff from girls in the House Attending meetings with catering and house staff, attending School Council meetings

• Helping to collect phones before bed

• ‘Goodnights’

Going round the L4 dorms at bedtime to say goodnight

Pocket money

You may keep up to £5 cash in your room in your lockable cupboard, but we advise that any sum over £5 should be handed in to the House staff. We would also recommend that any bank cards be given in for safe keeping You may have the opportunity to go into town at the weekends but will not need huge amounts of money; £10 per week should be ample but this is of course up to your parents!

Help and support

If you need to talk to someone there, are lots of options available Contact numbers are displayed in house but the following would be a good place to start:

• Your friends, buddy or other girls including prefects and Head of House

• House staff or your tutor

• Nurses or doctors at the Health Centre

• School counsellors

• School Chaplain (or ‘Rev’ as she is known at SG)

• Older girls or U5 prefects who visit the house on Tuesdays and Thursdays

• Independent listenersdetails on notice boards in house

• And....you can, of course, ring home!

Top tips from the girls in West

‘Bring plenty of PJs’

‘Bring lots of decorations for your dorm and lots of tuck!’

‘Always remember your net laundry bags so that your socks don’t go missing!’

‘Relax and have fun!’

‘Sliders are really useful’

‘If you have never played lacrosse or hockey before then it is nothing to worry about’

‘Always be kind’

‘Pack a onesie!’

‘Bring skins, it is really cold in the winter’

House st af f

Mrs Jamieson, Mrs Fisher and Miss Tillin

Head of Fourth Form

Miss Tillin’s dog

Jamieson Family Pets

Salty (dog) and Chief (cat)

Miss Dinsdale

Mabel

Our house team is FABULOUS and you will get to know all of the staff really well. I live here with my husband, Mr Jamieson, who works at Sherborne School and my two children, Grace (14) and Luke (12). We very much see the House as an extension of our family and we are ever present. Miss Tillin is the Assistant Housemistress. She is here most of the time too and she has a flat in the middle of the house. She works closely with Mrs Fisher, our matron, and together they look after both the pastoral and practical aspects of taking care of you. For example, making Health Centre Appointments, organising train/travel tickets, liaising with your parents about arrangements for exeats, half-terms and holidays. They will also check that you are keeping your rooms tidy and organising your laundry.

We also have a resident graduate assistant who lives in the House, she does evening duties during the week and is also on hand to take care of you and offer a friendly ear.

Personal Tutors

We have an excellent tutoring system at SG whereby each girl is allocated her own tutor. We currently have six tutors in West and you will meet with your tutor once a week on a one-to-one basis to discuss how you are getting on both pastorally and academically. Monday to Friday you will have lunch with your tutor group and your tutor will join you a couple of times a week.

Aldhelmsted East (AE)

Aldhelmsted West (AW)

Dun Holme (DH)

Development and Old Girls Office

The Hive

School Shop and Blair

Performance Gym and Dance Studio

Kenelm (K)

Wingfield Digby (WD)

(M)

RH Courts

RH Courts

Lower Playing Fields

School Shop and (M)

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 – Light Blue

Kenelm – Red

Mulliner – Black

Reader Harris – Green

W ingfield Digby – Yellow

General

Ark – The Ark is a quiet, safe 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 or to chat to the Rev.

BLT – Beddington Lecture

Theatre, a room in the Beddington Building

Budgens – A shop at the BP garage

Exeat – when school closes for the weekend, usually from Friday lunchtime to Sunday evening

Granny Patch – Richmond Green, the housing area adjacent to the Prep School pitches

Gransden Hall – The main hall inside The Merritt Centre

Main School – the main school building, this contains the school hall, school office, reception and staff room as well as classrooms and the library

The Merritt Centre – the music school, containing the Gransden Hall

Oxley – the Oxley Sports Centre, you will find the Coffee Pod Café here too

Prayers – services that take place in the School Hall or Gransden Hall before school on certain days

Prep – homework. Also the name given to study periods during the school day

Queenies – the café in The Merritt Centre

SS – Sherborne School

House contact details:

Matron and duty staff: 01935 818381

Mrs Jamieson: 01935 818221

Mrs Jamieson mobile: 07889 539278

E: aldwest@sherborne.com

E: e.jamieson@sherborne.com

www.sherborne.com