Welcome to Aldhelmsted East (2023)

WELCOME TO ALDHELMS TED EAS T

Welcome to Aldhelmsted East (East)

I am so happy that you will be coming to East, and I am so excited to welcome you as my first group of new girls joining the school at the same time as me. I want to build a real home from home with a family feel, my husband (Mr Pearson) and son (Thomas) and dog, (Clarence) will be joining me and I know it is the start of a fantastic adventure together! The information in this booklet is designed to help you settle in and I hope you find it a useful place to start as you begin your journey as an Eastie.

Our aim is to support the smooth tranistion to a new school and to help you feel as confident as possible ahead of your arrival. The East staff team and I, alongside our wonderful L6 Prefects, will be on hand to help you settle in during those first few important days I know you will be completely at home and fluent in SG lingo in no time at all. I cannot wait to meet you!

Mrs Pearson Housemistress

‘This is the time to do’ House Motto

Impor t ant cont act det ails

House

Mrs Pearson (Housemistress)

s pearson@sherborne com

House email: aldeast@sherborne.com

House landline: 01935 818228

House mobile: 07808 775569

School

Mrs Briggs (Deputy Head, Pastoral and 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 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

• Everyone in East has the right to enjoy living and working in our community, and each individual should feel valued and proud to be in our House

• It is important that we respect each other’s views and feelings

• We should respect each person ’ s property, space and time

• We should treat others as we wish to be treated ourselves

• Everyone should try to set a good example

• We need to care for each other, and our home

• We need to think of East as being part of a bigger community

• We should support each other, particularly when others feel unhappy, homesick or alone

Family nests

In East we have a ‘family nest’ system. These are made up of groups of seven or eight girls from various year groups. The idea is that you will get to know each other very well over the course of the year, and become a tight-knit support group for each other. The eldest girls in each nest are the ‘mother hens’ and the youngest girls are the ‘eastlings’!

You will sit together every Friday evening for supper. All girls in family nests are with their shadows. Sometimes you will be asked to meet (often on a morning when there is no assembly) as a family nest

These groups are a useful way of canvassing opinions on a variety of matters.

Everyone’s opinion is important. When we have House meetings the family nests are a great way of everyone having the opportunity to share their views The mother hen in each nest will make notes and give these to Mrs Pearson. We can then change or improve things in East so that our systems work for everyone There are notices displayed on the year group boards that let you know which family nest you belong to.

The House st af f

There are several members of staff in East: from matrons to resident staff, duty tutors and the Assistant Housemistress. You will get to know us all very well.

Maria is our Day Matron, and she is here from 8am to 6pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday Wednesdays and Sundays are her days off, but on those days, we have Michaela as our Day Matron.

Matron’s job is to look after the practical aspects of you living here. For example, she will make you appointments at the Health Centre She organises train tickets and taxis when you need them, and will liaise with your parents about your travel arrangements for exeats and the end of term

Matron also checks to make sure that your rooms are tidy every day, and she will help you with laundry if you need assistance

Michaela is the Housekeeper (and Day Matron when Maria isn’t here) She has a day off on a Thursday but other than that, she seems to be here all the time! Michaela knows everything, as she has worked in East for more than 30 years Michaela helps to organise the domestic staff, as well as keeping our House clean and tidy.

The HM is supported by a residential Assistant who runs the boarding house during the HM’s time off in the week. The wider house pastoral team includes day matrons who are in the house from 8am-6pm and a team of residential staff who perform evening and

weekend duties. All the pastoral staff work tirelessly to support the girls in making the house feel like a home from home and they are all looking forward to meeting you in September.

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 will help you organise your school work and will answer any academic queries They meet regularly with Mrs Pearson to discuss your progress too

Clarence, Mrs Pearsons dog

Suppor t in House and in the School

There are lots of people to talk to. All the House staff are here for you, and we are all good at giving hugs!

New girls to the House are allocated a buddy. Please use your buddy as a useful source of information

In addition, the L6 girls are here to help you The Head and Vice Head of House have both been appointed to these important roles as they really do care about the House and the girls who live here They will listen to you and help you

We also have a team of L6 Supporters and Listeners These girls have been trained 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 bedroom door if you want to talk

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 be found in the Ark in Main School

If you would like to speak to someone independent of School, then do look at the noticeboards, where there are lots of helpful telephone numbers on display.

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. It doesn’t matter how old you are when you first move away from home, it is always tricky getting used to different routines and getting to know new people. The important thing to remember is that if you are feeling homesick, it will pass

However, you can make things a little easier for yourself if you follow the tips below:

• Make sure you are not on your own If you are feeling sad, then you are just going to make things worse if you isolate yourself

• 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, then so can I’

• Remember: you will get over your homesickness, and in no time at all, East will feel like a second 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

• 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 at bedtime

• When you do speak to your 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

• 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

• Come and get a hug from one of the members of staff on duty. We love hugs!

• Keep yourself busy – don’t give yourself time to think about missing home

The Health Centre and medicine

Dr Middle and Dr Thomas are our School Doctors and all boarders are registered with them. One of the School Doctors comes to the Health Centre daily, from Monday to Friday at 8am, and you can easily get an appointment to see them if you need to. You can either make an appointment yourself by going to the Health Centre, or ask Matron and she will organise one for you.

If you feel unwell, the House staff might suggest that you go to the Health Centre to see a nurse for advice (or we will phone from East to get advice) There is always a nurse on duty in the Health Centre.

If you want to see someone in the Health Centre but do not want to let anyone know that you are going, either Teams message ‘Health Care Reception’ or email health@sherborne com to arrange an appointment

You cannot keep any medicine or tablets in your room in East. All medicines are kept in the medicine cabinet in Matron’s office If you need to take medicine regularly, this is usually done at breakfast time. The member of staff on duty will dispense medicines and you will sign for them.

Who can I t alk 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 worries, it is usually sensible and helpful to talk to someone else about them and to try to help sort them out. You could talk to one of the other girls in your year group or the older girls in House – your Head of House or a Prefect. However, there are occasions when an adult may be a more appropriate person to talk to and there are a very large number to choose from at school, as well as your parents and relations.

Safeguarding Hotline

01935 818324

Safeguarding Leads

Lead: Mrs Briggs 01935 818342 07711 002937

Deputies: Mrs Miller, Mr McClary Mrs Orton, Mrs Beard

Children’s Commissioner for England 0800 528 0731

www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk

Counsellors

Mrs Heddy Smith 07970 843359 h.smith@sherborne.com

Ms Lauenna Luddington

Mrs Veronica Rosello

Teachers

Childline* 0800 1111

Tutors

Matrons

Aroundthe-clock suppor t

All members of staff would be pleased to talk to you and try to help. This includes Dr Sullivan and Mrs Briggs. If you need to see the Head quickly, see her Personal Assistant, Mrs Horton They will listen to you in confidence, but there may be times when they have to ask your permission to tell someone what you have told them, if they think you or others are at serious risk of harm.

Meals

All meals in House are compulsory. We always take a register, and we use this as a roll call. Please be prompt to mealtimes. If you have specific dietary requirements, please let the House staff know as soon as possible, so that arrangements can be made with our Chef.

Mealtimes are as follows:

Breakfast

Monday – Friday 7.30am/7.45am

Saturday – 7 30am

Sunday – 9.30am (if there is a morning service) 11am brunch (if there is an evening service)

Lunch

Monday

Friday 1pm

Saturday – A rolling lunch to make sure you can eat before or after your sport

Sunday – 1pm (unless there has been brunch at 11am, in which case there is no lunch)

Supper

Monday – Friday 6.15pm

Saturday – 6pm

Sunday – 6pm (unless there is an evening Abbey Service, in which case it is at 5 30pm)

When arriving for meals, please queue up in the corridor until the member of staff on duty says you can come through You must wear something on your feet. At breakfast and supper, girls tend to sit with their year groups. Supper times (and all meals on Sundays) tend to be very relaxed – PJs are perfectly acceptable!

On Mondays you will sit in family groups across the year groups so you get to know the whole House really quickly.

Please remember table manners in the dining room For example, no elbows on tables, don’t talk with your mouth full, etc. If your Tutor is in for lunch,

remember to be a good host: 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 out in the dining room –expect it to be confiscated if it is seen!

Takeaways

You may order takeaways on Saturday evenings. However, you need to get permission from the member of staff on duty beforehand. You must also wait downstairs so that you can watch for the delivery driver and your takeaway must arrive before 9pm.

House routines

Signing in and out

If you are in L5 – U5 there is no need to sign in and out during the day as you are all out of the House for lessons. However, when you come back into House after lessons at 5pm, you must sign in

After that, every time you leave the House you must sign in and out. This is really important.

L6 have a sign-out board as you are allowed to stay in House to study if you have a study period. You must use the board to indicate whether you are in or out during the school day After 5pm 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

House meetings

In the mornings, these are either House briefings, House prayers for the whole House in the drawing room, or year group meetings. We have a full House meeting each Sunday evening, when we can make sure that everyone is ready for the week ahead. Instead of having a full meeting again midweek, we use this time to have year group meetings Please look at the notice board above the signing-out sheets to see when your year group meeting is.

On Monday to Saturday, breakfast is at 7 20am We have a House briefing every morning, which is compulsory for everyone (including L6, even if they have a study period immediately afterwards) This takes place in the boot room, and notices will be displayed on the whiteboard. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, House briefing is at 7.55am. On

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday it is at 8 20am

On Mondays, there is usually an assembly in The Merritt Centre and on Wednesdays and Fridays school prayers or hymn practice take place in the School Hall or The Meritt Centre at 8 10am We sit together as a House

On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays we have a slower start to the day. After briefing, lessons start at 8 30am

From Monday to Friday break is from 10 55am to 11 25am You will come back to House for this and will need to get changed out of PE kit/drama blacks if you have had one of those lessons during Periods 1, 2 or 3 You may need to get changed out of uniform into PE kit/drama blacks if you have PE/Games or Drama during Periods 4 or 5. There will be a snack waiting for you in the kitchen and you are welcome to make a hot drink

On Saturday lessons finish at 10 55am

During the week, lessons finish at 1pm and you need to come back to House promptly for lunch After lunch you may have a tutorial, an activity such as Choir or Sport, or you may get a bit of downtime. On Saturdays, lunch is from 11.45am to 12.45pm, followed by Saturday Sport for L5 and M5 from 1pm to 2pm or matches if you are chosen for a team Team sheets are posted on the sports noticeboards as soon as we know them.

On weekdays, lessons start again at 2 35pm so you need to leave House by 2.25pm, (apart from Wednesdays when they start at 1.45pm), so you need to leave House by 1 35pm Lessons finish at 5pm If you are not heading straight out to after-school activities, you may choose to make a cuppa and come to the office for a chat.

There are lots of opportunities to get involved in activities after school These usually run from 5 15pm to 6 15pm Please make the most of all the opportunities on offer but, 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. The Activities Fair in September will enable you to select your activities.

During early evening, the pantry is locked. It reopens again once prep has finished

Unless you have an activity in the evening (for example, a tennis lesson, Leiths cookery, ballet, choir, etc.), you must be back in House by 6pm, ready for supper at 6 15pm

Prep starts at 7pm. L5 must do prep in the prep room – there will be at least one L6 girl to supervise The whole House must be silent during this time If you need to work collaboratively with another girl, 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 drawing room, common room or another space that will not disturb anyone else in House. Any girl who is found to be disruptive, noisy or not working will be asked to join L5 for supervised prep in the prep room. At 8pm, L5 can go back up to their ‘ cues ’ and read quietly until 8.30pm. It is important that the whole House is quiet until 8 30pm, as older girls will not finish their prep until this time.

Bedtime routine

Bedtimes are staggered, depending on your year group.

All girls must hand in mobile phones and any other electronic devices (e.g. tablets and laptops) before bedtime. You need to take these downstairs to the boot room, where a member of staff or a Sixth Former will be on duty to receive them. Each girl has a labelled slot in a cupboard where they put their devices. This cupboard 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 be allowed your items back until Wednesday morning.

The bedtime routine is as follows:

M5 9pm

and devices ready for bed

U5 9 15pm 10pm Hand in all phones and devices

L6 9.30pm 10.15pm Hand in all phones and devices

The routine is different on a Saturday evening. Supper is at 6.15pm, and then you will usually have a social. This could be a disco, a social with one of the Sherborne School Houses, a movie night in House or a supper evening.

All girls need to be in their ‘ cues ’ or rooms by 10.30pm and the House needs to be dark

and quiet by 11pm at the very latest, so that anyone who would like to go to sleep, can.

Sunday nights are treated the same as a weekday night (although there is no official prep time) On most Sunday evenings there is a House meeting after the School Service.

House duties

All girls in the House are expected, just as they would at home, to contribute to helping keep the House tidy and a pleasant place to be We believe in everyone 'doing their bit', from cleaning tables after supper to bringing mugs down from upstairs.

Different year groups will have different levels of responsibility

The L6, as leaders of the house, take responsibility for

supporting the younger pupils during supervised prep, collecting devices at bedtime and wishing the girls goodnight In addition to this our House Prefects are responsible for a number different areas, including House Spirit, Wellbeing , Sport, Music and Food (to name but a few!) and lead important initiatives in these areas.

Going out and welcoming visitors to the House

Going out

After lessons you are allowed to go to Budgens or the Co-op (only East girls are allowed to go to the Co-op due to its proximity to the House) You must sign in and out, and you must be back in House by 6pm ready for supper. 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 then on Sundays when other commitments allow.

U5 and L6 can go into town after lessons. Again, you must be back in House by 6pm.

Going outside Sherborne

M5 upwards may go to Yeovil at the weekend, but permission must be sought from the Housemistress 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 This must be organised in advance with the Housemistress

If it is your birthday or a special occasion, your parents may take you out for supper. However, unless it is a weekend, you may not invite 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

L6 can go out to a restaurant for supper on Saturday, or lunch on Sunday, in groups of no more than six This needs to be arranged in advance with the Housemistress.

Please be aware that, even if you do not have a match on a Saturday and are in L5 or M5, you still have a commitment to Saturday Sport, so you are 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 School. Please create a good impression. The School boundaries are published on the 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 start at 1pm on a Friday You may not leave School before this time

The School train to Waterloo normally leaves at 1.35pm and arrives at Waterloo at 3.47pm. It usually leaves Waterloo at 5 15pm on a Sunday afternoon to come back It is escorted 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 East will be locked up It will not reopen until 6pm on the Sunday evening. Please do not return before this time, as you will not be able to get in If you do need to arrive back at School earlier than 6pm, another boarding house will be open and a

Matron will be on duty there All girls must return by 9pm after an exeat weekend.

As a full boarding school the weekends are just as important and busy as the weekdays All boarders remain in school at weekends and there is a wideranging activity programme on offer

Queenie’s Café and The Coffee Pod

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, which is open after lunch and after school These are good places to meet up with your friends.

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 Boys are not allowed upstairs You must stay in the pantry area or the dining room.

Family members are always welcome to the House but nobody is allowed upstairs, including parents (unless it is the start or 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

Keeping personal items safe

All rooms and ‘cues’ 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.

Day girls House and School facilities

Day girls – you are welcome to come into School for breakfast and to stay until after prep. You are expected to arrive in good time for prayers or assembly. It is also extremely important that you sign out at the end of the day when you leave so that we know you have gone home. If you plan on leaving straight from Main School at the end of the day, please call or email the House.

Day boarders – you have set nights that you stay. You need to let your Housemistress 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).

If you stay at school on a Saturday evening and there is an Abbey Service the next morning, you are expected to attend.

Laundry

We have two laundry rooms in East. One is off the boot room (for L5 and M5) and the other is off the dining room (for U5 and L6) Both laundry rooms are equipped with two machines and two dryers.

When you take your laundry, you need to write it in the book in the laundry room and say whether it is in the washing machine, the dryer, or in the queue to go in. 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 on it helps everyone ’ s washing get done more quickly. The system only works if everyone uses it, so it is important to stick to Plastic laundry baskets should not be removed from the laundry rooms Please try to adhere to this. The machines are really straightforward to use, and automatically dispense washing powder Just ask someone to

show you the first time you use one, if you are unsure.

If you do not name your clothes, they are likely to get lost or mixed up with someone else’s laundry, and it can become 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 and label them with it. It will save Matron a lot of time trying to sort through unclaimed, unlabelled washing

Bedding and towels can be washed centrally each week if you wish. This washing is collected on a Monday morning and is brought back to East on a Thursday There is a linen room on the second floor at the end of the M5 corridor. If you make a pile of dirty bedding and towels to be laundered by Sunday, Michaela will bag it up and make sure it

is collected on Monday. Each girl has a labelled shelf in the linen room on the east side of the House Michaela will put your clean bedding and towels onto your shelf when they are returned.

Common room

The common room is available for all girls to use at any time in House (apart from during prep). We have a TV in there with a Netflix account.

Drawing room

Our drawing room is on the first floor, opposite the common room. This also has a television, as well as a Nintendo W ii. The drawing room is open to all girls to use whenever it is free We also use it during the week for year group meetings, coffee, and whole House meetings.

Prep room

We have a bespoke prep room in East It can be used by anyone but L5 must always complete their prep in there. The L6 girls are on a rota to supervise prep, so there will always be at least one L6 girl studying in the prep room

The prep room is equipped with eight computers and houses our photocopier/printer. All girls are able to use the printing facility by swiping their School Shop card to log in Sometimes, if girls find it hard to settle to their prep, we ask them to work in the prep room with L5

Pantry

We are also very fortunate in East to have an amazing pantry It is kept particularly well stocked with cereal, bread, biscuits, tea and coffee. Everyone has a responsibility to keep the pantry clean and tidy throughout the day and evening Please clean up after yourselves, put dirty crockery into the dishwasher, wipe down any surfaces you have used, and put rubbish and left-over food into the bin If everyone does their bit, then the pantry can be a lovely place to sit and chat to friends.

Reporting faults

Like all buildings, the Boarding House will sometimes require repair and upkeep. Our Facilities Department comes to the House most days to carry out routine repairs such as replacing light bulbs and fixing dripping taps Please report any faults or repairs to Matron. If the repair is urgent, we will get someone over as soon as possible to fix it

Oxley Sports Centre

All girls are automatically members of the Oxley Sports Centre. The facilities there are available for girls to use, and many make use of the gym. In order to use the gym you need to go to the front desk to register. They will then organise an induction session with you, led by one of the Personal

Trainers. After that 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 5pm to 6pm. If you are 16 or over, you are able to use the gym whenever it is convenient, but you must check with Mrs Pearson first.

School Shop Hygiene

The school shop is open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday during term time (closed at 12.30 – 1pm for lunch).

You will find school uniform in the shop, along with a range of stationery items, as well as toiletries and tuck. Your access card doubles as a shop card and is needed when you pop in to make purchases. Parents will have authorised a termly allowance for you which enables purchases to be made without using cash or debit cards. However, cash and debit cards are also accepted. You can also order items to be delivered to the House.

Uniform items to the value of £30 may be purchased when replacements are required. The shop staff will require parental permission for any item you wish to purchase above this amount. This can be shown as a text message, completion of a uniform chit signed by House Matron, or an email from parents to schoolshop@sherborne.com. Parents can also order uniform direct via phone, email or website.

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, as 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.

It is a good idea to organise your clothes in your room or ‘cue/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 up with clean clothes If you put your clothes away (instead of using your floor as a ‘floordrobe’), you will be able to separate clean from dirty clothes more easily.

Uniform expect ations/dress

All girls are required 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 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 (8.30am-5pm)

You must look clean, neat and tidy at all times. Hair should be neatly tied back if it is below the shoulders 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.

L5 – U5 must wear their uniform (kilt/trousers, blouse, jumper, black tights, black shoes) for all lessons. If you have PE or games, for example, during Period 3, then you are allowed to wear sports kit during Periods 1 and 2 You must, however, get changed into uniform at break time. In the same way, if you have games after break, then you must wear uniform until break and then get changed into sports kit You only need to wear your blazer on formal occasions, such as Abbey Services or when 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 collared shirt and jumper but this must not have a logo on the front, nor can it be hooded You need to look smart and businesslike.

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 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.

Use of mobiles and other personal electronic devices

Mobile phones are extremely useful, but please use yours with care. There are two mobile free days in the week for L5-M5 and one mobile free day for U5 You are not allowed to take your phones over to Main School during the normal school day and they will be

confiscated if seen The House dining rooms are also mobile free zones. Please do not use anyone else’s mobile phone. You must give the HM your number so that we can contact you if we need to

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 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

Cue – Cubicle (bedroom)

Drawing room – as well as the room itself, meetings that take place there are called ‘Drawing Rooms’

Exeat – when School closes for the weekend (usually from Friday lunchtime to Sunday evening)

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 or Gransden 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

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)

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 must bring your own bedding. You may like to bring posters, photos and small personal items to decorate your room, and your favourite teddy.

Coat hangers and a laundry bag are a must, as is a bank card or access to electronic funds. £10 cash is needed each term for use at charity events.

FAQ

Is it useful to have a mobile phone?

Mobile phones are useful but not compulsory. 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 do not have 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. We also have phone free days which help us to have a digital detox and focus on time with our friends rather than time on a screen

Is there anywhere I can keep my things safe?

We recommend that you hand in anything of value, including money, to be safely locked away All rooms and ‘ cues ’ have a lockable drawer that you can also keep precious items in. Matron will give you a key, but please be aware that, if you lose it, you will be charged £15 for a replacement Passports and other legal documentation must be handed in and signed for in the School Office.

What do I do if I don’t feel well?

Firstly, tell the House staff. If you need to go to the Health Centre, they will call ahead. If you feel unwell in a lesson, your teacher will let the House or Health Centre know If you want to see a nurse but don’t want to tell anyone, then you can ‘drop in’ to the Health Centre any weekday after School

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, so you can get out in the event of a fire. If the alarm sounds, you must make your way as quickly and quietly as possible out of the House.

We assemble on the grassed area between the two tennis courts at the back of the House. You must line up silently in year groups in alphabetical order. The girl at the front of each line must do a head count, so that she can say how many girls from her year are present. This is the quickest way that we, as House staff, can work out if everyone is present. We will then do a full roll call to make sure everyone is accounted for

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 so this can happen efficiently

It is possible that, once assembled, we will 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

House contact details:

Mrs Pearson: 01935 818226

Mrs Pearson mobile: 07971 669041

House landline: 01935 818228

House mobile: 07808 775569

E: aldeast@sherborne.com

E: s pearson@sherborne com

www.sherborne.com