House routines

Signing in and out We ask all girls to sign out and back into House after 5.00pm during the week or at any point if going off site (for which you need to seek permission). Day girls and day boarders have a separate signing-out book and must sign in when they arrive each morning and when they leave each evening. At weekends all girls need to sign out and back in again whenever they leave the House. We must be strict about signing out and in again as the Housemistress needs to know who is in the House at any given time for fire safety reasons. We will take you through the rules and it will soon become second nature. House meetings Each morning we have a House briefing where the staff read notices and help you plan for the day and week ahead. Everyone meets in the drawing room for this briefing when the bell goes before assembly/ prayers/lessons, including day girls and day boarders. All important notices are summarised and written on the whiteboard in the dining room.

In the evenings we have ‘drawing room sessions’, where Mrs Cracknell may meet with the whole House or a specific year group to run through key events or issues. You will also have the opportunity to present ‘House prayers’ to your year group or House.

House briefing is compulsory for everyone (including L6 even if they have a study period immediately afterwards). This takes place in the drawing room and important notices are also written on the whiteboard in the dining room. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, House briefing is at 7.55am. On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday it is at 8.10am.

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 Saturday 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 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. On a Saturday lessons finish at 10.55am.

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 such as Choir or Sport, or you may get a bit of downtime. On Fridays, L6 are invited to have coffee in the drawing room with Mrs Cracknell and any other Tutors who are in House. On Saturdays, lunch is from 12.00pm to 12.30pm, followed by Saturday Sport for L5 and M5 from 1.00pm to 2.00pm 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. Lessons finish at 5.00pm. If you are not heading straight out to after-school activities, you may choose to make a cuppa and come to the House office for a chat.

There are lots of opportunities to get involved in activities after school. These usually run from 5.00pm to 6.00pm. 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.

Unless you have an activity after 6.00pm (for example, a tennis lesson, Leiths cookery, ballet, choir, etc.), you must be back in House by 6.10pm, ready for supper at 6.15pm. Prep starts at 7.00pm. L5 do prep in the dining room where there are members of staff and Prefects to help. 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, which 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 8.00pm, L5 can go back up to their ‘cubies’ and read quietly until 8.30pm. It is important that the whole House is quiet until 8.30pm as older girls do not finish 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 takethese to the House office, where a member of staff or a Sixth Former will be on duty to receive them. Each girl has a labelled shelf where they put their devices. This office is locked every evening.

The bedtime routine is as follows:

Year Prep Handing in Main lights off/sidelights All lights group of phones out and Devices

L5 7.00-8.00pm 8.45pm 9.15pm 9.30pm 9.15-9.30pm Reading Time

M5 7.00-8.30pm 9.00pm 9.30pm 9.45pm

U5 7.00-8.30pm 9.15pm 9.45pm 10.00pm

L6 7.00-8.45pm 9.30pm 10.15pm

The routine is different on a Saturday evening. Supper is at 6.00pm, then you will have a social. This could be a disco, a social with one of Sherborne School’s Houses, a movie night, a sleepover with friends from another House or a supper evening.

On a Saturday night bedtimes are later to accommodate the fun! It is important to settle once staff have asked you to do so – just as you would at home. Respecting each other’s sleep is a very important Reader Harris rule.

On Sunday nights we try to go to bed earlier after a busy weekend. This helps us get ready for the week to come. House duties Please check your year group duty rota. Everyone except day girls should expect to have a duty evening once a week.

L5 duty – tidy the dining room after prep

M5 duty – collect mugs and dishes from all floors before bed

U5 duty – tidy the dining room after supper trolley before bed

L6 duties – run prep for L5 and do devices sign-ins/help with junior bedtimes