Mulliner House Booklet

WELCOME TO MULLINER

Welcome to Mulliner

We are thrilled to have you here with us in Mulliner and we really hope you will be happy here.

Your final year is something very special It’s something that you have been working towards throughout your time at Sherborne Girls. Moving from your old house to Mulliner is a step towards your life beyond school but it is also an important rite of passage in itself. A successful year will see you become the person you really want to be when you leave us

You will want to exercise independence, take personal responsibility for decisions and reflect on your academic and personal ambitions. Supporting and respecting each other as a strong family unit will be just as important; it’s also your chance to further solidify friendships that you’ll have for life. Our aim is for you to leave here confident, open-minded, considerate, and aware of your future capabilities

This booklet is a guide to living in Mulliner. We rely a great deal on trust in this House. In return for the trust we place in you and the freedom we give you, we expect certain standards of behavior and maturity This is all part of the process of learning good habits for life

We hope you enjoy your time here, and that your last year at Sherborne Girls will be more memorable for it. This year is what you make of it and the whole Mulliner team is behind you!

Mrs Cole Housemistress

Impor t ant cont act det ails

House

Mrs Cole (Housemistress)

01935 818218

k cole@sherborne com

Assistant Housemistress: Miss Kirsty Gammack

Matrons: Mrs Gemma Pollitt and Mrs Maggie Barlow

House email: mulliner@sherborne com

House landline: 01935 818219

House mobile: 07808 775580

School

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

01935 818338

General SG Emergency Number

01935 818333

Health Centre

07977 469663 / 216

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.

Ethos of the House

In Mulliner, we are here to encourage you to exercise independence but also give you any support you need as you navigate your A Level year. You will have different challenges to the other year groups in the School and Mulliner is a place where you can get specialist advice, concentrate on your goals, be surrounded by friends experiencing the same things and enjoy the privileges of being an Upper Sixth Former. We treat each other like family and celebrate each other’s talents and interests. Each year group has a different feel

to it and we are keen that you all contribute to making this a successful and enjoyable final year at Sherborne Girls. The Mulliner Prefects (selected by the first Exeat) play a vital role in this, running socials, organising mid-week activities and leading meetings or prayers. Mrs Cole and the team want you to feel at home enough to take risks and develop into the person you want to be when you leave Sherborne Girls. Mulliner is a stepping-stone to life beyond school – we know that you will want to make the most of it!

Blair House

In Spring 2023 we opened Blair House, a brand new House for the Upper Sixth to use. The aim of Blair House is to create a flexible space which can be used differently each year to ensure that the individual needs of the pupils are met. The ground floor

boasts a large communal room which can be used for studying, socialising, relaxing and hosting tutor lunches or collaborative working sessions. There is also a wellequipped kitchen and a staff office.

Mulliner is a unique House because you will live with the rest of your year group. Those who get the most out of Mulliner enter their Upper Sixth year with an open mind – they are ready to work hard, embrace new challenges, and make the most of social opportunities and the chance to expand friendship groups. We are not a cliquey House. We adopt a ‘University Halls’ approach to rooming, where you are all mixed up. Some people admit to finding this a little nerve-wracking at the start but all agree, you are never more than two minutes from good friends from your previous House. After the first week, they are glad the House is mixed, as it makes for a truly united year group and gives you the opportunity to get to know more people.

Our Mulliner community is strong because we are considerate and look out for one another. The Upper Sixth year is a chance to adopt a mature approach to communal living. You will work hard but also have a lot of fun.

There are midweek optional socials to break up the working week such as DIY facemask sessions, relaxation colouring, craft nights and House competitions. There are also bigger events such as CourtsFest and formal suppers where the whole House comes together. In the past, Prefects have also organised House trips to Flip Out to go trampolining and to a pottery-making workshop. You can bring your ideas to the House Prefects and they will help make it happen, whether that is an inhouse student cookery course, a Come Dine with Me series of suppers in the Snug or a Karaoke night.

Bedtimes Bir thdays

There are no official ‘lights out’, but we do expect everyone to be in their own room doing something quiet by 10.30pm so that those who want to sleep can without being disturbed.

Many of you will be turning 18 during your time in Mulliner, which is an exciting milestone. We mark the day in House with your name on the birthday board and present you with a small cake made by Paula, our amazing pastry chef.

You or your parents are also welcome to bring in your own cake to share with friends Larger parties are to be saved for Exeats and holidays. In line with the joint Sherborne School and Sherborne Girls alcohol policy, if your parents come to take you out for supper midweek, you may have one glass of alcohol under their supervision to toast turning 18

Visitors

Girls from other Houses and boys from Sherborne School are very welcome to visit us here in Mulliner There is a visitor signingin 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

In a large and busy house, it is essential that you are on top of your emails and also that you check the ‘What’s On’ whiteboard at the entrance daily for up-todate notices. We also have a House WhatsApp group which both the girls and staff can use for important messages

House meetings, sometimes led by Mrs Cole and sometimes the House Prefects, are an important time when the House comes together to discuss events that are happening that week and to organise the running of the House As well as a place for hearing important notices, this is a forum for every member of the House to contribute their thoughts and ideas for Mulliner.

Day pupils and day boarders

Day girls have a space to call their own in Mulliner. The Hive is the dedicated study space where you can base yourself during the school day, where you will have a locker, desk space and areas to work and relax. There is a kitchen with tea and toast making facilities, a dishwasher and a breakfast bar area. There are various work spaces for you to use and a comfy corner to relax and socialise. You can use any showers and toilets in the House to change for games and will have space to store your sports equipment, art work or musical instruments.

You are expected to be at School and sign in at 8.00am, ready to attend assembly, prayers or other morning

commitments which start at 8.10am. You may leave School after 5.00pm providing you have fulfilled all your school commitments, and of course sign out

If you are attending the Saturday evening social, you will leave from Mulliner at the start of the evening and return to Mulliner before going home Please do not arrange to be collected from town. If you would like wristbands for ‘Stick’ (the joint social with Sherborne School), then you will eat supper in Mulliner beforehand on the Saturday

If you are a day boarder, it is really helpful for us to have an idea of your weekly routine so we can book meals accordingly

Dress code

• One earring in the lobe of each ear: only studs or discreet/short gold or short pendant earrings. No hoops and no other visible piercings

• One fine gold or silver chain necklace with small pendant

• One unostentatious ring (not to be worn in Science lessons or Leiths classes; it is the pupil’s responsibility to ensure it is removed and kept safe)

• Hair must be a natural colour, sensible in style with no extreme variation in length, kept clean and tidy and may be worn up or down Pupils who return to School with dyed hair (or dye their hair whilst at School) will be booked into a local hairdresser to have the colour removed, dyed or cut at their own expense The same applies to outlandish hair styles/cuts

• Discreet makeup and natural, unchipped nail varnish in clear or nude tones (no patterns/designs, no glitter, no nail extensions or acrylics)

• All jewellery must be removed for PE/games

• Tattoos are not permitted

Attire must be appropriate for a professional workplace:

• No ostentatious designs, patterns, logos or images

• No strappy tops/vestsshoulders must be covered

• No t-shirts

• No zipped tops

• No hooded tops

• No baggy or chunky jumpers or tops

• Nothing that does not fit smartly under the suit jacket

Weekends Exeats

Going home at the weekends is flexible in Mulliner and at the discretion of the Housemistress.

In considering such requests, it is expected that you show a mature attitude to your studies, as you will not benefit from being away for the majority of weekends. You may not miss Sunday at School if there is an Abbey service If you are going to be away at the weekend you enter this in the weekend book by Wednesday evening. Parental permission should accompany this request, by email to mulliner@sherborne.com It is your responsibility to check that permission has been received. You should return in time for Evening Service.

On a Monday we place the weekend book in the dining hall By Wednesday evening you need to have filled this in stating your weekend plans and which meals you are staying in for

Exeats work the same as in other Houses. You are expected to wait until the end of the school day to go home at an exeat, even if you do not have timetabled lessons, as this is valuable study time.

The one difference is that in Trinity Term, Mulliner remains open for the first exeat, while all other Houses close This is to allow you to stay in and study, should you wish.

Please be aware that Mulliner is often used over exeats, half terms and holidays You may be asked to empty your room during the school holiday for this reason.

Fire alarms Driving lessons

• You must leave the House by the nearest door and make your way to the grass between Blair House and the School Shop

• You should gather in floor groups (i e with people on the same floor as you) and in room number order

• Try to grab a pair of shoes and a jumper before leaving your room

• Remain silent so registers can be taken quickly

• You should not re-enter the building until told it is safe to do so Please remain in your group until everyone has been accounted for.

You may choose to pursue driving lessons during your Upper Sixth year. Please remember that your academic studies take priority, but you are welcome to arrange lessons with an instructor at times which do not impact on lessons, supervised study periods, or other School commitments. We need to keep a record of your instructor’s name and contact details, as well as your weekly or fortnightly lesson time and permission must be sent by your parents to the house account mulliner@sherborne.com before you can be signed out of School to attend a driving lesson or test Please note that no pupils may drive themselves to or from School and pupil vehicles are not permitted on school campus.

Going out

Always remember to sign in/out and to have your access lanyard with you. You should never give your lanyard to someone else.

1 During the day (and for wholeSchool events in the evenings or at weekends such as services/ lectures) you may slide your magnet in/out

2 After each school day you need to sign in/out in the books by the office and state where you are going – even if you are going somewhere on campus

3 If you need to go off site during the day, you will need to both move your magnet and sign the book.

On weekdays you may go into town in the afternoon after lessons (after 5.00pm) if you have no other commitments.

On weekdays you should be back on the School site by 6.15pm.

On weeknights you must be back in House after prep by 9.30pm, and on Saturdays by 10.30pm. Exceptions may be given if requested beforehand.

The first Saturday you are allowed to visit local public houses is in the Lent Term and at the discretion of the Head; visits will only be in the evening after 7.30pm. No one may visit a pub during the week or on a Sunday at any time.

You will be breathalysed before and after a School event and Saturday night pub visits where alcohol is served. The expectation is that no pupil should drink anything other than soft drinks, cider, beer or wine (maximum of two glasses).

School rules with regard to smoking/vaping apply at all times

Yeovil, Bath, Salisbury and Exeter:

You are allowed to go to the above places on a Saturday or Sunday with permission from the member of staff on duty

You may not miss any school commitments or services When there, bars and public houses are out of bounds.

Getting there:

• YEOVIL

Buses (No.s 57/58) leave every half hour from Green Hill and the bus stop by the Astro

• BATH

The quickest route to Bath is via bus. You can also take a taxi to Yeovil Pen Mill station and a direct train from there to Bath Spa

• SALISBURY

Take a train from Sherborne station to Salisbury. This takes about 40 minutes

• EXETER

Take a train from Sherborne station to Exeter Central

Medication

We dispense all paracetamol, ibuprofen and cold/flu remedies from the House office. Please hand medication in and we will dispense when you need them.

If you need to take medication every morning, please come to the office between 7.45am and 8.10am.

Goodnight

You must come down in person to the benches outside the Mulliner office between 9.00pm and 9.45pm to say goodnight to the evening duty member of staff. This is the final registration of the day.

If you wish to go to bed earlier than 9.00pm, please come and find a member of staff to let them know. Duty staff then go around the corridors to check on pupils, turning off lights and ensuring all is quiet by 10.30pm.

Health Centre Health and Safety

If you feel unwell, please let the member of staff on duty know or go to the Health Centre after 9.00am. You may not absent yourself from lessons or school commitments for health reasons; this must go through matron and the Health Centre.

In Mulliner you are responsible for arranging and cancelling appointments, organising vaccinations and collecting some medications The email address you should use to contact the Health Centre is health@sherborne.com. Your link nurse from your mixed age house stays with you as you enter the Upper Sixth

We have toasted sandwich makers, a nutri bullet, kettles, a coffee machine, microwaves and heaters for you to use in House. Please do not bring in your own coffee machines, electric fans, heaters, rice cookers, candles or electronic diffusers – these are not permitted as they are fire hazards.

There is a refrigerator and freezer provided in the snug, where you can cook and socialise You are expected to take responsibility for labelling and properly wrapping all food that goes in there. Once a week the communal fridge is cleared out, so your name and the date must be clearly visible on anything you put in there It is everyone ’ s responsibility to clean up after themselves in the snug and the house

Laundr y

provides dishwasher tablets and all the necessary equipment needed to keep it in good order. Great practice for house sharing at university!

In your room we ask that you do not overload sockets or leave your phone charging on your bed. Any fairy lights should be battery operated House staff do regular electrical checks to reduce the risk of fire, and anything deemed dangerous will be removed. Before you arrive, please check there are no bare cables on any of your chargers and please do not bring box adapters.

Many of the bedrooms and communal areas have recently been refurbished, so please take care not to mark painted walls, especially with Blu Tack. There are pinboards available to decorate to make your room cosy and personal

On Friday, please strip your bed before school starts and place your linen outside your room. This will be collected and sent to the launderers.

Just like in the Junior Houses, in Mulliner, you are expected to do your own washing The washing machines contain detergent, but you may choose to use your own You should also have a named laundry basket We use a queuing system in the laundry room, so if the machines are busy, leave your basket in the queue and when the next person enters they can move the queue along

There is an iron and ironing board located in the laundry room.

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, 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

chaplain@sherborne.com

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 take place in the dining hall and are compulsory, as we also use this time to register you.

The only meal which is not compulsory is Sunday supper Supper is provided in House but you can choose to opt out and cook in the snug with friends, order a takeaway, or go out to eat instead

At the start of each week, we put out the ‘Weekend Book’ where you give details of what you will be doing for each mealtime This helps us to avoid food waste, as sometimes you may be out at the weekend for a university visit or a sports match Takeaways should only be ordered on a Sunday evening or for a special occasion if pre-arranged with permission.

We expect you to be up and dressed for breakfast on mornings when lessons take place, as it encourages a productive morning and good use of study periods. The exception to this is Sunday brunch, which takes place at 10 45am on non-Abbey days and means you can lie in

Mealtimes are a social time when the whole house comes together No phones are allowed in the dining hall. If you need a late or early meal due to a school commitment, just let House staff know in advance

Weekdays

Breakfast: 7 15-7 45am

Lunch: 12 30-1 40pm

Supper: 6.00-6.40pm

Saturday

Breakfast: 7 15-7 45am

Lunch: 11 00am-12 10pm (this may change depending on sports fixtures)

Supper: 5.45-6.15pm

Sunday (morning service)

Breakfast: 9 30-10 00am

Lunch: 1 00-1 30pm

Supper: 5.45-6.30pm (this may change depending on choir commitments)

Sunday (evening service)

Brunch: 10 45-11 15am

Supper: 5 45-6 15pm

Please inform staff if you need an early or late supper for any reason and check the whiteboards for changes to standard meal times.

Bowls, plates, blue mugs and cutlery should not be taken out of the dining room

Prefects

House Prefects and Heads of House are selected before the first exeat. The Mulliner Prefects play a key role in the running of the house and contribute a great deal to the atmosphere, representing your year group and determining what you all want your final year to be. The roles are selected by a panel of staff after an interview process.

The process begins with a House meeting, where Mrs Cole explains the system of appointing prefects and Heads of House. You will have a chance to consider what skills you have that would be of value to the house

and you may suggest a role if it is not already on the list, if you think it would enhance the boarding experience for everyone. House Prefect duties include helping the house staff where requested with goodnights, creating a yearbook and hoodies if you want them, organising key house events (such as the Christmas Dinner), putting together a socials calendar and meeting regularly with Mrs Cole to ensure the smooth running of the House. They act as the voice of the pupils and raise ideas with staff. House Prefects are instrumental in the day-to-day running of Mulliner

Prep House

Prep time is 7.00pm to 9.00pm each day. It is up to you to use this time wisely but you must respect it as a quiet time. You should be doing something productive.

You also have study periods. These are for working in. If you treat the school day like a working day and only break in the break times, you will be amazed at how much you can achieve.

Two people are on duty every day. This means you’ll only do duty once or twice per term.

When on duty, you should ensure the snug, dining room, kitchen and common rooms are clean and tidy at the end of the night. On a weekday or Sunday this should be completed by 10.00pm. It involves closing windows, tidying cushions and throws, wiping down the sides and washing up any cups, plates and cutlery. It shouldn’t take too long, as it is everyone ’ s responsibility to tidy up after themselves

On a Saturday, the last few people to say goodnight complete the duty. The duty rota can be found on the noticeboard in the snug and in the matrons’ office

If you are going to be away on the day that you are on duty, you must agree a swap with somebody and alter the rota.

UCAS and other applications

Applying to UCAS will be an important part of your Michaelmas term in the Upper Sixth. The earlier you begin your applications, the better.

Your Tutor will write your school reference and will help you write a personal statement. Make sure your Tutor knows all of the fabulous things you do but cannot fit in your personal statement. That way, they can refer to them in their reference.

Do not expect your first draft to be your last A few edits will be needed Try not to show your personal statement to too many people at the same time, as everyone will have a different opinion and it could be confusing

All House staff are happy to help as well, so make sure you use us. This is also true for US

and other overseas university applications, apprenticeships or job applications We really do want to help you get to your next step in life, whatever route you choose to follow.

We are also keen to know how your application is getting on, so when you hear back from universities, share the news!

If you need to miss lessons for a university visit, it is important that you communicate this to your teachers by picking up a ‘Sixth Form University/College Request Form’ from the Sixth Form Centre and ask Mr Banks to sign it at least a week beforehand. It then needs to be given to Mrs Cole and permission needs to have been emailed in by your parents confirming travel arrangements and timings to mulliner@sherborne.com.

House contact details:

Mrs Katherine Cole: 01935 818218

House landline: 01935 818219

House mobile: 07808 775580

E: mulliner@sherborne com

E: k cole@sherborne com

mulliner@sherborne com

https://twitter com/SG Mulliner

www.sherborne.com