WELCOME TO READER HARRIS
‘Quo Modo Tibi Sic Alis’
‘Do unto others as you would have done unto yourself’ House Motto
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Welcome to Reader Harris It is likely you have already heard everyone speaking about how much of a home Reader Harris is to all of us who live here. All the Boarding Houses at Sherborne Girls operate as extended families, and this booklet will help you and your own family understand how life in Reader Harris works. We are delighted that you will be joining Reader Harris - all the staff and current Reader Harris girls will be there to help you as you settle in. It will take at least the first week to learn your way around Reader Harris: it is one of the larger buildings, originally having been two boarding houses called Thurstan and Ealhstan. You must not worry about getting lost - your designated ‘buddies’, the House Prefect team and the staff will all support you in those first few exciting weeks. You will very quickly learn where your own cubie or room is, where your favourite common room space is (we have two lovely big spaces for hanging out informally with friends) and where the dining room is (which acts like a third big common room most of the time). Bathrooms are close to each bedroom, and they have plenty of space as well as proper power showers. I have been a Housemistress for nine years and worked in education for over 12 years. In that time I have been asked every possible question, and helped others with the same challenges that you might face when you are here. I will always be right by your side, helping you along the way. No matter the problem or query, be it about school, friendship problems, what the next step is, or absolutely anything else. The Reader Harris staff team are here to support and guide you, and to help you advance through each new chapter of your lives. I believe that every pupil has their one true talent, and in Reader Harris we strive to guide our pupils to help them to discover that talent. No matter the venue, be it the classroom, the concert hall, the stage or the sports pitch, we will be there to cheer you on. You and your family are warmly welcomed into our Reader Harris family, where you will make memories and friendships that last a lifetime. I feel incredibly privileged to share a small part of your story. Mrs Bussell Housemistress
Contents Important contact details 1 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. House ethos 2 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. Communication with the Housemistress 3 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. The House staff 6 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. Support in House and in the School 8 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. The Health Centre and medicine 10 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. Who can I talk to? 12 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. Meals 14 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. House routines 16 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. Going out and welcoming visitors to the House 24 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. Keeping personal items safe 27 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. Day girls 28 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. House and School facilities 28 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. School Shop 32 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. Hygiene 32 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. Uniform expectations/dress 33 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. School facilities 35 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. Use of mobiles and other personal electronic devices 35 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. Sherborne Girls terminology 37 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. Campus map 38 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. Packing list 40 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. FAQ 41 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. Fire safety
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Important contact details House Mrs Bussell (Housemistress) p.bussell@sherborne.com House email: readerharris@sherborne.com House Landline: 01935 818244 House Mobile: 07808 775581
School Mrs Briggs (Deputy Head, Pastoral & Designated Safeguarding Lead) 01935 818338 General SG Emergency Number 01935 818333 Please save these details to your phone. It is important that you can get in touch with your House and Housemistress at all times. The House phone is answered by the Matron during the day and the Tutors on duty in the evening.
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House ethos • Everyone in Reader Harris 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 their time • Treat others as we would wish to be treated ourselves • We need to care for each other and our home • We need to think of Reader Harris as being part of a bigger community • We should support each other, particularly when others feel unhappy, homesick or alone
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Communication For girls:
For parents:
• We are around every day – we live here with you, after all. We are always available to support you, so never hesitate to come and see us about any issue, big or small. The office is a good place to ‘plonk’ and chat over cups of tea. Mrs Bussell has one day off a week but even then, can often be found in and out of the House office and dining room.
• We really encourage open communication with parents at all times. We are all in this together in supporting these wonderful girls through their exciting new adventure, so any perspective we can have to do this well really helps us. There will also be lots of questions and we are often a good starting point to help answer them.
• If you need anyone in the middle of the night, come straight to Mrs Bussell’s door - where the sign is, you will be shown on first night - and knock.
• Email is probably the most straightforward means of communicating. If preferred, do phone the House office or mobile numbers above and leave messages with Matrons or on voicemail, as we check these regularly. A lot of the time our amazing Matrons, Anna, Sara and Eddie, will be able to answer your questions or deal with the situation straight away.
• You will all have the House Mobile number if you need us, and we have all your numbers in case we need to contact you in an emergency.
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The House staff There is a team of House staff to provide additional pastoral support and help. Anna, Sara and Eddie are our Day Matrons and they are here from 8.00am to 6.00pm. They will make you appointments at the Health Centre or escort you to hospital, dental or orthodontist appointments if necessary. They organise train tickets and taxis for those of you who need them, and will liaise with your parents about travel arrangements for exeats and the end of term. A Matron also checks that your rooms are tidy every day, and will help with laundry if you need assistance. Miss Clarke is the Assistant Housemistress and she is on duty when Mrs Bussell has her evening off. She is a Chemistry specialist so it is a good idea to leave your science preps for her nights. Alternatively, when you need a puppy cuddle you can borrow her gorgeous pup, Bowie. 6
Miss Nurse is the Director of Drama and lives on the ground floor with her two dogs, Alice and Larry. She is also on duty two evenings a week and is another tremendous source of support to call upon. She can also teach you how to play a favourite card game. We also have a third resident member of staff who is a graduate assistant and these change each year. The main House staff are assisted by another teacher, Mr Casely, who is our Non-Resident support. Mr Casely teaches Art History, Food Technology and Italian. There is a staff duty rota outside the House office, which lets you know who is on duty and when.
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Everyone is allocated a Tutor. Your Tutor will see you once a week and can come into the Boarding House and have lunch with you. They also will help you organise your school work and will answer any academic queries.
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Support 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 shadow. Please use your shadow 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 doors that says ‘Supporter and Listener’. Just knock on their bedroom doors if you want to talk.
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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 to School then do look at the noticeboards, as there are lots of telephone numbers there. 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 is natural. 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, this will get better with time. To help, here are some tips from older girls who have experienced what you may be going through now. • Make sure you are not on your own. If you are feeling sad, it often feels worse if you isolate yourself. Be brave and pop into another person’s room, or start up a conversation with someone you have not spoken to before
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• You will not be the only person struggling – lots of other girls will be, too. Look at the other girls around you and see if you can get alongside someone who is also finding it hard. You can help each other!
• If you are boarding, try to ‘stay in’ as much as you can because that way you get lots of momentum and confidence, and don’t miss out on anything fun in the Boarding House
• Remember to look at the older year groups and how settled they seem. They were like you once and now look how relaxed they are. Very soon Reader Harris will feel like a second home
• Be careful not to spend too much time on the phone to people not at School – while you are on your phone, relationships are being formed and fun is being had - get involved!
• Get into a routine when communicating with home. It is a good idea to call when you know you have something to be doing straight afterwards, so you don’t feel low after hearing their lovely, familiar voices!
• Keep yourself busy – distractions are 100% the best way of getting through/ avoiding homesickness! Don’t be too hard on yourself if you have a wobble! This might happen in the first few days, after a lovely phone call home or after the first time seeing your parents. It may not happen until you begin to feel more tired at the end of term or even after a long holiday at home. It might take longer than you expect to feel settled in your friendship group, but that is normal. Remember the House staff are here to back you up and are totally used to supporting girls going through this enormous adventure with all these ups and downs
• When you do speak to parents at home, talk about everything you have been doing. They will be missing you and will want to hear about all you are involved in. Give them a picture of all your highlights as well as anything you are finding challenging • Come and get a hug from one of the members of staff on duty. We love hugs!
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The Health Centre and medicine Dr Middle and Dr Thomas are our School Doctors. All boarders are registered with them. One of them comes to the Health Centre from Monday to Friday at 8.00am and you can easily get an appointment to see them if you need to. You can either make one yourself by going to the Health Centre, or ask Matron and she will organise an appointment for you. If you feel unwell, the House staff may suggest that you go to the Health Centre to see a nurse for advice (or we will phone from Reader Harris to get advice). There is always a nurse on duty in the Health Centre. If you need to visit the Health Centre, we will issue you with a purple slip. You need to give this in when you get there. Your teachers in Main School will also write a purple slip for you if you feel unwell in a lesson and need to see a 10
nurse. However, if you want to see someone in the Health Centre without anyone knowing, there is a ‘drop-in’ from 4.30pm to 5.00pm each weekday. Just pop along then and the nurse will be able to help you. You cannot keep any medicine or tablets in your room. All medicines are kept in the medicine cabinet in the House office. If you need to take medicine regularly then usually this is done at 8.00am. The Matron on duty will help to dispense medicines and you will sign for them.
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Who can I talk to? Everybody has worries or problems at some time in their lives. Although there may be times when you do not want to talk about them, it is usually sensible and helpful to share and seek help in sorting them out. You could talk to one of the other girls in your year group or the older girls in House, such as your Head of House or Prefect. However, there are occasions when an adult may be more appropriate. There are a large number to choose from within School, as well as your parents, wider family and national helplines.
Childline* 0800 1111
Teachers
Matrons
Tutors
School Safeguarding Hotline 01935 818324 Safeguarding Officers Lead: Mrs Briggs Deputies: Mr McClary, Mrs Orton, Nurse Watson
*National organisations
Children’s Commissioner for England* 0800 5280731 www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk
Counsellors Mrs Heddy Smith 07970 843359 h.smith@sherborne.com Mrs Lauenna Luddington l.luddington@sherborne.com
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Mrs Veronica Rosello v.rosello@sherborne.com
Chaplain Revd. Katie Windle chaplain@sherborne.com
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House parents
Tutors
Aroundthe-clock support Senior Staff
Tootoot
Learning Support v.collyer@sherborne.com
Doctors Dr Charlie Middle Dr Katie Thomas Contact via Health Centre
Samaritans* 116 123 jo@samaritans.org
Independent Listeners Mrs Pat Appleyard 07785 781777 Mrs Katharine Stringer 07850 937158
Nurses health@sherborne.com 07977 469663
All members of staff will be pleased to talk to you and try to help. If you need to see the Headmistress quickly, see her Personal Assistant, Mrs Horton. Members of staff will listen to you in confidence, but there may be times when they must ask your permission to tell someone what you have told them, if they think you or others are at serious risk of harm.
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Meals All meals in House are compulsory. We always take a register and we also use this as a roll call. Please be prompt to mealtimes (and absolutely no later than 10 minutes after the start of a mealtime). If you have any specific dietary requirements, please can you let the House staff know as soon as possible so that arrangements can be made with our Chef. Mealtimes are as follows: Breakfast Monday – Saturday 7.30am Sunday – 9.30am (if there is a morning service). 11.00am brunch (if there is an evening service) Lunch Monday – Friday 1.00pm Saturday 12.00pm Sunday 1.00pm (unless there has been brunch at 11.00am in which case there is no lunch)
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Supper Monday – Friday 6.15pm Saturday 6.00pm Sunday 6.00pm (unless there is an evening Abbey Service, in which case it is at 5.30pm) When arriving for mealtimes, please queue up in 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! At lunch times during the week we have family service lunches. You must all wait until everyone has finished eating their main course on your table before you are dismissed to clear your plates. 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, then
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remember to be a good hostess: 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 9.00pm. 15
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.
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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 Bussell 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.
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From Monday to Saturday, breakfast is at 7.30am. 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, School prayers in the Hall at 8.10am. On Fridays there is usually hymn practice at 8.10am in the Hall. 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 Bussell and any other Tutors who are in House. On Saturdays, lunch is from 12.00pm to12.30pm, 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. 17
On weekdays, lessons start again at 2.35pm so you need to leave House by 2.25pm. Lessons finish at 5.00pm. Remember to sign in to House when you return from lessons. 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. 18
Prep starts at 7.00pm. L5 do prep in the dining room where there are members of staff and Prefects to help. Towards the Summer Term, when you are all a bit more used to working independently, we will start encouraging people to work in their rooms. There will be at least one L6 girl to supervise prep. 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.
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Bedtime routine Bedtimes are staggered, depending on your year group. All girls must hand in mobile phones and any other electronic devices (e.g. tablet and laptop) before bedtime.
You need to take these 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. 19
The bedtime routine is as follows: Year group
Prep
Handing in of phones and Devices
Main lights off/sidelights
All lights out
L5
7.00-8.00pm
8.45pm
9.15pm
9.30pm
9.15-9.30pm Reading Time
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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
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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.
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
On Sunday nights we try to go to bed earlier after a busy weekend. This helps us get ready for the week to come.
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Going out and welcoming visitors to the House Going out After lessons you are allowed to go to Budgens. You must ask permission as it is off site, sign in and out, and be back in House by 5.55pm ready for supper and roll call. 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 5.55pm.
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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, but 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 this 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.
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L6 can go out to a restaurant for supper on Saturday or lunch on Sunday in groups of no more than six. This needs to be arranged in advance with the Hammonds. Please be aware that even if you do not have a match on a Saturday, if you are in L5 or M5 you do have a commitment of Saturday Sport and 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 usually start at 1.15pm on a Friday. You may not leave School before this time. Matron will put up a list around two weeks before exeat, and you can sign up if you would like her to purchase you a train ticket or order you a taxi. The School train to Waterloo normally leaves at 1.35pm and gets to Waterloo at 3.47pm. It normally leaves Waterloo at 5.15pm on a Sunday afternoon to come back. It is 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 Reader Harris will be locked up. It will not reopen again until 6.00pm on the Sunday evening, so please do not return before this time as you will not be able to get in. However, if you do need to arrive back to School 25
earlier than 6.00pm, Wingfield Digby House is open and a Matron will be on duty there. You are more than welcome to stay in Wingfield Digby until 6.00pm. All girls must return by 9.00pm after an exeat weekend. If you request to go out on a nonexeat weekend, this will usually be granted by special permission of the HM, but your parents need to email by Thursday lunchtime. This is because socials lists and numbers for catering are finalised on a Thursday. Abbey Services are compulsory, though, so if you choose to go home on a weekend of an Abbey Service, you must be back for that. The dates for Abbey Services are clearly listed in the online calendar. If we are worried that too many pupils are going to be away for the weekend, we might ask you to reconsider your request for weekend leave. The Tea Crate, Queenie’s and The Coffee Pod The Tea Crate can be found in the basement of Mulliner and it is often open from 4.30pm to 6.00pm for drinks and snacks. The 26
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, which is open after lunch and after school. Visitors Girls from other Houses and boys from Sherborne School are very welcome to visit us here in the House. There is a visitor signing-in book that everyone must sign. Please let the member of staff on duty know that a visitor has arrived. It is very important that they are introduced to the member of staff on duty. 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 end of term). If you have friends from outside the School visiting, please let the duty member of staff know when they arrive, and introduce them.
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Keeping personal items safe All rooms and ‘cubies’ are equipped with a lockable drawer. You are advised to keep any precious items and money locked away. You will need to see Matron if you wish to have the key for your lockable drawer and she will sign it out for you. Please be aware, however, that you need to return the key at the end of term. You will be charged £15 for a replacement if you lose it.
Money and passports Passports must be handed in. If you require a Visa to study in England, your passport is kept in the safe in the office in Main School. Anyone who has a large amount of cash is advised to hand this in to us for safekeeping. You may use us as a House bank, and sign out money as you wish to use it.
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Day girls 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 House briefing every morning. 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. Please also chat to your Head of Year in House to find out if there is any information you have missed while you have been at home. Day boarders – you have set nights that you stay. You need to let your Housemistress or a Matron know which nights these are. You need to give 48 hours’ notice if you would like to stay on any other nights (or go home when you would normally sleep over).
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House and School facilities Laundry We have a laundry room with three industrial washing machines and three huge dryers. Everyone can use these machines and must manage their own washing. They are automated and dispense detergent and fabric conditioner for you. To help you get into the routine of doing your own laundry in the first term you will get plenty of assistance from Matron, and anyone who needs to use specific washing powder for allergy reasons (or because you like the smell of ‘home washing’!) can use this as well. If you do not name your clothes then they are likely to get lost or mixed up with someone else’s laundry and it is generally difficult to identify whose washing is whose. If you buy new clothes during term, then borrow a Sharpie from Matron’s office and label your clothes
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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 Thursday morning and is brought back a few days later. Everyone is asked to strip their beds on a Thursday morning. You can then collect clean bedding from the cupboard on the second floor to put back onto your bed once it is stripped. Each girl has a labelled shelf in that cupboard - your clean bedding and towels go onto your shelf when they are returned.
Common room and supper trolley The common room, or ‘galley’, is available for all girls to use at any time in House. We have TVs in there and a Wii in the drawing room. In the common room there is a small kitchen equipped with a kettle, microwave and fridge. We provide bread, butter, spreads and snacks each evening on the supper trolley and plenty of good food in the dining room to snack on during the day. It is wise to label any food you want to keep in the galley fridge and we operate a system of trust that people do not use each other’s items. We also ask that you clear up after yourselves. If the galley or dining room is left untidy, it is not available the next night.
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Dining room The dining room acts as another common room in between meal times and after lessons. A substantial supper trolley comes out after prep for you to have a tasty snack and some downtime with friends before bed. The Kitchen staff have all gone home at that point so please clear up after yourselves once you have made your snacks. L5 always complete their prep in the dining room. The L6 girls are on a rota to supervise prep, so there will always be at least one L6 girl studying in the dining room between 7.00pm and 8.00pm. These girls are there to support you with your work, as are the House staff members on duty. The sixth formers are also preparing for A Levels so please ensure you are working quietly and as independently as possible.
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We also have a House photocopier/printer in the office. All girls can use the printing facility by swiping their School Shop card in order to log in.
Drawing room Our drawing room is on the ground floor opposite the main stairs. This has a television in it as well as a Wii. The drawing room is open to all girls whenever it is free. We also use it during the week for year group meetings, coffee and whole House meetings. 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 see to it.
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Oxley Sports Centre All girls are automatically members of the Oxley Sports Centre. Many make use of its well-equipped gym. In order to use this, you need to go to the front desk and register. The staff will organise an induction session with one of the Personal Trainers, following which you are free to use the
facilities. If you are under 16, you may sign up for the Junior Gym activity that happens several days each week from 5.00pm to 6.00pm. If you are 16 or over, then you are able to use the gym whenever it is convenient, but you must check with the House staff first. 31
School Shop
Hygiene
The School Shop is in Old Mulliner (near the Health Centre). It is open at break time every morning and also after lunch. It sells a range of stationery items as well as a few snacks and sweets. If you need to replace uniform items, you can do this here, too.
This is really important, especially living as communally as we do. Please make time to shower every day. Get yourself into a good routine, and 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.
You need to collect a chit from House if this is the case, which gives you permission to get clothing added to your bill. You will be issued with a shop card and your parents will have set an amount of money that is available for you to spend each term. This means that you don’t have to use cash in the shop.
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It is a good idea to organise your clothes in your room or ‘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.
SHERBORNE GIRLS - READER HARRIS
Uniform expectations/dress All girls are expected to uphold the uniform expectations as listed in the School Dress Code at all times during the school day, including time spent moving between lessons. When in academic lessons, sixth form pupils should wear their jackets at all times unless permission to remove them is requested and granted. Any pupils who have been given permission to visit Sherborne 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-5.00pm) You must look clean, neat and tidy at all times. Hair should be neatly tied back if it is long and jewellery should be limited to one pair of stud earrings. Piercings halfway up the ears are not allowed, nor are nose piercings. Bracelets are not allowed and just one simple necklace is permitted, such as a crucifix.
L5 – 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 2, then you are allowed to wear sports kit during Period 1. You must, however, get changed into uniform at break time. In the same way, if you have games 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 top but this must not have a logo on the front, nor can it be hooded. You need to look smart and businesslike. All girls need to come to breakfast wearing full uniform every day, apart from Sunday when PJs can be worn.
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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.
SHERBORNE GIRLS - READER HARRIS
School facilities
Use of mobiles and other personal electronic devices
There are lots of places you can go with your friends for a snack at certain times of day. Queenie’s, in The Merritt Centre, sells delicious drinks and cake. The Coffee Pod, in the Oxley Sports Centre, sells sandwiches and hot and cold drinks, and the Tea Crate, in the Mulliner basement, offers a range of snacks.
Mobile phones are extremely useful, but please use yours with care. The mobile-free zones in School are all dining rooms and the School Hall. Please refrain from walking down corridors checking your phones. You are not allowed to take your phones over to Main School during the normal school day, and they will be confiscated if seen. Please do not use anyone else’s mobile phone. You must also give the Hammonds your number so that we can contact you if we need to.
including Queenie’s, Tea Crate and School Shop
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SHERBORNE GIRLS - READER HARRIS
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 – Baby Blue Kenelm – Dark Blue Mulliner – Dark Green Reader Harris – Jade Wingfield Digby – Yellow General Ark – the Ark is a quiet space where the Chaplain is based. It is in the Main School building and all pupils may use it as a space for quiet reflection BLT – Beddington Lecture Theatre, a room in the Beddington Building Budgens – Budgens Store in the BP Garage Cue/Cubie – Cubicle (bedroom)
Drawing room – as well as the room itself, meetings that take place there are also 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 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
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Campus Campus
map
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Admissions, Library & Home Economics
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SHERBORNE GIRLS - READER HARRIS
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Sherborne Girls Bradford Road Sherborne DT9 3QN 01935 812245 office@sherborne.com
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Packing list Avoid bringing everything you own, as space is limited! Apart from uniform and PE kit (see the Dress Code on the School website: Sherborne.com/uniformshop, you only need a few casual clothes: jogging bottoms, jeans, t-shirts and hoodies for after school. You will need a smarter outfit for more formal occasions and something for end-ofterm parties. You may like to wear something a bit more ‘dressy’ for a weekend social event, but jeans and a nice top are usually fine. The School Dress Code lists the various occasions that require different types of outfits. Don’t forget an alarm clock (as mobile phones are collected at bedtime) and you can bring your own bedding. You may like to bring posters, photos and small personal items to decorate your room, and your favourite teddy.
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SHERBORNE GIRLS - READER HARRIS
FAQ Is it useful to have a mobile phone? Mobile phones are useful but not compulsory. There are some ‘mobile-free zones’, such as the dining rooms and School Hall. Mobile phones are not permitted in the Main School during the school day. Remember, you can phone home at any time you are in House, even if you 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. Is there anywhere I can keep my things safe? We recommend that you hand in anything of value, including money and passports, to be safely locked away. All rooms and ‘cues’ have a lockable drawer that you can also keep
precious items in. Your Matron will give you a key but please be aware that, should you lose it, you will be charged £15 to cover the cost of replacing the lock. What do I do if I don’t feel well? Firstly, tell the House staff. If you need to go to the Health Centre, you will be issued with a purple slip to hand in when you arrive. If you feel unwell in a lesson, your teacher may also give you a purple slip. If you want to see a nurse but don’t want to tell anyone, then you can ‘drop in’ to the Health Centre without needing a purple slip any weekday after School.
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Fire safety It is very important that you know where ALL the fire exits are in House. In your first 24 hours we will walk around and work out where your escape routes are, should you need to get out in the case of a fire. If the alarm sounds, you must make your way as quickly and quietly as possible out of the House. We assemble on the grassy area between Reader Harris and the Health Centre. You must line up silently in year groups in alphabetical order. The girl at the front of each line must do a quick register before the staff member, 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 that everyone is accounted for.
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The optimum time for us to evacuate and account for everyone is two and a half minutes. This isn’t a long time, so everyone must be sensible and quiet so this can happen efficiently. Occasionally when the fire alarm goes off, it is due to a false alarm. It is possible once we have assembled that we could be notified that the School is having a full evacuation. If this is the case, we will all have to make our way to the pitches where we will reassemble alongside the rest of the School in front of the Pavilion. When we line up on the pitches, we stay in House groups.
SHERBORNE GIRLS - READER HARRIS
House contact details: Mrs Bussell (Housemistress) E: p.bussell@sherborne.com House Landline: 01935 818244 House Mobile: 07808 775581 E: readerharris@sherborne.com www.sherborne.com