Information for new families

Transport@dcsf.org.uk

The School organises an Induction Programme for all new pupils. There is an opportunity for you and your parents to meet your tutor and Housemistress, as well as look around the School. New pupils are paired with a buddy in their year group so that they can quickly find their way around the School. The School produces a termly calendar, which is published digitally on the School website. This calendar lists all events and fixtures, and pupils are encouraged to check it daily.

Pimlico, Poole and School House are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as they are home to boarders.

MacLeod, Lodge and The Caffinites open at 7.45am and close promptly at 6.30pm. The main entrance to each House is protected by a digital lock. Pupils are given the code and must not share it with anyone outside the House. The door codes are changed regularly to maximise pupil safety. Day pupils may be on site from 7.45am to 6.30pm.

Day pupils must sign out at the end of each School day so that House staff know they have left the site.

Each pupil is allocated their own personal space within the House. Boarders have their bedrooms and day pupils have their studies, both of which provide access to a desk and a lockable cupboard. It is the responsibility of each pupil to ensure that these spaces are kept tidy so that our cleaning staff are able to do their job effectively.

If property in bedrooms or studies becomes damaged or mistreated, pupils may be removed from that space and required to use the Common Room instead. Any costs incurred will be charged to the pupils responsible where the damage is considered to be beyond reasonable wear and tear.

Pupils are asked to bring a padlock to School at the start of term and to ensure that their belongings are safely locked away. Pupils are advised to carry only the equipment required for the next two lessons and to keep the rest locked in their study. Valuable items brought into the House are at the pupils’ own risk. These may include mobile phones, earphones, laptops, watches, bank cards and cash, and should always be locked away when not in use. Phones and laptops may be used only with permission from a member of staff. Mobile phones should not be used while moving around the School site.

Each half term, there will be a fire drill. Pupils are expected to know where their meeting point is and to leave the building quickly but sensibly.

The School arranges a variety of Inter-House Competitions, ranging from Drama and Music, to Sporting activities. All pupils are encouraged to take part in the activities as House points are also awarded for participation.

Pupils have the opportunity to become members of the House Council, where they can have a say in what happens in the House. The House Council is made up of representatives from each year group, who have the opportunity to raise concerns and share new ideas.

Each House has a House Colours system through which pupils are recognised for consistent excellence across a wide range of activities. These may be academic, dramatic, musical or sporting in nature, or may reflect a contribution to the wider community through voluntary work.

A formal roll call is held each day at 8.30am, and every pupil must attend to confirm that they have arrived on the School site for the day. Registration takes place during Periods 1 to 6 and is completed by academic staff. Pupils who have a study period at these times should report to the designated area in the Sixth Form Centre. Roll calls also take place at House meetings and at other stated times.

The School is an Anglican foundation, and all pupils are expected to attend Chapel on Monday and Wednesday mornings and on Friday afternoon. On Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings, pupils are expected to go to their tutor classrooms following registration in the House.

Alongside roll call, extended House meetings take place on Friday mornings. These meetings are led by the Housemistress, House staff and Monitors. Attendance is compulsory and pupils are expected to arrive punctually.

All pupils must participate in Games. Senior pupils have a little more flexibility and may swap their Games session for a study period, but pupils should recognise the value of exercise. At the start of each term, pupils are given a choice of Games option, and their attendance is monitored.

Pupils may be excused from Games only if they have a medical reason and have received an Off-Games slip from the Medical Centre or the Senior Housemistress. Pupils must attend the designated supervised off-games classroom, as set out on House noticeboards and in the timetable. Only the Housemistress and the Medical Centre can excuse a pupil from Games; non-attendance without a valid reason will be treated as an unauthorised absence.

In the event of illness, parents are asked to telephone the Housemistress or the Student Absence line. During the working day, unwell pupils should report to the Medical Centre or the House Matron’s office in the first instance. Matrons or nurses will assess the extent of any illness, and pupils should not call home before this has taken place. Should a pupil be too unwell to remain at School, the Matron or nurse will contact home to arrange collection and authorise leave from the School site.

At the end of each day, day pupils are required to sign out to indicate that they have left the building; this is a health and safety requirement. Boarders must attend the 6.30pm roll call.

Sixth Form pupils may drive to School, but only once they have completed the appropriate forms and received permission from the Housemistress and the Deputy Head (Pastoral). School rules make it clear that abuse of this privilege may result in permission to drive being withdrawn. Pupils should also note that specific parking bays are allocated to them and must be used accordingly. If a pupil wishes to travel as a passenger in another pupil’s car, both sets of parents must provide written permission to the House staff in advance.

The School publishes an extensive list of rules and regulations which are given to pupils at the start of the academic year. All pupils are expected to demonstrate high standards of personal behaviour both within and outside of the House. Close definition of such behaviour is unnecessary; all pupils ultimately know how to behave. As a guideline, all pupils should be truthful, polite, respectful, kind, tolerant and avoid violence. All Durham School pupils should aim to live by the MARK values.

Good manners are universally accepted as an important aspect of life but may easily be forgotten. At the very least, all pupils are expected to treat others with consideration, to respond politely to requests from all staff and visitors, and to hold doors open for others.

The School publishes an outline of the school uniform in the prep diary.

Good behaviour and contributions to the life of the School are constantly acknowledged informally. In addition, achievement is acknowledged in School and House assemblies through academic Lauds. Form prizes are available for the greatest contribution to the house in each year group and these are presented at the House BBQ at the end of the Summer term.

The prep diary is a valuable tool and will help pupils keep up with their work, plan work, set goals and help Tutors monitor progress. A prep diary is issued at the start of each academic year. Pupils should not deface their prep diary and it will be checked regularly in tutor periods. Prep diaries also function as an informal means of communication between teachers and parents; as such, parents are asked to sign the prep diary once each week.

The School defines bullying as involving repeated and regular action on the part of the bully to humiliate, exert power, or hurt the victim. While bullying is often thought of as a deliberate act of cruelty, it may also be the consequence of thoughtlessness or what the perpetrator perceives as ‘banter’. Whatever form it takes, bullying is unacceptable and has no place in the House or School community.

If a pupil or other member of the House is being bullied, please report this immediately to the Housemistress, House staff or any other adult. If a pupil feels alone and does not know what they can do to solve the problem, there are various people to whom they can turn.

1. House staff: the Housemistress’s door is always open

2. Any member of teaching staff

3. Matron

4. School Monitors

5. Father Simon, School Chaplain

6. Mrs Abbott, Senior Mental Health Lead

7. School Nurses in the Medical Centre

8. Ms Thompson, Deputy Head (Pastoral)

Some national and confidential agencies offer support lines:

Childline 0800 11 11

Samaritans 08457 90 90 90

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