Page 12 - Exham House Handbook 2018-19

Boarding Life in

Park Close

Boarding in Park Close is designed to be an enriching experience for our Lower School pupils,
helping children unlock their full potential. The Park Close experience is built upon a strong
partnership between home and school—if you have any concerns at all, please get in contact as
early as possible and we will do everything in our power to handle the matter and promote our
pupils’ interests.

Arrivals and departures
At the start of each term, it is helpful for pupils to arrive at Park Close on the evening prior to
the term beginning. Please ensure that children have eaten before returning to school. Feel
free to arrive after 7.00pm but please do let us know if you are going to be arriving at a wildly
different hour.
During term time, weekly boarders may return to school either on the Sunday evening
(between 6.00pm and 8.30pm) or on the Monday morning (between 7.30am and 7.40am at the
house or between 8.00am or 8.20am at school). Parents can vary this on a weekly basis, but
please make sure that you keep us informed as to when to expect you. Collection can either be
on Friday evenings or after Saturday sports commitments.

Shape of the day in Park Close

On top of those timings given elsewhere in this handbook, a Park Close boarder’s day also
includes:
Waking up - Pupils are woken up at 7.00am and everyone walks over for breakfast at around
7.30am. If you are dropping off your child on a Monday morning and arrive later than this,
please deliver them straight to Exham House or we can meet them at breakfast.
Evening activities - Park Close weekly boarders are supervised by the duty tutor up until 9pm.
After supper, pupils return to Park Close to get changed into home clothes and prepare for
evening activities. We endeavour to provide a wide range of activities and entertainments for
the children, whilst leaving time for some rest and free-time.
Bed time - Pupils usually go up to bed at around 8.30pm and lights out is by 9.00pm.
Miscellaneous

Mobiles in the boarding house - Weekly boarders hand in their mobiles by 8.20pm - in the case
of an emergency there is always a landline available in the house. For any weekly boarders who
don’t own a mobile, they are allowed access to the house’s landline so that they can make calls
home in private.
Mobiles can delay the settling in process so we do not recommend that parents make too many
regular calls to their children.
Fire - In case of fire whilst at Park Close, pupils should congregate by the tennis courts.
Parental access to Park Close - At the beginning and end of each term, parents have full access
to Park Close to deliver and collect pupils. However, keeping with our Safeguarding Policy,
parents may not visit the boarding house unsupervised. It is imperative that every visitor,
including parents, inform Mrs Heathcote or Mrs Sheppard in advance if they wish to visit and
ensure that they sign in on arrival and out on departure.

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