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People have different
emotional levels.
Especially when
they're young.
PASTORAL
Housemasters and Tutors
The Housemaster stands “in loco parentis” to the boys in
his House, while they are on school premises – and he will
try to help them outside the School as well, with the co-
operation of parents. Housemasters play a major part in
the disciplinary structure of the School, and may be
expected to deal directly with parents in matters
concerning their son’s good behaviour and appearance.
The Housemasters are assisted by teams of tutors,
who look after tutor groups within the houses. Your son will
have a Tutor for the duration of his Third Year. This group
will include all Third Years in his house. When moving into
the Fourth and Fifth Year each house group will be split in
two, and these new tutor groups will stay together until the
Sixth Form. Sixth Form tutor groups are also based around
the house, but are vertical, so that there are both Upper
Sixth and Lower Sixth students in every group. The tutor
is primarily responsible for getting to know your son as
a personality and looking after his academic development.
At the beginning of the year, the tutor will check
that timetables are in order, and, where necessary, will
advise on courses and options. The tutor will monitor your
son’s academic progress, and will write a general
academic summary when school reports are issued.
All tutors see their tutees for a brief period every day. Tutor
time for each boy amounts to at least one hour a week, in
which tutor groups discuss topics such as choices,
progress and current affairs. We regard this time as a
crucial part of a boy’s educational experience at the
School.
Other Pastoral Support
Boys may make arrangements to see either the School
Chaplain, the Senior Nurse or School Counsellors if they
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wish. Contact details are on the website and posted
around school.
Personal, Social and Health Education
The School recognises that education in the fullest
sense means that it has a responsibility to convey
information and provoke discussion on important ethical
issues and matters of personal morality and public duty.
All through school, boys are made aware, in both a
structured and an incidental way, of these and related
matters through the contributions of tutors and
Housemasters. The PSHE Coordinator and team of
specialist teachers have developed a full programme of
education
details of which are available to you if you
write to the Head requesting them.
However, the School does not, and cannot, pretend to
offer to boys all the good advice and information that
they require. The efforts of parents are at least as
important as those of teachers in this field, and the
School wishes to see its function as that of supporting
the parental lead in fostering sound values and
behaviour, rather than the other way round
.
Chapel
Each year group attends one service a week. Details of
chapel services for boarders are published in the
calendar. Parents of boarders are warmly encouraged
to join their sons at chapel services when they come to
visit them. Boys may be prepared at school for
confirmation.
If parents have conscientious objections, they may
obtain leave of absence from chapel or religious studies
lessons for their sons by informing the Headmaster in
writing before their boys join the School. Such leave will
not be granted during a boy’s membership of the
School.