Abingdon School Parents' Handbook - page 10

10
People have different
emotional levels.
Especially when
they're young.
PASTORAL
Houses and Tutor Groups
Lower School
:
Dayboys entering the Lower School (first
and second years) are allocated to a tutor group, looked
after by a Tutor who is responsible for their general well-
being, and who deals in the first instance with problems
connected with work, attendance or discipline. The Lower
School comes under the general supervision of the Lower
School Housemaster.
Middle School:
On entering the Middle School (third,
fourth and fifth years), whether as a new boy or from the
Lower School, each boy is allotted to a House; allocations
to the nine Houses are made by the Middle Master, Lower
School Housemaster and Director of Admissions &
Marketing. Brothers usually join the same House.
Academic scholars are integrated into the House system,
although subject also to some special arrangements. Boys
transferring to another House, for example in order to
board will, in normal circumstances, transfer to the new
House tutor group
.
Upper School:
New boys entering the Upper School will
be allotted to a House; the Director of Admissions &
Marketing in consultation with the Upper Master, boarding
Housemasters and other staff concerned makes
allocations to the Houses, taking account of preferences
expressed by parents and boys.
Allocations
:
Allocations to Houses must be at the School’s
discretion. It may be necessary from time to time to
rearrange House allocations in the interests of
administrative convenience or for social reasons.
+
The House
A boy usually remains a member of his House
throughout his time in the Middle and Upper School,
and during that period the Housemaster exercises a
general responsibility for his well-being and
development. In particular, the Housemaster and Tutor
will want to get to know the parents of the boys in his
House, and to ensure that there is a harmonious
relationship between them and the School. The Tutor is
in a position to deal with the majority of parental
enquiries and worries, at least in the first instance, and it
is hoped that parents will quickly come to regard their
son’s Tutor as someone with whom they have a close
and confidential relationship. Housemasters and Tutors
comment on boys’ reports during the term, write
general reports from time to time, and write references
for boys leaving at the end of their GCSE year.
Pastoral Co-ordination
Pastoral co-ordination across House lines is provided
by the Middle Master for the Middle School, and the
Upper Master for the Upper School. Personal and social
education is co-ordinated by a number of staff with
departmental responsibility for this area; a team of
careers teachers provides careers guidance; university
applications are the particular responsibility of an
individual member of staff.
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18
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