Bryanston
New parent guide
ENTER
Welcome from the Head
We ask all of our pupils to embrace school life with enthusiasm, to support others and to be kind. Bryanston is a place where children learn to love their minds, free their spirits and find their mission. We are a community, and as such, our goal is to optimise pupil outcomes in every area of school life. Our culture is open-minded and inspiring, with an emphasis on how you learn, not just what you learn. As a parent or a guardian, you will play a key role in working with us to support your child’s education. We welcome your involvement and encourage you to contact us if you have any concerns. We will do everything we can to ensure that you know how your child is doing, and acknowledge that openness and good communication is paramount. Together, we are committed to providing every pupil with the opportunity to explore their interests and develop their own individual character. Our distinctive culture nurtures purposeful, curious and well-rounded individuals.
Richard Jones Head
As you prepare for your child’s time at Bryanston, and for what I am confident will be a long and happy association with the School, please take the time to read through this booklet. Within these pages, you will find clear guidance and helpful information, along with an introduction to some of our values, expectations and policies.
Contents
Our values Pastoral care and boarding Our houses and houseparents Our year groups The tutorial system A day in the life of a Bryanstonian Weekends Weekend commitments Requesting leave Free time School dress The school shop Behaviour Safety and security Fire safety Digital technology and mobile phones Transport Personal belongings Medical centre Food The chaplaincy International pupils Who to contact Opportunities for parents Useful information Checklist for online forms Policies Campus map
Our values
Creative learning
Applied creative thinking across all disciplines
Creativity is in our DNA and at the heart of everything we do. We see creativity as a practical and essential element in thinking across all disciplines. This makes Bryanston a distinctive learning experience.
Individual Spirit
At the heart of our approach and culture and in our people
Bryanston has a unique culture which celebrates the individual and their unbounded potential. We are proud to be different. We don’t ‘do education’ to our pupils, we encourage them to be independent and travel beside them and guide them on their journey.
Unbounded Thinking
Open-minded, challenging and inspiring
Bryanston offers an environment which enables personal growth. We provide the space for pupils to look further to find their own passions. Our offer reflects the breadth of pupils’ interests, beyond the conventional to the creative, practical and vocational.
Pastoral care and boarding
At Bryanston, pastoral care is central to the School’s ethos and essential to the success of our pupils. We believe that achieving a balance between the academic and out-of-classroom life of the child is essential and every child benefits from the support and care of their house parent along with their tutor in their day-to-day life.
Boarding houses at Bryanston are designed to provide a home at school for pupils and give them the opportunity to get fully involved in the wide range of activities on offer and to develop lasting relationships with friends and teachers. Day pupils are fully integrated into the boarding houses and they play a full part in evening activities and are welcome to join in at the weekend as well. Bryanston’s unique one-to-one approach ensures that all pupils have a member of staff they can turn to for help and advice, whether it’s their tutor, their house parent, matron, a member of the house team, an independent person or the School chaplain who is a popular confidante for all regardless of their faith or beliefs. An overview of the arrangements for boarding at Bryanston can be found in the Boarding Policy which is available on the School website.
OUR HOUSES and house parents
OUR year groups
OUR tutorial system
Girls’ houses Allan – Katie Kean Greenleaves – Hannah Fearnley Harthan – Emma Morris Purbeck – Jo Simpson Hunter – Janet Velasco Junior boys’ houses Beechwood – James Ralphs Cranborne – Liam Haynes Senior boys’ houses Dorset – George Drake Connaught – Nick Welford Portman – Ben Craig Salisbury – Mark Christie Shaftesbury – Tom Strongman
At Bryanston we have different names for our year groups – you will get used to this very quickly – but just for reference:
D C B A3 A2 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11 Year 12 Year 13
Every pupil has a hand-picked tutor who provides support and guidance through their time at Bryanston. This unique five-year relationship focuses on not only their academic progress, but also their personal development and engagement across the breadth of opportunities at the School.
One-to-one tutorials take place on a weekly basis but tutors are always available to provide input or help to resolve any issues throughout the week. The tutorial focuses mainly on the pupil’s weekly academic achievements. Our online record of progress, the eChart acts as the source of information for the discussion and progress which is assessed weekly by a combination of grades and comments which are recorded electronically and shared with the pupil and teachers internally. Each subject is considered in turn and the pupil reflects on their work over the week and the progress they have made. Parents can also access their child’s eChart and keep up to date with their achievements throughout their time at Bryanston. Any concerns you have as a parent about your child’s academic progress should be addressed to their tutor.
Tutors also help pupils to plan their assignments to ensure they allocate sufficient time to each subject each week. Some pupils pick this up very easily, while others take longer and need more tutorial support to learn these planning and organisational skills. Other activities for the week along with the previous week’s extra and co-curricular activities, sports, concerts etc. are also discussed. Tutors work closely with houseparents and together will ensure that all is well in the house and that pupils are making friends and are engaged socially.
Pippa Quarrell Assistant Head Tutoring
Laurent Johnson Senior Tutor
A day in the life of a Bryanstonian
Our approach to education is firmly focused on the individual. This means that pupils benefit from extensive one-to-one time with their handpicked tutor providing the academic and pastoral encouragement they need to achieve their full potential as individuals. Therefore, no two days are the same for our pupils but we hope that the following gives you a sense of their daily routines.
Pupils are woken by a member of the house team around 7.30am. They go to the dining hall for breakfast, which is open until 8.00am. After breakfast most pupils return to their house where they will see their matron and house parent or one of their residents. This allows pupils to ask any questions they may have or for messages to be passed on. At 8.30am on a Monday, all pupils attend the Head's assembly and there is another whole school assembly on a Friday at the same time. All pupils in D attend chapel one morning each week and every house has a full house meeting on a Thursday morning before Period 1. Lessons are 35 minutes long with 5 minutes’ movement time between them. The timetable consists of single and double lessons.
Before School
Period 1 Period 2 Period 3 8.50am – 9.25am 9.30am – 10.05am 10.10am – 10.45am
Mornings
The Bryanston café is a popular option at break. Tea, coffee and toast are available in the dining hall. Many pupils will return to their house.
Period 4 Period 5 Period 6 11.10am – 11.45am 11.50am – 12.25pm 12.30pm – 1.05pm
There is no Period 6 on a Saturday, when morning lessons finish at 12.25pm.
Lunch 1.05pm – 2.25pm
Lunch is eaten in the dining hall by all pupils.
Many pupils have their one-to-one tutorials during this time. Choir practice, music, dance, riding and academic support lessons also happen at this time. Pupils without commitments return to house after they have eaten lunch where they will see their matron, house parent and resident.
Break 10.45am – 11.10am
Afternoons take a different format depending on the day of the week or time of the year. On a Monday, Wednesday and Friday pupils have three further lessons in addition to sport or activities, whereas on a Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday afternoon there are no lessons and the time is taken up by sport, activities and some free time. In the second half of the Autumn term and the first half of the Spring term, the School is on winter timetable so lessons happen later in the afternoon after sport and activities. At other times, afternoon lessons start after lunch.
Afternoons
Supper 6.00pm
(6.25pm on Monday and Wednesday during the winter timetable). Many pupils will attend music or dance lessons and rehearsals after supper.
Pupils return to house by 7.20pm for roll call with a member of their house team before they start prep (homework). One or two members of the house team will be on duty in each house during prep and senior pupils will supervise junior pupils.
1st prep 2nd prep 7.30pm – 8.10pm 8.15pm – 9.00pm
EVENINGS FOR BOARDING PUPILS
If a pupil is up to date with their work and with their house parent’s permission they may choose to go to an activity. A list of the activities on offer can be found on SOCS, which is the system used for all co-curricular activities. The house parent, deputy house parent or resident teacher will be on duty from 9.00pm and put the pupils to bed. Pupils in C and above are allowed out of house after prep. Again, the café is a popular option at this time but each year group has a social space in main school which pupils may choose to visit. Pupils have staggered times for being back in house, in bed and for lights out. All pupils must be in house between 10.20pm and 7.00am.
D C B A3 A2 9.20pm 9.30pm 9.50pm 10.05pm 10.15pm 9.30pm 9.40pm 10.00pm 10.15pm 10.45pm 9.45pm 9.55pm 10.15pm 10.30pm
In house by
In bed by
Lights out by
Weekends
As a seven-day-a-week boarding school, weekends form an important part of Bryanston life.
The School has three types of weekend, which are clearly identified in the school calendar:
whole school weekends, when all pupils are expected to be in School
exeat weekends, when all pupils are expected to leave the School from Friday at 4.20pm and return by 9.00pm on Sunday
open weekends, when pupils can choose to remain at School or choose to go home after their school commitments on a Saturday.
The School has a weekend coordinator who organises activities for Saturday evening and/or Sunday afternoon, so whether it is a whole school weekend or an open weekend, there is always something for pupils to get involved in.
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Saturday mornings are normal teaching sessions with five lessons before lunch. In the afternoon there are sports fixtures with matches for all teams and abilities. On open weekends, pupils can choose to go home after their match commitment or other school commitments on a Saturday. Details on how to gain house parent’s permission for a weekend leave can be found in the Boarding Policy on the school website. Open weekends include off-site activities such as trips to the cinema, water park, paintballing, go-karting or shopping and on-site activities such as quizzes, pancake making and smaller year-group focused occasions in the social clubs. In addition, the house parent or resident on duty may organise something within the house. On an open weekend it may be possible for pupils to sleep over with their friend who may be in another house.
OPEN WEEKENDS
Whole school weekends include activities such as the House Drama Festival, the Charities Fair, the year group balls, House Suppers and the Whole School Walk. On a Sunday morning, pupils can have a lie in and are treated to a late morning brunch, which is one of the most popular mealtimes in the week. All pupils are invited to attend the Church Service on a Sunday morning and Houses take it in turns to be on duty in Church. Parents are very welcome to come to the Church Service and come to brunch on any Sunday. In addition, all on-site facilities such as the sports centre, art, D&T and music are open to the pupils as well as the opportunity for private study in one of the many assignment areas. The School encourages everyone to get involved in whole school weekends. They help to develop the strong sense of community that Bryanston enjoys through the pupils participating in a common endeavour. It is a great way to get to know those in a different house
WHOLE SCHOOL WEEKENDS
or year group. Day pupils are welcome to be in School with their house parent’s permission and many day pupils do for parts, if not all, of whole school weekends. If your child tells you that everyone is going out on a whole school weekend, this is unlikely to be the case and it is worth checking with their house parent as “everyone” may just mean one other person, or their best friend! To maximise the impact of a whole school weekend, we appreciate the support of parents to ensure that the activities organised are well supported.
EXEATS
The School has four exeat weekends when all pupils must leave the school. The dates are published in the school calendar and on the website. There are two in the Autumn term, one in the Spring term and one in the Summer term.
Weekend commitments
On an open weekend and, exceptionally, on a whole school weekend, the houseparent may grant permission for a weekend leave request via Orah. If so, your child is free to go home after meeting all their school commitments on the Saturday afternoon and must return by 9.00pm on the Sunday.
It is important to emphasise that all pupils are required to honour all school or house commitments at the weekend. All pupils must represent the School, if selected, in weekend sports fixtures as well as fulfilling any training requirements. Another example is performing with the choir in church on Sunday morning. The School takes a firm and consistent line on this, and only in exceptional, one-off cases will permission be granted to miss any such commitment. Such absence is unfair on the staff and other pupils involved. Any request for exceptional absence must be made at least two weeks in advance of the weekend in question. Thank you in advance for your support of the School’s policy in this area.
Weekend schedule example
Saturday timetable
Breakfast
7:25 – 8:10am
Saturday lessons
8:50am – 12:25pm
Lunch
12:30 – 1:15pm
Saturday sporting commitments
1:15 – 4pm
Afternoon snack
4pm
Saturday activities
D year group – dodgeball tournament C year group – cinema night in B year group – house takeaway A3 and A2 year groups – Socials
Sunday timetable
9:00 – 9:30am
Themed brunch
11:00am – 12:00pm
Sunday activities
2:00 – 5:00pm D year group – tug of war competition C year group – tug of war competition Green Committee tree planting
Down time in houses (sports hall/art block/music block open)
5:00 – 5:30pm
Supper – roast dinner
5:30 – 7:00pm
Assembly speaker and/or chapel
7pm
requesting leave
We use a secure and easy-to-use platform called Orah that has enhanced our ability to know where our children are when they are not in their boarding house. Bryanston pupils use this system to sign in and out of their house during the school day.
As parents, we ask that you create an account and use this system each time to request weekend leave for your child. It is the only way that parents can make a weekend leave request for their child on any weekend of the school year. Parents of children studying on a Child Student visa must complete the ‘Child Student visa leave request’ every time their child leaves the School for an overnight stay. Details of how to create an account with Orah will be sent to you before your child starts.
free time
The School appreciates that our pupils lead very busy lives and after their lessons, games, music and other co-curricular activities, it is important that they have sufficient and suitably timed free time each day to themselves when they may choose to socialise, read quietly, watch a film or programme with friends, go for a walk or capitalise on the availability of other facilities such as going to the gym.
Pupils are welcome to visit their friends in other houses during their free time but it is good manners to request permission to do so from the houseparent, matron or member of staff on duty before entering another house.
Visiting other houses
The School encourages pupils to spend time with friends in and out of their house so, in addition to house common rooms and gardens, there are a number of social spaces on the campus for the pupils to enjoy. Each social space has a sound and lighting system so that pupils can create the atmosphere they want.
Social clubs and other social spaces
The EEMR is a junior social space for pupils in C and D to use. It is open in the evenings after supper time and again after prep time for pupils in C and D. The EEMR is supervised by a combination of prefects and staff who often organise events at the weekend for the pupils, such as a quiz or a disco. Food and drink is available to the junior pupils at various times in the EEMR.
The EEMR
The B Social Club is a space for pupils in B. It is open all the time but mainly used at the weekend. A member of staff is responsible for the B Social Club and will often organise theme nights. Pupils in B who have their own sound decks often take on the role of DJ for an evening.
The B Social Club
The A3 Social Club runs in a very similar way to the B Social Club.
The A3 Social Club
The A2 Social Club is open most of the time. At break time pupils often use it for coffee and toast and to read the daily papers. On a Friday and Saturday evening the A2 bar is open. This is run by staff on an honesty policy and is very closely monitored by houseparents.
The A2 Social Club
The basement corridor is the social hub of the School. The A2, A3 and B Social Clubs are situated off the basement corridor. The cafe@bryanston and the newly refurbished wellbeing room are also found in the basement corridor. The basement corridor is usually busy most evenings after prep time with pupils from all year groups and the atmosphere is relaxed and happy. The quad area in between the music school and the D&T building acts as an extension to the basement corridor and is a well-used space during a sunny afternoon or evening.
The basement corridor
Beechwood Lawn is probably the closest thing Bryanston has to a playground. It is situated at the back of the School and leads to Beechwood, Portman and Dorset boarding houses. It is a very popular spot for pupils to enjoy a game of football or a chat during the summer months.
Beechwood Lawn
Pupils may visit Blandford during a free afternoon or at the weekend but must gain their houseparent’s permission to do so. They must use the usual signing out and in procedures. Pupils must return from Blandford in plenty of time for ‘in school’ time, which varies from 4.15pm to 6.30pm depending on the time of the year. Pupils in D are not permitted into Blandford before the first fixed exeat and all pupils are advised to go into Blandford in groups of at least two or three and to take their mobile phones with them. School dress does not need to be worn in Blandford at the weekend but pupils should be tidily and respectfully dressed. Pupils need to stay within the permitted areas of Blandford and not stray beyond these. More detailed guidance is provided on house noticeboards and explained to pupils by their houseparent.
Visiting Blandford
school dress
While Bryanston may not have a conventional uniform, we do have a dress code. These guidelines encourage our pupils to take responsibility for and make informed decisions about their appearance. The code is clearly defined and we rely on pupils and their parents or guardians to support and uphold the principles that we have agreed.
The School dress code and packing/clothing lists are published annually and can be found on bryanston.co.uk/newparents and also within the Parent Area of the Bryanston website. They will also be sent to you via email within the next few weeks. The dress code operates under directions from the Head and Senior Deputy Head. Houseparents have the final decision regarding the suitability of all items of dress and general appearance. Pupils who identify as transgender or gender non-binary are welcome to adhere to the dress code as appropriate to their gender identity. All clothes must be in good repair, clean and smart, including shoes, and clearly labelled. In addition, they should be machine washable and suitable for tumble-drying. Recommended minimum quantities and other specific dress and equipment requirements are found in the packing/clothing lists.
In addition to wearing the correct clothing, pupils are expected to take pride in their general appearance. At all times, they are ambassadors for Bryanston. Prospective parents, visitors and members of the public will often draw conclusions about the School on first impressions.
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no facial hair nail varnish must be natural in colour no obtrusive make-up no tattoos or body piercings earrings, if worn, must be small studs and only one stud per ear for pupils in B,C and D no excessive jewellery dyeing or bleaching of hair is not allowed.
School dress is to be worn from 8.30am until:
after Period 9 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday after lunch on Tuesday and Thursday after lunch on Saturday Sunday Church Services visits to Blandford (Monday to Friday) other specific occasions.
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Pupils wear school dress during lesson times, and at assemblies and church services, and specific items of Bryanston sports kit for games and matches. Formal dress is worn for special events such as Speech Day and concerts.
Therefore:
the school shop
The school shop is situated in the Quad on the main Senior School site, and is open all year round providing games kit, some school dress clothing, games equipment, essential toiletries, a postal service, text books and stationery for study.
School dress clothing can be purchased from other retailers, but all Bryanston branded games kit needs to be purchased from the Specialist Sports website. The school shop offers a personal fitting service for new and existing pupils via an appointment only service during the Summer holidays. Pupils can then try on sample kit for sizing and then order from the Specialist Sports supplier. Please note, the sports kit will not be available to purchase at the time of the appointment. Pupils will, however, be able to purchase top -up kit or further items from the school shop throughout the academic year. If you require the kit to be labelled at a charge of £1.60 per item (charged to your school account), please input the school address and ensure you place the order in your child’s name at the checkout. Once received the kit will be labelled and stored safely at the pupil’s boarding house ready for the start of term.
Appointments are recommended but, if this is not possible, please refer to the sizing guidance on the Specialist Sports website at point of ordering. It is advisable to book an appointment early, as the shop gets very busy. The shop opening times are Monday – Friday, 9.00am – 4.00pm during the summer holidays. To ensure delivery for start of term please ensure you place order by 16th August. We look forward to welcoming you at the School Shop! Please find website details below: Order from https://teamwear.specialistsports. com/bryanston-school/login/ind Password: Bryanston22School!
Tel: 01258 484635 Email: shop@bryanston.co.uk
There is a laundry service at Bryanston. Laundry is collected every weekday from the boarding house and returned the next day, except Saturday. In the older years, pupils can do their own washing as all houses have washing machines and tumble dryers. If pupils have an allergy to washing powders, they should speak to their matron.
Laundry
behaviour
All members of the School are expected to behave in a manner that promotes a strong sense of community. The School Rules and Regulations are brief and simple. We believe that pupils cannot go far wrong if they show common sense, courtesy and good manners, adhere to the rules and treat others with kindness and respect.
For more information on expected standards of behaviour, please refer to the following policy documents available on the school website:
Anti-Bullying Policy Equal Opportunities Policy Child-on-Child Abuse Policy Policy on Alcohol Policy on Cyberbullying Policy on Illegal Drugs and Substance Abuse Policy on Smoking Rules and Regulations School Behaviour Policy.
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Safety and security
The safety of our pupils is paramount and it is critical that we know where they are at all times. It is the responsibility of every pupil to make sure that their houseparent knows where they are and we have a number of systems to ensure that this is so.
There are two formal face-to-face registration sessions every day. Pupils must have registered with their Matron by 08.15 every morning and by 14.15 every afternoon. In addition, there is an evening roll call in house at 7.20pm. If a pupil is late and misses the morning or afternoon registration window, they must make face-to-face contact with their houseparent or matron as soon as possible.
Registration
When a pupil is not at a lesson, sport or other activity during the working day, they must sign out on the iPad in their boarding house, stating where they are and what time they will be back. They then need to sign back in once they return to house.
Accounting for pupils/signing in and out
‘School bounds’ represent the estate owned by the School. If a pupil needs to leave the School bounds, they must have their houseparent’s permission to do so and follow the correct signing out and signing in procedures in their house.‘In School’ time represents the time after which all pupils must be in the immediate vicinity of the main school building and the boarding houses. It varies depending on the time of year from 4.15pm to 9.30pm. After ‘In School’ time, pupils are not permitted to wander around outside unless they are heading towards a school building. During the lighter evenings in the Summer term and early part of the Autumn term, pupils are only permitted in a smaller subsection of the School bounds from 6.30pm onwards, even though ‘In School’ time may be later.
‘School bounds’ and ‘In School’ time
More detailed guidance is provided on house noticeboards and explained to pupils by their houseparent.
The School employs a Head of Security who manages a team of security officers. The Main School bulding and all boarding houses have biometric face recognition devices for pupils to gain access. Biometric registration details will be sent to you via email within the next couple of weeks. It is vital that this form is completed before your child joins us. For further details on registration and pupil absence, please refer to the Attendance and Registration Policy on the school website.
Security team and access to buildings
Bryanston School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and requires all staff, visitors, contractors and volunteers to share this commitment. All visitors must report to the gatehouse on arrival and sign in. All visitors will be issued with a visitor’s badge, which must be worn at all times. When leaving the School site, all visitors must sign out at the gatehouse.
Safeguarding and child protection
FIRE Safety
The Fire Safety Policy, procedures and risk assessments at the School are designed to reduce fires and to help our community to respond calmly and effectively in the event that fire breaks out in one of our buildings. Daytime and night time fire drills for the main school and the outlying boarding houses are carried out frequently. The risks of and impact of fire is reinforced regularly through whole school assemblies and in houses.
In recent years, there has been an increase in the range of portable electrical equipment that is available for pupils to bring to School. The School carries out regular Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) and all personal items need to conform to British Safety Standards and display the CE, UKCA or relevant BS marking. The Guidance for Parents and Pupils on Electrical Safety document can be found at bryanston.co.uk/newparents to help reduce the risk of electric shock, personal injury and fire at the School.
Electrical safety
Pupils are encouraged to bring items from home that they can use to make their areas in their boarding house comfortable and familiar such as cushions, throws or fabric drapes. However, there is some guidance as to what standards these should meet in order to help reduce the risk of a fire at the School. Therefore we recommend reading the Guidance for Parents and Pupils: Personal Items of Soft Furnishings and Bedding document which can be found at bryanston.co.uk/newparents.
Fire safety standards for soft furnishings and bedding
Digital technology and mobile phones
Access to digital technology is a vital part of today’s dynamic, fast moving and ever-changing world. The School will ensure that pupils have access to digital technology and, in turn, expects pupils to be responsible users in terms of their actions, conduct and behaviour online.
Most pupils like to bring a smartphone and an Apple laptop, some may also have a tablet. All pupils are set up with a Bryanston email address in their first ICT lesson of the school year. This address follows the format of surname_initial@bryanston.co.uk. All pupils receive information about e-safety regularly in PSRE, assemblies and houses. Pupils must ensure they protect themselves online, never leave themselves logged on to an unsupervised device and never reveal their password to another person. All pupils agree to abide by the School’s Acceptable Use Policy every time they log onto the school network. The internet is a vital tool for independent research and help with assignments and should be used positively. Access to the internet is provided via a filtering system that provides differing access according to the time of day and year group. The system actively monitors the use of VPN tools and removes pupils’ access if detected.
At Bryanston we are determined to play our part in educating our pupils to use screens sensibly and at suitable times. Our motivation for this is twofold. Firstly, and more obviously, is the potential distraction to learning, but our second and more fundamental objective is to give our pupils a break from social media platforms and/or gaming. We feel the latter will enhance social interaction while also having further positive effects such as promoting mental health and encouraging better sleep patterns. We do not want to discourage our pupils from engaging with today’s technological world, but do want them to learn to take ownership of this rather than the other way around. The School runs a no-visibility policy on mobile phones during the working day, so phones should not be heard or seen in classrooms. In addition, pupils are asked to avoid the use of mobile phones in the dining hall and Coade Hall and are reminded that the use of mobile technology in other communal places on the campus can appear rude.
Every pupil in C and D has a secure personal locker in their house in which they can store and charge up to three mobile devices. It is a requirement for junior pupils to lock their devices away at specific times when they are in house. These times are outlined below:
Additional measures taken for pupils in C and D
Prep time (7.30pm – 9.00pm)
Phones and tablets to be locked away at 7.20pm. Pupils will have access to laptops only.
Bed time (from approx. 9.30pm)
All electronic devices are to be locked away overnight. Morning time in house (from approx. 8.00am – 8.45am). All electronic devices remain locked away. Pupils have access to mobile phones at their houseparent’s discretion such as making a phone call overseas to a different time zone or any other relevant pastoral reason. All pupils who use laptops in exams will be allowed to take them to lessons as required.
We hope that the plan meets with the approval of our parents. It means that your child should be out of direct contact via mobile phone between 7.30pm and 9pm and again after 9.30pm during weekday evenings. Furthermore, pupils are without their mobile phones in the morning, unless arrangements have been made with your child(ren)’s houseparent. It goes without saying that, in the case of an emergency, please call either your child’s houseparent on their mobile or the landline of their house.
How does this affect parents of pupils in C and D?
We ask that parents support our aims by ensuring that your child does not return to school with multiple electronic devices. For example, two mobile phones, one that they store away in their locker at bedtime and the other that they sneak into their dorm and hide under
How can parents help?
their duvet cover, something that houseparents and residents are on the lookout for. Please also consider the mobile phone contract you provide for your child. Unlimited or large data plans (more than 1Gb per month) tend to promote use of the internet outside the School’s protective filtering. All pupils have access to fast but filtered internet on any device they choose to enrol onto the school system. The School encourages parents to speak to their child’s houseparent if they have any particular concern in this regard.
Houseparents, tutors and teaching staff encourage pupils to turn their phones off during the working day or consider leaving them in their rooms. The use of electronic devices is closely monitored during prep and bed times in houses. Pupils in B hand in their phones when they go to bed and have access to them again the next morning. In addition, houseparents have a number of secure lockers at their disposal where they can
Additional measures taken for pupils in A2, A3 and B
store the mobile devices of any pupil who they feel is spending so much time on their screens that it is causing their academic progress or wellbeing to be adversely affected. The School encourages parents to speak to their child’s houseparent if they have any particular concern in this regard. The School’s Digital Communications Policy is available on the school website.
Pupils are made aware that the recording of still or moving images of another person without their permission is a serious offence. This is particularly the case if the image is taken in a room in a boarding house or in the dining hall. Pupils are also made aware that the possession or sharing of indecent images is illegal and will be dealt with as a serious offence. The School’s Youth Involved Sexual Imagery Policy is available on the school website.
Still or moving images
Click here to view
transport
There are a number of options for getting to and from the school at the start and end of term, for exeats and other trips - including coaches organised by the school, transfers to stations and airports and taxi services for individual trips.
Pupils make regular use of taxis. This may be to take them to or from Blandford, or to help weekend travel arrangements to or from Salisbury train station. The local taxi service used most frequently is Riverside Taxis (01258 453553). Parents can set up an account directly with Riverside or pupils can use a chit, signed by the houseparent or matron, which gets returned to the Finance Office and charges will appear on the pupil’s bill. Other local and reputable firms that will take a Bryanston chit as payment are:
Tinks Corry 01258 454609 J & R Taxis 01258 450077 Kens Kabs 01258456136 Lance Glaze 07756934316 Newbi Taxis 07584469396 Oakwood Taxis 01258455555 Riverside Taxis 01258 488472/453553 Riverside Travel 01258453999 Allan King Taxis 01258455555 Engel & Holme Stan Kingsbury 07788788830/01258 446300 Levers t/a Grosvenor 07970011580
We provide a coach service with a chaperone for pupils travelling to and from School at the beginning and end of terms, half terms and exeat weekends. Routes served include London, Oxford, Lewes, Exeter and Heathrow (not available for exeats) and Southampton airports. Coach timetables can be found at bryanston.co.uk/coaches. At the start of each term the School provides a ‘meet-and-greet’ service at the coach point of Terminal Five, Heathrow Airport to coordinate the arrival of pupils travelling from overseas. Please note, we are unable to offer these services to unaccompanied minors for both inbound and outbound journeys.
Coach service
Pupils are not allowed to drive a car and/or be driven in a car by anyone under the age of 21. Pupils learning to drive can take driving lessons from School during their free time in the afternoon. Driving lessons are not permitted during morning school. Houseparents can provide parents with a list of driving schools used by our pupils.
DRIVING LESSONS
The closest station to Bryanston is Salisbury with direct links to London Waterloo. We run a minibus/taxi transfer service to the station which takes 45 minutes.
Train stations
Heathrow, Gatwick, Southampton, Bournemouth and Bristol are the closest airports to Bryanston.
Airports
Oxford
London Heathrow
London Victoria
London Waterloo
London Clapham Junction
London Richmond
Fleet Services (M3)
Rownhams Services(M27)
Farlington
Chichester
Arundel
Lewes
Southampton Airport
Bridport
Axminster
Honiton
Exeter
Yeovil
Sherborne
Salisbury
Andover
Newbury
Coach links to airports
Rail links
Coach links and set-down points
Taxi link to Salisbury Station
Personal belongings
It is recommended that every pupil has a lockable tuck box, or equivalent, in which to keep their valuable items. Pupils are reminded on a regular basis not to leave valuable items such as laptops, iPads and tablets lying around.
The School also recommends that items such as these are insured against accidental damage or theft. Although theft is a rare occurrence at Bryanston, items do get left around or misplaced and screens are especially vulnerable to damage if dropped or knocked from a desk. The School does offer a voluntary, opt-in personal insurance scheme and details of this will be sent to you within the next few weeks. It is a requirement that valuable items are clearly named and every pupil is provided with a number of security labels for this purpose. Houseparents and matrons are always happy to lock valuable items away. We are cashless, so recommend that children pay using Applepay or have a debit card for café purchases.
medical services
Supplementing the great pastoral work, our staff work with the house teams to provide in-house advice, medicines management, health education and one-to-one support. All pupils have a named nurse they can go to, either during their regular house visits or in clinic. Wherever possible, this nurse remains constant throughout a pupil’s Bryanston journey and will help to develop their responsibility for self-care and resilience. Nurses will always liaise closely with house parents to keep a child safe and well, but we also respect their right to medical confidentiality.
1. Early intervention and Pastoral Support
We operate a multi-disciplinary medical team 24/7 from our medical centre, situated in the heart of the school site. Our nurses, paramedics and physiotherapists are professionally registered clinicians many of whom still work in frontline NHS services. They bring expertise and current clinical practice to our pupils, enabled by our great facilities. Services are clinically guided and validated by Dr Rene Skule, our School Medical Officer. Medical services are responsive and evolve with the needs of our pupils but retain four core focus areas.
Karen Welford Medical Centre Manager
Pupils have access to 24/7 on site outpatient and inpatient healthcare. Nurse and paramedic led clinics triage, treat and refer using current clinical pathways. GP clinics run mon – fri with many follow up diagnostics or tests carried out by our team on site. Rapid access to further NHS support is enabled by direct clinician to clinician referral. Healthcare and medication plans are implemented for those managing chronic or acute conditions in school and we welcome parental involvement.
We recognise that a young person’s emotional wellbeing is equally as important as their physical health. Together with nurturing and support, these form a helpful foundation for pupils to learn, achieve and flourish. In addition to the exceptional day-to-day pastoral care provided by the school staff we also have a team of mental health professionals onboard including an independent listener, school counsellors, GPs as well as a specialist mental health nurse.
We provide a screening, assessment, early intervention and treatment service to pupils with emotional, psychological or mental health difficulties. If a pupil’s difficulties require additional specialist treatment, we can refer them (at additional cost), to our visiting cognitive behavioural therapist or consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist. We can also refer externally to voluntary or statutory services as necessary. We aim to deliver a timely, accessible and confidential service so that pupils receive the most appropriate support and intervention as seamlessly as possible to promote their health and wellbeing.
2. Medical
wounded capacity, with additional resources pitchside at sporting fixtures and school events. Injury and re-injury prevention, as well as post injury care and rehabilitation is managed by our multi-disciplinary Musculoskeletal and Physiotherapy team. They also operate a Head Injury Assessment Clinic as part of our gold standard policy for the assessment and management of head injuries / concussion. We work closely with our coaches to return pupils to sport as safely and quickly as possible. Private physiotherapy treatment is provided on site by our team.
Young adults need easy, discreet, and non-judgmental access to support for their mental wellbeing. Our team prides itself on the diverse range of help we offer our children either by self-referral or through pastoral and parental intervention. Whilst our pastoral teams are experienced in identifying and providing initial support (including the use of our self-refer counsellors or independent listener), some benefit from more specialised or acute intervention. Pupils can be referred into our Mental and Emotional Health team where they are assessed and signposted to an appropriate treatment pathway. Early intervention and treatment by disordered eating therapy, person centred trauma therapy, systemic and family therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy as well as psycho-educational advice can all be provided on site.
3. Musculoskeletal
Parents are encouraged to accompany their child to medical appointments; however we recognise that this is not always possible. By private arrangement, this can be undertaken by a member of our pastoral team instead. In an emergency, either the houseparent, the matron or one of the residents will stay with your child at all times and will keep in regular contact with you.
Escorting pupils to medical appointments
4. Mental and emotional health
First aid and trauma response is provided across the school site. The medical centre has a 24/7 walk in
Dental Health
Parents are encouraged to organise routine dental check ups during holidays, but specialist orthodontist treatment can be provided on site by OMU, who visit monthly (https://omu.dental/).
Specialist footcare and podiatry appointments can be provided both on-site and locally. Services are provided on a private treatment basis.
Footcare
FOOD
The menus are on a ternary week cycle, and offer vast choice of meals at each sitting. The kitchen team produce a comprehensive choice including main dishes, a theatre bar and an extensive range of flavoursome main courses for supper. In addition they offer daily salad specials incorporating different grains, proteins and super foods, to tie in with the nutritional requirements each pupil needs. Further to this the Catering Department is always striving to keep up with contemporary trends within the industry, to maintain a plentiful choice, including plant-based options, and vegan choices daily. Menus are reviewed and updated termly to ensure food is kept seasonal and current. The Catering Department host termly themed nights which prove incredibly popular with our
At Bryanston we know how important food is to our pupils and our award-winning catering team provide a huge variety of dishes to suit all tastes and preferences. They take great care and attention to ensure that the food at Bryanston is outstanding.
Matt Grime Catering General Manager
The dining hall
pupils. The team work closely with our pupils as part of a food committee in gathering feedback and suggestions about the food twice a term. When pupils join in D, the Catering Team visit each boarding house to connect with pupils, introduce themselves, chat about the food we offer and ease the transition to Bryanston School. We are delighted to announce we will soon be refurbishing the Dining Hall to improve the customer experience and your child will benefit from this when they join us.
Situated in the basement corridor of the main building, the Café is open to pupils at set times each day providing delicious homemade cakes and pastries, fruit pots, savoury snacks and a daily special. The team consider caring for your children a most important element of their role, which is reflected in the Café’s popularity and the relaxed atmosphere they have created. The combination of quality produce and friendly, experienced staff ensure that the Café is probably most pupils’ favourite part of the School.
The café
In addition to the food available in the Dining Hall and the Café, and the bread, milk and butter in each boarding house, pupils are allowed to have a sensible amount and selection of tuck with them that they keep in their lockable tuckbox. The houseparent and matron try to keep an eye on the type of and quantity of tuck the pupils are buying but this is not always easy to monitor and poor choices in this respect can have a negative impact on the pupil’s academic performance, energy levels, sleep patterns, mood and, ultimately, perhaps even their long-term health. So, we ask for parents’ support with this by ensuring that your child does not bring too many unhealthy or sugary snacks in their tuckbox and that food delivered to the pupils while they are at School is monitored as far as possible. We are very thankful of your help and support in this matter. If you have any queries or would like to discuss further, please contact your child’s houseparent or matron.
Tuck
If your child suffers from a food allergy, please alert our child’s house parent and matron. They will put the necessary precautions in place within the boarding house and will liaise with the Catering Team.
Food allergies
Dan Stokes Catering Deputy General Manager
the chaplaincy
Christian inspiration and Christian ideals are fundamental to the Bryanston philosophy, but the School recognises that pupils may come from homes which follow other faiths or have no strong religious affiliation. There is, therefore, no attempt to impose worship on pupils; rather, the intention is to provide an atmosphere in which spiritual values can be discovered and developed. To that end, first year pupils meet in The Sanctuary once a week to be prepared for that freedom of choice in worship which is the normal Bryanston pattern. After the first year, pupils are invited to Church Services once a term with their house, though they are always welcome.
The School’s chaplaincy is fully involved with the pastoral care of the community. The Church is situated next to the main drive and near the Equestrian Centre and the Sanctuary is always open and provides a haven of quiet in the centre of the School.
Jo Davis Chaplain
jo davis
Jo arrived as Chaplain in September 2019, having spent five years as chaplain at Milton Abbey, and previous to ordination teaching religious studies in Surrey. She combines her role with being a wife and mother, and sees it as supporting the whole community of the School, celebrating diversity and supporting those of all faiths and none.
Located in basement corridor, The Sanctuary is a dedicated multi faith space for both pupils and staff, available for those needing a private moment where all feel welcome to pray, to meditate, to reflect and to be.
international pupils
the location where your child is staying the name of the host they are staying with the contact details of the host the date and time of departure from School the departure transport (to include flight details where relevant) the date and time of return to School the return transport (to include flight details where relevant).
All pupils who do not have parents living in the UK must have a UK-based guardian who is responsible for the pupil when not in School, e.g. exeat weekends, half term, holidays and early returns to the UK at the start of term, etc. The School does not appoint guardians but does take appropriate steps to ensure that children are safe and that the guardianship arrangement is promoting the physical and emotional wellbeing of your child.
Guardians
We welcome pupils to Bryanston from all over the world and embrace the opportunities for staff and pupils that such cultural diversity brings, not least in preparing all pupils for today’s world. Improvements in travel and communication have produced a wider range of international pupils than in the past and they usually make up about 12-15% of the total number. Whilst it might be a daunting prospect to study abroad, all of our overseas pupils are fully integrated within the school community and, apart from four exeat weekends, our boarding houses are always open at the weekends during term time, throughout the year. We feel we are offering a truly international education whilst restricting numbers of pupils from each country so that the ethos of an English boarding school is enriched rather than diluted. Friendships quickly form between the British and international pupils at Bryanston and from the very beginning, international pupils will be part of their boarding house and their year group.
Any concerns about guardianship arrangements are referred to the relevant agency, and where the guardianship arrangements may constitute private fostering (where a child aged 16 or under is accommodated by somebody outside the School who is not a close family member for 28 days or more), this is referred to the local authority.
Boarding houses open at 6pm on the first day of each half term. However, we recognise that the flight times of some pupils travelling from overseas mean that they will arrive at Bryanston before 6pm. This is not a problem. The School offers a comfortable area for the pupils to relax and unwind from their journey, which is usually in one of the boarding houses under the supervision of a matron. A hot lunch and supper is available in the dining hall. Pupils can return to their own boarding house once it opens at 6pm.
Arrival at School at the start of term
The Admissions Team will assign a Confirmation of Acceptance for Study (CAS) and you will need this to apply for a Child Student visa. Once the visa has been issued, a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) will be sent to Bryanston ahead of your child’s arrival, and we will keep this safe. Once they arrive in School, their BRP should be kept safely with their passport. It is a critical document and should not be mislaid; whilst it can be replaced, it can be costly and time consuming to do so.
Child Student visas
On page 14 of this booklet, parents and guardians are introduced to Orah, which is the system the School uses for parents or guardians to request permission from the houseparent for their child to be away from school. To ensure the School is compliant with the stringent regulations of UKVI, parents or guardians are required to complete and submit the Student visa when making a request to your child’s houseparent for leave on any weekend of the school year, for a fixed exeat or for half term and end of term holidays. As a parent or guardian of a student visa pupil, when you receive the invitation from the School to set up an Orah account, you will also be sent a help video that shows you how to complete all the necessary details that must include:
STUDENT VISA PUPIL leave request
Please always use this system to request permission for an overnight leave from School.
All pupils are retested on arrival at Bryanston. It may already have been highlighted that your child will require EAL support once at the School, but if, as a result of the testing, we believe that it is in their best interest to receive support, your child’s tutor will contact you to arrange this.
English as an Additional Language (EAL)
Once your child has started at Bryanston, you may wish to open a UK bank account for them. To do so, you will require a letter from the Head, stating that your child is a pupil at the School. Parents or guardians should then accompany their child to your bank of choice to set up an account. School staff cannot accompany your child to set up a bank account.
Bank accounts
All boarding houses are let to external agencies during the Easter and summer holidays, so boarders’ dorms must be cleared for these periods. When most other pupils have to take their belongings home at the end of each term, storage is available for overseas pupils to store their clothing, bedding and books safely during the holidays.
Pupil belongings
academic matters should be directed to the tutor, e.g. set changes, academic difficulties, exam results, GCSE and A level choices concerns about organisation, working and attainment worries about learning difficulties concerns about extra-curricular activities or lack of them! university applications academic update.
The tutor:
Who to contact
You may be used to contacting the Head of your previous school with questions or issues; at Bryanston the system is different. Throughout your child’s time at the School your first point of contact will be the houseparent or tutor. Their roles overlap, but the following will give you an idea of who to talk to on a specific issue. They can also direct your concerns to other members of staff as necessary.
Head headspa@bryanston.co.uk
Opportunities for parents
pastoral or welfare concerns permission for weekends out permission to miss school medical appointments worries about friendships health concerns messages that need to get to your child promptly general update.
– – – – – – – –
The houseparent:
Other key contacts:
Senior Deputy Head seniordeputy@bryanston.co.uk
Deputy Head (Academic) deputyheadac@bryanston.co.uk
Deputy Head Boarding and Pastoral deputyheadboarding@bryanston.co.uk
Liz Thorton Head of Sixth Form
Rory McCann Director of Sport
Xavier Iles Director of Music
Catherine Perkins Head of B Year
Liam Haynes Head of C Year
Becky Martin and Ed Musgrove Heads of D Year
There are many opportunities for parents to play an active part in school life. Parents are encouraged to watch their children play in sports matches on Thursday and Saturday afternoons, and there are numerous drama productions and music concerts, both at the School and at venues away from School such as London or Salisbury, which parents are welcome to attend.
In alternate years there is an open air music concert in the Summer term. Speech Day on the last day of the Summer term is a good opportunity for parents to get together with their children in the School grounds before the speeches. Parents can meet up with their child’s houseparent in the house and with the tutor by arrangement. There is a formal parents’ meeting once a year for each year group, when all the teachers are available to talk about progress. The Bryanston Parents’ Association (BPA) is a representative group of parents. It supports the School in a number of areas including organising events for parents that are either social (drinks before the Autumn term musical and tea before exeats) or informative (the Autumn term parenting workshops and the Spring term annual talk). Towards the end of the summer (August) the BPA invites all new Ds and their parents to a beach party so that you have the opportunity to meet and mingle ahead of your child starting at Bryanston. There is also a BPA Facebook group which you can join. Parents are also warmly invited to participate in the careers and professional networking to support Old Bryanstonians as they develop their careers.
Deputy Head Pupil Development deputyheadpupildev@bryanston.co.uk
Useful information
Bryanston School HSBC Bournemouth, 59 Old Christchurch Road, Bournemouth BH1 1EH
Fee bills are provided at least fourteen (14) days before the start of each term and are due in full seven (7) days before the start of each term. For bank transfers, the bank details are:
Fees explained
Sort code: 40-12-18 A/C no: 61218093 BIC: HBUKGB4B IBAN: GB50HBUK40121861218093 Notification of changes to bank account details will only be communicated by the School’s Finance Director. Up-to-date bank details can be found on the school website if verification is needed: bryanston.co.uk/fees To contact the Finance Office please email: finance@bryanston.co.uk or phone: 01258 484626.
All Bryanston parents are given access to a secure area of the school website called the ‘My School Portal’ via unique login details. Within the My School Portal, parents are able to view information about their child’s academic progress via the Bryanston Chart, end-of-term reports and exam results. There are also links to book weekend leave. Useful information such as the calendar and term dates, sports fixtures, policy and guidance documents, coach timetables and other reference materials can also be found here. Most communications about day-to-day school matters are sent via email and are usually collated into one daily bulletin sent at 4.30pm. You can also access school emails via a mailbox within the My School Portal.
My School Portal
Checklist for online forms
You will receive a number of messages from Bryanston via email within the next few weeks. Some of these messages have forms that need to be completed (see below table). You will receive a helpful checklist for these forms to help you keep track of what needs to be done and when.
Email
Content
Fees and insurances
Not compulsory, but there is a deadline
Medical questionnaire
Compulsory
Photograph upload
Biometric registration
Music lesson booking forms
Compulsory website form
Outdoor education (D and C pupils only)
Photo permissions
Previous school updates
Orah introduction
Compulsory for every parent and/or guardian to set up an account
New pupils – important info
For info only
Policies available to view on our website
Academic Honesty Policy Academic Support Policy Accessibility Plan Alcohol Policy Admissions Policy Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy Summary Anti-Bullying Policy Anti-Money Laundering Policy Assessment Policy Attendance, Accounting for Pupils and Registration Policy Behaviour Policy Bryanston Foundation Investment Policy Statement Code of Conduct for Staff Complaints Procedure Curriculum Policy Cyberbullying Policy Data Subject Access Request Policy Digital Communications Policy EAL Policy Equal Opportunities Policy Exams Internal Appeals Procedures Exams Special Consideration Policy Exams Word Processor Policy Fire Safety Policy and Procedures First Aid Policy Health and Safety Policy Illegal Drugs & Substance Abuse Policy Language Policy Child-on-Child Abuse Policy Privacy Notice Part A: Overview Privacy Notice Part B: Pupils, Parents and Alumni Privacy Notice Part B: Staff Pupil Privacy Notice Relationships & Sex Education (RSE) Policy Rules and Regulations Safeguarding Policy and Child Protection Procedures Safer Recruitment Policy Search and Confiscation Policy Smoking Policy Statement of Boarding Principles and Practice Taking, Storing and Using Images of Pupils Policy Child Student Visa Policy (formally Tier 4 Policy) Use of Reasonable Force Policy Pupils Policy Vehicle Policy Whistleblowing Procedure Youth Involved Sexual Imagery Policy
View
View all policies here
Campus MAP
Main School Building Salisbury House (Sa) Shaftesbury House (Sh) Connaught House (C)
Main School Building Salisbury House (Sa) Shaftesbury House (Sh) Connaught House (C) Harthan House Menars House Greenleaves House Hunter House Cranborne House Allan House Sports Centre Purbeck House Medical Centre Old Music School Edwin Evans Music Room Languages Classrooms Bramall Laundry Estates Office Technology Building Domestic Bursary School Shop The Tom Wheare Music School The Sanger Centre for Science & Mathematics Coade Hall Creative Centre The Don Potter Art School Beechwood House Portman House Dorset House Greek Theatre Manege All-Weather Arena Equestrian Centre St Martin’s Church Climbing Tower & Outdoor Adventure Phoenix Pavilion Hawker Pavilion CJ Pavilion (First Aid Hut) Geddes Pavilion Boathouse Indoor Riding School Gatehouse
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40.
1.
Harthan House
2.
Menars House
3.
Greenleaves House
4.
Hunter House
5.
Cranborne House
6.
Allan House
7.
Sports Centre
8.
Purbeck House
9.
Medical Centre
10.
Old Music School
11.
Edwin Evans Music Room
12.
Languages Classrooms
13.
Bramall
14.
15.
Estates Office
16.
Technology Building
17.
Domestic Bursary
18.
School Shop
19.
The Tom Wheare Music School
20.
The Sanger Centre for Science & Mathematics
21.
Coade Hall
22.
Creative Centre
23.
The Don Potter Art School
24.
Beechwood House
25.
Portman House
26.
Dorset House
27.
Greek Theatre
28.
Manege
29.
All-Weather Arena
30.
Equestrian Centre
31.
St Martin’s Church
32.
Climbing Tower & Outdoor Adventure
33.
Phoenix Pavilion
34.
Hawker Pavilion
35.
CJ Pavilion (First Aid Hut)
36.
Geddes Pavilion
37.
Boathouse
38.
Indoor Riding School
39.
Gatehouse
40.
Hover over buildings to identify
