parents with dc who board.

[morethanpotatoprints]

We are going for an interview with the head tomorrow and can't think what questions to ask.
I know as soon as we get home we will think of something.
I understand all schools are different and this school isn't run of the mill, but the boarding aspect is still the same.

Can you remember what sort of questions you asked or think of anything we might not think to ask that maybe important
Tia for your responses.

I label socks by folding over a label and sewing like a tag to the top of the sock. I have seen other boys' socks that ds has brought home by mistake where the label is sewed on the sole. Don't start naming until you have the school's uniform policy - they may specify colour size font and location of name tapes - particularly for games kit where you may need more than one sort.

Buy a box set of dvds for nametape time. And some nice wine or cake . It seemed to take most evenings when ds first went to his prep school. The trainers were the worst iirc.

Socks - hate labeling them. We have to sew sock ties into them as well, Why they can't just go into a laundry bag I don't know.

On a similar point. If they do use laundry bags, it is a good idea to use a sharpie on knickers and bras - the bags often come undone in the machine or dryer - I have a huge box of clean un named underwear which has come out of the bags in our House laundry room. None of it claimed.

Name everything - especially chargers/calculators/books. Every child seems to have an identical ipod charger and casio calculator

and please name them either where the school tell you to, or on the collar and waist band. It is a right faff to have to check down seams/ on care labels when you've got loads to sort through

And parents are expected to sew them on both at my son's school and the one I work for - sorry! I don't know of any business that does this nearby

I also sewed most of the labels myself for prep school. My mum and sister helped a bit and that way we got through the socks. We sewed them by hand, which took quite a bit of time.

At DS's senior school, the uniform shop took care of the labeling. He had to try everything on and each item went straight into a big box. This box was delivered to his room in time for the first day of term, with all items neatly labeled. Very helpful!

OP, or anyone who would like some help with sewing the labels, you would try asking at the local dry cleaners if there is someone who does alterations. For someone who does alterations, it wouldn't take very long as they would use a machine and could easily sew all the labels on for you for a reasonable fee.

A friend said she got all her sawn in by the dry cleaners for £15, a complete bargain and ideal for the organised not those sewing them on the night before they return to school.

HG there are always a few last-minute labels needing to be sewn on as they grow and get new clothes.

I leave all mine to literally the last minute, as I keep putting the dreadful job off. Any clothes I purchase during term time are delivered straight to school so then some other poor sole has to do it.

Happy

I like your style Perhaps we should all forget what our dc need, deliver it when term has started and let somebody else do it.
I'm lovin it
I told dd that everything has to be sewn, she asked me to teach her how to sew a button and a label bless. This is all I can sew besides the odd hem.

Stupid question time again.

DD has just asked if there will be a female she can talk to about hormones etc.
It seems that the head of house and assistant are male.
She had a little chat with the assistant and she said he was lovely, but has just asked me this.
Is it unusual for there not to be a female.
They stay in this house until they are 13 and dd is only 11.
I have said I'm sure there will be someone, but does anybody know if there has to be?

There should be a significant female in a girls boarding house and if it's a junior house where often boys and girls are together. Frankly I would be very uncomfortable if there wasn't, also bearing in mind the historical sex abuse of pupils at the school I would be even more surprised if there wasn't a female on duty at bed times etc for the girls and thinking about it I believe there has to be, what does the inspection report on boarding say? There might a matron (different from a school nurse) some schools have residential matrons, some day matrons, the role also varies from school to school some play are very large role in pastoral care, act as mother figures others are more administrative. Or there might be a female(s) teachers attached to a house and some HM's have wives paying a significant role.
Finally most boarding schools have qualified nurse at the very least on duty during the day time some have them on 24/7, they too can advise help and in some school do regular health education including hormones etc type stuff.

Thank you.
She gets quite poorly the fist day every month and obviously don't ;ole the idea of her self administering paracetamol. I know they are pretty harmless just one or two.
The pmt is unbelievable, but I'm sure there must be others.
I will tell dd some of the ideas you have given, it will put her mind at rest.
I told her there would be someone but its nice to get back to her with a title.
There are 2 house mistresses in the girls house, so I presumed they might double up for support with girls in the junior house.
Will also double check the report.
They are doing very well now and the most recent report is excellent as you would hope.

Most schools won't in fact again I think shouldn't let 11year old hold and administer their own medication like paracetamol, usually they can only self administer essentials like inhalers insulin, epipens etc. Some schools will let 13 year olds self administer medication, my DS's school will let 16 year old and my friends school won't even let 18 year old self administer.
There should also be some mechanism for recording that paracetamol etc has been administered.

Every student has a House Parent who is responsible for his or her welfare and happiness.

Is what the prospectus says ... Is that the same role as a Tutor? (I'd assume it does not mean the Housemaster?) So it may be that you have not yet been told who that will be?

Have to say it seems quite - unusual, to have a mixed house up to 13 years old. With all the zillions they've just spent on building I'm surprised that wasn't a priority. Though I suppose there were space limitations.

Zero

I don't think the kids are complaining as the juniors have lovely new rooms with ensuites.
There are only 30 odd as well, as you probably know the school is really small.
I'm sure we will be told this and more but dd is curious and asking so many questions and of course this one came up today.

I guess this comes under welfare and happiness

I know quite a few boarding preps with mixed houses and a few senior school with mixed houses to 13+ and even beyond. There obviously not sharing dorms/bathrooms they're often in the same building sharing common rooms etc but sleeping washing etc in separate area.

Thinking about it all my experience of boarding (child and adult) is in single sex schools. So I probably should be minding my own beeswax ...

But I've had occasion to observe the transformation of that particular site over a few years (went to concerts there pre-renovation) so I'm interested to hear how it is all working now it's done.

And I may drop into conversation with the teen just what luxurious accommodation he's missed out on by imagining that five minutes instrument practice once or twice a week is sufficient.

Definitely wait for specifications on nametapes, as they may need to include house and/or number, but once you have them then I have bought good quality embroidered nametapes via eBay for a fraction of the cost of Cash's et al.

As for the idea that parents don't sew on nametapes - as if. Of course we sew the bloody things in ourselves. The secret with socks is to fold it over the back and sew the nametape to itself, through the sock. Any other way and you are sewing a non-stretchy thing to a stretchy thing, which will not last. Similarly for pants.

At DS's old prep girls and boys were in completely separate buildings from day 1 but I suspect as the number of boarders in particular full boarders at prep schools (up to yr 9) dwindles yr on yr then it makes sense money wise to have boys and girls under one roof; less staff, frees up building space, lower heating costs etc.

At DC's school girls and boys are in different houses. Used to be that the youngest (Y4 and Y5) boarders were together but they have now enlarged the girls house so they are separate from the start -so the opposite change to what HG suggests.

stealth I vividly recall a long summer in a previous century spent either arms outstretched being measured or head bent over a needle and a blouse collar.

So we were pretty delighted when this century's boarding handbook arrived with the phone number of the legendary school nametaper. (I am at all the different suggestions for how and where to attach them. At "our" prep there is one way or the highway. You'd be drummed out of town if you attempted a "looping" manouvre. )

Can't remember what I read about the next school - but having made the cognitive leap I don't think we could go back iyswim.

Oh Zero, you are so funny and made me laugh so much.
I think they are mixed for so long just because there really aren't so many of them.
It seems like yr9/ the old form 3 seems to be where there are more dc, they have quite a lot of 6th form as well considering there are fewer than 300 dc in the school.
We like the lunchtime concerts and attend more than we should really.
This next term and a half now we must knuckle down and get some Maths and English done or I will be doing her a disservice.
I bet your ds is the same with music practice as dd is with academic subjects