Residence at Priory School
Staying at Priory School
Priory School provides residential placements for up to 23 pupils per night, Monday to Thursday.
The Residential Department of the School is organised into two houses – Abbey House and Priory House. A Senior Residential and Activities Child Care Officer, three full time Residential and Activities Child Care Officers and one part time Residential and Activities Child Care Officer assist the Residential Manager in the day to day running of the department.
The residential placements are provided specifically for children who require:
- Consistent structured 24 hour school-based support in order to meet their educational needs (this may involve the development of academic, emotional and both life and social skills).
- Extra curricular and social opportunities in order to ensure their special educational needs are met (within a broad curriculum including the National Curriculum).
Within this structured environment the School aims to prepare each child to enjoy the role of full citizenship. This is achieved by providing a warm and friendly atmosphere where each child is encouraged to develop their own confidence and self-esteem.
The residential area of the school is inspected separately every year by Ofsted.
Television: We have televisions in both boarding houses although we do encourage the students to use their free time to interact and socialise rather than regularly watch television. Care Staff will be aware of what is being viewed and be available for comments and discussions regarding any programmes watched. We occasionally have themed ‘DVD’ evenings and all films shown in the boarding houses will be age appropriate and certificate ratings will always be adhered to.
Make-up: Students may experiment with make–up during their free time in the evenings. Older pupils may wear discreet make-up on trips outside school in the evenings.
Clothing: All clothing brought into school must be clearly named. All students should wear school uniform during the day and are asked to change into casual clothes after school. Underclothes and t-shirts are changed daily and other clothing as and when necessary. Slippers and a dressing gown need to be provided as the students re-join the living area after baths. (These items are also needed if we go outside, day or night, to a safe area if the fire alarm is activated). Students are not allowed to exchange clothing.
Please ensure that sufficient clothing is sent in. Even students staying one night a week require a second uniform in case of accidents.
Belongings from home: The school cannot be held responsible for loss of or damage to personal possessions brought from home, for example, hand held computer games, mobile phones, books, toys etc. These items should be handed in to staff for safekeeping. The items will be logged in and out by a member of staff and the student. Students will not be allowed to recharge batteries/hand held computer games etc on school premises.
Food within boarding: Any food brought in from home must be handed to staff for storing as food is not permitted in the bedrooms. Students may then have it at appropriate times; for example, they may take a drink or a piece of fruit to school for break times.
Students will be offered snacks and drinks within the boarding houses at appropriate times.
Any cooking that has taken place within day school will be kept in the kitchen area of the boarding houses, or frozen, until either eaten or taken home.
Bathing Routines: Students are expected to bath or shower daily and will be discreetly supervised by staff. Teeth are cleaned first thing in the morning, after every meal and before bed. Hair is washed as and when required, with help if necessary.
Daily Care Requirements: Students requiring a higher level of supervision (e.g. those with medical/physical needs) will be identified on their Placement Plan and we will discuss with parents/carers any additional support required.
‘Intimate and Personal Care’ will be discussed with students, parents/carers and introduced if required.
Personal bed spaces: The students are encouraged to socialise as this is usually one of the main reasons for residence but private time is available if requested.
Telephone calls: We would encourage all parents/carers who wish to contact their child to do so using the school land line between 19.00 and 20.00 if possible as students are usually in their own boarding houses during this time. Any student who wants to contact home can also do this via the school land line.
Mobile phone use: Mobile phones are the individual’s responsibility and all students are asked to hand them in, switched off, when they arrive in boarding.
Student’s responsibilities: All residential students are asked to take turns doing small tasks each day which may include laying a meal table, collecting laundry, emptying waste paper baskets, preparing and tidying up supper.
Each student is responsible for making and changing their own beds, with help if needed, and keeping their bed spaces and wardrobes tidy. They are encouraged to personalise their bed spaces. Staff will encourage the students to respect their living area and tidy up after themselves.
Pocket money: In general is not needed. If we require contributions towards a specific activity we will let you know and when received we will provide you with a receipt.
Bullying: We take all bullying incidents very seriously and we work hard to teach students the social skills that will enable them to cope with social situations in which they may feel uncomfortable or threatened. All bullying incidents are recorded and monitored.
Rewards and sanctions: Merit stickers may be given for reading/homework, healthy eating and looking smart. The Residential Department award a ‘Star of the Week’ in each boarding house. This is presented to the students during the Friday afternoon assembly.
Students may miss activities or have time out if their behaviour is unacceptable. All sanctions will be recorded in the residential sanction book and parents/carers will always be informed of any serious incidents.
