Useful Information

Pocket Money

Please note that during the Covid-19 pandemic there are very few shops or visitor attractions that accept cash.

The best and safest way to provide pocket money is with a prepaid cash card (either Visa or Mastercard). You can set-up the card before travel and pre-load their pocket money by bank transfer. These cards are available for young children and you will be able to set spending limits as well as top up the card and monitor their spending from home. They will be able to use the card to pay in shops or take money from ATMs just like a debit or credit card. If you wish, we can hold your child’s card safely for them while they are in School and issue it to them for excursions and shopping trips. There are many different providers of prepaid cash cards across the world and you will be able to find the most suitable one for you.

Health and Welfare

Matron is on site every day and on call at night.
Students can also see a doctor at a local surgery, though it is usually necessary to pay for this. The nearest hospital, which has a Minor Injuries Unit, is just a few metres away. There is a 24 hour Accident and Emergency Unit at a hospital five miles away. If there is an emergency, we will call an ambulance. You are strongly advised to take out comprehensive insurance to cover medical (including dental care in case of emergencies) as well as travel and valuables. At all times, we aim to look after your child as if he/she were our own. There is 24 hour supervision of students and many of our house and teaching staff are trained first aiders.

Travelling Alone?

We have staff at London Heathrow on official arrival/departure Wednesdays and can also arrange for your child to be met at other airports.

Stansted, Luton or London City Airports are not recommended as transfers are much more expensive and significantly longer.
Heathrow and Bristol, followed by Gatwick, are the most convenient.

Clothes

Machine washable casual clothes and plenty of sportswear are best for everyday activities. Weather conditions are variable in British Summers, so it is good to bring rainwear and a warm sweater.
• jeans
• t-shirts
• casual shorts and tops
• comfortable shoes
• trainers
• outdoor sports shoes
• swimwear
• set of smart clothes
• clothes for the discos and garden parties

Laundry

Although laundry is available daily apart from weekends, it is wise to bring sufficient changes of clothing. Students place their clothes in laundry bags in their boarding houses, which are returned to them two days later (e.g. clothes put in the laundry bag Tuesday evening are sent to the laundry on Wednesday morning and returned to the boarding house by Thursday afternoon).

Clothes should be labelled clearly with the student’s name to avoid too much lost property and they sort out their own clothes on return.

Bedding and Toiletries

Students need to bring two towels and toiletries (soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, hairbrush).
All bedding is provided and changed once a week.