Life as a Day Pupil

Day pupils at Canford can join one of three mixed houses at Canford:

Lancaster, Salisbury and Wimborne

Day houses are organised in exactly the same way as the boarding houses.  Each has a housemaster/mistress to provide continuity of care from before arrival through to university and beyond, and house tutors who share responsibility for one year-group's welfare and academic progress. Each house has at least one matron looking after anywhere between sixty and seventy five boys and girls.

Although I am a day pupil, being part of a house makes school feel like a second home.             

 

Day pupils are fully integrated into life at Canford.  All houses, whether boarding or day, are run along similar lines and there is plenty of opportunity for pupils from different houses to mix. Pupils are fully integrated during lessons and activities throughout the main school day and all meals are eaten centrally in the Great Hall.

There is a full programme of evening and weekend activities on offer. Day pupils are always welcome to join these school events and many do often stay on in the evenings to take part in activities such as music concerts, plays and societies.

HOUSES

The Housemaster/mistress is responsible for the day-to-day well-being of each pupil in their care, leading a team of tutors who take responsibility for each year group in the house. Each house varies in layout but all the houses are staffed and equipped to be welcoming, social environments, small enough for each pupil to feel well-known and large enough to allow a variety of personalities to flourish. Day pupils play a full and active part in school life with many becoming school prefects and captains.

FOOD

Our catering is run centrally using our own chefs rather than an external agency, and they use the freshest local ingredients wherever possible. The pupil food committee meets regularly with catering staff to discuss menus and a professional nutritionist regularly audits and advises. There are tea and toast making facilities available in the houses and, for senior pupils, there is a fully equipped kitchen in the Sixth Form Centre. 

WELLBEING

The School has a range of strong pastoral structures to ensure that pupils are supported and cared for on many levels. All matters concerning the Health and Safety of pupils and staff are taken extremely seriously. The Health Centre is staffed by fully qualified Registered General Nurses and Poole and Bournemouth Hospitals are within 30 minutes’ drive.  The Health Centre staff are in full communication with house staff, within the bounds of confidentiality.   The Joint Heads of Wellbeing liaise closely with staff across the school and offer further support to pupils on all aspects of general wellbeing and positive mental health. 

COMMUNICATIONS

The parent-staff-child triangle of communications is central to our approach to pastoral care and we encourage informal contact to highlight positives and raise concerns. A termly newsletter updates parents on house news with other communications such as invitations to house events sent during the course of the school year.  Regular academic assessments are posted at least twice each term on the parent portal and a full report is written at the end of each term for Upper Sixth and Fifth Formers, and twice yearly for other year groups.

House staff and tutors are all contactable via telephone or email, although please be aware that they also have teaching and co-curricular commitments. Formal face-to-face meetings can always be arranged to discuss your son or daughter should the need arise.