School Handbook

2017-2018

Please note that the School Handbook is relevant for the current academic year. The Handbook
is constantly reviewed and is updated annually. We will email Parents a copy of the 2018-19
Handbook in August 2018 prior to the start of the Autumn Term.
 Table of Contents

Welcome

Section 1: The Essentials

Aims of the College

Conditions of Entry
School Rules
Term Dates & Holidays
Guardianship Policy
Problems, Difficulties or Complaints

Section 2: General Information

Communication
The Curriculum
House Organisation
Day Pupils
Games Programme
Co-Curricular Activities
Personal and Social Education
Career Education and Guidance
The Development Team
Chapel
Dining Hall
The Medical Centre
Fettes College Shop
Thrift Shop
Extra Charges
Insurance
Dogs
Senior School Routine

Section 3: Important Policies

Safeguarding Policy
Child protection policy
Counter-Bullying Policy
Discipline & Misdemeanours Policy (*includes drugs and alcohol)
ICT Acceptable Use Policy
School Uniform Policy

Appendix

Glossary of Fettesian Terms

 Welcome

I am delighted to welcome you and your child to the Fettes community.

The quality of education that Fettes provides depends directly on the combined efforts of staff,
parents and pupils. Our aim is to enable all our pupils to thrive during their time at Fettes.
This handbook provides a wide range of information about the ethos, organisation and routine
of the school. It includes information regarding academic choices during a pupils school career,
when these decisions have to be made and on how choices are guided.
Major policies are included so you are aware of the rules by which we operate for the benefit of
our pupils. Your help in ensuring these are adhered to is greatly appreciated. We hope you will
find this handbook, by no means an exhaustive document, a useful guide for the duration of your
childs time with us.
Each term parents also receive a calendar detailing the many events at the College. We hope
parents will come to support these events whenever they are able to and that parents will enjoy
their own involvement with the Fettes community.

Geoffrey Stanford
Headmaster
Section 1: The Essentials
The Aims of the College
Fettes College aims to nurture the individual while fostering a happy well-ordered and caring
community with strong family values at its core.

To this end, we will do our utmost to ensure our students:

Receive the highest possible quality of education within a boarding environment.

Feel safe, valued, have a sense of personal worth, are thoughtful and considerate of the
needs of others, possessing a willingness to take on responsibility.
Develop their self-confidence, integrity, emotional resilience, loyalty, good manners
and humour, leadership skills and team-work.
Value a sense of community and service, and develop a clear sense of right and wrong,
equipping them for life beyond Fettes.
Are provided with equal opportunities regardless of gender, sexuality, ethnic origin or
religion.
Are encouraged to stretch and challenge themselves in everything they undertake.

Conditions of Entry
Admission to the College of a boy or girl is conditional upon the acceptance by both parents of
the Rules of Admission (except in the case of sole parents or where one of the parents does not
have parental rights and responsibilities). These are contained in an addendum to the Final Entry
Form which is signed by parents on accepting the offer of a place. Parents are requested to read
these carefully. The rules of admission bind both parent(s) and pupil to the School Rules as
detailed below.

The School Rules

These rules are designed to give a clear parameter for acceptable and unacceptable behaviour and
apply to all pupils whether they be day or boarders; otherwise there is unfairness in disciplinary
situations.

Anything that contravenes safety, common sense, the law of the land and normal civilised
behaviour is automatically forbidden

The following are specifically not allowed:

1 Bullying in any of its forms
2 Possession/use/supply of drugs
3 Sexual misconduct and public displays of affection
4 The unauthorised consumption and purchase of alcohol in accordance with the
law
5 Possession of fake ID
6 Smoking, including the use of e-cigarettes
7 Breaking bounds without permission
8 The possession of any weapon (offensive or otherwise) without School
authorisation
9 Gambling
 10 Driving a motor vehicle without the special permission of the Headmaster and
giving lifts to fellow pupils
11 Going onto the roof of any school building
12 Interference with fixed installations of the school, electrical or otherwise
13 Any communication with the press or media other than with the express
permission of the Headmaster
14 Anything that contravenes the ICT Acceptable Use Policy
15 Visiting a pupil of the opposite sex in a study, study bedroom or dormitory either
in school or away on any school activity
16 Walking alone in College grounds after dark without permission
17 Eating or drinking outside school buildings
18 The possession of chewing gum

The schools policies on Discipline & Misdemeanours (including drugs and alcohol),
Safeguarding, Child Protection, Counter-bullying, Network Use and School Uniform are found
at Section 3 of this Handbook. In order to ensure the smooth running of the school and that the
school rules and its policies are adhered to, please ensure that both parents and pupils read and
are familiar with these policies.

Term Dates, Holidays and Leaves

It is important that term dates are adhered to closely; late returns and early departures cause
unwelcome disruption to academic work and other activities. The relevant dates are published a
year in advance in order to allow good time for necessary travel plans to be made and we will be
grateful if the erosion of terms can be kept to an absolute minimum. All requests for early
departures or late returns must be made in writing (please use email) to the school and cleared
with the Headmaster.

Half-terms

These begin at 4.00pm on a Friday and finish at 9.00pm on a Sunday on the published dates
unless otherwise specified. The times at which houses will close and open at the beginnings and
ends of holidays are indicated in the calendar.

Leaves
In every case leave is granted only on the understanding that all school and house commitments
have been fulfilled and that permission has been given by the Housemaster or Housemistress.

1. Pupils in third, fourth and fifth forms must not go alone into town and members of the
sixth form must not go alone into town after dusk
2. After dark, all pupils must return to school by taxi or car
3. Pupils in the Prep School may not leave the grounds except in the company and direct
supervision of a member of staff or an older brother or sister currently at the school and
with the written request of the parent/guardian
4. Sixth formers who are over 18 are limited to TWO units of alcohol and this must be taken
with a meal. Spirits are not permitted. See the Alcohol Policy set out within the
Discipline & Misdemeanours Policy at Section 3 of this handbook
5. Sixth formers on Indulgence are not permitted to go to pubs or clubs and are reminded
that the use of fake ID is against the law and the school rules. See the Alcohol Policy set
out within the Discipline & Misdemeanours Policy at Section 3 of this handbook

Weekend leaves
The aim of the weekend leave system is to allow boarding pupils some relaxation in a family
situation away from school either with their own parents, with the parents of friends or with other
approved adults. It is not a licence to break school rules. All houses remain open during these
weekends and pupils may decide to remain at school.

(a) Recommended Leaves are designated in the calendar. Written requests (please use
email) from parents or guardians for this must reach the Housemaster or Housemistress not later
than the previous Wednesday.

(b) For a pupil to take a leave with an 'approved adult' the written approval of the parent
or guardian (please use email) and a letter of invitation from the host must reach the Housemaster
or Housemistress not later than the previous Wednesday, and in turn this arrangement must be
approved. We ask that the approved adult is aged 25 or above in order that there is the
appropriate level of care.

Alternative leaves

(a) As an alternative to Recommended Leaves, pupils of the school are eligible for an
equivalent number of leaves with parents, guardians or approved adults on Saturdays or Sundays.
Pupils should return by 9.00pm except on Sundays when there is evening chapel, when pupils
should return in time to attend. Parents should contact the Housemaster or Housemistress to
make such arrangements.

(b) Parents may request leaves at other times by arrangement with the Housemaster or
Housemistress. Extra weekend leaves will require permission from the Headmaster and should
only be asked for in exceptional circumstances.

Cultural leaves
Sixth formers may also go on cultural leaves with other members of the school to an activity
approved by their Housemaster or Housemistress.

Indulgence leaves
Indulgence leaves may take place on Saturday evenings when, with permission from their
Housemaster or Housemistress, sixth formers may go into Edinburgh to the cinema, a meal or
for other approved activities.

Up-town leave
Up-town leave may be taken by pupils between 4.00pm and 5.15pm on half-days or at another
appropriate time agreed with the Housemaster or Housemistress depending upon games or other
commitments. On Sundays pupils may take leave from 12.30pm with third form normally back
in house by 4.15pm and others 5.15pm. Pupils on up-town leave outside these times should first
receive permission from a member of house staff. All pupils on up-town leave during the week
should be in school uniform.

Birthdays & other celebrations

Any large celebrations involving members of the school must be kept to the holidays. If parents
wish to host a small dinner party for their son or daughter during term time, the number of other
pupils invited should be limited to a maximum of five and permission for each of these pupils
should be sought in advance from their Housemasters or Housemistresses. Middle school
celebrations should only occur at the weekends. It should be remembered that at such events the
general regulations governing leaves still apply.

Private property
Pupils may not visit private properties/flats unless with the permission of their Housemaster or
Housemistress and the owner of the property. Boarders must hand in any keys to flats to their
Housemaster/Housemistress for safekeeping. This is so that we can ensure adequate supervision
at all times and request that day parents and boarding parents with properties in Edinburgh
reinforce this rule with their sons/daughters.

Guardianship Policy
It is essential that all Fettes pupils (irrespective of age) whose parents are abroad or inaccessible
are required to have a guardian for their child in the UK. We believe the guardian role to be of
fundamental importance in guiding and supporting a pupil throughout their time at Fettes. The
school needs to have a point of contact within easy reach to cover in emergency situations.
Therefore they should live close enough to the school that they can come and collect the pupil
within 24 hours of an emergency arising. The guardians role is to support the child and to
deputise for the parents when they are unavailable. They are responsible for airport transfers for
unaccompanied minors and should therefore be available at the beginning and end of terms. A
guardian can be a relative or a friend above the age of 25 or a guardian appointed and monitored
by a reputable guardianship agency. Further information and forms of delegation can be obtained
from the Registrar.

Problems, Difficulties or Complaints

Concerns about any problems or difficulties which a son or daughter is experiencing should in
the first instance be discussed with the Housemaster or Housemistress who should be able to
help. Failing that the Deputy Head or the Director of Studies should be approached. If a need is
felt to take the matter further, the Headmaster should be contacted through his PA.

Complaints procedure

If a matter cannot be settled to your satisfaction you may wish to make a formal written complaint
to the Housemaster, Deputy Head or Headmaster. The school will reply to your complaint within
three days and every effort will be made to address the issue. This may include conducting an
investigation and holding interviews and/or meetings with those involved in the issue complained
of. In accordance with the guidance issued by the Scottish Care Inspectorate on dealing with
complaints, the school will record the date the complaint was made, the issues raised, the action
taken, the outcome of the investigations and the way in which the complainer was informed of
the outcome. Finally, if there is still dissatisfaction, there remains the right to take the matter up
with the Chairman of the Governors. Safeguarding complaints can be directed to our
Safeguarding Governor, Ms Lindsay Paterson, who can be contacted by email
[email protected].

If pupils have any complaints about aspects of their treatment at Fettes, in the first instance they
should speak to their Housemaster or Housemistress. If the matter cannot be settled to the pupils
satisfaction, there is a formal procedure, detailed in the House handbooks, which they should
follow.For boarding pupils and parents you can also contact the Care Inspectorate if you have a
serious complaint. Information about the Care Inspectorate is in every House or you can contact
the Deputy Head for information or advice. The Care Inspectorate website is at: www.scswis.com
Section 2: General Information
Communication
We hope the following information is useful and comprehensive but please do not hesitate to
contact your childs Housemaster or Housemistress if you ever have a concern or a question.
Throughout your childs career at Fettes, the Housemaster and Housemistress are your first point
of contact and if they cannot answer your query they will refer you to the most relevant person.
School communication will normally be through an email from SchoolPost and we ask that you
pay attention to these emails as they will contain important information and quite often ask for a
response. All SchoolPost emails will be kept in your mailbox and can easily be referred back to if
needed. If you have any difficulties using SchoolPost, please contact [email protected].

The Curriculum
In the third form, the year before GCSE courses start, the curriculum is very broad, though a
small measure of choice is introduced. All pupils choose two modern languages from French,
German, Mandarin and Spanish. They also choose either Latin or Complementary Studies.
Pupils also have the choice of doing Classical Greek outside the timetable.

In the fourth and fifth forms, pupils take their chosen GCSE subjects. All pupils take English,
(leading to English Language and English Literature GCSEs), Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry
and Biology. Pupils also choose a further four subjects from a wide range of options. Details of
subjects are published each year in December in a booklet Into the Fourth. The aim is to allow
pupils to develop distinct strengths whilst maintaining a balanced choice. EFL pupils have their
language programme as an alternative to one of their optional subjects. Some pupils who require
Support for Learning may also pursue this instead of an optional subject.

In the sixth form, pupils specialise further, choosing either the IB Diploma or A Levels. In the
case of Modern Languages these subjects are offered at Pre U Level rather than A Level. Details
of options are published in December in the booklet Into the Sixth. Pupils are helped to choose
the pathway and combination which best suits their particular talents and aspirations.

Provisional choices for the third form, GCSE and for sixth form courses are made during the
Spring Term. Pupils and parents receive full support and advice during this period: there are
consultations with pupils in house and presentations to parents about option choices and their
implications at the staff & parents meetings during the term. Nothing is fixed until courses start
the following September and so there is plenty of time for further consultation and for second
thoughts.

It is important to stress that option choices can usually be changed to other available courses
without a problem at any time right up to the start of the new school year. Even then, a mistaken
choice can be rectified early in the term.

Orders or academic reports

Our Orders system provides a regular snapshot of pupil performance. Twice each term teachers
review their marks and award pupils a grade for their attainment and for their effort. In each
subject, pupils are given clear criteria for what they need to do to achieve good effort and
attainment grades. Academic Orders are sent out to parents on the Tuesday after the official
deadline and are posted on the website on the Monday after the official deadline. Both effort and
attainment grades are discussed in house and any necessary action is taken.

Reports

Parents receive a short report after the first set of Orders each term and a full report, which
includes all the Orders and any examination results, at the end of each term.

Parent & staff meetings

There are a number of meetings which are programmed throughout the academic year to enable
parents to discuss the progress of their sons and daughters with their teachers.

In general, these meetings are targeted at specific year groups and are preceded by a presentation
about important academic issues. Parents receive details of the meetings with each set of reports.
Usually the meetings take place as follows:

Autumn Term

New Pupils in October

Upper sixth form in November

Spring Term

Fifth form in January

Third form in February
Lower sixth form in March

Summer Term

Fourth form in May

There are some parents who are based abroad for whom attendance at such meetings is difficult.
If they are coming to Edinburgh on another occasion and there are particular aspects of their
sons or daughters progress they wish to discuss, it is normally possible for the Housemaster or
Housemistress to arrange meetings with staff provided that enough notice is given.

Prep

Independent study is the real backbone of academic success and at Fettes this largely means prep.
With determination, good study habits, and the discipline of always seeking help when they do
not understand, pupils will do well. The House routine seeks to provide a positive environment
for private study.

Teachers set prep electronically through Firefly which pupils can access via a computer,
smartphone or tablet. All students use the student planner app to manage their prep and to notify
teachers when they have completed assignments.

Up to half term in October, pupils in the third form have a fixed prep timetable which allows for
three separate preps to be set each evening, but thereafter teachers will set prep weekly when it is
relevant to the learning of the pupils.
In the sixth form, there is the clear expectation that pupils will spend about twenty hours on
personal study each week. Pupils have more control over the management of their own work,
supported by their tutors. The timetable is more fluid and prep also spills over into private study
lessons. Staff supervision is available in private study lessons, but lower sixth formers can work
unsupervised in house or around the school in these times. Lower and upper sixth formers can
lose this right if it is thought they are not working effectively.

Revision programmes are set for holiday periods for pupils with external examinations that year.
Otherwise, holiday work is not generally expected unless particular circumstances require it.
Half-term holidays are usually free from any work requirement unless individuals have fallen
behind with their prep or important examinations are imminent.

External tutors

On occasion parents may wish to engage an external tutor to help support and reinforce academic
progress. We ask that this only takes place during the holidays and we strongly suggest discussing
this possibility with your Housemaster or Housemistress and the Director of Studies to ensure
that this additional support is helpful and needed. Due to safeguarding concerns, pupils must
not meet external tutors during term time unless an arrangement has been agreed by the Director
of Studies.

House Organisation
The House is the most important unit of organisation at Fettes. Pupils joining Fettes from the
age of 7 up to the age of 12 go at first into the Preparatory School and at the third form stage
transfer into one of the senior houses where they remain until the end of their lower sixth year.
In their last year they move to Craigleith, our upper sixth co-educational boarding house, where
they are able to experience a greater degree of independence whilst still fulfilling all that is
required of a Fettesian. More details about each of the houses can be found in the appropriate
house handbook.

Support is available for each pupil in the house from the Housemaster or Housemistress, their
spouses, Assistant Housemaster and Mistress, Academic Tutor, Matron, House Prefects and
other senior pupils. In addition, help is always available from any member of staff, the school
doctors and Medical Centre staff, the Head of Pastoral Care, the school counsellor and from the
chaplain. The school strives to provide a positive and supportive environment where all pupils
have the opportunity to flourish.

In general the Housemaster or Housemistress is the person a parent should contact over any issue
relating to a pupil. Although the Housemaster or Housemistress is the most significant figure in
the House organisation, there are others who share the load. In particular there is an Assistant
Housemaster or Mistress attached to each house who carries out duties as directed by and
negotiated with the Housemaster or Housemistress.

All full time members of staff are attached to a house for evening duties and for tutoring, and
each monitors a small number of pupils.

Health

The health of the pupils is monitored by the house matron who liaises closely with the Medical
Centre staff. If a pupil is ill they may be admitted to the Medical Centre, sent to bed in house or
put off-changing. Pupils who are deemed to be unfit for games will be put off-changing by the
Matron or the medical team in the Medical Centre. Pupils who are off-changing are excused
games and Combined Cadet Force (CCF) but may not leave the campus.

House bank & pocket money

Middle School - In the middle school all boarding pupils can deposit their pocket money in the
house bank. The normal recommended amount per week for third to fifth form pupils is 10 -
15. Cash cards should be kept locked away and can be handed in to the house staff for
safekeeping. If some individuals are seen to have ready access to relatively large sums of money,
it can cause resentment or envy in others; therefore we would advise careful consideration before
allocating large sums of money for use in term time.

Sixth Form - The recommended weekly amount for sixth form pupils is 20 - 25. They are
welcome to use House Bank but most use their own bank accounts. Although pupils will be able
to have credit for taxis in special circumstances, they will normally be expected to pay cash.
Parents are therefore requested to fund their sons or daughters with an appropriate amount at
the beginning of each term. Such funds can be held for them in the house bank.

Valuables

All large sums of money, passports and airline tickets must be lodged with the Housemaster or
Housemistress for safe keeping on the first day of term and on return from half-term. All
property should be clearly marked. Any valuables should be kept securely in a lockable container.
The school has no insurance policy to cover articles of value or cash (eg cameras, musical
instruments, and computers) against damage, theft or loss. Parents should therefore make
independent arrangements for the insurance of any articles of value brought to the school. Pupils
are asked to provide their Housemaster or Housemistress with a list of any valuables together with
serial numbers where appropriate.

Passports

All pupils should hand in a photocopy of their passport details to the Admissions office to be kept
on file. If a passport is renewed, please remember to update the file accordingly.

Phone calls

There are telephones available in houses for boys and girls to make and receive calls; however,
most pupils will have mobile phones but must abide by the guidelines for their use outlined in
house handbooks. Google Talk and Skype are also supported by the school network. The best
time to telephone your son or daughter is during the evening between 6.15pm and 7.00pm and
between 9.00pm and 9.45pm. Please do not telephone between 7.00pm and 9.00pm or after
9.45pm.

Electrical equipment

Toasters, kettles, electric irons, heaters, television sets and similar appliances may not be brought
to the school. If in doubt about whether an appliance is allowed, please consult the Housemaster
or Housemistress.
 Day Pupils
In order to allow effective integration within house and school, it is of vital importance that day
pupils adhere to the established routines. Avoidance of the obligations implicit in these routines
causes inconsistencies and resentment, resulting in an unhelpful polarisation of pupils within
the school community. For its part, the school through houses will maintain effective
communication with parents of day pupils.

Attendance

Pupils are expected to arrive by 8.00am. They are strongly encouraged to stay for the full day,
including prep and house prayers in order that they can feel fully integrated and gain the
maximum benefit from all the school has to offer. However, with the agreement of their
Housemaster or Housemistress, they may leave at 6pm (5.15pm on half days) or when all
commitments have been fulfilled. Signing in and out is of great importance; the school has a legal
requirement to register attendance. Arrival and departure times, as agreed with parents in
advance, should be adhered to except where difficulties arise. The Housemaster/Housemistress
must be informed in such circumstances. Day pupils are expected to fulfil all school and house
commitments.

The Housemaster/Housemistress should be informed, by 8.15am, of any absence and its likely
duration. Follow-up phone calls are appreciated in cases of prolonged absence.

Areas/checks/tutor group meetings

Attendance at these is obligatory for day pupils, when they are in school, particularly at the
morning area/check/ tutor group meeting when important administration is conducted.

Prep & studies

Attendance at prep is as agreed by the Housemaster or Housemistress. It is strongly

recommended that day pupils stay for at least two prep sessions a week. They must make every
effort to attend on the night their tutor is on duty. If a day pupil is staying, it must be for the
whole of the prep period. Studies/study areas must be kept tidy and available for checking by the
Housemaster/Housemistress.

Detention

Detention operates on Wednesday lunchtime and Saturday evening for senior school pupils with
pupils being informed by Friday lunchtime for the Saturday. It is expected that day pupils will
attend detention in the same way that boarders do.

Games

If illness/injury prevents attendance at games, a note from parents will be needed. This should
be given to the Housemaster/Housemistress at the 8.05am area/check, who will then refer the
pupil to Matron or the Medical Centre as appropriate. Off-changing notes must be taken, in
person, to staff i/c games before the start of the games session.

A full programme of coached games operates on Saturday afternoons and is compulsory for all
pupils to be involved.
Overnight Stays

Whenever possible Houses are delighted to arrange for day pupils to stay overnight on an
occasional basis. It is important, however, that parents telephone or write in advance to request
such a stay. When a pupil stays overnight because it is convenient for him or her to do so, a charge
will be levied. When a pupil stays overnight because he or she is attending a school function or is
undertaking a duty or responsibility at the schools request, no charge will be made. Parents
should be aware that, while we welcome day pupils to the school, we operate on a full boarding
ethos and we therefore do not allow day pupils to regularly board on specific nights of the week.

House Duties

These should be completed as required and certainly before going home each evening. Day status
does not exempt pupils from playing their part in keeping their House clean and tidy.

Games Programme
At Fettes, we offer a wide range of challenging and competitive sports with expert coaching and
superb facilities. All pupils are required to take part in sport, encouraged to stretch themselves
to the best of their ability and to enjoy the experience of competing against others as an individual
and as part of a team. Regular exercise is a key component of enjoying a healthy lifestyle post-
school and we aim to give our pupils a variety of experiences in personal fitness and competitive
sport to encourage participation in leisure activities in the future. All members of the school
participate in games on three afternoons each week and there are many extra-curricular
opportunities as outlined below.

Facilities

There are extensive playing fields within the school grounds and transport is provided for
activities that require pupils to leave campus. Sports facilities include: Westwoods Health Club,
a full-sized floodlit water based astroturf hockey pitch (called the McMurray), a second full-sized
floodlit all-weather playing surface which is used for hockey in winter and for tennis in summer
(called the Sutcliffe), two squash courts, two fives courts and an outdoor basketball court. In
addition Arniston, Glencorse and Kimmerghame have astroturf tennis courts whilst other
Houses have tarmac tennis courts. We also have our own high performance gym which is based
in the main school building run by an external strength and conditioning expert. The Westwoods
Health Club offers:

Six lane 25 metre pool

35 x 33 metre hall with markings for two basketball courts, two netball courts, eight
badminton courts, indoor hockey, two tennis courts, two five a side pitches or four
cricket lanes
Aerobics/dance studio
Fitness suite containing a full range of the latest Technogym fitness equipment
Cafeteria
Changing rooms to serve the centre and the playing fields.

The Sports Centre provides wonderful facilities for the pupils at the school and is also a private
health club. The school uses the facility for games sessions and for evening and weekend activities.
All pupils over 16 are inducted as members of the Health Club and, as well as participating in
group activities, are able to make individual use of the club facilities.
Games

Boys in the third and fourth form play rugby in the autumn term, hockey in the spring term and
cricket is the main game in the summer term, although there is also a strong athletics programme.
The girls play hockey, lacrosse and netball, and tennis in the respective terms, as well as athletics
in the summer. In the fifth and sixth form these sports continue to be an important aspect of
school life but we also run a varied multi-sport programme for those that would like to branch
out into something new. The following are available to fifth and sixth form pupils as a games
option and many are available to all through the activities programme: sailing, fitness, strength
and conditioning, squash and fives, swimming, dance, horse riding, golf, basketball, football,
cross country and tennis are all included, most of these on a competitive basis.

It is the policy of the school to encourage players of the required standard to participate in district
and national selection in all sports.

Video analysis

The games department recognise the power of observational learning and use video analysis in
the provision of feedback, whether it is motivational, informational or reinforcing. We aim to
make use of it in all sports and at all stages of learning. Dartfish software is available to all pupils
on the school network and coaches encourage performers to use Fettes College Dartfish TV
Channel to reflect on their own performance, on both a technical and tactical level.

Fixtures

There are many fixtures with other schools as well as inter-house competitions taking place each
term. These are detailed in the printed termly calendar and we are delighted to see parents at
these events. A full, live list of fixtures and team lists are available electronically through
www.fettessport.com.The Sports Department Twitter feed, @Fettes_Sport is a useful way of
following matches and keeping up-to-date with sporting achievements.

Co-Curricular Activities
The school is fortunate in its situation in Scotlands capital city, a centre for both Arts and
Sciences, and it tries to make the very best use of the facilities that Edinburgh offers.

Music

Fettes has a plethora of musical groups designed to cater for all interests and abilities. It is an area
of school life in which we are keen that pupils participate and around three-quarters of the school
are usually involved in music of some kind. There are three choirs, three orchestras and many
smaller groups - full information is given to all pupils on arrival at the school and we hope that
you will encourage your son or daughter to join at least one of these enjoyable and beneficial
activities.

Music Lessons

Individual music lessons on any orchestral instrument, as well as piano, organ, clarsach, drums,
guitar and singing, are available in school and are provided by expert teachers who come into
school on a part-time basis. Around half of the pupils take regular music lessons in this way.
Lessons are arranged on a rota basis for pupils in the middle school and during private study
periods for the sixth form so disruption to academic studies is kept to a minimum. Full
information is given to all parents of new pupils and extra copies are available.

Drama

Drama is an important part of the academic and co-curricular life of Fettes. It is presented as a
subject for public examinations in the senior school. The dramatic year begins with house plays
in the autumn term. The main school production, which may be a classic play, new writing or a
full-blown musical, takes place in the spring term as does the Middle School Play Festival which
is directed by pupils and adjudicated by an industry professional. In the summer term the Prep
School presents its main school production and pupils in the lower sixth direct and perform the
Lower Sixth Play. Parents are welcome to attend all our productions.

Apart from the obvious opportunities provided for budding actors we also rely on pupil
involvement in the technical aspects of theatre, including make-up, costume, lighting, sound and
set design. We are aided in this by our Wardrobe Mistress and Theatre Technician. Pupils
regularly choose to study Drama, Theatre and Tech for their tertiary education, having worked
in the department. In addition to all our in-house drama we take regular theatre trips both within
Edinburgh and further afield.

Combined Cadet Force (CCF)

The CCF parades on Wednesday afternoons and a series of overnight exercises. In addition,
cadets can volunteer for a week long central camp often at the end of the summer term.

All third form pupils join in the summer term and continue for the next two years. They have
the opportunity of participating in a wide range of activities including flying, sailing, scuba diving
and skiing. Pupils also have the chance to go to camps throughout the UK and Europe; there is
an expectation that pupils will attend at least one camp in the course of their CCF careers.

Post fifth form the Cadets can stay within the CCF as a volunteer providing they reach the
standard expected of a Junior Non-Commissioned Officer. The NCOs then take on the
responsibility of practicing their newly taught leadership and communication skills. There is a
senior cadet hierarchy that is selected through a series of interviews, planning activities and
organisation challenges. The top cadets are given the privilege of planning training programmes,
writing exercises and experiencing challenging leadership scenarios as they command a 300+
CCF Contingent.

There is a flourishing Pipe Band and piping and drumming lessons are arranged. Members of
the Pipe Band also take part in the field craft element of training but this is managed throughout
the calendar in addition to the pipe band competitions and events.

Membership for any service in the sixth form is voluntary: those opting to leave are expected to
take up another activity such as Duke of Edinburghs Award, Community Service, or working
with the Ecology group or on The Fettesian magazine.

Duke of Edinburghs Award

All third form pupils pursue, and are expected to complete, the bronze level of the Duke of
Edinburghs Award scheme; many go on to take the Silver and the Gold Awards. The skill and
physical recreation requirements are met through the schools programme of activities. The
volunteering section is fulfilled through our own community service duties within houses and
the school. Expeditions take place in the Trossachs and at Abernethy Activity Centre at Nethy
Bridge in the Cairngorms during Third Form Field Week.

Community service

Many pupils do some form of community service. This may involve working in schools,
mentoring local children through the Place2Be programme, taking disabled people riding,
visiting and helping elderly people or collecting for charities and so on. It is very important that
our pupils engage within the community in a proactive and positive way.

Clubs and Societies

There are many clubs and societies which flourish throughout the school. It is hoped that
Fettesians both young and old will take full advantage of what is on offer.

Activities

Senior school pupils have the opportunity to explore a number of activities outside their usual
sporting and academic programme. Whether they wish to acquire a new skill, develop an existing
one or to share their interests with others, the regular sessions will allow them time in which to
enjoy non-academic pastimes.

A wide range of activities is on offer. Courses require commitment to a full term, and are offered
on a variety of days, so pupils have the opportunity to participate in a range of activities in the
course of the year. In addition to the activities offered by staff, some pupils offer and run their
own courses. Pupils will find a number of benefits from the programme beyond the obvious fun
and learning. They will be able to acquire credits for Duke of Edinburgh Awards and learn
valuable skills and develop interests which will stand them in good stead for the future.

Weekends

There is a programme of activities arranged for middle school pupils on Saturday evenings
including, among other things, cinema outings, football and touch rugby tournaments, discos
and dances. The sixth form also have Saturday night events at various stages of each term at their
request.

There are a number of Sunday activities available through the outdoor pursuits department.
These range from mountaineering, rock climbing and mountain biking. There are a number of
available weekends and the activity itself is generated from the interest of the students. A
minimum of 8 students is usually required to make an activity achievable. Mr Rowlands, Head of
Outdoor Pursuits, will aim to accommodate any outdoor activity.

Trips & expeditions

As well as expeditions associated with the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, there are
opportunities to go skiing, canoeing, mountain biking and mountaineering. The school supports
other more demanding expeditions in the holidays for which suitable training is provided during
term time. The school has its own climbing wall.
Leadership Training

This is designed to develop the skills that pupils will need for effective communication, decision-
making and the exercise of responsible initiative. The programme runs throughout the school.
The principles are:

All pupils are supervised when responsible for activities involving risk
Pupils are expected to take responsibility for others only when they have taken
responsibility for themselves
The challenge should not exceed the pupils potential
Expectations are graduated according to age, experience and previous achievement

Middle school - The Third Form Field Week at Abernethy in June is the culmination of many
academic and outward-bound activities. Additionally, all third formers take part in a weekly
programme of events designed to introduce them to new hobbies or skills. Within the CCF, the
majority of pupils attend a course in methods of instruction prior to teaching basic skills to the
junior cadets. Throughout the fifth form there are house based sessions on leadership in
preparation for the pupils leading the houses in the lower sixth.

Sixth form - members of the lower sixth are involved in running the senior houses and have a
training programme linked to issues that arise from this experience. School prefects are chosen
at the beginning of the summer term of the lower sixth and have training sessions during the rest
of that term. There are lots of opportunities for leadership in the upper sixth either within
Craigleith or in the school as a whole. Pupils are encouraged to get involved through the tutorial
programme.

Personal, Social and Emotional Education (PSE)

At Fettes, the Personal, Social and Emotional Education programme is an essential part of the
well-rounded curriculum that is offered throughout a pupils time at school. There are a number
of key strands in the PSE curriculum that form the basis of the programme and the courses are
not limited to only the timetabled curricular topics. The boarding house system and ethos of
school life intrinsically contribute to the development of emotional resilience, well-being,
values, attitudes and learning of important life skills.

There are a diverse range of teaching methods. The sessions vary from personal in-house
sessions, single sex or mixed plenaries to smaller tutor groups. The sessions can also be more
formal in nature with guest speakers, PSE lessons including cross curricular links with History,
Biology and PE subjects. Chapel offers the time for reflection whereas tutor groups provide a
more intimate and informal atmosphere for discussion. We have an experienced PSE team
delivering the various strands which include members of academic staff, the Medical Centre staff,
and PSE prefects as well as outside speakers and charities.

Our programme aims to provide all pupils with appreciation and understanding of the issues that
they are experiencing or could experience in the future. We aim to provide good, relevant
information relating to areas of their personal, social and emotional development by offering
opportunities for them to develop key skills such as resilience, resourcefulness, relationships,
decision making, risk assessment, communication skills and strategies for coping.

Our programme aims to develop major themes in the curriculum covering:

Health and Wellbeing (Nutrition, Stress, Wellbeing & Mindfulness)

 Citizenship, Personal Values & Development
Drug Awareness
Positive Relationships
Bullying/Cyberbullying
Internet Safety

Each strand will be discussed during each year group; building and expanding on certain areas as
the pupils move up the school. The topics covered include:

Third Form Fourth Form Fifth Form Sixth Form

Personal Hygiene Mindfulness Tolerance Drugs Alcoholism, Legal
Highs, Binge Drinking
Drugs Introduction Mental Health Issues Addiction/Gaming Online Reputation -
Career/Work
Keeping Safe Online Sex in Society, Empowerment, Homophobia LGBT issues Learning to Drive Young
sexting Domestic Violence Driver Event
Personal Safety Use of Social Media & Screen Time Consent & Legal Issues of Indulgence Safety
(Cyberbullying) Rape
Nutrition practical & Alcohol Safety (House Parties) Self Esteem & Risk Taking Relationships Their Issues
theoretical Behaviours
Shunburn-Cancer Heathy Choices Finance (Careers) Risks & Consequences
Diversity Gender/Being Safe Sexually Contraception & STIs/Porn in Mindfulness & Stress Update
Society
Counter Bullying Sleep Creating the Right Online Nutritional Life Skills
Profile
Body Image Personal Values Stress Management (inc Finance (Credit Cards)
Nutrition)
Personal Finance Fake IDs The Reward Foundation
Female Genital Mutilation Self-Checks

Careers Education & Guidance

Aim

From third form to the end of the upper sixth, members of the Careers and Higher Education
staff in the College give support, guidance and information to pupils to enable and encourage
them to make informed decisions about their futures.

Personnel

Responsibility for Careers Education and Guidance at Fettes is shared between:

Housemasters and Housemistresses who are the first point of reference for pupils
supported by Tutors
The Careers Department - a team of teaching staff responsible for maintaining links
with outside agencies, organising various careers-related lessons and events and
ensuring that information about careers, Higher Education and gap year
opportunities reaches pupils.
The Inspiring Futures Careers Organisation - professional Careers Advisers visit
the school on a regular basis and see fifth and sixth form pupils by appointment.
The Careers Calendar

Middle School: An introduction to the Colleges careers resources is given to enable pupils to
research for themselves and make informed decisions about subject choices. Other lessons thread
through these years focusing on appropriate skills, issues about the working world and further
practice using resources. Pupils are also given an introduction to preparing for work experience,
if they choose to do this, including writing letters of application and a basic CV.

Inspiring Futures and Futurewise: All members of the fifth form are enrolled through the
Inspiring Futures Organisation in Futurewise, a personalised career guidance and planning
service for young people aged 15-23. Formal aspects of careers guidance begin with psychometric
aptitude tests which provide each pupil with a Futurewise Profile which forms a basis for future
careers guidance. Each pupil has an interview based on their results in the tests to discuss the
Futurewise profile, and further interviews may be arranged at any later stage for those who may
be uncertain about their future course of action. Guidance is given on sixth form choices. Pupils
are encouraged to make use of the holiday periods to follow up taster courses and shadowing
opportunities as recommended by Futurewise.

Lower Sixth:Our Lifting the Lid programme brings speakers from different career areas to
occasions across the year open to all sixth formers. As well as hearing what the visitors have to say,
pupils then get an opportunity to practise their networking skills. In addition, Careers Day, to
which all parents of lower sixth pupils are cordially invited, takes place each February. The day
includes an introduction to the services offered by Inspiring Futures, an opportunity for pupils
and parents to familiarise themselves with the Colleges resources and the opportunity to meet
representatives of Higher Education establishments and professional bodies. UCAS procedures
are introduced to the pupils in February and to parents at the L6th Parents meeting in early
March so that pupils can discuss their thinking with their parents over the Easter holidays.

All members of the lower sixth use the Centigrade scheme from Cambridge Occupational
Analysts which provides a shortlist of relevant courses at Higher Education establishments, to be
researched further by pupils themselves. University visits are encouraged during the holidays.
Term-time visits should be arranged in accordance with the school policy for university visits,
available in houses.

Practice in drafting the Personal Statement for the UCAS form is arranged throughout the
summer term. UCAS Apply opens in June when pupils are given an introduction to filling in
on-line application. Pupils should have further discussion with their parents about university
courses and choices over the summer holiday this is the principal time for parents to be engaged
in the process since forms ideally are finalised by before the October half-term.

Upper Sixth: Pupils are expected to arrive at the start of the autumn term with Higher Education
or Further Education courses fully researched ready for their forms to be submitted. Practice
interviews are arranged for those summoned to interview and support and guidance throughout
the period of UCAS application are given by Housemasters, Housemistresses and the Careers
Department staff.

UCAS applications are processed in houses and, all being well, are dispatched around half term
and early November.

Work experience at Fettes

Work experience is not a single event but a process which can involve some or all of:
 Learning the skills and attributes needed to integrate into the world of work
Investigating the best way of acquiring appropriate experience through work shadowing,
voluntary work, paid employment and career taster courses
Taking the initiative to participate in such opportunities

When to do work experience?

Before the age of 16 it is unusual for Fettes pupils to have involved themselves in formal work
experience. After the age of 16 many pupils often seek to undertake work experience/work
shadowing in order to clarify their ideas about university courses or future careers. It is expected
that pupils will set up their own work experience during the long holiday periods. Please see the
important Health and Safety paragraph below.

Health and Safety Issues

Pupils at Fettes are exposed to a full curriculum during our relatively short terms and, given the
position of GCSE, IB and A level examinations within them, we are not able to set up formal
work experience for our pupils in the Edinburgh area. As our pupils come from all over the
world, we have to rely on their making local connections for work experience with parents
support and have to require parents to take responsibility for checking and approving any
disclosure, insurance and Health & Safety provision at potential work experience placements.
Any such placements within the EU are subjects to Health and Safety legislation and there will
often be parallel legislation elsewhere. This means of course that we cannot and do not require
pupils to undertake work experience whilst we recognise its potential contribution to individual
pupils development. We are sorry not to be able to assist further but hope the Colleges position
on this matter is understood by all.

The Development Team

The role of the Fettes College Development Team is to connect and empower the Fettes
community across the globe to support each other and the work of Fettes College. To do this they
build and maintain relationships with an ever-growing number of the warm and generous Fettes
community, comprising Old Fettesians, current and past parents and former staff. Their work
consists of following three strands:

1. Raising philanthropic income for The Fettes Foundation for the benefit of Fettes
College:
The Fettes Foundation, a charity registered in Scotland (SC028350) and a company limited by
guarantee in Scotland (SC189253), was set up in August 1998. Since then some 14.5 million
has been generated. Currently 11 Trustees have overall responsibility for Foundation activities.
The Foundation has office space in the College and is staffed by the Director of Development
and her team. It also receives support, as required, from other college staff.

In recent years, the Foundation has been focussing on raising funds for the long term
Development Plan of the College as well as for means-tested bursaries. The opening of our new
state of the art teaching facility, the Spens Building, in January 2016 marked the completion of
this plan, which also delivered Westwoods Sports Centre and other modern sports facilities, our
upper sixth form house, Craigleith, a fourth girls house, Dalmeny, and a magnificent new
classroom block for the Prep School.
The Foundation is now working to strengthen annual giving; increase philanthropic income
towards means-tested bursaries; promote legacy fundraising and fundraise for The Pavilion
Restoration Project as well as other priority projects, such as supporting trips and tours. This
requires an active series of campaigns and communications to ensure that members of the Fettes
community are aware of the needs of the College in the short to medium term.

Alongside this, the Foundation is developing a longer-term strategy to secure philanthropic

income to significantly increase its contributions to the endowment fund of Fettes College,
known as the Combined Investment Fund. The income from this fund helps fund means-tested
bursaries.

If you would like more information about the work of the Fettes Foundation please contact the
Director of Development, Nicola Pickavance, by email to: [email protected] or by
telephone on +44131 311 6960.

2. Creating, supporting and managing life-long opportunities for Old Fettesians (OFs) to
engage with each other and the College:
On leaving Fettes College for the final time, pupils automatically become members of the Old
Fettesian Association (OFA), a world-wide organisation made up of former pupils. There are no
annual charges. The purpose of the OFA is to maintain and encourage communication between
OFs, and between OFs and the College; to provide opportunities for OFs to meet together for
social and sporting occasions in various regions throughout the UK and across the globe; to foster
relations between the College and the OFA in the interests of promoting the growth and
development of both; and to assist OFs wherever possible. A group of dedicated OFA Regional
Secretaries organise events, provide advice and are a friendly face for OFs in their respective
regions. For further information please contact the OF Co-ordinator, Henry Gray, by email to:
[email protected] or by telephone on +44131 311 6741.

3. Running the Fettes Career Partnership Programme, facilitating the development of

supportive career connections for life:
The Fettes Career Partnership Programme facilitates business connections across the Fettes
community through a programme of events and through direct contact. From attending Business
Breakfast networking events in the UK and beyond and drinks & careers events at various
university hubs, communities are most willing to network with each other and share their career
thoughts. The Fettes Community continues to support younger OFs starting out on their career
journey. A motivational phone call, CV advice or an advisory chat all make a genuine difference.
For further information, or if you would like to get involved, please contact the Development
Manager, Karen Jones by email to: [email protected] or by telephone on +44131 311 6743.

Chapel
All pupils in the College attend Chapel on Monday to Friday at 8.30am and Congregational
Practice on Saturday at 8.25am. Regular services are held on Sundays during term when we
welcome a wide variety of speakers. All timings are printed in the calendar. We are very happy for
parents and friends to attend these services if they so wish. Pupils desiring to become confirmed
are prepared by the Chaplain to become members of both the Scottish Episcopal Church and the
Church of Scotland at a united service in the autumn term.
 The Dining Hall
Our aim is to provide a range of dishes and menus which offer a well-balanced diet. There are
three main meals throughout the day which provide a range of hot and cold dishes that contribute
to a varied, nutritious and healthy diet. Fresh fruit is available daily at all meals. On Sunday
mornings brunch is available from 11am to 12.30pm.

The Dining Hall operates on a self-service basis and senior pupils are expected to exercise a
degree of judgement and responsibility to ensure that they enjoy a balanced diet. The Catering
Manager takes note of any special dietary requirements (vegetarian and halal meals included) and
allergy problems when advised by the Medical Centre and will seek to plan a menu cycle for your
child accordingly where possible.

A Food Committee meets regularly throughout the year to review catering matters. It is chaired
by the Head Boy/Head Girl and consists of representatives from each of the senior houses. The
house representatives gather objective views from members of their house and relay them to the
committee. The Head Boy/Head Girl report back to the Head of Pastoral Care and the Catering
Manager.

The Medical Centre

The Medical Centre is situated in the main College building and comprises of a 12-bedded unit
which provides a 24-hour nursing service. The multidisciplinary care team includes four nurses,
four GPs, physiotherapist, podiatrist, counsellor and administration assistant who aim to provide
a safe and welcoming environment for the pupils medical and personal needs.

The schools Medical Officers are the GPs from Bangholm Surgery to which the Medical Centre
is linked. They hold surgeries in the Medical Centre four times a week. Dr Steve Allan is the
schools chief Medical Officer. All boarding pupils will be automatically registered with
Bangholm Surgery when they start Fettes or switch from day to boarding. Day pupils remain with
their own family GP practice.

Nurses have set surgery times at intervals throughout the day and receive referrals from matrons
or pupils may attend directly if matron is unavailable. In addition to providing day to day health
care, all boarding pupils have a new patient medical carried out by the nursing staff shortly after
starting boarding. The Medical Centre will give appropriate travel vaccinations for boarding
pupils following parents completing the relevant travel documentation, which will be sent out
prior to the longer holidays via SchoolPost. Routine childhood vaccinations will be offered to all
pupils.

All boarding pupils are treated under the NHS. If a referral is required, we will contact you to
ask if you prefer a referral to a private hospital or NHS. Any patient may ask for a chaperone to
be present during medical examinations. If a pupil needs to be treated in hospital, matron will
normally accompany the pupil and house staff will arrange visits. Parents will be kept fully
informed at all times.

Private appointments can be made with the school physiotherapy and podiatry service which is
run on a weekly basis. Please refer to section on Extra Charges for information about the cost of
these sessions.
The school counsellor, Diane McKay specialises in traumatic experiences, stress, anxiety and
bereavement and provides a service to pupils on a weekly basis. Pupils can make an appointment
through the Medical Centre to speak to the school counsellor in confidence.

Medications

Boarding pupils are not permitted to store their own supply of medication unless they are senior
pupils and comply with the self-administration protocol from the Medical Centre. Day pupils
who have been prescribed medication and are required to take it during the school day must
present a letter from parents to their house matron. Medication must be stored in the original
packaging as issued from the chemist with details of pupil name, medication, dose and name of
issuing chemist. It is essential that the Medical Centre is informed of all medication that is
prescribed for pupils.

In the UK drugs used for treatment of Attention Deficit are subject to strict regulation and must
be dispensed by a member of nursing staff according to national guidelines. Under no
circumstances can a pupil keep stores of this type of medication. Further information of the
schools medication policy for controlled medication and administration of medication can be
found on the website.

Asthma

The Human Medicines Regulations 2014 now allows school to hold salbutamol inhalers, without
a prescription, for use in emergencies. The emergency salbutamol inhaler can only be used by
pupils who have a diagnosis of asthma and for whom the asthma form has been completed and
signed by their parent/carer within the last year. Should your child have asthma please complete
the asthma form and return directly to Medical Centre will all other forms. All staff are given
appropriate training on emergency asthma treatment.

Illness during holidays

If your child is ill during the holidays, please do not formally re-register your child with your
family doctor. This can result in case notes being inappropriately recalled for short periods.
During holidays, your NHS family doctor can see your child as a temporary patient. If you are in
Edinburgh during the holidays, you can make an appointment with one of the school doctors at
their surgery.

Bangholm Surgery
21-25 Bangholm Loan
Edinburgh
EH5 3AH
0131 552 7676
www.bangholmmedicalcentre.scot.nhs.uk

Important procedures for parents

1. Parents of each new boarding pupil must return his or her day/boarding medical
consent form and the consent for medication form to the Medical Centre at least
two weeks prior to the first day of term. For the avoidance of doubt, the school
will be unable to accept a pupil into the school unless we have received the
completed medical forms.
2. It is important that the school is informed of any problems with hearing, eyesight,
 learning difficulties or allergies, and of any other long term medical condition.
3. It is essential to consult the Medical Centre or Housemaster or Housemistress
before sending back to school a boy or girl who has been in contact with any
infectious disease.
4. Both the school doctor and the Housemaster or Housemistress should be
informed if medicine and/or other treatment begun at home are to be continued
at school.
5. Regular visits to the dentist, and if necessary to the optician, should be arranged
during school holidays. Appointments for dental or other treatment can be made
during term-time only in cases of emergency.

The 24-hour nursing service is provided by the nursing team who are:

Janelle Spratt BSc (Hons Nursing) RGN is the Charge Nurse and has a background in
Orthopaedic trauma and Accident & Emergency. Janelle has an interest in Mental Health issues
and is qualified as a Turn Around 1-1 provider for young people, which is based on CBT therapy.
Janelle is also interested in Travel Medicine, Sports injuries and has been involved in the Health
promotion aspect of the PSE programme.

Sonja McLean RSCN RGN has experience in Paediatrics, ENT, and Infectious Diseases. Sonja
is also involved in Matron in-house training and has an interest in the development of Mental
Health awareness. Sonja is also the Asthma specialist link nurse.

Lorna Scales RGN RM is experienced in Acute General Surgery, Obstetrics, Maxilla Facial and
Accident and Emergency. Lorna has an experience in Minor injuries and counselling.

Nicola Edgcombe RGN PN has a background in Assessment Medicine, Toxicology, Accident and
Emergency and Practice Nursing. Nicola has also had family planning and asthma training.

Maeve Wheelhouse RGN has a background in acute surgery, Accident and Emergency and Critical
Care with a special interest in neurological injuries.

The nursing staff welcome direct contact on any health matters and can be contacted directly at
the Medical Centre on: 0131 332 2247 or email [email protected].

The Fettes College Shop

The Fettes College Shop is managed by the school and sells all school uniform, sportswear and
equipment, academic books, stationery, gift items and traditional tuck. Full details of uniform
requirements can be found on the shop website: www.shop.fettes.com Orders can be managed
by phone: 0131 311 6723 or by email: [email protected]

During term time, the shop is open from 9am to 3pm and on Saturdays from 9.30am to 12 noon.
Pupils and parents can purchase items from the shop and charge them to the school bill, the only
exception being tuck. At the end of each term parents will receive a detailed invoice with the main
school bill.

Heads of Departments make all arrangements for ordering books and usually do so through the
school bookshop.
 The Thrift Shop
Situated within the main Fettes College shop, the Thrift Shop offers good quality second hand
items of uniform and accessories. 50% of the selling price is paid back to the owner of the item
and 50% (less VAT where applicable) is retained by the school.

Extra Charges

Fees at Fettes College are set only after careful scrutiny by the Board of Governors that
they properly reflect the costs and benefits of an all-round education at the school. The
Board seeks, wherever possible, to ensure that the fees cover everything other than
elements which are specific to an individual; these are termed extras and fall, broadly
speaking, into 3 categories:

1) The first category represents compulsory charges which are substantially variable
depending on the particular student hence the need to classify them as extras; these
would include exam entry fees, contributions to curricular trips, House termly
charges, text books, music and extra lessons, art copying and equipment and
laundry/dry cleaning charges; there would also be a charge raised by the Housemaster
or Housemistress in question for any culpable damage. Some notable examples
include:

Exam Charges

Charges made by the relevant public examination board are passed on as follows:

GCSE
The majority of exams in the fifth form involve a flat entry fee; others are module-based
and correspondingly charged and some subjects involve more modules than others.
Nevertheless, a typical GCSE pupils exam charge in 2016/17 ranged between 330 and
420 for the full set of exams depending on the specific subjects taken and whether
Science was taken as a dual award or individually. As a general rule, flat entry fees are
approximately 40 and module charges vary between 7 and 10 and each subject will
typically include 3 or 4 modules. Charges are added to the fifth form summer term fee
bill.

A-Level
The overall charge made for A Levels is in the order of 450 to 500 charged on the
final summer term fee bill.

IB
The cost of registering for the Diploma examinations is approximately 98 which
includes the cost of Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay. There is then a charge
of circa 68 per subject. The total amount that it costs to enter is thus in the order of
506. The exam fees are charged in the bill at the end of the autumn term in the upper
sixth form and are payable in the January of that year.
Extra lessons

Music and Piping lessons are typically offered weekly and the charges for 2017/18 per 40-
minute lesson are 25.25 and 24.00 respectively.
There is no charge for extra lessons offered in the delivery of our curriculum. There is,
however, a charge for additional lessons which are offered over and above the standard
curriculum. Examples include children joining Fettes with a language standard
significantly ahead of the norm and hence wishing to take separate classes, children with
a different first language wishing to prepare separately for an examination in it and pupils
simply wishing to maintain regular dialogue in their native tongue. The current charge
for this is dependent upon the language in question and the ratio of children to teacher
but will typically range between 220 and 300 per term.

Art

The Art Department runs a state-of-the-art very high quality A3 colour printer and
scanner and an A1 printer. It is acknowledged that a significant part of some pupils art
work may involve extensive use of those resources and it is further agreed that it is largely
for the pupil, particularly once they are in the sixth form, to determine for themselves
the extent to which he or she needs to make use of it, or not, depending upon the
direction the pupils work is taking. With that in mind, Fettes has introduced a termly
allowance for art copying/printing in the fourth form onwards of 25 and any costs
incurred above this figure are passed onto parents. In order to provide some context,
25 equates to just over 400 colour A4 prints. Costs are allocated by way of a code specific
to a pupil which he or she is required to enter to retrieve prints or make copies.

On entering fourth form or lower sixth, every Fettesian Art student is presented with an
Art Toolbox, charged at 35, which contains all the tools and equipment needed to allow
them to complete work remotely, for example during prep. Sketch books and folders are
provided at cost price to students as required throughout their courses, these are charged
to school bills on a termly basis; most students will incur costs in the region of 10
annually for these.

At the beginning of the lower sixth year there will be a one-day drawing and research trip
to Comrie, which will have a charge of 10 to cover an educational talk.

Text books / stationery

All third form pupils receive an initial supply of stationery as listed below to help them
organise their academic work at the start of the autumn term. The cost of this pack will
be added to the school account and comprises:
10 A4 ring binders 1 Lever Arch file
2 sets of subject dividers 1 pad of file paper
1 ring-binder wallet 1 metal hole punch
1 Casio fx83 calculator
 All new fourth form pupils receive a pack which consists of:
6 Lever Arch files 1 ringbinder wallet
1 Unipad 80 pages 1 set of 10 part dividers
1 metal hole punch

Last years prices were 38 for the third form pack and 23 for the fourth form pack.
Thereafter, stationery is available from the school shop on an account or cash basis as
described below.
Text books are issued to pupils at the behest of the teacher and these are charged on the
school bill via the school shop. Clearly, any pupil may declare that they already have the
book in question, perhaps from a sibling, and so no new book is issued or charge made
in those situations.

CCF

CCF is a compulsory activity from the summer term of third form until the end of the
fifth form whereupon it becomes voluntary, albeit remains exceptionally popular.

Charges passed on in respect of the CCF are restricted to:

(i) CCF boots, not supplied by the MOD, therefore purchased specifically
for the students at a cost of 45. Boots are required for safety while
undertaking CCF training
(ii) cost of lost kit (please note CCF kit, sourced from the MOD, is
inexplicably expensive so special care should be taken not to lose items of
equipment - by way of example, a replacement head dress and cap badge
costs 70)
(iii) contributions to the cost of CCF camps (circa 100) and Bisley (circa
200) although these are subsidised by the MOD.

On that basis, the range of costs over a pupils time with the CCF could vary from 50
to as much as 500 based on full involvement with camps and shooting at Bisley (and
assuming an odd lost piece of kit).

2) ) The second category brings with it an element of choice and includes Saturday
activities & discos, etc and Duke of Edinburgh scheme costs an element of choice
because whilst the activities in question are strictly speaking optional, parents may
feel a degree of compulsion with some of them.

Saturday Activities

Most Saturday activities are covered in the fees so that, with one or two exceptions per
term, no Saturday in-school activities will be separately charged.

Duke of Edinburgh (D of E)

There are 3 levels of D of E: Bronze, Silver and Gold.

At Fettes, Bronze is a compulsory activity in the 3rd Form and, as such, most associated
costs are included within the fees other than the participation pack and a contribution to
the activity, a total of 35. The only additional cost to the Bronze award is a lack of vital
equipment from the kit-list; this is almost always walking boots. For
safety reasons insufficient footwear must be replaced at a cost of approximately 45. Loss
or damaged group equipment caused through negligence is also recharged to the specific
individuals.

Silver and Gold are optional and would typically be taken in the fourth and fifth forms
and lower and upper sixth forms respectively. Charges are split between the training and
assessment expeditions and vary depending upon the nature of the activity selected for
the award. Costs for these events are added to the school bill, typically in two stages, and
detailed information is provided to parents in advance of the expeditions. These costs
will include travel, specialist activity-dependent kit, accommodation, assessor and
coaching fees and any assessment centre costs and will be something in the order of 500
and 750 in total respectively for each of Silver and Gold. It also states very clearly that,
whilst the school offers an organised expert-led expedition, students can opt to complete
their Silver and Gold expeditions independently; if the latter, however, parents should
note the restrictions on timing of such privately arranged expeditions, specifically
avoiding term-time trips outside the calendared Fettes D of E dates.

3) The final category is truly optional and includes taxi charges, shop purchases,
both of which can be avoided by requesting a cash-only basis, hoodies, medical
charges, local entertainment events (cinema, theatre, rugby, etc.), school trips,
exam remarks and buying books from visiting speakers/authors to name but a few.

Unless a parent informs the school, the presumption is that pupils will be allowed to use
accounts for both the school shop and taxis although parents should be aware that the
shop manager and matron will take a keen interest in anything which appears to be
excessive expenditure in those areas. Parents who wish may decline the account option
for either or both of the shop and taxis and require their children to use cash or cards of
their own or take the bus and walk. An email in the first instance to your childs
Housemaster or Housemistress will suffice.

Medical Charges

All boarding pupils are registered with an NHS practice and there is no charge for routine
medical examinations and treatment. If a child is required to attend a consultant and/or
hospital, the assumption is that this will be done under the auspices of the NHS for which
there is no charge but parents are given the option to go privately if they have Medical
Insurance cover (eg. AXA PPP or BUPA) or wish to pay it themselves directly. The school
also has an in-house physiotherapist and a podiatrist who provide their services for a
charge and this charge can be added as an extra to the school bill. Parents would always
be contacted beforehand for approval and they are equally at liberty to use a third party
specialist, albeit we would not be in a position to add any corresponding charges to the
school bill the parent would need to settle it directly. Other medical charges include
vaccinations, either those required by the Health Board or in anticipation of an overseas
trip and, again, parents permission would be sought in these instances, for both medical
and financial reasons.
Dental Charges

Dentistry is not something the school typically offers other than in emergency situations
and any associated costs are added to the bill, permission having been sought from the
parents. We would ask that routine check-ups are planned and carried out wherever
possible during the school holidays with your own dentist.

Outdoor Pursuits (other than D of E)

Information concerning all trips and expeditions is provided to parents well in advance
and any associated costs are similarly communicated. In 2017/18, it is expected that some
day trips will be planned on Sundays and these may include cycling, hill-walking or
canoeing and modest charges will be raised against these activities to cover any centre-
based or rental costs.

Extra-curricular activities

Pupils at Fettes are encouraged to participate in a broad variety of activities. Most

activities are offered at no charge but some notable exceptions currently include: dance
and theatre trips, for which charges are made to cover the cost of providing the activity.
Any relevant charges are communicated at the beginning although reliance is to a certain
extent placed on the pupil to warn parents if they are considering or have selected a
chargeable activity.

Trips

Considerable thought goes into selecting and planning trip options for pupils at Fettes
and parents may feel overwhelmed at times by the sheer breadth of opportunities being
presented to them. It is fair to say that trips can be split into 3 broad categories:

Major (may be sport, choir, Pipe Band, etc. but typically involve a fortnight or so
during a school holiday);
Curricular (language exchanges, geography/art field trips, history trips, etc.);
and
Fun/educational (skiing, etc)

The cost of these trips can vary widely and plenty of notice is given to parents in the case
of each trip. The school also recognises that parents may wish to be selective about which,
if any, trips their child embarks on and so a three-year programme of proposed trips is
published towards the end of the year and updated annually to allow parents to gauge the
most appropriate option for their child.

As a general rule, the school seeks to ensure that extras are only applied to bills if parents
are aware of and expecting them. In the case of the first category, these will in the main
have been specifically authorised by or at least communicated to parents. With respect to
the other two categories, the school does and must at times place reliance on the child to
inform parents and seek approval for various costs, including some local entertainment
trips and in-house parties.
Insurance

The following section describes the insurance cover in place in respect of pupils at Fettes
and the various options open to parents. Any queries in respect of insurance cover
generally, whether to express interest in a particular option or to obtain details of
standard cover arrangements, should be directed to the Bursar.

Pupils personal effects

The school provides limited insurance cover for the personal effects of pupils and,
therefore, parents should organise appropriate cover either by an extension to their
household/personal effects policy or by taking out a separate policy for pupils personal
effects.

Pupils travel insurance

The school has an annual travel insurance policy with ACE European Group Limited
which covers pupils on school trips worldwide and includes a winter sports extension.
The school also arranges further extensions to this policy or separate specialist travel
insurance should the nature of any school trip, or part thereof, deem it necessary. This
should remove the need for parents to take out separate travel insurance for school trips
and details of the policy are available on request from the Bursar. This policy does not,
however, cover travel to and from school in the normal course unless part of an organised
school trip.

Pupils personal accident scheme

This is arranged through the Scottish Council for Independent Schools (SCIS). Cover
is provided for twenty four hours per day, 365 days of the year and provides a scale of
benefits for permanent injury resulting from an accident. The policy does not cover
associated medical costs. All pupils are automatically covered from the first day of term
including the duration of the uninterrupted journey to school and the cover continues
until the pupil leaves school. There is no additional cost as the premium is incorporated
within the fee structure.

School fees protection scheme

Parents may wish to take out an insurance policy to cover extended absence from school
due to sickness or accident. If the cover is in place parents are normally eligible for pro
rata refund of fees. This insurance is an optional extra and the premium is additional to
the basic fees. One such policy available is arranged through Marsh Limited, the schools
insurance broker, a specialist in this type of insurance.

Private Medical Insurance

The school participates in the AXA PPP Healthcare Pupils Medical Insurance Scheme.
This insurance is an optional extra and the premium is additional to the basic fee.
Life Assurance

The school does not provide any insurance cover for parents in the event they are no
longer able to afford the fees for any reason, including as a result of death or illness, and
in that and indeed all cases, parents who have not already done so are strongly advised to
take separate advice and make arrangements where necessary.

Dogs

We ask that parents and friends do not bring their dogs on campus.
 Senior School Routine
The Fettes academic timetable operates on a two week cycle; Week A and Week B.

MONDAY to FRIDAY
Morning 8.30am Chapel Weds/Sat 8.25am
8.50am 9.30am Period 1
9.35am 10.15am Period 2
10.20am 11.00am Period 3
11.00am 11.30am BREAK
11.30am 12.10pm Period 4
12.15pm 12.55pm Period 5
1.00pm 1.30pm Period 6

The Middle School have period 6 on Mondays and Fridays and Sixth Form have period 6 on Tuesdays,
Wednesdays and Thursdays.

MONDAY to FRIDAY

Afternoon and Evening

Monday 2.20pm 3.00pm Period 7
3.05pm 3.45pm Period 8
3.50pm 4.30pm Period 9
4.45pm 7.05pm Activities available
7.20pm 8.50pm Prep

Tuesday 2.30pm - 4.30pm Games

4.30pm - 7.00pm Activities available
7.20pm 8.50pm Prep

Wednesday 1.55pm Lunchtime concerts

2.40pm - 3.20pm Period 7
3.25pm 4.05pm Period 8
No period 9 on a Wednesday
4.15pm - 7.00pm Activities available
7.20pm 8.50pm Prep

Thursday 2.30pm - 4.30pm Games

4.30pm - 7.00pm Activities available
7.20pm 8.50pm Prep

Friday 2.20pm 3.00pm Period 7

3.05pm 3.45pm Period 8
4.45pm - 5.45pm Academic Priority
6.00pm - 7.00pm Activities available
7.20pm 8.50pm Prep

SATURDAY 8.25am Congregational Practice

8.50am 12.55pm Periods 1 - 5 for all Forms
2.00pm Games

SUNDAY 10.00am Chapel if no evening Service

7.00pm Chapel
Section 3: Important Policies

Safeguarding Policy
Fettes College is dedicated to ensuring that all pupils and staff live together in a safe environment.
Safeguarding is central to all that we do and is integral to the ethos of the school. It is the duty of
all members of staff, throughout the Fettes community, to play an active role in promoting the
wellbeing of all our pupils. Pupils must feel that they can take any issues and concerns to an adult
confident in the knowledge that they will be treated with respect, listened to and the appropriate
action taken. To this end all members of staff, both teaching and support, are trained so that they
have knowledge of safeguarding and child protection procedures.

Our Safeguarding Policy is set in the framework of Scottish Governments Getting it Right for
Every Child (GIRFEC), the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland (2014) and The
Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014. The core message of GIRFEC is that everyone
has a responsibility to do the right thing for each child and work towards a unified approach,
with less bureaucracy and more freedom to respond to children. Children should get the help
they need, when they need it, and their welfare is always paramount.

The Chairman of Governors and the Governing Body are responsible for overseeing all aspects
of safeguarding in the school. Ms Lindsay Paterson is the Governor responsible for safeguarding
in the College.

All members of staff are trained annually in safeguarding and are expected to follow the
Safeguarding procedures. These are also reviewed annually and the guidelines on safeguarding
are issued to all members of staff. A Code of Conduct for Staff is issued at the start of the
academic year and signed by staff.

Wellbeing Indicators

GIRFEC concerns the wellbeing of all our pupils and identifies that every child and young
person needs to be:

Safe
Healthy
Achieving
Nurtured
Active
Respected and Responsible
Included

The core message of GIRFEC is that everyone has a responsibility to do the right thing for each
child and work towards a unified approach, with less bureaucracy and more freedom to get on
and respond to children. Children should get the help they need, when they need it, and their
welfare is always paramount. GIRFEC is underpinned by common values and principles which
apply across all aspects of working with children and young people.

It is the aim of the school that all our Policies, the Personal Social Education programme and
all that we do reflect these values summarised by the wellbeing wheel below:
Five Wellbeing Questions

GIRFEC requires that at all stages of supporting our pupils, teachers are asked to keep the
following five questions uppermost in their minds:

1. What is getting in the way of this young persons wellbeing?

2. Do I have all the information I need to help this young person?
3. What can I do now to help this young person?
4. What can the school do to help this young person?
5. What additional help, if any, may be needed from others?

Child Protection Policy

Children and young people have the right to protection and care and should feel safe and secure.
In a boarding school we have a particular responsibility to work with parents to safeguard and
promote the welfare of children and young people and protect them from abuse. Additionally as
a result of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 and The Protection of Vulnerable
Groups (Scotland) Act 2007, we have a legal obligation to do so and therefore the school has
developed this Policy. Education Scotland and the Care Inspectorate carry out school inspections
to ensure childrens welfare is safeguarded.
What is abuse?

Abuse can include any of the following: physical injury, emotional abuse, neglect and sexual
abuse.

What action will the staff take if told of abuse?

All staff are given specific guidelines on what to do and how to react if a pupil chooses to confide
in them. Details of these guidelines will be made available to any parent on request. Staff are
trained to never give an absolute guarantee of confidentiality. In the event of such a disclosure or
if a member of staff suspects a child may have been abused the matter will be referred to the
schools coordinator. Mr Henry McCowan Hill is the Child Protection Coordinator in the
College and Miss Emma Davies fulfils this role in the Prep School.

What will happen next?

The Child Protection Coordinator will collate all relevant information, contact relevant
members of staff and make a decision about further action, which would involve referral to the
Social Work Department if there is any substantial suspicion of abuse. The Headmaster and
Safeguarding Governor will be kept informed.

Confidentiality Guidelines

The policy of the school is to work in partnership with parents in order to promote the welfare
of children. The school also aims to build up relationships of trust with children. Children and
parents should feel able to raise with the school concerns about safety and welfare in the
knowledge that these will be dealt with sensitively. Because of the sensitivity of these issues, the
school will operate on the presumption that anything imparted in confidence will be treated in
confidence. This is subject to three qualifications:

1. Anything imparted in confidence to one member of staff or person approached as an

associate of the school, may be shared with a restricted number of colleagues if that
person feels in need of support and guidance from them.

2. If serious concerns are raised about the safety or welfare of a child, the person
approached may be obliged, in terms of the school's Child Protection procedures, to
pass that information on to the Child Protection Coordinator or Head of Pastoral Care
for consideration as to whether it should be shared with the appropriate authorities. In
these circumstances, the person approached would not, except in an emergency, breach
the confidence without letting the person seeking assistance know that he/she intended
doing so.

3. The school must of course pass on information when legally obliged to do so, for
example, by a court of law.

Children must feel able to share concerns with a member of staff. Problems may arise when a
child consults a member of staff about a problem and does not want that information to be shared
with parents. Whilst staff will encourage children to share that information with parents where
that is appropriate, there may be circumstances in which any pressure to pass the information on
could result in the child keeping the problem to him or herself or not sharing concerns in the
future. This is why in these specific circumstances the Head of Pastoral Care may make a decision
not to include parents. There is also evidence from young peoples sexual health services that
confidentiality is the crucial factor in young people accessing services. In Scotland, the 'National
Guidance - Under Age Sexual Activity: meeting the needs of children and young people and
identifying child protection concerns' (Scottish Government, 2010) provides guidance for
setting up protocols for practitioners around assessing needs and risk when working with young
people under 16 who may be at risk of harm through early sexual activity. The guidance while
advising practitioners to ask young people to share information with their parents or carers
establishes an overriding principle that the confidentiality rights of children and young people
should be upheld, unless there is a child protection concern.

The Medical Centre is governed by guidelines on medical confidentiality.

Confidentiality Statement for Pupils

The staff are here to listen and to help. Talk to someone if you are at all concerned or worried
about anything.

They may need to share the information with others if they are concerned about your safety but,
if so, they will tell you first.

If you want to speak confidentially about any worries which you may have you can contact the
Medical Centre, the Child Protection Coordinator or the Head of Pastoral Care.

If you are unsure about talking to a member of staff you can phone:

ChildLine 0800 1111

Breathing Space 0800 83 85 87 is an alternative number for teenagers
PSE Firefly pages give you contact details of other agencies that could help.

Counterbullying policy
Rationale

The school Aims state that our students should, feel safe, valued, have a sense of personal worth,
be thoughtful and considerate of the needs of others. The provision of a counter bullying policy
alongside School discipline policies and the pastoral care network in Houses is intended to
translate this aim into practice and is based on the Equality Act 2010 which enshrines that there
must not be discrimination against the nine protected characteristics. This policy has also been
guided by the National Approach to Anti-Bullying for Scotlands Children and Young
people(2010).

Aims: The aims of the counter bullying policy are:

To encourage good family values and help to create a happy, well-ordered and
caring community
To raise awareness among pupils, parents and staff as to what constitutes bullying
behaviour including cyberbullying
To ensure all members of the community feel accepted and do not suffer bullying
due to any form of discrimination.
To communicate to pupils, parents and staff why bullying is unacceptable, that it
will not be tolerated and that victims will be supported
To ensure that all pupils have knowledge of and access to a support structure
 within houses and school so they can share worries and seek help
To reduce incidents of bullying through implementation of appropriate strategies
- preventative and proactive as well as reactive
To implement strategies for treating bullies and victims which will effect
appropriate behaviour changes
To stimulate awareness and maintain the above aims through the involvement of
the whole school community

What is Bullying?

Bullying can take many forms - physical, verbal or psychological. It may be carried out by
individuals or groups and is characterised by repeated behaviour against the victim. Bullying
behaviour may include:

name-calling, teasing, putting down or threatening

ignoring, leaving out or spreading rumours
physical assault
stealing and damaging belongings
making people feel like they are being bullied or fearful of being bullied
targeting someone because of who they are or are perceived to be

It must be remembered that bullying also involves the use of mobile phones, email or social
networking sites on the internet. This is termed cyber bullying and includes areas such as email
& internet chat room misuse; mobile threats by text messaging and calls and the misuse of
associated technology, ie. camera and video facilities. Cyberbullying can be defined as the use of
Information and Communications Technology, particularly smartphones and the internet,
deliberately to upset someone else. However, it differs in several significant ways from face to
face bullying: the invasion of home and personal space; the difficulty in controlling electronically
circulated messages; the size of the audience; perceived anonymity; and even the profile of the
person doing the bullying and their target. This policy and the schools ICT Acceptable Use policy
specifically ban any form of cyberbullying.

Fettes College will not tolerate any form of bullying which relates to groups or individuals within
our community including LGBTQIA. Therefore we will not tolerate homophobic, biphobic,
transphobic or gender based bullying. Working with the pupil led Fettes Equality Society the
school is working towards LGBT Charter Mark recognition.

What action to take

The principle underlying this policy is that a pupil who is a victim of bullying or who witnesses
bullying should feel free to approach any member of staff for help. The member of staff is
expected to act in accordance with school policy. All staff have a vital part to play in making it
clear that bullying behaviour will not be tolerated, in being vigilant and proactive if they note
what may be developing into a bullying relationship and in being approachable and willing to
offer help and support.

The victim

Pupils who feel that they are being bullied should feel confident about reporting any incident
and should have as many ways of reporting it as possible, for example:

Telling a friend who will pass the information on to an adult

 Telling a prefect who will pass the information on
Telling his/her tutor
Telling his/her Housemaster or Housemistress
Making an online report as indicated in the Acceptable Use Policy
Telling another member of staff
Telling the Medical Centre staff
Telling the Head of Pastoral Care or Chaplain

Parents - parents of children who may be being bullied need to know:

The school procedures for dealing with bullying

The signs to look out for
That they should contact the Housemaster/Housemistress and know that the
matter will be taken seriously and investigated

Pupils - pupils need to know:

The school procedures for dealing with bullying

The signs to look out for in case one of their friends is being bullied
That they will be taken seriously
That any information they give will be dealt with as confidentially as possible

Staff : Members of staff should follow school procedures when a bullying incident arises.

Discuss issues of bullying if they arise in the classroom

Note and report any significant changes in a pupils behaviour to House
Watch for interaction between pupils which may indicate bullying
Note and report to House any pupils who are consistently left out by others
Be vigilant in informing House of unexplained absences from classes or activities

Investigating and managing incidents of bullying

Staff to whom the incident is reported or who first discover the incident

Make the situation safe if necessary

Refer the incident to the Housemaster/Housemistress
Be prepared to give a full account of the incident to him/her. It is best to write,
sign and date an account of any serious incident as soon as possible after
reporting it. Give a copy to the Housemaster or Housemistress and keep a copy
for yourself

Housemaster or Housemistress

Housemaster or Housemistress takes responsibility for investigating the incident

Bully and bullied may be brought together to try to talk it through
Clear guidelines for future behaviour are issued to both parties and a code of
conduct agreed. Both pupils should know that the situation will be monitored
and know of consequences for bully if bullying continues
Parents of bully and bullied may be informed
Housemaster or delegate (tutor, prefect) monitors situation
 Referral to Deputy Head or Headmaster if no improvement is seen. Possible
suspension or expulsion in extreme cases

NB: not all incidents will require use of all these steps.

Prevention

Wherever possible, the emphasis will be on preventative measures rather than

simply reacting to incidents of bullying when they occur
All pupils will take part in PSE sessions on bullying in Prep School and third
form. PSE Sessions will also occur on cyberbullying
A member of staff is a CEOP Ambassador to help with the prevention of
cyberbullying
Housemasters and Housemistresses will reinforce the content of PSE sessions
within houses

All staff should be vigilant and willing to take appropriate action if they suspect that a pupil is
being bullied

Discipline & Misdemeanours Policy

The school's discipline is firm and caring with a strong emphasis on trust, considerate behaviour
and courtesy. For the most part Fettesians are decent, generous, law-abiding pupils. More often
than not any misbehaviour is checked by a word quietly administered and every effort is made to
maintain the generally excellent relationships between pupils and staff. Fettesians are expected
always to show good manners, be courteous, well turned out, punctual and reliable in fulfilling
their obligations. Pupils are asked to pursue their own goals with enthusiasm but with respect for
others; they are asked to treat others with sympathy, understanding and tolerance; they are asked
to respond positively to the demands that community life places upon them.

Academic Misdemeanours
These are largely the responsibility of the individual teacher for whom a number of sanctions is
available. Pupils may be asked to rewrite work of inadequate quality. This work is seen and signed
by the Housemaster, Housemistress or Tutor before being returned to the teacher. Extra work
may be set and organised by the subject teacher.

For academic negligence pupils may be given a detention. Wednesday detentions occur at
lunchtime on Wednesday and are supervised by the teacher or a member of the SMT. For
repeated offences or for serious academic misdemeanours a pupil will be placed in Saturday
evening detention which is supervised by a member of staff.

If a pupil's effort is poor, tutors will sometimes recommend to the Housemaster or

Housemistress that the pupil be placed on a report card. This report card is presented by the
pupil to the member of staff for each lesson. An effort grade is recorded and any appropriate
comment. The card is seen regularly by the pupil's tutor and Housemaster or Housemistress and
they discuss together the effort grades given. These cards help to reinforce the need for better
effort and give House staff a clearer idea of current progress. As such it can therefore be used as
a boost and provide a useful short term goal.

For serious offences, the Housemasters and Housemistresses will be directly involved. Pupils'
performances are discussed at regular staff meetings and persistent offenders may have some
privileges withdrawn.
Disciplinary Misdemeanours

There are clear guidelines on serious offences.

Drugs

In the case of any involvement with drugs or other illegal or prohibited substances, the pupil will
normally be asked to leave the school. Pupils who, by their behaviour or their associations, give
cause for suspicion that they might be misusing drugs may be required to take a drugs test. By
signing the Final Entry Form (see Part B, paragraph 2) the parent/s give their consent to testing
for drugs being carried out in the circumstances set out above. Where the school suspects or
confirms the involvement of any pupil in drugs, the pupils parent/s will be contacted. The use
of so-called legal highs are also prohibited.

Alcohol

The school attempts to maintain a balanced approach to alcohol. It has developed the following
policy to ensure the welfare of pupils and compliance with the law.

General

It is against the law for anyone under the age of 18 years of age to buy alcohol.

It is a fundamental school rule that pupils, whether under or over the age of 18, are forbidden to
buy alcohol, and/or consume alcohol outside of the school, and/or to bring alcohol onto the
school premises. The only exception to this is for pupils over the age of 18 and strictly in the
circumstances set out in the following paragraph.

The school wishes to impart a knowledge of the risks whilst at the same time exposing the senior
pupils to responsible drinking in a social and convivial atmosphere. The school allows sixth
formers moderate, controlled amounts of alcohol (2 units) at school dances and also if taken with
a meal by those over 18 on Saturday evening leaves. Consumption of spirits is forbidden. The
possession and use of fake ID is also not allowed in accordance with the law.

Sanctions

If any pupil breaches the school rules on alcohol they will be seen by the Deputy Head and will be
fined and gated (confined to school grounds) for an appropriate period of time. Parents will also
be informed in writing.

Any second offence or a breach of the rules which of itself is considered to be particularly serious,
will mean that the pupil is seen directly by the Headmaster.

Senior pupils who purchase alcohol for younger pupils are liable to be punished severely. This
punishment is at the discretion of the Headmaster.

If a middle school pupil breaks the rules on alcohol they will not be allowed to attend Saturday
night social events for the next calendar year. If a sixth form pupil contravenes the rules they will
not be allowed leave on a Saturday night Indulgence for the next four opportunities.

Any pupil considered to be under the influence of alcohol in contravention of this policy may be
asked to undergo an alcohol breath test. Where the alcohol test confirms contravention of this
policy the sanctions will be as set out above according to which part of the school the pupil is in.
Where the pupil refuses a request to undergo an alcohol test in the circumstances set out above,
the relevant sanctions mentioned above will be applied.

By signing the Final Entry Form (see Part B, paragraph 2) the parent/s give their consent to
alcohol testing being carried out in the circumstances set out above. Where the school suspects or
confirms a breach of the alcohol policy, the pupils parent/s will be contacted.

Sexual Misconduct
Pupils involved in sexual misconduct will normally be asked to leave the school.

Bullying
The school takes any allegation of bullying very seriously and all cases are investigated thoroughly.
In serious cases it is likely that the bully will be internally or externally suspended and a written
warning given that in the event of further trouble the bully will be asked to leave the school.

Smoking

Fettes is a non-smoking campus for staff, parents and pupils. Any contravention by a pupil will
lead to a fine of 20 (which goes to charity) and a two-week gating (being confined to the
grounds). The Housemaster or Housemistress will write to inform parents. For a second offence
there will be a 30 fine together with a three-week gating. The pupil will be seen by the Deputy
Head who will write to inform parents. If a third offence is committed the pupil will be seen by
the Headmaster. We consider smoking in buildings particularly anti-social and unacceptable as
it also involves health risks and the threat of causing a lethal fire. In such cases the matter may be
referred directly to the Headmaster. E-cigarettes are also not allowed.

Chewing gum

Chewing gum is forbidden throughout the school. Any pupil breaking this rule is fined 5 (which
goes to charity) and may be given chores to do.

Internet access & use

At the beginning of each session, pupils are required to read the ICT Acceptable Use Policy. The
Policy is included in Section 3 of this Handbook. A breach of the Policy may result in a ban from
the ICT Network for a period of time and other disciplinary sanctions.

General

Breaches of the school rules and policies may result in the pupil being referred to the
Housemaster or Housemistress or the Deputy Head with possible consequent loss of privileges.
Serious issues will be brought to the attention of the Headmaster.

Persistent breaching of the rules is likely to result in loss of privileges and gating. The
Housemaster or Housemistress may also find jobs for the pupil to do.

If a pupil, who is under 16, is seen by the Headmaster or Deputy Head on an issue which could
lead to serious action being taken, a member of the Child Protection team will be present.

Major breaches of school discipline may result in internal suspension, external suspension or the
pupil being asked to leave the school. Internal suspension is as serious a punishment as external
suspension. It involves the pupil staying in school but losing their free time which is used for
extra study or community service.
Dress Regulations

We require members of the school to be well turned out and to give a good impression. The
school uniform policy is to be adhered to. We expect pupils coming to classes or going on trips
to be in uniform that is tidy, with clean shoes, ties properly tied, hair brushed, and with kilts and
jerseys properly worn. The school uniform policy is included at the end of this handbook.

Dress regulations for ordinary activities and for games are published in house handbooks. Casual
clothes may be worn at specified times. These must be clean, tidy, decent and named and must
meet with the complete approval of Housemasters/Housemistresses. Extremes of fashion are not
permitted. Parents are provided with a clothing list and will be informed of any modifications.
All articles of clothing must be clearly named and sent back to school in good repair. Extra name
tapes should be sent to the house matron for articles purchased during term time.

ICT Acceptable Use Policy

Fettes College computing equipment and the internet may only be used for legal activity
consistent with the aims, objectives and rules of the school. By logging onto the Fettes network
or attaching any device to it, you automatically agree to accept the conditions of this policy. Access
is a privilege, not a right.

Violations of this policy will result in loss of access for a period to be determined taking account
of the seriousness of the breach. This does not exclude the taking of other disciplinary action.

Fettes College reserves the right to examine or delete any files that may be held on its computer
systems or those of network users and to monitor use of email use and the internet.

Safety and monitoring

The schools web filtering software seeks to prevent the introduction of computer viruses. It is
essential that current anti-virus software is installed on all pupil laptops and mobile devices.

The school has a duty of care to safeguard pupils from inappropriate or undesirable internet
sites. New legislation specifically refers to the protection from terrorist or extremist material and
the schools firewall systems are configured to screen for such content and are reviewed regularly.

However, no filtering system is perfect and pupils should be vigilant in avoiding illegal,
inappropriate or undesirable websites. Any pupil coming across such material should follow the
steps outlined below:
Do not respond
Take a screenshot
Pass it on to a member of staff
There are additional channels for reporting feeling uncomfortable in an online situation and
pupils are made aware of this through PSE.

Systems also exist to audit and monitor individuals in their use of the schools network and in
their communication across the Internet. Network administrators may review files and
communications to maintain system integrity and users should not expect that network use will
be private.
Guidelines for Pupils

A guide to online behaviour and safety is available in house and the school prefects have written
their own statements for pupils:

Personal details

You are responsible for the security of your account and care must be taken to log off
correctly
Never divulge your system logon password to anyone.
Access to the Internet and email must only be made via the authorised account and
password.
If you feel your details may have been compromised please inform ICT as soon as
possible.
Do not post any information that contains personal details such as your date of birth,
address or phone number.
It is a serious violation of school rules to
o use the password of another pupil or member of staff
o attempt or attempt to access others folders, work or files
Ensure that your use of devices does not render you liable to the accusation of cyber-
bullying

Electronic communications

Email and other electronic methods of communication must be used with caution and a
code of discipline should be observed at all times.
Never respond to nasty or rude messages but report them immediately to a member of
staff.
Fettes email aliases or address lists must not be divulged to people outside the School.
Do not indulge in careless chatter about others.
School email
o Do check your school email daily for messages.
o Do not use email during lessons or prep for purposes other than teaching and
learning.
o Manage your mailbox by avoiding sending large attachments and deleting old
messages.
o The language and content of emails should be polite and responsible.
o Be aware that the school can monitor email at any time.
Unacceptable Computer Use

The following activities, whilst not an exhaustive list, are unacceptable and forbidden:

Use of Computer systems

Any action that threatens the integrity of Fettes College ICT systems. This includes the
use of illegal executable files that are liable to corrupt the computer systems.
The deliberate unauthorised access to facilities, services, data or resources within the
Fettes College networks or any other network or service accessible via the internet.
Attempting to circumvent the schools network access controls.
Installing software or setting up a computer to evade network mail and web filters.
Using the computer systems in such a way that denies service to other users for example
by overloading network connections by sharing or downloading large video files or
games.
Wasting the efforts of staff involved in the support of Fettes College computer systems.
Interfering with wireless base stations or other hardware equipment.

Offensive material/behaviour
Access to or creation of, transmission or publication of offensive material.
Electronic bullying in any form including harassing, insulting or attacking others, via
blogs, use of images, web postings, email, texting or any other electronic means.
Any use of the network that would bring the name of Fettes College into disrepute.

Non-academic uses of the network

Gaming or the use of social networking sites during lessons/prep. Access to a list of
accepted sites is permitted during designated times. The list is reviewed each term. Any
activity on these sites must comply with this Policy.
Creation of staff or student websites or blogs without consent

Copyright/plagiarism
Copyright breach or plagiarism of any type.
Using the network for commercial purposes, financial gain, or fraud.

School Uniform Policy

We like all Fettesians to look neat and tidy at all times hence the list of uniform below. This also
contains information on what jewellery, make-up or other accessories are and are not allowed.

Girls

Blazer The blazer is worn by all year groups. The House badge is worn on the lapel.

Kilts Fettes tartan kilt is worn by all year groups. Kilts must fit neatly at the waist and be knee-
length.

Jumper a dark navy v-neck jumper is optional to wear with the blazer.

Blouses girls should wear white school blouses with a rever collar
Tights and shoes girls may wear black opaque tights. Shoes should be sturdy, low-heeled,
polishable black leather. Flimsy shoes, which give no support or shoes with high or kitten heels
should not be worn.

Coat girls require a smart, plain, dark coloured coat.

Girls formal wear

In the sixth form, chapel wear should be smart business wear: a formal suit, trouser suit, dress
or dress and jacket. The skirt must be knee length or longer and shoes should be of a suitable
height. In the middle school girls wear their normal school uniform.

Hair - hair colour should appear natural. Hair that is shoulder length or longer should be tied
back off the face and shoulders. A hairband is not adequate. Hair clips and bands should be
simple and unobtrusive.

Jewellery and makeup - girls may wear the following: one simple pair of plain gold, silver or pearl
studs (earrings should be worn in the lobe of the ear); a plain gold or silver necklace (no chokers,
chunky or coloured necklaces are allowed); a plain gold or silver bracelet; one simple gold or
silver ring. No jewellery may be worn during games.

Jewellery that does not comply with the rules will be confiscated and will not be returned until
the end of the term. When wearing casual clothes girls may wear such jewellery as is approved by
the Housemistress. Only clear nail varnish may be worn with school uniform. If makeup is
noticeable it is unacceptable.

Boys - informal wear

Blazers all year groups wear the Fettes blazer. Blazers must be in a good state of repair with a
full complement of buttons, clean, and fit well.

Shirts boys in the third, fourth and fifth forms wear white shirts. Shirts with button down collars
are not to be worn. As an alternative sixth form boys may wear a business shirt. Bold patterns and
loud colours are not allowed.

Jumper a dark navy v-neck jumper is optional to wear with the blazer.

Trousers charcoal grey or black trousers of traditional style and cut are worn with the blazer. A
black belt should be worn to ensure that trousers remain above the hips. Excessively narrow or
baggy trousers are not permitted, likewise trousers made of denim or chino-type material are not
allowed.

Shoes and socks plain socks of a dark colour (black or dark grey) are worn. Shoes must be of
traditional design, black, lace up, without buckles or similar metal accoutrements. They must be
in a good state of repair, clean and polished. Waxy or suede leather shoes are not allowed.

Coats boys require a plain, smart, dark-coloured coat to wear over their uniform.

Ties - Monday to Saturday House ties are worn. Alternatively sports colours, School Prefect,
College Colours, 1st XV/1st XI, Pipe Band and Chapel Choir ties may be worn by boys who are
so entitled. School ties are only worn on formal occasions.
Formal Wear (Sundays) School ties (chocolate and magenta stripes) are worn. Alternatively
sports colours, School Prefect, College Colours, 1st XV/1st XI, Pipe Band and Chapel Choir ties
may be worn by boys who are so entitled. Ties awarded for participation in school tours and
representative sport beyond school level may also be worn.

Hair boys must keep their hair neat and in a style approved by their Housemaster. Hair colour
should appear natural.

The Housemasters decision on the suitability of any item of clothing is final. If there is any
doubt, he should be consulted before a purchase is made.

Boys - formal wear

On Sundays for Chapel and on certain other occasions a kilt (Fettes or family tartan) and tweed
day jacket replaces the blazer and trousers. As an alternative for sixth form pupils a formal dark
grey or navy suit (single-, with a maximum of three buttons, or double-breasted) may be worn.
Suits are not to be worn on Mondays to Saturdays unless formal wear is specifically required.
Section 4: Appendix
Glossary of Fettesian Terms
The following is a list of some of the language to be heard at school. It is not an exhaustive list
but may be helpful.

Area - place in boys houses where meetings are held, name for roll call - approx. at 8.00am and
5.15pm

Arran - boys wing of the Prep School

Bedlots - Sequence of bed times in houses

Bedlocks - same as Bedlots used in some houses.

Belows - House rugby, hockey and lacrosse competitions

Bigside - first and second school teams for all major sports and place where the Rugby 1st XV play

Bryce building - Main College building whose architect was David Bryce.

Callover - old name for Area/roll-call

Callover Hall - main entrance to College where Reception is found

Congregational Practice - Saturday singing practice for all pupils in Senior Houses

Cultural Leave - permission to undertake a cultural visit in Edinburgh given to Sixth form

Easties boys lavatories on ground floor of College

Gating - confining a pupil to the school grounds as a disciplinary measure

Godfather/godmother - senior pupil who advises and looks out for a new member of the House
can also be called a mentor

Green Walk - wooded walkway between boys houses and College

Guest Night - social function for staff and friends

House Check - same as Callover used in girls houses

Indulgence Leave - permission for sixth formers to visit Edinburgh on Saturday evening

Iona - girls wing of the Prep School

Invig - invigilation or private study period usually for the Sixth Form

Jordan - small stream in front of Arniston and Prep School House

Kish slang used to warn of presence of member of staff

Leave - usually being taken out by parents for tea or the evening

Littleside - Rugby 3rd and 4th XV

Littleturf - Cricket 3rd and 4th XI

Mentor Older pupil who looks after a younger people in the same House

Middle School - 3rd, 4th and 5th Forms

Miniside - Rugby 5th and 6th XV

OF - Old Fettesian - former pupil of the school

Off-changing - assessed by Medical Centre or house matron as unfit for games

Old Library - on first floor of College above Callover Hall

Orders - common name for an Academic Report, occurs every half term

Piling - clearing cutlery, crockery etc. after meals, done on house rota

Pro-prefect fifth former shadowing the lower sixth house prefects

Puntabout - a stretch of grass allocated to each House

Queens Lawn - large area of grass closest to College (out of bounds to pupils, with the exception
of school prefects)

Spirals - narrow helical staircase going up to staff corridor and then College Houses

The McMurray - water-based hockey pitch named after our previous Chairman of Governors

The Sutcliffe - our multi-purpose all-weather pitch

Turf - Cricket 1st and 2nd XI

Upper - Large room used for staff meetings, Invigilation, Lectures etc.

Vive-La - song sung by Head Boy and Head Girl on Founders Day

Youngs Playing Fields to the North by Ferry Road, named after OF Donor