Dear Boarder & Flexi Parents/Guardians,

I hope you are all well.

I wanted to touch base with you regarding a small change to our evening routine, which will come into effect from Monday 28th September.

As you are aware, we are a young house with lots of energy, fun and activity, and naturally this can also mean that the children become tired, particularly as we move into the colder and darker months.

Each year, I review and adapt our evening routine to make sure it continues to meet the needs of the children throughout the winter period. This year, I am bringing the change forward by a couple of weeks, as we currently have some particularly tired children, alongside the bugs and illnesses that are circulating at the moment.

The wellbeing of the children is always at the heart of the decisions we make, and I feel that making this small adjustment now will help us support them in getting the rest and sleep they need. A good night's sleep is so important for children, helping them to feel settled, refreshed and ready to make the most of the following day.

There will be no change to the time that our Flexi Boarders finish for the day. However, there will be a slight change to where you will wait for your child when collecting after 6:00pm/6:15pm. Further details are included in the new routine below.

As you can appreciate, getting a young house settled and ready for bed can sometimes have its ups and downs! By introducing a more structured evening routine, our aim is to create a calm and consistent environment where our Boarders and Flexi Boarders staying with us can wind down, relax and get the quality sleep they need.

Children thrive on routine and consistency, and I am confident that this new routine will work really well for them and, most importantly, support their individual needs.

Please see the new evening routine below, which will begin on Monday 28th September.

Thank you, as always, for your understanding and continued support. Our priority is to ensure that the children are happy, settled and well rested, and we appreciate your support in helping us achieve this.

MONDAY, TUESDAY & THURSDAY

5:10pm – Tea

5:30pm – Boarders go to Prep in Lizzie House

5:30pm – Flexi Boarders return to the house

• Monday: Quiet reading in the Common Room

• Tuesday & Thursday: Structured Prep in the Prep Room

6:15pm – Prep finishes

Boarders return from Prep and everyone gets ready for their evening showers.

Flexi collection after 6:15pm:
Please come to the Visitor's Entrance as normal. However, the double doors leading into the foyer will be closed as the children will be getting ready for showers and may be coming downstairs in their dressing gowns. This is simply to help us maintain the children's privacy and keep the evening routine calm and settled.

7:00pm – Tidy up / Supper / Ring home / Electrical time

7:45pm – Electricals away and teeth cleaned

7:55pm – Upstairs to bed for quiet reading

For our younger years, we will also read them a story on some evenings.

8:10pm – Lights out

Our hope is that the children will be settled and asleep by approximately 8:30pm.

The Gloucester Team will be upstairs and walking the corridors to make sure everyone is settled and that all is well.

WEDNESDAY – Our Most Tired Day

Wednesday is usually the day when the children are most tired, so we will have an even calmer evening with no structured Prep for Boarders.

5:30pm – Everyone back from Tea

5:30pm – Flexi Boarders into the Prep Room for quiet reading and to finish any outstanding Prep.

6:00pm – Boarders get ready for showers

Flexi parents collecting on Wednesday should come into the foyer as on the other days, but please note that collections will take place earlier due to the revised routine.

6:45pm – Tidy up the house / House Meeting

7:00pm – Supper: Hot chocolate, milk and biscuits

7:30pm – Phones away and teeth cleaned

7:40pm – Story time

Mrs Mac will read a story to everyone downstairs.

7:55pm – Upstairs to bed

8:00pm – Lights out

Our hope is that the children will be settled and asleep by approximately 8:20pm.

The Gloucester Team will be upstairs and walking the corridors to make sure everyone is settled and that all is well.

FRIDAY

5:30pm – Back from Tea

Mr Leofferler will be in the Prep Room to check everyone's Prep and see if there is anything still to be completed.

6:00pm – Swimming

7:00pm – Tidy up / Showers / Supper

7:50pm – Phones away and teeth cleaned

8:00pm – Relaxed TV/film time

8:20pm – Upstairs to bed

The Gloucester Team will be upstairs and walking the corridors to make sure everyone is settled and that all is well.

SATURDAY

11:45am – Boarders to lunch

12:00pm – Flexi Boarders collected

12:10pm – Structured quiet time

After lunch, all children who are boarding that weekend will spend some quiet time in the Prep Room. This will give them an opportunity to:

• Finish any outstanding Prep

• Complete a wordsearch

• Write home

• Check emails

• Have some quiet, independent time

Boarding parents: You are very welcome to collect your child whenever you wish during this session — they do not have to remain for the full session. However, if your child has not completed all of their Prep, they may need to finish at home. We will, of course, let you know if this is the case.

Once our quiet time is finished, it will be time for some fun and relaxation — trips into town, baking, playing, chilling out and enjoying some well-earned downtime together.

I thank you all in advance for your support with these changes.

I will also be having a big house meeting with the Boarders on Sunday. They already know a little about the changes, but I will go through the new routine thoroughly with them so that everyone understands what to expect.

Ultimately, this is about making sure that our children are happy, settled, well rested and ready to enjoy each new day. We want to give them the structure and consistency they need, while also making sure there is plenty of time for fun, relaxation and being themselves.

Thank you, as always, for your understanding, support and partnership. It really does make a difference when we all work together with the children's best interests at heart.

Kind regards,

Mrs Mac