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Visiting staff at White Hall

This information is designed to help you prepare for your visit. However, should you have any specific questions or concerns please contact us.


The role of visiting staff

We appreciate the hard work that goes into organising a visit and the responsibilities that visiting staff have. The role that you and your colleagues play during your course is extremely important and we greatly value your input and contributions.

Your staff and our staff will work as a team to achieve a successful experience for the pupils. The willingness of your staff to play an active part in the course is an important feature of its success. The information on this page is designed to support and help your staff to become accustomed to the routines and responsibilities during the stay.

A member of our staff will take on the responsibility of directing the course during your time at the centre and will liaise with you before the visit. We'll work closely with you during your course to ensure we deliver an enjoyable, challenging and educational experience for your students.

Before your visit it would be really helpful if you could discuss and go through the 'information for young people' sheets with your students.

Supervision of young people

Our staff will be responsible for the safety of the group while on activities, and we ask visiting staff to support us with this, in particular with student behaviour and general social wellbeing.

To help achieve the most successful course possible, we'd encourage your staff to participate in the activities alongside your group where possible. However, if there are any reasons you'd rather not take part in an activity please just let us know.

Although we send you a draft programme with the activities we plan to do with your school, we may have to make changes to the programme for safety reasons, because of weather conditions or the needs of a group. This does mean that each group might not do exactly the same activities during their stay.

Visiting members of staff are responsible for the general conduct of their group during their stay at the centre. It'll be greatly appreciated if you can encourage the students to adopt a caring attitude during their stay, to leave dormitories tidy, to switch off lights and to take care of belongings including equipment on loan from the centre.

There will be a fire practice on the first day. We ask that you help supervise the evacuation of students and then assist in the roll call.

The dining room offers 'family style' serving to encourage positive social interaction. We try to have one adult on each table if possible. We encourage students to remain seated throughout the meal.

House rules for young people are:

  • dormitories are just for the people who sleep in them
  • no one should visit each other’s dormitories
  • abide by an agreed time for lights out and quiet
  • keep the centre tidy
  • ensure that duties are done
  • show respect for other people
  • White Hall does not tolerate bullying of any kind
  • no smoking or drinking

Evening and overnight responsibilities

One member of White Hall staff is on duty from 5pm to 9am.

During this time they will organise meal times and run an evening activity with your support. During evening activities they'll be responsible for the organisation of the activity but will need your assistance to ensure it's as successful as possible. They'll explain to you all necessary information about the activity.

If the tuck shop is required we ask visiting staff to run this at a time appropriate to activities.

The duty staff will organise supper after the evening activity on the first night, and show visiting staff how to run it for the rest of the course.

From 10pm the duty staff will be on call to give you essential back up should you need it.

They sleep on site and should be contacted immediately (using telephone in staff room ext: 227 or to the duty mobile: 07900 617222) to help in any emergency or for advice and support.

We ask visiting staff to decide on an appropriate bedtime and to be responsible for settling young people overnight.

Please read your school visits policy as its content will apply to your visit to White Hall.

Advice and responsibilities for visiting staff

Security

All entrances are covered by CCTV.

The duty member of staff will ensure doors are locked and downstairs windows are closed.

Please can you turn out lights except for the corridor leading to the student entrance.

Medical and first aid

We will have the medical information from the booking forms and will have a meeting with you to discuss any medical issues before we go out on activities.

We will assume that you will take charge of administering any medication prescribed to your pupils or sent by their parents.

If a child uses an inhaler, please ask them to give you (group leader) a spare inhaler before the visit which can be brought to the centre for emergency use.

All White Hall staff are first aid trained.

The first aid cupboard can be accessed using key 13 (from the staff room).

Please complete the treatment folder for minor injuries, medication or illness.

Contact a member of White Hall staff in an emergency, who will deal with the incident and complete the relevant accident forms.

Fire emergency

We will hold a practice fire drill shortly after arrival at the centre, having shown the pupils the fire exits.

If the alarm activates during the night please help ensure that the dormitories are evacuated and the duty member of staff will check that everyone is out of the building and call the fire service.

Telephones

Dial 9 for an outside line from the staff room telephone.

Sick children

There is a cupboard next to the dormitories which has contents to manage sick and soiling, and clean bedding.

Please put any dirty clothes and bedding in a bin bag and leave by the cupboards near the kitchen door.

If the bedding has not been changed please inform the course co-ordinator the next morning, who will arrange for that to be done.

Valuables

Jewellery, valuables, MP3 players, expensive cameras should not be brought to the centre by students. We cannot take any responsibility for the loss or damage to personal items.

Mobile phones

We strongly discourage students from bringing mobile phones on the course. They are unnecessary and can cause problems.

If there is an emergency parents will be contacted.

If parents need to contact White Hall they are given the phone numbers on the information sheet attached to the individual consent forms.

Staff bedrooms

Most of the staff bedrooms have more than one bed in. On occasions, if you are sharing the centre with another school, you may have to share a bedroom with a member of staff from a different school.

Typical day at White Hall

7:30am - wake students. Children dress, wash and tidy bedrooms.

8am - breakfast and duties. During this time the duty staff will organise mealtimes, but please assist the White Hall staff in encouraging quiet and orderly behaviour and good manners during the meal. The duty staff will organise duties. Please assist with the general supervision of them.

9am - dormitory checks by school staff.

9:10am - staff meeting with white Hall and school staff to review the previous evening, any illnesses or problems overnight and to discuss plans for the day.

9:20am - White Hall staff meet activity groups.

9:15am to 4:30pm - activities.

Lunch time - this is flexible depending on what activity the group has been doing.

4:45pm - staff meeting to discuss the day, the evening activities and the hand-over to the evening duty member of staff. General supervision is required around the house during any students’ free time.

5:30pm - dinner - please ensure that all students are present for the start of the meal. A bell is rung to ask them to go to the dining room. Again, please assist the duty member of staff in encouraging orderly and quiet behaviour during the meal and help supervise the duties.

7pm - evening activity

Supper - please supervise the children during supper and the clearing away afterwards.

Bed time - to be decided and agreed with sharing schools.