Senior School Frequently Asked Questions

When returning from half-term breaks or for a new term, boarders should arrive at school between 18:00 and 21:00 the evening before classes begin. You can view the term dates here.

The first time a new pupil arrives at the school, parents should organise transportation from the airport or pupils' home to the school. The school will help arrange transportation for all other arrival times during the school year.

To book taxis during the year, kindly email taxis@culford.co.uk for more information.
 

Senior School pupils attend Saturday School until noon. After lunch, pupils may play in sports competitions if they have any, or they will have free time to use the Sports and Tennis Centre, relax, or go into the local town, Bury St Edmunds (transportation is provided). Optional activities are offered in the evening.

On Sundays, day trips are offered, which are optional. Past trips include: Cambridge, London, Norwich, laser tag, go-karting, Thorpe Amusement Park, and other destinations. Day pupils are always welcome to join. Please view Sunday activities in the school calendar. 

All boarders are encouraged to contact home regularly. A House telephone is available, and mobile phones are allowed to be used at specific times during the day and evening. Parents and friends are asked not to contact pupils between 08:15 and 15:30 and 18:50-20:45 Monday to Friday or after lights out (times dependent on year group).

If you wish to visit your child at school, please liaise with your child’s Housemaster or Housemistress. All visitors must first report to the person on duty within the House.
 

All uniform items, sports kit, towels and casual wear are washed on site. They are cleaned, tumble-dried and ironed within two days. The matron washes underwear and socks. All clothing items must be labelled.

Bed linen is provided, but pupils are also welcome to bring their own. Pupils must bring their own towels. Bed linen is washed weekly; pupils are expected to make their own beds.

The Health Centre is located next to the dormitories, and a nurse is on call 24 hours a day. House matrons may give pupils over-the-counter medication such as paracetamol and ibuprofen, so it is unnecessary for pupils to bring such medication to school.

If a pupil becomes too unwell to stay in the dormitory, they may stay overnight in the Health Centre, or until they recuperate.

In cases of medical emergencies, a pupil will be accompanied to West Suffolk Hospital by a member of staff and parents will be notified.

The Health Centre offers additional services such as a school councillor and a physiotherapist. Local doctors’ services and an emergency dental plan are also provided for all boarders. 

It is not recommended for boarders to keep cash as digital payments are widely accepted in the UK and in the school’s cafe. Boarders will need some pocket money for school activities and trips. Small snacks are available from the Sports and Tennis Centre Cafe. We recommend £25-£40 per month. If a bank account is opened in the UK, we recommend an account with a cash limit. 

Culford does not keep cash at the school and we are not able to give pupils cash on a weekly or monthly basis.

Pupils are advised not to bring valuable items, including expensive jewellery to school. All valuables, such as electronic devices, should be insured.

Menus can be viewed here.

The school provides three hot meals as well as snacks each day with many choices, including vegetarian. We cater for most dietary requirements, including wheat-free / coeliac, vegan, halal and kosher requests. Snacks are available at break times and after school, which may consist of fruit, biscuits and homemade cakes. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are freshly cooked daily and served in Ashby Dining Hall. A wide range of options are offered, and pupils are encouraged to eat a healthy balanced diet.

Each boarding house has a kitchen, where pupils may keep their own snacks.

You can view the uniform lists here.

Pupils in Senior School wear a uniform, which is ordered online from schoolblazer.com. Uniforms must be ordered before a pupil arrives and should be sent to Culford School. All clothing must be labelled, and School Blazer will attach the labels if you select this option. If there is a problem with the fit, matrons will help return the items and order a replacement.

We recommend ordering sports equipment on a termly basis. The sports for the Autumn, Spring, and Summer terms are:

Boys: Rugby, Hockey, Cricket

Girls: Hockey, Netball, Cricket

Pupils may wear their own casual clothing after the academic day is over and at weekends.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your child’s Housemaster / Housemistress. House staff will be your first point of contact. You will find a list of email contacts here.

For academic questions, please contact your son or daughter’s Tutor.

Pupils need to be dropped off at school by 08:30 ready for registration. 

Pupils can be picked up as early as 15:30, when lessons finish, however, they are encouraged to stay for after school activities which finish at 17:15.

Senior day pupils can be dropped off as early as 07:30 in time for breakfast, which is served 07:30-08:00. Please get in touch with your child’s Housemaster or Housemistress if you would like your child to attend breakfast, the cost of which is included within the day fees.

We allow flexibility in the Senior School for pick-up times. Day pupils may stay after school to study in our library, which is open until 20:30. Included within the day fees, pupils can stay for supper in Ashby dining hall.

Parents of day pupils must notify Reception before 09:00 if their child is going to be absent for any reason. If your child is likely to be late, please also contact Reception. 

Please let the Head know in writing if you require your child to take time off during the school term. Although we understand that it is not always possible to arrange holiday flights exactly when needed, it is not encouraged for pupils to take extended holidays and miss either the last few days of a term or the first few days of the next. Permission should be sought from the Head on these occasions.
 

Bus route information can be found here. Alternatively, please contact our Transport Officer, Mr Collier on 01284 385370. Please note that pupils cannot travel on any of the buses without their parent’s permission. 

The purpose-built Health Centre is available to all pupils. A nurse is on call 24 hours a day. If a day pupil becomes unwell, they will be cared for by one of the nurses until collected by their parents. Over-the-counter medication such as paracetamol and ibuprofen are available from the Health Centre, so it is unnecessary for day pupils to bring such medication to school. The Health Centre offers additional services to boarding and day pupils, such as a school councillor and a physiotherapist.

Occasional boarding is available to allow flexibility and to support families. It is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Please speak to your child’s Housemaster or Housemistress to arrange occasional boarding.

The school provides all meals and snacks. All pupils enjoy daily snacks which are available at break times and after school, which may consist of fruit, biscuits and homemade cakes. Breakfast, lunch and supper are cooked daily and served in Ashby dining hall. There is a wide range of options, and all pupils are encouraged to eat a healthy balanced diet. Menus can be viewed here.

Teachers use constructive written and verbal motivational praise so that pupils of all abilities feel that their work is valued regularly.

The importance of academic success is celebrated at awards events on public occasions such as weekly, half-term and end of term House Assemblies; Head’s Assemblies; the annual Prize Giving Ceremony; subject-specific occasions such as the Sports Dinner. Rewards focus not just on achievement but also on learning behaviours and skills.
 

A supportive catch-up session will be given if an academic deadline and subsequent extensions are missed. Catch-ups run daily from 16:10-17:00 and take priority over all other commitments to ensure that pupils catch up on any incomplete work immediately. Pupils will be allowed to negotiate a longer extension if there are valid reasons, such as school events; however, they must actively manage such requests with their teachers in advance. Parental support with this system is much appreciated.

Fourth and Fifth Form pupils complete prep to a prescriptive timetable. Prep is only set when appropriate and relevant to the curriculum, not every day. The Sixth Form have a flexible framework of approximately six to seven hours of guided independent study every week for each subject. We help all pupils through daily supervised prep sessions, supervised and non-supervised private study, subject clinics and learning development clinics, and a study skills programme that covers time management, organisation and the use of planners. Pupils are also supported through our pastoral systems.

Your child will receive an individual lesson and prep timetable at the beginning of term. Timetables will be accessible to both pupils and parents through My School Portal.

In addition to attainment levels or grades, pupils are also given CLC (Culford Learner Characteristic) levels based on set learning criteria. When appropriate, pupil reports will also include examination grades and relevant, detailed written prose. Reports are published at the following times:

Fourth Form - Spring Term
Lower Fifth - Summer Term
Upper Fifth - Autumn Term
Lower Sixth - Spring Term
Upper Sixth - Autumn Term

Reports are backed up by regular assessments (attainment levels or grades and CLC levels). Each pupil report includes: subject reports with attainment grades and effort numbers; extra-curricular reports; a Tutor report; a Housemasters’/mistresses’ report; an exam card, where relevant with exam grades for each subject; a feedback form for parents. 

After each set of assessments or reports, pupils write self-reflective comments and action plans with the help of their teachers and tutors and monitor these action plans over time.
 

Pupils are required to use their device in the classroom for various tasks, research and assignments. The school is unable to provide laptops, it is therefore important that your child uses a device that is suited to them. It is the pupil’s responsibility to look after their device. Please see the Bring Your Own Device policy here for more information on which devices are suitable for school use.

Your child’s tutor should be the first port of call if you or your child has any problems or worries about school. Housemasters and Housemistresses are naturally on-hand for boarders’ parents, and the Head of Pastoral, Mr Reynolds and Head of Boarding, Mr Ford, are always available to speak with parents; click here to view the useful contacts page.

Head of Fifth Form, Mrs Flack and Assistant Head of Fifth Form, Mr Clyne are on hand to ensure the pupil experience at Culford is as rich as possible. They will help organise a broad range of activities throughout the year, including social events alongside the best possible preparation for public examinations. In doing so each pupil will maximise their opportunities, both inside and outside the classroom and will have had the best preparation for Sixth Form.

Pupils must register with their tutor by 08:30; lessons begin at 08:45 and finish at 15:30 with a 25-minute mid-morning break and an hour for lunch. After-school activities start at 15:50. The school day finishes following activities at 17:20.

On Saturday, pupils must register by 08:50 with their tutor. Saturday school finishes at 12:05, with sports matches taking place in the afternoon. Most matches begin around 14:00, with pupils required to leave earlier for away matches. Boarders not participating in sports have free time and may go into the local town, transportation is provided. Organised activities are also offered.

Useful contacts can be found on our Useful Contacts page.

You can view the uniform lists here.

The School’s outfitter is the online shop SchoolBlazer, and all necessary school uniforms can be purchased on: schoolblazer.com. Please ensure that all uniform and clothing brought to school is named correctly.

You can view the school calendar here. The school calendar and sports fixtures are produced termly and are available to view on the school website. The calendar and sports fixtures may change, so please check them regularly for updates.  

Trips take place throughout the academic year and a full list can be viewed here.

At the beginning of each term, your child will be given a wide range of activities to choose from. Activities take place from 16:00-17:15, some are chargeable, but these are marked clearly on the list, and we will always seek parental approval before allowing a child to select chargeable options. To view the activities on offer please click here.

Culford sends out communications via Culford Post. This may include event invitations, details of parents’ evenings, school trips and examinations. All parents will have a password protected account set up for them when their child joins the school and will receive a notification to their preferred email address when there is a message. 

Pupils can bring a mobile phone to school, however to minimise distractions and enhance pupil focus phones will be stored in locked mobile phone pouches.

In the morning registration, pupils will turn off and secure their phones in their device pouch. The phone will remain safely in pupils’ possession but stored in their bag until the end of the school day, when pouches can be unlocked with the specialised magnets around the campus. Pupils with medical needs who rely on their phones for tracking and alerts will receive a velcro pouch.

My School Portal brings key information about your child together in one place. You will be able to see essential information such as timetables, school reports, the school calendar and sports results and fixtures.

Click here to find out more information, including details on how to sign up for My School Portal.

​​In September, formal school photographs are taken of each pupil. House photos are taken later in the year. Many other images are taken throughout the year at drama productions, sports events and various activities. To view these please visit: https://culfordschool.shootproof.com/category/77146. Please ensure that you complete the photograph consent form to indicate your preferences.  

Top Spin Tennis is the largest racket specialist in East Anglia. They offer a stringing service for all players, tennis, squash and badminton; a range of sports shoes and clothing and a racket demo system. Purchases can be added to the pupil’s school bill, but parental consent is required for purchases over £25.