Health And Welfare
Meals
Tonbridge is unusual in that we have catering in each of the houses, and not a 'central feeding' system. Although the menus are created centrally, each house supports a team of caterers and meals are cooked in situ. Housemasters and tutors eat main meals with the boys each day.
Medical Arrangements
The School Medical Centre, built in 1985, has twelve beds and full outpatient facilities, and is covered twenty-four hours a day by three Registered Nurses.
Morning surgery is held at the Medical Centre six days a week by the school Doctors, Dr J.P. Moore and Dr R. Claxton, members of a local general practice, who are always on call in case of emergency.
Boarders are registered with the school Doctors while members of the school, being treated as temporary residents at home during holidays if necessary.
If a boy is ill or visits a specialist during the holiday, the Medical Centre should be informed in writing to enable further treatment to be carried out if necessary, and medical records to be kept up to date.
Any medication which a boarder brings back to school must be handed in to the House Matron.
Boys are free to discuss problems with the Doctors privately, and may visit the Medical Centre Sisters for treatment and advice at any reasonable time.
Enquiries about medical issues are welcomed from parents, who should telephone the Medical Centre (01732 304272) or the Housemaster.
Immunisation
All boarders are kept up to date with their immunisations for tetanus, diphtheria and polio. Boarders travelling abroad will be immunised as necessary for the country they are visiting, and given malaria prophylaxis as required in accordance with the recommendations from MASTA (British Airways Travel).
Flu inoculations are given to boarders in the Michaelmas Term.
BCG inoculations are given in the Lent Term of a boy's first year at school.
Physiotherapy
Two private physiotherapists visit the Medical Centre two afternoons a week, and by arrangement to treat boys as required. Treatment is charged to the parents, and may be claimed for on medical insurance.
Medical and Dental Insurance
The school offers a group medical insurance scheme with BUPA, details of which are sent in advance to the parents of all new boys (and are also available from the Bursary). In addition the school offers an emergency dental insurance scheme.
Counsellor
A Counselling Psychologist spends two afternoons at the school each week, and is freely available in that time for consultation, in confidence, by boys who are experiencing any form of problem or difficulty. The Counsellor is always willing to meet parents also, where that might be helpful.
The School Counsellor is Ms Shirley Lauryn, Adv.Dip.Psych, (MBACP accredited), a psychologist whose experience includes recent work at Warders Medical Centre where the school doctors practise.
The Children Act
The rights and welfare of all children were addressed in the 1989 Children Act. Volume 5 of that Act is concerned with children in independent boarding schools, and is now supplemented by the Care Standards Act 2000, section 23(1), which sets out National Minimum Standards for boarding schools as the basis for inspections (from April 2002) by the National Care Standards Commission.
We are required by law to satisfy certain standards of facilities, supervision, and procedure. Representatives from this school assisted the Social Services to produce a Practice Guide for independent schools in Kent.
We believe that the school's facilities and procedures make effective provision for the safeguarding and promotion of the welfare of the boys in our care. These facilities and procedures are under constant review.
Dyslexia And Other Special Needs
Professional support is offered for boys with dyslexia or other special needs.