Scotch College

Boarding at Scotch College

Enrolment in the Boarding School at Scotch College provides boys with an Australian education of the highest standard in combination with accommodation in a caring, well equipped environment. The boarding lifestyle represents an integrated, comprehensive package for the education of a student from the country or overseas.

Life at Scotch during term time is hectic. School work, sport, music, drama, camps and outdoor and service activities make for a very busy life for all Scotch boys, but more particularly for boarders. The boarders throw themselves into a wide range of activities with vigour and enthusiasm and love to team together.

According to the immediate past Principal of Scotch College, Dr Gordon Donaldson:

'Boarding life is characterised by the formation of enduring friendships. Students share in each other's joys, successes and disappointments. They are challenged to appreciate the strengths and individuality of others, and they begin to establish their own personal goals and visions for the future.'

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Boarding Houses

On the 'Hill' overlooking the Scotch Senior School, the College's 170 boarders live in one of three separate boarding houses: School House, McMeckan House and Arthur Robinson House. The houses are set around a broad drive and are surrounded by trees and beautiful, well manicured gardens.

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Supervision

Each of the three boarding houses is well staffed. Houses are under the direction of a Head of House, who is a member of the teaching staff and resides in the house with his family. Two single members of staff are also resident in each house, with two other staff members living with their families in flats and houses nearby. There is resident matron in each house who look after the needs of the boys in living away from home. In all, there are about 20 members of staff providing care and encouragement for boarders.

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Where do boarders come from?

Approximately 30% of boarders are from overseas. Some are sons of expatriate Australians living in South East Asia and elsewhere; others are sons of families from countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Indonesia.

Some 70% of boarders are from rural Victoria and southern New South Wales, about one third of them being farmers' sons. Of the remaining two thirds, most come from families who depend on the rural sector for their livelihood.

Boarders are members of almost every academic class, sporting team and interest group in the Scotch Senior School. By virtue of the diversity of experiences that boarders bring with them, this group of boys makes an enormous and essential contribution to the character of the school.

Maximum access to Senior School facilities

Boarders are able to use the College's excellent facilities to their fullest potential. The Library and Computer Centre remain open on weekdays from 8.00 am to 5.00 pm and the extensive school grounds and most of the sporting facilities are available for use by boarders during leisure hours. With artificial grass and en-tout-cas tennis courts, an indoor heated swimming and diving pool, squash courts, weight training room, gymnasium, basketball courts and over 27 hectares of grounds, boarders have the best backyard in Melbourne in which to expend their energy.

Academic assistance

Homework is supervised on week day evenings by the Head of House or an assistant. Help is never far away, whether from a member of staff, an older boy, or from a student in the same year level. There is a structured approach to study to ensure all students perform to the best of their ability. A member of the mathematics staff come to the boarding for tutoring every Monday and Tuesday evening for tutoring. A member of the English staff comes to the boarding house for tutoring on Wednesday evening.

Music practice

Many boarders learn musical instruments and make use of the College's practice rooms, located either in the boarding houses or in the nearby Music School. Keys may be issued for out of hours' entry to the Music School and boys playing the organ are granted access to the Chapel.

Bedroom and study facilities

In Years 7 to 11 boys sleep in small dormitory groups. Boarders complete their homework either in 'prep rooms', where each boy has his own desk and bookshelves arranged in small private cubicles, or in study areas beside their beds. Year 12 students have their own single study bedrooms.

Meals

All meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner, are served in a communal dining hall adjacent to the living accommodation. The food is of high standard and is prepared in a modern kitchen.

Every endeavour is made to ensure that each boy receives a balanced diet and there is sufficient quantity for healthy appetites. Boys with special food requirements are catered for within limits and all meals are supervised by several staff members.

Each house also has a kitchenette, equipped with microwave, refrigerator, toaster and electric kettle. Boys may use the kitchenette for preparing beverages and light snacks for supper, if they wish.

Recreational rooms

There are recreational rooms in each house, providing comfortable areas for conversation, listening to music or reading. Table tennis tables and billiard tables in the 'rec.' rooms are well used. A separate area is provided for television viewing.

Medical

The College doctor holds two clinics per week for boys. He is also available on request and, together with other consultants used by the College, provides a full range of medical services to ensure the health of boarders.

The boarders' sick bay is well equipped, with a six bed ward, a two bed ward, a single ward, convalescence room, doctor's consulting room, dispensary and accommodation for nursing sisters. A nursing sister is on duty between 8.00 am and 9.00 pm seven days a week. A sister is on call if a boy needs to be admitted over night. Whenever boys are admitted to the sick bay parents and/or guardians are contacted as quickly as possible by telephone.

Full fee paying overseas students are covered by the Australian Government's Overseas Student Health Scheme. Documentation for this scheme and payment of the annual subscription is organised by the College. The scheme covers 85% of the scheduled fee for a consultation with a doctor and full cover in a shared ward in any public hospital.

Boys who are Australian residents and permanent citizens are covered by the national health insurance scheme, Medicare. They may take out additional private insurance if desired.

Laundry

A laundry is located in the boarding house complex and is operated on weekdays by College staff. Boarders are not required to do their own washing and ironing; dirty clothes are left by the boys in conveniently located laundry bags and the cleaned, ironed clothes are returned within 24 hours to each boy's pigeonhole. Sewing is also performed for the boys by the House Matron or her assistant. No extra charge is made for these services.

Some boarders also make use of an inexpensive dry cleaning service. Dry cleaning charges are debited to the parents' school account.

Going to the hill from the senior campus

Chapel

All boarders attend Chapel each Sunday evening, helping to remind boys of the-spiritual dimension to their lives.

The weekday routine

Boarders rise at about 7.15 am, in time for breakfast in the Dining Hall at 7.40 am. Following breakfast, there is time to gather books, before the start of school. The boys return for lunch in the dining hall.

When afternoon lessons conclude, many students are involved in sports training. Others may go to the Library or Computer Centre for further study or return to the Boarding House. After changing into casual clothes, they may continue to work, or relax with friends, listen to music or practise musical instruments.

Dinner commences at 6.00 pm. and is followed by a study period, between 7.00 pm and 8.45 pm. The boys may then relax, perhaps with a cup of hot chocolate or coffee in their house's recreation room. If necessary, they may decide to continue with their studies, from 9.00 pm until bedtime.

Each house holds a meeting at 8.45 pm each night. All boys get together to hear announcements, any congratulations to individual boys and a brief prayer.

Bed time varies from 9.20 pm for Year 7 to 10.30 pm for Year 11. Since Year 12 students have their own rooms, they can study until late in the evening when examinations and deadlines for assignments are imminent.

Weekend activities

All boys appreciate the break in the busy weekday routine that a weekend provides. There is plenty of activity on weekends. Whilst older boys often have homework to complete and may need to study for forthcoming exams and tests, there is much more for boarders to do:

• interschool sport		On Saturday mornings, College sporting teams of all age groups compete against teams from other private schools. All boys participate in this sporting program and up to 20 different sports are catered for, at different levels of ability.
• films		Boarders have access to the latest videos and their DVD's which they can play in their boarding house.
• Melbourne City, a short distance away		Because Scotch College is located only a short train or tram ride from the centre of Australia's second largest city, boarders have the opportunity to be exposed to and benefit from its cultural life. Large groups frequently go to the sporting events, theatre, art galleries, special exhibitions and the cinema, often at a cost considerably less than normal. Boys may also obtain City leave on weekends for these activities, either individually or in small groups.
• visiting friends		Where parents have given permission for boarders to visit friends resident in Melbourne, leave is granted for these visits either overnight Saturday, on Saturday afternoons after sport has concluded, or on Sundays.
• leisure sports		Weekends are often a time for informal games between boarders. Boys might choose to play tennis, or perhaps kick a football on one of the school ovals. The Glenn Centre, the College's indoor sporting complex, is open on both Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Boarders may swim in the heated swimming and diving pool, under the supervision of duty staff, or use the other facilities of the Centre for a game of squash, basketball, badminton or volleyball.
• weekends away at the College's property at Mansfield		A lodge for the boarders is located in an isolated mountain bushland setting 20 km south of Mansfield, a small town in central Victoria at the foot of the Australian Alps. Up to 20 boys can at any one time spend their weekends at the Lodge. Under the supervision of a staff member employed specifically for this purpose, they can ski, ride horses, hike, become involved in water sports on nearby Lake Eildon or simply enjoy the fresh country air with friends.
• dances		Boarders are often invited to dances conducted by local private girls' and co-educational schools. Heads of House ensure that arrangements for transport and other details are appropriate. Scotch holds their own socials along with dancing classes on Thursday evenings during terms two and three.
• boarders workshop		The School has its own fully equipped workshop which is made especially available to the boarders. It is open on a Friday evening and a Sunday afternoon and is staffed by an experienced tradesman who guides the boys in any activities they wish to undertake from making a box to welding a farm gate.

Weekly boarding

'Weekly boarding' places are available for students wishing to stay in the Boarding School on Monday to Thursday nights and return home for weekends.

Scholarships

Scholarships are available for entry at Year 7 and Year 9 and provide exemption from tuition fees and, in some cases, boarding fees. Some scholarships are means tested and for boys whose parents would not otherwise be able to send their sons to the school.

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