Summer Drama Holidays - Information for Parents

Safety Matters

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Necessary Information - Parents Please Read
Safety Matters
Fire Drill At the start of every week, the Fire Evacuation Procedure is demonstrated to the participants. They are shown all fire exits in the building, evacuation routes, assembly points, and the Fire Alarm is sounded so that they know what it is like. It is made clear that except for the demonstration, all fire alarms are to be treated as real, and fire procedures to be followed at all times.
Supervision As Kilmore is surrounded by a beautiful forest and the beautiful Glens, the usual temptations of pub and club are absent, and we have fewer things that might be a worry in a more urban setting. However we are conscious of our very great responsibility for the children and to their parents, and we have very firm rules about the childrens' activities outside of classes. Children are not allowed to leave the house or front lawn area on their own or without express permission from a member of staff. They must be in a group of at least three, they must state exactly which part of the grounds they will be in, and they are not allowed into the forest park itself except on walks organised by and under the supervision of a member of staff. Because we have a very high staff/participant ratio, there are always members of staff keeping an eye on the general behaviour of the children; however we also have 'House Parents' whose main responsibility is the pastoral care of the children both during the day and in particular at night. House parents supervise the sleeping arrangements, ensure that reasonable lights-out times according to age groups are observed, and that there is no inappropriate behaviour. Strict rules are imposed to ensure that boys and girls cannot impinge on the essential privacy of their respective accommodation areas, and we view any breaches (albeit they are rare) as serious matters, subject to the ultimate sanction of a sending home.
Improper Behaviour Because we take relatively small numbers in any one week, have a mixed range of ages and try to engender an informal, family atmosphere, we are keen to ensure that everyone is aware of the need to work together as a group, and we try to ensure that 'cliques' do not form. We keep a special eye on those who are younger or who seem quieter or shyer, and we stamp very firmly on any attempts at bullying, exclusion, teasing, ridiculing, or anything that can mar what should be a fun, stimulating experience. We try to emphasise to the children that they should feel unafraid to approach any member of staff to discuss anything they feel uncomfortable with, but in the event that a child feels unable to do so, and contacts a parent first to complain of anything to do with the holiday, whether it be to do with fellow participants, a member of staff or any other matter, you should inform us immediately so that we can investigate and as appropriate, remedy the matter. Please note that in the light of a (tiny) number of incidents involving unpleasant text messaging, we have a policy of requiring children to hand in their mobile phones each evening at bedtime; they are allowed to collect them again in the morning after breakfast, but are required to leave them out of the class sessions. The ultimate sanction we have is to send home someone who cannot accept the code of behaviour required.

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