Did you feel sufficiently well informed about the procedures and systems operating in the House before your son arrived at Harrow in September?
- Yes. The “Welcome to The Knoll” book was invaluable and covered everything we needed to know. Also the Welcome Afternoon talk given (in June) was useful as it allowed us to ask any questions before the boys started in September.
- Yes. We were well informed about the procedures and systems in place before he arrived at Harrow. The Knoll House Booklet together with notes from Dr Sie and Matron were very helpful, so also the Harrow School information package.
- Yes, both from the School and communication from The Knoll I think we were well informed about the procedures in the house before our son arrived. The information provided before joining in September was very useful to parents but not necessarily so boy friendly. Maybe the Shells could contribute towards a boys’ starting guide whilst it is still relatively fresh in their minds.
Did you find the Welcome Afternoon in June useful?
- The Welcome Afternoon was fantastic, especially the football (for the boys).
- The Welcome Afternoon is a great idea. Certainly for our son it gave him a chance to meet some of the other Shell boys and importantly to meet some of the older boys as well. It can be very intimidating starting a new school but because there were some familiar faces on the first day I think it made the arrival in September far less daunting. As a parent it was also a good opportunity to see a small glimpse of the interaction between the boys. I think for the parents it also helped to have met each other briefly before the big day.
- We would recommend the Welcome Afternoon to all new parents. It was very useful. It created the opportunity to meet other parents for the first time.
- Yes, very good. The Welcome Afternoon was very useful. Our son met his new housemates and we had a chance to meet the parents and we were given a lot of useful information by Dr Sie and Matron.
Did your son settle into the House and School last term quicker, as quickly as expected or less quickly than you had expected?
- He settled in more quickly than we expected - too quickly for us. Just five minutes home sickness would have been nice! (Son had not boarded before.)
- He settled in quicker than we expected which was a surprise (and relief) given all the new rules and routines and that he had not boarded before. It is a credit to both the staff and the older boys in the House that the Shells are made to feel ‘welcome’. The older boys seem to be great with them (I guess that this is an ethos that has been encouraged) and I think that has made a huge difference to the Shell experience.
- He settled into The Knoll very well. Thank you and your team for making this easier and enjoyable for the boys. He is enjoying his time at The Knoll and Harrow.
- Quicker. A few teething problems which are inevitable. (Son had not boarded before.)
- He settled in quicker but mainly as a result of us being able to see him for tea/ watch sport weekly. If that had not been available I think it would have been a lot tougher. (Son had not boarded before.)
- Our son seemed to settle into the House quicker than we expected. (Son had not boarded before.)
Did you feel the Shepherd/Mentor system worked well for your son from your point of view?
- The postcard from the Mentor during the holidays was really welcoming. From the moment we walked through the door (the most daunting part for our son) to The Knoll in September and both the Shepherd and Mentor remembered our son's name, he felt relaxed. Knowing two people in other years in the House from the start helped him get to know everyone.
- The Shepherd and Monitor system is a very good idea. It was a great benefit to him that Ed helped him with the New Boy’s Test!
- We think the Shepherd/Mentor system is fantastic. We most sincerely express our gratitude to our son’s Shepherd and Mentor for going the extra mile in writing to him before he had arrived at Harrow. We deeply appreciate their kind words and advice to our son.
- Yes - he was lucky to have a particularly helpful shepherd. The Shepherd/Mentor system worked very well for our son.
Are you happy with the level of pastoral support your son has received since he started at Harrow?
- Yes. Our experience is that when he has needed to talk/ask advice there are a number of people who he feels very comfortable approaching. Obviously the House Master but there is also Matron (sewed on tonnes of buttons for him!!), the Assistant House Master, and his tutor - so he is very well covered.
- Absolutely yes.
- Yes. We are happy with the level of pastoral care our son has received since he started at Harrow.
What do you think we could be doing better as a House?
- It is early days for us obviously but we have been delighted with our choice of House! You have encouraged from the start a strong loyalty to the House which is great for the atmosphere of the House. He really enjoys the team nights and pizza evenings at yours and Mr Walker’s. I guess he would want to see more of those. (And maybe a chance to meet some girls!)
- We can not speak highly enough of The Knoll. Your Team is doing fabulous work. The boys in the Shell are all very courteous and friendly towards each other. It appears they have known each other for many years. All credit to you, your deputy and Matron.
- Not a lot as we think the House is run well.
What advice would you give an incoming Shell parent based on your experiences this year?
- Relax! Everything has been thought of and your son will be well looked after. Read the Welcome Booklets and make sure your son does too. Do not expect lots of phone calls and when you do receive them they tend to be quite short in duration!
- Going back after the Christmas holidays is a bit unsettling until they actually get there. Bear in mind that the first term is the longest term.
- Let the boys get on with it!
- Be prepared to call and talk to Matron/ House Master about any issues/concerns/ queries your son has. The boys can feel overwhelmed, as things are very different from what they are used to.
- Try to attend as many of your son’s activities as possible as the year goes so quickly and they do like to see you supporting them.
Given that your son is at a boarding school do you feel you get enough opportunities to see him?
- Yes, although if the boys are not in teams it is not so easy to see them on Saturdays. We see him most Sundays because of the House matches.
- Yes but we do live close enough to visit at the weekend.
- Yes.
How would you rate your son's room, the facilities and "homeliness" of the House from what you have seen?
- The House facilities are excellent, each room is just a bit different but similar enough to ease room changes. Seeing our son kicking off his shoes into his cupboard then padding around the House in his socks shows that he feels really at home. (The socks were wet and I had to stop myself telling him to change them as I would have done at home!)
- The rooms are fine although I have not seen the showers. There is a great atmosphere in the House. They seem to have everything that they need.
- We think the rooms are in very good condition. Credit to the team for keeping the boys on their toes in getting their rooms tidy.
- We think that our son’s room, the facilities and the “homeliness” of the House are very good.