BOARDING//
ORCHARD
HOUSE
2018-19 was a year of change all round
for Orchard House. Not only did Mrs
Hall take over the reins as Housemistress
from Mrs Scrowston in September,
she then spent much of Lent Term
on maternity leave with the arrival
of baby Ruth, the littlest “Orchard
lady”. All of Orchard is grateful to Mrs
Chenery, Miss Kendra, and everyone
who stepped in and worked so hard to
ensure our boarders continued having
a fantastic time! 2018 also saw the
creation of our House motto: “Trust in
each other to make memories count”,
and that certainly held true.
– the quietest ones are often the most
competitive!
Orchard has always had a great time
on our Sunday activities, and this year
was no exception – highlights being the
fun of Flamingo Land, a rematch on the
inflatable obstacle course, and sunshine
at the seaside for our Bridlington
visit. Rounding off the year was our
fantastic Orchard-Fest, celebrating with
traditional toasting marshmallows and
a healthy dose of glitter!
As Orchard moves into celebrating its
20th year this October, we look forward
to another exciting, fun-and-friend
filled year ahead!
Creativity
abounded
with cooking, filmmaking
(Orchard’s
production
of “Cinderella” was our
best Christmas film yet!),
and finding alternative
ways to amuse ourselves
with a fortnightly ‘Digital
detox’ evening. Many
nights you could find
a board game in full
flow in the common room
ACCREDITATION
Congratulations to Patrick Dare and
Nicola Bradshaw (pictured left, below) ,
who have been awarded the Boarding
School Association’s highest level of
accreditation, recognising boarding
staff who make a personal commitment
to best boarding practice.
Both Mrs Bradshaw, Housemistress
of Dolman House, and Mr Dare,
Housemaster of Fenwick Smith
House, have become Level 4
Accredited Practitioners. This award
recognises staff who have worked
in boarding for 12 years or more,
met several key commitments such
as safeguarding and promoting
the welfare of children, completed
relevant qualifications and have made
a significant contribution to boarding
beyond their own setting.
Martin Davies, Head of Pastoral Care,
said: “This is a well-deserved recognition
of Patrick and Nicola’s expertise and long-
standing commitment to boarding. There
aren’t many people in the country yet to have
achieved this, and so we are delighted that
they, and the great work they and their teams
do, have been acknowledged in this way.”
Mr Dare has been Fenwick-Smith
Housemaster since 2012, having
previously served there as a non-resident
house tutor for 10 years. His co-curricular
interests include the Combined Cadet
Force (CCF), particularly the RAF
Section which he has managed for a
number of years, and rugby coaching
and refereeing. He is a French teacher,
and over the years numerous pupils
have enjoyed his European school trips
and French Exchanges.
Mrs Bradshaw worked at Dolman House
as resident Boarding House Tutor
before being appointed Housemistress
in 2017. She previously served as
housemistress and matron at a boarding
school in the Midlands, and before that
at an international boarding school in
India, alongside staff and students from
40 different countries. Mrs Bradshaw
trained as a higher level teaching
assistant, working with students who
had autism and behavioural problems,
and has a diploma in counselling.
THE POCKLINGTONIAN
35