Facilities

Facilities and accommodation at Edmund Webb House

Accommodation

There are currently 48 students who reside at Edmund Webb Boarding House
The Boarding House is made up of 34 shared and single rooms
Located on a quiet residential street in Stanmore NSW

The rooms provided for boarders are of the highest quality. The Boarding staff expect boys to take pride in their rooms. Rooms must be kept tidy at all times. Beds should be made daily and clothes, towels and personal belongings must be kept off the floor to enable the cleaning staff to keep the rooms hygienic.

Rooms will be inspected regularly. More thorough room inspections will take place throughout the year. These room inspections will be recorded and performed with both the boarder of the room being inspected, and another staff member or senior boarder present.

Rooming

All rooms have air-conditioners and are well appointed with queen size single beds, plenty of cupboard space, desk and two sets of drawers for each Boarder.

There are a number of factors that influence the distribution of rooms in the Boarding House.

In Years 9 and 10 Boarders are in twin share rooms
In Year 11 Boarders will have single rooms (with ensuite) and depending on numbers they may be in a twin share room (with ensuite)
In Year 12 Boarders have single rooms with an ensuite

Further factors that will influence rooming include the number of years a boarder has been in the House, as well as academic effort and how well a boarder keeps his room/space. Rooming is organised at the Head of Boarding’s discretion.

Students are free to bring items to help make their bedroom area ‘their own’. This may include simple things like bringing one’s doona cover from home, or a selection of posters to put up using blu-tack. Please note that there does need to be an appropriate level of decency across the House and in keeping with our philosophy of respecting women; “scantily clad” shots of girls are deemed inappropriate.

Boarding Gym

Our boarding house has recently been updated to include a space for all boarding students to work out. This includes the most up-to-date cardiovascular and strength-based equipment. This space can be enjoyed by all boarding students and provides them with flexibility to access weights and cardiovascular equipment. Edmund Webb Boarding has always recognised the link between physical activity, academic excellence, and wellbeing. Active students are focused, committed to their studies, and have improved wellbeing and mental health outcomes.

BBQ and Outdoor Collaborative Space

Edmund Webb Boarding students have access to a BBQ area which provides them with the equipment to be up-skilled in cooking and a breakout space for students to collaboratively study, read a book or prepare for assessments. The change in environment has proved extremely successful in enabling more opportunity for a variety of quiet spaces without removing a collaborative learning experience.

Amenities

The Boarding House is well-equipped with facilities to cater to the boys’ needs.

The Boarding House is well-equipped with facilities to cater to the boys’ needs. With full laundry facilities, air-conditioning in each of the rooms and a recently upgraded hot water system, the Boarding House is a comfortable place to live with all the necessary amenities.

However in keeping with current concerns regarding the environment and sustainable ways of living, we encourage boarders to also contribute towards reducing their carbon footprint by being economical when using water and/or electricity. In particular we hope that each boy:

Keeps the shower running for no more than five minutes
Ensures that a ‘full’ (not overloaded) load of washing is put into the machine rather than a small load
Considers hanging washing in the drying room rather than resorting to using electric driers, particularly when the weather is warm and/or windy
Ensures that all lights and air-conditioners are switched off whenever leaving a room
Considers whether air-conditioning needs to be on in the first instance

Bag Store

Bulky items such as computer boxes and luggage may be stored in the Bag Store, located on the ground floor near the laundry. A limited number of items may be stored at the end of Terms 1, 2 and 3. All items must be clearly named or labeled and packed neatly into boxes or bags. All items are to be removed at the end of each year, when boarders go home.

TV Room

The TV room is located near the dining area and is equipped with a wall-mounted plasma television, Apple TV and Foxtel. Boarders are able to use the room when they have free time. Food is NOT to be taken into the TV room unless specifically sanctioned by the Boarding Mentor on Duty (usually in relation to a particular occasion).

Internet

The College currently offers wireless connectivity to the Internet. Boys are able to access the Internet between the hours of 6:00 AM and 10:30 PM.

Boys are NOT to bring wireless ‘dongle’ devices of their own, which cannot be monitored by the College’s internet filter. Any devices found will be confiscated and/or sent home to parents. Parents should be aware that most mobile telephone devices now offer a “hotspot” function, which allows the phone to act as a wireless internet hub. The College is unable to monitor this usage and recommends that parents disable this function or put restrictions in place to limit their son’s download.

Boarders are expected to sign and abide by the Information Technology Agreement. Should boys experience difficulties with connecting to the network, they should contact the IT department at school during the school day.

Security

The Boarding community takes its security very seriously. As a precaution, boys should bring a lock (a spare key can be given to the Head of Boarding if necessary) for use on their wardrobe in order to help safeguard valuables. In addition to this, details of ‘expensive’ items (laptops/computers, cameras, mobile phones etc) including serial numbers should be kept in a safe place. Boys are reminded that storing large sums of money is inappropriate (see Money). No student should give the boarders’ door code to another person as this compromises the safety of all individuals in the Boarding community. All outsiders, including parents, guardians and friends must report to the Boarding Mentor on Duty. Upon entry, all items are brought into the House at the owner’s risk; students may wish to consider whether personal insurance is appropriate in their circumstances.

Boys will be issued with a security code at the beginning of each term. This will allow them access to the House between 6:00 AM–8:00 AM and 3:30 PM–10:00 PM on weekdays and 7:00 AM–10:00 PM on weekends.
If a boy suspects that there is somebody in the Boarding House who should not be there then he must inform the Master-on-Duty ASAP. If he ever suspects that there is somebody illegally in the school grounds then he should inform a Boarding Master-on-Duty or a trusted adult.

Adults who are in the House must report to the Master-on-Duty who can be reached by calling 555 from the telephone in the foyer.

Banking, Money and Valuables

Students are responsible for their own private banking arrangements. There are a number of ATMs located near the Boarding House to withdraw funds. These include banks located on Enmore Rd, the ‘supermarket’ on the other side of the railway line and via an EFTPOS purchase from the IGA on Holt Street.

Boys should keep only ‘necessary’ cash locked up in the House. If they do have more cash than necessary they can leave it with the Head of Boarding who will distribute it to the boarder when requested.

Only ‘small’ amounts of money should be kept in the Boarding House at any time – sufficient to make small purchases (i.e. $10 – $20). Wallets (and other valuables) should preferably be in the possession of a student, but when this is not practical, should always be kept locked in a student’s wardrobe.

Larger amounts of money should be kept in a student’s bank account (see Banking). In times of ‘emergency’, boys should look to give the Head of Boarding any large amount of money for safekeeping.

Please note: boys are NOT allowed to use the ATM in the Bottle shop on Cambridge Street and should not enter this venue (or any other licensed venue such as pubs or bars).

Bikes, Scooters and Skateboards

Boys may bring and ride their own bikes. Parents must sign a form stating that they provide permission for the boy to ride and that they agree that he must follow the necessary rules and that riding is at one’s ‘own risk’. These are available from the Head of Boarding.

Boys MUST wear (in keeping with NSW laws) an appropriate helmet when riding, as well as the necessary lights if riding in the dark.
Boys are expected to observe all applicable road rules when riding.
Scooters and skateboards may be similarly brought to the House. They must not be ridden on the road, including so called ‘quiet’ streets.
Failure to observe any rules or safety requirements, will see the bike/scooter/skateboard being confiscated or the privilege being removed.

Computers and other Equipment

Boarders can bring their own laptops and electronic devices and also have access to the school's resources.

All such equipment is brought into the Boarding House “at your own risk”. Items may be kept in the Bag Store in Edmund Webb, provided that such items are labeled and stored appropriately. All electronic devices must be put away by “lights out” with the exception of laptop computers if the student is studying or completing assignments. Failure to do so will result in a period of confiscation. Inappropriate use of any electronic equipment will result in it being confiscated or sent home. Small valuables, such as iPods, iPads and smartphones, should be securely locked away or given to the Head of Boarding, if a student will be away for a period of time.

Boarders are expected to sign and abide by the Information Technology Agreement.