ANNOUNCEMENT
Boarding Houses
The Doon School is a fully residential school. The boarding Houses are Tata, Oberoi, Hyderabad, Kashmir, and Jaipur. The two holding Houses are named after the first two Headmasters of the school, Foot and Martyn, where all new students spend a year while in D Form, before moving into their main Houses for the years from C Form to the conclusion of their education at The Doon School. Life in the Houses forms the backbone of the students’ lives at Doon and is the foundation of their group identity.
Each House is an entity in itself with its own traditions, crest, house colours, house flag, magazine, design and room layouts. Each House is overseen by a Housemaster, an Assistant Housemaster, a set of masters assigned to the House as Tutors, a Dame (or Matron), and support staff. Every House has its common rooms, computer rooms, linen room and recreational spaces, gardens, Honours boards, and feast days. Each student meets regularly with his Tutor, who provides guidance on all matters related to the boys’ development. Houses vary in character, composition and location but they all share the central ethos of our community. Once assigned to a House (the sons of Old Boys get to be in their fathers’ House) students live there till the completion of their school life. We have a strong and highly developed inter-house competitive system that encompasses intellectual, sporting, cultural and other pursuits.
The House Council, made up of the staff and representatives from every form, is the body that decides House policy, activities, and addresses issues relating to each House.
The Housemaster, alongside the Assistant Housemaster are the in loco parentis for the boys. They work with the team of assigned Tutors and the Dame to provide pastoral care, maintain discipline and conduct the daily running of the House. They are the guide and the mentor who oversee the all round development of the boys. They liaise with parents/ guardians, communicating periodically, the progress and development of their wards. They ensure an atmosphere of safety and security in which the boys can thrive. They drive the culture of the House, continuing its legacy.
Tutoring aims to respond to the individual needs of the pupils within the boarding community and forms a vital part of the school’s pastoral care structure through which it is committed to the highest standards of student welfare. Tutors act as a sounding board for opinions, as a mediator and confidant, and they interpret and reinforce the standards and values of the school. All full-time members of the teaching staff are tutors and are distributed among the seven houses. They receive training and follow a tutor programme which is reviewed and updated annually. Each Tutor is responsible for a small group of tutees (8-10) providing them with continuous academic mentoring and pastoral guidance.
Dames are the first point of contact for parents to track the wellbeing of their wards. They offer administrative and emotional support to all boys of all ages, ensuring that their laundry, hair-cuts and other aspects of their personal lives are managed, and work alongside the Tutor and Housemaster. They supervise all meals ensuring the boys eat a well balanced diet, liaise with the Wellness Centre, dispense medication and provide the required care for the physical and emotional well being of the boys. They are responsible for the management of support staff assigned for the housekeeping functions in the house.