Welcome to Lyon House; your home for the next five years. You will have so many opportunities at Sherborne and you will be encouraged and supported to make the most of these. Being a part of House community, supporting other boys and House staff and sharing in the successes of yourself and your peers is something Lyon House boys are proud of. We have a strong House community and whilst it might seem daunting at first, everyone was once a new boy and Lyon House will soon feel like home. Getting stuck into activities and School life as soon as you can, will help you to form true bonds and friendships for life. We are known to have a strong community where older boys are always happy to help and our approachable House staff are on hand to support.
We hope that you will enjoy reading a little about Lyon House and the School, which will help you to know what to expect when you arrive. We look forward to welcoming you on your arrival.
The Prefect Team
Top Tips
• Treat others as you would like to be treated
• Ask for help if you are unsure
• Arrive promptly to all your commitments
• Check your email twice a day
• Only enter another boy’s room when they are present and if they are happy for you to be there
• Go to all School meals – they have already been paid for
• Eat food in the Dining Room – this is sociable and more hygienic
• Takeaways are not permitted during the week but are allowed on the weekends
• When using kitchen areas, keep them clean and tidy so that they are ready for others
• When playing outside in the bargeyard or in the garden please be considerate to our neighbours with regard to the noise you make and where you kick the balls
• Keep noise to a minimum in House after 10.00pm
• Keep your room tidy, do your bedding properly each week and stay on top of your laundry
• Dress smartly and appropriately during School hours and for School commitments
• Remember to phone home regularly, even just to say ‘Hi’
Housemaster
Housemaster
Mr Hull
Mr Hull lives in the west-end of Lyon House with his wife Mrs Hull and their two children, Joshua and Katy. Mr Hull supports the Outdoor and Adventurous Education and in charge of Educational Visits at School, so he has a great deal of very useful experience with getting our community outdoors whether it be for fun, education, wellbeing or character building.
Mr Hull’s study door is always open and you’re always encouraged to go and find him if you would just like a friendly chat. Mr Hull will also help you keep track of your academic progress and support you with School and boarding life. You’ll see him frequently around the
House and if you have any questions, do go to him with them. It is best to speak to Mr Hull in person but he can also be contacted via email: james.hull@sherborne.org or call his mobile: 07850 653397 (you should add this to your contacts if you have a phone). The House office number is 01935 810970.
House Staff
Matron Mands
Mands is someone you can go to for almost anything. She makes awesome breaks (the best in the School) and makes sure that you are feeling fit and well. She is around all the time to make sure that you are ready for whatever you are going to be doing. She is really kind and caring and she will be especially important in the first few weeks you are here.
Assistant Matrons Marina
Marina is the Assistant Matron in Lyon who works alongside Mands. Marina is always happy to sit down and have a good chat, and is the person you go to for your all your laundry needs and lost property. You will usually see her when Mands is not on duty and also will be especially important in your first few weeks.
Tracy
Tracy is often here in the afternoons. She is our seamstress, so if you need a hole in your trousers fixing, or you have a new item of clothing that needs a name tape sewing in, she will do it for you (if you ask nicely!).
Assistant Housemaster
Mr Weale
Mr Weale lives in Lyon House with his family, and when he is not on duty he is busy running the School football programme.
Mr Weale played as a goalkeeper for Leicester City!
Resident Tutor
Mr Richmond
Mr Richmond lives in Lyon House with his wife and young daughter. He is part of the Design and Technology department and also coaches climbing.
He is ready to listen and offer guidance whenever you need it.
Tutors, Domestic Staff and Prefects
Tutors
When you start in Lyon you will be assigned a personal tutor to help and support you. Lyon’s Tutors are from a wide range of departments and whoever your Tutor is they will keep a close eye on how you are getting on.
Domestic Staff
You will learn to appreciate the domestic staff who work hard to keep Lyon looking immaculate. Not only do they do a superb job of cleaning the House, but they are also on hand at House events such as the Christmas supper and the Commem lunch. Remember to respect the work that they do and help keep Lyon looking spotless.
Prefects
These are the senior boys who you will get to know very well during your first year in Lyon. They will supervise your Hall, ensure that you are in bed on time, and more importantly be a friendly face to go to for advice and questions.
Charlie Foss-Smith (Head of House)
Benjamin Anderson
Oliver Beckley
Patrick Bell
Oliver Coombes
House Facilities
Lyon is one of the more spacious of Sherborne’s Boarding Houses and almost certainly has some of the best accommodation and facilities. Lyon was purpose built as a Boarding House and over the years has received numerous upgrades to its facilities. Today it boasts first rate accommodation and facilities and retains a unique and distinctive character. Be under no illusions, that you are entering the best House in the School.
The Day Room
This is where the Third Form will do your Hall in the evenings, supervised by one of the House Prefects.
The Ross Room
This room, which adjoins the Day Room, is named after Alick Trelawny-Ross who was Housemaster of Lyon from 1914 - 1946 during both World Wars. The Ross Room has a TV and sofa chairs for the use of the whole House when it is not Hall time.
The Sweat House
‘The Sweat House’ was for many years the House gymnasium, hence its unusual name. These days you are much more likely to find boys playing table football, ping pong or watching TV than doing press ups and squats. ‘The Sweat House’ is a large recreation room with two table football tables, a table tennis table, a grand piano and drum kit as well as a large TV and seating. The room can also double up as a function room and can be quickly made up for a House event such as Christmas Dinner or a Sunday House service.
The Garden
The garden is undoubtedly one of the crowning features of Lyon. Not only is it rather more stylish than most other House gardens, it is also much bigger than what most of the other Houses enjoy. This makes it ideal for playing football and touch rugby or equally for revising in the sun before your summer exams. During the summer term there are regular BBQ’s in the garden for the whole House to enjoy together.
The Memorial Garden
Lyon is unique amongst the Boarding Houses in that it has its own garden of remembrance to the boys of the House who fell in both the First World War 19141918 and the Second World War 1939-1945. It serves as a reminder of those boys of the House who made the ultimate sacrifice. On November 11 when all the other Houses go to the Chapel for a School remembrance service the boys of Lyon gather in our memorial garden and pay our own respects with our own service.
Third Form Dormitories
When you arrive in Lyon you will sleep in one of the three Third Form dorms. The dorms are all named after former Housemasters of Lyon; these being Ross, Holmes and Boissier. As school is so busy, sleep is extremely important, so it is vital, after lights out, you settle down to sleep very quickly.
Fourth Form Dormitories
After Third Form you will move up to the Fourth Form dorms on the second floor, named after previous Housemasters of Lyon, these three are Ketley, Hatch and Francis. There is a smaller two man dormitory for the Fourth Form which is something of a luxury seeing as most other Houses do not have two man dorms until at least the Fifth Form. Just as in Third Form you will change dorms every term so chances are you will get to live in all of the three dorms.
Fifth Form Studies
In Fifth Form you will get your own study. This is something most boys in the other Houses can only dream of so feel free to brag about having your own room. Unlike in Third and Fourth Form you will do all your work in your study upstairs and the impetus is very much on you to knuckle down to work on your own accord.
Sixth Form Studies
Things get even cushier in the Sixth Form when you will get a study either in the New Studies wing above the Sweat House or on one of the corridors on the first and second floors. These studies are all very spacious with a large desk and plentiful storage space.
School Timetable
School periods Monday to Friday (Third Form)
Period 1 8.30 – 9.15am
Period 2 9.20 – 10.05am
Period 3 10.10 – 10.55am
Break 10.55 – 11.25am
Period 4 11.25 – 12.10pm
Period 5 12.15 – 1.00pm
Lunch 1.00 – 1.30pm
Q Time (Period 6) 1.35 – 2.30pm
Period 7 2.35 – 3.20pm (Tues & Fri only)
Period 8 3.25 – 4.10pm (Tues & Fri only)
Period 9 4.15 – 5.00pm (Tues & Fri only)
Games 2.35 – 5.00pm (Mon & Thurs)
Abbey Services
Wednesday 6.30 – 7.00pm Sunday 7.45 – 8.30pm
Saturday
Period 1 8.30 – 9.15am
Period 2 9.20 – 10.05am
Period 3 10.10 – 10.55am
Break 10.55 – 11.25am
Lunch 12.15 – 1.20pm
Games/matches 1.45 – 5.00pm
Assemblies (8.10 – 8.25am)
Monday Whole School Assembly (BSR)
Tuesday Lower School Assembly (Powell Theatre)
Thursday Sixth Form Assembly (Powell Theatre)
Friday Junior Chapel (Chapel)
Meal Times
Breakfast 7.30 – 8.25am
Lunch 1.00 – 1.30pm
Senior Supper 6.00 – 6.25pm
Junior Boys Supper 6.30 – 6.55pm
Your Day
Monday to Friday
7.15am Wake up bell and morning routine check begins
7.30am House assembly
7.50am – 8.10am Breakfast (in the Dining Hall)
10.55am – 11.25am Break – snack by Matron’s office
6.00pm – 6.25pm Senior supper
6.30pm – 6.55pm Junior supper
6.55pm Roll Call in the Common Room
7.00pm – 8.45pm Hall
9.00pm Phones in for Third and Fourth Forms
9.30pm Third Form up to dormitory and lights out at 10.00pm
10.15pm Fourth Form lights out
10.30pm Fifth Form lights out
10.30pm Sixth Form in their studies.
Additional times
Wednesdays: 6.30pm – Abbey Service (Supper from 5.30pm)
Saturdays: 5.50pm – Roll Call and Assembly
Sundays: 10.00am Everyone Up; 11.00am – 12noon Hall
5.00pm Roll Call and Assembly; 7.00pm – 8.00pm Hall
House Activities
Every other year we perform a House play, which has often been directed by a Sixth Form boy. It is our chance to show off the acting talents of the boys in the House; experience is not necessary and in fact some of the most memorable performances are from boys who have never acted before. There are also opportunities to work backstage on sound, lighting and stagemanagement. War of the Worlds, was performed during COVID restrictions. It was a radio play, executed to an exceptionally high standard, which was broadcast to pupils and parents alike through Radio Sherborne. Many members of the cast earned their House Colours due to their significant contribution to House Drama.
Lyon has a unique take on sport at Sherborne, whereby we not only focus on the Inter-House competitions, like cricket, water
polo and House Cross Country, which we hold a very strong history with, but we also focus on minor sports that form bonds between years that most other Houses don’t have. A great example of this would be Dodgeball where a group of boys from Lyon signed up to a public competition against other local teams just to have a few hours of fun during a Sunday afternoon. This is rare for Houses to do, but for Lyon, it’s the norm. Lyon also takes pride in ‘bargeyard rugby’, ‘garden games’ and ‘Friday night football’ as being the best at Sherborne and thus, they are valued highly by the boys and cause great excitement in the House as it’s a perfect time for the older years to socialise with the younger years.
Careers Department 01935 810545
Office of the Children’s Commissioner for England 0800 528 0731
www.childrenscomissioner.gov.uk
Learning Support 01935 810528
Designated Safeguarding Officers
Lead - Mr Sheffield - 01935 810427
Deputies - Mrs Bowerman - 01935 810432
Mrs Hutchings - 01935 810539
Mr McGuire - 07850 653 394
DSL@sherborne.org
Mrs Kershaw - 01935 8 c
Independent perso
SUPPORT, GUIDANCE
are willing to help you. All boys can use these services, but, in some cases, people to check on availability. School Doctors Drs Nickinson, Armitage and Nickinson 01935 872530
House Charity
Lyon has a strong reputation in School for its charitable work and in the past we have raised over £20,000 for Great Ormond Street Hospital. The money was raised by a charity bike ride from Lyon House, Sherborne to Lyon, France (777km) and the whole House took part in fundraising events throughout the year. The event was another example of our strong community spirit.
Lyon’s new charity is the Prodigal Bikes where we are establishing a link that will allow for boys to not only raise money for the charity but also volunteer their time, particularly on Sundays.
Ten Tors
Lyon is unique in that it has its very own Ten Tors team. The Ten Tors challenge is a 35 mile walk across Dartmoor during which participants must navigate the route themselves and carry with them everything they will need. The School enters a Ten Tors team through the CCF and so does Lyon House. In the Fourth Form you will have the opportunity to take part in the Ten Tors. Only six boys can take part in the challenge so naturally selection is tough. Ten Tors is a fantastic event and just another thing that makes Lyon stand out from the other Houses.
House Socials and Trips
Most weekends there are social events running for you to take part in. There are year group socials which are run with Sherborne Girls that take place across the year at different venues and locations. We also have year group suppers on the private side spread throughout the year.
In Lyon we aim to run about three non-compulsory Sunday House trips per term. These might include things such as paint balling, beach visits or a shopping trip to Bath Christmas market which has proved very popular in recent years. We also look at the possibility of attending professional sports fixtures when the fixtures fit into the School calendar.
The House Council, made up of at least one representative from each year group, plays an important part in coming up with ideas for House trips so that the boys have a significant input, whilst also aiming to recognise the fact that it is important for boys to have downtime at weekends.
Sherborne Terminology
Many abbreviations and acronyms are used within the School community. You will find the below useful:
• Hall – Homework and prep time. Hall time is between 7.05 – 8.45pm
• Blues – The uniform worn by the Lower School (Third, Fourth and Fifth Form)
• Lists – Whole School presentation of prizes and awards at the end of each term
• Carey’s – The sports fields south of Horsecastles Road
• The Upper – 1st XV Rugby and 1st XI Cricket pitch
• The Lower – 2nd XV Rugby pitch below the Upper
• Upper Astro – Astroturf next to the Upper
• Carrington Building – Geography, Economics and Business Studies
• Hughie Holmes – Astroturf across the road from the Upper and Lower and next to Carey’s
• The Grove – Modern Foreign Languages block and computer rooms (G9 and G11)
• Pilkington Labs – Chemistry and Physics Laboratories
• Turing Block – Biology department
• Health Centre – School medical centre, with full time nurses and visiting doctors
• BSR – Big School Room; function room for whole School assemblies, lectures, lists and musical and drama productions
• OSR – Old School Room; the School’s original school room adjacent to School House
• Courts – The central courtyard of the School containing the English, Classics, Maths and History classrooms as well as the Library and Custos.
• Custos – School Security team based in The Lodge at the main gate to the Courts
• Bow House – Staff Room
• School Shop – You can buy school uniform, sport equipment, stationery, cards and other essential items.
• Abbots Acre – External Relations department and conference room
• Powell Theatre – The majority of School and House plays take place here, also some lectures and year group meetings
• SG – Sherborne Girls
• The Carmen – The School song
• VES – Values, Expectations and Standards: a document that details how we should conduct ourselves
a School House
b Abbey House
c The Green
d Harper House
f Abbeylands
g Lyon House
m The Digby
Frequently Asked Questions
How much homework will I be set in the Third Form?
Usually in the Third Form you will be set one Hall per subject per week. There is a timetable that tells you when Hall should be completed by. It is definitely a good idea to try and complete your Hall on the night they were set in order to avoid getting a backlog of Hall.
Can I bring things from home to make my room feel my own?
Yes — please do. The boarding House is your home, and we’d strongly encourage you to bring along the things that make your space feel comfortable and personal, whether that’s posters, photographs or a few favourite belongings from home.
How much money do I need in Third Form?
Generally speaking in Third Form you don’t need that much money at all. You should have a bank account with a debit card attached to it and about £10 will be sufficient as an allowance each week. You shouldn’t have large amounts of money simply in your wallet or in an unsecure place.
When can I phone or message my parents, and how does my phone work in the House?
You’ll have your phone for 30 minutes each evening, which gives you a good chance to call or message home. This is the same right through the junior school, from Third to Fifth Form. At weekends you’ll have your device for a little longer, within clear, set time frames. Of course, if you ever need to speak to your parents or family outside those times, you’ll always be able to — just have a word with a member of the House team. And if your family live in a different time zone, we’ll make sure suitable arrangements are in place so that staying in touch is never a problem..
When can I visit friends in other Houses, and at Sherborne Girls?
You can visit friends in other Houses, and over at Sherborne Girls, outside of lesson times — at break, lunch, after School and at weekends. This is something we really encourage and value, and boys from other Houses are just as welcome to come and see you. When you visit, simply sign in and out and make yourself known to the Matron or Housemaster; the same applies when friends come to your House. You’ll get to know more of the girls over the course of the year through socials, and you can visit them in their Boarding House Common Room in your free time outside the normal working day. Wherever you go, you’re expected to display the highest standard of conduct.
When do I get to go home?
Generally there is an Exeat either side of half term in each of the three School terms, the dates of these are published on the School website. For an Exeat boys are free to go home after their last school commitment on a Friday afternoon and return to the House by 9.00pm on Sunday
night. Boys can also be granted leave to go home on a weekend if they have an important commitment to make or family occasions e.g. birthdays and weddings.
How do I know when my team practices, fixtures and other commitments are?
Everything appears on your School ‘Socs’ calendar, which you’ll have access to in your first week. It brings your whole timetable together in one place — lessons, team practices, fixtures and all your other cocurricular commitments — so you’ll always know where you need to be and when.
What is there to do at the weekend?
There’s always plenty going on. On Saturday, lessons finish at 11am and the afternoon is given over to a full sporting programme, followed in the evening by a social programme with Sherborne Girls — discos, house swaps and a range of other activities. Sunday is more relaxed: you get a lie-in, and there’s usually a trip on offer, whether that’s a water park, a sports fixture or somewhere further
afield. The ‘Sherborne menu’ is available too. You’ll also have full access to the Sports Centre, Music and Art, as well as plenty of time to relax and see your friends, either in town or over in another House.
What do I do if I feel homesick, unwell, or I’m finding things hard?
The most important thing to know is that you are never on your own. Our boarding Houses are hugely supportive places, with help on hand 24 hours a day. Whatever you’re facing — feeling homesick, feeling unwell, or simply finding something difficult — there is always someone to turn to.
If you’re homesick, it’s really important not to bottle it up. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about and it happens to far more boys than you’d think — and it almost always passes. If you’re feeling unwell, go and see Matron, who will give you the care you need or send you on to the Health Centre, where a doctor visits every weekday morning. And if something else is on your mind, however big or small, you can always talk it through.There are
so many people here to look after you and for you to lean on: your Housemaster, Matron, your Tutor, the House Prefects, the staff at the Health Centre and the School Counsellor are all here to support and nurture you.
Whatever it is, please do speak to someone — that is exactly what we are here for.
How do I find out about, and sign up for, clubs, sport, music and drama?
The House staff are there to help you with this and oversee the sign-up process, so you’ll always know where to start. There’s a huge range on offer — clubs, activities, sport, drama, music and outward-bound opportunities — and you won’t be disappointed. The key thing is to get involved and give things a go. Your Tutor is on hand to help you strike the right balance, so that you make the most of everything the School has to offer.
Lyon House
Lyon House
Richmond Road
Sherborne
Dorset DT9 3HN
United Kingdom
+44 (0)1935 810970
sherborneboys.group
PART OF THE SHERBORNE SCHOOLS GROUP
Sherborne Schools Group is a charitable company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales, No. 4002575 and registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, No. 1081228
