The aims and objectives of the School require a commitment to pastoral care by which boys are encouraged to achieve the best of which they are capable in the academic, co-curricular and community life of the School.

It is expected that students attending Scotch will show appropriate respect for the staff and property of the School. Students should exhibit behaviours, within the classroom and co-curricular life of the School, that indicate they are in pursuit of learning and education in its broadest sense and show respect for the rights of others to access the education provided by the School. Students should develop the abilities, knowledge and skills to work independently, cooperatively and collaboratively with fellow students towards their goals and aspirations with the guidance, instruction and care of School staff. They should show respect and care for those in the community and their property, and should demonstrate leadership in providing a positive example to peers and those younger than themselves, and responsibility towards the care of those boys. This is the context in which the following School Rules should be understood and observed.

Attendance and Punctuality

Absence

A boy may not be absent from School for any reason except illness without securing leave of absence in advance. A letter setting out the reason for the proposed absence, and signed by a parent or guardian, must be brought to the boy's House Head. A medical or dental appointment card is not sufficient for this purpose. Upon returning to School after any absence, a boy must bring a note signed by a parent or guardian, explaining the reason for absence. The note should include the boy's name, initials, House and Year Group in block capitals. He must hand this note to Student Services. He must see his subject teachers to discuss plans for catching up on work missed. Parents are requested to inform the School on the morning when a boy is absent by phoning the Front Office on (08) 9383 6928.
For periods of a week or more, leave must be requested through the Head of Senior School or Head of Junior School. In the case of absence from the Senior School, a student will be given an opportunity to request work from his teachers, and after having seen the Director of Teaching and Learning, he will collect any work prior to his leave.

Illness

A boy who is taken ill or injured during the day must report to his House Head, who will if necessary send him to the Health Centre, where any further necessary action will be taken. Only in an emergency may a day boy go directly to the Health Centre. Boys who go down to the Health Centre during the day must have a note made in the back of their Student Diary. This allows parents and staff to know about a boy's movements during the day.

Infectious Diseases

If a boy, or an inhabitant of the House where he is residing, is affected by an infectious disease, the School must be notified immediately. The boy may not be allowed to return to School until the Headmaster is satisfied that there is no risk of infection.

Saturdays

Any Senior School boy may be required to attend at School on Saturday and no excuse except illness will be accepted for non-attendance.

Public Holidays

Many community public holidays fall within School vacations. In the event that a public holiday falls in a School term and is not taken as a School holiday, attendance is obligatory.

Punctuality

Boys should arrive at School before the warning bell which is rung at 8.35am. Any boy who arrives after this time will be regarded as being late and his name will be recorded in the Late Book. If a boy is late twice in 30 days, he will be put on detention. Punctuality is also expected during the school day and boys should make every effort to get to class on time.

Supervision

Staff on duty begin in the Senior School at 8.15am and boys who are on campus are subject to normal staff supervision. No boy may leave the campus after 8.30am without staff permission. After 8.30am normal procedures apply, and boys must sign the Leave Book having obtained permission to move off campus. Any boy who leaves the campus without permission after 8.30am and before the end of the teaching day, will be deemed to be absent without leave.

Special Functions

There are some special functions outside the normal School hours, and apart from regular games, which all Senior School boys are expected to attend. These may include the Inter-School Swimming Carnival, the School Play, the School Concert, the Interschool Athletics meeting, Inter-House Athletics and Speech Night.
Study Leave: For a short period prior to the Tertiary Entrance Examinations and sometimes on other occasions, the School announces that senior boys may have study leave, and no formal classes are held. Such decisions are taken in the best interest of the boys in the light of the School's experience in these matters. Boys may not be absent from School to study unless study leave is granted.

End of Year Employment

The School recognises that it can be a valuable experience for a boy to have vacation employment for some of the longer summer vacation. It is also concerned that full use should be made of the School term and that boys should be discouraged from failing to meet commitments to the School. To this end, parents are asked not to seek leave for boys to cease attendance at School before Speech Night, unless it is absolutely unavoidable. For boys in Year 11 particularly, the period between the end of year examinations and the end of term is still very important for discussion of examination results and School assessments.

End of Term Dismissal

Classes continue until the end of term. Parents are therefore asked not to take boys out of School before the end of term to catch early trains or planes. This applies also to mid-term long weekends.

School and Personal Property

School Property: Breakages or damage done to School property and apparatus should be reported at once to a teacher. Boys will be expected to make good any damage other than fair wear and tear.
Personal Property: Boys must not bring expensive equipment to School unnecessarily. iPods or Discman must not be brought to School. All books, clothes, calculators, bags etc, are to be marked with the owner's name. The School reserves the right to inspect boys' property.

Pound (Senior School only)

Any personal property left lying about may be impounded by a School officer. Boys wishing to claim such items should see the Assistant to the Head of Senior School. The standard penalty upon return of items is a litter detention.

Lockers (Senior School only)

Lockers are allocated each year. Every boy is responsible for the locker registered in his name and he may not change to another locker without the permission of the Deputy Headmaster. If he finds that the locker allocated to him has been damaged, he should report such damage immediately to his House Head lest he be charged with the repairs. Under no circumstances may a boy open or attempt to open a locker belonging to another boy. Each locker must be locked before the owner leaves it. Lockers must be left empty and unlocked at the end of the School year. No boy may use more than one locker. Locks will be provided by the School.

School Bags

Only small bags may be carried around school. Large bags must be placed in, on or under lockers. Bags should not be carried over the shoulder in confined spaces as this can result in the bag being at eye level for other boys and can cause injury. Bags should be clearly marked on the outside with the owner's name.
Bags left in the wrong place will be confiscated. This rule enables safe movement around the campus.

Money

It is unwise for boys to carry with them more money than is necessary for lunch, fares, etc. Should the need arise to bring extra money to School the boy should hand it to a member of staff for safekeeping, and not leave it in his School bag or locker. No boy may borrow money from another. If it is necessary for a boy to borrow money, he must apply to a member of staff - preferably his House Head, or class teacher in the Junior School. All such transactions must be recorded in the borrower's Student Diary, and the entry must be cancelled by the staff member when the money is returned. Boys may not buy, sell, swap, or hire personal property without their House Head's or Deputy Head's approval. This includes fundraising material such as chocolates.

Clearance

If a boy leaves the School during the year, he must obtain a clearance that he has returned all School property on issue to him.

Bounds

Boys must not leave School bounds between 8.30am and 3.25pm without the permission of their House Head or Deputy Headmaster or his assistant. The bounds are the boundaries of the School property, with the south side of Shenton Road between the Memorial Hall and the Junior School being in bounds. For boarders, the bounds at other times of the day are slightly extended.

Leave Book

No boy may leave the School grounds without permission. Permission may be given by the Deputy Head, his Assistant or the boy's House Head. Boys seeking leave for any reason, including sickness, during the School day must have name and details entered in the 'Leave Book' in the Front Office. If there is prior knowledge of an absence, a note should accompany each request for leave (not an appointment card). If a boy goes home during the day because of illness or any unanticipated reason, even though permission was granted by the School, a note acknowledging the absence should be submitted when the boy returns to School.

School Precincts

Orderly and considerate behaviour in or near buildings is obviously desirable. Boys must refrain from running in confined spaces.

Change over

Boys must go directly from one class to the next without delaying for drinks or other purposes, except during recess and lunch times.

Bicycles

Bicycles must not be ridden within the School premises. They must be stored in the racks provided and should be locked. The School cannot accept any responsibility for bicycles. Boys must wear a cycle helmet when riding to and from School or a School function. Bicycles should be removed from storage at the end of the day before 4.00pm. Boys must register their bicycles with the Deputy Head preferably at the start of the year.

Classrooms

If boys arrive at a classroom before the teacher, they should stand quietly outside the classroom until the teacher arrives.

Food

Food may not be taken into the Dickinson Centre, Music/Drama Building, Bunning Resource Centre, Computing areas, Junior School Library, Chapel, The Residence, Physical Education Centre or the swimming pool area. Boys must be careful that food scraps and lunch papers are placed in bins outside the buildings. Boys may only eat in the classroom with a teacher's permission. Chewing gum is not allowed at School.

Meetings and Other Obligations

It is every boy's responsibility to read daily the notice boards that concern him, and to be aware of meetings, and other activities that concern him. If a boy has conflicting obligations, he must seek leave beforehand from those he cannot meet.

Public Appearances

No boy may take part in any press interview, radio or television broadcast, or other public performance in which the name of the School is mentioned other than those officially approved by the School, or for which specific approval has been given by the School.

Haircuts

It is difficult to define hairstyles or hair length satisfactorily in a time of rapidly changing social norms. Extremes in hairstyles are not permitted. Hair should be properly groomed, clean and brushed. It should not fall over the ears or the eyes or the collar. Extremes of short hair are also discouraged and no less than a number 4 cut is acceptable. Undercuts, layered haircuts and dyed hair are not acceptable at Scotch. Boys must be clean-shaven. Sideburns must not be longer than level with the middle of the ear. Departures from these guidelines will be viewed, not specifically as matters of hairstyle, but as matters of contravention of School rules and guidelines.

Network and Disk Files

Boys must not store any text, sound or graphic files on the School network, or the public areas of hard-disk drives, or on personal computer disks brought on to School property that are likely to give offence to another person.

Mobile Phones

Mobile Phones are allowed at School but it is the student's responsibility to keep them locked safely away. Parents should discuss with their sons if they really need to bring a phone. Mobile phones must not be switched on during School hours. Staff will confiscate mobile phones if they are misused. While a boy may recover his phone from the staff member when it is first confiscated, any subsequent confiscation will require a parent to collect it. If a boy, in an emergency situation, needs to use his mobile phone, he must get permission from a member of staff. The School discourages boys from bringing phones onto the campus.

Appeals

Every boy has the right of appeal to his House Head, Deputy Head or to the Headmaster.

Common Sense

The most important rule is that every boy should use his common sense. A breach of common sense is a breach of School rules.

Detentions (Senior School) and other Sanctions:

Week day detentions are held on Wednesdays (for Years 10 and 11 boys) from 3.35 to 4.35pm and on Thursdays (for Years 8 and 9 boys) from 3.35 to 4.35pm. Boys work under the supervision of a teacher on assignments set by the teacher giving the detention. Boys who are incorrectly dressed or who litter the grounds will be given litter detentions which are usually completed on Wednesdays from 1.15 to 1.35pm. Student Leaders are entitled to set detentions which are usually served as litter detentions.

Saturday morning detentions are held from 8.30 to 10.30am for boys who commit more serious offences, or who have two week day detentions to serve. The only acceptable excuse for absence is illness. Boys who have Saturday detentions are required to see the Headmaster on the preceding Friday at recess and must take their Student Diary to that interview. All detention lists are inspected by the Headmaster each week. In cases of persistent disruptive behaviour, or in the case of an extreme act of misbehaviour, boys may be suspended from the School. Should this occur, a boy will need to convince the Headmaster on his return that he genuinely does want to make an effort to remain a member of the Scotch community. Re-entry is not automatic.

In cases of misbehaviour regarding Year 12s, they will lose their Leadership status. If it is towards the end of their academic year, a boy may lose the opportunity to participate in the Valedictory Service & Dinner, or the March Out and/or in the case of severe misbehaviour, a boy may be asked to sit his final examinations at another institution. Consistent with the Notice of Acceptance, decisions regarding suspension are determined by the Headmaster in consultation with other senior staff. Types of breaches that could trigger suspension would include:

• Possession of drugs
• Boys absent without leave from the Boarding House
• Rudeness to members of staff
• Persistent bullying of other students
• Other matters deemed of similar severity by the Headmaster

Also consistent with the Notice of Acceptance that is signed by both parents when their son is enrolled at School, the power for expulsion lies strictly with the College Council on the recommendation of the Headmaster. Such offences might include:

• Persistent breaches of School Policy including previous suspensions
• Sale of drugs to other students
• Violence to members of the School community (staff, students and parents)
• Other matters deemed of similar severity by the Headmaster.

Also, included under Paragraph 2 of Detentions is the situation of Saturday detentions, suspensions and expulsion. It is a School Rule Policy that every boy is given the opportunity to present his case to the Headmaster, his delegate or other senior members of the academic staff.

Motor Vehicles

It is anticipated that many boys, when they reach the appropriate age, will wish to obtain their driving licences. The School shares with parents the concern that misuse of motor vehicles can have such tragic consequences. Accordingly parents are urged to treat the driving of a car as a privilege for their sons, and not a right that must be granted.
It is considered inadvisable that boys should, under normal circumstances, be allowed to drive themselves to School on a regular basis. Such a practice can so easily lead to the competitive urge being displayed on the roads.

The following rules apply concerning vehicles:

• No boy may ride a motorcycle or drive a motorcar to School without the express permission of the Headmaster or Deputy Headmaster. It is unlikely that permission will be given for a boy to ride a motorcycle to School or for a boy not in Year 12 to drive to School.
• Any boy who obtains a driving licence must report this to the Deputy Headmaster. Any boy wishing to request permission to drive to School, or to School functions, must firstly apply to the Deputy Headmaster for the appropriate forms.
• A boy who drives to School must park his car on the eastern side of the Chapel car park or at the Gooch Pavilion car park. The School cannot undertake to provide parking space for boys' cars nor can it accept responsibility for their safety.
• Boys may not take other boys as passengers in their cars to or from School or School organised functions without the written permission of the parents of both driver and passenger.
• Boys may not hitchhike to or from School or any School function.