It is truly disturbing to witness the frequency and number of belongings that are forgotten and left behind in school every term. This is true for children of all ages and Years Groups from 1-10.
Please note: We strongly discourage children from bringing large amounts of money or personal valuables to school. The school cannot assume responsibility for loss or damage to personal belongings such as these.
What we do with lost belongings
We have two designated places for Lost & Found items, one on each floor for the Primary and Secondary sections:
- Upstairs: Near Staircase 1
- Downstairs: Near the water cooler in Corridor 4
- All lost and found items are placed in these labelled designated places.
All new entrants are given a guided tour of the school and the Lost & Found shelves are specially pointed out. Our Year 1 pupils are shown these spaces more than once, both upstairs and downstairs, because they leave belongings downstairs too during Home-Time or when they come down for Club periods. Teachers also have a conversation with pupils around responsibility for belongings.
We display unclaimed items during Parent Teacher Meetings for parents to identify and take away.
If parents/children do not claim an item even after a couple of months, we then distribute these amongst our ancillary staff, or donate them to underprivileged schools or individuals.
What you can do to help
Please read the guidelines below and encourage your daughter to be careful with her belongings. If she loses something please do not replace it right away. Make her responsible for her belongings and ask for an explanation if she loses something.
1. Label all items such as water bottles, stationery, notebooks, learning kit, art kits, cardigans and hoodies with your child’s name, year group and section.
2. Have a conversation with your daughter about the school’s lost and found procedure, ensuring that she is familiar with the procedure in case she loses anything in school.
3. Make her responsible for her belongings. Let her know that you expect her to check the Lost & Found shelves carefully. Younger pupils should inform their teachers about lost items. Their teacher will make sure she goes and looks in the Lost and Found areas.
4. We have clearly stated that we are not responsible for valuables. Despite this, at times children do bring valuables and lose them too. If this happens and a watch, gold jewellery or cash is lost, your child can check with her Headmistress. If it has been found by the school, the lost item can be retrieved by providing supporting evidence.