One bed, one student, one record
The allocation list should name the bed, the house, the student and the date. When a student moves rooms, the record moves with them; a paper plan on the wall stops being true the first weekend.
Record arrivals and departures at the gate
Exeat and weekend leave need the same discipline as attendance: who left, with whom, when they are due back, and who authorised it. The warden should be able to answer a parent’s call from the record, not from memory.
Roll call twice, record once
Evening and morning roll calls should be captured in the same list, with exceptions — sick bay, approved leave, late return — marked and visible to the house team.
Keep incident and medical notes together
An illness or a disciplinary incident belongs on the student’s boarding record with time, action and follow-up. It is the difference between continuity and re-telling the story to every shift.
Share only what each person needs
The house team needs medical and leave details; the front office needs contact and authorisation; other students need nothing. Check that the system grants access by role rather than by knowing the link.