Right Place, Right Time
Structure and routine are important parts of a successful boarding experience. At Hurlstone Agricultural High School, the “Right Place, Right Time” approach helps students develop responsibility, independence, organisation, and positive daily habits within a safe and supportive environment.
Boarding students follow a structured daily routine that balances academic learning, study, meals, recreation, wellbeing, and rest. Clear expectations and consistent routines help students manage their responsibilities while ensuring they remain connected, supported, and engaged throughout the day.
This page outlines the general day-to-day schedule for boarding students and provides guidance about where students are expected to be at different times of the day, including before and after school, during study sessions, meal times, recreational periods, and evening routines. These processes help maintain a calm, organised, and well-functioning boarding community where students can thrive academically, socially, and personally.
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday – Right Place Right Time
7am – 8:15am
- Out of bed – student responsibility to set alarm and not rely on duty staff.
- Prepare for school by showering, dressing, making beds and cleaning area ready for Bed Inspection (BI)
- BI at 7.20am – doors open ready: this will include room/common area inspections and uniform checks
- Breakfast: 7.30am - 8.00am (latest arrival at 7.45am)
- Team leaders and student leaders make any announcements
- Ensure tables are clean before leaving the dining hall
- Students needing medication leave dining hall at 7:55am
- All students are to leave for day school by 8.15am (Mondays – muster in dining hall) via the central door of the block and have names marked off. If you are leaving for school early, please notify the duty staff.
3:05 – Dinner (5:30pm)
- 3:05pm afternoon tea in the dining room
- 3:05pm – 4pm Take care of personal hygiene, pack for prep, clean room, put away washing, work on extra homework and assessment tasks. Junior students will have curtains and doors open when practical during this time.
- Library (until 5.15pm)
- Common rooms, in and around dorm blocks
- On tennis courts, basketball courts, oval – with staff permission. Boarders must sign out for access to courts and fields.
- Over the line for 20minutes at or about 4:10pm. Junior students must be accompanied by staff – no junk food!
- At an organised recreational activity or extra-curricular event (notify staff before leaving)
- Gaming activities take place in a common room.
- 4:00pm – 5:00pm REC SELECT from All students are to leave the blocks between 4pm – 5pm and select a recreational activity or space to work in such as library or A block. Activities will include physical, creative, intellectual, and social emotional options.
- 5pm - 5:30pm – take care of personal hygiene, pack for prep, clean room, put away washing, work on homework.
- Dinner: 5.30pm - 6.00pm
- Day school areas
- Farm and dairy areas
- Dorms between 4pm and 5pm
6pm – 6:30pm
- COLA, OVAL 1 and Tennis Courts ok to be used during daylight hours with permission by duty team. Student must sign out with a team member.
- To be indoors in common room or dorm
- Library (From 6.00pm – 6.30pm)
Prep: 6.30pm - 8.00pm
AFTER 8.00pm: Indoors in the following areas – common rooms, own block and dorms
Phone use should cease 20 minutes before lights out time, to prepare for school the next day and be in bed on time
Wednesday – Right Place Right Time
7am – 8:15am
- Out of bed – student responsibility to set alarm and not rely on duty staff.
- Prepare for school by showering, dressing, making beds and cleaning area ready for Bed Inspection (BI)
- BI at 7.20am – doors open ready: this will include room/common area inspections and uniform checks
- Breakfast: 7.30am - 8.00am (latest arrival at 7.45am)
- Team leaders and student leaders make any announcements
- Ensure tables are clean before leaving the dining hall
- Students needing medication leave dining hall at 7:55am
- All students are to leave for day school by 8.15am (Mondays – muster in dining hall) via the central door of the block and have names marked off. If you are leaving for school early, please notify the duty staff.
11:40am – 3:05pm
11:40 – 1:05pm
- Students with approved leave can sign out at the front office (day school). Other students to attend the library period 3.
- Rest of school, farm areas
1:05 -3:05pm
- All students attend lunch at 1:05pm in the dining hall until 1:25pm (roll call included). Dismissed to collect washing and return to the blocks.
- Students attending other activities, e.g. orchestra sign out with HTW
- Students must remain in the blocks and may choose to spend time together socialising in the common room or catch up on schoolwork.
- Roll calls will take place throughout the afternoon by the supervising teachers. Please ensure you speak to staff and gain permission before leaving the blocks.
- Students going on approved leave during this time should sign out via the front office after letting the supervising teacher know they are leaving to sign out.
- 3:05pm afternoon tea in the dining room
- Rest of school, farm areas
3:05pm – 5:30pm (Dinner)
- 3:05pm – 4pm Take care of personal hygiene, pack for prep, clean room, put away washing, work on extra homework and assessment tasks.
- Library (until 5.15pm)
- Common rooms , in and around dorm blocks
- On tennis courts, basketball courts, oval – with staff permission. Boarders must sign out for access to courts and fields.
- Over the line for 20minutes at or about 4:10pm. Junior students must be accompanied by staff – no junk food!
- At an organised recreational activity or extra-curricular event (notify staff before leaving)
- Gaming activities take place in a common room.
- 4:00pm – 5:00pm REC SELECT from All students are to leave the blocks between 4pm – 5pm and select a recreational activity or space to work in such as library or A block. Activities will include physical, creative, intellectual, and social emotional options.
- 5pm - 5:30pm – take care of personal hygiene, pack for prep, clean room, put away washing, work on homework.
- Dinner: 5.30pm - 6.00pm
- Day school areas
- Farm and dairy areas
- Dorms between 4pm and 5pm
6pm – 6:30pm
- COLA, OVAL 1 and Tennis Courts ok to be used during daylight hours with permission by duty team. Student must sign out with a team member.
- To be indoors in common room or dorm
- Library (From 6.00pm – 6.30pm)
Prep: 6.30pm - 8.00pm
AFTER 8.00pm: Indoors in the following areas – common rooms, own block and dorms
Phone use should cease 20 minutes before lights out time, to prepare for school the next day and be in bed on time
Friday – Right Place Right Time
7am – 8:15am
- Out of bed – student responsibility to set alarm and not rely on duty staff.
- Prepare for school by showering, dressing, making beds and cleaning area ready for Bed Inspection (BI)
- BI at 7.20am – doors open ready: this will include room/common area inspections and uniform checks
- Breakfast: 7.30am - 8.00am (latest arrival at 7.45am)
- Team leaders and student leaders make any announcements
- Ensure tables are clean before leaving the dining hall
- Students needing medication leave dining hall at 7:55am
- All students are to leave for day school by 8.15am (Mondays – muster in dining hall) via the central door of the block and have names marked off. If you are leaving for school early, please notify the duty staff.
3:05 – Dinner (5:30pm)
- 3:05pm afternoon tea in the dining room
- 3:05pm – 4pm Take care of personal hygiene, clean room, put away washing, work on extra homework and assessment tasks.
- Library - not open Fri, Sat, Sun after school
- Common rooms, in and around dorm blocks
- On tennis courts, basketball courts, oval – with staff permission. Boarders must sign out for access to courts and fields.
- Over the line for 20minutes at or about 4:10pm. Junior students must be accompanied by staff – no junk food!
- At an organised recreational activity
- Gaming activities take place in a common room.
- 5pm - Take care of personal hygiene, clean room, put away washing, work on homework.
- Dinner: 5.30pm - 6.00pm
- Day school areas
- Farm and dairy areas
Prep: 6pm - 8pm
AFTER DINNER: Indoors in the following areas – common rooms, own block and dorms. Evening medication occurs at 8pm.
COLA with duty team supervision until supper (lights turned on)
Phone use should cease 20 minutes before lights out time, to prepare for school the next day and be in bed on time
Saturday – Right Place Right Time
Morning – 5:30pm
- Out of bed
- Breakfast: 9.00am – 11.00am
- Morning meds are done after you eat breakfast.
- Roll call/sight duty team member:
- Morning: Roll call will be taken at breakfast from 9.00am. Students absent from breakfast must get their names marked off with a duty team member prior to 10.00am
- Lunch: roll call will be taken in the dining room between 12.30pm – 1.00pm
- 1pm – 3pm No recreational screens, homework catch up time and social engagement.
- Dinner: 5.30pm – 6.00pm
- Afternoon Tea : 3:30pm
- Bedtime: as per bedtime routine
- Study/prep
- Lunch: 11.30am – 1.00pm
- Exercise in gym and cardio room (With staff supervision)
- Organised and approved day leave
- Staff organised outing e.g. shops or recreational activities.
- On tennis courts, basketball courts, oval, with staff permission. Boarders must sign out for visits to the sporting facilities.
- Over the line – afternoon, accompanied trip to shops for a maximum of 20minutes.
Dinner @ 5.30pm
AFTER DINNER: Indoors in the following areas – common rooms, own block and dorms. Evening meds are done at 8pm.
Sunday – Right Place Right Time
Morning – 5:30pm
- Out of bed
- Breakfast: 9.00am – 11.00am
- Morning meds are done after you eat breakfast.
- Roll call/sight duty team member:
- Morning: Roll call will be taken at breakfast from 9.00am. Students absent from breakfast must get their names marked off with a duty team member prior to 10.00am
- Lunch: roll call will be taken in the dining room between 12.30pm – 1.00pm
- 1pm – 3pm No recreational screens, homework catch up time and social engagement.
- Dinner: 5.30pm – 6.00pm
- Afternoon Tea : 3:30pm
- Bedtime: as per bedtime routine
- Study/prep
- Lunch: 11.30am – 1.00pm
- Exercise in gym and cardio room (With staff supervision)
- Organised and approved day leave
- Staff organised outing e.g. shops or recreational activities.
- On tennis courts, basketball courts, oval, with staff permission. Boarders must sign out for visits to the sporting facilities.
- Over the line – afternoon, accompanied trip to shops for a maximum of 20minutes.
Dinner @ 5.30pm
AFTER DINNER: Indoors in the following areas – common rooms, own block and dorms. Evening meds are done at 8pm.
Phone use should cease 20 minutes before lights out time, to prepare for school the next day and be in bed on time
NOTE: Failure to abide by the boarding school routine will lead to consequences such as those listed below. Breaches of the Student Code of Behaviour (in student planner) will be assessed using the NSW Department of Education Student Behaviour Policy. Serious incidents will be referred directly to the Senior on Call (Deputy Principal) who will support the Team Leader in responding.
BI = Bed Inspection
Tier 2 consequences by Head Teacher Welfare – Head Teacher Welfare will interview student and contact parents and issue subsequent consequences in addition to the original consequence.
Tier 3 consequences by Deputy Principal – failure to follow the directions for Duty Team members and Head Teachers Welfare will be reviewed by Deputy Principal in line with the Behaviour Policy.
Who do I see?
Who you see about an issue may be influenced by staff members you may feel most comfortable discussing the issue with. The table below outlines the person responsible for carrying out the action or response to the issue.
BI
- 7.20am: all boarders must be dressed ready for school for BI. Staff on duty will check your room and assess readiness. If instructed by the duty team, you will need to tidy your room or adjust your uniform before going to breakfast. You will only leave for breakfast after your room and your uniform has been checked by a duty team member. If you are not dressed for school and/or your room is untidy you will ‘fail BI’ and will be issued a reinspection at 3:30pm and a 7am reflection.
- Thursday morning BI will include a wardrobe check. The wardrobe should be open to check. If the wardrobe is untidy, rather than a fail, the student will be referred to the Head Teachers Welfare who will support them with cleaning up their space.
- Living area in dorm rooms/spaces should be neat and tidy i.e. items of clothing, shoes, books, food etc. should be off the floor, bed should be made and student should be dressed in the correct uniform.
- Laundry to be washed as per laundry roster. Washing frequency is monitored, if sheets are not put out you may be escorted over to strip your bed to have the linen washed.
Student issued with a 7.00am reflection
- This means reporting to the duty room in full school uniform
- You will be required to stay in the duty room until 7.20am
- Student to come prepared with reading material or schoolwork which can be completed during this time. This time is strictly a time-out session. No entertainment on devices.
- Failure to report to 7.00am will result in being referred to HTs welfare then to DP.
By 8.15am
- Item plugged into power points that do not need to be on should be turned off. All lights in the room should be out and the room left locked. Room keys should never be left in the locks. Room and cupboards should be locked.
- Leave for day school via the middle doors to the blocks and have your names marked off.
Phone Use
Phones are an essential communication tool, especially with students travelling long distances to go home or return to school. We also make use of student's mobile phones when they are on leave, providing students and the duty team an easy means of communication, as well asto keep in contact with friends and family. Phones are useful when used responsibly, using these guidelines:
- Phones to be away and out of sight during mealtimes and during prep sessions.
- Phones should not be used after 20 minutes before lights out (check the Right Place Right Time document)
- If phones are used at inappropriate times they may be confiscated and locked in the school safe, in the duty room. The Senior on call (SOC) or boarding school executive staff will contact parents about next steps. Phones will be returned on the notification to the duty team from SOC.
Out of Bounds
Several areas are out of bounds to students.
These include:
• The north and south farm area unless with written permission from the Head Teacher Agriculture and only after the duty team leader has been informed for each visit.
• Dormitories during school hours without permission from a Head Teacher Welfare or Deputy Principal.
• Darkened areas at night away from dormitory blocks.
• Leaving the school premises unless on leave.
• Dormitory buildings of the opposite sex at any time.
• The grass spaces and outdoor areas of each dormitory, to the opposite sex.
• Day school areas are out of bounds after school hours and on weekends.
• The fields and courts, unless students have sought permission from the duty team.
Have a question for our principal or teachers?
Our friendly office team can help you get in touch.