Boarding routine 4 min read Updated October 2026
The night shift in a boarding school: routine, rounds and records
At night there are fewer staff, more decisions made alone and fewer people to ask. That’s why the night shift should be the most structured of all. This guide offers a fixed skeleton for the evening and night that you can adapt to your institution’s procedures.
1. Start the shift prepared
The first ten minutes decide the night. The incoming counselor reads the handover and doesn’t start working until they know who isn’t here, who needs attention, and who to call if something happens.
Before you start
- Who is out on an exit approval, and when they’re due back.
- Who is ill, who needs medication at night, and at what time.
- Incidents from the day that aren’t closed yet.
- The phone numbers of the person in charge of the shift and the director on call.
- Where the first-aid kit and flashlight are, and how to open a room locked from the inside.
2. The head count and lights out
The evening count is the moment gaps are discovered. It should be at a fixed time and done from a list, not from memory. Every student is marked: in the room, out on approval, or missing.
- A student out on approval isn’t missing, but check that their return time hasn’t already passed.
- A student missing without explanation triggers the late-return procedure immediately, not in the morning.
- Record the count at once, so the person in charge sees one picture of all groups.
3. Rounds: when, and what to look at
A good round is regular but not entirely predictable, and every round is recorded in one line. The number and timing of rounds are set in your procedure. What matters is that every round checks the same things.
| What to check | Why |
|---|
| Every bed is occupied | A quiet count, without waking anyone. |
| Students who are awake | A short, quiet word: why are you up, do you need anything? |
| Windows, exit doors and lighting | Safety, and preventing exits without approval. |
| Faults | A leak, electricity, heating. Logged as a maintenance request, not just a note. |
4. Unusual incidents: who calls whom
At night, the most important decision is when not to handle something alone. Your procedure should define in advance which incidents require an immediate call to the person in charge, so a counselor doesn’t hesitate over whether to “wake someone up”.
01Safety firstMake sure there’s no immediate danger to the student or others, and follow the institution’s emergency procedure.
02Call according to the listThe person in charge of the shift, and if needed the director on call. For medical care or an emergency, follow the institution’s procedure and the emergency services.
03ParentsThe decision when and how to update parents at night is made with the person in charge, according to the procedure.
04Record itWhat happened, at what time, who you called and what was decided. Even if the incident was over quickly.
5. Night records that are ready for the morning
The morning staff need to understand the night in two minutes. A good night record is short, timed and separates what was routine from what needs follow-up.
Night summary
Template to copyCount 22:30: 28 in their rooms, 2 out on approval, 0 missing.
Rounds: 00:30, 02:30, 05:00. Nothing unusual.
Incident: 01:40 a student from room 12 with a stomach ache. Checked, given water, asleep by 02:10. To be checked in the morning.
Fault: a leaking tap in the 2nd-floor shower. Maintenance request opened.
Follow-up: update the counselor of room 12 in the morning.
6. Look after the night staff
Night shifts wear people down. A tired counselor misses things, and a counselor who feels alone at night leaves. A few simple decisions make a difference.
- A person in charge reachable by phone every night, with a name and number known in advance.
- A short, orderly morning handover, so the night counselor can go to sleep on time.
- Regular feedback: what the night counselor reported gets a response and doesn’t disappear.
Common mistakes
- A head count from memory instead of from a list.
- A missing student left until the morning.
- Rounds that aren’t recorded, so nobody can tell whether they happened.
- A night incident told verbally in the morning and never written down.
- A counselor who doesn’t know who to call at three in the morning.
Want to see how the night attendance report, notes and incidents reach the morning staff in order? We’ll show it on your own structure.
