The Exeat System
Lawrence College operates a structured exeat system that allows students to visit home at regular intervals during each term. The word "exeat" comes from the Latin meaning "let him go out" — and the exeat is a formal permission for a student to leave the school grounds and spend time with their family.
The exeat system is carefully designed to balance two equally important priorities: the immersive boarding school experience that is central to the Gallian formation, and the vital family bonds and home life that every student — no matter how well settled at the college — needs to maintain.
Typical Exeat Schedule
Specific dates are confirmed at the beginning of each term and vary by school year.
Junior School students visit Murree with their parents on designated days. These supervised visits allow younger boys to maintain family contact while remaining within the college's care framework.
Preparatory School students also visit Murree with their parents on designated days, building the independence and boarding school rhythm that prepares them for Senior School.
Senior School students are permitted Sunday outings. Leave mid-term is granted only in exceptional circumstances — emergencies or a sibling's wedding (2 days plus travel time). Home leave is not granted mid-term for routine reasons.
Leaving and Returning Procedures
The exeat system is administered with care and discipline. Students leaving on exeat must have formal permission from their parents or guardian, confirmed with the housemaster. The college maintains a record of all students on exeat and expects them to return by the specified time and date.
Late return from exeat without proper notification is treated seriously. A fine of Rs. 100 per day is levied for late return, up to a maximum of six days. If a student remains absent beyond six days without approved leave, he is at risk of being struck off the college roll. Students are expected to be responsible in their management of exeat permissions and return times.
Holiday & Break Schedule
The college operates a three-term academic calendar from March to December. Students are entitled to the following breaks during the year:
- Two Summer Breaks — one week each, within the academic year
- Eid Holidays — time granted for Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha
- End-of-Year Break — the winter vacation from mid/late December
- Winter Camp — for outgoing Board and Cambridge examination students during January
The college calendar is issued to parents in December for the following year, with all exeat dates, term dates and holiday periods specified in advance. Parents are asked to plan family arrangements around the published calendar rather than requesting individual exemptions.
Leave Policy
Mid-term leave is granted only in exceptional circumstances — a family emergency or a sibling's wedding, for which a maximum of 2 days plus travel time is permitted. Routine requests for mid-term leave are not granted. Students absent for more than 10 consecutive days without approved leave risk being struck off the college roll and forfeiting their security deposit.
All leave requests must be made in writing to the Housemaster. The Housemaster's approval is required before any student may leave the college grounds outside of the scheduled exeat programme.
Weekends at the College
For students who are not on exeat, weekends at Lawrence College are a valued part of the boarding experience. Weekends offer more relaxed time for sport, leisure, social activities and personal interests. House activities are organised by housemasters, and students have greater freedom to pursue their own interests within the bounds of the college grounds.
Some of the most memorable moments of the Gallian experience occur on ordinary weekends — informal cricket matches, house common room evenings, walks in the Murree Hills, and the deep friendships forged in the free time of boarding school life.