Boarding

 

We are delighted you are considering boarding for your child and warmly welcome you to Ashfold’s boarding family.

We have a thriving boarding community and offer occasional, flexi and weekly boarding for pupils from age 8 to 13. Our boarders are fully integrated into boarding life and are part of our home from home environment to eat, play and relax together. Our 45 beds are located upstairs within the heart of the main school in two separate boarding wings. The boarding house is run very much as an extended family, supported by the Gap students, other residential staff and of course, our much loved Housedog, Nancy .

Boarding is a happy extension of Ashfold school life, with approximately 75% of the Prep School taking advantage of boarding. Each evening, our boarders utilise the fantastic school facilities, and enjoy a raft of exciting activities which promote their social and personal development.

Many of the children enjoy flexi-boarding and this fits in with the busy lives of working parents. Although we have some occasional boarders, most of our pupils enjoy the option of regular flexi-boarding, transitioning to full boarding during the summer months.

We hope our Boarding Booklet will give you an insight into what boarding life at Ashfold is like, but if you have any questions or would like a tour of the boarding house, please do contact us.

Amelia Franklin
Head of Boarding and Houseparent
t:  01844 238 227
e: Amelia Franklin

"Excellent arrangements for boarding enable many pupils to enjoy the boarding experience, which contributes strongly to their learning and their personal development"

- ISI Inspection Report 

Why boarding?

At Ashfold we truly believe that boarding broadens and enhances the educational experience of children outside of the classroom, beyond the usual school day. 

Flexible Boarding

Ashfold offers a flexible bespoke boarding model which allows children to board as little or as often as they like, at their own pace; taking into consideration the working demands and commitments of the parents, and travel requirements of each week, enabling family time at home to become real quality time.

Regular Boarding

We are delighted that many boarders choose to board regularly, either on certain nights of a week or indeed for a few nights a week. Regular boarding allows pupils to reap the benefits of the full family boarding ethos that we aim to achieve as children build strong relationships with the boarding team and their fellow boarders, making friends for life.

Helping Children Develop Independence

We strive to create an environment which is inclusive and nurturing across all year groups, and one in which the children feel safe and confident to express themselves. We know that children develop independence through a strong model of dependency, and in partnership with each family, we aim to foster each child’s independence whilst considering what are appropriate expectations for their age, stage and individual character.

For some, being away from home may seem a daunting prospect, but children are generally extremely adaptable at an early age. Each child will settle into boarding life at their own pace and it is a privilege to witness each child’s confidence, organisation and independence progress over time, seeing them go on to take responsibility for supporting and guiding others who are new to boarding.

Preparation for Senior School

Boarding at Prep school can be enormously beneficial for a child’s preparation for their future senior school, especially if a family is considering a boarding school. Being familiar with a boarding model and feeling secure in a boarding environment and its workings, can help the transition to a new school be much smoother.

Happy Boarding Experience

A happy and successful boarding experience depends on many factors such as a child’s desire to give boarding a go, close and regular communication between parents and the Houseparents, careful liaison and collaborative care with the child’s tutor and teachers in school, and most importantly listening to the children and involving them with how their boarding experience feels and evolves.

We follow the core values of the Ashfold ABC and, as a boarding community, are able to add further emphasis on “Respect, Routine and Responsibility”.

We look forward to welcoming your children to The Boarding House.

"Boarders are articulate, polite and sociable"

- ISI Inspection Report 

Boarding Routines

5.55pm Prep ends and children change into home clothes
6.00pm Supper in the Main Dining Room
6.30pm Evening Activities start
7.30pm Evening Activities end
Boarders meet in the Senior Dining Room for drinks and snacks and registration
8.00pm Children shower, clean shoes, tidy dorms and enjoy free time
8.15pm Bedtime - Forms 3 whispers and read quietly in bed
8.30pm Bedtime - Forms 4 whispers and read quietly in bed
8.45pm Bedtime - Forms 5 whispers and read quietly in bed
9.00pm Bedtime - Forms 6 whispers and read quietly in bed
  After 15 minutes of whispers and reading, it is lights out for each year group
7.20am Wake up for all boarders
7.40am Breakfast in the Main Dining Room
8.00am Children get ready for the day and report to Houseparents before school
8.15am Registration in classrooms

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