We like to keep our Boarders busy and our Houseparents work with the students to plan a variety of activities. That might be an afternoon of baking, a relaxing film night (complete with popcorn and hot chocolate naturally!), or an adrenaline-filled theme park outing.
Houseparents take into account what’s happening in school. So, if examinations are looming, more time is mind for relaxing activities to allow time to unwind. These may range from the simple joy of staying in school to bake and share homemade pizza or biscuits or taking a walk to the nearby village for some fresh air and exercise.
During the year, there are evening outings during the week. Boarders often make suggestions for these, with popular trips including tobogganing, bowling, the cinema, restaurants and dessert bars. There is an escorted trip almost every weekend, which is compulsory for full boarders in Years 7 to 10.
Weekend trips tend to be further afield, for example to theme parks, the seaside or the many and varied attractions offered in London. Every so often, Boarders will also have a ‘Chill Out’ Sunday, introduced at their request, to just have some unstructured time to relax and unwind.
Those in Years 11 to 13 can choose which trips they attend. With their parents’ permission, Boarders in Year 11 can go to local towns and Bluewater Shopping Centre on Friday evenings, Saturdays and Sundays. Boarders in Years 12 and 13 can go to Bluewater Shopping Centre and local towns any day after school (returning before the beginning of Prep) and can also go to London at the weekend with their parents’ permission.
Boarding Activities
On Friday evenings there are activities planned by our elected Head of House and the Boarders. These have included Games nights, Quiz nights, Ten Pin Bowling, Summer BBQs, and an International dining nights, when students have cooked and shared dishes from their home country.
Our Houseparents are always keen to make the life in Boarding as homely as possible, and so birthdays are celebrated with the birthday Boarder’s cake of choice – these have included cakes made from fruit as well as the usual sponge cakes! National holidays are also celebrated whenever possible.
The Summer Term sees our annual Year 7 Boarding Week, when all Year 7 Day Students are invited to join the Boarding Community for the whole week and experience life as a Boarder. They get to take part in all the trips and activities, as well as a few extra events – such as paintballing on South Lawn!
