Boarding FAQs

We offer the opportunity for Years 7-8 to board with us a minimum of two nights per week as we manage the transition from home to boarding with us.

From Year 9, our boarders generally spend four nights a week with us, however, we can discuss this with you directly if there are any extra commitments you may have that would require time out from boarding. The fee for boarding remains the same regardless of nights stayed at College and your place in the dorm is yours for the academic year.

No weekend in boarding is the same, but a typical weekend starts with a relaxing Friday evening after a long and busy week of school. Students have sports and activities on site, as well as the opportunity to go to the local supermarkets for tuck box treat! Sixth Form students have additional trips organized, such as bowling or going out for a meal.

Saturdays often start with house sport on a Saturday morning, as well as frequent planned sports fixtures for the students. Each Saturday there is a different activity off-site for students to sign up to attend. These can range from whole day trips, for example Thorpe Park and Brighton, or more frequently, smaller trips to places such as local trampoline parks, pottery painting workshops, the cinema, and Go Ape. Every weekend students can go swimming at Eton College, go to the local towns to go shopping, play sports and have time to do their prep and socialise with each other.

These are weekends where the College closes and all students go home to their parents or Guardians.

On shorter weekends, we offer some amazing weekend breaks for anyone who is unable to return home or to a Guardian. Recent trips have included: glamping near Cheddar Gorge; a foodie and cultural trip to Oxford as well as a weekend to Bristol and Bath to go ice skating, watch an ice hockey match and go shopping! The most recent Exeat weekend trip was to an outdoor activity camp in Wales.

In Years 7 to 8, we have up to six pupils sharing a dorm. Importantly they have their own bed, wardrobe and set of drawers and that is theirs whether they board two or seven nights a week.

In Years 9-11, the students move to rooms with individual study-beds where three to four students share a room.

The Sixth Formers generally have two students in a room with desk-beds that flip very easily from sleep-mode to work-mode! The Sixth Form corridors have their own lounge and kitchen, as well as bathrooms, with the vibe very similar to a University halls of residence.

There are many spaces available for boarders to relax together – the majority of the site is ‘in bounds’ when the day students go home. There are two large ground floor common rooms where boys and girls can socialise together. Each boarding house also has a large common room with TVs, activities and comfy sofas. We have a sports hall and floodlit astro that can be used all year round and particularly in the lighter and warmer months, the grass areas in the quad become increasingly popular.

Day students and Boarders are all assigned to one of the four pastoral houses (Johnson, Fawcett, Brunel and Turing). They take part in competitions throughout the year, and are in a tutor group within their houses.

All lessons contain a mix of day and boarding students, and co-curricular is the same. It gives many opportunities for day and boarding students to mix with each other, before the day students then go home at 5pm.

Boarders are not permitted to go back to their dorms during the day, further promoting the integration, taking their belongings needed for school to lessons at the start of the day rather than going back to the boarding house.

• Pillow/s
• Duvet
• Sheets, duvet cover and pillow case/s
• Clothes for outside College time
• Coat hangers
• Toiletries

We are a ‘no-phones’ school during the working day. Year 7 – 11 Boarders leave their mobile phones locked away in specially designed charging units and get them back at the end of the school day (providing their dorm-score is good enough!). Many boarding activities such as prep and supper are also phone-free. All tech is handed in at least an hour before bed for years 7-11, Sixth Form are able to keep them in their rooms and wifi is switched off at midnight.

We ask that each student works together to keep their dorms clean and suitable for all students to live together. They are checked over daily by the house Masters and receive marks out of 10 for tidiness. A 10/10 is well prized and is rewarded by the House Masters when achieved!

Yes – the Head and Deputy Head each have a house on site with their families. Each boarding House is also home to a Housemaster and either an Assistant Housemaster or a Resident Boarding Assistant

Yes, they are divided into four houses with the boys all together and the girls together too. We mix regularly for meal times and after school activities as well as weekend trips.

All catering is included as well as most weekend trips. Some bigger trips come at an additional cost but are subsidised by us to keep costs as low as possible. Extra charges are added to the parent pay account and these will always be highlighted in advance. There is no need for boarders to bring in their own money other than a card to use the vending machines or if they go out at the weekend.

Most meals are taken in The Refectory and are freshly made by our caterers, Thomas Frank. Some weekend breakfasts are provided in-house and boarders are welcome to bring their own food and snacks but do note that we are a nut-free school. Each corridor has a kitchen with a fridge freezer that boarders can use. Bread, cereal and milk are provided and are available at all times in the boarding house.

• Boarders leave house at 8.30am
• Boarding and Day students arrive in their form rooms ready for 8.40am registration and tutor time
• Lessons start at 9am, with morning break at 11.15am (snacks are provided for all students at this time).
• Lunch for Y11-13 starts at 12.20pm and ends at 1.15pm.
• Lunch for Y7-10 starts at 1.05pm and ends at 2pm.
• The whole school has a second Tutors session from 2pm-2.15pm, after which lessons resume.
• A one hour co-curricular session takes place Monday to Thursday.
• School finishes at 5pm Monday to Thursday and 3.45pm on Fridays.

Yes – washing is done for the students Monday to Friday in our on-site laundrette, but there are also washing machines and tumble driers in each kitchen for students to do their own if they wish.

Yes. We have bike racks on site where bikes can be safely locked up; we insist that helmets are worn. Your Housemaster should be made aware if you intend to bring your bike to the College and also told when you intend to use it.

Our team of medical professionals are based in the Medical Centre during the day. During the evening, nights and weekends, students are looked after in houses and i a student is deemed too ill to go to school, they will be looked after from one of our sick-bays. Where this is not possible (due to space or the contagious nature of an illness), parents will be asked to collect their child.

We support all our students in any way we can to continue their religion whilst with us at Holyport. As an example, we run bible study groups for boarders regularly on a Sunday and support students through Ramadam. We would encourage you to please discuss any needs with us directly and we will support you in all ways possible.

Prep is completed for one hour each day, Monday to Thursday. This takes place in one of two ways: in co-curricular during the school day or from 7-8pm and supervised by boarding staff, a Sixth Form student and/or a member of the boarding leadership team.

Yes, this is supported by us as we recognise that some boarders still want to maintain their external commitments, so long as this does not conflict with key school events. Many of our boarders travel to and from external clubs during the week and at weekends, taken by parents or guardians. The key to this is ensuring you engage in conversation with your child’s Housemaster so that we can ensure appropriate plans are in place. We can help with arranging taxis to activities however it is the responsibility of the parents to coordinate the return.