Boarding

Boarding houses offer a unique way of life to almost 150 students here at Abingdon. They have the opportunity to learn to be more independent than they might be at home; for instance deciding how to look after their clothes and possessions, when to send things to the laundry, to ensure they eat regularly and in matters of personal hygiene. While there are set ‘prep’ times to ensure that there are periods of quiet, many students will work beyond these hours and, again, the self-discipline and organisational skills learned, prepare the students well for university and life.

“The overwhelming majority of parents responding said that their children enjoy boarding and that this experience supports their progress and development.”

ISI Inspection

The community life amongst boarders is particularly strong and important. All students are encouraged to take an active part in the numerous trips, events and activities arranged specifically for them in the evenings and at weekends. In the houses, there are communal rooms with table tennis, table football, pool, computers and a TV and the integration of both boarders and day students is at its most effective here. They interact well and enjoy the friendships that develop in such surroundings and in the house kitchen, where they can prepare food, have snacks or simply sit and talk.

“Houses are warm, homely, brightly lit and well maintained.”

ISI Inspection

Students in the Third to Fifth Years generally share in rooms of two or three beds, while sixth formers are in single rooms. The newly extended and refurbished boarding accommodation has greatly enhanced the boarding experience and facilities continue to be constantly improved, with a rolling refurbishment programme in place. The houses are equipped with wifi and we expect students to be responsible users and an ongoing programme of internet education is a feature of our boarders pastoral and welfare sessions.

The catering is managed by Sodexo and boarders have an impressive choice of hot and cold food at meal times, including a substantial full English breakfast option every day and a varied and substantial brunch on Sundays. All dietary requirements are catered for, including vegetarian, halal, kosher and gluten free.  Boarders are expected to attend all meals.

“Communication between home and school is excellent. Boarders can contact their parents and carers as often as they wish.”

ISI Inspection

Abingdon is widely acknowledged to have a remarkable extracurricular programme known as the ‘Other Half’. This includes sports, culture and numerous other activities which run alongside the academic timetable.

“The boarders enjoy a wide range of cultural, creative and sporting activities.”

ISI Inspection

The boarding programme is regarded very much as an extension of this and students are encouraged to take full advantage of the diverse range of events, trips and activities available to them. Students in Third Year are expected to take part in all trips and activities provided for them. Students in Fourth and Fifth Years participate in a specific number of such activities each term and sign up accordingly. Sixth Form students are encouraged to remain involved too. The following information applies to a typical year for boarders at Abingdon.

The programme typically includes paintballing, clay pigeon shooting, trips to London, Oxford and West Midlands Safari Park, as well as theme park visits, socials with girls’ schools, bowling, cinema trips and much more. Within the boarding community we also have joint and individual ‘in-house’ activities and socials, ranging from inter-house sports to summer barbecues, cooking and movie nights.

Abingdon prides itself on its remarkable and diverse boarding activities and events programme. We constantly strive to come up with new and unusual opportunities for the boarders.

“Excellent relationships between pupils and staff, and amongst pupils themselves, are central to the strong pastoral care.”

ISI Inspection

House Managers are the single most important person to the students on a day-to-day basis in the houses. They are very much the person to whom students initially turn to in the event of problems, anxiety or even just for a friendly chat. The House Managers also liaise closely with Health Centre staff.

The Health Centre has a team of qualified nursing staff and ensures that the boarding community has access to advice, care and support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Health Centre provides overnight medical supervision when necessary and students have swift and easy access to a range of care and broader health-related advice. All boarders register with the school doctor who holds regular surgeries. All boarding staff are First Aid trained.

Counselling is available following a referral from the school doctor, health centre nurses or at the direct request of parents. The nature of counselling services is complex and is best discussed on an individual basis.

“Every pupil is known as an individual.”

ISI Inspection

The Chaplaincy plays an important part in the life of the boarding community and the Chaplain and Assistant Chaplain (who is also the Director of Wellbeing) are keen to get to know boarders, both individually and through informal group gatherings and meals.

A monthly boarding chapel takes place in addition to the regular weekly year group services. There are opportunities for boarders to participate in these services and one of the highlights of the year is the boarders’ carol service and Christmas meal, attended by all boarders and those involved with the boarding community throughout the year.

The Chaplaincy team offers opportunities for informal discussions, meetings and time for reflection. These are voluntary but we very much hope that those from differing faiths and those unsure or with none will still feel comfortable coming along if they wish.

In addition to The Chapel, Abingdon also has a dedicated multi-faith prayer room.

“Relationships between staff and boarders, and amongst boarders themselves, are warm and friendly.”

ISI Inspection

The aim of the enrichment programme is to prepare the students for “whatever life has to offer” beyond Abingdon boarding. Not quite as ambitious as it sounds, it concentrates on mastering everyday tasks; we go beyond the academic and Other Half life of the day students, and delve into issues and lessons that are more often learned in the home setting.

On Tuesday nights, when there is no Chapel, students from all years are engaged in the boarding enrichment programme. This is run by the Assistant Head of House, and sets out to give the boarders the support and experience required to make that next step in life. The Third Year students, new to boarding life, are encouraged to try new things, to appreciate the environment in which they live and learn to get on with one another. Sodexo, our school catering company, run healthy eating classes before following up with a blind taste test, where often salmon is confused with chicken and cauliflower and potato soup was thought to have leek in it… clearly some way to go with acquiring culinary tastes! Over subsequent weeks boarders are shown how to clean and iron by their House Managers and supported through their first big set of exams by the counsellors and learning support team.

The Fourth and Fifth Years, explore the digital world. In many cases the students are far more versed in gaming and social media than the staff, and we feel it is of utmost importance that the students take responsibility for how they behave online. It is their world, and they must understand how to interact with it.

The sixth form is where the enrichment programme focuses on preparing students for their ‘next step’. As most head towards university, they must be able to take responsibility for their own personal administration as well as their academic and social lives. To this end, we address the complexities of UK taxes and applying for student loans as well as making sure they are aware of UK laws and expectations outside of the safety net provided by Abingdon School. As well as the complicated and serious nature of laws and taxes there is also the home comforts that are so important to making that next step.

Every overseas pupil who is on a Child Student Visa sponsored by Abingdon School must have a guardian appointed by his parents as a condition of entry into the School. A pupil may have more than one guardian. It is very important for the welfare of the student that the guardian is actively interested in the student’s education and welfare and lives close enough for the student to visit during holidays or if needed during extraordinary circumstances such as school closures.

You can find a list of accredited guardians on the AEGIS (the Association for the Education and Guardianship of International Students) and BSA websites.

The provision of guardianship is monitored by the boarding Heads of House as well as by the parents who employ the guardian. In certain circumstances a Head of House may call into question the suitability of a particular guardian and would hope that the parents would take the necessary action in the best interests of his or her child. The School will under no circumstances recommend or arrange guardianship on behalf of the parents. Responsibility for the welfare of students while in the care of their guardians, and while travelling to and from them, rests solely with the parents and not with the School.

Download the guidance notes for parents and guardians