Boarding Houses
Our 100+ boarding children live in one of our three boarding houses:
- Blackford - The Girls' Boarding House
- Lankester - The Junior Boys' Boarding House
- School House - The Senior Boys' Boarding House
Girls' Boarding : Blackford House, Years 3-8
The girls in Blackford are looked after by Mr and Mrs Forbes (Houseparents) assisted by their two matrons as well as our GAP / Graduate students who assist in the evenings and mornings and residential staff who are all part of the boarding team.
Mr Forbes is Director of Boarding and teaches PE, he loves sport and the great outdoors whilst Mrs Forbes teaches English to the Upper School and enjoys the sunshine, beach trips, bbqs as well as the British Summer! Together they offer the girls in Blackford a nurturing, supportive environment where they can grow and develop (and have a lot of fun too!).
Blackford has a fantastic House Common Room with doors that open out onto the garden complete with its hanging swing seat, swing-ball challenge, and areas to sit as well as a lovely picnic table. The house has six dorms with rooms varying from five to twelve beds so the girls are always surrounded by their friends. The younger groups board in mixed groups whilst Years 7 and 8 board within their year groups and the Year 8 girls have their own Common Room.
For those children who are worried that they might miss their pets from home, the children thoroughly enjoy taking care of the school rabbits and guinea pigs as well as the various school cats and dogs who live on site with staff. Watch our for Rocky the Cat in particular as he is a frequent visitor to classrooms as well!
Blackford House is a vibrant and busy place to live but there is also plenty of calm time before bedtime as well, with children enjoying hot chocolate nights, dorm based board game challenges and card games and quiet reading before lights out.
There are always plenty of staff in the house at all times with boarding staff running activities and chatting to the girls throughout the evening, at quiet time, there is always a helpful adult on hand to do all of those night time checks such as teeth brushing and tidying up!
Boys' Boarding: School House and Lankester House, Years 3-8
Mr and Mrs Froggatt are responsible for the care of our boy boarders at Hazlegrove across both of the boys' boarding houses. They live in School House with the senior boys (Years 7 and 8) and are supported by Assistant Boys' Houseparent, Mr Atkinson who lives with his family in Lankester House (Years 3-6). Both houses have a team of matrons and GAP students as well as other resident members of staff.
Lankester House is home to our boys in Years 3 - 6 and provides the perfect setting after a busy day at school. Once the boys step over the threshold they are in a house where the six dorms are themed according to local Arthurian legend and have a fantastic common room that boasts its own pool table, chill-out area and Nintendo as well as board and card games. We have two dorms for our youngest boarders in Year 3 and 4, with a further four dorms for Year 5 and 6, each room has six beds.
The boys all enjoy time in their dorms and the comfy seated areas where they can play board games with their friends. There is also a very popular fish tank that the boys care for as well as the other animals who live on site. Mr and Mrs Froggatt's labrador, Rolly is a very popular and friendly visitor!
Boys in Years 7 and 8 benefit from boarding in the main School House where they enjoy spacious bedrooms and a large, welcoming common room for their House Nights that can include the fiercely contested Pub Quiz, Current Affairs Quiz, Treat Nights as well as Podcasts and Chill. Movie nights are very popular with the required hot chocolate and popcorn!
All of the children enjoy access to the wide range of onsite facilities in the evenings and weekends, with each term offering its own unique way to enjoy the gorgeous grounds, whether it be bonfires in the Autumn term, or cycling and rollerblading as the evenings get lighter in the Spring and Summer terms.
