‘‘It feels like Christmas!’ – ‘This is better than I could have dreamed of!’ - ‘It’s better than be
The excited voices and commentary kept coming as the Hazlegrove Junior Boys moved into their newly furbished Lankester Boarding House for the first time this term. After an official ribbon-cutting moment when Alfie, the youngest boarder did the honours with a suitably theatrical pair of scissors, the children explored their new home together.
First stop was the lovely Common Room with its low lighting, comfy seating, quiet area and Nintendo Switch and there was much excitement as the boys progressed through the colourful Lego room with the cloud-shaped lights and bean bags before heading upstairs to explore their new dorms and shiny bathrooms. Accompanied by their House Parents, Will and Lucy Froggatt and also Headmaster, Ed Benbow and his wife Amanda, there was a great deal of excitement as the boys discovered the seating areas in each of the dorms as well as smart new beds and the Camelot vale themed rooms – each one named after a famous knight - the boys were amazed at the changes to their House.
Will Froggatt said, ‘Mrs Froggatt and I have been house parents in Lankester since September 2019. It has been an absolute pleasure running the house and making the place a home away from home for the junior boys. This became even more exciting when it was announced to us that we were going to be the first stage in a three-year plan to refurbish the three boarding houses.
We see the house as an extension of our family home and we wanted the new space to reflect this, giving the children a house of which they can be proud and where the design reflected all that the boys like to get up to which usually includes lots of outdoor adventures and muddy knees! The new house brings the outdoors in whilst also providing a wonderfully calm space where they can fully relax. This is a boarding house designed for the children where they can feel that they are stepping away from academic school life as soon as they cross the threshold. With wall art throughout evoking woodlands, maps and adventure, the boys now have not only a warm welcoming home from home but also a space to excite and invigorate their imaginations.
Headmaster, Ed Benbow, added, ‘Boarding has always been at Hazlegrove’s core, but we are arguably entering its most exciting time. The School is blessed with a nurturing family ethos, stunning grounds and a vibrant activities programme and the recent refurbishment of our junior boys boarding house has added an exciting, fresh dimension to our boarding facilities as we look to cement our strong full-boarding complement as well as meet the increasing demand for flexi boarders. Come and see for yourself!’
The Bursar who helped to drive the project with Estates Bursar Gary Stocker said, ‘What has been achieved to such a tight schedule is truly remarkable, Hazlegrove remains the premier boarding prep school in the South West and with these 21st Century facilities we continue to demonstrate that we understand what our parents and our pupils need and we can and will invest to make sure we continue to deliver the highest standards. What really comes though is the attention to detail and quality of what has been achieved while ensuring the House is a fun and practical environment for the pupils, but the changes are far more than on the surface, refurbishment of all the services ensure that there is plenty of hot water, proper lighting for all activities and the information technology infrastructure to support pupils of today. Definitely an A* Grade project’.
Please find photographs of the opening here.
Click here to see all the photographs on Flickr
