The special features of boarding

Accessibility
Some of our boarders live within an hour's drive of School. However due to our excellent facilities we attract ever increasing numbers of boarders from throughout the UK and the international community. Individual telephones in every bedroom allow all our boarders to easily receive international and national calls from their parents and friends. These bedroom telephones can also make outgoing national calls. There are separate special telephones in each boarding house to allow overseas students to make international calls. The internet has revolutionised communication between boarders and their families. Our Internet Café allows everyone to utilise email to its fullest extent at no extra charge.

Pastoral Care
A key investment is in our boarding staff. Our house parents and their assistants are faced with a greater range of boarding legislation than ever before, and are committed to professional development in all aspects of boarding education in the best interests of the children in their care. In addition, our boarding staff are constantly using opportunities for in-service education in pastoral care, counselling and other aspects of boarding life.

Top-quality Environment
Investment in quality also very much applies to the boarding environment. We have invested millions in ensuring that boarding facilities at Queen Ethelburga’s are amongst the very best in Europe. Our boarding houses mirror family homes; indeed, as one parent told us,

"My son's bedroom at school is much better than his room at home" .

Quality of meals and personal privacy are also areas that we believe are very important.

In an uncertain world, where traditional values become less and less obvious to young adults, where people are worried about their children's personal safety and where there is never enough time to do all the things one would want to do with ones children it is reassuring to find a solution that works very well indeed.

In the last 3 years alone the number of girls and boys boarding with us has risen by over 50%.

In preparing this section on boarding we would like to acknowledge Adrian Underwood. He was the National Director of the Boarding Schools' Association. As an ISI Inspector, he regularly inspected boarding schools, and as part of his national role he visited 60 boarding schools a year.