Let the magic begin!

Boarding at Saint Ronan’s is a well-established tradition which aims to provide a secure, friendly and family style environment for the children. The house and grounds provide a wonderful setting for the boarders to flourish and become independent, organised and open-minded children.

Boarding is available from Monday night through to Thursday night for all pupils from Year 4 upwards. It is a great opportunity to gain experience in preparation for full boarding later on, or simply a chance to be with your friends overnight and have some fun.

The children are looked after by Mr Fox who lives in the school house with his wife and young family. He is assisted by a number of the teaching staff, a resident Gap Student and Night Matron. This extended family is on hand to give care and support to ensure that pupils enjoy their boarding experience.

Mr Fox
Assistant Headmaster

The benefits of boarding

Boarding at Saint Ronan’s allows the pupils to experience an exciting aspect of school life to developmany important characteristics.

A boarding evening - what happens

The evening starts at 6.15pm with boarder’s supper. This provides the pupils with a hearty meal after an exhausting school day. The boarders have helped to design the menus so there is not much food left at the end!

Following this the pupils have some free time, with lots of different activities on offer depending on the time of year. Where possible the pupils are sent out to play (this has been known to happen in the dark and snow as well!). They can play their own games or use the tennis courts or swimming pool. In the winter we have the use of the Sports Hall, main house or Great Space depending on whether we are playing dodge ball, flipping pancakes or playing sardines! The boarding staff are on hand to supervise the activities and more often than not join in. On occasions we are also able to take the boarders out to watch local pantomimes.

At 8pm all pupils go upstairs. The younger pupils go into the Snug for snacks and a drink while the Year 8 pupils shower and get into their PJs. At 8.30pm the Year 8s come into the snug for their snacks and drinks and all the other pupils make their way to their dormitories for the bedtime routine (shower, hand in dirty washing, teeth and toilet etc.) Dormitory lights are turned off from about 8.45pm, depending on the age of the pupils. (a little earlier on a Wednesday with the Year 4 pupils).

Where do we sleep?

All the dormitories are located at the top of the school. Each has its own unique name and character - Crystal Palace, Buckingham Palace, The Mall, Rookery, Ally Pally and the Savoy. Pupils are placed in a dormitory with children of a similar age where possible.

Each pupil is given a box in which they keep their personal belongings and a hook for their dressing gown. In addition to this, each bed has a small shelf for items such as reading books and watches. They are also allowed to personalise their dormitory space with posters and photographs.

In addition to the dormitories we have the Snug room which is where the pupils are able to relax, have some snacks, watch television or play games before heading off to bed.

What do the boarders need to bring?

Important

The pupils must remember to wear named underwear and socks on the day they are boarding. These items are washed and placed back into the children’s box for the following week.

Your questions answered by our boarders

How to book