Around a third of pupils at Kent College are boarders. The school has a long history of welcoming boarders from the abroad as well as from British families resident in the UK or working overseas . There are over 40 countries represented in our boarding population and this brings great richness and diversity to school life, as well as helping all our pupils to understand and respect different cultural traditions. Boarders are fully integrated into the school and belong to school competitive houses and take part in the leadership of the school through the Senior Student Executive.
Most are full boarders, staying at the school throughout the term although weekly boarding is option as the child can enjoy all the stimulus of boarding life during the week and still be at home with the family at weekends. It is worth noting that accompanied rail transport to and from London, St Pancras can be included as part of the boarding package allowing students to spend the week at school and the weekends at home with their families. There are also opportunities for occasional boarding, when the needs of modern life require that parents may be away for a short while. This allows for continuity for a pupil involved in the myriad of activities available here at Kent College.
Recent investment has brought boarding accommodation up to an exceptional standard and all boarding houses have House Parents who are responsible for the care and welfare of each boarder. They are assisted by House Managers who run the operations of the house and assisted by Resident Tutors who ensure as part of the team care and monitoring 24 hours a day. For the House Parents the boarding house is their family home and this helps maintain the friendly, family atmosphere which was highly praised in the most recent Ofsted inspection report. A further benefit is the availability of the school's Medical Centre which is open 24 hours a day during term time and run by experienced, medically trained nursing staff.
Junior boarders are normally accommodated in dormitories of up to 4 children, whilst 6th Form boarders are allocated a study bedroom of their own wherever possible. In each boarding house there are common room facilities for all pupils which include TV rooms, kitchen areas and games areas. A wide range of activities is available at the weekend through school sports, volunteering and through the boarder’s cultural enrichment programme. This can include fully supervised and staffed trips to the theatre,ballet and sporting events in and around London including the ever popular shopping expeditions. Canterbury too has attractions and boarders are allowed to visit the city centre at the discretion of their House Parent although junior boarders are always supervised.
We aim to set just the right balance between close supervision to ensure the safety and protection of each child, and sufficient independence to allow them to enjoy the boarding experience to the full. Parents can choose boarding at Kent College with total confidence in their child's welfare. There is a set time for prep each evening, which means that all pupils can get on with their work without distraction and the school runs over 70 activities to choose from for leisure time.
Just as Kent College has a mission statement and a set of aims and values for the school as a whole, our boarding houses have their rules and routines that reflect the values and aims of the wider school but are focussed on keeping boarders happy, safe and productive during “boarding time”
Boarding Houses
[BOX2]Austen House[/BOX2] [BOX2]Guilford House[/BOX2] [BOX2]Elfick House[/BOX2] [BOX2]Wesley House[/BOX2] [BOX2]Gamon House[/BOX2]
Summary of our latest inspection report, click below to read more
