Boarding Experience

A key element to Monkton is our boarding ethos. We really look to develop all aspects of a child and whether a pupil is a boarder or not they will get the best of a boarding world. From the Prep School’s range of exciting and adventurous clubs, to boarding taster nights and flexi boarding options, to the Senior School day pupils joining boarders for breakfast, staying for supper and getting a game of Frisbee before going home, at Monkton the boarding ethos is not about who sleeps the night.

Our boarding ethos creates a place where pupils develop in confidence and in character, where they broaden their horizons and test their independence within a safe and supported environment.

Boarding at the Prep School

We operate a completely flexible approach to boarding. Parents may choose to board their children from 1 night a week to 7. We try to be as accommodating as possible to individual family needs but do appreciate being given as much notice as possible to any changes in the normal established routine for any individual child.  Any day pupil is welcome to flexi-board for any period of time if space permits.

During their stay in the House, there is ample opportunity to socialise with friends, engage in sporting activities, practise your musical instrument, consolidate their school work in a supervised prep and enjoy the homely atmosphere.

Hatton House

Small, family-focused, with supportive and devoted Houseparents, Hatton House is a home-from-home for our family of around 50 boarders, occupying the top two floors of the main building at the heart of the School. 

At Monkton we hold family values at the heart of our boarding ethos. That means shared and relaxed mealtimes, with an emphasis on enjoying food, friendship and conversation. We have a community of care, support and camaraderie, where older children are given responsibilities, and experienced boarders are always on hand to help newcomers to the School. Alongside Houseparents, The Winfields, and Assistant Houseparent Ed Sharpe, the children have the support of our Residential Boarding Assistant and Graduate Teaching Assistants, along with our Head of Prep, Mrs Winchcombe and her family, all of whom live in the main buildings in the School. While most boarders stay at Monkton for a full term, day pupils also enjoy the many benefits of our flexible boarding arrangements: the opportunity to gain confidence and independence away from home or to make the most of the many weekend and evening activities that take place at our School.

 

Weekends

For Years 5 - 8, school continues on Saturday morning, often looking a little different to the week, including taking learning outside the classroom. This is followed by sports matches in the afternoon most weekends. Years 3 and 4 are looked after by boarding house staff and have a range of activities organised for them. Weekends are an important time in Hatton House and on a Sunday we get to enjoy a range of wonderful trips out, such as going to Longleat, New Forest Water Park, camping, high ropes courses, Bristol Science Museum, indoor trampolining, exploring National Trust properties, Blenheim Palace as well as trips to London. As a House, having an active lifestyle is important and we enjoy as much time outside together as possible. Every Sunday the school Chaplain comes in to run the ‘Hub’, an informal time to explore the Christian faith, and some Sundays we attend the local church to join in with our local community. 

Short films of the weekend are sent to families on Sunday night to share the adventures from Hatton House. 

International Students

Monkton Prep has always welcomed international pupils and there is no doubt that the school benefits from a rich diversity of cultural backgrounds. Many of our British boarders have families who live abroad and whose parents are in the military but the house is also enriched with a number of children from other countries. We recognise that for any new boarder the transition to boarding life is a big change and with a large staff team we are able to care for individuals to help make the transition from home to boarding life as smooth as possible.

Contacting home

During the evening there is plenty of time to contact family or friends. Boarders can bring their own mobile or tablet to call/Skype home. The house phone is also available for those who don’t have a mobile phone. We also have 2 house iPads for Facetime and Skype. 

All boarders who have a mobile phone or tablet must keep them in the locked cupboard in the office and we have a strict policy on mobile phone and tablet use which ensures phones and devices are only used to contact home and not for playing games or using social media. Boarders are not allowed to take them to their dormitories or to use them without permission.

Boarding at the Senior School

Boarding at Monkton is centered around a modern boarding model that seeks to replicate the family atmosphere of a home. The boarding house is a home-from-home, where relationships are familiar in nature and the environment relaxed and stable. Houseparents lead these communities, encouraging strong and close bonds between pupils of different ages within their boarding houses.
 
In this environment, we believe that young people prosper and develop in confidence and in character, becoming more considerate and in turn better at relating to a wider diversity of people. Furthermore, our young people develop independence within carefully set parameters so that they become more able to be self-regulated young people. Whether that be in preparation for a similar ‘boarding’ environment at university, or taking next steps towards their futures beyond Monkton.
 
To help young people settle in to boarding at the Senior School, day pupils are entitled to spend a number of nights at Monkton without extra charge (subject to the availability of beds) each academic year.

 

Weekends

One of Monkton's strengths is the breadth of activities available to pupils at weekends - in fact, many of our day pupils will spend all weekend at school just so they can join in the Monkton social life!

Every Saturday afternoon there is a full programme of sporting activities which follow on after morning lessons and a short Chapel service. There are some brilliant social events hosted by the Houses throughout the year - a winter ceilidh, barbecues, and ultimate frisbee to name but a few and these, together with the music, drama and sporting competitions keep the students extremely busy at weekends! 

Students also enjoy the school productions, film nights, Pearce Centre parties, junior discos and informal concerts - there is almost too much to choose from. On Sundays, as well as the opportunity to rest and attend one of a number of local churches in Bath, there are also a number of trips that students can choose to go on including paintballing, ice skating, Thorpe Park and shopping in beautiful Bath.

International Students

Monkton Senior has always welcomed international pupils and there is no doubt that the school benefits from a rich diversity of cultural backgrounds. Pupils from many different countries including Hong Kong, Nigeria, Germany and Spain are an important part of the boarding family here at the Senior.

Contacting home

Students are able to contact family and friends in any of their free time, this is often most practical in the evening. Boarders can bring their own mobile and will all have a Chromebook or laptop while at the school. There is filtered WiFi throughout the school including in boarding houses. The house mobile phone is also available for those who don’t have their own. Boarders hand in their phones overnight to encourage a good night’s rest.