Boarding FAQ

There are five weekends a year where there is no Saturday school and the boarding houses close on Friday evening. Boarders stay with family, guardians or friends from Friday night until Sunday afternoon, to get a well-earned break.

Yes. Many of our boarding events are held jointly with other houses, and all meals are taken together in the Dining Hall. There are strong friendships between boarders in different houses.

Boarders and day students quickly integrate by mixing in all lessons and co-curricular activities, attending social occasions and socialising in common rooms and the Dining Hall. During the school day It is difficult to differentiate a boarder from a day student. New Year 9 students are allocated a ‘buddy’ of the same age who is not new to the school, and boarders new to GIH and IC have a ‘big brother’/’big sister’ in the year above who takes them to supper, shows them round the house and helps them to settle in.

Each house has slightly different accommodation, but the same principles apply. Slightly larger numbers in rooms for younger pupils allows them to mix and settle more quickly. Older pupils need more privacy and quiet so in the Sixth Form they usually have single or double rooms. Initial room allocations are made by boarding staff, but after that boarders nominate who they would like to share with and boarding staff take time and care to achieve the best possible outcome. 

Our aim is to produce sociable, mature, courteous and active students who enjoy being part of our boarding community. There is no particular type of student that we are looking for – in fact, variety of personality is one of the great strengths of the boarding experience. However, boarders tend to be students who contribute a great deal to school life, and who achieve a great deal.

Yes, provided they have the relevant permissions in place.

Each of the houses has a computer room and a wireless network. Boarders can connect to the school network in order to access the internet from their rooms. Naturally the school blocks unsuitable websites, and restricts access to gaming and social websites at key working times.

Each house has allocated evening prep time. Younger students work in a supervised setting, graduating to working either in their study bedroom or the school library as they get older. Members of the teaching staff are on duty in the evening and visit each student, offering help with any difficulties and ensuring an appropriately studious atmosphere.

On entry we will deliberately mix pupils from different backgrounds and with different interests. This means that our houses and tutor groups are not known for certain ‘types’ or cliques. We regularly check with new students to ensure they have settled in, and it becomes almost impossible to spot the new students from the ‘old’ after a few days!

If a boarder’s parent(s) or legal guardian lives overseas or a considerable distance away within the UK, then they must have an education guardian who lives nearby and can act on behalf of parents.

The education guardian should be at least 25 years of age and live close enough to the school to carry out their responsibilities. The school writes to all guardians setting out these responsibilities and asks for confirmation in writing that they accept the arrangements. Often a family member or close family friend is the ideal person to undertake this, but there are also a number of agencies that will offer a professional education guardianship service.

The AEGIS website lists registered agencies, and our Admissions department can provide a list of agencies that currently support boarders at Sevenoaks School. However, we cannot arrange for guardians to be appointed. Parents are therefore responsible for the welfare of their children while staying with the guardians concerned.