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Boarding Aims

Boarding is available at the senior school and is for boys and girls aged 11 to 18.  The co-educational structure of boarding allows us to create a family atmosphere with boys and girls encouraged to socialise together in the common rooms.  We aim to maintain a sense of community in which boarders and staff work together for the benefit of all; a place where everyone is valued.  We want our boarders to be happy, healthy and successful individuals with a mature and responsible attitude towards their studies, and with life-skills necessary for their futures.  We aim to create an environment in which boys and girls have a variety of opportunities through which they can learn to be responsible for their education and each other; where they can be fostered, supported in their studies and allowed to participate fully in, and make a significant contribution to, the corporate life of the school.  Pupils are encouraged to be courteous and kind.  Our philosophy is that consideration of others is of paramount importance.  We achieve this with dedication and compassion, with understanding and sympathy and with a perceptive awareness of the needs of our young people.

Accommodation

College House is situated within the grounds of Plymouth College. Our boarding accommodation consists of a row of villas dating from the mid-nineteenth century. We have a resident married housemaster and housemistress who live in the central house of the terrace. Boys are accommodated in three houses on one side of the housemaster's home and girls are accommodated in the three houses on the other side.

Captain's House is situated at The Millfields.  We have a housemistress and team of matrons who take it in turns to look after the girls in this house.

Staff

The housemaster and housemistress are responsible for the overall organisation of College House. They are supported by a team of resident tutors including gap year students. Some non-resident members of the teaching staff also assist in the boarding house on a weekly basis. Our boarding staff are fully involved in all aspects of boarders' welfare. We also ensure there is regular communication between boarding staff, parents and the boarders themselves to make sure the boarders are getting the best out of their boarding experience. House meetings are held daily in order to pass on information and share ideas. We always have two members of staff on duty throughout the house whether in a supervisory role during prep times or when mixing freely during leisure time to assist in creating a pleasant atmosphere.

Facilities

There are a variety of common rooms within the house including, TV and video rooms, music practise rooms, computer rooms, Sixth Form common rooms and games' rooms. There is a daily swimming session available in the school's pool and a sports hall session each evening during the week with a variety of activities on offer. Boarders also have access to the school field and hard areas during evening and weekend free times. All meals are provided in the school canteen although each house has a kitchen where drinks and snacks can be prepared. The in-house laundry system operates five days a week. There is a maximum of three to a bedroom and each boarder has a desk. They are, however, supervised during prep sessions to ensure that work is being done!

 

Medical Care

All boarders must register with the school medical officer (doctor). The school medical officer and the school nurse have overall responsibility for the medical care of all boarders. Although the school nurse is not resident, she holds a boarders' surgery in the boarding house each week day morning before school. During school hours, she is available in the on-site medical centre. After school hours, the housemaster and housemistress are responsible for boarders' immediate medical care.

Pastoral Care & Activities

Our aim is for boarders to feel at home as soon as possible. A member of the boarding staff and a member of the Sixth Form team supports each boarder either on a one-to-one or in small groups.

We organise a wide range of off-campus activities with full boarders at weekends. This level of contact in adventurous environments has beneficial effects in other areas. For instance, the staff might seek to build on the growing self-confidence that often comes from these activities and direct it towards classroom performance or to developing a greater sense of individual responsibility. Activities include ten-pin bowling, ice-skating, cinema trips, paintballing, horse riding, boat trips, pitch and putt golf, moorland walking, dry-slope skiing and many more. Occasionally we have quieter weekends to allow for a complete rest and change of pace.

Holidays

All pupils whose parents are resident abroad must have an appointed guardian, over 25 years of age, who is resident in the UK. In addition to the Christmas, Easter and Summer holidays there is a week's holiday from school in the middle of each term, known as Half Term, when boarders cannot be accommodated by the school. If boarders are unable to return home at school holiday times their UK guardian must accommodate them. The school provides a guardianship service for those who need it. Weekly boarders go home after their school commitments on Friday, returning on Sunday evening or early on Monday morning.