Boarding Overview
At Reed’s we see our boarding as highly individualised and bespoke, free from the constraints of a one-size-fits-all model. This means that the boarding, and the School’s, approach centres on the pupil, rather than vice versa.
Boarders join the Boarding Family for a variety of reasons. Some are ambitious academics who value extended access to the school’s resources and teachers, others are committed athletes for whom early sessions in the pool, on a pitch, a court or in the gym are a crucial part of their training. Many pupils board from Monday to Friday, throwing themselves into school life and activities, aware that they also have busy working parents, meaning they can spend quality time with their families at weekends unencumbered by work or other commitments. The school also encourages flexi-boarders for whom one or more nights of boarding can unlock travel logistics, specific commitments, wellbeing, or workload; equally many stay seven days a week and the school becomes a home from home for them. There are a significant number of boarders who choose to stay for the weekends and there is a programme of trips and activities for those who do stay.
We keep numbers small and staffing specialist, meaning that pupils can forge the relationships they want with house staff, while enjoying the consistency of familiar figures. Each house has a Head of House who lives in the boarding house with their family, along with Boarding Assistants who also live in; they are all teachers and, collectively, they focus on the pastoral care and personal development of each boarder. There is a Matron for each boarding house too; they look after the children’s practical needs and provide support to them in many different ways. Boarders are also given access to a wider group of subject staff during evening prep sessions.
At every stage, Reed’s encourages pupils to become the navigators of their own journeys. Our responsibility to our boarders is diligently carried out without transgressing into a sense of ownership, creating a profound bond of trust between pupils and staff. The result is pupils who emerge comfortable in their own skin, confident but never arrogant, emotionally intelligent, and adept at confidently navigating social interactions. Above all, they learn the invaluable lesson of taking control over their lives and understanding the paramount importance of happiness as a critical ingredient for success. At Reed’s every child's potential is not just discovered but celebrated and nurtured.
