Boarding

Our ethos

Boarding should be a valuable and enriching experience for all children. Before your daughter joins us for the first time, it is important that she feels nurtured, and excited about the prospect of joining the Godstowe community. Every girl receives a welcoming letter from the Headmaster, along with a special book called ‘Being A Boarder’ to help answer her questions.

When she arrives, every new boarder has a ‘pupil guardian’ of her own age, and usually from her own form, to help her to settle in. An induction day, or sleepover, will be offered to all new boarders in the term prior to joining Godstowe. The whole family is invited to visit, and this will give each new girl the opportunity to feel comfortable and confident about the very significant move to becoming a boarder. Many girls arrive in September already feeling secure and familiar with the boarding ethos of the School.

Weekends and special occasions

Weekends are always busy and fun. Once prep and necessary tasks such as music practice are completed, trips are frequently made to theme parks, the cinema and theatre, and to shopping centres. Girls host fashion shows and discos, and perform House plays to their friends and visitors.
 
On her Birthday, each girl is made to feel very special. At the end of the School day, she has an intimate Birthday Supper to which she invites her friends; presents are distributed, and a cake is shared with the rest of the House.

Holidays and Exeats

An Exeat is a weekend holiday when the School and Boarding Houses close, and girls go home. One House may remain open to cater for those children whose journeys home are very long, or whose parents are unable to make alternative arrangements.

At the end of term, overseas children may be escorted by arrangement to international airports, and local pupils are taken by minibus or train into London as appropriate. Girls’ clothes are always returned freshly laundered and ironed.

Occasional boarding is also becoming very popular and many day girls convert to full boarding after a trial period.

“This is the friendliest and warmest boarding community I have ever experienced”  New parent.

“I can't even persuade my daughter to come home at the weekends!”  Parent of a IV Form boarder.

“I hadn't anticipated how much my daughter would look forward to returning to her house each term.”  Parent of young boarder, aged 9.

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