Starting a new school can be both exciting and daunting, and if you are a boarder and going to be living away from your family, then this can be quite a nerve-racking time.
Our boarding Housemasters know only too well how boys feel during this time as they have welcomed many boys into their boarding houses over the years, and which is why they go the extra mile to ensure all boys feel at home from the very first day.
This week, we welcomed over 50 new boarders, and with New Boys’ Day falling on a Friday this year, this meant they had the whole weekend to get to know their new housemates. It was fantastic to see boys from the Fourth Form right through to the Sixth Form enjoying barbeques together and forging lasting friendships over teambuilding games; ably supported by some of the senior Upper Sixth boarders, who were keen to get involved in the activities. Good communication, problem solving, and cooperation were all on display as the boys tackled the activities. The thoroughly enjoyable evening was followed the next day by a school-wide treasure hunt, sports afternoon, and movie night in the Quarry Theatre. The weather was kind, and so dinner that evening was steak, which the boys prepared themselves on the firepit.
If feedback from previous boarders is anything to go by, these crucial early days mark the start of life-long friendships and the creation of their home-from-home boarding family.