Our boarding houses (North House, South House, Moss Moor and Hartley House) are all distinct - holding their own identity and pursuing their own objectives to bring the very best to their individual family of boarders. However, the four houses also place great emphasis on collaboration, maintaining a strong, diverse community and pursuing the collective and broader aims of Denstone boarding in which we all share a grounding.
We see the realisation of these aims and objectives frequently highlighted in day-to-day life in boarding and in the measure we can take from the growth and development of our boarders over time.
To be more specific about these aims and outcomes, we can confidently state that boarding at Denstone offers young people an effective and enjoyable way to:
- Develop confidence in their own abilities and in inter-personal relations.
- Learn vital lessons about themselves and other people. To grow in understanding of themselves, benefitting from the context given by community living.
- Develop excellent relationships with peers and staff, and have many opportunities to extend teaching and learning in informal ways, with a strong sense of being onside and sharing goals.
- Have time and structure to enable them to stay on top of their prep work. They have access to inspirational environments, such as the library, along with their teachers and IT resources, giving them every chance to excel.
- Access more of Denstone’s fantastic facilities and resources, including gyms, sports practices, music and drama rehearsals.
- Experience a healthy balance between structure and supervision on the one hand, and independence and freedom on the other.
- Develop the skills needed for independent and healthy living, studying and working in a safe and supportive environment. Be guided towards this outcome with boarding health talks, cooking activities and tutorial support.
- Become more aware of the rich and diverse world in which we live. By living with people of different cultural, religious, ethnic and social backgrounds, they have the chance to break barriers in friendship and thereby further their encounter with the world in which we live.
- Make lasting, close friends and create memories to treasure.
- Make the best use of time, taking travel out of a busy day and benefitting from the convenience of a space which is your own.
We offer full, weekly, part-time and casual boarding options. The weekly option secures a bed which can be used for up to five nights per week. Part-time boarders stay for two nights per week as agreed with their head of boarding house; with this they become a member of the house and boarding community, and gain access to the benefits outlined, whilst also being able to spend the majority of the week at home. This could be viewed as a stepping stone towards more days in boarding in the future. Casual boarding is charged per night and is for day pupils who need to stay over for the odd night. Many parents take advantage of this option when a pupil’s evening commitment at school makes the day particularly long.
