Boarding Options

During term time, our boarding houses become 'home from home' to full time boarders who live in school for seven days a week when school is open. Weekends are busy with either a sporting fixture on a Saturday or participation in the Saturday morning enrichment programme.

The Sunday activity programme changes each term, and will include trips off-site (for example, to local beaches, theme parks, the cinema and ice skating) as well as activities on site (for example, craft workshops, ‘zorbing’ and archery).

Boarding has hugely helped my studies and results, as the teachers on site, are always happy to help and offer advice regarding my subjects and my UCAS options. I have become much more confident and relaxed as a person, and I love interacting with people from different parts of the world. I know these new social skills will make me more successful at university and also when I get a job that involves international business. The school wifi system is excellent so communication with home and academic research is easy.

Full Boarding – Feedback From A Current Pupil

Boarders and their families can both benefit from the weekly boarding package at Pocklington School. In addition to the help with logistics and travel time, parents can be assured that their children are kept on track with their academic programme of work during the week, while enjoying a good mix of extra activities in a friendly and fun community.

Weekly boarders can return home for the weekend on a Friday evening ready to spend quality time with their family, with the possibility of representing the school at a Saturday fixture, before arriving back at school on a Monday morning.

Each day our boarders have structured time to complete their academic work, supervised by staff who are on hand to help with organisation and academic planning. Many of our older boarders prefer the independence of working in the library and they have access to this facility until 8pm Monday to Friday. Junior houses also have access to the library on certain nights during the week.

Every evening, in addition to academic expectations, there are different activities for the boarders to enjoy and spend time having fun with their friends. 

Making your life easier – our flexible approach to boarding offers solutions to your problems:

I won’t be able to get my child to a fixture this Saturday

How we can help you - A reduced loyalty rate is offered to weekly boarders who wish to spend Friday night in the boarding house, then after breakfast, join in with the Saturday morning enrichment programme until their fixture starts. Lunch will be provided if the fixture starts in the afternoon and transport to and from away fixtures is available also. Children would need to be collected following the sports fixture unless a weekend stay has been arranged. 

I can’t drop my child at school on a Monday morning and still get to work on time

How we can help you – We are flexible in our drop off times on a Monday morning and weekly boarders can arrive at their boarding houses from 7.30am, in plenty of time for breakfast!  Alternatively, we can accommodate weekly boarders on a Sunday evening at no extra cost to you.

Summary of Weekly Boarding:

• Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights in the Boarding House
• Access to all boarding facilities during the academic week, Monday morning to Friday afternoon
• Supervised academic time every evening
• Full activities programme every evening
• Library access until 8pm every day for older students
• Evening library access on a rota basis for younger boarders
• All meals and snacks included from Monday breakfast to Friday lunch
• Optional Friday night boarding and Saturday enrichment programme offered at a reduced rate
• Optional Sunday evening arrival free of charge
• Optional weekend stays at an additional charge

I have really enjoyed my time boarding at Pocklington School and feel it has made me a more self-motivated individual both at home and in my academic studies. I became a weekly boarder to save time travelling to and from school and even now I live nearer, I am still a boarder. In the boarding house it is very easy to get subject support and with all the academic and free time facilities there is always something productive and enjoyable to do. Being a boarder has improved my communication skills and has made a more independent person which will certainly help when living away from home during my university years.

Weekly Boarding – Feedback From A Current Pupil

For pupils who regularly have Saturday fixtures or families who have weekend commitments, the weekly boarding 'plus' offers boarding Monday to Friday night with the option to board Sunday night and participate in our Saturday enrichment programme at no extra charge.

Our part-time boarding package offers flexibility to choose one, two or three nights (Monday to Thursday) to suit your family circumstances and is a popular package for a variety of reasons.

• It can help with transport and logistics, easing the pressures of a busy family life.
• It provides pupils with access to our boarding activities and academic supervision, ensuring they stay on track with their studies whilst still having fun with their friends.
• It helps young people to develop independence and maturity as part of a friendly community away from home.
• It is useful as a first step into boarding and can help with the transition to weekly or full boarding.

Each day our boarders have structured time to complete their academic work, supervised by staff who are on hand to help with organisation and academic support. Many of our older boarders prefer the independence and flexibility of working in the library and they have access to this facility until 8pm on weekdays. Junior houses will also have access to the library on certain nights during the week.

Every evening, in addition to academic expectations, there are different activities for the boarders to enjoy and spend time having fun with their friends.

Summary of Part-time Boarding:

• Choose up to three nights from Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in the Boarding House
• Access to all boarding facilities during the boarding stay
• Supervised academic study time every evening
• Evening library access on a rota basis for younger boarders
• Full activities programme every evening
• Library access until 8pm for older students
• Breakfast, dinner and boarding house snacks included
• Optional Friday night boarding and Saturday enrichment programme offered at a reduced rate

 

Part-time boarding has become an integral part of and has enhanced our experience at Pocklington School. Our son, a current fifth former, has been an occasional boarder for the last two years and has thoroughly enjoyed himself and been welcomed wholeheartedly into the boarding community each time he has stayed. We live locally and never considered boarding as an option, it simply wasn’t necessary. I was then offered the chance to travel with my husband for three weeks and after much discussion and soul searching plus lots of guilty feelings we put short term boarding to our son as an option. He leapt at the chance and afterwards declared that it had been fabulous and that he would do it again in a heartbeat!

He then approached us and asked if we would consider weekly boarding and after discussion with Mr Dare our son boarded during the week of GCSE mocks. We were reluctant as surely this was the time our son needed us around most? We should be on hand day and night, hovering with revision note cards and offering our moral support. In reality he was in the best place possible with teachers on hand to offer specialist guidance and the work ethic in the boarding house was strong and motivating. His results were excellent. So much so that he has requested to board during his real GCSEs this summer his rational being that it will keep him focussed, he can ask for help when he needs it and he will be in exam mode without the distractions of home. Plus we are always at the end of the telephone and a short drive away for that moral support.

We have been astonished by just how flexible boarding at Pocklington School can be, they really will try to accommodate any situation. Modern boarding is not simply for families that live far away, it can work for any family no matter how close by. The boarding staff are approachable, caring and determined that all the young people in their care get the very most from their time from boarding at Pocklington School.

Part-time Boarding – Feedback From A Current Parent

Monday to Thursday and space permitting in the appropriate boarding house, pupils can board on an occasional basis. This might only be for one occasional night and on different nights each time.

We wanted to say a huge thank you to you and the team at Fenwick-Smith Boarding House in supporting us with extended boarding of our son during his GCSE year. It is brilliant having the occasional boarding facility available to us even though we live locally. The general perception is that boarding is only useful for students who are from out of town or overseas, but as locals living in Pocklington, we have found the facilities invaluable.

Our family needs flexibility that occasional boarding offers, since as part of our employment we travel throughout the UK and internationally on an ad hoc basis. Whilst we don’t need the boarding facilities on a full time basis, formalising the days brings stability and structure to our son’s week. He also has further academic support available to him which we are not able to offer at home.

He is enjoying the focus and discipline the two nights a week bring to his homework patterns and academic study. He is developing greater independence in his approach to learning which is excellent grounding for A-Levels and beyond. It has been such a success for him and ourselves thus far that we are considering applying for him to board for the term that he will be writing the GCSE exams to ensure that he is supported and encouraged throughout the exam period.

Thank you once again for accommodating us at very short notice on occasion and the continued excellent service that you provide.

Occasional Boarding – Feedback From A Current Parent

If parents or guardians have Friday evening commitments or pupils want to have some social time with their boarding friends, it may be beneficial for pupils to board on a Friday night and participate in the Saturday enrichment programme (additional excursion charge may apply). Pupils stay for lunch on Saturday before heading home for the weekend to enjoy some quality family time.

Pupils are assigned to the age appropriate boarding house and may join boarders for breakfast before school starts and also join boarders for meals, study and boarding activities before going home by 8.00 p.m. Extended boarding can be arranged  for two to four evenings, Monday to Thursday per week or ad hoc evenings as required.