Boarding at Stamford

A home-from-home experience in a beautiful Georgian town

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Welcome to Boarding at Stamford
"Boarding is a key part of life at Stamford. Our community is small but offers a 'home away from home' experience for those students who stay with us throughout the term." 


Leigh Ware
Head of Boarding at Stamford School

Leigh Ware is one of our most experienced members of the boarding team and has been Deputy Head (Pastoral) as well as Houseparent of Browne House.

“I have been teaching for 17 years in total, 14 of which have been at Stamford School. I have been a boarding Housemaster for 11 years and never lost a game of table tennis on the house table. There is even a standing bet of a round of pizzas for the whole House if anyone beats me at table tennis!"

My family and I have two dogs, Hungarian Vizslas called ‘Nigel and Dillon’, and one of our happiest activities is walking in the Peak District. I love to travel and count visiting the Galapagos Islands, climbing Mt Kilimanjaro, Mt Elbrus and Stok Kangri, white water rafting the Zambezi River and completing my ski instructor qualifications in Canada, as some unforgettable life experiences."

Our Boarding Options

Our Boarding Options

Our boarding packages include full (seven nights), weekly (three to five nights), or flexible (one to two nights) options. 

You can also book occasional nights, or a Friday/Saturday package, subject to availability. All of our boarding houses are homely and welcoming for all students.

Termly

Full Boarding

We provide a traditional boarding experience for seven days a week during term time. Our Houses are full at the weekends, with students enjoying a social life rich in after-school clubs, sports, fun-packed trips at weekends and activities tailored to their age group. They can make use of our leisure centre and pool, or take advantage of support and advice from tutors and Houseparents during homework time.

3, 4 or 5 Night

Weekly Boarding

Boarding three, four or five nights a week can significantly reduce school commute times and gives you the option to have your child home at weekends when you have free time together. 

1 - 2 nights

Flexi Boarding

We offer occasional flexible boarding for day students, which can help with busy evenings, for one or two nights a week, or as your logistics require. 

Students can stay on Friday nights before sports fixtures on a Saturday, or they may just want to enjoy the experience of boarding with friends for a change of scene.

Our Boarding Houses

Seven Boarding Houses

Our boarding community is relatively small, with seven boarding properties, which ensures pupils and our boarding Houseparents feel part of a close-knit community, and no child is ever overlooked.

These boarding houses are age-appropriate and single-sex to ensure the need for privacy is respected and the right community atmosphere is created for our children. 

Overview

Junior Boarding

Our Junior boarders live at St Michael's. This pretty and homely limestone house is located in the heart of the Junior School site and caters for children from Year 3 to Year 6.

Overview

Senior Boarding

For Senior boarders we have five Boarding Houses offering age-appropriate accommodation. Senior Boarding will predominantly be based at our St Paul's campus, with older girls closer to the St Martin's campus.  

Overview

Sixth Form Boarding

Sixth Form students are accommodated in four Boarding Houses that accommodate a mix of Years from 11, 12 and 13. Our girls houses are situated closer to the St Martin's campus and the boys closer to St Paul's. 

“There is a very strong sense of community in the school, particularly in the boarding houses, and pupils are noticeably proud of the strong family atmosphere.”

ISI Inspection Report 2017

Diversity

We currently have around 160 boarders, including students from 10 different countries. 

Stamford is a very inclusive school, where all students are provided with excellent education and support. We believe in respecting others and celebrating difference - and we do everything we can to help our students find the right path in life.

Boarding Lifestyle

Boarders enjoy a social life rich in after-school clubs, sports, fun-packed trips at weekends and activities tailored to their age group. 

And if they want to do something less formal, boarders can meet with their friends in one of the many eateries and coffee shops the town offers. There is a good array of shopping, ranging from small independents to more mainstream stores such as Crew, Joules and The White Company. The School is a well-respected part of the local community, enabling boarders to become involved with local businesses on community-led projects, charitable events and fundraisers.

"I love the sense of community here. It definitely feels like a home away from home. The fellow boarders, staff and spirit here is everything you would look for when you think of the perfect boarding house."

Georgina - Year 10

Friends for Life

After school, boarders spend time with their friends and study just as they would at home. 

This time with friends, collaborating and sharing experiences, often leads to very strong bonds being developed and enables life-long friendships which, as well as supporting each boarder’s wellbeing and happiness while they are at school, is the foundation for a lifelong network for the future. We organise each boarder’s daily life in a way that encourages and supports the formation of strong friendship groups.

Explore our spaces

We have created spaces within our boarding houses that have a 'home away from home' feel.

Weekend Activities

All seven of our boarding houses are busy and vibrant and continue to be at weekends. 

Our boarding Houseparents canvas the students’ interests when planning weekend activities and our students often enjoy fun outings to nearby adventures such as escape rooms, laser tag, the theatre, or dinner at a local restaurant. 

We have great transport links to nearby cities such as Cambridge, Lincoln, and London, which means a day trip further afield can also often be on the agenda. Closer to home, we are very fortunate to have Rutland Water (which has a fantastic Aquapark in the summer!) and Burghley Park on our doorstep, both of which our boarders enjoy in the warmer months.

Staff Support

Our boarders are surrounded by friendly and helpful boarding, academic and support staff, along with a strong boarding community. 

They are therefore well integrated in a traditionally British education, whilst mixing with other students from many different countries around the world.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often can family visit?

Stamford’s Boarding Houses work on a flexible basis, to fit around your family needs. Family members are encouraged to visit whenever possible and visits can be arranged via Houseparents. We encourage all boarders to communicate with parents regularly, via video call, telephone, email, and social media.

How can pupils access medical care, if needed?

If a student is taken ill, or has an accident on the school premises, the School Nurse, or a qualified First Aider, will decide on the seriousness of the injury/illness and determine the appropriate course of action.

Students are assessed and cared for in the Health and Wellbeing Centre and, in more serious cases, the nurse or an appropriate member of staff will accompany the student to hospital, if required.

In the event of a significant accident or illness, parents/guardians will always be contacted at the earliest opportunity.

Pupils with ongoing medical requirements will be supported by the School's nurses and matrons, Houseparents and tutors, on an individual need’s basis. Pupils are also able to access support from the School doctor, dentist, and optician where necessary.

First Aid Policy

How can pupils purchase uniform when boarding?

Uniform can be purchased from the School Shop as required, and paid for over the phone, or via cash or card. For our youngest children, they can be accompanied to the School Shop to make a purchase, or items can purchased by parents over the phone and the items then posted, via internal mail, to the Boarding Houses.

Uniform Shop

Where can pupils go with a problem?

Our pastoral programme is given the highest priority; as a School we are caring, friendly and know that happy and cared-for pupils will achieve their best.

Houseparents get to know each pupil well and take time to listen and support them individually, however, pupils are encouraged to speak to any member of staff with whom they feel comfortable, if they have worries or concerns.

There is a wide network of support for pupils and families; health and wellbeing advice and emotional support is available via Houseparents, pastoral leads, boarding staff, Heads of Year, teachers, tutors, nurses, the Chaplain, School Doctor, the School Counselling Service, and the Independent Listener service.

Pastoral

What is your policy on mobile phones, tablets and laptops?

We encourage all boarders to communicate with parents regularly, via video call, telephone, email, WhatsApp, Skype or social media. The student mobile phone, tablet and laptop policy is flexible depending on individual need; for example, if pupils wish to contact family late at night or early in the morning due to time zone differences, this can be arranged, and a private space can be provided for this call to be made.

More generally, students have access to their mobile phones whenever they wish, with restrictions only being put in place during school periods, overnight and during homework times. Use of laptops and tablets is again only restricted overnight. Many students choose to use the School's computers for homework and socialising.

For further details on the mobile phone policy of specific Houses, please see the individual boarding handbooks which can be provided on application.

Do all pupils attend the Chapel?

The Schools’ Chapel is located at Stamford School. When the Schools are open, the Chapel is open for any student, member of staff or parent to use. There are regular services on Sundays, which are attended by boarders, along with optional services most days during the week. 

We celebrate the important festivals and occasions, including Advent, Christmas, Remembrance and Commemoration. Every reasonable effort is made to accommodate if a boarder’s faith requires different provision, and this would be discussed directly with Houseparents.

How many students share a bedroom?

Boarding Houses are made up of private bedrooms and small dorms, with the aim of having no more than five children to a dorm. The number of children per dorm varies by age, decreasing as children progress throughout the Schools. Some bedrooms have their own en-suite facilities.

Each House is light and airy, has a warm, homely décor and includes facilities such as social lounges equipped with games and activities, and private, quiet study rooms.

What is the food like?

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all provided in the Schools’ dining halls. All our meals use fresh ingredients, freshly cooked daily on site.

Each Boarding House has kitchenette facilities, including a toaster, microwave, and fridge, so that snacks can be made. House activities such as cooking and baking can be coordinated via House parents, and offer pupils excellent preparation for life beyond the Schools.

Parents are asked to inform Houseparents of any specific dietary needs, so that the Catering Department can accommodate this within their meal planning.

Students are not allowed to have cooking devices in their own bedrooms, such as slow cookers or rice cookers.

Pastoral

What happens at the weekends?

Boarders enjoy a social life rich in after-school clubs, sports, fun-packed trips at weekends and activities tailored to their age group. For more details on our co-curricular offering, please click here. If they want to do something less formal, boarders can meet with their friends in one of the many eateries and coffee shops that the town offers.

Organised trips take boarders to many different towns and cities. Recent visits include to London’s West End theatres, Harry Potter World, Cadbury World, shopping trips to Cambridge and fun days out to Alton Towers. Not every weekend needs to be a big excursion, however, and closer to home regular outings are made to local facilities including cinemas, cafes, and restaurants etc.

Boarders are also encouraged to arrange their own in-house activities, helping them develop their leadership qualities; be that from organising a festive party or cupcake workshop to setting up a fundraising initiative or holding a big brunch.

Location

Stamford is located in the East Midlands of England, just off the A1 - the main road north from London to York and Edinburgh.

Stamford is well connected by rail with direct train services to Cambridge, Stansted Airport, Leicester, and Birmingham. The city of Peterborough, (which offers a 45-minute rail service to London Kings Cross) is just 12 minutes away by train or 20 minutes by car.