Grimwade House Prep School Boarding for ages 7+
Built by H. G Ibberson (a former pupil) between 1911 and 1913 Grimwade House is built from red brick with chequers of flint and stone, following the Arts and Crafts style. Extensively modernised and extended
over the years, its name is connected with a member of the Bishop’s Stortford College
community
service
to
the
who
College;
gave Mr
great Edward
Grimwade, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the school in 1868.
Pastoral Care Grimwade House is under the care of Houseparents, Adrian and Mandy Hathaway who live in Grimwade, as do a Matron and two House Tutors. They are supported by a visiting Matron and two visiting tutors to ensure there is always a member of staff on hand. The Grimwade staff know the boarders very well and this close relationship with our youngest boarders is an important factor in building confidence whilst encouraging independence. The Matrons take care of all laundry and provide a comforting first port of call if a child becomes ill. When boarders feel unwell, our aim is to help them to feel as comfortable and at home as possible. The College also has a central Medical Centre that is professionally staffed 24 hours a day.
Communal Accommodation There are five leisure rooms (including television, pool, snooker, table tennis, music and computer access) and the outdoor and indoor sporting facilities are regularly put to good use. In addition, boarders enjoy playing indoor board games and using the interactive games on the Wii and Xbox. They can also use the computers in the House or just choose a good book to read.
Boarding Accommodation and Study Areas The comfortable dormitory accommodation
is
hugely
popular with our boarders. Hosting around 50 pupils, the two largest dormitories (10 and
15
pupils)
are
partitioned into areas for two or three pupils, each area feeling like a room in its own right.
Boarding House Staff Accommodation The Houseparents and their family occupy the adjoining house. The Resident House Tutors’ rooms are within the main boarding house, as are those of our Resident Matron. On the ground floor, adjacent to the Common Room is the House Office where whoever is on duty, day or night, is on hand.
Boarding Life The friendly, well-ordered, family atmosphere of Grimwade House, means new boarders settle in and quickly feel that they belong. With a good mix of full, weekly and flexi boarders, all new pupils are paired up with fellow pupils who help to look after them when they first come into the House. As with our other Houses, pupils quickly develop a strong sense of pride and ownership in their house, taking responsibility for the happy running of the House with genuine care for one another. The weekday evening routines include supervised prep and activities, such as sports, swimming, craft and film nights. Weekends, can be spent relaxing with friends, enjoying the school facilities catching up on academic work or joining in organised activities and trips. The shared activities and social events with Senior School boarders adds to the very strong family atmosphere that exists across the College boarding community. All Full Boarders come together on a Sunday evening for Chapel—an important time for reflection, refreshment and preparation for the coming week.