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BRAND NEW STATE PREP SCHOOL TO OPEN BOARDING PROVISION
Brand new TATE PREP SCHOOLto open boarding provision
These four words were used to describe the first month of boarding at Wymondham College Prep School by our first Year 5 boarding cohort. They describe our brandnew purpose-built boarding house as “homely, with a real family feel” and they thoroughly enjoyed opportunities offered in the evenings and weekends, including access to the world-class facilities at Wymondham College.
“Exciting, amazing, e
Wymondham College Prep School caters for pupils aged 4 to 11 and opened its doors in September 2020 to its founding cohort of 60 Reception aged pupils. Over the coming years, the school will grow annually primarily in Reception and Year 5 and 6 eventually reaching its capacity of 452 pupils. The school is colocated on the same site as Wymondham College, that enables the children of the Prep School to access a wealth of teaching expertise from both the Prep School and the College.
This September 2021, the school welcomed our first cohort of Year 5 and 6 boarders, who will go on to experience Prep School boarding before having the option of applying to join Wymondham College. This journey as a boarder will enable the child time to foster desirable character traits such as: independence, determination and bouncebackability. Choosing to board at the Prep School enables the individual to develop meaningful friendships and most importantly prepare them for the challenges of secondary education, particularly as a secondary school boarder.
As each new academic year begins, the school will welcome a new group of boarders into the house, who will go on to benefit from the shared experience of the previous year’s boarders, but also provide new excitement and character in the house through their own individuality. With each year seeing such a change, the house will constantly evolve its interests to best suit the needs of the boarders. Such natural evolution will mean that each child is able to benefit from an ever-developing shared experience, in part preparing them for challenges that will face them in an ever-changing modern society.
The boarding house, Underwood Hall, provides a safe and homely environment for our young boarders to grow. nestled in the 85-acre
enjoyable, brilliant ”
Wymondham College site the mixed boarding house benefits from small group same gender dormitories, enabling the boarders to develop camaraderie but also giving them their own individual space should they so desire it. The house itself benefits from a range of community areas enabling the boarders to bond together over a favourite film in the main lounge or relax in the snug for a cosy chat, board game or book. With its own kitchen and dining room, the house will enable the boarders to benefit from a brunch Sunday breakfast, a variety of evening snacks and a space for various evening activities to engage the boarders. A house that gives our boarders the time and space to unwind after a busy day at school. Immediately outside the house the boarders have access to an informal seating area and outdoor play area enabling them to relax and play with their friends in the evenings and at weekends.
Most importantly, the boarders’ home from home is well staffed with a caring and professional team who are here to support them as they delight in their achievements, consoling them when it doesn’t quite work out and enabling individuality to flourish. The Head of House, Mr Jon Timmins, carefully monitors each boarder’s development and is on hand to help at every turn, carefully nurturing each young boarder from first steps through the entrance of Underwood Hall all the way to their last.
Our countryside norfolk location enables the staff to provide a wide variety of weekend and evening adventures and activities for the boarders to take part in, with plenty of opportunities to visit the beach, local woodland and forestry locations, and visits to historic norwich. The boarders also access the various facilities on offer at the Prep School and the College, with a variety of indoor and outdoor
spaces immediately on the house’s doorstep, ensuring that our boarders always have the space for meaningful endeavour and relaxation, creating friendships and fond memories.
In order to learn more or to join us as a boarder visit our website, where you find more detail and our application form. All prospective boarders are then invited to take part in a suitability to board interview, to enable the school to ensure that boarding is the right environment for the child to flourish.
Wymondham College Prep School is a part of the Sapientia Education Trust, a multi-academy trust containing 16 primary and secondary schools. For more information about boarding at the Prep School please visit www.wymondhamcollegeprepschool.org.
by Alex Wilson Headteacher Wymondham College Prep School
Alex Wilson is the Founding Headteacher of Wymondham College Prep School. He began his teaching career at Beths Grammar School in Kent, moving to Winchester House School as Housemaster, before taking on the role of Head of Boarding too. Prior to taking up the headship of Wymondham College Prep School, Alex was the Principal Deputy Head at Norwich Lower School. He and his wife, who is also in education, have two children a son and a daughter. In his spare time, he enjoys a variety of sports and spending time with his family.
CONFERENCE
01-02 FEBRUARY 2022 09:00-16:00
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Annual BSA Boarding Conference
We’re looking forward to welcoming Deputy Heads, Heads of Boarding and Boarding House staff from our member schools to our Annual Boarding Conference, which takes place at on February 1-2, 2022 at the Hilton, London Heathrow. Hosted by Jo Cameron, Headmistress of Queenswood School, the theme for the conference this year is ‘The Boarding Balance’ . Over the two days, we’ll be looking in detail at a range of related subjects including ‘The adolescent brain: balancing hormones and risk’; ‘The safeguarding balance’; ‘Balancing online vs real world’; ‘Balancing UK vs International’ , and much more. A full programme, including all of the exciting guest speakers who’ll be joining us for the event, will be announced soon. This will be our first face-to-face conference since 2019, so we do hope you can join us.
Cost Full Member - £450, Affiliate Member - £675, Non-member - £900
Cost includes: 2-day conference, conference refreshments and formal dinner. (Please note the cost does not include hotel accommodation for anyone wishing to stay over, although a list of nearby hotels can be supplied on request)
Audience
Deputy Head, Head of Boarding, SLT/SMT, Boarding House staff, Pastoral staff
