Canford is run as a full boarding school. There is no weekly or flexi boarding, and there is a varied programme of activities on evenings and at the weekends. Saturday school is compulsory for all pupils, including those who are day.
EXEATS, HALF TERMS AND WEEKENDS OUT
SOME OF OUR WEEKEND ACTIVITIES THIS YEAR: AFTERNOON TEA
ART WORKSHOPS
BAKE OFFS
BEACH TRIPS
BOARD GAMES NIGHTS
BOWLING TRIPS
CHARITY LIP SYNC
CHRISTMAS PARTIES
CINEMA TRIPS
CLIMBING CENTRE TRIP
CLIMBING TOWER
COMEDY NIGHT
DINNER & DISCOS
DODGEBALL
ESCAPE GAME
FILM NIGHTS
ICE SKATING
KRYPTON FACTOR
MINIBUSES TO TOWER PARK
OUTDOOR CINEMA
PIZZA MAKING
PIZZA VAN & GAMES
RAINBOW RUN
ROUNDERS / CRICKET
SCHOOL MUSICAL
SHOPPING TRIPS
SPONSORED WALK
SPORTS COMPETITIONS
SWIM / GYM / GOLF / TENNIS
VOLLEYBALL & PIZZA
WATER PARK TRIP
WATER SPORTS TRIP
Alongside half terms of between a week and 10 days, there are a number of fixed exeats each term – two in the Christmas and Easter Terms and one in the Summer Term – where all pupils go home on a Friday afternoon and return on Sunday evening. We appreciate that there may be family occasions when you would like your son or daughter to be home on Saturday nights. We allow for a number of SaturdaySunday nights out each term for this, after Saturday school commitments, but on average around 80% of our 450 boarders are in on any usual weekend.
A TYPICAL SUNDAY
HOUSES
Canford is ‘One School, Ten Houses’. Each house varies in layout but all are staffed and equipped to be welcoming, social environments, small enough for each pupil to feel well known and large enough to allow a variety of personalities to flourish. There is a collegiate atmosphere with houses co-located – boy boarding near the Astros and girl boarding near the Sports Centre – and all pupils eat together in the main dining hall, making for a true school community.
DAY HOUSES
GIRLS’ BOARDING
BOYS’ BOARDING
FOOD
Our catering is run in-house, and our chefs use the freshest local ingredients wherever possible. The pupil food committee meets regularly with catering staff to discuss menus and a professional nutritionist regularly audits and advises. There are tea and toast making facilities available in the houses.
WELLBEING
The school has a range of strong pastoral structures to ensure that pupils are supported and cared for on many levels. All matters concerning the health and safety of pupils and staff are taken extremely seriously. The health centre is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is staffed by fully qualified registered general nurses, there is a daily GPs surgery while Poole and Bournemouth Hospitals are within 30 minutes’ drive. A unique Sleep Programme has been introduced by our Head of Wellbeing to ensure pupils are getting enough rest to fully enjoy an active, busy school life.
COMMUNICATION
The parent-staff-child triangle of communications is central to our approach to pastoral care and we encourage informal contact to highlight positives and raise concerns. At the same time, one of the benefits of boarding is that it fosters independence and this is encouraged but closely monitored by our experienced house staff to ensure there is enough communication between school and home. A termly newsletter updates parents on house news with other communications such as invitations to house events sent during the course of the school year. Regular academic assessments are posted at least twice each term on the parent portal and a full report is written at the end of each term for Upper Sixth and Fifth Formers, and twice yearly for other year groups. House staff and tutors are all contactable via telephone or email and formal face-to-face meetings can always be arranged should the need arise.
Find out more at www.canford.com/boarding