Boarding

By Mr Tom Cheney, Assistant Head Boarding

It has been fantastic this year to return to normal life within our boarding community.

Divisional sporting events have been back in action this year. These hotly contested events, in a variety of different sports, are always a great weekend activity and enable the divisions to unite and compete.

In the weekday evenings, Mr Williams along with all of the Sports People in Residence have run some great evening activities for the boarders to enjoy, such as

five-a-side football, mixed cricket, water polo and

softball. There are plans for more new events such as a Golf target competition, Football Cricket and Tag

American football, to name a few.

The boarders’ weekend trips have also returned and pupils have enjoyed meals out and cinema trips to see

James Bond and Jurassic Park. There have been some

fantastic Sunday trips throughout the year including Bletchley Park, Winchester Christmas Markets, Thorpe

Park, Lagoona Park, Red Kangaroo as well as visits to Oxford, Bath and Winchester, a Premiership Rugby

match, chocolate making and even hanging around the treetops at Go Ape. There really has been something for everyone!

The Catering team has hosted some great themed nights throughout the year, from Valentine’s Bingo to

themed food evenings, all of which have been really enjoyed by our boarders.

We have some exciting new trips planned for Michaelmas Term 2022 and beyond, as well as some special events for Friday nights. All of the evening and

weekend activities are taken from ideas that have been put forward by pupils at boarding meetings or at house or school council meetings. If pupils have ideas for trips or activities they would like to see included in the programme, they are very welcome to let me know, or a member of their divisional team.

We have seen some changes to the Senior Divisions with the introduction of the REACH sign-in and

sign-out system. Macquarie has had its ground floor

reconfigured and revamped to create three new day

pupil rooms. My thanks go to the PPA, who very kindly donated lovely round picnic benches for each boarding house - these are lovely additions to the divisions for our pupils to enjoy.

Finally, we were delighted to see the new café

completed just before the end of term. This facility will

be available to boarders in the evenings from next term.