Welcome from
KING’S BOARDING
We are excited that you are considering joining our boarding family. At King’s School Rochester, you will be sharing our boarding house with boarders from both the UK and a variety of countries and we know that you will feel part of a community that transcends nationality and age.
There are many opportunities at King’s to take part in activities and events outside of lessons and we encourage all boarders to take full advantage of these. Part of the fun of living at school is that you are able to join in with all sorts of trips and activities, from touch rugby on the Paddock, to a West End theatre trip.
St Margaret’s House for Girls is situated on the edge of The Paddock, our school playing field, and enjoys views out over the River Medway. School House for Boys is nestled inside the ancient city wall and enjoys stunning views of Rochester Cathedral. Both Houses are fully equipped with catering, washing and entertainment facilities.
Whilst academic success is a key part of being here at King’s School Rochester, the opportunities available through boarding will help you develop other skills and attributes that will enable you to succeed in life.
We hope you are looking forward to your stay with us.
Mr Coetzee & Mrs Hanson
Heads of Boarding
School House and St. Margaret’s
BOARDING
BOARDING AT King’s
Our boarding community is small enough to have a family-like feel, where everyone knows one another and is treated as an individual. King’s welcomes UK and international pupils from Year 7 to Sixth Form. We offer a range of flexible boarding options to suit everyone’s needs and have two boarding houses: School House for the boys and St Margaret’s House for the girls.
Each boarding house has a common room, study rooms, music practice rooms and a fully stocked kitchen. In addition, all rooms are equipped with the latest high-speed, age-appropriately filtered Wi-Fi, meaning that a video call home is always an enjoyable experience. Bespoke meals are served three times a day, cooked by our own Italian chef, with communal dining between both boarding houses – a highlight of the school day where all our boarders come together with teachers for a delicious meal.
We provide a safe and friendly boarding environment with excellent pastoral care and supervised study times. Having limited numbers in each house nurtures a genuine family atmosphere, ensuring that all boarders, full-time, weekly or flexible, feel fully integrated into the boarding community.
Full Boarding
At King’s there are no exeat weekends and we don’t hold a Saturday school – giving boarding pupils the freedom to choose how they wish to spend their downtime.
The boarders have access to an array of facilities for use after school or during weekends. Additionally, there’s always something fun planned for the weekends! Activities include trips to see shows in London, visits to museums, and outings to theme parks, to name a few. For more details on the available facilities and activities, please click here.
Weekly Boarding
Offering the best of both worlds, weekly boarding allows pupils to enjoy everything the boarding school experience offers during the week. They can immerse themselves in their studies, engage fully in school activities and spend lots of time with their friends. Then at the weekends, return home to relax with their family.
Weekly boarding is especially beneficial for children who cannot commute daily due to long distances or have parents with demanding jobs that involve long hours or frequent travel. It provides a consistent and nurturing environment throughout the week, coupled with the chance to enjoy quality family time at home during the weekends.
Weekly boarders are requested to return to the boarding house by 6pm on Sunday evenings, ready for the upcoming school week. They usually leave after school on a Friday afternoon.
Flexi Boarding
Flexi boarding pupils are temporary members of the boarding house. They stay over on certain nights a week and usually only for a short period of time, for example during public exams. They are allocated a specific bedroom for their time at the boarding house, but this may change at short notice.
This flexible option is also perfect for those who want to experience boarding life and see if it’s the right fit for their family.
Perhaps your son or daughter would like to prioritise studying and might find the school environment better suited, particularly around the exam period? Our boarding houses are more than just a place to stay. They provide a productive environment for study, supported by experienced teachers and staff. Pupils can connect with peers, form study groups, exchange ideas, and motivate each other along the way!
Flexi boarding pupils are temporary members of the boarding house. They stay over on certain nights a week and usually only for a short period of time, for example during public exams. They are allocated a specific bedroom for their time at the boarding house, but this may change at short notice.
Occasional Boarding
Occasional boarders are temporary members of the boarding house who wish to spend one night or more per week in boarding, or join the boarding house for a one-off extended stay.
At King’s, we understand that life can be unpredictable, especially for busy families. That’s why we offer our ‘Occasional Boarding’ option, providing day pupils with the opportunity to stay overnight on an as-needed basis.
Whether it’s due to unexpected work commitments, family obligations, or the desire to reduce travel time for after-school activities, our boarding facilities are available on an ad hoc basis (subject to availability).
Occasional boarders are temporary members of the boarding house who wish to spend one night or more per week in boarding, or join the boarding house for a one-off extended stay, arranged with the registrar. They are not assigned a specific bedroom.
Day Boarding
For day pupils wishing to stay on at school till 9pm, they can benefit from supervised prep followed by dinner and relaxing with friends.
Day boarders attend the appropriate house for the duration of first and second prep and dinner. They are collected by 9pm and not allocated a bedroom. If pupils are collected after 9pm, parents will be charged the occasional boarding fee.
Trial Boarding
Trial boarding allows for a day pupil to come and experience the boarding house for one night with a view to joining the boarding house on a more permanent basis. We offer one night of boarding free of charge for pupils wanting to trial the boarding experience.
our BOARDING HOUSES
King’s has two boarding houses – St. Margaret’s for girls and School House for boys. We accept boarders from age 11 and there are 55 beds in total. King’s offer a flexible boarding arrangement, with the option to choose from one (or more) night’s boarding, weekly boarding or termly boarding – the choice is yours! Pupils are always made to feel welcome and at home, no matter how long they are staying for.
There is no exeat required at weekends and we don’t hold a Saturday school – boarding pupils have the freedom to choose how they wish to spend their downtime. That being said, there is always something fun on the calendar for the weekends! Trips to see shows in London, museums and theme parks, to name a few.
St Margaret’s
St. Margaret’s House is our girls boarding house and is a beautiful, late 18th-century house purchased in 1925 that underwent substantial refurbishment in 2005, including the addition of 12 en-suite bedrooms. Now, the house continues to feel like a home with some original features still hiding in plain sight and there are always staff at hand to help with any needs or questions.
School House
School House was completed in 1880 at a cost to the School of £5,535 (over half a million today!) for the Headmaster and boarders. At the time of building, it was specifically described as the “Headmaster’s House”. It has remained a boarding house and underwent extensive refurbishment over recent years to brighten the dining room and shared space. Boys are welcome to make the space feel their own and there are always staff at hand to help with any needs or questions.
USEFUL information
where WE ARE
King’s School Rochester is the oldest choir school and the second oldest school in the world. The School is nestled in the Cathedral precinct of historic Rochester and in the shadow of Rochester castle which boasts one of the finest Norman keeps in the country. King’s is truly a School with a strong historical tradition and a clear vision of education for the 21st century.
The last fifty years have seen the School grow in both size and stature and there are currently around 680 pupils from ages 3–18 on the school roll, with approximately 60 pupils per year group.
With a rich and diverse heritage, our pupils have been educated for over 1,400 years under the watchful gaze of Rochester Cathedral and Rochester Castle. A stone’s throw from the beating heart of London, inhabitants of Rochester enjoy rolling countryside hills in one direction, and beautiful seaside in the other.
Nearby travel links include airports London Gatwick (LGW) 50 minutes, London Heathrow (LHR) 80 minutes and London Stansted (STN) 80 minutes. We also have excellent train links to London St Pancras International (STP) 36 minutes and London Victoria (VIC) 43 minutes. As well as links to mainland France via Eurotunnel (34 minutes) and P&O Ferries (95 minutes). There are also International links via Eurostar to France, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany which leave from London St Pancras International.
