Boarding FAQS
£75 per night/day which includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks (if and when needed), laundry facilities and tutor support, if required.
The boarding houses are staffed by a Head of Boarding and tutors who are all teachers in the school. Each house also has a house parent who is on duty every day to assist with more matronly duties (like sewing on a button or making a cup of tea when the exam stress hits).
During mocks and exam times, both boarding houses are staffed during the school day so that pupils can stay in to revise and only leave to do the exam, exactly as if they were at home. They can then return to do more preparation for the next day.
Normally short-term boarders have their own rooms, but it depends on the number of pupils in each house and the spaces available.
In St Margaret’s (girls’ boarding house) each room has an ensuite bathroom with a shower. In School House (boys’ boarding house) boys share bathrooms with shower facilities, between two or three pupils, depending on their year group.
Boarders have strict bounds which are explained to them at induction and posted in all common rooms. Prep School, Remove and Lower 5th pupils may only leave the boarding house in groups of at least three pupils and may go as far as Rochester High Street. Upper Fifth pupils may leave in pairs and Sixth Formers may go out on their own, depending on their level of maturity and responsibility. Pupils may not leave the boarding house during prep times, nor after 8pm in the evening.
Yes, flexi boarding can be arranged from as little as one day/night a week. Weekly boarders are requested to return to the boarding house on Sunday evenings by 6pm before the school week starts. They normally leave after school on a Friday afternoon.
All boarders, whether flexi, weekly or full-time are given an induction and orientation to the house’s routines and expectations. The Head of Boarding in the girls’ and boys’ boarding houses usually meet with parents/guardians to ensure a smooth transition. New boarders are given a ‘boarding buddy’ who will help them with routines and what to do, where to be, and so on. Both houses provide exceptional pastoral care, not only by the staff but also by the boarders themselves who welcome new members openly and enthusiastically.
Every weekday, the cleaners come into the boarding houses to thoroughly clean all rooms, corridors, and common areas.
Absolutely. But please note that mobile phones are not allowed during prep times and depending on the age of pupils, phones are handed in at bedtime.
Every day, our boarders benefit from having great chefs on site to prepare healthy, balanced, nutritious two-course homemade meals. There are a variety of meals offered, and menus are available on our website. There is also food available in the houses for snacks, and pupils are allowed to bring in their own snacks, which must be kept in boxes provided by the boarding house rather than in their bedrooms.
Both boarding houses have strict and robust COVID management protocols. If a pupil tests positive, they are isolated in dedicated, comfortable safe spaces until a parent/guardian can collect them. The School’s Medical Centre and associated medical practitioners are also on hand should their situation need more direct intervention. In the past, parents and guardians have been very satisfied with how staff have handled and reassured both them and their children during these times.
The cost will be recharged to you as per normal, which normally means it will be added to your monthly/termly fees. You will be recharged an add-on for the cost of boarding to your bill for each term. This will be taken care of by the Head of Admissions and Fees team.
No, a deposit is not required for any current pupil.
We ask for seven days notice, unless there are extenuating circumstances.
Pupils are warmly invited to spend a taster night at one of the boarding houses. Most families prefer Monday/Tuesday as pupils can arrive on Monday afternoon and receive a typical warm King’s welcome and induction, experience dinner, prep times, and an overnight stay, before starting school on Tuesday and concluding their experience Tuesday afternoon.
Please keep in mind that for a taster stay, all necessary paperwork, including medical forms, will be required.
