WELCOME FROM THE HEAD OF BOARDING
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The purpose of education is transformation and there is no doubt that those who board at Kent College are changed by the experience. Communal living is enriching, rewarding, and exciting. Pupils learn to live with one another, they learn from one another, and they learn about themselves. They flourish in a supportive environment that is akin to being a member of a large, diverse and happy family. As well as making academic progress, boarders develop social and emotional skills, and become self-sufficient and resilient. By the time they leave us, boarders have developed the confidence and independence to successfully navigate the next stage of their lives. They go on to learn and achieve elsewhere, but they are always guided by what boarding has taught them. Mr Darren Scott |
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“Boarding is a means for me to have a home away from home, granting me the freedom I would not otherwise have to discover myself and grow as a person. I am able to surround myself with a second family of people from diverse cultures and backgrounds which allows me to appreciate and learn from individuals that are different from me.
Through boarding at Kent College, I was allowed to create lasting bonds with amazing people and take the time to develop into an individual I can be proud of.”
Year 12 BOARDER, Austen House
YOUR HOME FROM HOME
Kent College has a long history of welcoming boarding pupils from abroad, as well as from British families resident in the UK or working overseas. Around a third of pupils at Kent College are boarders, and there are over 40 countries represented in our boarding community. Our boarding students bring great richness and diversity to life at Kent College, as well as helping all of our pupils to understand and respect different cultural traditions.
We ensure that boarders are fully integrated into all aspects of school life – academic, social, musical, sporting and across the wide range of co-curricular activities on offer. Our friendly and comfortable boarding houses truly become a ‘home away from home’, and many lifelong friendships are formed in our boarding community.
LOCATION AND TRANSPORT
The school’s location overlooking the beautiful cathedral city of Canterbury mean that boarders at Kent College have the best of both worlds – a healthy, safe environment close to beautiful countryside, and to the city’s excellent facilities. Canterbury is also within easy access of Gatwick, Heathrow, London City and Stansted airports, the Channel Tunnel and Dover ferry, and has frequent high-speed trains to London.
We strongly encourage all prospective boarding pupils and their parents to come and visit us to meet our welcoming boarding staff, and see the houses for themselves. To arrange a visit call +44 (0)1227 763231 or click here.
BOARDING PRINCIPLES
We adhere to all the values of KC. Our principles are rooted in respect for yourself and those around you. Act justly in our community and take care of each other. We are open to each other, and we develop a curiosity to be lifelong learners.
Although living together, staff and boarders acknowledge the right of each other to privacy and expect kindness to all. Each boarder has the right to extend his or her intellectual growth in an atmosphere of positive ambition and in conditions that are conducive to learning. All boarders will build their resilience to develop physically, spiritually, intellectually, morally and socially and will leave school with humility.
We share in the aims of Kent College to:
- Be a caring Christian family community committed to the development of the full potential of each individual
- Maintain high educational standards in all academic, cultural and sporting activities, stimulating high excitement in learning and requiring discipline in study whatever the ability of the child
- Work with and within the communities it serves
- Worship as Christians in the Methodist tradition and uphold Christian values in practice as well as in theory, whilst welcoming members of other faiths (and none) in a spirit of openness and tolerance; and to make religious education a strong feature of the curriculum
- Encourage pupils in a critical examination of the standards and values current in society and to discover and develop a personal faith to guide them throughout their lives
“I really like boarding because it’s like having a new family and new amazing friends who are always supportive and motivating.”
KC Boarder
BOARDING OPTIONS
Full boarding: Most of our boarding pupils are full boarders – they stay at school throughout the term and are able to take full advantage of the wide range of sport, trips and activities on offer at the weekends.
Weekly boarding: This option allows students to enjoy the stimulus and structure of boarding life during the week while being at home with family at weekends – although there is so much going on at school during the weekends, including the boarding activities programme, that many weekly boarders often choose to stay for weekends too.
Occasional boarding (subject to availability): This option is useful if parents need to be away for short periods. Please contact enquiries@kentcollege.co.uk for more information about occasional boarding. The occasional boarding parental consent form can be found here.
Information about fees for all boarding options is available on our Fees page.
OUR BOARDING HOUSES
There are five boarding houses at Kent College Senior School, three boys’ houses and two girls’ houses. All of the boarding houses have House Parents who live in, and who are responsible for the welfare of the pupils in their house. The House Parents are assisted by Assistant House parents, House Managers and Resident Tutors, and between them they ensure the care of our boarders 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Younger pupils may be accommodated in rooms of up to four, while students in Years 12 and 13 are allocated a study bedroom of their own wherever possible. In each boarding house there are common room facilities for all pupils which include Sky TV, Wifi, kitchen and dining areas and games areas. Each house has its own character and style but all have similar rules and values.
“Boarding has allowed me to expand my qualities as a person; I am now more independent, I have more friendships and I have been given a confidence boost.”
| AUSTEN HOUSE | ||
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Girls, Year 7 - 13
House buddy and mentoring systems play an important part in ensuring that all the girls are welcomed and cared for from the day they arrive. Events throughout the year include movie and pizza nights, facemask evenings, International evening (girls cook a dish from home), Christmas and Halloween parties, and a Summer BBQ and water fight. |
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| ELFICK HOUSE | ||
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Boys, Year 8 - 13
There is a supportive and friendly prefect system, with mentoring and buddies for the younger boys. Events include house meals and parties, particularly the all-important Secret Santa at the Christmas party, and a leavers’ meal at the end of the year. There are also regular house meetings to discuss issues large and small that have arisen during the week. |
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| GAMON HOUSE | ||
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Boys, Year 9 - 13
Gamon has regular termly get-togethers to showcase house talents (singing, magic…), team-building activities, football and touch rugby and BBQs. Boys have access to Sky Sports and Movies, and trips to the Curzon cinema are also a house favourite. |
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| GUILDFORD HOUSE | ||
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Boys, Year 7 - 13
Guilford boys have a well-equipped games room with darts, table tennis and a snooker table, and Saturday nights are common room movie nights – complete with surround sound. A highlight of the year is the Guilford gourmet burger BBQ, open to all boarders and always hugely popular. |
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| WESLEY HOUSE | ||
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Girls, Year 10 - 13
House events include movie nights, Christmas party, Chinese New Year, and meals out in Canterbury. A Room prize is awarded each week, and boarders have regular catch up meetings with Dr Horgan and the house team. |
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USEFUL INFORMATION
| BOARDING FAQs |
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| What is the daily routine? Details of the daily routine for boarders during the week and at weekends can be found in the Boarding Pupils’ Handbook. Is there school on Saturday? There are no formal lessons on Saturday, but there are usually sports fixtures and team practice in the morning as well as catch up sessions and other activities. What else happens at weekends? There is a full programme of boarders’ activities at weekends. Are pupils allowed out after school? Boarding pupils are allowed into town at the discretion of their House Parents and after a suitable induction. They are generally allowed to go into Canterbury on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Details can be found in the Boarding Pupils’ Handbook. Can my child put posters on their walls? Yes this is permitted in the boarding houses. Special diets? Our Head Chef caters for special diets such as gluten-free, or lactose-intolerant and works closely with the staff in the school’s medical centre to ensure that pupils with specific needs are well looked after. If you have any questions about dietary requirements at the School, please contact our Head Chef Neil Wiggins via email. What are the laundry arrangements? Laundry is done for the boarders. Pupils put their washing into the laundry bins on the allocated day. All pupils are responsible for their own ironing (all age groups). How many others will my child share a room with? Most rooms in boarding are doubles, while the younger years share rooms in groups of 2 to 5 depending on their year group and boarding house. There are a number of single rooms available for Sixth form students. Most rooms have ensuite bathroom facilities while others share larger bathroom facilities. When do boarders do their homework? For Years 7-9, homework (prep) is done in Study Hall at the end of the school day – this is supervised by a member of staff. Older students work more independently in their boarding houses during quiet times before and after supper. What happens when a boarder is ill? The school has a fully equipped Medical Centre which is staffed by medically trained nurses 24 hours a day during term time. Is there someone in the boarding house during the day? Yes, the House Manager is on duty during the day, so there is always someone in the house to help if a boarder has a problem. How far is the nearest airport? Gatwick Airport is approximately 1 hour 15 minutes, Heathrow Airport approximately 1 hour 40 minutes and Stansted approximately 1 hour 30 minutes by car/taxi. Can the school arrange airport transfers? Airport transfers are arranged by parents or the pupil’s guardian. Boarding pupils under 16 must be collected from the school by a guardian, parent or other named adult. |
| BOARDING HANDBOOK |
| Click to download |
