WHAT IF… YOU MET YOUR NEW BEST FRIEND?
Question: Where can a group of 7 to 12 year olds meet new friends, make dens, fall in love with puppies, charge around with nerf guns and sometimes laugh so much they can’t even speak?
The answer is our junior boarding house, St Monica, of course!
Some children have to board, for all sorts of reasons. At Warminster, though, most of our boarders actively want to board. In fact, many of our day pupils wish to board too – in some ways it’s like having a sleepover every night. There are guidelines of course, as there are in every community; St Monica's much-loved matron Ms Santana is adored and respected in equal measure. Quite the expert when it comes to boarding matters (she has been looking after our boarders since 2006). You certainly don’t want to be the one to disappoint her by not making your bed. Then again she can be reminding you of why you need to be kind to your peers one minute and the next she’s listening to your worries about prep or friendships. And, when she’s finished listening to you, somehow that really hard prep seems doable if you just look at it one more time, and that friendship probably isn’t actually disintegrating because maybe you were just misunderstanding something.
As with everything else at Warminster, the attitude to junior boarding is very much “why not” or “give it a go”. Children are encouraged to give boarding a go, like a practice run to see if they would like to board termly, weekly or as a flexi-boarder maybe just a night or two a week. Children have the chance to meet new friends and to really get to know our staff – the 'super cool' Mr Page and energetic and fun-loving Housemaster, Mr Mercer, along with our house tutors.
In a school of optional activities the idea of flexi boarding is popular – things like hockey practice, drama rehearsals, trips, supervised prep or some of the many clubs can all finish as late as 7pm for some pupils. What better than to join friends afterwards for supper at school then run back to St Monica to say good night to Nutmeg or Peanut (two very popular 4-legged residents!) before enjoying a hot chocolate and often a bedtime story before brushing your teeth and falling into bed. And best of all, you don’t have to get up as early as some of your classmates to get to school the next day!
There are some real plus points for parents too, a night out, trip to the theatre, a weekend away even… whilst little ones are cared for and enjoying an amazing experience under the watchful gaze of St Monica staff.
Pupils can experience what it’s like in this home from home either by watching our new St Monica film >HERE, contacting Ms Santana on [email protected] to book a flexi place or better still, request and take up our exciting complimentary boarding pass here: [email protected]
What if…boarding really was the best thing you ever did?
#iloveboarding #communityofopportunity #whatif?