At the heart of the school community is the boarding house, where we aim to provide a home-from-home atmosphere but with the added benefit of lots more friends and activities!  In addition to our cohort of full boarders, many children opt to flexi-board, and it is not unusual to have upwards of 70 boarders on any given evening.

The warmth and care evident in our boarding community is provided by a dedicated team of boarding parents and matrons, who not only ensure pupils’ physical and pastoral wellbeing, but also inject a real sense of family fun into the evenings and weekends.

In addition to the weekday clubs on offer to all children, boarders’ only clubs are run after supper. Children also enjoy free time to play and relax in the extensive grounds, and boarders love to get involved on the school farm, bringing in the ponies, collecting eggs or feeding the animals.  At weekends, after a busy Saturday of clubs and sport, there is time to relax and play with friends.  On Sundays, after a leisurely brunch, children enjoy an organised activity, such as skating, surfing, riding, swimming, laser-tag or a cinema trip.  There are also numerous opportunities to compete in local agricultural shows or equestrian events.

We want your child to make the most of their childhood and the wonderful grounds and facilities on offer, and to develop lifelong friendships.  One thing you will not see at the Elms is a boarder playing endlessly on a mobile phone as we are a ‘screen-free’ school. Only boarding pupils are allowed to bring in a mobile phone, and even then, phones are kept by boarding staff, and only taken out for contacting home, before being handed back to staff.