Boarding House Overview
The Mary Williams Boarding House is a successfully blended original style of Sir Herbert Baker with modern state-of the-art features.
This secure and comfortable House can accommodate 76 senior girls, consisting of Lambs boarding for Upper IV’s (Grd 7), Lower V’s (Grd 8) and Middle V’s (Grd 9), and Bears boarding for Upper V’s (Grd 10), Ante Matrics (Grd 11) and Matrics (Grd 12). They are housed in spacious single and double rooms, creating both an intimate and people-friendly communal living environment.
Mary Williams House has been built and furnished in such a way that each and every girl will be cared for in a warm, comfortable and happy environment.
The House also features two large, spacious, open-plan areas which will serve as Common Rooms, as well as flexible and exciting new learning areas for both the Upper Junior School and St Margaret’s girls.
Living away from home can often be a daunting prospect for young students however we believe the Mary Williams House has been built and furnished in such a way that each and every girl will be cared for in a warm, comfortable and happy environment.
Roedean recognises and delights in the fact that “girls are girls” who need their privacy but also like to have fun, are conscientious about their studies and sometimes just need the companionship of their fellow learners whilst living away from their loved ones.
Weekly and Termly Boarding
Weekly Boarders
Weekly boarding offers the chance for girls to stay at School for five nights a week (Sunday to Thursday, with Friday lunch inclusive), and to enjoy being with their friends in the Boarding House, engage in Boarders’ activities and work on their prep under the supervision of the Boarding staff. This allows pupils to be in School during the week and then to enjoy the weekend with their families. Boarders are to be fetched between 14h00 and 19h00 on Fridays. Arrangements need to be made with the Head of Boarding if this isn’t possible.
Weekly boarders may return on Sunday evening between 17h00 and 19h30. Alternatively, they may return to the Boarding House on Monday mornings before 06h50 fully clothed in uniform. They will operate in exactly the same way as full boarders during the week, but will be allowed to return home for the weekend after they have completed their Friday afternoon commitments.
Weekly boarders who wish to remain in School on a Friday or Saturday night will be able to do so, subject to parents giving the Head of Boarding advance notice of this. For each additional night’s accommodation, an additional charge will be made. However, we realise that our Weekly boarders may have several activities that could possibly fall over a weekend; therefore, we will have 1 weekend a term when the Weekly boarders are allowed to stay in the Boarding House without any additional costs involved.
From 2018 we will also have closed weekends in the Boarding House when all girls will be asked to leave the Boarding House and only to return on the evening before school starts. These dates will be given to you in advance of and will include weekends where a public holiday falls on either a Friday or a Monday. Other dates will also be given at the discretion of the Head of Boarding.
Termly Boarders
Termly Boarders are girls who remain in the Boarding House over weekends. One of the boarding matrons and a student tutor are on duty each weekend. Entertainment and/or educationally focused activities may be arranged for the Boarders during the weekends, depending on school commitments. Most weekends, the boarders are given the option of going to one of the nearby shopping malls where they may do their shopping, meet with their friends for coffee or watch a movie. Termly Boarders are required to inform the Head of Boarding of their weekend plans for outings (called exeats). Permission for such exeats must be submitted in writing by the Boarder’s parents by Friday at 15h00, at the latest. Full details must be provided regarding times of departure and return, along with information about the “responsible adult” who will sign each girl’s exeat, according to the sign-out regulations.
From 2018 we will also have closed weekends in the Boarding House when all girls will be asked to leave the Boarding House, only to return on the evening before school starts. These dates will be given to you in advance and will include weekends where a public holiday falls on either a Friday or a Monday. Other dates may also be given as per the discretion of the Head of Boarding.
Click the link below to download information booklet: