Boarding Houses

Boarding School accommodation varies greatly from school to school, but in general there is a system of shared rooms for younger children, whilst older children are usually accommodated in double or single rooms. Generally where more than 8 or 10 children are accommodated together, the beds and wardrobe spaces are divided into small rooms or cubicles with curtained doorways, thus giving some privacy, but maintaining a communal atmosphere - these are known as dormitories. Up to 8 or 10 children may be accommodated in large open rooms without any private enclosed areas. In some cases double-decker beds called bunk beds are used, or a combination of desk with bed suspended above.

The boarding house is designed to be a home-away-from-home, so children are usually encouraged to personalize their bedroom area with their own bedcovers and the addition of posters to the wall. Suitcases and trunks are not kept in the bedrooms but stored away during term time. There are no locks on doors, so it is not advisable for children to keep large amounts of money or other small valuables in their houses.

Each boarding house also has separate but accessible living quarters for the house master and/or mistress, plus a communal sitting / television area and a small kitchen where children can have cold drinks, make cups of tea, coffee, cocoa etc. and make snacks such as toast or sandwiches in the evenings and at weekends.

Washing facilities usually consist of a communal bathroom with washbasins, shower cubicles and separate rooms for baths. Most schools are now installing additional shower facilities - formerly baths were popular, but now showers are much more in demand.