Boarding & Day
Boarding engrains a deeper sense of community and provides a richer experience.
Jon mutton, Headmaster
On arrival at Ampleforth, all pupils join a boarding House which is their home from home during their time here. We have seven Senior Houses, three for girls and four for boys, as well as a co-educational Junior House for Years 7 & 8 called St Edward’s & St Wilfrid’s. For further details about St Edward’s & St Wilfrid’s please visit the Junior House page.
Each Senior House is a very friendly and supportive home for between 55 - 65 students from Years 9 to 13 (First Form to Upper Sixth at Ampleforth). Run by a Housemistress or Master with the help of a resident Assistant, every House has its own dedicated team of staff including Tutors, Matron, and Housekeeping team. Day students (18% of the school) are fully integrated into House life. They have their own study space and can stay overnight if they have a late activity.
Every House is named after a saint and has their own coat of arms and school colours. Lots of inter-house challenges and sports competitions foster a strong sense of House spirit and solidarity. Deaneries (vertical teams within Houses) encourage friendships across the year groups with older pupils looking out for the younger ones and younger pupils helped to find their voice. Houses eat breakfast and lunch together which helps engender a sense of family and allows House staff and pupils to check in with each other over the course of the day.
The core pastoral team around every child involves their Houseparent, Assistant Houseparent, Tutor, Matron, and Chaplain. Tutors are also responsible for monitoring and ensuring the academic progress of a small group of pupils in a particular Year group in House, in close liaison with parents. Matrons play a vital role in creating a warm and homely atmosphere and making sure everyone is happy, healthy, fed, and the House – and pupils - are clean and tidy! Chaplains help provide morning and evening prayers and a weekly Mass in the House Chapel as well as an annual retreat.
Extensive daily contact with pupils from other Houses through lessons, activities, clubs, shared supper (and other meals such as weekly Year group lunch), as well as social events every Saturday night, enable friendships between pupils from different Houses to develop easily and naturally.
Ampleforth is a full boarding school, with a vibrant and busy atmosphere throughout the week. On Saturday morning there are lessons, followed by sports matches against other schools in the afternoon, and a diverse programme of fun social events for different year groups in the evening. After Mass on Sunday morning, there are many opportunities for trips, activities and spending time with friends. The school usually grows in size at the weekends with a number of parents coming to visit, watch matches, and join us for Mass and coffee afterwards. Parents are always very welcome to come and see us at weekends and can take their children out after matches on Saturday and after Mass on Sunday.
Children thoroughly enjoy boarding at this school
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