Boarding

At the heart of St. John’s is its boarding community. The school was founded around the occupants of its two dormitories; though today boarders are accompanied around the school by our day boy contingent, St. John’s is still a Boarding School.

Some sixty boys choose to board at St. John’s. They are divided evenly between those that board on a weekly basis (leaving school on a Friday and returning either on Sunday evening or Monday morning) and our full boarders. Whilst the vast majority of boarders have English as their first language, the community is a healthy combination of nationalites (and personalities); whilst we maintain proud links with Mexico, Hong Kong and Spain, six continents are well-represented by our boys and they mingle freely and seamlessly.

Boarding at St. John’s gives our boys the essential opportunity to interact with each other beyond the scope that a day-only programme offers. The schools that St. John’s boarders go onto are continually impressed by the way our boys behave within a social group and take responsibility for organising themselves in less structured environments. This is very much as a result of the occasions for personal development they receive as boarders here. A balance is struck between direct supervision and encouraging responsibility and cooperation. The boarding staff know each boarder as an individual and supervise them closely, yet every boy is given opportunities to demonstrate initiative, reliability and conscientiousness on a daily basis.

The boys are looked after by a team of staff led by the Housemaster, Mr. Hardgrove. Mr. Hardgrove is with the boys from Lights On to Lights Out and assisted in providing direction and company for all the boys by the Dormitory Masters. Mr. Bogie looks after Southwell dormitory, where the Rudiments (Year 8) boys sleep; Miss Irwin tends to Morse dormitory, the younger boys’ dorm. The Dormitory Master’s and Mistress’ rooms each adjoin their respective dormitories, ensuring that the boys have round the clock access to a familiar member of staff. Each dormitory also has a dedicated matron to share the ongoing burden of tidiness with. The School Nurses are also a part of the boarding team, ensuring that boys have round the clock access to medical treatment and care as well as, just as importantly, providing extra levels of mothering that all the boys benefit from.

The boys are woken up at 7.15am (with a lie-in on Sundays). Some regularly choose to wake earlier for music practice or to attend daily Mass. All boys shower once a day in addition to washing after games and teeth-brushing is supervised twice a day. After breakfast (always a sumptuous choice of cereals, toast, yoghurts, fruit and cooked food), the boarders join the general school community for the school day. From Lower Elements (Year 4) upwards, all boys at St. John’s – day boys included – remain at school after lessons to complete their studies. The boarders then mark the end of the school day with prayers in the chapel.

There is then the full range of the school’s activity programme and the resources of the Playroom to occupy the boys positively till Supper at 7.15pm. The youngest boys start their bedtime routine after their meal at 8pm, with the older boys having some more free-time. In the dormitories, a story is usually read to the younger boys and everyone has the opportunity for some quiet reading or study before lights out which is at 9.15pm for the oldest boys.

At the weekends there are often school matches and the boarders also have use of the swimming pool and tennis courts. Saturdays are always rounded off with a movie, whilst Sundays feature an excursion. Trips range from paintballing or attending a Premiership Rugby Match to attending Mass in London, theatre and gallery trips, and sightseeing. Twice per term we have is an exeat weekend known as a 'Guest Room'. Whilst boarders are often asked to stay with friends then, it is essential that every full-boarder has a properly appointed guardian to visit for these or any of the other school holidays.