Boarding FAQ’s

We urge students to only bring with them items that are essential. Rooms are fairly small with not enough storage for an extensive wardrobe of clothes and belongings which usually need to be packed up and emptied at the end of each term.  That being said, many students do bring items from home to make their space feel a little more homely for example posters, photos, duvet covers, teddy bears and fairy lights. These items are all welcome, and might help to ease any homesickness.

During the winter, boarders need a warm, waterproof coat and appropriate footwear, as well as some clothes for relaxing in for evenings and weekends.  Boarders should bring a pair of slippers or indoor shoes to change into whilst in the boarding house. School Cottage boarders need a pair of wellington boots.

All students, whether sharing a room (School Cottage) or in an individual room (Croft House), are provided with duvets, pillows and bed linen. All rooms have a wardrobe, bedside cupboard, small desk and chair to work at.  Students also have a laundry basket provided.

Laundry is done in the boarding house, twice weekly with a corridor rota.  Older students in Croft House are also able to use washing machines for essentials in the evening and Houseparents are more than happy to show them how to use them. There is also another wash put on by Houseparents on a Wednesday for sports kit.

It is important that all school uniform, sports kit, casual clothes, coats, jackets, shoes and any personal bedding / linen is labelled with your child’s name – including underwear, so if items do go astray it can be found relatively easily.

Bedtimes are arranged by year group, to ensure that every student is able to have a restful nights sleep.  At Lucton, students’ days are busy and most students look forward to a good nights sleep.  From our youngest boarders up to year 10, all phones and technology are handed in and stored securely in the office of the boarding house, so there are no bedtime distractions.  Thirty minutes before bedtime, students have “corridor time”.  This is an opportunity to wind down, shower and get organised for the following day.  On Friday and Saturday nights, bedtimes are more relaxed with a thirty-minute extension.

All meals are provided in the school dining room for boarders, where our Chef creates nutritious meals and caters for different dietary requirements.  The menu for the week is published on the parent portal.  Most boarders bring tuck with them to have as a snack, and there is ample opportunity to top up supplies if necessary on weekend trips or at the local supermarket.  For younger students, tuck is stored in the small kitchen and they can access it after prep with the Houseparents permission.  Older students have access to a kitchen in Croft House “The Café”, where they are able to cook, bake, socialise with a hot drink or share a takeaway– a popular pastime on a weekend.

We are really lucky in school to have many facilities at our fingertips – there is always something for the students to do.  We are able to use the sports fields, tennis courts and the sports hall in the evenings and on weekends, and the older students may use the gym if they want to.  Students may choose to use the music practice rooms in the evening and Art GCSE / A level students may choose to use the Art room.

On weekends, boarders may use the swimming pool and some students may have permission to go to the stables.  We only let students use these facilities when supervised by a qualified member of staff.

Generally, on the weekends a trip will take place on Saturday, run by the members of staff on duty.  We book a variety of trips and activities to keep everyone happy. Trips can range from something simple, like shopping or a cinema trip, to something bigger like go-karting or a visit to safari park. The member of staff on duty on the weekend will advertise what the trip is for the coming weekend, accompanied by a “sign up” sheet, with the number of places available.  Students are required to pay for each trip (paid for a half term in advance), and  can also take their own spending money should they wish to.

Sunday tends to be more relaxed, with a slower start to the day followed by Brunch in the dining hall.  Students use Sunday afternoon to relax and ready themselves for the week ahead.

Boarders are welcome to bring to school their favourite personal possessions such as games, books, teddy bears, technology and so on, but these should be clearly marked with the owner’s name. The school can take no responsibility for any loss or damage to personal items. All boarders must have a lockable box in their bedroom to keep items safe and secure. Boarders are welcome to store any valuable items in the Boarding House office which is always securely locked.

The Houseparents can look after boarders’ pocket money in the boarding office safe; we recommend that boarders hand in their pocket money at the beginning of term and a pocket money ledger is kept.  Overseas boarders and older boarders usually have their own bank account.  The school will assist in opening a bank account for a boarder.  Our system is flexible so that boarders, parents and Houseparents may decide between them how much is given and when.  Parental requests will be noted and adhered to.  Boarders will not be allowed to take out very large sums of money without parental permission.

If a boarder becomes ill or has an accident or injury in school, our Matron, Lulu will look after them.  We have a sick bay where children stay to be monitored carefully, both by the Matron and the Houseparents, who are all fully trained in first aid and the giving of medicines. Overseas boarders and those that are a long way from home can be registered at the local doctor surgery.  If a child becomes unwell and there is little improvement over the day, or they are thought to be contagious to others, then they will remain on sick bay to be monitored until a parent or guardian can pick them up from school.