Boarding Welcome

Miss Gemma Arthur, Head of Boarding

Accreditations

Miss Arthur began her career in teaching before moving into roles that focused on the care and wellbeing of children and young people. She spent five years as Youth and Family Activities Manager on a cruise ship, followed by managing children’s residential activity centres on land. For the past eleven years, she has specialised in boarding, drawing on her own experience as a boarder to provide exceptional pastoral support. Her understanding of the transformative power of a positive boarding experience shapes her commitment to creating a warm and welcoming environment where students feel safe, supported and able to flourish. Working closely with a skilled boarding team, she ensures every student has the guidance and encouragement they need to grow and succeed.

Welcome to Boarding

The Boarding House here at St. Francis’ College strives to create a friendly and homely atmosphere, supported by experienced boarding staff and academic tutors. Boarding also comes with a built-in social life as the students will live with friends and participate in a myriad of activities – a recipe for fun.

Although most of our students enjoy boarding full-time, there are plenty of other options at St. Francis’ College, including day, weekly or flexi boarding. We offer many types of accommodation: younger students typically share with roommates, while Sixth Form students have individual study bedrooms.

St. Francis’ College has a long tradition of welcoming students from the UK and all over the world. Our international students are integrated into every aspect of college life; they follow a full curriculum and participate in a wide range of social events and activities.

We are proud of the cultural diversity of our boarding community. For some of our international students, joining us allows them to improve their English language and experience a different culture; while for others we provide the opportunity to study for UK qualifications (GCSE and A Levels), and gain access to leading UK universities. Whatever the reason, all UK and international students are fully integrated into our whole school community and fully enjoy our boarding school experience.

Our Boarding House is located on the top two floors of the main building. All the essential parts of the school are within easy reach of the accommodation without leaving the building: the dining hall, the library, the Chapel, and all the study rooms. With this combination of both academic and pastoral support, this is what we call home away from home.

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