Life as a Boarder

Meads End is a mixed boarding house situated in a building which is separate from the main School and so allowing the children to really feel they are coming home from school, whilst also letting them make full use of the extensive School facilities and the beautiful local setting. Being a boarder at St Bede’s Prep really does give you the best of both worlds.

Meads End has a strong home atmosphere and aims to care, support and guide the children, while encouraging them to learn and live together in harmony.

The house has a huge range of activities laid on for the boarders and all are encouraged to take part, whether it is camping in the garden, a beach barbeque, mountain biking in the woods or an informal cabaret evening - there is something for everyone to enjoy and get involved with.

With children from over 10 different countries living in Meads End there is a strong community feel. The children love finding out about each other and forge strong and lasting friendships. All the children have a part to play in this bubbly house where, whether they are the oldest or the youngest, a house prefect or dorm captain, they work hard as a team to create a warm, friendly and exciting atmosphere.

Meads End is a place to relax from the bustle of school, whether in a dorm, the wonderfully light common room or out in our private garden. The children sleep in dormitories, with between three and six pupils of a similar age in each room. The girls and boys have separate floors for sleeping and communal areas for their free time.

The House Parents and their young family are resident in the house and are supported in their care of the children by a team of matrons. There is always something going on in our fun filled house, why don’t you come and see for yourself?

Life as a boarder at St Bede’s Prep (written by Year 7 girl boarder):

"Our housemistress and gap year students normally wake us up at 6.45am. We have surgery at 7.15am, where, if you need any medical things you ask for them. After we have changed we have to make our beds for dorm check. Dorm check is when prefects come to mark you dorms and give you a number out of five. We go to breakfast at 7.50am. Usually breakfast is yummy and delicious and we are sometimes allowed chocolate milk on Wednesdays and Saturdays. We leave breakfast at 8.15am.

The School day begins with Form Time and then Chapel. We have Chapel services three times a week which I enjoy because I am a member of the Chamber Choir. Even though today is Saturday we still have morning school. At 9.00am my first lesson is Maths, which I find quite difficult but my teacher makes it interesting. After that is English and Library. My English teacher makes our lessons very enjoyable and very fun.

After our first three lessons we have a short break and then we have Drama. I really love Drama because I love acting, I am on Grade I in Drama. At the moment we are putting on a play called The Wizard of Oz. At the end of the morning we have Prep and Form Time.

Sometimes we have Netball and Hockey matches against other schools in the afternoon on Saturdays. We always get lunch before we go and sometimes we get waffles and ice-cream for pudding.

The fun time for boarders is when School ends. We do all sorts of activities from shopping to swimming, sometimes even bowling! Occasionally, instead of supper at School, for a treat we are allowed to order a pizza or Chinese take-away. In the summer we often have beach barbeques. Normally in the evenings, we watch a movie or have girly makeovers upstairs in the Common Room. I have three girls in my Dorm. My dorm is called Marge. We get on together very well."