Being a Boarder

St Bede’s is situated in the village of Upper Dicker. We hold our chapel services in the village church, also giving many musical recitals there. Maintenance of the village cricket and football pitches are carried out by the School and we share our sporting facilities with the local primary school. In addition, we encourage local clubs and villagers to use our pitches, swimming pool, squash courts and drama studio as local amenities.

In a carefully supervised programme, some students help with local events; others work in the local primary school and some play for village sports clubs and take part in social activities. By contributing to the life of the community as a whole, our students begin to prepare themselves for life beyond school and home.

Above all, St Bede’s is a friendly school which helps us to nurture our students so that they can grow as individuals…

Boarders are at the heart of our community, comprising around 40% of the students and they greatly enrich the school. This is due to the diversity they bring and to the many additional recreational facilities associated with a boarding school. On average, 25% of our 850 students come from overseas. Through their presence, we all learn to understand and respect each other’s values.

There are five boarding houses at St Bede’s, three boys’ and two girls’ houses. Each house has a Housemaster or Housemistress and two House Tutors living in. Matrons, who look after the students’ general welfare and health and deal with their laundry are on duty from 7am to 10pm. The three boys’ Houses are Camberlot, Dorms and Stud, the girls’ houses are Crossways and Dorter.

Life as a boarder
The peace and tranquillity of boarding life is shattered around 6:50 am when the prefects are staggering around in a kind of zombie-like fuzz screaming: ‘Get up, breakfast’.

Eventually, like a scene from Night of the Living Dead, the Stud boys emerge through the mist and drift silently into breakfast. However, by the time they have swallowed down two bowls of cereal and egg and bacon, the conversation and life comes back into the students. They eventually barge (or get yanked into by Messer’s Walker, Hart and myself) to roll call and notices at 8:20am and then off to lessons. The walk to first period seems to be the perfect opportunity for the boarding boys to undress slightly; pull at their ties and untuck anything that was previously tucked in.

After the first couple of lessons they turn up back in the boarding house where they continue to undress and make lunges for the remote control in the common room. Most, happily sit around watching MTV and chat, whilst others frantically do the prep which is due in for the following lesson. However, if a student is spotted doing this they will be subjected to cushions being thrown at them, their pens being stolen and, well anything to prevent them completing the homework before House Staff and matrons turf them out once again. After the ‘long lesson’, lunchtime is upon us and once again most of the Stud boys wander back to house to relax, chat with matron, discuss yet more prep to be done and attempt to persuade matron to open up the kitchen for milk. Then again, out they are ‘turfed’ to afternoon lesson and activities. Activities is a frenetic period in House, lots of people tearing around, boots clicking, sports kit being begged and borrowed, sheet music flying in the air, general mayhem and then all is quiet from 3pm, eerily so when all the boys have gone off to their various chosen activities.

After the activities are done the village shop seems to be the main port of call, I often wander past them as they chew, gnaw and gulp down an array of snacks. It doesn’t effect their appetite for dinner though, when they are all invariably in fine spirits, discussing the issues of the day and trying to charm their way into dinner early.

Another roll call and then prep begins. After prep the boarding house comes alive; it’s the best bit of the day. The noises and smells are wonderful, if sometimes a little worrying! Kettles go on, toast is made, noodles are produced and biscuits are eaten in quite staggering amounts. One usually smells the ‘donor meat and chips with chilli and garlic sauce and NO SALAD’ drifting from the Sixth Form dorms, but everyone is happy. You can see the First Years essentially attacking each other with grins, people hitting drums, TV being watched, pool being played, deep conversations being had: everyone is content.

Eventually, as the night draws longer, the place gets quieter. Matron is clearing up and popping in the final wash and finding boys for their medicine. Lower school go to sleep and the upper school boys dash in and after awhile silence comes and the occasional light from laptops is the only thing visible.

I wander home and leave them in the Housemaster’s hands through the night, comfortable in the knowledge that the zombies will emerge once again when morning comes….

Richard Jones, Stud House Tutor