Boarding at Beaudesert

Although it was another disjointed year in the Boarding House, we felt we definitely finished on a high in the Summer Term. Although much of the year had limits on boarding, such as who could stay and how many nights, the atmosphere upstairs has been one of great happiness and a real sense of joy. A community was built – a home from home. For the boarders that we had, an atmosphere of a weekly boarding school developed. Weekly events such as ‘Tea Tuesday’, or the ongoing Mario Kart Grand Prix kept them busy in the evenings. Nevertheless, the flexis were keen to make a return. Despite our attempts at keeping them entertained from afar with parody songs, performed by the boarding staff, or hot chocolates on Zoom, when they could return in the Summer Term they did and they brought with them a much-welcomed injection of life and pace back into the Boarding House.

As ever, the activities programme took centre stage and they have continued to be a real highlight for both children (and staff in some cases). We are never short of things to do. The school grounds sell themselves as any child’s best possible playground. From fire lighting and toasting marshmallows at the pond, to indoor laser tag in the Sports Hall in the Autumn Term, or falconry displays on the banks and mountain biking on the Common in the summer. The children have fully immersed themselves in all that they have done and thoroughly enjoyed every minute. A happy and thriving Boarding House has such a positive impact on the day-to-day atmosphere within the School.

As always, as years come and go, so do staff in the Boarding House. We welcomed Gemma Price in September, who joined us fresh from the University of Gloucestershire and d’Overbroeck’s. Gemma has been invaluable in helping the Matrons’ department and has settled in, like a duck to water. We also said a fond farewell to Matron Flavia Heseltine. Although Flavia is still with us at School, helping with the costumes in the Drama department, her three year stint as a Matron came to an end in April. This meant that we have warmly welcomed Kim Thomas, who has joined the team and has made an incredibly positive start.

We are so looking forward to the academic year 2021-22 and many more challenges that are thrown our way. As ever, we simply cannot do the job we do alone. The boarding team is such a close one and we send a huge heartfelt thanks for all the support and help that we have had from the phenomenal team of Matrons, plus of course, Mr Griffiths. We are thrilled with the results of the revamp that took place in the summer holidays and we look forward to more developments upstairs soon. We simply cannot wait to see what the next academic year has is in store.

Tom and Joey Layton