A Further Adaptation to Our Boarding Offer

A Further Adaptation to our Boarding Offer

Dear Parents

On behalf of the school and Governors, I am delighted to share the news that from September 2024 Caldicott will offer more flexibility for families with boys currently in 4th Form who feel their sons would benefit from delaying the start of weekly or full boarding in 5th Form. While our core weekly and full boarding offer will remain at the centre of what we do, we will also be introducing a Day Plus option which entails two nights of boarding that are not compulsory with an option to ‘top up’ with more nights. This new offer will be a powerful opportunity to recognise different trajectories in each boy’s development and will come into effect in a twophase system: for 5th Form boys from September 2024, and for 5th and 6th Form boys from September 2025.

As you might expect, this adaptation to our offer has involved lengthy and detailed discussions, which have taken place over several months involving myself and the Senior Leadership Team. We are delighted to have the Governors’ full support and endorsement. Boarding at Caldicott lays the foundation for our boys who move on to top tier schools, yet we must also take into consideration that those senior schools place a larger emphasis on boys having received a premium education and good character development, than whether they have had compulsory boarding from a fixed age. Some boys will benefit more from boarding before 5th Form, whilst some will benefit more from boarding later on; ensuring each boy boards when he is ready is the more important factor in enabling him to achieve his potential. Caldicott is a wonderful community, and we value the partnerships we have with our families. We welcome your views and invite you to email Lisa (admissions@caldicott.com) with any questions that you’d like to raise.

Best wishes

Jeremy Banks

The Current Offering

In fast-changing times, Caldicott exemplifies how to answer the evolving needs of its pupils without losing sight of the core strengths that give this exclusive school its dynamic spirit.

We are a place of academic rigour and teaching excellence. We are a place where boys are nurtured to become problem solvers and critical thinkers: where camaraderie and a competitive spirit fuels achievement and a sense of brotherhood. At the same time, Caldicott boys are self-aware and emotionally intelligent. They understand the needs of others and are eager to play their part in the community and to help address society’s collective challenges.

As a result, Caldicott boys have attributes that enable them to seamlessly integrate into the country’s leading independent schools, and they are assets for these institutions.

The Adaptation

From September 2024, it will no longer be mandatory for all boys to board in 5th Form (Year 7). Instead, parents may choose from a range of Day Plus, weekly and full boarding options, that are right for their son, that fit around demands of family life and which align, in even sharper focus, with our commitment to delivering the highest quality, individualised education. The second part of the adaptation will come into effect in September 2025, when all 5th and 6th Form boys will be able to utilise Day Plus.

Our 5th and 6th Form Day Plus offer will include:

1. Two nights of boarding (that are not compulsory) with an option to ‘top up’ with more nights using a convenient online booking system, synced with the minibus booking system.

2. The school day, that starts at 08.10 for everyone, will end at 18.00 for the 5th and 6th Form, but with an option to leave early at 16.00.

3. Supervised prep and academic clinics.

4. The flexibility to move within the range of boarding options as your son progresses through 5th and 6th Form. During the Spring Term of 4th Form, parents will be invited to make a decision about their son’s next steps. They can then review their son’s boarding status as he progresses, noting that we will require half a term’s notice for any changes to allow for internal planning and billing.

5. Games kit laundry service.

Why has this decision been taken?

At Caldicott, we pride ourselves on approaching each boy’s needs on an individual basis. As we look to the future, we are confident that this same approach should be taken with our boarding model.

With the education world as a whole having a greater understanding than ever of how to enable a child to thrive, we are confident in our abilities as specialists in child development to achieve this goal. This flexibility is one way we can get the best out of every boy.

We see this as a natural progression of the current boarding model and a reflection of our responsiveness to the evolving parent body and the expectations of top tier senior schools. Senior schools tell us that what they are looking for above all are the boys who exemplify our values, who contribute enthusiastically to all areas of the curriculum and wider opportunities and love learning.

What are the benefits of Day Plus?

We know that many boys and their parents will transition smoothly to weekly boarding and for the lucky ones this coincides with the move into the 5th Form. For the boys who need a bit more time, or for families who require more flexibility, this is the perfect option.

How will Caldicott ensure that a strong boarding ethos is retained with the introduction of added flexibility?

Caldicott has been incredibly successful at giving boys the best possible prep school education. The typical Caldicott boy is an extraordinary boy whose character has been nurtured purposefully. We are a school where a boarding ethos pervades the whole school, despite the younger boys being mainly day boys. This ethos will not only prevail with our plans, but it will also be strengthened as we will be in a position to tailor each boy’s Caldicott experience to suit them perfectly. A boarding school at our core, all that we do will be in service of a flourishing boarding environment. Added flexibility is just the icing on the cake for those that need it.