Junior Boarding Home from home in...

Overlooking the sports fields, framed by woodland on one side and the historic beauty of buildings over a century old on the other, Prior’s Field Junior Boarding homes girls from a multitude of cultures at the heart of the school.

One of the most important factors in any boarding setting is the establishment of a friendly and homely environment. This isn’t something that can be forced, but develops through the interaction between pupils, staff and visitors. It is something that Prior’s Field boarding thrives at.

The Junior Boarding house is a melting pot of ages, ranging between the child-like nature of playful eleven-year-olds, right through to the more serious sixteen-year-old GCSE girls. Put them together and stir in the comings and goings of girls visiting on a flexi boarding basis and you get a house bursting with familial joy, encouragement and support.

"Friendships for life!" Divine

"Friday nights = friendship and popcorn!"

In the evenings there are games of hide-and-seek, stalk the lantern, making dens in the woods and rounders. If the weather doesn’t play along, girls find themselves immersed in board games, challenging the general knowledge of staff members and they get to know each other through art activities like beading, origami and ceramic painting.

The weekends are designed to give girls the opportunity to wind down, gather their wits before another week, but also get involved in British culture, by going on trips to Windsor, seeing the wonders of a local arboretum, testing their ten-pin bowling skills, splashing about in water parks and daring the heights of high rope courses, to name only a few.

Prior’s Field Junior Boarding has an excellent academic support system and we strive to bring out the best results from every child without unnecessary pressure or stress-inducing mandates. This does not only apply to the academic, but also to all aspects of life. It is extremely important for us to see pupils develop as a whole and strive for the best, while having fun and staying young for as long as possible.

Gideon Van Niekerk, Head of Junior Boarding

When new girls first arrive, they are swept up by the existing girls, who act as mentors to support them and help them settle into this new world they are entering. There are social events, games and trips planned to help them integrate and make friends before the start of term.

Once school has started, the fun and games definitely do not stop. Prior’s Field has an enormous range of sport and co-curricular activities that pupils can choose from and as a boarding house we promote the development of pupils as balanced individuals. Everyone finds some sort of club or sport that suits their interests.