Ashford School is home to a diverse community of over 100 boarders within a School of over 20 nationalities. Our on-site boarding houses are fully staffed with resident and non-resident boarding tutors, and our Boarders enjoy access to the School’s facilities and the town centre.
We currently have two boarding houses open:
Alfred House (for boys) and Brabourne House (for girls).
Boarding houses are led by Houseparents and Assistant Houseparents, who are supported by a team of tutors.
During the School day, our boarders attend lessons and are indistinguishable from the rest of our School community.
Beyond normal school hours – both in the evenings and at weekends – our boarders are kept busy!
After the normal school day, once dinner has been eaten, we have significant time dedicated to undertaking homework and have staff on hand to help provide guidance and advice.
We aim to create an environment where we all recognise the value and the good in other members of the community – students, boarding staff, kitchen staff and cleaners. We respect our boarders’ views and value their input into how our boarding community should run. We encourage students to live their life in a way that considers the needs of others and respects their rights.
We believe in encouraging and rewarding positive behaviour such as consideration for others, honesty, good manners and appropriate humour. We know the importance of clear, fair rules and sanctions to discourage inappropriate behaviour. We work in partnership with our parents and/or guardians and other staff to help boarders make the most of their opportunities and to support them through the difficult times.
Alfred House is home to the School’s male boarders.
Based in the heart of the School, with access to all of the School’s facilities, Alfred House is a home away from home for many of our students.
There are newly refurbished rooms housing just over sixty pupils and vary from en-suite single bedrooms to shared bedrooms with shared bathroom facilities.
The students’ very well furnished personal space is complemented by a wide range of communal areas in which our boarders come together to cook (in either of the two kitchens), play table tennis, pool, or any other of many options available in the ‘Games Room’, practise music (on their own instruments, or on either of the two pianos), watch sports, films or other shows (on a large-screen TV), or just hang out with their friends.
A secure and reliable wifi internet connection is available throughout the House, both to the Microsoft Surface devices provided by the School, but also for the boarders’ own devices.
A well-equipped laundry room with a number of washing machines and tumble dryers is available for use. There are five resident tutors and a Houseparent who lives in a flat overlooking the House.
The boarders are assisted by dedicated boarding tutors who regularly set time aside for each student. Furthermore, at least one member of staff is always easily available to boarders, day or night.
Named after Lady Brabourne, governor, benefactor, and parent at Ashford School, Brabourne House sits on the main School site, adjacent to the swimming pool and a few steps from the Refectory.
It is a purpose-built House with capacity for 63 girls. There are 47 rooms, the majority of which have en-suite facilities. All the rooms on top floor of the House were refurbished in December 2019.
The House has two common rooms, two kitchens, several cosy seating areas distributed around the house, a front yard and a back garden as well as a laundry room with washing machines and dryers. In the common rooms we have two large screen TVs, computers, a large football table, an air hockey table, and a piano as well as other musical instruments.
A secure and reliable wifi internet connection is available throughout the House, both to the Microsoft Surface devices provided by the School, but also for the boarders’ own devices.
We hold regular house events in our common rooms, from Pizza & Movie Nights and Hot Chocolate Evenings to our famous “Halloween Party”. Brabourne is the undisputed winner of the Ashford School Gingerbread House competition.
The staff are engaged, empathetic and truly care about the girls and their wellbeing. This is key to generating the nurturing environment we pride ourselves on. We aim to create a home for our girls and a sense of community and trust.
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