Dean Close is always buzzing with energy where day and boarding pupils enjoy the extra opportunities, activities and social life that a boarding school creates.
With a full programme of teaching and activities all through the week and at weekends, Dean Close is very much a boarding school environment which is embraced by our day pupils, giving all of our pupils the benefit of after school clubs, weekend fixtures and Saturday school as part of the working week; 'School' is so much more than just lessons!
We have has a healthy mixture of boarding and day pupils plus a small number of flexi-boarders who stay one or two nights per week.
With families from as far afield as Australia or as close as across the road, the School is set up to accommodate the very different needs and circumstances of each individual family.
Being part of Dean Close means you are part of a one big happy and stable family.
Dean Close has a large, full-time boarding community from which both boarding and day pupils derive huge benefits. Our single campus provides a safe, secure and spacious environment for all our pupils, aged 2-18, which includes all the boarding houses. At its heart is a dedicated pastoral care system, which ensures everyone feels supported and nurtured. All pupils belong to houses run by a Houseparent(s) and tutor team, but join together for the vast majority of time whether in study, sport, mealtimes or social occasions, forging strong friendships throughout School which often last a lifetime. Weekends are full of activities including films, sport, discos, outings and outdoor pursuits.
Boarding is very popular at Dean Close, with over half the Senior School population living at School and a third of all Prep School children. Children come from a variety of backgrounds including Services families, expats, international pupils and some families from the local area who value the benefits of independence and self-confidence that boarding brings.
With its large population of Boarders, Dean Close buzzes with activity 24 hours a day and the Day pupils enjoy the extra activities and life that a boarding school creates.
A warm, family atmosphere means that every child feels happy and secure.
We aim to create an open, trusting environment where each pupil feels able to approach any other member of the community, confident that he or she will be treated as an individual.
As a consequence, children grow up with a respect for others and a sense of responsibility for themselves, others and for their environment.
Wilton
Wilton House is the mixed Junior boarding house, designed specifically to meet the needs of the Prep School’s younger boarders aged 7-10.
Fortfield
Fortfield House is the girls’ boarding house, for girls aged 11-13. A beautiful four story Regency town house on the edge of the Prep School site, it is large enough for the girls to have plenty of space and still feel like home.
Caldecote
Caldecote is the boys’ boarding house for boys in Years 6 – 8, age 11-13 years. This four storey house is designed specifically for boys, with loads to do. There is a games room which has a pool table, table tennis, air hockey and table football.
The School day at Dean Close is a full and varied one; after lessons end the pupils enjoy ‘Buns’ to recharge energy levels before taking part in sports, music, drama, activities and personal development opportunities. After this, there is supervised independent study time in a dedicated study room for the older boarders and the younger boarders can complete their homework with their Houseparents and matrons in the relaxed atmosphere of the Wilton kitchen.
After independent study children play outside; roller blades and skateboards are always popular and the children also enjoy exploring the extensive school grounds. Our own woods and brook give them the opportunity to create their own entertainment and the wide range of sports facilities and organised activities means that children learn to use their time constructively. However, it is very important that the children are left with time to explore life at their own pace, and in their own way, so sometimes after a long day at school they take the opportunity to just relax in their houses and find space to unwind.
Flexi-boarding offers day pupils the opportunity to board on an occasional basis. This can be seen as a way of easing into boarding. Flexi-Boarding also enables those who have extra curricular commitments to stay in school overnight, and can be used as a service to assist parents who occasionally have long or irregular working hours and may need to travel from time to time.
Dean Close has a full programme on a Saturday, with teaching in the morning and fixtures in the afternoon. The rest of the weekend offers opportunities for relaxation and for recharging the batteries, time to do additional academic work, especially for examination candidates, and the use of the School’s wealth of facilities for sport, music and other interests.
The Houses regularly organise social activities, which vary from ‘zorbing’ to ice skating and from paintballing to an evening at the cinema. Pupils are encouraged to use their increasing freedom wisely as they become more senior, in preparation for university and life beyond School, organising their own time at weekends to meet their academic and other commitments as well as stocking up on rest and relaxation.
Weekends are full of activities including ice skating, visits to the cinema and outings to local places of interest such as Drayton Manor Theme Park, @Bristol, Gloucester Rugby Club or Jumptastic in Gloucester. We are well served in this area of the county for places that also offer more physically challenging pursuits such as canoeing, sailing, hill walking or paddle boarding. We have a covered play area, which is floodlit and in the winter months provides a base for outdoor play, such as football or hockey up until the bed bell. During the light evenings, under supervision, the boarders are able to take advantage of the extensive School grounds and the excellent facilities such as the cricket nets and tennis courts. Every Saturday night there is a different fun activity organised for the whole Prep School boarding community.
Dean Close is very much a Boarding school, with a full programme of teaching and activities all through the week and at weekends.
The School has a healthy mixture of Boarding and Day pupils plus a small number of Flexi Boarders who stay one or two nights per week.
With families from as far afield as Australia or as close as across the road, the School does the upmost to accommodate the different needs and circumstances of each individual family.
With its large population of Boarders, Dean Close buzzes with activity 24 hours a day. Boarding is very popular at Dean Close, with over half the Senior School population living at School.
Children come from a various backgrounds including Services families, expats, international pupils and some families from the local area who value the benefits of independence and self-confidence that boarding brings.
Our warm, family atmosphere means that every child feels happy and secure. We aim to create an open, trusting environment so that each child feels able to approach any member of the community, confident that he or she will be treated as an individual. As a result, children grow up with a respect for others and a sense of responsibility for themselves, others and for their environment.
| Our Boarding Houses | |
|---|---|
| Girls (ages 13-18) | Fawley (51 girls) Shelburne (54 girls) |
| Sixth Form Girls | Turner Hall (18 girls) |
| Boys (ages 13-18) | Brook Court (56 boys) Tower (55 boys) |
| Sixth Form Boys | Gate House (28 boys) |
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