We are proud to be a full boarding school. Every boy finds a home in one of our 11 Socials, where a committed pastoral team supports his development and ensures he always puts his best foot forward.
In Social, boys join a band of brothers who will have their back through thick and thin. These relationships contribute to the deep sense of community spirit and camaraderie across the College.
Boarding Staff
We recruit only the very best pastoral leaders to run our boarding houses. Each Social has three live-in staff, a Tutor (Housemaster), Sub-Tutor (Assistant Housemaster) and Pastoral Housemistress (Matron) who ensure every boy feels at home with us.
Tutors are responsible for pastoral care and academic achievement. They take a whole person view of our boys’ progress and they are the key communication link between school and home. Tutors are senior teachers with significant experience in the classroom and as part of our pastoral team. They will have usually spent a considerable period of time as a Sub-Tutor or Head of Department prior to appointment. Tutors have a tenure of 12 years, although some may leave earlier due to promotions, either internally or at other leading schools across the country. Tutors are supported by a Resident Sub-Tutor.
The Pastoral Housemistress (PHM) is the glue that binds the Social together. PHMs ensure the boarding house is shipshape and provide holistic pastoral support to our boys. From day one, they ensure they are safe, happy and well-looked after, and are the first port of call when difficulties arise. There is no typical PHM. Each brings unique talents and experiences to the role, and their broad range of life experience helps them to build strong relationships with boys, staff and parents.
Cocoa
Cocoa is unique to Radley. Amongst the hustle and bustle of a busy boarding school, Cocoa is a time to wind down and reflect on the day. At 21:30, the whole Social meets together for a bite to eat and something to drink. A strictly ‘no-phone-zone’, conversation is king and boys and staff can be heard discussing everything from politics to reality television.
Food
Radleians love their food so our fantastic catering department is crucial to community wellbeing! Uniquely, boys and staff all eat centrally in Hall, which helps to foster a sense of connection across Socials and year groups.
We are renowned for serving hearty, healthy dishes that our boys know and love, but we are always eager to please and welcome suggestions from boys and staff. In recent years, we have significantly increased the number of vegetarian and vegan dishes on offer, and have introduced themed days for special occasions.
Breakfast is served from 7:15 and boys can choose from a full English or a range of cereals, pastries and fruit. For lunch, boys can expect four or five hot options which are served with a selection of sides, as well as an extensive salad bar. We offer three of four choices for pudding, including fruit. The range is slightly smaller for dinner, but we aim to serve the boys’ favourite dishes, ensuring they are well-fuelled for prep, Chapel and Cocoa.
Health Centre
The Health Centre provides 24-hour care for boys who are unwell or injured. Our experienced team of nurses can also call upon a GP, who visits the school daily, physiotherapists and a team of mental health specialists, including a psychiatrist.
The Health Centre plays a key pastoral care role and boys know they can always stop by if they need a helping hand. Our match day first aid provision is second to none. We are fortunate to have a First Aid and Sports Health Coordinator, who is an A&E trained emergency nurse practitioner, who is pitch side for all Rugby games sessions and matches. During Rugby, Football and Hockey fixtures, she is always accompanied by a paramedic. Our nurses support the NHS School Immunisation Team in providing childhood immunisations in line with the national programme and are also able to provide travel vaccinations for school trips.
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