Boarding Life

The Boarding Houses are in the heart of the stunning Victorian main school building. Our boarding students embody everything we are proud of at Ratcliffe College. They are determined, tenacious, supportive, hard-working and well rounded individuals. As a boarding family, we see school as a training ground for life, experiencing every triumph, every failure, every success, and every emotion together. 

Boarding Welcome Handbook

Boarding is one big family, with boarders sharing meals together and taking part in a rich programme of activities in their free time. We are a wonderfully safe campus so our boarders are free to roam our stunning grounds, knowing staff are always nearby. We use an online system for signing in and out of school with permissions being needed for boarding students to leave site. Residential and medical staff are always on duty when students are on site and all students are registered with the local doctor so that they can be seen quickly should the need arise. An Independent Listener is also available to students should they wish to discuss any issues or concerns with a member of staff who is not part of the boarding team.

We have over 15 residential boarding staff who live onsite with their families. The boarding staff love everything to do with boarding life and relish the opportunity to play such an important role in so many young people’s lives.

Every boarding student is part of a boarding tutor group, led by a senior member of the boarding team who oversee the academic mentoring, the emotional wellbeing and the personal development of every individual in our boarding family. We feel incredibly privileged to be chosen and trusted by our boarding parents and we go to great lengths to make sure all our boarding students feel supported and safe throughout their educational journey with us. 

The day starts with breakfast in the grand, historic Refectory from 7.15am. Boarding students leave the houses at 8.20am to start their school day. Junior boarders are not allowed back to the Boarding Houses during the day so they must be organised with their sports kit, musical instruments and school books before they leave in the morning. Sixth Form boarders may work in house during some of their weekly study periods. 

Boarders return to the Boarding Houses at 4.10pm to register and have a snack before they take part in our extensive co-curricular programme. Evening supper is at 6pm.

Every evening boarders have compulsory prep sessions. During the evenings there is Night Prayer (twice weekly), house meetings, social activities, Boarders’ of the Week celebration, Inspire Talks, and use of the pool, fitness suite, sports hall, music hall and art facilities and sometimes even time to relax!

There is an extensive weekend programme mixed with city visits (York, London, Cambridge, Birmingham, Oxford), theme park trips, local shopping trips, theatre trips, go-karting, laser tag and much more. We have mountain bikes, the Boarders’ Peace Garden and our very own Pets Corner on-site too.