Boarding Options

At Thornton College, we offer a wide range of different boarding choices to suit each family’s needs.  

OCCASIONAL BOARDING

Occasional boarding at Thornton College is for girls who are already students at our school who are wondering what boarding is like but don’t want to make a commitment yet. Occasional boarding is an ideal way to try boarding out.

Occasional boarding, subject to availability, means your daughter can stay the occasional night (or nights) on a one-off basis. Parents often use this option when they need to go away with work or when there is a late night trip / fixture at school. 

Some students just enjoy the option to stay over at school for fun with their friends. Our youngest girls love this option as it is a way for them to have a Hogwarts style sleepover with their friends!  

“I stayed for a ‘one off’ weekend and I was able to join in with a trip to the cinema to see a 3D film.  It was great fun!

FLEXIBLE BOARDING

At Thornton College, flexi-boarding is a great way to break in to boarding if you are considering weekly or termly-boarding in the future. Girls enjoy boarding and soon know how many nights away from home they feel comfortable with. Our flexi-boarders choose to stay for up to three nights each week. They need to decide in advance which day(s) of the week to stay.

Some girls opt to board after sports fixtures or after their favourite after-school club. For some families, flexible boarding is useful if parents have to work shifts or late nights on a regular basis. Others, who have a fairly lengthy daily commute to school might prefer to spend their normal travelling time studying or relaxing instead.

Flexi-boarding can be combined with the use of our daily school bus service on the days when the girls are not boarding. Flexible boarding is subject to availability. Priority for beds is given first to full/termly boarders and then to weekly boarders, depending on availability.

WEEKLY BOARDING

At Thornton College, we are specialists in weekly boarding, with approximately half of our boarders returning home each weekend. Our weekly boarding option was recently described by one of our parents as a “dream”- suiting girls and their working parents very well.

Girls who are residents on a weekly basis, live in school from Sunday night (although a few arrive on a Monday morning) to Friday after school. They enjoy evenings with friends, have a disciplined study routine, with all homework completed at school during the week, and an activities and entertainment programme. This leaves the weekends free to enjoy with parents and siblings – no more nagging about homework or stressful daily commutes to and from school!

TERMLY BOARDING

At Thornton College, termly boarders stay at school during the week and at weekends throughout the term. This is the ideal option for those whose parents live far away from the school, are overseas or are in the Armed Forces and away from home for long periods of time.  

There is a week-long half-term break in the middle of each term (two weeks in the October half-term), when girls stay with family, friends or guardians. 

Parents and Guardians are always very welcome to visit or take the girls out during the weekends.

We have an exciting weekend programme and a programme of evening activities on weekdays, so there are always opportunities for termly boarders to engage and get involved!