Boarding
Boarding
a home
away from home
Boarding lies at the heart of life at Cheltenham Ladies’ College.
Our houses are vibrant communities where students live, learn and grow together. Students manage their studies, activities and social time while being guided by experienced house staff who care for their wellbeing. Independence is balanced with support, friendships form across year groups, and every student is valued as an individual.
Across the week, boarding life is full and varied: shared meals, House events, baking competitions, evening prep, music practice, social events, sports fixtures, movie nights and time spent relaxing with friends.
A community that supports every student
Each boarding house is led by a Houseparent, supported by a deputy and a team of residential and non-residential pastoral assistants. These teams works alongside academic tutors and our experienced heath and wellbeing teams to provide pastoral care, guidance and encouragement to every student.
The result is a community where students feel secure enough to challenge themselves and confident enough to grow.
Our House system
11-16 year olds
Our Junior Houses provide structure, guidance and strong pastoral support as students settle into boarding life.
16-18 year olds
Our Senior Houses offer greater independence as Sixth Form students prepare for university and the future beyond College.
Aims of the Boarding Houses
Through boarding at CLC, we aim to enhance and complement other aspects of College life, and enable each pupil to:
Grow into independent, confident young adults, capable of forming mature, fulfilling relationships with family and friends and becoming contributing members of society.
Ensure their physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.
Fulfil their potential intellectually.
Fulfil their potential in a full and varied co-curricular programme.
Find opportunities to develop leadership and take on responsibility
Common Questions
Our requirements and timelines vary by entry year group. Visit our Admissions section to find out more
Life at College is busy and engaging, with a full academic curriculum throughout the week, our Saturday Programme, and many co-curricular opportunities in the evenings and on weekends.
We are primarily a full boarding school, however, we understand that every family has varying needs outside of College. In addition to the scheduled Exeats and half terms, most weekends boarders are able to leave College with a parent / guardians after any Saturday commitments, returning in time for supper on the Sunday evening. There are some exceptions (closed weekends), such as the first and last weekends of every term and special events, when boarders will be expected to remain in residence for the whole weekend.
At CLC, you apply to the school, rather than to a specific house, and House places are not allocated until two-three months prior to enrolment (i.e. June/July for a September start), many months after offers of places have been accepted. Parents are able to express a preference, if they have one, but we are unable to guarantee places in specific Houses, except in the case of siblings.
Unlike some schools, we do not have Houses which are linked to specific activities and take into account a broad range of factors when matching pupils to Houses, trying to achieve a balanced mix of abilities, interests, personalities and previous schools across each of the Houses.
- For Fearless
- Futures
- Thinking
- Innovation
- Enterprise
- Creativity
- Women
- Questions
- Ideas
- Friendships
- Minds
- Learning