Boarding
At Hanford Prep you would be hard pushed to tell the difference between a day girl and a boarder!
In the main house, there are 14 dorms in total on the first and second floor each with their own name. Some are named after famous English poets Donne, Marvel and Milton and others after early English dramatists Johnson, Shakespeare, Beaumont and Fletcher. The younger girls are on the first floor where the dorms are light and airy with views across the Box Garden and down the drive. Girls love these dorms because they are roomy and bright and feel very homey and welcoming.
Upstairs, on the top floor, quirkily shaped rooms defined by the angles of the gables provide smaller dorms, some of which are interlinked for older girls who love their labyrinthine layout.
During the day the girls get changed in the dorms for games and in the evenings they will hang out with their friends, read books, play games and relax.
We want girls at Hanford Prep to feel as much at home as is reasonably possible.
Girls can decorate the walls around their beds and keep toys and special bits they want to bring from home in their lockers. Often all the girls will collaborate and decorate their dorm collectively as they make themselves at home.
Our girls benefit from a wonderful pastoral support system.
The girls are looked after by a great team of matrons and school nurses, who make up the boarding team, and have years of experience between them.
The boarding team always make time to listen to the girls’ funny stories and their concerns, building trust and earning their confidence.
They supervise everything from getting up in the morning to going to bed in the evening.
Boarding team members are on hand throughout the day, even sitting with the girls during lunchtime and they are brilliant at picking up on and spotting any potential issues often, before they happen. Hanford Prep prides itself on being a truly happy school where girls can enjoy their childhood making friends and memories that will last a lifetime. Hanford was delighted to be awarded the ‘Best of the Best’ for Kindness by The Week’s Independent Schools Guide Awards in 2024.
Contact with Parents
Even the briefest telephone call can mean the world to a parent of a child at boarding school.
At Hanford Prep the girls have their own dedicated telephone lines so they can take the call somewhere comfortable and quiet.
Parents are welcome to call their girls but it is often best, unless in an emergency, if they call after supper.
We advise parents of new girls to let their daughter settle for a few days before making regular calls, as even the strongest and most independent child can find the transition to boarding takes a little time.
Letter Writing
At Hanford Prep we set aside time on Sunday before Chapel for letter writing, where staff are on hand to assist.
The girls soon learn to enjoy writing, often sending multiple missives to friends and family and learn how exciting it is to receive post and parcels.
Each girl has a personal email address which will be given to them when they arrive at Hanford Prep. They can send emails from school computers in the ICT room, as we do not allow mobile phones or other wifi enabled devices at school.
Please click here to read our Boarding Principles and Practice and Pastoral Care Statement.
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