Boarding in The Sixth Form

BOARDING IN THE SIXTH FORM

Boarding at Ryde encourages pupils to become independent, open-minded, and principled thinkers. Family values are at our core and the well-being of our boarders is paramount and we encourage all pupils to find a good work/life balance and be proactive members of a supportive community.

Boarders are supported by a team of dedicated staff delivering an exceptional level of pastoral care with the emphasis on family values and well-ordered supervision.

International and UK boarders live with local pupils who flexi or weekly board, we regularly welcome boarders from forces families, and we are pleased to be able to offer a specific armed forces boarding package.

  • 13 Different Nationalities
     
  • 90% of Boarders Stay over the Weekend
     
  • No Exeat Weekends
     
  • Half-term Stay Options
     
  • Our last Ofsted report concluded we provide an ‘outstanding’ boarding provision for those in our care.
     

Boarding Brochure

Forces Boarding Package 2024/2025

Boarding Principles and Practices

Ryde School Sixth Form students climbing a tree


Boarding Options
 

FULL BOARDING 

Full boarders benefit from a range of activities and experiences, allowing them to develop skills and interests beyond the academic curriculum. 

The environment encourages a firm sense of community and develops confidence, social skills, independence, self-motivation, and cultural awareness. Unlike many schools, boarders can stay during one-week half-terms and there are no exeats.

WEEKLY BOARDING

Weekly boarders may go home directly after school on Friday, returning to the boarding houses on Sunday evening.

Alternatively, they may choose to return directly to school on Monday morning. Weekly boarders have their own living space where their possessions remain.

FLEXI BOARDING

Flexi boarding offers the benefits of a boarding education for part of the week and is also useful for pupils with additional sporting, music, drama, or other extracurricular commitments.

Parents can book for a single or multiple nights, billing is per night.

Day pupils are also encouraged to try flexi boarding to see if full boarding may be something that suits their needs later as they progress through the school.

FOOD

Boarder students eat their breakfast, supper, and weekend lunch in the Dining Hall and have well-stocked kitchens in both boarding houses to create snacks and other meals for themselves. 

Most of our food is cooked from scratch by our skilled chefs, using fresh ingredients and sourced from preferred local suppliers.

We are also able to cater for special dietary needs (e.g., dairy / lactose intolerance, gluten-free). Please let us know when registering your child for Ryde.

Ryde School Lunch Apple Crumble


Centenary House - Sixth Form Boarding

The senior boarding house is an ambitious, modern, purpose-built facility that houses up to 68 boarders in single and twin rooms, most with en-suite facilities and gives students a taste of university life.

Read More

The newly constructed boarding house offers light and airy study rooms overlooking the sea, many with breathtaking views.

There is a family kitchen, various social and study spaces, and a large common room with direct access to the garden and as the house is within the School grounds, boarders benefit from all the facilities of the School as well as the seaside town of Ryde. The hovercraft and ferry are close by, providing good and quick transport links to Portsmouth and London.

Boarders have most meals at school in the dining hall. However, at the weekends and at the boarders' request, they are provided with fresh ingredients so they can cook their own choice of meals in the kitchen at Centenary.

Mike Alderton  is Housemaster of Centenary House and a teacher of Physics in the Senior School at Ryde. He lives with his family in a separate part of the new boarding house with his wife Sonya, an Advanced Nurse Practitioner and their two children.

"Sixth Form years are formative times as our children develop into young adults. I have no doubt that the first year in boarding has been tremendously positive in fostering this process of maturing and helping him reach a very high level of independence. We have always been kept up to date with what is happening in the boarding house and any concerns have always been dealt with swiftly in a very caring way, which is incredibly reassuring for the physically distanced parents."

- London boarding parent

One Year GCSE Pre-Sixth Form

Most of our boarders have sufficient language skills to join Sixth Form A Level and International Baccalaureate programmes.

However, if more confidence or knowledge is needed, or if GCSE qualifications are required, we also offer a one-year pre-Sixth Form GCSE programme to equip students with the linguistic skills required for Sixth Form.

Students will typically have passed around 7 GCSEs in that year and have confidence and study skills appropriate for entry into the Sixth Form.

One Year GCSE Brochure


RELATED CONTENT