“Boarding is fun, it is our home and we live here” features very strongly in recent Inspection reports. Boarding at AB is very much based on providing a secure and homely environment in which to both live and study. Each boarding House is run as a family unit where pupils are encouraged to drop by and have a chat, drink hot chocolate and relax in the comfy surroundings of their Housemistress’ flats. We are very much a family where mutual respect and honesty features highly in our child centred community!

Girls may board from Y3 onwards and many often try flexi boarding at this age – it soon leads to weekly or full! There is a dedicated Roch room for girls from Roch House and our “Rochlets” (Y3- Y6) are very much an integral part of our boarding life- many have never had so many big sisters! Y7-Y11 join Cavendish House whilst Y12-13 form part of Somerville House. Boarding for boys will be introduced from Summer term 2010.

Cavendish House has a diversity of ages from 8 to 16 years. Here the girls live in a more structured environment which enables them to have fun, relax with their peers as well as providing time for them to study in a controlled atmosphere.

Sixth Form boarding (Somerville) is seen as a half way house to University life where girls are encouraged to develop their independence. It provides an atmosphere which encourages them to work to their full potential as well as allowing them to develop the many talents that they all have.

AB encourages a diversity in boarding opportunities- whether they be a Full, Weekly, Flexi or Occasional boarder. All girls are made very welcome and are soon caught up in all that a boarding school can offer.

FULL BOARDERS - board seven days a week and AB very much becomes their home. Parents are encouraged to visit and apart from Closed Weekends they may take their daughters out or home during the term.

WEEKLY - girls who weekly board stay from Monday- Thursday and may return on a Sunday night if they so wish. This option is useful for girls who do not live too far away from school but far enough to make the journey tiring or inconvenient every day.

FLEXI - we also have regular flexi boarders who stay one, two or three nights every week. Whenever possible they are given their own bed so that they are able to leave their belongings and personalise their own space. This type of boarding is useful if the girls have a late dance or sport class scheduled each week.

OCCASIONAL BOARDING - is for the odd occasion where parents find it more convenient for a girl to stay in school overnight. This could be for a late return from a theatre trip or an early start or simply because they are busy. Three free nights a year are included in the school fees and this has become a popular option particularly for the younger ones who want to try out boarding for the first time.