Boarding Life

Living at Bootham

Bootham as a Boarding School

Boarding is all about fun and companionship. Routines such as bedtimes and leave are all worked out on sensible lines with normal family disciplines applied.

The School has three boarding houses, each of which provides homely and comfortable accommodation in elegant Georgian buildings.

Your child's house will depend on his or her age or gender. The girls are all together in the three Georgian houses which comprise Rowntree. The sixth form girls have their own town house style flats. The boys board in similar Georgian houses: Fox for 11 to 18 year olds and additional sixth form places in Evelyn House.

Click on the house name on the left for more information.

Weekend Activities

Boarders have a wide choice of activities and younger pupils particularly are encouraged to make good use of all the opportunities on offer.

On Saturdays there is a normal school timetable in the morning and often games fixtures in the afternoon. Those not involved in fixtures may go into York after securing permission from house staff. In the evenings there are activities run by the boarding house teams.

Sunday mornings are relaxed and informal with ‘Sunday Brunch’ and a full programme of organised events.

Throughout the weekend boarders make good use of the School's facilities. There are always plenty of staff around, both in the boarding houses and in the School.

Boarding Options for all Students

The School is run very much as a boarding school and every student will have a chance to board at Bootham. 

Our full and weekly boarders, who stay at School for seven or six nights per week, make the houses their home. Friends who are day students may stay over and every day student may have two nights free sleep-over per term at a time agreed with the house staff. This is always popular and so advanced booking is essential!

In addition, day students may board for one or more nights on an ad-hoc basis, space permitting. Day students can also choose one of our flexible boarding arrangements, where they stay for two or more consecutive nights every week.