Meet the Team

How long have you been at Bootham School?

September 2021 will be the start of my 7th year at Bootham. I’ve worked at five different schools and enjoyed working at them all, but when you hear people say there is something special about Bootham, there really is!

What are you looking forward to in your new role as Head of Boarding?

Being a Houseparent, Housemaster/mistress is one of the most rewarding jobs in education – in my humble opinion! The nature of the role allows you to be heavily involved in the academic and personal development of the students. Here at Bootham, the uniqueness of person is at the heart of everything we do. Having been a House Tutor in Fox and Rowntree and Housemistress of Evelyn I am excited to take up the role of Head of Boarding at Bootham.

I’m looking forward to getting to know all our boarders. When parents consider the UK boarding experience I’m sure they want to know that there is an exciting extracurricular life as well as small class sizes and academic success; I know I would. It’s impossible to ignore the challenges we’ve faced due to the pandemic and as we start to move back to the normal way of life at Bootham, I‘m excited to work with the boarding team, and the wider Bootham community, to provide a full and varied programme of weekend activities is available to meet each boarding students individual needs. There’s so much to see and do in York!

I enjoy learning and any new role provides the opportunity to learn and develop new skills. I’m looking forward to playing a more strategic role developing the boarding provision, working closely with the bursar, estates manager and maintenance, the health centre, the catering team, the cleaning team and all other departments involved in boarding.

What does your role involve?

Ensuring that the boarding provision at the school follows the best practices established through ISI inspection frameworks and National Minimum Standards for boarding schools.

Developing and maintaining, in consultation with the Head, Bursar, boarding staff, and the school’s marketing team, a rolling strategic plan for boarding at Bootham, including strategic programmes for the recruitment and retention of boarding pupils. Providing leadership of -and

support for- the boarding house staff, ensuring high standards of care and opportunity for the students and consistency of practice across the boarding houses as appropriate.

Establishing, maintaining and monitoring appropriate systems through the houses to ensure the safety and well-being of the students, including:

Monitoring of student holiday and travel plans to ensure that appropriate arrangements have been made

Ensuring that Resident Graduates set up and monitor a full and varied programme of events for boarders in the evenings and at weekend.

Providing support, ‘back-stop’ and ‘second-level’ intervention for house staff in dealing with student disciplinary issues and/or relations with parents and guardians.

Maintaining active relations with national and local bodies (such as the Boarding Schools’ Association and York Boarding Schools’ Group) to keep up to date with boarding practice and maintain knowledge, training and expertise in the boarding team.

This is just a snap shot of what’s involved – every day is different!

Talking to the boarders and getting to know them is at the top of my list.

Describe Bootham in 3 words:

Inclusive, inspiring, vibrant.

Favourite thing about York?

There are so many things I’m really struggling to think of just one! My husband and I had always enjoyed visiting York for short breaks and even though we loved each visit I still thought city living wasn’t for me. But York is a very different city – it’s no surprise it was voted the best place to live by the Sunday Times! York is one of the most delightful, interesting and compact cities in the UK in which to live and work. I feel very much at home in York, the people are friendly. With the countryside and the coast not too far away you can have it all; there is always something going on!

Favourite Bootham meal?

The Saturday lunch salad bar for sure and the fresh fruit salad; the cakes are pretty special too for a treat. The Saturday lunch is particularly special as parents, grandparents, guardians join us – it really is lovely.

Favourite part of the school?

The observatory and next would be the school sports field. I love to sit at the bottom end looking over at the school with the Minster over to the left.

Hobbies:

I regularly practice Ashtanga yoga (I completed my yoga teacher certification based on Hatha & Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga in Rishikesh, India in 2019), I enjoy walking, mountain walks and camping, more often than not we go to the Lake District to camp.

Family:

I have two children, Daniel, 27, he lives in Manchester and Olivia, 24, she lives in Hartford, Cheshire.

Do you have any pets?

I have a cat called Jess and 2 dogs, Jasper and Loki. Loki certainly lives up to his name! I am also the proud sponsor of a donkey called Ripple thanks to the Res Grads in Evelyn! I love animals I would love a smallholding!

Any final words?

The fact that we are a boarding school shapes the pace, structure and many of the priorities of the school’s life. Boarding adds a richness and diversity to the community from which we all benefit.

Living in a boarding house is different to home. It is meant to be. But bricks and mortar, bedrooms and common rooms, swimming pools and tennis courts do not make a home. It is defined by the people within it. At Bootham, the boarding team pride themselves on being a caring, encouraging, understanding and inspirational team. We place great value on the relationships that we build with the children and on creating an environment that truly feels like a home from home. With many of us living at school all year round, that is indeed what it is.

Whether you are looking for full, weekly or flexi boarding or just an occasional night here and there, we will be delighted to welcome you. Our boarding houses are quite literally at the heart of our unique, warm and welcoming school which, in turn, is at the heart of the vibrant city of York.

I’m always happy to have a chat so please just get in touch if you have any questions about boarding at Bootham.