Care & Boarding

Making the decision to go to a boarding school is a huge step. We pride ourselves on our holistic approach, and our Care team put in great steps to create a home from home feel in the houses, whilst working closely with the Speech and Language Therapy team, teachers, our dedicated nurses, and the Wellbeing Team.

For our students who board with us at Mary Hare, there is a full programme of activities to enjoy. Evening clubs are held during the weekdays, onsite and off-site in the local community, and includes activities such as swimming, circus skills, army cadets, yoga, life skills plus many more. Weekend trips can range from local trips to the cinema and shopping to bigger trips like rock climbing, go-karting, and theme parks.

The Youth Club: Coles Diner

Coles Diner is our on-site youth club, which originally opened as The Youth Club in October 2001. Starting out as a tuck shop selling sweets, fizzy pop with the occasional burger night and themed evenings, it was renovated in 2007 with the help of the PTA and lots of fundraising to become an American-style diner with its new name, Coles Diner. Our young residents have the opportunity to take on a variety of different roles and jobs at the youth club, including kitchen support, front of house, kiosk workers, and waiting staff.

Coles Diner plays a big role in many of our students’ time here at Mary Hare, as this space allows them to come together as a community, create a sense of identity and build on their skills. In addition to the roles they can apply for in Coles Diner, the youth club also supports students in earning Life Skills qualifications as a Young Youth Leader and training to become a lifeguard. Coles Diner holds big events and fundraisers throughout the year – to date it has raised over over £50,000 which has supported many local community groups and charities.
 

Our Houses

Bradbury House

Bradbury House is our brand-new boarding facility adjacent to the Primary School. Children aged 6 to 12 can board here and only weekly boarding is available for our Primary pupils.
Our Care team put in great steps to make sure the pupils feel like they can make themselves at home when they stay with us. Residential staff provide a predictable, consistent, and nurturing approach in a bright, warm and homely environment, and play and social interactions are the foundation for the residential experience. Bedtime, story time and settling time are a key part of the day, especially for children staying away from home for the first time.

Howard House

This is our Year 7 residential boarding for boys and girls who are beginning their Secondary School journey. Our residential staff bring a nurturing role with a safe, structured, and homely approach which supports children to integrate with new peers in a new school. Lots of social play outside of the school day is encouraged for our youngest boarders in the Secondary School.

Mansell House

Mansell House is where the Year 8, 9 and 10 boys reside. This is a key time where our Care team put support in place for young people to navigate friendships and steps to develop their independence. During the later stages the boys are supported in their transition from Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 4.

Manor House

Manor House is where the Year 8, 9 and 10 girls board. In a similar approach to Mansell House, the residential staff provide a safe and consistent approach to their care and routine and help young people to navigate friendships and develop their independence. This
is supported through opportunities to socialise with peers across the school. During the later stages the girls are supported in their transition from Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 4.

Murray House

Murray House is where both the Year 11 boys and girls live. It has been uniquely designed to provide an environment equipped to support the studies of our Year 11 students as they prepare for exams at the later stages of the academic year.
As well as a focus on studies, the residential staff promote positive wellbeing by engaging opportunities for down time.

Sixth Form

The Sixth Form consists of 4 smaller houses, all of which have a small common room and kitchen, and there is also a separate larger communal area and kitchen that the young people have access to. In Sixth Form there is a focus on preparing the young people for adulthood and life after Mary Hare which includes the development of life skills. This is balanced with them managing their studies and ensuring they have the environment to focus on these.