Located over two floors of our Mansion building, junior boarding at Port Regis is a nurturing ‘home from home’ experience with all the ingredients to create a true family feel. The houses - Huxley (girls) and Talbot (boys) – create the perfect environment for young children to thrive. From cosy sofas to table football, big screen TVs to quiet reading corners, these are spaces for children to treat as home. After a day of learning and fun, children sleep in comfortable, spacious dormitories.
Our four dedicated houseparents and our housemother, Rachel, provide all the care, time and individual attention that the children need, helping them look after themselves and their possessions. Alongside them, our four gap year students (Gappies) take on the role of big brother or sister and are in high demand when it comes to fun and games! And with two independent ‘listeners’ and a Health Centre (available 24 hours a day and staffed by qualified nurses), there’s always someone there, day or night, to read a story, to play or just to listen.
Our children quickly get into the boarding routine, helped along of course by the lure of 'dorm winners' for the tidiest dorms and 'star of the week' for the most helpful boarder - the chance for some hot chocolate is never far away!
With two large games rooms and two cosy sitting rooms, there is plenty to do up in the house. Air-hockey and pool are popular, whilst a game of table football is always keenly contested! Equally, jigsaw puzzles and board games always draw a crowd. There are different activities scheduled every night after supper, including laser tag, pets' corner, disco dodgeball, the 'great egg drop' and lots of themed evenings to enjoy. And, except for having dorms and bathrooms on separate floors, the great thing is that that girls and boys live and play together.
For those seeking something a little more relaxed, there is always movie night, marshmallows toasted outdoors or story time by the fire in the Old Assembly Hall. There is also time to play Lego, Sylvanian Families or Warhammer, or simply relax with a book.
Each weekend there is a full programme of activities, with several options available to suit your mood or interest. Every other weekend the boarders will go out for the day, with trips to the coast for fun at the beach, bowling, rock climbing, go-karting, a trip to beautiful Bath or Salisbury or visiting local attractions such as Longleat Adventure Park, Stonehenge, and Dorset Water Park. On weekends in, the children get to take advantage of all Port Regis has to offer, with fun swims and cookery always a popular choice, and during the Autumn Term we enjoy blackberry picking within the grounds. They can take their bikes out and race the trails through the woods, or play any of the countless sports on offer. Team challenges, scavenger hunts, discos and BBQs too mean that weekends are worth staying in for!
Children can call home every day, and the staff make good use of the house mobiles to keep regular contact with parents, furnishing them with lots of photos of boarding life! Parents are warmly invited to all our Saturday assemblies and positively encouraged to stay for lunch afterwards. For overseas parents planning a visit to the UK during term time, there are two cottages in our grounds available to book.
We are open all year round except for the first May Bank Holiday of the Summer Term when children have the extended weekend to spend with families or their guardian.
When it comes to the holidays, we can arrange transfers to and from the airport, using either school transport or a taxi company whose drivers all have enhanced DBS clearance.
