Welcome to Bradfield House
Boarding at Walhampton is a popular, fun and enriching experience. Our caring environment and ‘home-from-home' boarding house ensures that the children feel happy and settled whether they are full time boarders or just staying for one night.
Every child has different needs, so ours is not a one-size-fits-all approach. We nurture pupils to give them the inner confidence and level-headed resilience they need to succeed in the next stage of their life.
We hope you find this guide a useful insight into the exciting and lively happenings within Bradfield House and we look forward to meeting you soon!
Our Boarding Family
The Miells
A huge welcome from myself - Mr Miell, Mrs Miell, our two little children Josh and Isla, Luna our dog and all those at Bradfield House. We are the Houseparents here at Bradfield House and we are super excited to welcome you and your family to Walhampton and we can’t wait to get to know you all. As a boarding team, we aim to provide your child with the opportunity to socialise with friends, engage in a range of exciting activities, practice their musical instrument skills and complete any prep throughout the week. We really feel that there is a special buzz around Bradfield House and we feel it is largely down to happy children who feel listened to, cared for and who are having an all round fantastic experience, making memories for life.
Miss Needham and Mr Sewell
Miss Needham and Mr Sewell are our Assistant Houseparents. They are two hugely passionate, active and caring individuals that your children are going to absolutely love. They will help during the evenings, weekends and day-to-day running of the Boarding House.
The Resident Staff
There are a number of staff who live on site who regularly help in Bradfield House; they usually do one evening per week and a few weekend duties throughout the year. Their job is to help during dinner, prep and activity times as well as reading the odd bedtime story!
The Graduate Assistants and Gappies
We are lucky enough to have a range of lovely Graduate Assistants and Gap Students who also help out in Bradfield House during the week and weekend! They bring fun and enthusiasm to the house and are up for playing games on the front lawn to Fifa competitions on the PlayStation! They are there throughout the evening to help with the evening routine, but also help deal with the day by day running of the house!
Our lovely Housekeeper
Our fantastic housekeeper is one of the most wonderful people on our team. She is responsible for the day-to-day cleaning of the house and ensuring all the beds are made and ready for any incoming boarders. Any sock or jumper that may be lost, there is a good chance that she will know where it is!
Bradfield House
Our boarding house, Bradfield House, is located in the heart of the School. It is an impressive building with spectacular views across the School's horse paddocks, gardens, playing fields and out to the Solent and Isle of Wight. The amazing grounds become the boarders' back garden at the weekend and in the evenings as they spill outside to play tennis, cricket, football, golf or swim in the outdoor pool.
The Boarders' Common Rooms are central to the house and are used for games, crafts, movie nights and even stargazing with our own telescope! The boys dormitories are found on the top floor and the girls' dormitories are found on the first floor, each sleeping from 3-7 pupils. Each floor also has a kitchen in which children can help themselves to water and other nutritious snacks.
When parents tour our boarding facilities, they not only comment on the spacious shared bedrooms and comfortable common rooms, but also on the caring family atmosphere. This means that, like siblings, our children care for one another, with older ones helping younger ones, and the younger ones looking up to them in return.
This camaraderie is also visible at those exciting times, when a new boarder comes to stay; support is offered, friendships are forged, and new routines are learned. Those first crucial days and weeks become so much easier for children to navigate with friends by their side.
The boarding team are always on hand to help the boarders settle into life at Walhampton. Anything from showing them around, helping them with prep or project work to listening to any worries or concerns over a cup of hot chocolate at the end of a busy day!
Boarding Options
Boarding at Walhampton feels very strongly that the day children are completely integrated with our full-time, weekly and flexi-boarders - all of whom thrive within our 'home-from-home' environment.
Walhampton offers a number of different boarding options for all children aged 7 - 13.
- Full time - 7 days/nights a week during term time.
- Weekly - 5 nights a week.
- Flexi - 1 to 4 nights a week on a fixed nights basis.
- Ad hoc basis - occasional nightly boarding can be booked as and when needed subject to available beds.
So if you live overseas, regularly commute, travel on an ad hoc basis, interested in your child having a taster of boarding life ready for Senior School, or even if you would simply like to enjoy a night out, Bradfield House is here for you! We would love you to consider us in your family plans and would welcome you to come and look around the boarding house and meet our wonderful staff.
What does our routine during the weekdays look like?
The routines and activities in the boarding house are organised and overseen by our Houseparents. Here is an example of the daily routine for a boarder:-
- 07:00 Wake up and get dressed
- 07:30 Breakfast
- 08:00 Registration in your classroom
- 08:30 Lessons begin
- 10:45 Breaktime
- 12:45 Lunchtime
- 15:45 Little Tea
- 17:00 Prep
- 17:45 Go up to the dorms, change into home clothes and head to supper
- 18:30 Evening activities/music practice/phone time/showers
- 20:30 Lights out (Year 3 & 4)
- 20:45 Lights out (Years 5 & 6)
- 21:00 Lights out (Year 7)
- 21:15 Lights out (Year 8)
All boarders tuck into bed 15 minutes before lights out to either read, chat to their roommates, write in their diaries or simply relax in bed and unwind.
We ask parents to be mindful of these times and ensure they play their part in ensuring that any phone call or communication ends with time for their child to be ready for bed before lights out.
Friday and Saturday night bedtimes are at the discretion of the duty member of staff but, as a general rule, pupils go to bed no more than 40 minutes after their usual weekday bedtime.
What happens on the weekends?
Weekends are busy and adventurous! Saturday morning is crammed full of activities for both day and boarding children. In the afternoon, we spend time in the woods, making fires and swimming in the pool. Saturday evenings are all about family time, with staff watching a film with the children, enjoying a home-cooked supper, and playing board games. On Sundays, we head out to a range of action-packed activities including Laser Quest, Aqua Parks, Shopping and theatre trips and even Rib Rides around the Solent! There are of course moments when there are opportunities to relax and chill in the boarding house after a busy week.
How can I phone home?
During the evening the boarders are given 30 minutes of phone time on their own personal device each evening. This is the child’s opportunity to call friends and family and chat away about the fantastic day that they have had! Each boarder is welcome to bring in their own named device into the Boarding House which will be monitored through the use of the secure School wifi. We encourage the use of Facetime and Whatsapp to contact parents and loved ones. There are also three house phones in Bradfield House which parents are able to call or children to call parents from. These can be used throughout the evening.
Boarders phone time is usually scheduled at 7:15pm but this can vary slightly if the boarders get caught up splashing around in the pool or exploring the grounds on a summer's evening! Please do bear with us but if there is an urgent request, do feel free to email a member of the Boarding Team who will reply as soon as possible.
All boarders devices are handed in after phone time and are locked away in the boarding office overnight and throughout the school day for safe keeping.
Laptops
All children from Year 6 to 8 are expected to have a laptop in School to complete their school work. Boarders are allowed to use their laptops during prep time but must bring them straight upstairs to the boarding office so they can be safely secured in our specially designed charging units overnight.
What happens during Exeats and Holidays?
Travel arrangements for both Exeats and holidays are co-ordinated by Mr Miell. The Exeats start on a Friday afternoon after school and the boarders are welcomed back into the house from 6:30pm on the Sunday. Mr Miell will liaise with the child and their parents to ensure that all the boarders have somewhere to go during the weekend. This could be with a guardian, a family friend or fellow pupil. These are exciting weekends which give the boarders a chance to recharge and spend some valuable time with friends, family and loved ones.
For the end of term, Mr Miell will be in touch to organise any travel arrangements for the beginning and the end of the holidays. For any international borders, all you have to do as a parent is to book the flight and Mr Miell will do the rest! He will organise taxi transport there and back from the airports and any further assistance that may be required once at the airport. As soon as your child is enrolled at Walhampton, Mr Miell will be in touch with you about travel arrangements.
What is the Walhampton Express?
The latest arrival at London Waterloo is the Walhampton Express. Thanks to our flexible boarding and train travel package, our remarkable independent country prep school is an accessible option for London-based families.
Friday Drop Off: On a Friday, after a busy week at school a member of staff will accompany the children to Brockenhurst to board the Walhampton Express. All children will be provided with a healthy packed tea for the journey while they talk to friends or catch up on homework. The train usually arrives in London at around 6:30pm where the gaggle of excited pupils get off to enjoy a full weekend of quality time with the family.
Sunday Pick Up: On Sunday, the same journey happens in reverse. A member of the Walhampton staff will greet you at London Waterloo at around 5pm to escort the children back to Walhampton. On arrival at Brockenhurst at about 7pm, a school minibus will collect the children and whisk them back to school ready for a fun-packed week at school.
What do I need to bring as a boarder at Bradfield House?
Please follow the link for each of the kit lists for boys and kit lists for girls for weekly and full time boarders and for flexi boarders. Please ensure that your child has at least 2 or 3 of each item of School uniform to accommodate turnaround in the laundry.
There are a few options as to how to purchase the uniform:
- The School Uniform Shop through appointment
- Second Hand Uniform Shop
The details of the opening times vary and you will be sent the details through once enrolled at Walhampton.
Please make sure ALL items of clothing are labelled.
Home clothes are stored in the childs bedrooms and their uniforms are stored in designated laundry rooms in the boarding house. This helps to keep the children organised and keep track of their belongings.
Laundry for the boarders is collected and washed on a daily basis. Uniforms, home clothes and underwear are washed daily. There is a weekly rota for bedding and sports kit.
We highly recommend that your child doesn’t bring anything into the boarding house of high or sentimental value. Anything of value such as passports, phones, laptops are locked away in the boarding office for safekeeping. Boarders do not need money; pocket money is provided by the boarding staff and is then later charged to the parents bill.
However, we really encourage each child to bring their own possessions and items that will make their bed area feel homely. Photos, posters, flags and little knick knacks all help to make your child feel more settled and comfortable.
What happens if I am poorly or need regular medicines?
Of course, one of the main worries as a parent is ‘what happens if my child becomes unwell?’ We are very fortunate to have a dedicated team of fully qualified paediatric nurses who are there to see any unwell children during the school day. The nurses also work until 9pm covering some evenings during the week. Out of hours and overnight, the houseparents and assistant house parents (who are all paediatric first aid trained) are there to attend to any unwell children. In Bradfield House we have a designated medical sick bay where the children can go to lie down and recover. However, if the child's sickness were to continue and they would feel more comfortable in a home setting we would encourage them to go home or to a guardian or family member.
All full term boarders are registered at the start of their time at Walhampton at the local GP surgery ‘Chawton House’. A GP comes to Walhampton once a week to see any children who may need to see a doctor. The nurses and the boarding team can also arrange any more urgent medical appointment to see a doctor out of the regular weekly visit. This also goes for any optician or dentistry appointments too.
If your child requires daily or regular medicines, this can be discussed and administered by the nursing and boarding staff as and when required. All medications will need to be noted by way of a form and parental permission given. This can be done on arrival at Walhampton when the parent arrives with the child. If a parent has any concerns or worries about any medical condition, this can of course be discussed prior to the child's arrival.
If your child has an allergy of any description, you will need to notify the school before arrival at Walhampton. The nurses, boarding staff and kitchen staff will then make sure each individual child is catered for and cared for depending on their specific allergy.
What happens when I arrive at Bradfield House for the first time?
On arrival at Bradfield House you will be given a warm welcome by the boarding team. Parents are encouraged to accompany their child so they can settle and help unpack their child's belongings in their new room.
Each child will be provided with the following items to make settling in easier :
- A Boarding Guide in any chosen language
- A welcome letter that has information about which tutor/class they are in and who is their boarding and School buddy.
During each child's first nights stay in Bradfield House they will be given a full induction. This includes the following important information -
- The fire procedure
- How to get help overnight should they need it
- How the laundry system works
- A tour around Bradfield House and the main school areas
What does it mean to go ‘Above and Beyond’ or to receive a ‘Red Mark’?
In Bradfield House, the boarders follow the same behaviour structure but a more holistic approach is maintained to reflect the difference between school and ‘home time’. Great behaviour is highly rewarded in Bradfield House. For any children who have gone ‘above and beyond’ during the week, they are celebrated in the weekly house meeting and are rewarded with a sweet treat or 15 minutes of extra phone time. There is also a dorm rewards system. Each dorm has the opportunity to win flags each evening for good behaviour, tidy rooms and having their kit ready for the next day. The dorm with the most flags at the end of the half term will win the grand prize!
A ‘Red Mark’ system is in place for children who have not met Bradfield House’s behaviour criteria. A child who receives a red mark will be spoken to by Mr Miell who will contact you as their parent and a suitable consequence will be given.
Food at Walhampton School
We can honestly say that the food at Walhampton School is outstanding! We are very lucky to have a full team of kitchen staff who cook and prepare the most wonderful meals for the children - breakfast, lunch and dinner. The food is nutritious and wholesome and caters to a range of different tastes.
At Bradfield House, we have a small committee of children who voice which meals the boarders would like to eat and the menus reflect the ‘boarders choice’ selection.
During meal times the boarding staff eat with the children and enjoy chatting about their day and catching up with each other. It is also a great opportunity to educate the children about healthy eating and good table manners.
Healthy snacks are provided in the boarding house for the children when they have finished their activities and have come up to start phone time and their evening routine.
What happens if it is my child’s birthday?
First of all, Happy Birthday! If your child is a full or weekly boarder and are boarding on their birthday we will make sure that a birthday cake is provided by the kitchen staff and that it’s big enough for their whole year group to share! If parents want to hand over any presents or extra goodies for their child's birthday we are more than happy to keep them safe until their big day.
Can I send my child post and packages?
Of course you can! All post and packages need to be addressed with the child’s name and sent to the following address:
Walhampton School, Lymington, Hampshire, SO41 5ZG, ENGLAND
Communication
This is one of the most important sections of the handbook. Bradfield House boarding staff are here to help and listen to you and your child for any concerns or questions. It is of high importance for us that you feel that you are kept up to date with your child's progress and needs. Please find below a list of contact details for the boarding team.