Life at Marlborough
The essence of our pastoral care lies in our house system, where our 17 houses enable the Housemaster/Housemistress and the Dame to get to know the pupils in their care very well and to tailor their support to meet individual needs. The Housemaster/Housemistress is principally responsible for the welfare and well-being of their pupils and they work in partnership with the Dame for the practical and pastoral running of the house. Specifically, the Dame will provide day-to-day care and support and is readily available to pupils in house throughout the school day. They are supported by Assistant Housemasters/Housemistress, Resident House Tutors, Resident Pastoral Tutors, personal tutors and the domestic teams.
During their time at school, our pupils come to rely very heavily upon the support, guidance and direction they are given in their house. Houses vary in character, composition and location but they all share the central ethos of our community. We seek to work in genuine partnership with parents, based upon agreed values which elevate the well-being and prospects of young Marlburians. Communication with parents is frequent, visits are encouraged and exeat weekends mean that boarders return home every third weekend for quality family time. We strongly believe in the benefits that our environment can bring to supporting the development of successful young adults.
Marlburians appreciate that there is a balance to be achieved between independence and interdependence and they engage with each other with real generosity of spirit, energy and a palpable sense of fun. The pupils who are happiest and most successful here are those who want to embrace every opportunity: to live in a community where learning, personal growth and exploration are the top priorities; where academic programmes and co-curricular activities are abundant; where making friends is paramount; where support is all around them and every success is celebrated.
Shape of the Day
No two days are the same for Marlburians, but the following schedule offers a flavour of what life is like for our pupils.
Mornings
The day starts at around 7.30am. Many will eat breakfast in their boarding houses but some, including day pupils will go across to Norwood Hall. Every pupil will see their Housemaster or Dame for check-in before 8.15am. This allows them to ask any questions or for the Housemaster or Housemistress to pass on messages. Pupils keep all their books and equipment in their boarding houses and prepare for the school day there. Every year group will have an Assembly once a week before school starting at 8.20am, and first period begins at 8.40am. All lessons are 40 minutes long. Lunch is eaten in Norwood Hall by all pupils and the end of P6 is staggered by year group to allow for a quieter lunch experience.
P1 8.40am–9.20am
P2 9.25am–10.05am
P3 10.10am–10.50am
Break 10.50am–11.15am
(Most pupils return to their boarding houses but drinks and refreshments are also available in Norwood Hall.)
P4 11.15am–11.55pm
P5 12.00pm–12.40pm
P6 12.45pm–13.20/13.30pm
Afternoons
Afternoons vary greatly according to the day of the week, the term and the year group. As a general guide, pupils have two afternoon lessons on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. In the Michaelmas Term these lessons happen at 4.30pm after sport, enrichment, outreach, CCF or other outdoor activities and in the Summer Term they take place after lunch. On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons there are no lessons as the time is taken up with one of the above activities and then private study time in houses from 5.00pm to 6.00pm. For some day pupils the day will end at 6.00pm, for other pupils supper starts and runs to 7.30pm to allow for music and drama rehearsals. Once a week, there is a year group Chapel service at 5.55pm which is attended before supper for that year group.
Evenings
After supper, pupils check in with their Housemaster or Housemistress before the start of prep at 7.30pm. Some day pupils will stay for prep, others may return home. Prep for all year groups runs from 7.30 to 9.00pm. The Housemaster and at least one tutor will be on duty in house each evening and every pupil will meet with their tutor on one evening a week in their boarding house.
A small number of supervised activities run between 9pm and 10pm which pupils may opt to take part in and Sixth Form pupils are allowed to visit another house between 9pm and 10pm. All pupils must return to their boarding houses and check in with their Housemaster or the tutor on duty by 10pm. College House will close at 10pm.
Weekends
The working week at Marlborough is full and weekends offer a rich programme of structured activities, social occasions and other recreational opportunities. The termly Calendar is testament to the ‘full’ nature of boarding life, and the vast majority of pupils (over 80%) choose to stay at school through the term-time weekends in order to benefit from the extraordinary range of opportunities open to them.
On Saturdays, morning school and lunch is followed by the chance for sports teams to compete against other schools. While the vast majority of pupils will be involved in teams and fixtures, others will have the chance for day trips, whether cultural or adventurous, depending on taste! Saturday evenings provide the chance to socialise. A programme of events is arranged centrally, usually by year group, and provides the chance to meet friends from other houses at, for example, ‘bars’ and dances, quizzes, film nights or inter-house competitions.
On Sunday, the school comes together collegiately; the majority of pupils choose to attend the mid-morning Chapel service. After a long brunch, there is a chance for individual choices about how to spend less structured time. Older pupils typically choose to consolidate academic work or pursue independent interests beyond the classroom; the Memorial Library is a wonderful resource valued by the whole community. Pupils can take advantage of the facilities in Art, Music and Design, for informal and individual creative endeavours, or use the time to rehearse, whether for drama, music or other performances. The extensive sports facilities are always popular.
Most importantly, however, are the weekend house events, aimed mainly but not exclusively at younger pupils. They range from the adventurous (ropes courses, raft building and teepee camping) and the relaxing (spa treatments and ‘wellness’ sessions, bake-offs and pottery painting) to the outright fun (Bubble Warz, circus skills and roast beef rambles)! The aim is always to bring pupils together, enabling friendships to deepen, and promoting bonds within houses which strengthen over time and fortify our vibrant community.
