Boarding Life

Lancing College is the premier boarding school on the South Coast. We have a long tradition of welcoming boarders from the UK and across the world and have adapted over the years to meet the changing lives and needs of our parents and pupils. 60% of our pupils are boarders and this makes for a supportive, close-knit and engaging community.

We have seven beautiful Boarding Houses all run by expert staff teams. Boarding starts (in the senior school) at the age of 13 years (Third Form) and every year we welcome around 120 new boarding pupils – some 50 of them into the Sixth Form.

British boarding is famous world-wide for its excellence  and Lancing is a truly boarding-shaped school and demand for boarding places is high. When we speak to Lancing boarders they talk about being part of a community, building friendships, learning to be independent; their trust in House staff and being able to access a wide range of opportunities across the sweep of a week. Parents are reassured that their sons and daughters are receiving the very best of pastoral care whilst living in a secure and beautiful environment with plenty of open space and fresh air.

Boarding can take different forms at Lancing and our Admissions team will be willing to discuss these in more depth with you when you visit. Our boarding options include:

Full boarding (anywhere between 5 and 7 nights a week)

Boarding pupils can elect to stay here over the weekends returning home at holidays or to go home or to guardians across most weekends. There are five exeats a year where the school is closed to pupils but where our  Home and Away  scheme is provided for international boarders wishing to stay in the care of school staff, and  three Chapel weekends where boarders and Day students are required to be in school for a Sunday Chapel service

Flexi Boarding (3 nights a week)

There are a limited number of flexi-boarding spaces available. This enables a pupil to be in a Boarding House and to spend three nights a week in school. They have their own bed and we recommend that across a term the three nights weekly are the same, but this gives real flexibility to families and pupils where a daily commute would be demanding or where a programme of activities stretches into evening commitments.

Occasional Overnight Stays

The opportunity to stay overnight is extended to all our day pupils on an occasional basis, space permitting within their year group in one of the Boarding Houses and with advance notice of at least 24 hours. A fee is charged per night for day pupils taking up this option.

The Boarding Structure

Boarding Houses at Lancing are single sex and span the five year groups in the College. We find that this is an important element of being part of the boarding house family. Girls and boys can spend time with their own age group and at the same time benefit from have older ‘siblings’ to guide them and, as they grow older, take on a leadership role in guiding  younger pupils.

The Boarding Houses are all different in layout and character but all have the same facilities and opportunities and structures; they have a range of bedrooms, places to study and keep books, a kitchen and also a friendly common room where pupils can meet and spend time relaxing.

Housemasters and Housemistresses play a vital role in making the Boarding Houses homely, working with a supporting team of assistants, matrons and tutors. All our Housemasters and Housemistresses are teachers and all our teachers are also Tutors  in Houses   –  so the pastoral and academic care of our pupils is wound together seamlessly. The Housemaster/ Housemistress  is resident, at the centre of the House structure and  they quickly get to know every pupil in their care and are the main point of contact for parents.

Life as a Lancing Boarder

The boarding way of life is very important to the structure of life at Lancing. The Boarding Houses are where firm friendships are forged, lasting throughout school and beyond. It is in Houses that pupils are given leadership roles, learn a keen sense of community and develop skills of caring and sharing. Older pupils mentor younger pupils; Heads of House and House Captains help in the day-to-day running of the House and matrons play a crucial role in the care of pupils.

Evenings and weekends are structured and tailored for each year group to ensure that time is allowed for academic studies, co-curricular activities, further enrichment, sports and also the all-important free time. This continues at weekends when the whole school is in for Saturday. Saturday mornings provide the opportunity for parents to share some PSHE and careers opportunities, whilst sporting fixtures take place in the afternoon. Sunday is more relaxed for boarders, a lie-in with some time for relaxation, planned trips out and a necessary pause that busy pupils need. Set within an estate of several hundred acres and with its own farm, Lancing provides pupils with an enviable opportunity to take advantage of the open air yet within a safe and secure environment.