Boarding
The Prep school landscape is changing at pace and one area that has been under the spotlight for some time is boarding. At Edge Grove over recent years there has seen a significant decline in numbers, with only 4% of pupils participating in boarding pre-pandemic and only 13% of those as weekly boarders. Consequently, it is clear that, without significantly changing the identity of the School and moving towards larger numbers of overseas-based pupils, the domestic market for boarding is in decline in all areas of the country. With this in mind, the governors recently made the decision to close boarding at Edge Grove permanently from the end of the Summer Term.
Boarding has been a huge part of Edge Grove throughout its rich history but we are excited about the opportunities ahead for all pupils and staff with the freeing up of the boarding floor.
The strategy of closing boarding will permit more coherent use of that space and enable additional resources for all of our pupils with a particular focus on pastoral care. The spirit and ethos for which the school is known best, captured in its commitment to academic rigour, the breadth of educational opportunity and a strong foundation of pastoral care, shall continue unwaveringly into this next phase of development.
The Estates team has been very busy over the summer converting the boarding floor into a bright, contemporary space including a music practice room and communal meeting space for guests and visitors.
We have included some images and boarding diary entries below and we would love to hear from you if you have any stories or memories from your time boarding at Edge Grove. Please email us at egs@edgegrove.com.
Kate McManus - Head of Middle School
Paul Wickens - Head of History
Ali Eglinton - Music and Sport Teacher
Jessica Eglinton - Director of Music
Sandra Smith - Head of Pre-School
