Boarding Life

On arrival at ACS, we work with each student to identify their particular passions and interests to ensure they have the chance to cultivate these during their time with us, and that their programme of activities is balanced and healthy.

Several of our clubs are organised and run by students themselves, helping develop their leadership skills. One of these is our Model United Nations club, where they exchange views on topics of international concern.

On weekends, our boarders are encouraged to participate in a full range of planned activities, this varies from cultural visits to London, go-karting, charity hours or visits to adventure parks such as Thorpe Park.

There is free time to socialise and relax in the evenings with varying bedtimes depending on age.

ACS Cobham’s award-winning catering department is operated in house, enabling us to employ and train all our own chefs. We take great pride in producing delicious, fresh and nutritious food that appeals to our international community.

Our menus are always seasonal and follow the School Food Trust’s nutritional guidelines. We source all our fresh ingredients from approved suppliers.

Most of our daily deliveries of vegetables, fruit, dairy and meat come from local producers, so we can trace each meal from ‘farm to fork’.

SAMPLE MENU

Breakfast

• Full english with poached eggs
• Chef Special

Lunch

• Teriyaki Chicken
• Crispy Duck and Hoisin
• Thai Green Curry
• Beef Stroganoff
• Yukatori Pork Skewer
• Chicken Parmigiana
• Halloumi Schnitzel and Grilled Veg
• Bok Choi Stir Fry

Afternoon Snack

• Carrot Cake
• Whole Fruit

Dinner

• Chargrilled Steak with café de Paris butter
• Sticky Sweet Salmon
• Lamb Shashlik
• Shrimp Jollof
• Roast Dinner
• Hand Battered Cod or Pollock with Lemon and Tartare Sauce and Skin on Chips
• Avocado Pesto Pasta
• Portobello Mushroom with Stilton Crust (V)

Dessert

• Double Chocolate Brownie with Cream

Evening Snack

• Cheese and Biscuits with Celery and Grapes

Woodlands House is a mixed boarding house, for 110 senior students from Grades 11 and 12. It is a modern, well-equipped, state of the art facility with a mixture of single and twin rooms. Every bedroom has an en-suite bathroom.

We have an extensive induction weekend to support all our new boarder as they settle in. We also have a “Lotus” program, where every student will be allocated a member of staff who will arrange regular meetings to check on their welfare

For boarding students, going home on weekends is no problem at all. Student visitors can be signed in to the house during the week, whilst external visitors need to request permission to visit the house.

A typical day as a boarding student at ACS Cobham looks something like this:

07.30- 08.20: Breakfast

08.30: School

15.30: Return to the Boarding Houses. Free Time

17.30- 18.20: Dinner Time

19.00- 20.30: Study Hall

20.30- 22.00: Free Time. Sporting Activities

22.00: Latest return to Woodlands

22.30/ 22.45: “Heads on Beds” (all students in bedrooms)

Saturdays we are often busy with Trips out (Go-Karting, Amusement Park. Paintball, London, Brighton, Winter Wonderland, etc.).

Sundays are generally quieter days, to sign out with friends, use the on-site facilities or complete assignments.

Absolutely. Plenty of students sign out at weekends to spend time at home. And staying with friends is very much permitted (with the correct authorisations)

Normally 2-3 hours- but most students will also be involved in different clubs after school

Students participate in Study Hall until 20.30, then Activities 20.30- 22.00, and the final curfew is 22.00

A Head of House, their Deputy and 2 Houseparents. Plus 4 teachers who help out each night and provide academic support.

It depends on the time of day, but mostly when all the students are around there will be 5 or 6 members of staff on duty.

New boarders arrive on the Friday before school starts, so they have 2 full days to get to know each other, the staff and the systems. There is a program of “getting to know you” events and activities, and they will have a boarding buddy allocated. There will be some Grade 12 students involved over these two days, to help make all the new students feel at home. The rest of the returning boarders then arrive from Sunday morning onwards.

We have an excellent safeguarding team who are quick to get involved when required. Within the house, we have a very experienced staffing team who have had plenty of experience guiding students through the various challenges of the first few weeks.

Always. The students have a mobile phone number (held by the duty member of staff) that they can contact at any time

Absolutely. We love to see the rooms personalised to the students’ own preferences

Most students organise their own taxis, but we are always happy to help with this process

We have an online program called “Orah”, where students can request time off site. These requests can easily be approved by parents and then staff. For overnight visits, we also require the permission and full details of the host family.

Yes, they can. With the standard permissions from parents and staff

As often as they like

In Woodlands House, mobile phones are allowed. Very occasionally, we will remove the mobile phone overnight for any students who need support in better managing their time

The medical centre, run by professional nurses, is right next door to the boarding house

Yes, it is. We have “Study Hall” from 19.00 to 20.30 every night during the week. There is a member of staff present on each floor to ensure that every student is fully engaged and supported

The Sports Hall, Swimming Pool and Gym are available after hours to all the students. As are the music practise rooms