Choir schools make top dorms list!

Congratulations to two CSA members for making ‘The 6 smartest boarding school dorms in the country’ list in the 2017 Tatler Schools Guide. They are Christ Church Cathedral School, Oxford and The Pilgrims’ School in Winchester.

First let’s put the spotlight on Pilgrims’ School, Winchester, where nearly all Year 8 boys will be boarding in September- a higher percentage of the school population than usual. In fact the school has overflow places only left for the next school year!

Photo: Jim Pascoe Photography

What’s their secret? The weekend excursion programme has proved so popular that the school now needs a second bus to transport everyone. They have reinstated a traditional tuck shop which opens on Wednesday afternoons and is run by a Year 8. A new teatime menu might also be why sleepovers for dayboys are popular. The dorms’ themed makeovers and new bathrooms all helps make the boarding experience comfortable and great fun.

The School’s Registrar, Ali Dugdale, adds: “But crucially it’s about the team. Smart facilities are great but the heart and soul of boarding relies on engendering a happy boarding ethos which our Head of Boarding and his wife are brilliant at. They have three young sons themselves, two of whom are choristers, so they understand what boys aged 8-13 want.

“Our boarding is not exclusively for choristers. Great care is taken to integrate the different boarders – choral, weekly, full. That makes for a buzzy community. The school nurses are stationed in the boarding house, so day boys too are familiar with the boarding side of school.”

You can read the full article from the March issue of The Tatler here:

http://www.tatler.com/news/articles/march-2017/best-dorm-rooms-boarding-schools-uk

Coming up: The Tatler followed up with a feature on CCCS in their April magazine. More on that shortly!