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BOARDING AT SIBFORD SCHOOL

BOARDING AT SIBFORD SCHOOL IS AN ENRICHING, POSITIVE EXPERIENCE WHERE ALL ARE ENCOURAGED TO LIVE ADVENTUROUSLY

ibford School provides an environment where all of our students feel valued, respected and part of the community, with boarding offered from Year 7.

cross two friendly boarding houses, we give our boarders the opportunity to develop not only socially but also personally and intellectually. Being a boarder at Sibford School is a great experience and one where memories that will last a lifetime are made. Having only a small number of boarders means that both pupils and staff get to know each other well and there is a strong, supportive family atmosphere.

SITUATED IN OXFORDSHIRE

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Sibford School is located in the peaceful Oxfordshire village of Sibford Ferris, close to the Cotswolds. Nestled in 50 acres of safe and secure English countryside, Sibford School benefits from a beautiful campus with plenty of fresh air, away from large urban populations. Large cities are however easy to reach. Historic Oxford is just a 20-minute train ride away and London is around one hour away by train. There is easy access to Heathrow, Gatwick and Birmingham airports and an excellent direct train service from neighbouring Banbury to London Marylebone.

LOCAL AREA Sibford Ferris is a quaint village on the edge of the Cotswolds, close to the towns of Chipping Norton and Moreton-in-Marsh, as well as being a short drive away from the birthplace of William Shakespeare, Stratford-upon-Avon.

WHY BOARD AT SIBFORD? STRONG VALUES The following values are central to our life as a community here at Sibford School: • Respect • Resilience • Responsibility • Relationships • Reflection

Sibford School’s Quaker ethos has underpinned all policies and practices since the school was founded in 1842, and we strive to create and maintain a culture in which all members of the community can be themselves, developing confidence, selfesteem and tolerance by ensuring a secure setting in which they feel valued and respected.

HOMELY FEEL The aim of our boarding provision is to provide a safe ‘home from home’ environment for our boarders and we feel that the community atmosphere of Sibford School is supportive and nurturing for all our boarders. Our houses are run by House Parents who work hard to provide a family atmosphere, while at the same time giving the students additional independence in recognition of their age and in preparation for university or leaving home.

DIVERSE COMMUNITY We are proud of the wide range of backgrounds that boarders bring with them to Sibford and feel this adds an international dimension to a rural school. This in turn adds to the diversity of Sibford and provides increased understanding of different cultures for all.

Community

TYPES OF BOARDING

Flexible

We offer various boarding options here at Sibford School with family and work life in mind: FULL BOARDING Full time boarders live on site in a boarding house at Sibford School for seven nights a week during term time. The school is responsible for the pupil’s care and well-being 24 hours a day. Full boarding fees include: • Accommodation • Laundry • Help with travel arrangements • Health care • All meals during the week

WEEKLY BOARDING Weekly boarding at Sibford School offers families the opportunity of an excellent education and outstanding pastoral care throughout the week, and all important family time at weekends. Living onsite at Sibford School throughout the week means that pupils are able to make the most of their studies without parents and guardians having the stress of the daily commute. With no daily travelling, pupils can enjoy the extra-curricular activities on offer and maximise the time spent on their studies and prep, all whilst building close friendships with those in the boarding community. Students who choose to weekly board have the option to arrive on Sunday night or Monday morning and depart on Friday afternoon or Saturday morning, meaning school life is balanced with family life at the weekends. Sibford School will arrange collection and drop off from Banbury train station, located just 8 miles from the campus. FLEXI BOARDING This boarding option means pupils can board for the occasional night if they wish. The cost includes 24-hour care, full board with meals and bed linen. We offer a 50% discount on the cost of occasional boarding should your child be staying over as the result of a schoolbased event such as an open evening, sports fixture or school trip.

OUR HOUSES There are two friendly boarding houses, both run by House Parents (some of whom are also teachers) who work hard to create a family style environment. House Parents live at either end of the boarding houses and get to know our boarders well, and like parents they try to keep informed of their progress at school whilst also giving them a secure home to retreat to from the pressures of academic work. MARGARET FELL Margaret Fell is our boarding house for girls from Year 7 through to Year 13. The house has a large, homely lounge where the girls can relax, watch television/DVDs and even play the piano. The Margaret Fell kitchen is a popular gathering place and has witnessed numerous baking activities. All the girls have their own individual lockers. Upstairs the house has ten shared rooms, some containing four beds and some containing two beds. There is also a single room en-suite room. All rooms provide the students with room for private study. FIELDING Fielding is the boys boarding house and accommodates pupils from Year 7 through to Year 13. Downstairs the students can enjoy relaxing together in the large common area which includes a lounge with comfortable sofas, TV room, pool table and study area. There is also a well-equipped kitchen and breakfast bar. All the bedrooms in Fielding are twins but where possible, boarders are given their own room with private study space.

Relax

PASTORAL CARE

Support

The boarding environment is sensitive to the needs of all individuals. Our aim is to have an emphasis on the pastoral support that strongly reflects the school’s ethos and provides outstanding care for boarders. Our House Parents and pastoral staff are always on hand to talk to boarders and ensure they are having the best possible experience. We appreciate that living away from home is a big change, so we keep a watchful eye to support and help the children and make sure they are comfortable and feel part of the family. Staff get to know our boarders well, and, like parents, try to keep informed of their progress at school, whilst also giving them a secure home to retreat to from the pressures of academic work.

LIFE AS A BOARDER At Sibford School we encourage all pupils to ‘live adventurously’ and to make the most of every opportunity that presents itself. For boarders this no different as we ensure there are a variety of activities planned for evenings and weekends, but also quiet time to relax. EVENINGS During the week all boarders have supervised homework time after school ends with access to the library and computers. This is followed by supper, after which pupils can take part in a varied programme of activities. This is put together in consultation with our boarders – popular activities have included adventurous pursuits such as climbing-wall club, team challenges and ultimate frisbee, as well as more unusual creative clubs such as jewellery making and African drumming. Boarders are encouraged to make full use of our many sporting facilities including our 25m indoor swimming pool, sports hall, tennis courts and football and rugby pitches. There are also many house-based evening activities such as baking, milkshake making, board games, pool, ping pong and craft activities. Senior boarders may also have supervised access to the music school for practice, and access to the art and textiles studios. WEEKENDS Sibford does not operate Saturday school so our weekends provide time for relaxation, trips out, activities and the chance to catch up on homework and sleep. At the weekend the pace of life changes for boarders. We organise a regular Friday evening trip to a local supermarket. Pupils then have a gentle start to Saturday and Sunday mornings with brunch served at 10.30am on Saturday and 11.30am on Sunday. Pupils are able to enjoy their own individual time at the weekends, balanced with times when there are set activities taking place. This enables our students to use their leisure time responsibly and productively, as well as renewing their energy for the week ahead.

To enhance the experience for our full boarders, we organise a number of extra-curricular and social excursions at weekends. There are frequent trips to nearby places such as Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon, Cheltenham and Banbury, in addition to bowling, ice skating, go-karting and cinema trips. The leisure facilities are also open at various times throughout the weekend for pupils to enjoy.

Adventure

EXEAT WEEKENDS AND STAYCATIONS

Enrichment

Sibford School no longer offers traditional termly exeat weekends, instead we now opt in favour of enriching ‘staycations’. Rather than having to go home or visit guardians, pupils can choose to stay in Sibford over the ‘exeat staycation’ and enjoy a range of exciting programmes and trips. ‘Exeat staycations’ take place in September, November, January and March. Attendance is voluntary and, should parents wish, pupils are still free to leave school over these weekends. Please note, additional charges may apply depending on the nature of the activities. The only compulsory exeat weekend we now have at Sibford School is over the long weekend of the Early May Bank Holiday. For this weekend the boarding houses are closed, and all boarders will be expected to go to home or to guardians.

ACADEMIC WORK Sibford School has an excellent reputation for its broad curriculum which enables pupils to excel in a wide range of subjects from maths, science and humanities through to art, music and drama. We have a reputation for enhancing the abilities of our pupils and are well known for our strong value-added results. Pupils who come to us regularly achieve better grades than their original assessment would predict. We are also proud to be known as a dyslexia friendly school and provide specialist support for those pupils who require additional help.

In 2020, our A Level results placed Sibford Sixth Form in top 10% of all schools nationally, for the progress that our students make.

Reputation

ENGLISH TO SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES (ESOL)

Specialist

A LANGUAGE SCHOOL IN A BOARDING SCHOOL SETTING The school has a specialist ESOL department staffed by experienced TEFL teachers dedicated to helping our international students acquire the language skills needed for academic achievement. The language support offered to international pupils is divided into three distinct areas: INTENSIVE ENGLISH COURSE This course is for students who need to improve their English language before joining Years 10 and 11 (for GCSE courses) or Sixth Form (for A Levels). The Intensive English Course is designed to give the students a thorough grounding in the English language and the core skills needed to progress to a strong intermediate level. MAINSTREAM EDUCATION WITH ESOL SUPPORT For the majority of international students who join us, their primary aim is to have a British education and gain recognised British qualifications. For students with an intermediate level of English and above, the mainstream school timetable with ESOL support is often the best option.

ADVANCE ENGLISH COURSE The primary aim of the Advanced English Course is to prepare our students with the necessary language and techniques to achieve an acceptable test score in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), ready for university. This course is obligatory for overseas students in the Sixth Form for whom English is not the first language (the only exception to this is for anyone who already has an IELTS grade of 6.5+).

COVID SAFETY Our stunningly rural position and large open campus makes it easy for Sibford to implement the required social distancing, which also allows our boarders to enjoy the safety and calm beauty of the Oxfordshire countryside. Sibford School is also proud to be part of the #safeschools initiative which means we have committed to adhering to the Boarding Schools’ Association’s (BSA) COVID-Safe Charter. In addition to this, #safeschools has proposed a number of additional optional measures for schools to consider. This is to ensure that we are going “above and beyond” and we are therefore keen to implement and delighted to be working with other schools and guardians to ensure high levels of safety within boarding in the UK.

bove & Beyond

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Wellbeing

Sibford School’s health centre is located centrally within the campus, easily accessible to all students and staff as required. The health centre is staffed by a registered health care professional Monday to Friday, from 8am to 4.30pm, in order to provide medical care for all pupils during the school day. In the evenings and weekends, first aid trained House Parents are available 24/7 for any unwell students. The school nurse is also available over the phone for advice and support outside the usual health centre hours. We are fortunate to be located less than a 5-minute drive from the local doctor’s surgery where all our full boarders are registered for their medical care during their time at Sibford. In an emergency we are just eight miles from the nearest hospital.

Sibford School Sibford Ferris I Banbury I Oxfordshire I OX15 5QL Telephone: +44 (0)1295 781200 Email: For general enquiries: office@sibfordschool.co.uk For admissions enquiries: admissions@sibfordschool.co.uk Social:

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