Living in Founder's House
For many of our boarders, living in Founder’s House will be their first taste of independence. To ensure Founder's House feels like a 'home away from home', we have put in clear structures and systems so that boarders understand what is expected of them.
In a safe, nurturing environment, they can then build the habits and skills that will last them a lifetime.
A Day in the Life
Daily structure provides crucial scaffolding for boarders to make the most of all that Whitgift has to offer, allowing them to push themselves both in and outside of the classroom. Structured nightly prep time teaches boarders time management and the value of consistency and effort. Free, unstructured time affords boarders the opportunity to relax, socialise, and spend time playing games and pursuing hobbies.
Timings will differ during the Winter (Michaelmas to first half of Lent Term) and Summer (second half of Lent and Trinity Term).
The Family System
Boarders are allocated a tutor and assigned to a Family upon joining Founder’s House. In fortnightly one-to-one meetings throughout the academic year, tutors seek to help boarders find their feet in Founder’s House and in the wider school community, hold themselves accountable to their goals, and make the most of the varied opportunities available to them.
Each Family is led by a House Prefect and will have boarders from every year group between Year 9 and Year 13. The ‘vertical’ Family system ensures that younger boarders have peers and mentors to lean on, and that throughout their time they can develop, become leaders, and be formally recognised for their contribution to Founder’s House.
Personal Development
The most important skills and qualities that a young man can develop will be learned beyond the classroom, not taught explicitly but intuited through taking managed risks, embracing difficulty, and reflecting and learning from failure.
Using online check-in tools, journaling practices, a no-device weekday evening and more, boarders in Founder’s House are taught to proactively manage their emotional and mental wellbeing.
