Boarding Offered at THE BLEC
AN INTRODUCTION
The Boarding House at BLEC, called ‘Mandela House’, is one of the most highly loved. The key to its success lies in the clear behavioural expectations, the wide range of activities on offer at weekends and the safe and nurturing environment that is created.
The campus boarding facility has capacity for nearly 200 boarders to live on site, housed in purpose-built accommodation. There are separate wings for boys and girls, and the number of pupils in each room is usually four, sharing their own en-suite bathroom facilities.
A dozen or more staff are accommodated within the Boarding House, to provide a high level of supervision and support for our boarding students. The Boarding House has its own student common rooms and other recreational facilities.
Younger children are accommodated in a separate area of the Boarding complex. They have their own full-time boarding staff, and a homely atmosphere is created for the children.
At weekends, a wide range of activities is available. These include many sports tournaments, talent shows, cinema and theatre visits, trips and organised tournaments. The swimming pool, gym and indoor sports centre are also available under the watchful eyes of qualified instructors.
The school Health Room ensures that a qualified nurse is always on duty to assist boarders with medical problems. The school also has its own bore hole which provides for all Boarding House water needs, and a large solar panel array to ensure that we always have power.
A boarding assembly is held regularly to raise issues of concern and to congratulate students who have achieved in areas of school life. Each student has a member of staff as their mentor. Mentors provide pastoral support for students and liaise with academic staff to ensure that each student is happy and making good progress.
The food provided to boarders is excellent and the students are regularly consulted about the menu. All meals are served in the dining hall and the school provides laundry facilities. There are church services organized on Saturdays for those who would like to worship. Matters of concern are raised through the boarding student ‘rika’ council.