Best boarding schools in Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire’s good travel links make boarding schools a popular option. There's more to choose from in the west of the county but well established names are also found in the east and over the border in Essex.

At Beechwood Park School, the flexi boarders nearly all live close by, but it’s become so popular that when we visited it was only open to year 6s upwards, instead of year 5. And while Aldwickbury has no full boarders, local families see the flexi-boarding as good preparation for pupils heading off to senior day schools. At Royal Masonic School for Girls Cadogan House, weekly, flexi and ad-hoc boarding are all on the up while full boarding is dwindling. But at Lockers Park School, full (and other) boarding takes place in cosy dorms for two to 12 boys.

Further east, Heath Mount offers boarding or flexi-boarding from year 3 upwards and around a third of pupils board to some extent each week. Boys are based in the east wing of the main house and girls are just a few minutes’ drive away in the vibrant River House. Though relatively small numbers board at Felsted Prep (just over the border in Essex), it definitely has the special 'feel’ that boarding provides. Good sized, mostly four or six-bedded rooms, all well decorated and with own duvet covers and other homely touches.

At senior level, Queenswood has far fewer full boarders since the school introduced flexi-boarding. Most full boarders are international, all continents represented. At Berkhamsted School (boys) and Berkhamsted School (girls) there’s flexi or weekly boarding available, although again, a strong international contingent, particularly in sixth form. Most of the boarders at Royal Masonic School for Girls are in years 10-12. Around 40 per cent are from overseas.

Around 30 per cent board at Aldenham School (vast majority boys). Haileybury is possibly the best-known boarding school in the area. There’s an active inter-house social life and plenty of weekend activities for full-time boarders, with Saturday film nights and Sunday trips. Roman Catholic St Edmund’s College has around 90 boarders – mainly from overseas, with Catholic links attracting many from Spain, Germany and France. Handful each of weekly and flexi. All well integrated, a couple of the international ones telling us of occasional sleepovers with friends who are day pupils. Extremely flexible boarding (from year 7 upwards) at St Christopher School where house parents, resident tutors and gap students are involved in weekend activities. At Felsted School, over 60 per cent board, flexi or otherwise.

Two specialist performing arts schools offer boarding in Hertfordshire – at The Purcell School, all but 40-ish board – it’s strongly encouraged, not least due to the early starts and late finishes. At Tring Park School for the Performing Arts, full boarding (although in reality many sixth formers go home for weekends) is available and popular.

Very few state schools offer boarding, but Herts has two. St George’s School (Harpenden) takes between 10 and 30 boarders in each year with a strong international cohort. Hockerill Anglo-European College has both full and weekly options. ‘They make sure there’s a real sense of community among the boarders,’ said a parent.