Home from Home

Our two senior boarding houses offer pupils a warm, structured and supportive place to live and learn. Guided by experienced House staff who know pupils well, boarders are helped to settle quickly both academically and personally. Boarding life is shaped by shared routines, strong friendships and full participation in the wider life of the School.

The boarding houses were comprehensively refurbished in 2012, a programme of work that was nominated for a Boarding Schools’ Association (BSA) award. The refurbishment created comfortable, well‑designed living and social spaces that support both study and relaxation, while retaining the character of the houses. Today, boarders benefit from a welcoming environment alongside access to excellent facilities across the School site.

Life in the Boarding Houses

Boarding provides a healthy balance of independence and guidance. Pupils learn to manage their routines, organise their work and take part in activities with friends, all within the safe structure of House life. Weekdays include supervised prep, access to sports facilities, social time and House events, while weekends offer a mix of trips, activities and time to relax.

Boarders live in comfortable, well‑equipped rooms, with younger pupils usually sharing and older pupils moving to single rooms. Each House has common rooms, kitchens and social spaces where pupils unwind after prep and spend time together.

Boarders also have supervised access to key School facilities in the early evening, including:

• Common rooms and quiet study spaces
• An all-weather, large athletics facility on site
• All-weather floodlit Astroturf pitches
• A heated, indoor, six lane swimming pool
• Multiple rugby pitches, Netball and tennis courts
• A county-standard cricket pitch
• Indoor and outdoor cricket nets
• Sports Centre, with a Strength and Conditioning suite and cardiovascular training zone, badminton, netball and basketball courts

The Refectory provides three meals a day, and pupils may also cook or prepare snacks in the fully fitted House kitchens.

Weekends

Weekends at SVS offer a full and varied programme led by House staff. The boarding houses enjoy a healthy, competitive rivalry with each other, organising sporting fixtures and events that allow our broader community to come together. Weekend activities often include trips to local attractions, theatres, ice skating, local attractions, trampolining, shopping centres or the cinema, balanced with relaxed on‑site events and time to study or unwind. Whether exploring somewhere new or spending time together in the House, weekends are designed to feel sociable, enjoyable and well paced.

International Boarders

International pupils are warmly supported from the moment they arrive. Our location offers straightforward travel links to major airports, and House staff greet pupils on arrival, help them settle and stay closely in touch with families.

The cultural mix within the Houses enriches boarding life. Pupils share traditions, languages and experiences, supported by staff with international experience and, where needed, multilingual guidance.